Real Place Background: Difference between revisions

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[[File:realplacescenery.jpg|link=Clannad ~~(Visual Novel)~~|frame|Holy crap, that ''is'' my house!]]

[[File:realplacescenery.jpg|link=Clannad|frame|Holy crap, that ''is'' my house!]]

Everyone loves some good [[Scenery Porn]] every now and then. It's a wonderful means of immersion. If the creators make a background and scenery vibrant and detailed enough, you might even be able to convince yourself that you're actually there!

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Locations used for this purpose tend to become the subject of [[Otaku]] "pilgrimages", a prime example being the Washinomiya shrine which is used in ''[[Lucky Star]]''.

This is far more common in TV shows, comics and games that are set in real places (e.g., [[Big Applesauce|New York]], [[Tokyo Is the Center of ~~The~~ Universe|Tokyo]], or [[Gay Paree|Paris]]).

This is far more common in TV shows, comics and games that are set in real places (e.g., [[Big Applesauce|New York]], [[Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe|Tokyo]], or [[Gay Paree|Paris]]).

See [[No Communities Were Harmed]] when the setting is highly recognizable, but never gets mentioned by its proper name. Even a mix is possible, when the town is never mentioned by name, but settings like train stations or streets are. Attention to detail in backgrounds is one possible aspect of [[Shown Their Work]].

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* The series ''[[Durarara]]'' recreates much of the city in which it is set — sometimes disturbingly so. (That vending machine Shizuo uprooted and tossed around in Ep. 3 ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rY3exryGq8#t=6m0s actually exists].'') People have [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_6EMZYOf74 even made montages] of the many suspiciously familiar places they've found in the anime.

* According to fans of ''[[Gunsmith Cats]]'', you can tell when its location scouting in Chicago was done by the state of repairs on some of the buildings.

* ''[[Kamichu]]'' does this with Onomichi in the Hiroshima prefecture. See [http://www.onomichiguide.com/kamichu.html here]. Of course, everything looks a little newer in the anime—it's set in the period between spring 1983 and spring 1984.

* ''[[Kamichu!]]'' does this with Onomichi in the Hiroshima prefecture. See [http://www.onomichiguide.com/kamichu.html here]. Of course, everything looks a little newer in the anime—it's set in the period between spring 1983 and spring 1984.

* ''[[Eden of the East]]'' for Washington, D.C.

* ''[[So Ra ~~No wo To~~]]'''s Seize is based off Cuenca, Spain. Fans have even gone there to take photos of locales shown on the anime.

* ''[[Sora no Woto]]'''s Seize is based off Cuenca, Spain. Fans have even gone there to take photos of locales shown on the anime.

* Naoki Urasawa's ''[[Monster (~~Anime~~)|Monster]]'' takes you mostly through the scenery of the [[Commie Land|former Communist bloc]], like Germany and Czechoslovakia, as it tries to unravel the mystery of Johan's creation and his past, though some other settings occur as well, such as Southern France.

* Naoki Urasawa's ''[[Monster (manga)|Monster]]'' takes you mostly through the scenery of the [[Commie Land|former Communist bloc]], like Germany and Czechoslovakia, as it tries to unravel the mystery of Johan's creation and his past, though some other settings occur as well, such as Southern France.

* Most iterations of ''[[Digimon]]'' do this, at least before the places in question get torn apart by [[Kaiju]]. Some of the best examples are the Fuji TV station in ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'' and the extensive scouting of Shinjuku's surrounds in ''[[Digimon Tamers]]''.

** This is more noticeable in [[Digimon Tamers]], because took place mostly in the real world, it contained many Real places. Some examples: [http://www.konaka.com/alice6/tamers/loction/SJ_082.jpg Guilmon's hideout], [http://www.konaka.com/alice6/tamers/loction/SJ_107.jpg Henry's apartment building], [http://www.konaka.com/alice6/tamers/loction/SJ_059.jpg Takato and Henry's school], [http://www.konaka.com/alice6/tamers/loction/SJ_114.jpg The street Takato lives], and [http://www.konaka.com/alice6/tamers/loction/SJ_051.jpg the park Takato, Kazu and Kenta played in].

* ''[[~~Tentai Senshi Sunred (Manga)|~~Tentai Senshi Sunred]]'' takes place in Kawasaki, Japan, and matches it shot for shot. The art style of Sunred might not be the one usually associated with this trope, but the locations are all too real.

* ''[[Tentai Senshi Sunred]]'' takes place in Kawasaki, Japan, and matches it shot for shot. The art style of Sunred might not be the one usually associated with this trope, but the locations are all too real.

* Hinamizawa in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni]]'' is based on [http://punynari.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/shirakawa-go-japan-the-real-hinamizawa/ Shirakawa-Go]. [[Paranoia Fuel|Not even the real world is safe now.]]

* Hinamizawa in ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'' is based on [http://punynari.wordpress.com/2009/03/03/shirakawa-go-japan-the-real-hinamizawa/ Shirakawa-Go]. [[Paranoia Fuel|Not even the real world is safe now.]]

** There's a possible justification here: The original self-published [[Visual Novel]] had backgrounds that were simply Photoshop-filtered photos.

** Umineko follows this with at least the Mansion (and probably also the garden) which is based upon a mansion in the Kyū Furukawa Gardens.

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** ''[[Twin Spica]]'' takes a more stylistic approach, although the shorelines and the Yuigahama boulevard where Asumi goes jogging are clearly recognizable.

** In ''[[Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou]]'', Alpha takes a trip to Kamakura, with a very prominent view of Enoshima.

** ''[[~~Shinryaku Ika Musume (Manga)|~~Shinryaku! Ika Musume]]'' is set on Kamakura's Yuigahama Beach.

** ''[[Shinryaku! Ika Musume]]'' is set on Kamakura's Yuigahama Beach.

** ''[[A Channel]]'' has the obligatory [[Beach Episode]], in which the girls take the very recognizable Enoden train ride to their destination.

** ''[[~~Tsuritama (Anime)|~~Tsuritama]]'' is explicitly set at Enoshima.

** ''[[Tsuritama]]'' is explicitly set at Enoshima.

* ''[[Mahou Tsukai Ni Taisetsu Na Koto Natsu no Sora|Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~]]'' takes place against photo-realistic real-life backgrounds. Of special note are Biei in Hokkaido, hometown of the main character Sora, and the hip Tokyo neighborhood of Shimokitazawa. In one episode Sora and Kohta also {{spoiler|go on a date}} in Kamakura.

* ''[[Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora|Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~]]'' takes place against photo-realistic real-life backgrounds. Of special note are Biei in Hokkaido, hometown of the main character Sora, and the hip Tokyo neighborhood of Shimokitazawa. In one episode Sora and Kohta also {{spoiler|go on a date}} in Kamakura.

* ''~Amanchu!~'' largely takes place in the town of Ito on the Japanese Izu peninsula, which is known for its abundant hot springs. The big building at the shore where the cast gets together a few times is a well-known local landmark.

* ''[[Umi Monogatari]]'' is set on one of the subtropical Japanese Amami-Oshima islands. It doesn't get any explicit mention though until the DVD special.

* ''[[Darker Than Black]]'' is big on this. All three major localities the TV show takes place in, [[Tokyo Is the Center of ~~The~~ Universe|Tokyo]], Sapporo and [[Aliens in Cardiff|Vladivostok]], were painstakingly researched to the point where indeed it was possible to pinpoint the time the references were taken by the state of specific buildings alone.

* ''[[Darker Than Black]]'' is big on this. All three major localities the TV show takes place in, [[Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe|Tokyo]], Sapporo and [[Aliens in Cardiff|Vladivostok]], were painstakingly researched to the point where indeed it was possible to pinpoint the time the references were taken by the state of specific buildings alone.

** To the point that it explicitly binds the action to January 2008. The large-scale redevelopment that begun in Summer 2008 in preparation to 2012 APEC summit, has changed the downtown Vladivostok to the extent that it would be impossible to miss, had the action happened any later.

* ''[[Asobi Ni Iku ~~Yo (Light Novel)~~|Asobi Ni Iku Yo]]!'' is set in Okinawa. The credits reveal that the staff worked with the Okinawa tourism board, and does it ever show. There is almost no part of the show that's not showing off the island, its wildlife and its attractions at one point or another.

* ''[[Asobi ni Iku yo!|Asobi Ni Iku Yo]]!'' is set in Okinawa. The credits reveal that the staff worked with the Okinawa tourism board, and does it ever show. There is almost no part of the show that's not showing off the island, its wildlife and its attractions at one point or another.

* ''[[Tamayura]]'' takes place in Takehara, a small seaside town of in the Hiroshima prefecture of Japan, not far from ''[[Kamichu]]'''s Onomichi. The town is rendered with painstaking detail, up to and including touristic signs.

* ''[[Tamayura]]'' takes place in Takehara, a small seaside town of in the Hiroshima prefecture of Japan, not far from ''[[Kamichu!]]'''s Onomichi. The town is rendered with painstaking detail, up to and including touristic signs.

* ''[[Fractale]]'' contains detailed shots of the west of Ireland, and the town in episode 2 is a lot like Galway.

* ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' featured locations that were accurately based on real locations.

* ''[[Only Yesterday]]'' used actual railway stations.

* ''[[~~Hana Saku~~ Iroha]]'' is set in a town modelled after Yukawa. Comparison pictures can be found [http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=300641 here]

* ''[[Hanasaku Iroha]]'' is set in a town modelled after Yukawa. Comparison pictures can be found [http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=300641 here]

* The girls from ''[[Ichigo Mashimaro]]'' live in the town of Hamamatsu, in Japan's Shizuoka prefecture. The artist loves to sneak in references, like maps and local landmarks, although it doesn't get any actual mention until chapter 55.

* Many of the locations in ''[[~~Yubisaki Milk Tea (Manga)|~~Yubisaki Milk Tea]]'' are real places in Tokyo, often surprising detailed drawn. A collection of pictures of the real places can be seen [http://natsukan.net/0034yubisakiMilkTea/?id=all here].

* Many of the locations in ''[[Yubisaki Milk Tea]]'' are real places in Tokyo, often surprising detailed drawn. A collection of pictures of the real places can be seen [http://natsukan.net/0034yubisakiMilkTea/?id=all here].

* ''[[Manga/Yuritetsu|Yuritetsu]]'' is about four girls which form a railway club and naturally goes by real trains to real stations and sights all over Japan. Their local station Yurigasaki-Joshikoumae is a renamed Hino Station on the Chūō Main Line in Tokyo, but the other places goes by their real names, be it the big Ueno Station in Tokyo or the secluded Koboro on Hokkaido. And since one of the girls, Hakutsuru Tsurumi, is a fan of a serie which is obvious K-on they are also visiting the above mentioned Toyosato Elementary School, which certainly look like Yui & Co could come in any other minute.

== [[Video Games]] ==

* ''[[True Crime Streets of LA]]'' featured a rather extensive 240-square-mile re-creation of Los Angeles and its surrounding area, down to the individual street names and landmarks.

* ''[[True Crime: Streets of LA]]'' featured a rather extensive 240-square-mile re-creation of Los Angeles and its surrounding area, down to the individual street names and landmarks.

** ''[[LA Noire]]'' does this for the LA of 1947.

* The ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' series, starting with ''San Andreas''. Many a player was surprised at the level of detail that went into the fictional versions of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Likewise for ''GTA IV'' and NYC.

** Not to the same extent, but present in Vice City as well. More than just Miami Beach, you can see various familiar sites driving around the city of Miami itself. We may see a much more faithful recreation if rumors of GTA V returning to Vice City pan out...

* ''[[~~The World Ends With You (Video Game)|~~The World Ends With You]]'' contains a remarkably faithful recreation of Shibuya, barring the [[Rule of Cool|stylish yet impossible angles of skyscrapers]] and [[No Communities Were Harmed|the fact that none of the stores]] [[Bland-Name Product|are the brands they should be]].

* ''[[The World Ends With You]]'' contains a remarkably faithful recreation of Shibuya, barring the [[Rule of Cool|stylish yet impossible angles of skyscrapers]] and [[No Communities Were Harmed|the fact that none of the stores]] [[Bland-Name Product|are the brands they should be]].

* The tracks in ''Project Gotham Racing 2'' are so accurate that one Scottish gamer was able to identify a store he used to frequent on an Edinburgh track.

* A lot of effort was put into replicating London in ''[[The Getaway]]''. You can find the pub you burn down in real life; the screenshots are as similar as the page image.

* [[Fallout]] 3 uses the Washington Metro area for its Capital Wasteland. Of course, the scenery is all blasted and post-apocalyptic, but there are several places where you can see what the [[Real Place Background]] would look like if it got blown up.

** ''[[Fallout New Vegas]]'' is even better at this. Even the little ghost town you start the game in, Goodsprings, is a real-life location; the bar and general store are lifted straight from the real ones.

** ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' is even better at this. Even the little ghost town you start the game in, Goodsprings, is a real-life location; the bar and general store are lifted straight from the real ones.

* ''[[Project Reality]]' includes several real cities and locales among the map roster, such as several cities in Iraq and Lebanon.

* The STALKER series contains numberous locations recreated painstakingly from the [[Real Life]] Chenobyl exclusion zone. In some cases the only differences are the distances between locations. And the mutants. We hope.

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== [[Web Comics]] ==

* In ''[[~~Gunnerkrigg Court (Webcomic)|~~Gunnerkrigg Court]]'', Tom Siddell based the backgrounds of Zimmy's [[Dark World]] off actual locations in Birmingham.

* In ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court]]'', Tom Siddell based the backgrounds of Zimmy's [[Dark World]] off actual locations in Birmingham.

** Hence the [[Fan Nickname]] 'Zimmingham'.

* Because Paul Taylor, the author of ''[[Wapsi Square]]'', has a background in photography, the backgrounds in the comic match up quite nicely with the actual geography of Minneapolis, even to the point where the fanbase can identify the exact street corner a scene is taking place at.

* ''[[Orange Marmalade]]'' does this for the backgrounds, using photographs of Korea taken by internet photographers (after getting their permission) revealed in one of the bonus strips.

* ''[[The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal]]'' is full of these.

* Moperville North High School in ''[[~~El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)|~~El Goonish Shive]]'' is based on Naperville North High School in suburban Chicago.

* Moperville North High School in ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' is based on Naperville North High School in suburban Chicago.

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* Apparently the design team for ''[[Spider-Man ~~the~~ Animated Series]]'' thoroughly researched New York and almost every rooftop has some sort of real-life counterpart.

* Apparently the design team for ''[[Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]'' thoroughly researched New York and almost every rooftop has some sort of real-life counterpart.

* True for most locations in the ''[[Watership Down]]'' animated film. This is fitting, because everywhere mentioned in the book ''is'' a real place.

* The crew of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' traveled around the world looking for the best backgrounds possible to base the show's areas off of.

* The [[Establishing Shot]] of the Griffins' house in ''[[Family Guy]]'' features the actual Providence, Rhode Island skyline in the background.

* [[Ralph Bakshi]] is fond of using real photographs as the basis of the backgrounds for his films. This is especially true of his [[Rotoscoping|rotoscoped]] films, particularly ''[[The Lord of the Rings (~~Animation~~)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[~~American Pop (Animation)|~~American Pop]]''. In some early films he even superimposes his characters against live-action footage.

* [[Ralph Bakshi]] is fond of using real photographs as the basis of the backgrounds for his films. This is especially true of his [[Rotoscoping|rotoscoped]] films, particularly ''[[The Lord of the Rings (animation)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[American Pop]]''. In some early films he even superimposes his characters against live-action footage.