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{{quote| ''"Because it is always plagiarism, especially when it isn't."''}}
 
Sometimes, two works are obviously [[Whole -Plot Reference|inspired by each other]], or the younger one contains minor [[Shout Out|Shout Outs]] to the older one, or they are coincidentally considered [[Dueling Movies]]. 
 
This page is '''not''' a collection for them. Here, we should experiment with finding some less obvious, and probably ''nonexistent'' connections, through wordplay, and selective examples of plot points. 
{{examples|Examples:}}
* A corporation is secretly engaging in shady science experiments in a remote and hostile location and through a catastrophic accident opens a portal to a harsh alien realm, unleashing its horrific denizens into our world, who then go on a killing spree and wipe out most of the inhabitants in the laboratory and its surrounding buildings. The hero has to go up against them with little to no aid in an attempt to close the portal that is allowing them in. When he reaches the portal, he discovers the only way to close it is to travel through it into their dimension and destroy some monstrous creature on the other side.
** ''[[Half-Life]]'' or ''[[Doom]]''?
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* Neurotic and emotionally unstable teenage girl falls in love with a [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampire]] who attends her high school. There is lots of talking. Eventually, the two get caught up in love triangle with a werecreature that ends with the girl and the werecreature deciding to be [[Just Friends]]. 
** ''[[Twilight (Literature)|Twilight]]'' or ''[[Bakemonogatari (Light Novel)|Bakemonogatari]]''? 
* These two works feature the tale of a [[Farm Boy]] who discovers a [[Plot Coupon]] sent to a [[The Obi -Wan|wise old mentor]] by a [[Distressed Damsel|captured princess]], and has his uncle who raised him killed by the impenetrably hooded servants of the [[Evil Empire]]. The two set off for justice. The mentor is a former knight who teaches the farmboy how to use his mystical powers in about five days (not that his magic is much use until he becomes stronger) and gives him a sword that belonged to his father before he "bought the farm". Luckily, the farmboy meets up with a [[Badass]] [[Anti -Hero]], rescues the princess, who is also a major player in the Rebel army, and joins [[La Résistance|the rebellion]], becoming a key member before going to train with a half-mad old hermit in the forest. After this, he discovers that his father was [[The Empire|the Empire's]] [[The Dragon|right-hand man]] and he's been betrayed by his own family...
** Now, are we in fact talking about ''[[The Inheritance Cycle]]'' or [[Star Wars|something else]]...?
** Alternatively, an angsty orphan discovers he has rare mystical powers. He leaves home at the behest of a stranger to study them, gaining a new weapon along the way. He later discovers it is his destiny to confront the evil [[Dark Lord]], [[Mentor Occupational Hazard|his mentor dies]] (twice!) and the villain's [[The Dragon|right-hand man]] was [[The Atoner|not such an awful person]] after all.
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* A young girl who thinks her life is too ordinary has her family kidnapped by a predatory fairy being who can give you every little thing you want, but at a terrible price. With some help from those who are familiar with the fairy's ways, the girl enters the fairy's unreal, cobbled-together world, does battle with her, and through pluck and brains manages to defeat her and rescue her family. 
** ''[[Discworld (Literature)/The Wee Free Men|The Wee Free Men]]'', ''[[Coraline (Literature)|Coraline]]'' or ''[[Labyrinth (Film)|Labyrinth]]''?
* Clumsy but endearing Japanese school girl meets a mysterious stranger (a [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold]]) and before she knows it, she's pulled into supernatural adventures with him and his [[Five -Man Band]]. They discover that she has a unique power that they desperately need. Over time The Crew grows close until they are [[True Companions|almost like family]]. Though they try to deny it, eventually the girl and no-longer mysterious stranger admit that they care for each other.
** Is it ''[[Inuyasha]]'', ''Crescent Moon'', ''[[Fruits Basket]]'', or ''Blackbird'' ?
* The story is a musical starring an ambitious young woman who faces prejudice because of the color of her skin. Her best friend is a perky, spoiled, blonde who loves pink and has her eye on a happy-go-lucky prince. Said prince ends up falling in love with the heroine instead, despite the fact that she is green.
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* An indie [[Adventure Game]] in which the protagonist arrives to an abandoned Victorian mansion on England, events happen that prevent him from leaving the house, there's a terrible sordid history about the mansion's previous owners, strange hair-raising noises plague the house, a sinister presence that appears to be supernatural looms in the mansion and its focus is an {{spoiler|African artifact}}, and the inclusion of the {{spoiler|[[Madwoman in The Attic]]}} trope.
** ''[[Chzo Mythos|5 Days a Stranger]]'' or ''[[Scratches]]''?
* A [[A World Half Full|dark, but ultimately idealistic]] [[Seinen]] anime series starring an ''extremely'' morally dubious [[Tall, Dark and Handsome]] [[Anti -Hero]] with a [[Dark and Troubled Past]], [[Big Brother Instinct|sister issues]], and the apparently unwitting ability to [[Chick Magnet|cause anything with two X chromosomes to melt into a puddle of]] [[Squee]], both in [[Mr. Fanservice|and out]] of the story. Thanks to his behavior in his [[Secret Identity]], the fandom [[The Cowl|often compares]] him to [[Batman]]. The plot is a [[Gray and Grey Morality]]-filled [[Melee a Trois]] involving a corrupt government, [[La Résistance]], and psychics with one very specific power apiece, of which the protagonist is one. There's a [[Hero Antagonist]] with whom there's a certain amount of [[Ship Tease]] and [[UST]] going on (complicated by the fact that they don't know their friend is the criminal they're trying to stop) and a [[Mysterious Waif]] with green hair who knows more than she lets on, is a good bit [[Older Than They Look|older than she looks]], and has a complicated emotional relationship with the protagonist that may be at least partially romantic. Said green-haired character is obessively loved by a murderous [[White -Haired Pretty Boy]]. The anti-hero also has a [[Phenotype Stereotype]] rival who is more personally pleasant but also more ruthless. He is dubbed by [[Troy Baker]]. The second season is considered hit-or-miss in part due to a difficult-to-follow plot and the fact that the hero is much less likable for part of it, and features a younger character who shows up near the beginning and joins the protagonist ([[Replacement Scrappy|earning the wrath of part of the fandom]] for [[Spot Light Spotlight-Stealing Squad|"stealing the real main character's spotlight"]]). There's a good bit of Pizza Hut [[Product Placement]] (to the point that [[Memetic Mutation|it's become an internet joke]]), and the soundtrack is ''[[Crowning Music of Awesome|amazing]]''.
** Am I talking about ''[[Code Geass]]'' or ''[[Darker Than Black]]''?
* A rather posh, blonde girl meets a white rabbit, who leads her to fall into a strange, unfamiliar world, full of talking animals and unusual characters. These include a grumpy bug, a sleepy creature who tells stories that go nowhere, a pair of twins who do battle and a malevolent monarch who wants the protagonist dead.
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* A recent, bestselling [[Urban Fantasy]] book series about the (often unpleasantly exciting) life of a wizard named Harry. He's [[Famed in Story]] for beating down bad guys completely out of his league, but isn't very popular with the hidebound and old-fashioned wizarding authorities, who sometimes go out of their way to try to get rid of him; this isn't totally surprising, since a few agents of the [[Big Bad]] have infiltrated their ranks and made their way into important positions. His parents both died when he was very young, and he was raised by an [[Abusive Parents|abusive]] guardian before a [[Cool Old Guy]] wizard took him in and taught him about the right way to use magic and avoid [[The Dark Side]]. He's sometimes suspected of [[Black Magic]] anyway, whether this is justified or not. He uses [[Canis Latinicus]] spell incantations.
** [[Harry Potter|Potter]] or [[The Dresden Files|Dresden]]?
* [[Love At First Sight]] [[Mayfly -December Romance]] story between an ageless supernatural creature and an emotionally disturbed human [[Single Target Sexuality|who claims to have never felt attraction to another individual before]]. Despite suffering a great deal of physical or emotional abuse at the hands of the immortal, the human continues to maintain that their romance is based on True Love, and is eager to consumate their relationship, which the Immortal is hesitent to do.
** [[Twilight (Literature)|Edward and Bella]] or [[Durarara|Celty and Shinra]]?
* Despite being a principal character in the story, this teenage boy takes the [[Emo Teen]] stereotype and moves it [[Up to Eleven]] -- he seems to perpetually shift between angsty brooding and social awkwardness. To his credit, he can also be a [[Determinator]], and his [[When She Smiles|When He Smiles]] moments are quite heartwarming. His personality to a large extent originated because of his father, a [[Manipulative Bastard]] who sent him away from the family as a young child for not being good enough -- and only later took him back when it seemed his son had something to offer him. (His mother loved him, but she disappeared from her son's life at an early age.) Luckily, he has an older adult in his life who serves as a cross between a guardian and a [[Trickster Mentor]], trying to get him to lighten up and relax while also take his duties seriously. His peer group includes two girls of about his age, one who is contemptuous, bitchy, and often mean to him ([[Jerkass Woobie|although this behavior is a front to hide her own insecurities]], which {{spoiler|later bring her to the point of insanity}}), and another one who is [[Kuudere|unemotional and stoic]]. The character in question has romantic tension with one of these females (including an awkward kiss scene), and is related to the other one ([[Incest Subtext|which hasn't prevented some fans from shipping them anyway]]). In the end, the boy is forced to face up to the expectations others have placed on him, and realize that maturity means choosing his own path.
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* The protagonist of this story is a teenage boy [[Gender Bender|who turns into a girl]] [[Murphy's Law|at the worst possible times]]. He soon meets his future love interest, a girl named Akane who [[Tsundere|alternates between shy/calm and rude/bitchy]] (One has red hair and the other has blue hair, but I can't remember which has which). Eventually, the protagonist soon nets a [[Harem]] of both girls and guys which he has trouble escaping. Several characters who enter the story are animals with human-like tendencies. Eventually, the show itself gradually switches from an action series with some [[Fan Service]] to a comedy that ramps the fanservice [[Up to Eleven]].
** ''[[Ranma One Half]]'' or ''[[Kämpfer (Light Novel)|Kämpfer]]''?
* This is about a red-clad sword-wielding [[Chaotic Good]] [[Badass]] hero. Somewhat of a [[Marty Stu]]. He's an [[The Atoner|atoner]] who [[Hunter of His Own Kind|hunts his own kind,]] and interestingly enough, he's the original of his kind. He's also [[The Obi -Wan]] to his naive blue-clad partner. While he is [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold|certainly good-hearted, he acts cold]] and doesn't hesitate to [[Shoot the Dog]]. He also has lived for [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|about a hundred years or so.]] 
** [[Guilty Gear|Sol Badguy]] or [[Mega Man X (Video Game)|Zero]]?
* Again, about a red-clad sword-wielding [[Chaotic Good]] [[Badass]] hero. A [[Glass Cannon]] fighter (Possibly) with a [[Swiss Army Weapon]]. He's affiliated with a [[La Résistance]] who goes against an Utopia-like, but actually corrupted [[The Empire|Empire]]. He's also a [[One -Man Army]] who succesfully makes [[The Empire]] having headaches, and thus, is hunted by them. Like the above, while he is [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold|certainly good-hearted, he acts cold,]] [[Perpetual Frowner|perpetually frowns]] and [[Good Is Not Nice|doesn't hesitate to]] [[Shoot the Dog]]. It's hinted that he's destined to [[Endofthe World As We Know It|bring out world destruction]], but he ultimately [[Screw Destiny|choses to be]] [[Anti -Anti -Christ|the one who bring world peace]]. Considered a [[The Woobie|Woobie]], but that will [[Iron Woobie|never slow him down.]] His enemies include an [[An Ice Person|ice-powered]] [[Hero Antagonist]] who is [[Foe Yay|too interested to take him down]], and a [[Complete Monster]] [[Big Bad]] who is somewhat [[Ax Crazy]]. His ending isn't very good, to say the least.
** [[Blaz Blue|Ragna The Bloodedge]] or [[Mega Man Zero (Video Game)|Zero]]?
* Even ''New York Times'' op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd has joined in the fun: read her [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/opinion/10dowd.html?_r=1&ref=opinion column] and see if you can guess what work of art she is talking about.
* Our protagonist is a young man who wakes up with [[Laser -Guided Amnesia|severe amnesia]] and [[Shapeshifter Weapon|the ability to morph his body into living weapons]]. He discovers that something recently happened ([[Super Prototype|possibly related to him]]) that is unexpectedly turning ordinary people into mutants. The young man tries to discover the source of his amnesia and stop the mutants from killing everyone, mostly by absorbing their mutations. The young man also deals with two separate organizations. One is an offspring of the military that is solely focused on the annihilation of all mutants, [[Well -Intentioned Extremist|no matter what the cost]], and the other is the mutants, led by [[Big Bad|a mysterious person]] [[Humanoid Abomination|who can control his/her mutations]] and [[Complete Monster|wants to kill all humans]].
** ''[[Generator Rex]]'' or ''[[Prototype (Video Game)|Prototype]]''?
* A lighthearted musical retelling of an older work. A young as innocent soprano falls in love with a man in the midst of a single musical number, but is subsequently kidnapped by someone who wants her body and taken from her home and family, thereby putting her innocence and availability at stake. She is rescued but somehow ends up in the hands of another man who wants to marry her. Meanwhile the man she loves learns of her abduction and searches for her. The girl is desperate to go back to the man and her family and is helped by new friends along the way, but many greedy villains, and the hands of fate, keep her and her boyfriend apart. In the end they are reunited against the will of those who want to either marry or showcase her. Initially a commercial failure. Also features characters [[Disney Death|supposedly being killed but not actually dying.]] Originally starred Barbara Cook.
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* A man from a BBC One series of the mid-Noughties, with a brown coat and a massive female fan base, played by an actor whose voice is completely different to his character's. He has various companions in different series, including one named Tyler, but he is in all of them. He is the rival and occasional friend of a time-traveller played by John Simm and is eventually saved by {{spoiler|the character sacrificing himself at the end of the series}}. He's {{spoiler|technically died}} at least once.
** [[Doctor Who (TV)|The Tenth Doctor]] or [[Life On Mars|Gene Hunt]]?
* A young man obsessed with honor and banished by his father falls in love with his closest childhood friend, a [[Lonely Rich Kid]] [[Well, Excuse Me, Princess!]]. The fandom, however, passionately ships him with a young woman he meets on his travels who has the power to heal, never turns her back on those in need, and comes from a nation whom his own people have persecuted for centuries. The creators are forced to give a direct [[Take That]] to the [[Fan Preferred Couple]]'s shippers.
** ''[[Ivanhoe (Literature)|Ivanhoe]]'' or ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]''?
* After his parent's death, a now outcast [[Feudal Future]] noble fakes his death and lives far away from his home, years later becomes the [[Magnificent Bastard]] [[Dark Messiah]] [[Mighty Whitey|leader]] of the inhabitants oppressed by [[The Empire]], forms them into a [[La Résistance]], and eventually overthrows and replaces [[The Emperor]], but becomes as bad as the previous one. He has an older female [[Mentor Archetype|mentor]] who is the source of his power, a female [[Bodyguard Crush|bodyguard]] who's his main [[Love Interest]], a younger sister, and his right-hand man is a [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]] and former leader of the oppressed inhabitants before the noble replaced him.
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** ''[[Naruto]]'' or ''[[Star Trek (Film)|Star Trek]]''?
* A charismatic former revolutionary who was captured by the regime he tried to defeat. Said regime commits [[Mind Rape]] and a mindwipe on him. The revolutionary breaks free of the programming, steals a ''very'' [[Cool Ship]], and proceeds to raise hell. May have been trying to fight a greater evil coming from outside known space with said revolution. Before we get any real answers, however, he vanishes into the unknown and dies ignobly. Said cause was taken up by one of his followers who previously refused to go along with the revolution, gets a couple former crew members and two AI units from his/her predecessor, and the cool ship...only to die ignobly with the man whose influence s/he could never escape. 
** Are we talking [[BlakesBlake's Seven (TV)|Roj Blake and Kerr Avon]] or [[Knights of the Old Republic|Revan and the Exile]]?
* In this Disney [[Animated Adaptation]] of a fairy tale, the heroine yearns for excitement and adventure beyond the sheltered world she's known. She falls in love with a man whom she teaches to be less selfish, to the point of [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy|sacrificing his own well-being for her freedom]], creating a contrast in context between selfless, true love and possessive, controlling, abusive "love." The couple is forced to separate for awhile but soon reunite, only for the villain to stab the guy right before [[Disney Villain Death|dying during a fall]]. The girl holds her [[Died in Your Arms Tonight|dying lover in her arms]] and cries over him, bringing him [[Back From the Dead]] via [[The Power of Love]] mixed with the effects of an enchanted flower. A peasant [[Hot Consort|marries a royal]], and they live [[Happily Ever After]].
** ''[[Beauty and The Beast (Disney)|Beauty and The Beast]]'' or ''[[Tangled]]''?
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* A hyperactive high school girl [[The Ace|who is superior to everyone in her class at anything]] gains a role of power, dragging [[Ordinary High School Student|her perfectly ordinary best friend]] with her. All is fine and dandy until a [[Genre Shift]] occurs, revealing that the girl is a literal [[God Mode Sue]], causing others to try and take her power for their own use. It's up to her best friend to protect her and the school from these mentally unstable unnatural beings.
** ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya (Literature)|The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya]]'' or ''[[Medaka Box]]''?
* A girl is annoyed with her baby brother. However when he gets kidnapped by the shapeshifting monarch of [[The Fair Folk]], she allies with some eccentric but good-hearted beings to rescue him. Amongst the challenges she faces are illusions designed to hold her back: one that she's back home and it was [[All Just a Dream]], and one of a [[DancesandDances and Balls|glorious ballroom]]. In the end, she defeats the monarch through sheer willpower. Oh, and early on she discovers that [[Our Fairies Are Different|winged fairies]] are basically vicious humanoid insects. 
** Is her name [[Labyrinth (Film)|Sarah]] or [[Discworld (Literature)/The Wee Free Men|Tiffany]]? (Actually, given Sir Terry's fondness for [[Shout Out|Shout Outs]], it's possible elements of this one ''are'' intentional).
* A girl with low self-esteem (despite being revered like a goddess by everyone around her, especially male admirers, who can't wait to risk their lives to protect her) moves against her will to a dark, gloomy, Gothic landscape. She is in a [[Star -Crossed Lovers]] plot with a guy for whom [[Stalking Is Love]] and who admits that he is bad news but claims he is so madly, passionately in love with her, he can't stay away. She literally can't function when she's separated from him. She meets a [[Nice Guy]] who would be a much safer, more dependable partner but rejects him in favor of [[All Girls Want Bad Boys|her bad boy]].
** ''[[The Mysteries of Udolpho (Literature)|The Mysteries of Udolpho]]'', ''[[Twilight (Literature)|Twilight]]'' or ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]''?
* We've got an [[Atlus]] game here. The story focuses on a messy-haired hero who hears of a mysterious rumor. Around that time, he meets a mysterious girl in white, after which he seems to be trapped in a twisted dream with people who are like people he's met before, but with a radical difference. The hero now has to make a series of choices which will affect how the story plays out. Said hero is also in a [[Love Triangle]] with an odd, somewhat exotic girl and the [[Girl Next Door]] he's always known.
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* A woman becomes the undisputed ruler of her domain, with the aid of her weak-willed male companion. She believes everyone should be happy, and so creates a brightly-uniformed [[Culture Police]] that ruthlessly deals with people who don't fit her definition of how things should be, subjecting them to [[Cool and Unusual Punishment]]. Then the [[Guile Hero]] and companion(s) show up, and deliberately defy her, allying with the locals and eventually forcing the ruler to confront the falseness of her beliefs. The heroes then leave, with the people free to act however they want.
** ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Witches Abroad|Witches Abroad]]'' or "[[Doctor Who (TV)/Recap/S25 E2 The Happiness Patrol|The Happiness Patrol]]"?
* An evil [[Fairy Godmother]] is the power behind the throne, having transformed a frog into a puppet ruler. She wants to consolidate her power by [[Arranged Marriage|arranging a marriage]] for kingdom's princess. The princess has other ideas, and allies with the heroes. Lots of [[Fractured Fairy Tale|Fractured Fairytales]] take place before the big confrontation during the palace [[DancesandDances and Balls|ball]], [[When the Clock Strikes Twelve]].
** ''[[Discworld (Literature)/Witches Abroad|Witches Abroad]]'' again, or ''[[Shrek]] 2''?
* A young man recieves the power to [[Henshin Hero|transform]] into a superhero [[Bad Powers, Good People|through less than heroic means]]. Refusing to serve the evil forces than created his powers the new hero rebels and fights against them and in the end saves the world. As a bonus two of the characters both ride motorcycles, a trait that is shown in their superhero names. Similarly two of the charaters have insect-like armour in their heroic forms.
** ''[[Kamen Rider]]'', ''[[Ghost Rider]]'' or ''[[Blue Beetle|the third Blue Beetle]]''?
* A warrior of justice who has [[Anime Hair|dark spiky hair]] and wears [[Limited Wardrobe|the same blue-and-white outfit every day]] has just made the wrong enemy. The [[Evil Is Sexy|pretty-boy villain]], nominally an agent of justice himself but corrupted by his inflated ego, [[False Friend|pretends to be his friend]] while secretly masterminding a plot to have him taken out of commission. What the villain doesn't count on are the spiky-haired guy's young successors: while the successors may not have been strong enough to take out the villain on their own, they continue their predecessor's work and ultimately expose the truth. {{spoiler|The [[Villainous Breakdown]] at the end is the stuff of legends.}}
** ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'' or ''[[Apollo Justice Ace Attorney|Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney]]''?
* A half-hour animated sitcom, starring a character from 1930s cartoon shorts. The character is now a father, living in a small town. The villain of the shorts (whose profession in the originals would change to fit the setting) is now a [[Honest JohnsJohn's Dealership|second-hand car dealer]], and also has a son. The focus is more on the sons than the fathers, though.
** ''[[Goof Troop]]'' or ''[[Popeye]] And Son''?
* A long-running video game series primarily concerning a feud between two people. On one side, a chubby guy with a [[Badass Mustache]] and a [[Trademark Favorite Food]]. On the other side, a spiky anthropomorphic animal who just wants to do what he wants, but the mustached man gets in the way. The bad guy has been subject to some [[Villain Decay]], but is occasionally still able to show some badassery. The hero has a girlfriend in pink and an [[Evil Twin]] - well, more of an [[Anti -Hero]] Twin - and is a major industry mascot, [[Console Wars|especially in the 16-bit era]].
** ''[[Super Mario]]'' or ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]''?
* A slacker with a guitar tries to impress a girl with oddly coloured hair and rollerblades by facing a gauntlet of enemies headed by shadowy, yet charismatic man. Along the way, he gains an acoustic theme about his love, a realization about what he's fighting for, and a serious self-confidence boost by the final boss. While treated favorably by critics, it wasn't too profitable.
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* A group of British siblings [[Blitz Evacuees|sent to live in the country during World War Two]] discover magical secrets in the house where they are staying. There's a witch who intends to use her spells to win a war, and a world inhabited by talking animals with a lion as their king, and a climactic battle between good and evil, with swords and magic both in heavy use.
** Now, is the witch [[The Lion the Witch And The Wardrobe|the Big Bad]] or [[Bedknobs and Broomsticks|one of the good guys]]?
* During this game's expansion pack, an elderly official ranking in the seemingly good guy faction attempts to [[Well -Intentioned Extremist|establish peace and prosperity, albeit in a controversial and questionable way]], with the use of a special weapon. However, an army led by the previously villainous faction intervenes and meddles with the elder's plans. The official leads an army in white uniforms.
** [[Starcraft|Gerard Dugalle of the UED]] or [[Command and Conquer|Rupert Thornley of FutureTech]]?
* A group of criminals enter into a wealthy man's dreams to trick him out of his secrets. In the course of the adventure, multiple layers of dreams are entered, "bigger guns" are summoned by the protagonists, the ultimate trick involves confronting the dreamer with a loved one that they're estranged from, people are removed from the dream by falling, and there's a risk that people stuck in the dream will enter a form of Limbo and go crazy if they stay in too long.
** ''[[Inception]]'' or [[Don Rosa]]'s [[The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck|Dream of a Lifetime]]?
* This work has become one of the most well-known examples of a popular genre of the late 80s-90s, despite being in many ways a more philosophical Deconstruction of that genre, possibly due to [[Creator Breakdown]]. It concerns a young man whose estranged father commands him to become a man of action; contrary to most of the genre's heroes, however, the son struggles with the psychological and philosophical implications of this role, even though there are moments when he performs admirably; in one scene, he performs the sort of action that his father wanted him to while his mother is present. The work lends itself well to Freudian analysis, probably because of the main character's mother issues. His only real confidante is a male friend with whom there is a hint of sexual attraction; one of his female love interests has to be instituionalized before dying along with most of the other characters in a [[Kill 'Em All]] ending. 
** Am I talking about ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' or ''[[Hamlet]]''?
* A girl kept alone in a high tower for unscrupulous reasons is rescued by a smart-alecky thief who's initially after a big treasure connected to the girl's heritage. She ends up falling in love with him as he helps her earn her freedom. At one point, she tries to bargain with the villain in order to save the thief's life after he gets mortally wounded.
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** ''[[Disgaea 3 Absence of Justice]]'' or ''[[Blaz Blue Continuum Shift (Video Game)|Blaz Blue Continuum Shift]]''?
* A series that chronicles the occasionally weird [[Slice of Life|everyday adventures]] of a group of female friends, which includes a somewhat naive bookworm, an energentic and boastful girl who fancies herself a great athlete but is actually kind of a klutz, her hard-working and more level-headed [[Friendly Rival]], a girl who frets over her appearance a lot and is usually the most serious of the group, a bashful animal lover, and one girl who's [[Cloudcuckoolander|not all there.]]
** ''[[Azumanga Daioh (Manga)|Azumanga Daioh]]'' or ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''?
* A brilliant weapons designer discovers that his weapons are being used by forces of evil and so he stopped building weapons and created a suit to take down those weapons. He had help of a redhead friend, he saved the day.
** ''[[Iron Man]]'' or [[Steel]]
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** ''[[Canaan]]'' or ''[[The Legend of Korra (Animation)|The Legend of Korra]]''?
* Within the backstory, there is a legend of two very closely related entities with god-like power who ruled the land. The elder one was associated with light, the color white and had control over fire while the younger one was associated with darkness, the color black and had control over lightning. Eventually, the younger one grew dissatisfied with the status quo and started to fight with the elder one, which threw the land into complete chaos. Eventually, one of the entities [[Sealed Evil in A Can|sealed the other within a circular object]] and peace was restored to the land. However, by the climax of the main story, the sealed entity is unsealed and six others have to face and defeat it with with the [[Power of Friendship]].
** Is this ''[[Pokémon Black and White]]'' or ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''?
* Fantasy book series with a shallow, dark-haired, [[Muggle]]-[[Fantastic Racism|hating]] unstable woman named Bella ([[Our Werewolves Are Different|who is acquaintances with a werewolf]]) who obsesses and slavishly devotes herself to a pale, immortal, powerful man who does not reciprocate her feelings. Their relationship is at best shallow and one-sided, and at worst abusive and unhealthy. {{spoiler|Bella is killed in the final novel.}}
** Bella and [[Twilight (Literature)|Edward]] or [[Harry Potter (Literature)|Voldemort]]?
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* This beloved classic animated movie begins with the birth of the main character, a [[Talking Animal]]. He grows a bit older, meets the female lead, and grows very close to a parent who protects him and tells him about where his life is destined to take him. This parent is killed in a disaster during a series of events that began with the lethal intentions of the main villain (a predatory animal with a wounded eye). The grieving main character runs away, and promptly begins meeting new friends, and is then reunited the female lead, who stresses the threat posed by the villain but is initially ignored by the main character. Eventually, however, he comes to his senses, and he and his friends lead an attack on the villain (who ends up falling to his doom). At last, the hero stands on a rock overlooking the land that is his home. If we also mention that he sees his dead parent in a cloud at one point and remembers what he was taught, and that the supporting cast includes a duo of significantly mismatched size and a flying guy who usually frustrates the main character, then it should be obvious to anyone that this movie is ''The L''...
** ...''[[The Land Before Time|and Before Time]]'' or ...''[[The Lion King|ion King]]''?
* This takes place in a world where the time period and technology level/aesthetic [[Schizo Tech|don't quite add up.]] The story centers around a [[Dysfunction Junction|dysfunctional]] [[True Companions|yet tight-knit]] team of nine mercenaries. Said mercenaries include: [[The Medic|a medic]]; [[The Engineer|a friendly, easy-going mechanic]]; [[Insistent Terminology|a Professional With Standards]]; [[Scary Black Man|an intimidating black person]]; [[Shell -Shocked Veteran|a soldier who's still stuck on a war that ended long ago]]; someone who's [[Mysterious Past|past is unknown]] because he is secretive; someone who's [[Mysterious Past|past is unknown]] because he/she is [[The Unintelligible|imcomprehensible]]; an [[Genki Guy|enthusiastic]], [[Man Child|somewhat childish]] guy; and a [[The Big Guy|rather large,]] [[Hot Blooded]] fellow who is [[I Call It Vera|very attached to his guns.]] Oh, and there are [[Nice Hat|Nice Hats]] aplenty.
** ''[[Team Fortress 2 (Video Game)|Team Fortress 2]]'', or ''[[Firefly]]''?
* The [[Affectionate Parody]] of [[Disney Animated Canon|Classic Disney Films]] stars two acquaintances: A fat guy who's main color is green, and a somewhat annoying horse-like animal. Together they go on a huge journey, and have all kinds of strange adventures, including trying to cross a rope bridge but destroying it in the process, at the same time, each one discovering the friend he never had, while the fat green guy is trying to stop some homes from being destroyed. Sometime later in their journey, they encounter a ferocious kitty cat.
** ''[[Shrek]]'' or ''[[The EmperorsEmperor's New Groove (Disney)|The Emperors New Groove]]''?
* This musical based off a children's book series has characters, including a [[Funny Animal]] and a rather messed up, unlucky guy as main characters, in a [[Slice of Life]] series going through the seasons. Many adventures ensue, such as a story about flying a kite and various other mundane tasks. It also has very few actors, some playing the parts of others.
** ''[[Peanuts|You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown]]'' or ''[[A Year With Frog and Toad]]''?
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* A group of people travel to places and always seem to get caught up in some kind of strange occurance. They have a vehicle that they travel in which may not be reliable and one of the groups companions has been or is a dog.
** ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]'' or ''[[Scooby Doo]]''?
* This film is a cult classic, iconic for its use of [[B -Movie]] tropes. In Cold War era America, a traveling couple are forced by circumstances to seek the hospitality of a hammy, [[Eerie Pale -Skinned Brunette]] sexual deviant who employs an [[Red Right Hand|odd-looking]] [[Crusty Caretaker]] and isn't entirely human. It doesn't end happily, but at least [[Fountain of Memes|many memes are spawned]] along the way.
** ''[[Manos the Hands of Fate]]'' or ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]''?
* This is the Gothic story of a highly talented but equally insane [[Mad Artist]] from the early 1900s who is [[Facial Horror|horribly scarred and disfigured]], hides behind a mask, dresses all in black, goes around killing people (strangulation being his specialty), and becomes obsessed with a woman who [[Dramatic Unmask|unmasks him dramatically]] after he kidnaps her. Remakes/adaptations of the original version move said [[Mad Artist]] closer to the center as a [[Villain Protagonist]], whereas the heroic female lead was closer to the center in the original version.
** ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]'' or ''[[House of Wax]]''?
* An animated story about a career-driven loner who gets stuck in a small town, and reluctantly befriends the locals despite initially thinking they're all crazy. The aid of the protagonist's new friends is invaluable when they eventually leave the town to pursue their original goal. Once the excitement has died down, the protagonist adopts the small town as their new home.
** ''[[Cars]]'' or the pilot of ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]''?
* A Cold War era homoerotic bromance ends tragically when the depth of the friends' ideological differences becomes clear, and one of the guys winds up getting shot.
** Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr in ''[[X-Men (Film)|X-Men: First Class]]'' or {{spoiler|Jim Prideaux and Bill Haydon}} in ''[[Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Film)|Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy]]''?
* The sibling and partner of a beloved goddess is corrupted and turns into an intimidating, gothy villain who exemplifies [[Dark Is Evil]]. They're then banished to a dark, faraway realm, but set free by an astronomical event.
** [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|Princess Luna]] or [[Pathfinder|Zon-Kuthon]]?
* {{spoiler|[[Sherlock Holmes|Professor Moriarty]]}} seeks to [[War for Fun And Profit|start a world war]] in the late 19th century so he can sell his [[Steampunk]] weaponry to both sides and make a fortune, prompting the protagonists to stop him.
** ''[[Sherlock Holmes (Film)|Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows]]'' or ''[[The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Film)|The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen]]'' movie?
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* A group of kids become friends and a hang out together. As their get to know each other a love triangle develops between them. One vertex of the triangle dies tragically and all of them drift apart. Several years later the one who was supposed to be dead appears before the main character and causes the once separated friends to come back together and repair their broken relationship. Also one of them is a bit of a jerk who wears fabulous clothes.
** Is it {{spoiler|[[Ano Hana]]}} or is it {{spoiler|[[Tales of Graces (Video Game)|Tales of Graces]]}}?
* A famous musical film based on a book, widely hailed as a classic. A young girl [[True Blue Femininity|wearing blue]] who has a small animal as a pet is unsatisfied with her normal life and sings an [["I Want" Song]] expressing her longing to be in another world. [[Be Careful What You Wish For|Shortly afterwards,]] she is transported to a fantasy world that satirizes the real one, and becomes the [[Only Sane Man|Only Sane Girl.]] She ventures through the world largely by "following" something. While there, she meets many different creatures, including a very unique cat, some talking plants, and a loud and intimidating political leader, whom she confronts. An evil woman becomes intent on killing her because of an accident that wasn't the girl's fault. In the end it turns out to have been [[All Just a Dream]].
** Wait, is this ''[[Alice in Wonderland (Disney)|Alice In Wonderland]]'' or ''[[The Wizard of Oz (Film)|The Wizard Of Oz?]]''
* After dying in an accident, a shiftless teenager gets a new job dealing with the supernatural and meets some bizarre new friends. [[The Grim Reaper]] turns out to be quite friendly.
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** ''[[Sherlock]]''? Or ''[[Horatio Hornblower (TV)|Horatio Hornblower]]''?
* A nerd with few friends is consistently baffled by someone in pink who has many friends, and finds a rival prone to boasting and gloating who knows magic.
** Am I talking about [[Dexters Laboratory|Dexter]] or [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|Twilight Sparkle]]?
* A [[Video Game]] [[Sequel]]. The protagonist of the first game has been kidnapped and is being held captive somewhere. Playing as their younger sibling, you have to rescue them.
** So then, am I talking about [[Donkey Kong Country (Video Game)|Donkey Kong Country 2]], or [[Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk 2 (Video Game)|Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2]]?
* This is a famous cartoon series with a large [[Periphery Demographic]] and is extremely popular over the internet, spawning [[Fountain of Memes|hundreds of memes]]. The main protagonist's (who's VA's first name starts with a T) friends include a [[The Ditz|ditzy]] pink [[Big Eater]], and an action-loving girl with a southern accent. There is also a villain who started out [[Laughably Evil]], but [[Beware the Silly Ones|turned out to be]] [[Not So Harmless]], [[Moral Event Horizon|brainwashing some of the main characters]] and turning the town into an awful hellhole, which was enough to get him onto the [[Vile Villain Saccharine Show]] page. After this episode, the creator had stepped down. Also, in one episode, the friendly yellow character tried to become "more assertive" with the help of a mentor, but ended up losing friends. In another episode, the [[Workaholic]] kept on doing their job without getting any sleep, and went crazy from sleep deprivation. In fact, all of the main characters have had a [[Freak Out|mental]] [[Sanity Slippage|breakdown]] at least once.
** ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' or ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants (Animation)|SpongeBob SquarePants]]''?
* An [[The Ace|incredibly talented human being]] [[Broken Ace|with obvious mental problems]] [[Daydream Believer|is so enchanted with]] [[ClicheCliché Storm|various fiction works]] [[Mad Dreamer|that decides to live those adventures in]] [[Real Life]]. [[Reality Ensues|The first time that human being intends to do so the results are disheartening]]. However, this human being knows another that seems to be it’s [[Foil]]: A poor [[Deadpan Snarker]] [[Butt Monkey|who will get always the worst part in this relationship]]. Together, they will have adventures in a work of fiction with no definite genre where they [[Reality Warper|will change reality itself]].
** [[Haruhi Suzumiya (Literature)|Haruhi Suzumiya]] or {{spoiler|''[[Don Quixote]]''}} ?
* A man wakes up finding he has superpowers which eventually develop into godlike power, turning him into an unstoppable tank. However he finds that he is not the only one, and must stop them from causing chaos in the city (which has been quarantined, resulting in a [[Crapsack World]]). Eventually he discovers a shady organization is behind the quarantine, and they want you dead.
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[[Category:Just for Fun]]
[[Category:Surprisingly Similar Stories]]
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