Uncanny Valley/Anime and Manga: Difference between revisions

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* ''[[Ghost in ~~The~~ Shell]]: Innocence'' is a prime example of this trope and its whole plot revolves around it.

* ''[[Ghost in the Shell]]: Innocence'' is a prime example of this trope and its whole plot revolves around it.

** The Geisha-gynoids could hardly be mistaken for humans and are clearly artificial. However, their staggering mechanical movements and speech have just the slightest trace of humanity, that makes them downright creepy. It doesn't help that they [[Your Head Asplode|rip people's heads off]].

** The scientist from the forensics lab. She seems like a highly cynical, chain smoking, but overall laid back older women while talking with Togusa, until he leaves and {{spoiler|[[Tear Off Your Face|she takes her face off]] and plugs cables into her eyes}}.

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** In the TV series, the Tachikomas [[Discussed Trope|discuss]] the trope, musing that the reason they are allowed advanced AI is because they are ''not'' humanoid, and that advanced AI in an android would creep humans out.

*** And then they have {{spoiler|Proto}}, who just happens to be an advanced AI in an android. Even before this is revealed, there's clearly something... ''off'' about him. [[Invoked Trope|This is likely intentional]].

* Played with in an interesting way in ''[[~~Saber Marionette J (Anime)|~~Saber Marionette J]]''. For the most part the saber marionettes act as [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]], but on two separate occasions one of them has something happen to her 'maiden circuit' which controls their emotions. They then nosedive instantly into Uncanny Valley territory, marked mostly by their vacant stares and completely lack of movement except when prompted.

* Played with in an interesting way in ''[[Saber Marionette J]]''. For the most part the saber marionettes act as [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]], but on two separate occasions one of them has something happen to her 'maiden circuit' which controls their emotions. They then nosedive instantly into Uncanny Valley territory, marked mostly by their vacant stares and completely lack of movement except when prompted.

* In ''[[Eve no Jikan]]'', the robots are all clearly identifiable and do not act human in the slightest. However, any notion of treating robots as human, or that robots can act human, are vehemently opposed by society, illustrated by the constant anti-robot rights ads that play on tv.

* Attempted in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' with [[Emotionless Girl|Rei Ayanami]], but it apparently was too subtle and [[Rei Ayanami Expy|didn't get caught by most of the audience]].

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{{quote| {{spoiler|Shinichi}} (with a sheepish grin): "If you treat pigs and cows as equal beings...then we're eating their slaughtered corpses. ''So don't be so afraid when someone dies.''"}}

* A few things in ''[[Ghost Hound]]'' fall squarely into this, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKiEjUj9tOA&feature=related like the thing fifteen seconds into this video.]

* Due to the fact that the admirals in ''[[~~One Piece (Manga)|~~One Piece]]'' are based off of famous Japanese actors this can happen. While the first admiral shown, Aokiji does look like a normal member, Kizaru is slightly more realistic, and Akainu doesn't even look like his a member of the show, looking exactly like the actor.

* Due to the fact that the admirals in ''[[One Piece]]'' are based off of famous Japanese actors this can happen. While the first admiral shown, Aokiji does look like a normal member, Kizaru is slightly more realistic, and Akainu doesn't even look like his a member of the show, looking exactly like the actor.

* Later episodes of ''[[~~Dragonball~~|Dragon Ball Z]]'' seemed to ''attempt'' to invoke this with androids 16, 17 and 18, by giving them steel-blue eyes, facial features [[Only Six Faces|very different from the series' norm]], and (in the dub) inexpressive voices. If this ''was'' an attempt at the uncanny valley, it failed, as both 17 and 18 are almost universally considered adorable (and 16, while not exactly a looker, did not have the repulsive qualities that the uncanny valley is known for).

* Later episodes of ''[[Dragon Ball|Dragon Ball Z]]'' seemed to ''attempt'' to invoke this with androids 16, 17 and 18, by giving them steel-blue eyes, facial features [[Only Six Faces|very different from the series' norm]], and (in the dub) inexpressive voices. If this ''was'' an attempt at the uncanny valley, it failed, as both 17 and 18 are almost universally considered adorable (and 16, while not exactly a looker, did not have the repulsive qualities that the uncanny valley is known for).

** This could actually be considered an ''aversion'', especially in 17 and 18's cases - their appearances, character bents, and personality traits, including the way they dress, actually make them seem like the most human of all the characters to certain fans. (This is virtually guaranteed for viewers influenced by other anime.) In fact, the closest android to this trope is Dr. Gero's bleach-white-skinned companion 19 - and since Chaozu beat him to that punch, his face is often compared to marshmallows.

*** Although if you think about it, this does put them back into the valley in a meta sort of way. The most humanlike-looking characters are in fact cold, lifeless machines. Then again, this part's probably up to the viewer.

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** The {{spoiler|Six Paths of Pain}} are merely corpse puppets, controlled by {{spoiler|Nagato}}. When they fight, all of them, except {{spoiler|Deva Path, Nagato's go-to body, and the corpse of Yahiko,}} have blank, expressionless faces, usually. The anime goes further and makes them incredibly pale.

** [[Naruto|Gaara]], with his missing eyebrows and [[Looks Like Cesare|heavily sleep-deprived eyes]]. [[Justified Trope|Justified]], as he starts out as a villain. Later, his eyes (though still retaining those traits) become softer and gentler, because Gaara himself has [[Heel Face Turn|become softer and gentler]].

** Later on in the series, we get the {{spoiler|Edo Tensei}} shinobi. They're effectively {{spoiler|zombies}}. When being fully controlled by {{spoiler|Kabuto/Tobi}} they become emotionless and fight with blank, expressionless faces. Doubly so for the {{spoiler|revived jinchuuriki}} who are being directly controlled by {{spoiler|Tobi}}. Like the {{spoiler|Six Paths of Pain}} before them, they are merely very powerful {{spoiler|corpse puppets}}. Note that [[In Universe]], these shinobi are all identified by their blacked-out irides and cracked, pale skin.

** Later on in the series, we get the {{spoiler|Edo Tensei}} shinobi. They're effectively {{spoiler|zombies}}. When being fully controlled by {{spoiler|Kabuto/Tobi}} they become emotionless and fight with blank, expressionless faces. Doubly so for the {{spoiler|revived jinchuuriki}} who are being directly controlled by {{spoiler|Tobi}}. Like the {{spoiler|Six Paths of Pain}} before them, they are merely very powerful {{spoiler|corpse puppets}}. Note that [[In-Universe]], these shinobi are all identified by their blacked-out irides and cracked, pale skin.

* ''[[Mori no Ando]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqzt3T4R38c here].

* ''[[Rozen Maiden]]'' invokes this with the dolls when they have to act like regular dolls, and is also shown in the first season's opening. Otherwise, they're just Moe.

* ''[[Perfect Blue]]'': Mima goes through a journey filled with all kinds of things nightmarish throughout the movie, and while most of the character designs lean toward realistic, there are two notable exceptions: Me-Mania, who is obviously creepy-looking from the start, and Rumi, who, like him, has eyes that are too widely spaced.

* Referenced in one of the ''Extra Lessons'' chapters from ''[[~~Azumanga Daioh (Manga)|~~Azumanga Daioh]]'', where Sakaki admits to being afraid of the mechanical crossing guards at construction sites.

* Referenced in one of the ''Extra Lessons'' chapters from ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'', where Sakaki admits to being afraid of the mechanical crossing guards at construction sites.

* In ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'', at least some of the humanoid interfaces look like this, at least if you pay close attention.

* In the half-2D, half-CGI anime ''Gokujou!! Mechamote Iinchou,'' this is aaaalllll over the place. The animation switches from hand-drawn to cel-shaded CGI without warning, the characters, when in CGI-mode, can't even blink very well, and can't move their eyes--in order to face another direction, ''they have to turn their entire head.''

* Actually referenced offhandedly in ''[[The World God Only Knows]]''. One ''unique'' girl is trying to make a 'human' out of a remote controlled box, but people laugh at it. Keima draws a little smiley face on it and adds a cute note, and suddenly people are helping out. The girl decides to put a mannequin head on it to make it even more human... and it creeps people out to see a box with a human head on top roll through the hallway.

* Used as a plot point in ''[[The Kindaichi Case Files]]'' mystery "House of Wax": {{spoiler|The killer intentionally makes wax statues of his guests that are fantastically detailed, but look a little... off. This is so that during a series of crimes when it appears that the wax figures are being set up to resemble the scenes of people who will be found murdered, the murderer can pose as a statue using a mask, and no one will examine it too closely since it so clearly looks inhuman.}}

* Level Four Akuma in ''[[D Gray ~~Man (Manga)~~|D Gray Man]]'' intentionally fall smack dab into this trope. Example [http://dl01.mangashare.com/manga/D.Gray-man/146/015.jpg here.]

* Level Four Akuma in ''[[D.Gray-man|D Gray Man]]'' intentionally fall smack dab into this trope. Example [http://dl01.mangashare.com/manga/D.Gray-man/146/015.jpg here.]

** {{spoiler|Apocryphos... just frickin apocryphos}}

* [[Yu-Gi-Oh]] has a few examples. Ryou Bakura, and the way that smile [[Stepford Smiler|never seems to leave his face, even when terrible things happen]]. And Dark Yugi, early in the manga, somehow managed to make [[Narm|not having a nose]] ''terrifying.''

* [[Yu-Gi-Oh!]] has a few examples. Ryou Bakura, and the way that smile [[Stepford Smiler|never seems to leave his face, even when terrible things happen]]. And Dark Yugi, early in the manga, somehow managed to make [[Narm|not having a nose]] ''terrifying.''

** As a whole, Bakura fits in the valley. If you think that Ryou is [[Moe|actually very cute,]] then Yami Bakura is VERY much in the valley. Aside from some slight differences, he has the same features as Ryou, but there's something very wrong with his expressions...also, Yami Marik would look okay if it weren't for the veins that become more and more prominent on his face, and the way he sticks out his tongue.

* [[Shingeki no Kyojin]]. The Titans tread so deep into the Uncanny Valley, it probably just jacks up the horror of this series. Aside from being an "It" race, their faces are just like normal Humans. And ironcially enough, the one time a normal Titan doesn't have a distinctly Human face, {{spoiler|it is revealed to be Eren controlling a construct Titan}}.

* This was one of the reasons why the [[Robot Buddy|Assistroids]] in [[Asobi Ni Iku ~~Yo (Light Novel)~~|Asobi Ni Iku Yo]] are in their current form. The last generation were [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]] that were normal size. Due to this, the Catians couldn't see them as "Tools", and a war was fought till the current genaration of Assistroids was made.

* This was one of the reasons why the [[Robot Buddy|Assistroids]] in [[Asobi ni Iku yo!|Asobi Ni Iku Yo]] are in their current form. The last generation were [[Ridiculously-Human Robots]] that were normal size. Due to this, the Catians couldn't see them as "Tools", and a war was fought till the current genaration of Assistroids was made.

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' gives us the homunculi. They're of the zombie variety.

* ''[[The Music Of Marie]]'': When Kai flashes back to what happened when he nearly drowned. . .