Animation physics

Anime physics is a fanon term used to describe all the unusual, impossible, and sometimes absurd moments in the anime where real-world physics do not seem to apply. At times, the term can also be used to describe when an attack works differently in the anime than it would in the games. Some common examples are unusual feats of strength and agility, surviving lethal attacks, and hammerspace.

Anime physics are often caused by several factors. The anime is generally more focused on telling a story in one or several episodes than getting the details right, so sometimes the writers will twist or bend physics so the episode can unfold the way they want it so. Sometimes it is a case of oversight; anime physics do not seem unusual unless someone stops to think about how a situation would work in the real world.

Examples

• Everything explodes in the anime. Most attacks explode when they connect with an opposing attack, even if the attacks would not normally do so. (even, and some would say especially, non-flammable substances such as leaves or water)
  • In contests, almost every move will explode and send a shower of sparkles down into the crowd.
• Ash and his friends seem to have an unlimited amount of space in their bags, especially Brock, from a sleeping bag to the things he uses to cook.
  • In one episode Tracy brings out around 40–50 sketch books to show Professor Oak and then put them back in the same bag that they should not have fit into in the first place.
• Very often, Pokémon will be affected by moves they would be immune to, due to their type, according to the games. The is shown a lot when Ash's Pikachu fights a Template:Type2 Pokémon, it uses an Template:Type2 move and it works well.
  • Pikachu's electric attacks fluctuate between being able to affect Template:Type2 Pokémon (such as Brock's Onix and Roxanne's Geodude) and having no effect at all (such as Lisa's Quagsire, Rocky's Quagsire and Maurice's Torterra). The anime's explanation for this is that ever since Pikachu received a power up, it has enough power to override the immunity. However, no matter how much power it has, it shouldn't be able to affect ground types.
• Another example is when May's Squirtle attacked Harley's Banette with Tackle in New Plot, Odd Lot, despite the Template:Type2's immunity to Template:Type2 attacks.
• In multiple instances, Shadow Ball is able to hit Template:Type2 Pokémon, despite being a Template:Type2 attack.
• Many Pokémon know moves they cannot learn in the games.
• Ash was able to pick up Larvitar despite it weighing more than 150 lbs (70 kg), according to game data. Hippopotas is also similar, due to the fact that it can rest on top of Ash's head without crushing him under 109 lbs (49 kg) of weight.
• Pokémon surviving one hit KO attacks, like Horn Drill, without fainting.
• In Sweet Baby James, when Jessie picks up May's Munchlax and puts it in a bag, despite it weighing over 220 lbs (100kg). On another note of this, in Off the Unbeaten Path, Max was able to carry it on his back despite being less than a quarter of the weight that Munchlax is.
• Many Pokémon are able to dodge moves that are sure to hit, such as when Ash's Squirtle was able to dodge an Aerial Ace from Brandon's Ninjask. In the games, Aerial Ace never misses. Another example is in Duels of the Jungle when a Weavile dodges Ash's Aipom's Swift.
• Ash's Turtwig was hurt by Gardenia's Turtwig's Leech Seed. However, in the games, Template:Type2s can't be hit by this move.
• Pikachu appears to receive a power-down at the beginning of every saga, meaning it appears to have just as much skill as the new beginners on Ash's team despite being shown to be very powerful in some of the matches towards the end of each saga.
• During some of the battles in the anime, the Pokémon stay in the air longer than usual either when using attacks or receiving attacks. This is evident in DP108 when Ash's Chimchar battles against Byron's Bronzor and actually can be seen floating.

Other Examples

An additional use of anime physics is for humorous purposes; it is common in animated media to have characters do things that would cause harm to or be impossible for a live actor for the sake of entertainment.

• Pikachu often shocks people (mostly Ash himself and members of Team Rocket) to the point where they appear scorched or blackened by the electrocution, yet soon afterward (often as soon as the next scene), they appear perfectly normal, without any lasting damage.
• In almost every episode, Jessie, James, and Meowth manage to get launched hundreds of feet into the air by various means (usually a Pokémon attack). However, others standing near them will not be moved or even affected, and Team Rocket never gets seriously hurt from the flight, which would surely kill a normal person.
• The capacity of Brock's bag sometimes takes on impossible proportions, such as in The School of Hard Knocks when he managed to pull a full tablet and entire tea set out of it.