Breaking the fourth wall
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"Breaking the fourth wall" is a term that refers to a point where a character acknowledges that he or she is in a television show, and therefore, fictional. This term is different from an aside, where a character will seemingly detach for a moment to say something to the audience, then continue on as if nothing had happened.
There are several ways of breaking the fourth wall. They include referring to events that happened in said episode, stopping someone from performing a violent act or swearing by saying something along the lines of it being a children's show, respoding to a character who is not physically present (ie, the narrator), or getting people to buy merchandise of the subject in question.
In the anime
In the anime, the fourth wall has been broken numerous times. The most common characters to do this are Team Rocket.
Episodes where the fourth wall is broken
- Pokémon Scent-sation: Meowth complains that Gloom's horrible stench must've melted his nose from his face. He then remembers and points out to the audience that the show's cartoonists never gave him one.
- Hypno's Naptime: Jessie remarks their early arrival in the episode is based on the half hour time constraint involving the show.
- The Crystal Onix: Jessie acknowledges the writers' existence.
- Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?: Team Rocket acknowledges the narrator's existence.
- As Clear as Crystal: Jessie tells James to explain their mecha to the "viewing audience."
- May's Egg-Cellent Adventure: Meowth comments that James is giving him a pain, but he can't say where because there are kids watching the show.
- Gathering The Gang of Four
- Two Degrees of Separation: It is possible that Paul knows of the narrator's existance, as when he appears, he says: "Hmph! Well, if it was that easy! Who needs that thing?"
Movies where the fourth wall is broken
- The Power of One: Slowking told Team Rocket that lots of people saw them risk their lives to save the world, then all four of them look at the audience and say hi.
- Spell of the Unown: Team Rocket mentions being in show business near the end of the movie. Meowth also asks Jessie earlier in the movie whether or not she thinks they will get a bigger part in the next one.
- Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
