[[quoteright:342:[[Anime/SailorMoon http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SailorMoon_JadeiteBattle12_683.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:342:"Do you surrender?"]]

-->-- '''LetsPlay/ChipCheezum''', ''WebAnimation/{{Xin}}, Session #7''

Very prevalent in {{anime}}, whenever a person's opponent gets behind them, instead of turning around, their eyes will snap sideways. As anyone with any common sense will tell you, it doesn't work. However, it just [[RuleOfCool looks so much cooler]] this way.

This is often accompanied by a close up of the person's face, or even the outside eye. There is also a calmer version used to demonstrate the fact that the observant character is well aware that the spy or stowaway is there. Yet ''another'' variation is used when the character is talking to someone with his/her back turned to them. If this happens, [[NoticeThis pay attention]] to what was just said, because [[CaptainObvious it's probably important.]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Not that you can tell from behind.]]

This trope is almost never played for comedy. If it's the AsideGlance, then it's not this. Compare LookBehindYou.


* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is fairly fond of this.
** It happens multiple times in Gaara's fight with Rock Lee, after Lee removes his [[spoiler:[[IAmNotLeftHanded training weights]]]].
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' uses this fairly often as well, often during a [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome CMOA.]]
** Justified, considering all the TeleportSpam that goes on in that show.
** If a fight scene with [[LightningBruiser Ichigo]] goes by without one of these, then something is seriously wrong. Well, either that, or he's in for a CurbStompBattle.
* Raditz does this when IdiotHero Goku manages to grab his tail.
** Hell, ''Manga/DragonBall Z'' '''lives''' off of this trope.
** Gohan does this when Videl starts following him.
* Zoisite seems fond of turning up behind Nephrite in TheNineties ''Anime/SailorMoon'' Anime, usually to spy on him and earn a sideways death glare when she announces her presence.
* This comes up often in the ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' ''Fate'' anime. Archer will not usually face Shirou when talking to him.
* A very definitely non-comedic example happens in ''LightNovel/FateZero'' when Kirei [[spoiler:betrays Tohsaka by stabbing him with the Azoth Dagger]].
* In ''Manga/SoulEater'' [[LovableCoward Eruka Frog]] pairs this with OhCrap after realizing that 1) Black*Star has survived her barrage of bombs and 2) He's very, veeery angry about it.
* In ''Manga/{{Gamaran}}'', the deadly martial artist of the Muhou School [[TheParalyzer Kiyomori Yamanoue]] barely looks at [[TheSmartGuy Kashitarou]] when he arrives behind him, asking who's there. In this case, this is likely motivated by Kiyomori's [[ArrogantKungFuGuy massive hubris.]]
* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', Myotismon does this when talking to Gatomon behind him--[[http://40.media.tumblr.com/919d55ffe6ee61754471da8eff3a3d6c/tumblr_inline_no4hvioW2b1ren8l7_500.png peering at her through his high collar.]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* On the [[http://combineoverwiki.net/images/3/36/Episode_Two_poster_remade.jpg cover]] of ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}: Episode Two'', there is a pair of Hunters sneaking up on Gordon and Alyx. They seem to be aware of their presence, but are looking to the side instead of behind them.
** Alyx's head is slightly turned towards the Hunters, so it's ''possible'' that she can just ''barely'' make out the closest one peripherally. No such luck for Gordon, though. If anything, his head is turned slightly ''away'', and his eyes aren't even ''nearly'' as far to the side as they could be; so it really just seems like he's looking at someone who's in ''front'' of him and 45 degrees to his left.
* In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'', the Demifiend does this when [[spoiler:he fights Dante in the Labyrinth of Amala]].
* This occurs several times in the cutscenes of the ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' NES Trilogy.