Top 10 Most Paused Anime Moments

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

The fact that this battle was a step down from what we had already previously seen in the film adaptation was already a big faux pas, but to have the animation be of such abysmal quality…it was like we were watching Dragon Ball MS Paint. This was Super Saiyan 3 Goku going up against a God of Destruction, it should have been a great time, a welcome return for the DB name. Instead, it was a meme in the making.

“Zetai Karen Children” (2008-10)

Who doesn’t love a cameo? As more and more online personalities have become more prevalent throughout various media, anime seems to have taken it upon themselves to rope them in. Case and point, the time internet reviewers James Rolfe and Doug Walker were spotted in an anime about psychic kids blowing shit up. Not sure how or why this came out, but the Angry Video Game Nerd and Nostalgia Critic are now official anime characters, if you can spot them in the backdrop.

“My Dress-Up Darling” (2022)

We have never seen, or been more thankful, for the entirety of an anime’s budget being dedicated to a character’s physicality. In order to make sure he gets her cosplay right, Gojo has to take Kitagawa’s measurements, and that involves a lack of clothing on her part. We wouldn’t go as far as to say this moment is gratuitous (if anything’s it's cute and funny with a sultry edge to it) but there’s no getting around the extensiveness of her…jiggle physics. The amount of time that must have been spent on her chest movement alone is monumental.

“Godzilla Singular Point” (2021)

This one is purely for the kaiju enthusiasts out there, especially those who subscribe to Godzilla’s back catalog of famous foes. Throughout the closing credits of each episode, we see snap shots of various monsters intercut with your typical, anime girl antics. Those with keen eyes will not only see the likes of Rodan and Mothra flying through the sky, but plenty of iconic kaiju straight out of the showa era. A few are in shadow, so you’ll need a few moments to deconstruct them.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012-)

It goes without saying that JoJo is filled to the brim with the most fabulous and outrageous poses in anime. There’s something so extraordinarily captivating about how every character just instinctively knows how to bust a move and flaunt what they’ve got in every given circumstance. While the Pillar Men’s introduction is a classic, nothing can truly beat the time Joseph and Caesar cemented their bro-ness by posing with such flair they lit up the screen! Because nothing screams hype quite like two gents contorting themselves in the flashiest of ways.

“Dorohedoro” (2020)

This sorceress may be a whole mountain of muscle, but that in no way detracts from just how gorgeous she is. So naturally if she happens to come out of an oven naked and coated in trimmings like a sexy Thanksgiving meal…we’re going to hit pause. The situation itself is already crazy, what with this nude version of Noi being a magic doll literally cooked up, but the fact she’s a spitting replica, it’s a bit of a buffet for the eyes. If anyone asks, we’re looking at her abs.

“Monogatari Series: Second Season” (2013)

We’re sure there’s plenty of rich, character-driven dialogue woven into this scene…but to be honest, we weren’t really paying attention due to the visuals being extravagantly distracting. The two great loves of Araragi’s life, Senjougahara and Hanekawa, decide to have a moment of bonding and introspection…while fooling around in the shower together. They don’t necessarily go all the way, but between the perfectly framed shots of their naked bodies and a ridiculously erotic example of them copping a feel…sorry, what were we talking about again?

“Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale” (2017)

You’ve got to appreciate that for all the crazy action sequences this flick throws out, the one scene that had fans scrambling was the time Asuna was bathing while exchanging romantic messages with Kirito. Now, nudity and sexy times in SAO is nothing new, if anything, it’s the one aspect that’s got it in the most trouble over the years. What separates this from all those other examples? Because the animators saw fit to add a little something…extra. Basically, if you pause at the right time, you can see Asuna’s nipple. You happy now otaku?

“Naruto Shippuden” (2007-17)

To be fair, the animation here isn’t exactly bad. It’s just misplaced. The brawl between Pain and Naruto following his transformation into an uncontrollable tailed beast is fluid and frantic, the only problem is that the animation style is so radically different that it made Pain’s face look like it was crafted out of rubber. Every movement, every expression, it’s all stretched to ridiculous proportions, to the extent we’re convinced that it’s about to fly right off his skull! Not a great look for a feared shinobi terrorist.

“Dragon Ball” (1986-89)

In some ways, this was a genius move on Krillin’s part, which also happened to lend itself to one of the franchise’s lewdest scenes. In order to stop an invisible enemy currently kicking the crap out of Yamcha, the young baldy decides to make use of Roshi’s infamous nosebleeds…by pulling down Bulma’s top. It goes by in a flash, but if you look at the right moment you can certainly make out the shape of her dragon balls. Hopefully Vegeta never finds out about this.