Rather than animating a critical moment in a battle, and perhaps giving away a plot point too soon, some animators cut to or dissolve into a still image designed to look like an action shot, often blurry with motion, that shows the important hit, or dodge, or other action, without revealing anything crucial. The most attractive of these appear to be done in pastel chalks, although simple black line-drawings are also used.

This technique was invented by the late, great, and highly influential anime director Osamu Dezaki.