It's common in media to allow inanimate objects the power of motion. Sometimes this is done for plot reasons. Sometimes this is done to add an element of surprise or the supernatural to a work. Whatever the reason, this trope is for when typically inanimate objects are self animated in a work. When this happens, it is always obvious to the viewer and to any characters aware of the process. Depending on the object and whether there's a Masquerade going on, it might be obvious to everyone. Often objects that have this trope applied to them are anthropomorphized to a degree. Normally they are just given faces, but they may also be able to interact with their environment and hold things in ways that you wouldn't think a sofa would be able to. How and why this happens varies from work to but there are some common variations: They were always animate to begin with, but they often have to maintain a Masquerade. In that case this will generally hold true for all the same objects or to put it better the representatives of their kind. They were made animate by The Power of Love or another strong emotion. They absorbed some kind of Applied Phlebotinum, are Haunted Technology, or A Wizard Did It. (See also Instant A.I.: Just Add Water!.) They are transformed biological lifeforms. They are possessed. They exist for a long time, such as 100 years. This is predominantly a Japanese concept. Or the Rule of Funny is simply in effect. Compare Companion Cube, which isn't animate at all but which is treated as if it was, and Animate Inanimate Matter and its subtropes, when instead of a discrete object it's a mass of normally inert matter. When they have a voice and fulfill a sidekick role to a bunch of humans, they're a Talking Appliance Sidekick. These guys are also the main characters of Object Shows, to the point they're the trope namers. Supertrope of: Animated Armor Anthropomorphic Food Anthropomorphic Typography Anthropomorphic Vice Balloon of Doom Books That Bite Cumulonemesis Eerie Anatomy Model Egg Folk Everything Dances Golem Living Clothes Living Currency Living Drawing Living Dust Bunnies Living Figurehead Living Hat Living Statue Living Structure Monster Living Toys Sliding Scale of Living Toys Vengeful Abandoned Toy Love Imbues Life The Man in the Moon Monstrous Germs The Old North Wind Our Alebrijes Are Different Snarky Inanimate Object Sperm as People Talking Appliance Sidekick Talking Poo Talking Weapon Weapon Wields You Sapient House Sentient Stars The Face of the Sun Sinister Sentient Sun Sentient Vehicle Sapient Ship Sapient Tank Living Ship Snowlems Terrifying Tiki