Why is it that the swordsman's attacks appear to do nothing until they click the sword back into its sheath?


For example, in _One Piece_ , Brook, and sometimes Zorro, do some big attack
with their swords, but the cuts are not shown until after they return their
swords to the sheaths.




This trope is usually attributed to Fist of The North Star, after Kenshiro
attacks someone he pauses and says "You are already dead". It is only then
that they realise their defeat and the attacks are applied.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8IxVLm.jpg)

[Reference.](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-are-already-
dead-%E3%81%8A%E5%89%8D%E3%81%AF%E3%82%82%E3%81%86%E6%AD%BB%E3%82%93%E3%81%A7%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B-omae-
wa-mou-shindeiru) [Another Reference
(TVTropes)](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouAreAlreadyDead)

It's similar to how in Road Runner, Wilee Coyotee often runs off of cliffs,
without realising the ground below him has stopped - he only falls when this
is pointed out to him.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/34640.jpg)

The usual rationale is that everything happens so fast that the character
cannot register what is going on - and neither does their body.




This trope is usually attributed to Fist of The North Star, after Kenshiro
attacks someone he pauses and says "You are already dead". It is only then
that they realise their defeat and the attacks are applied.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8IxVLm.jpg)

[Reference.](http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-are-already-
dead-%E3%81%8A%E5%89%8D%E3%81%AF%E3%82%82%E3%81%86%E6%AD%BB%E3%82%93%E3%81%A7%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B-omae-
wa-mou-shindeiru) [Another Reference
(TVTropes)](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YouAreAlreadyDead)

It's similar to how in Road Runner, Wilee Coyotee often runs off of cliffs,
without realising the ground below him has stopped - he only falls when this
is pointed out to him.

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/34640.jpg)

The usual rationale is that everything happens so fast that the character
cannot register what is going on - and neither does their body.

