diff --git a/src/courtroom.cpp b/src/courtroom.cpp
index 221b7c7..c2dbde0 100644
--- a/src/courtroom.cpp
+++ b/src/courtroom.cpp
@@ -1438,7 +1438,9 @@ void Courtroom::set_background(QString p_background, bool display)
   {
     ui_vp_speedlines->hide();
     ui_vp_player_char->stopPlayback();
+    ui_vp_player_char->hide();
     ui_vp_sideplayer_char->stopPlayback();
+    ui_vp_sideplayer_char->hide();
     ui_vp_effect->stopPlayback();
     ui_vp_effect->hide();
     ui_vp_message->hide();
@@ -2840,6 +2842,7 @@ void Courtroom::display_pair_character(QString other_charid, QString other_offse
 
       // Play the other pair character's idle animation
       ui_vp_sideplayer_char->loadCharacterEmote(m_chatmessage[OTHER_NAME], m_chatmessage[OTHER_EMOTE], kal::CharacterAnimationLayer::IdleEmote);
+      ui_vp_sideplayer_char->show();
       ui_vp_sideplayer_char->setPlayOnce(false);
 
       // Flip the pair character
@@ -3068,6 +3071,7 @@ void Courtroom::do_transition(QString p_desk_mod, QString oldPosId, QString newP
   };
 
   ui_vp_player_char->loadCharacterEmote(m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME], m_chatmessage[EMOTE], kal::CharacterAnimationLayer::IdleEmote);
+  ui_vp_player_char->show();
   ui_vp_player_char->setFlipped(m_chatmessage[FLIP].toInt() == 1);
   calculate_offset_and_setup_layer(ui_vp_player_char, scaled_new_pos, m_chatmessage[SELF_OFFSET]);
 
@@ -3476,6 +3480,7 @@ void Courtroom::handle_ic_speaking()
     filename = m_chatmessage[EMOTE];
     ui_vp_player_char->loadCharacterEmote(m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME], m_chatmessage[EMOTE], kal::CharacterAnimationLayer::TalkEmote);
     ui_vp_player_char->setPlayOnce(false);
+    ui_vp_player_char->show();
     ui_vp_player_char->startPlayback();
     // Set the anim state accordingly
   }
@@ -3486,6 +3491,7 @@ void Courtroom::handle_ic_speaking()
     filename = m_chatmessage[EMOTE];
     ui_vp_player_char->loadCharacterEmote(m_chatmessage[CHAR_NAME], m_chatmessage[EMOTE], kal::CharacterAnimationLayer::IdleEmote);
     ui_vp_player_char->setPlayOnce(false);
+    ui_vp_player_char->show();
     ui_vp_player_char->startPlayback();
   }