History JerkWithAHeartOfGold / FanFics

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[[AC:''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'']]
* ''Fanfic/SashaAndTheFrogs'': Sasha herself maybe rude and still somewhat of a ControlFreak, however, here we are shown that she really does care and appreciate the Plantars' company.

[[AC:''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'']]
* Fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Although [[{{Tsundere}} Germany]] yells at Italy at a constant basis and is strict towards him, Germany is also is kind and gentle towards him as well.

[[AC:''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'']]
* Several people from ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' fill this role.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'']]
* In Chapter 2 of ''[[Fanfic/TurningPoint Hunger]]'', Lisa finds Dracula healing after a VampireHunter threw holy water in his face. She correctly deduces that a vampire as worldly as he simply wasn't ambushed by an amateur human, but rather he protected one of his vampire subordinates from being dunked instead.

[[AC:''CrossOver'']]
* Firefly from ''Fanfic/AceCombatTheEquestrianWar''. There are times when she acts like an a-hole towards other ponies, especially Fluttershy at the beginning (going as far as to smack her!) as well as Derpy and Medley later on. But deep inside, she's just a troubled mare, trying to readjust herself to the circumstances around her. Thankfully, [[MoralityPet Rainbow]] [[TheHero Dash]] is there to help her.
* ''Fanfic/AvengerOfSteel'' soon establishes Jessica as this, as her cynicism starts to slip as she acknowledges her private admiration for Clark's genuine desire to be a hero.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'' and its sequel, ''Ghosts of the Past'', have a number:
** Tony, albeit with the {{Jerkass}} part significantly downplayed following years of Pepper and the Avengers' good influence. [[spoiler: The news that he's becoming a father has further improved his disposition.]]
** Carol Danvers is a downplayed variant, a StepfordSnarker and a BrokenAce who is actually very nice once you get past the understandably spiky outer shell, and [[ShipTease Harry almost invariably sees the heart of gold.]] However, the narrative makes mention of others who aren't so lucky: pre-Spidey Peter Parker, who so happened to be unfortunate enough to catch her on a bad day. The sequel also has the older of her two younger brothers call her out on the fact that CoolBigSis moments aside, she's been an AloofBigSister to them most of the time and outright ignored most of the youngest brother's issues. She admits that he has a point: she does love them and is ''extremely'' protective of them, and has her [[ShellShockedVeteran own issues]] (plus Harry's) to deal with, it goes back before that. Plus, she's not LockedOutOfTheLoop.
** Nick Fury is a grumpy, ruthless man, more than willing to use intimidation and coercion to get his way. He was also once a nice young man who ended up massively disillusioned after going twelve underfunded and undersupported rounds with Lucius Malfoy and [[ILetGwenStacyDie lost two of his mentors, Mr and Mrs Evans (who were SHIELD Agents) and the closest thing he had to a little sister]] in [[TheLostLenore Lily Potter.]]
*** Peter Wisdom [[spoiler: a.k.a. Regulus Black]], his protégé, is all of this and more, for obvious reasons.
** Namor is an unrepentant asshole, and hinted to have tried very hard to kill the First Class of X-Men (whatever he did, [[ColonelBadass Colonel]] Summers is still holding a grudge most of fifty years later). However, he apparently apologised, considers Steve one of the very few men he ever really respected, paying him a number of back-handed compliments and ''immediately'' seeking epic scale vengeance for HYDRA's actions in chapter 74. He was also rather impressed by [[spoiler: Rhodey's attempt to hold up the Helicarrier]]. Despite bitching and moaning the whole time, he can usually be relied upon to do the right thing.
** Following the ''Forever Red'' arc in the sequel, Harry [[TookALevelInJerkass winds up as this,]] after a particularly awful TraumaCongaLine leaves him with [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]], combining with his existing issues. He's snappish, temperamental, and touchy in the extreme, but he's genuinely horrified once it hits him just how much he's been frightening people and how he nearly lashed out at Cedric Diggory for practically ''nothing'', he dedicates himself to helping fix [[spoiler: Ruth Aldine's]] mind, which was damaged after her PsychicPowers manifested in the midst of his and [[spoiler: Maddie's]] massive scale psychic brawl, treating her very gently, and he gently counsels [[spoiler: Maddie]] after she telepathically contacts him in a moment of anxiety and insecurity. Afterwards, [[KnightInSourArmour he's still somewhat grumpy,]] and still has issues, [[TookALevelInKindness but he's generally nicer.]]
* Shatterstorm and Roaring Yawn both show their jerkish sides when they first appear in ''Fanfic/{{Equestrylvania}}''. However, the moment something traumatic happens, they end up coming to the defense of the ponies they've belittled. In Shatterstorm's case, he's shown to actually be [[FriendToAllChildren pretty good with kids.]]
* In ''[[Fanfic/ThroughTheLookingGlassFireflyBattlestarGalactica Through the Looking-Glass]]'', seeing Jayne work to save Jean Barolay, as well as acting somewhat protective of her in the aftermath, prompts Mal to muse that Jayne’s tender moments are rare, but they make him subtly more tolerable.
* Cordelia Chase shows her kinder side in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10204239/ Mirror, Mirror]]'' when she's in a mirror-verse. According to her, she has to act like a RichBitch or her parents give her hell. The same applies to the Cordettes and all of them have to snitch on the others. In the mirror-verse, it's only Xander and whoever he brings with him so she's free to act like a slob, drive like a maniac, and generally be a friendly though rather destructive girl (such as unlocking her own house by kicking down a door then smashing the alarm system).
* ''FanFic/KazumaVTanya'': Tanya's Mistborn teacher, Tohmes, is lazy and a member of a tyrannical and slave-owning nobility... but he's too lazy to bother mistreating his inferiors, and he handles Tanya quite gently in their lessons despite his griping about it.
* ''Fanfic/PeaceOfMindPieceOfHeart'': Despite her {{jerkass}} behavior, Catra does attempt to cheer others up when they're feeling down, and at one point she immediately apologizes to Steven when she realizes one of her quips struck a nerve.

[[AC:''Manga/DeathNote'' ]]
* In [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7292991/1/Xanatos this]] Death Note fanfic, Matt is easily the most notable example of this trope:
-->'''Matt''': [[AFriendInNeed A good friend]] gives you a shoulder to cry on. [[VitriolicBestBuds A great friend]] gives you [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan a kick in the pants]].
* Mello and Light in ''FanFic/TheEndIsNear'' - there is Mello's PetTheDog moment or rather, "Beat The Dog That Goes After [[TheRival Near]] With A Cricket Bat Until It Stops Moving" and then there is [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther how Light verbally crushes the snobby stewardess who tries to make L sit properly.]] He's petting one dog while [[KickTheDog kicking another....]]
* L becomes this in ''Fanfic/StoryOfTheCentury''. Or if he'd always had shades of this it makes itself more apparent by the end of the story [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice before he dies.]]]] Deconstructed in that his default "{{Jerkass}}" behavior pushes people away and he refuses to let on whatever capacity for kindness that he has.

[[AC:''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'']]
* Despite acting like a total jackass most of the time- make that ''all'' of the time- [[spoiler: Chaos]] from the ''FanFic/TamersForeverSeries'' still has some moments where he shows that he genuinely respects [[spoiler:his other half]], and that he can actually be a nice guy when he wants to.
** Ryo also fits the bill, or as Takato puts it:
-->''he knew Ryo was just trying to be a friend… a crazy, narcissist, extremely annoying friend, but a friend, after all.''

[[AC:''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'']]
* Zao, the Headmaster of the Imperial Naval Academy in FanFic/TheOdyssey. His initial address to the assembled class consists of telling them that they're all going to die horrible deaths in service of the Realm. Despite this, he really does mean well.

[[AC:''Series/{{Glee}}'']]
* [[VillainProtagonist Jack Harmon]] and [[DeadpanSnarker Daniel Lawson]] of [[FanFic/TheHarmonVerse The Harmonverse]] both love this trope.

[[AC:''Literature/HarryPotter'']]
* In ''Fanfic/TheRivalPrefectsTrilogy'', it turns out Malcolm has feelings for Moaning Myrtle and he is never cruel towards her.

[[AC:''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'']]
* ''Fanfic/{{Brainbent}}'' features a few, which isn't surprising since the majority of the cast are dealing with [[DysfunctionJunction some emotional problem or other]], many of them fairly serious. Karkat is probably their reigning champion. He's a shouty little ball of [[JerkassWoobie rage and self-loathing]], coated in a complete lack of tact, but he is, at heart, a compassionate person. When he isn't buried over his head in his own issues he's genuinely concerned for the people around him, and for all that he can be painfully inept at dealing with his own emotions, sometimes he gives good advice.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'']]
* ''Fanfic/{{What Lies Beneath|OrangeCat64}}'': When Jerrik tries making Hiccup and Zephyr's (supposed) deaths look like a triumph, Mildew is one of the villagers who stands up for them, mentioning that Zephyr would keep him company while Hiccup helped him fish Fungus out of the well whenever he fell down it... [[{{Tsundere}} though he insists he still didn't like him]].

[[AC:''Literature/TheHungerGames'']]
* Obsidian Citrine in the Hunger Games fanfic ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning''.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain']]
* ''Fanfic/DownAndOut'': Amelia. The false conductor isn't exactly sympathetic towards Grace's plight; as soon as Grace meets up with her, she says that Simon is a lost cause that Grace should just let die, and continues to dismiss the idea that her reign as Conductor played any role in the problem. Despite this, she does promise to assist once it's clear how adamant Grace is about needing help.

[[AC:''Anime/KillLaKill'']]
* In Webcomic/KillLaKillAU, we have Nui, being the "asshole sibling" who liked to bully Ryuuko when the two were three and two years old, but, however, at the same time, she does care about her, as can be seen in comic 27 when she makes it clear she doesn't want her to be sent away to a remedial boarding school. Likewise, there is an eight-year old Ryuuko, who is shown to care about her sisters and was distraught when she thought she was going to be sent away.

[[AC:''Franchise/KungFuPanda'']]
* In ''Fanfic/TheVow'', an AlternateUniverseFic about the life of [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2 Lord Shen]], he starts out as this. Being in his early twenties, the young peacock noble is the prideful and short-tempered perfectionist he's known as in canon, but he doesn't doubt the love his parents and old nanny have toward him. His condescending attitude is born from being scorned by almost everyone as an abomination and a bad omen due to his white coloring, no matter what he did to please people. [[FreudianExcuse Eventually he stopped trying to win people's acceptance and decided give them the monster they were determined to see]]. However, he was the only noble in general to show any shred of kindness toward his family's wolf guard, winning their {{undying loyalty}}. While he initially treats his might-be-fiancée Lady Lianne with disdain, her gentle nature and [[ParentalNeglect vulnerability]] behind her regal lady's facade win his heart. Unfortunately, as his [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]] and attempts to prevent his fate corrupt him like in canon, [[TookALevelInJerkass his heart of gold has eroded]] by the time of the movie's happenings to the point that it's barely visible anymore. Fortunately, [[LoveMartyr Lianne's]] love eventually sets him more or less on the right path to the point that he [[spoiler:[[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy stops his attempt]] to [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe force her into marriage with him]], prompting her to marry him anyway]]. He also [[spoiler:sends [[TheDragon the Wolf Boss]] and the wolf pack away before his final confrontation with Po, [[SparedByTheAdaptation sparing them from their canon fates]]]]. Following [[spoiler:his return to Lianne after avoiding his canon ending, he retains many of his negative qualities, but resigns himself to live the rest of his life in secret imprisonment of his wife's home so that he can stay and protect her and [[PapaWolf their son]]]].
** Lianne's father Lord Chang comes off as a pure {{Jerkass}} for most of the story until his final appearance. He tried to [[ParentalNeglect make his only child a carrier of his legacy, didn't show affection toward Lianne for her entire life]] and attempted to push her into marriage so that [[IWantGrandkids she'd give him a grandson]]. He says that all of this was to secure the future generations' fortune. He did love Lianne's mother and won her heart by [[spoiler:giving her the choice of not having to choose between him and his brother]]. When he heard that Shen had overtaken Gongmen City and imprisoned Lianne, [[PapaWolf he was determined to do everything needed to raise an army to storm Gongmen City and free his daughter]], with only [[spoiler:the stroke he suffered]] preventing him. After thirty years of estrangement, he asks Lianne's forgiveness even though he doesn't expect it to come. When Lianne tells him that [[spoiler:she's pregnant with Shen's child]], he gives [[WhenHeSmiles a true smile]] for her [[SoProudOfYou for the first time]] and [[spoiler:passes away contently]].

[[AC:''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'']]
* In [[http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_st.php/19769 Legend of link:lucky number 13]] Ganondorf shows shades of this. Mainly towards his daughter [[spoiler: Separuu]]. He even goes so far as to [[spoiler: [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice his own soul]] ]] to save the one his daughter loves, which is the one he hates the most: Link.

[[AC:''Franchise/TheLionKing'']]
* Tama in ''Fanfic/TheLionKingAdventures''. Despite being the BigBad of Series Two, [[spoiler: she actually saves Simba from dying of a terminal illness in ''Sick Simba''. She changes her ways in ''Goodbye, Nala'', finally becoming an ally.]]

[[AC:''Franchise/MegaMan'']]
* In ''FanFic/MegaManDefenderOfTheHumanRace'', even though he's a bad guy [[spoiler:until the episode 11 finale]] and is not fond of most humans, [=ProtoMan=] has demonstrated acts of kindness, especially to Nomad, Mega Man and Roll.
* In ''FanFic/MegaManRecut'', Gemini Man and Proto Man are this.

[[AC:''Series/{{Merlin|2008}}'' ]]
* Arthur's friend Kay from ''Fanfic/TheStudentPrince'' is elitist, sexist and just plain obnoxious, but when he's offered money by a reporter in exchange for details on Arthur's private life, he responds by punching the reporter and smashing his camera.
--> '''Kay:''' I'll stick your bloody camera where the sun don't shine, you scum! Offering me bloody money for dirt on Arthur! You're not worth the mud under his shoes, you leeches, even if he is a bloody poof! He's ''our'' bloody poof!

[[AC:''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'']]
* While Bakugo is still a bully in ''Fanfic/QuirkIncubus'', he musters legitimate concern for Izuku when his behavior radically changes. When he discovers what is happening, he outs Taya, and even admits to himself that [[EverybodyHasStandards even he would not force Izuku to come out as one of the victims]].

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'']]
* ''FanFic/TheDifferentverse'': Limestone Pie comes off as very grouchy, but in the final scene, [[spoiler: it turns out she's been subtly supportive of Marble, and is very happy when her youngest sister stands up to her and reveals she has friends now.]]
* [[DarkIsNotEvil Fluttercruel]] from the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' became this under [[NiceGuy Fluttershy's]] care. She's still a {{Jerkass}}, sure, but she shows her heart of gold by [[spoiler:forcing herself to the surface to help calm Rainbow Dash down of her own accord]] among other things. Worth even more note is that in the BadFuture we're originally shown, Fluttercruel did such horrible things that [[YouDoNotWantToKnow Twilight Tragedy refuses to tell us.]]
* Pretty much every single one of the Night Guards in ''FanFic/WeRentTheNight'' is this, except the NaiveNewComer.
* Sunset Shimmer starts out as this in ''Fanfic/TheWitchOfTheEverfree'', although the "jerk" part [[CharacterDevelopment fades out over time]].

[[AC:''Manga/{{Naruto}}'']]
* A number of examples in ''Fanfic/KitsuneNoKenFistOfTheFox''.
** Naruto is one of these. He's quite willing to consider the feelings of others, but his experience with the Kyuushingai has made him rather caustic.
** Sakura proves to be one, surprisingly enough. She might quarrel with Ino frequently, look down on people of lower social standing than herself, and lord her queen-bee status over everyone else...but when [[spoiler:Aoi savagely beats Ino during Sasuke's tournament]], Sakura shows a considerable amount of compassion because, as she herself declares, nobody deserves to undergo something like that.
** Suigetsu may be a complete and utter prick to Naruto, but he likewise takes [[spoiler:Aoi's beat-down of Ino]] very badly.
---> '''Suigetsu:''' Hey, I might not be the nicest guy around, but even I have some standards.

[[AC:''Franchise/{{Persona}}'']]
* In ''Fanfic/PersonaTheSougawaFiles'', Rina initially starts off rather cold towards others but proves to be much nicer underneath. She grows out of the "jerk" part, though. A straighter example is Ryouichi, a generally gruff and blunt guy who is actually pretty decent underneath.

[[AC:''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'']]
* Some examples from ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'':
** Ash's Pokédex may be [[DeadpanSnarker sarcastic]], [[SourSupporter condescending]] [[InsufferableGenius and loves to remind everyone of how smart it is]], but it has Ash's best interests at heart, always willing to help him when it counts.
** [[TheRival Gary Oak]] is a tad egotistical, abrasive, and likes to tease Ash, but at the end of the day, he's not a bad guy. His teaming up with [[JerkAss Paul]] in the Fuchsia Tag Tournament proves that he has many lines he wouldn't cross, and he's not above giving his Pokemon praise for a job well done.
** Clair, the Blackthorn Gym Leader is a downplayed example. [[GoodIsNotSoft She never goes easy on her challengers]] and can be very nasty with people who piss her off (especially those with SmallNameBigEgo attitudes), but she's very nice to those who earn her respect, and she gladly gives praise and encouragement to those who deserve it.

[[AC:''Literature/SherlockHolmes'']]
* [[Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries Mortality]]: Gregerson may be a jerk, but like Watson, he seems to care about Holmes.

[[AC:''Franchise/TheSmurfs'']]
* Hefty in ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' represents this trope in the series. Most of his jerkassery is directed toward Empath and Duncan [=McSmurf=].

[[AC:''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'']]
* In fanfiction ''Fanfic/PrisonIslandBreak'', Shadow shows that under all his AxeCrazy perverted psychopathy, he's a very deep person. Since they're all in prison, he tries to conceal his softer side. However he privately acknowledges that Sonic is a better leader, and has become incredibly loyal to the team, even willing to risk his life to protect others.
--> '''Narration:''' ''What Shadow the Hedgehog said, and what he thought, were not exactly always in the same carpool. On the flip side, they changed lanes so often that they'd clipped each other's wing mirrors off. Still, he certainly wasn't a hero. And nobody could make the mistake of calling him a good man. But he was quick-minded, and fastidious, and determined, and clean, which are all becoming of a hero. The sole quality he lacked was virtue, and he knew it. Still, good men who believe their virtue to be satisfactory have already taken a step down the ladder, and bad men who think themselves sinful enough are ready to take a step up.''
* Pretty much every single member of Eric's crew in ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'' follows this trope. They often fight, make fun of each other, and make cruel jokes, but they're all firmly on Sonic's side and are willing to help others even at great cost. Sonya in particular embodies this trope - she's highly arrogant and willful, but also has a strong sense of justice.
** The rewrite makes ''Tsali'' of all people into this. Under all his genocidal AxeCrazy psychopathy, he has quite a few HiddenDepths. He considers his Tsali Endoskeletons as his children and shows remorse that most of them are gone. Likewise, when he hired a group of mercenaries to help him hunt down the Seedrians, he became quite fond of them [[spoiler: and was utterly devastated when they betrayed him]] - it actually causes him to consider whether getting revenge was really worth it in the end. [[spoiler: The fact that one of them was his little sister probably didn't help.]]

[[AC:''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'']]
* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'' has Dev-Em, who is an arrogant, rude jerkass but still risks his life time and again to help other people. When his behavior leads [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Dawnstar]] to think he's all but a villain, Supergirl states that Dev is an asshole but not a bad guy.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'']]
* ''Fanfic/UnbreakableRedSilkenThread'': Jo wields her authority as the dorm's Resident Assistant like a battleaxe, but takes her position seriously and doesn't turn a blind eye if something seems wrong. She'll more often than not help where she can, albeit indirectly.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/{{Rango}}'']]
* In ''Fanfic/OldWest'', Rattlesnake Jake is this with a dose of AdaptationalHeroism. The [[TheDreaded Grim Reaper]] of the Mojave Desert is intimidating, brusque, violent and a remorseless killer. While he's initially indifferent of [[DeterminedHomesteader Grace Glossy]] and her son Teddy, he slowly comes to care for them while having to keep them safe. He helps Teddy in overcoming his sight problem and devotes himself to Grace when she confesses her feelings toward him.

[[AC:''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'']]
* ''FanFic/ProfessorArc'':
** When they arrive at Beacon [[spoiler: The Arc family member]] say things that range from dismissive to outright insulting and condescending toward Jaune-something which does not endear them ''at all'' to Beacon's students. It is implied that they have played a role in Jaune's self-esteem issues. [[spoiler: However, they are [[AngerBornOfWorry alarmed over the amount of trouble]] he could be in due to his deceptions, and they do bite their tongues when they first arrive at Beacon, and (reluctantly) agree to let Jaune be his own man when he proves himself in combat against his father. They also refuse to sell out his secrets, even while they are interrogated by Atlas. One of his sisters even decked a reporter for daring to ask her to sell out Jaune]].
** Cardin and Team CRDL [[TookALevelInKindness grow into this]] after [[spoiler: Velvet saves Cardin from a Grimm, despite their [[FantasticRacism mistreatment of her]]. They become [[UndyingLoyalty tremendously loyal toward Jaune]], becoming very incensed by the Arc family's crude remarks about him, they almost attack Atlas students after Ironwood arrests him, and also are among the few who defend Yang after she was unfairly accused of attacking a downed opponent, and are all too willing to attack Atlesian soldiers to defend Jaune from arrest]].
* The fanfic ''Fanfic/TeamLVDR'' has Verde as a very downplayed example. They’re a little grouchy and sarcastic, but most of the time is pretty nice and gives their friends good advice.

[[AC:''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'']]
* [[TheLeader Aramus]] could be argued as in ''Fanfic/TheLegacyOfTheBloodRavens''. He's incredibly arrogant, and doesn't hesitate to charge into battle or lead his men into danger, but he'd give his life for the Chapter and in the end, wants what's best for the Blood Ravens as a whole.

[[AC:''Literature/{{Worm}}'']]
* In ''Fanfic/{{Atonement}}'', Cassie Herren goes from 'racist anti-social jerkass' to annoying but selfless girl who's genuine friends with the multi-ethnic Wards.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'']]
* In ''Fanfic/YoungJusticeDarknessFalls'', La'gaan sadly still is a jerk, but at the very least, he gets better at being a team player over the course of the fic, and he even gets to bury the hatchet with Conner.

[[AC:''Franchise/YuGiOh'']]
* Yuga Senku from [[Fanfic/YuGiOhXross Yu-Gi-Oh! Xross]] fits this description. He acts like a [[MagnificentBastard cocky and arrogant asshole]] to anyone he comes across, but it's due to his lack of confidence in himself and him finding it hard to really connect to people on a personal level and feels lonely because of it. [[spoiler: This is due to the fact that his mother disappeared during The Fracture when he was 6, and was bullied mercilessly during the grieving process resulting in an InferioritySuperiorityComplex.]] He values the friends he ''does'' manage to make (such as Keishi and Takumi) greatly.