History Main / BrokenSmile

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Webcomics/NerfNow''; this is the expression the Trainer controlled by [[LetsPlay/TwitchPlaysPokemon the masses of the internet]] wears in ''[[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/1230 Twitch Plays Pokemon]]''.

* {{Transmetropolitan}}: The [[SlasherSmile aptly named]] Smiler devolves into this a few times over the course of the series, almost always at the hands of [[AntiHero Spider]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerusalem]].

* ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/Stay Night]]'' has [[spoiler:Sakura Matou]]. She is not a StepfordSmiler in that she only cares about [[spoiler:preserving her YamatoNadeshiko mask for Shirou rather than her peers in general]], but through a combination of [[LoveMakesYouEvil love]] and [[BreakTheCutie severe abuse]] she eventually [[BewareTheNiceOnes snaps]], learning how to put on that dangerous smile, [[EvilMakeover among other things]].
* In final two routes, ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' 's [[spoiler:Kohaku]] starts to show her broken smile to the protagonist, and plays the StepfordSmiler straighter than the above example.

** In one court section of ''ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', [[spoiler: Kira]] laughs and smiles maniacal when she starts losing it [[spoiler: knowing that Phoenix keeps getting closer and closer to exposing her murder tricks, aibiet without a concrete evidence.]] [[SuddenlyVoiced Her voice acting]] pins it home how broken she's become.
* ''EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo'' [[spoiler:has Yuuko in her story with this caused by her traumatic past experiences of being continually raped by her brother figure Akira.]]

* In the beginning of ''Manga/BattleRoyale'', a young Shuya and Yoshitoki notice that the girl who won that year's Program is smiling, but she doesn't really look happy. She does look very creepy.
** Also in "Manga/BattleRoyale", Yoshimi's adorable smile at finding Yoji again quickly becomes very creepy when [[spoiler: he's shot in the head]].

* Arumi of ''[[Anime/AbenobashiMahouShoutengai Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi]]'' usually does this, if only for a second, before attacking Sasshi with her PaperFanOfDoom.

* ''{{Shuffle}}'': Kaede displays this around episode 19 where her extreme depression and loneliness starts taking a toll on her sanity.

* Seen on Yurika in ''MartianSuccessorNadesico'' after her first taste of three new pilots, generally behaving even more strangely than the crew she's already gotten used to.

* Happens to Ranka in ''MacrossFrontier'', when she [[spoiler: runs to the deck thinking that Alto loves her... and stumbles into Alto hugging Sheryl, [[NotWhatItLooksLike not knowing]] that it's because Sheryl's illness kicked in.]] "It can't be..."

* ''KarakuridoujiUltimo'': Rune has this after his confession to Yamato and during his fight with him.

** [[http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3226/shinjiheadshot.jpg Shinji's pretty good at them, too.]]

* Shown above, it happens to Asuka in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' after [[spoiler: she walks in on what should be the happiest day of her life so far, with what she believes to be [[WellDoneSonGuy proof she is a worthy daughter.]] Only to find that her mother has committed "murder"-suicide, hanging herself with a doll of Asuka.]]
** It also occurs in ''End of Evangelion'' with [[spoiler:Shinji after Asuka is "killed"]].
** [[http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3226/shinjiheadshot.jpg Shinji's pretty good at them, too.]]

* Not really a StepfordSmiler, but Zilba from ''[[MujinWakuseiSurvive Uninhabited Planet Survive]]'' only stops smiling when her cheek is bruised.

->-- '''Mark Chang,''' ''WesternAnimation/FairlyOddParents''

** It also occurs in EndOfEvangelion with [[spoiler: Shinji after Asuka is "killed"]].

** In one court section of ''ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', [[spoiler: Kira]] laughs and smiles maniacal when she start losing it [[spoiler: knowing that Phoenix keeps getting closer and closer to exposing her murder tricks.]] [[SuddenlyVoiced Her voice acting]] pins it home how broken she's become.

** In one court section of ''ProfessorLaytonVSAceAttorney'', [[spoiler: Kira]] laughs and smiles maniacal when she start losing it [[spoiler: knowing that Phoenix keeps getting closer and closer to expose her murder tricks.]] Her voice acting pins it home how broken she's become.

* Usagi does this in ''Manga/SailorMoon R'' when Mamoru is breaking up with her.

* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' 's normally perky (in [[GagBoobs more ways]] [[{{Gainaxing}} than one]]) April May gets this along with a TwitchyEye periodically during the first game's second trial, usually when confronted with a contradiction in her testimony. [[spoiler: Her full breakdown causes her to lose the smile entirely.]]

* Gaara of ''{{Naruto}}'' tried to maintain one after discovering his uncle Yashimaru had attacked him, but it was soon wiped off his face by Yashimaru's [[spoiler:faked]] confession of hatred.

* The [[SlasherSmile aptly named]] [[{{Transmetropolitan}} Smiler]] devolves into this a few times over the course of the series, almost always at the hands of [[AntiHero Spider]] [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerusalem]].

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Webcomics/NerfNow''; this is the expression the Trainer controlled by [[{{GIFT}} the masses of the internet]] wears in ''[[http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/1230 Twitch Plays Pokemon]]''.

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** It also occurs in [[Anime/EndOfEvangelion End of Evangelion]] with [[spoiler: Shinji after Asuka is "killed"]].