History Main / GirlNextDoor

* Bernadette (Bernie) Manuelito in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series by Creator/TonyHillerman is the rare Native American version. She is a pretty, cheerful, down-to-earth fellow Navajo cop who is contrasted to Chee's previous love interest, the beautiful, sophisticated, half-white lawyer Janet Pete from Washington, D.C.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2 Final Fantasy X-2'': The same can be said of Yuna and her cousin, Rikku, who're presented as a pair of fun loving teens. Both are cute and have modest figures, though Rikku certainly ''[[{{stripperific}} doesn't dress]]'' [[BarelyThereSwimwear modestly]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'': Fiora has been close friends with Shulk from the time they were children, having grown up together in Colony 9. She's also his [[EveryoneCanSeeIt not-so-secret crush]]. In fact, it's [[spoiler: her death that causes Shulk to leave the Colony on a quest for revenge]].

* There is an unusual example in ''Anime/WelcomeToTheNHK''. Misaki Nakahara is a literal Girl Next Door whose innocence and rather plain beauty is, at first, an integral part of her relationship with Satou, combining this trope with ManicPixieDreamGirl. However, ''both'' tropes become {{subverted|Trope}} when she is slowly revealed to exhibit [[spoiler: nearly every symptom of a textbook case of Borderline Personality Disorder, including extreme self-esteem issues, self-harm, skewed social perspective, and an unhealthy (suicidally so) obsession with Satou.]]
* ''Anime/VariableGeo'': [[{{Deuteragonist}} Satomi]] is the 'plainest' looking girl among the cast, having [[BoyishShortHair short]] [[UnkemptBeauty mussy hair]] and a BeautyMark on her left cheek. She's also shown to be honest and a hard worker, having two jobs to support herself and her kid brother.
* Kosaki Onodera in ''Manga/{{Nisekoi}}''. While the rest of the haremettes are gangsters and the daughter of the police chief, Kosaki is just an ordinary girl who works in her family's bakery.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Tatsuki gets mistaken for a boy sometimes, since [[BoyishShortHair her hair is short]], but she's most definitely a girl. [[LipstickLesbian Chizuru]] even said she'd probably hit on Tatsuki, '''IF''' she weren't ''[[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon such]]'' [[BullyHunter a tomboy]].
** Orihime and Tatsuki's other school friends count too: Michiru is the cute and homey kind, Mahana is the more active and tomboyish type, and Kunieda is the smart and quiet CuteBookworm.

* Subverted with Habara from ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys''. As the DistaffCounterpart to the main character [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy Tadakuni]], you might expect her as this for Toshiyuki Karasawa. While her current personality would suggests this, she was formerly the most feared bully in elementary school and was responsible for Karasawa's scar on his head. Despite being a NiceGirl nowadays (mostly), all boys including Karasawa still fear her and they would pay her or her friends money rather than dating her. Funnily enough, Habara believes that Karasawa is in love with her, delusional about the fact that he obviously hates her.
* In VisualNovel/AokanaFourRhythmAcrossTheBlue, Hinata and Rika's bedrooms are right next door to each other, mere feet apart. As a Running Gag, Hinata keeps running into his new neighbor while she's changing clothes in her room. Queue the simultaneous screams.
* In ''Anime/{{Endride}}'', Alicia is Emilio's [[ChildhoodFriends childhood friend]] who was always sneaking into the palace to play while they were growing up. She's the nice, wholesome sort, always ready to listen, and has some romantic interest in Emilio, but holds off on pursuing it since she's not sure it's reciprocated.

* Played with in regard to Gwen Stacy of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan''. As portrayed in the comics, Gwen was more of an exotic flower whom Peter only met after he left Forest Hills and "went out into the world", i.e. Manhattan and college. She came from an upper-class background, her first boyfriend, Harry, was the son of a millionaire and in her first appearance she was introduced as a high-school beauty queen. However, as she became the Betty to Mary Jane's Veronica, she moved into this category. MJ herself became literally this Trope in the Ultimate universe, having lived next door to the Parkers since she was a little girl and, before their RelationshipUpgrade, was the geeky best friend of an equally-as-geeky Peter.
* Shellie from ''ComicBook/SinCity'' is sassy but meek enough to qualify.

* The titular character from ''Series/ICarly'', Carly Shay. Cute and feminine but not overtly sexual, Freddie's known her for a long time, and they have the ChildhoodFriendRomance and JustFriends thing going on. Carly is popular at school and with her webshow without being the AlphaBitch, and will rebel against authority if she perceives unfairness in the treatment of her friends. Carly does have enough aspects of the GenkiGirl to qualify her for that as well, but there AintNoRule that says she can't be [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot The Genki Girl Next Door]]. See TheChick and TomboyAndGirlyGirl.
%%* Joey from ''Series/DawsonsCreek'' is one of the more attractive examples
%%* Elena and Bonnie from ''Series/TheVampireDiaries''. Matt is a male version of this.
* Winnie Cooper from ''Series/TheWonderYears'' is a good tv example. Actress Danica [=McKellar=] is also a HotScientist.

* Amanda takes the {{Betty|AndVeronica}} position with Series/{{Kyle|XY}} who also has the wholesome traits to apply.
** Also Andy and Josh have a very easy time becoming boyfriend and girlfriend because they're each like a typical teenage boy.
* [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Unlucky Childhood Friend]] Chloe Sullivan and Lana Lang, who has an Unlucky Childhood Friend in Clark in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
%%* Sabrina and each of her friends from ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''
* Rory Gilmore from ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' is straight up while her mother Lorelai knows how to put an outfit together, host a fun party and is a role model to Rory making her a double subversion. Rory's first boyfriend Dean was the male version until he TookALevelInJerkass.

* Topanga from ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'' became this starting with season 2 ([[CharacterizationMarchesOn season 1 Topanga]] was a CloudCuckoolander GranolaGirl). She even has a ChildhoodFriendRomance "ordinary guy" male protagonist Cory.
%%* Haley James Scott from ''Series/OneTreeHill''.
* Maggie in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' is explicitly described as this, which attracted many guys to her. She eventually ends up with her literal [[ChildhoodFriendRomance boy next door]]. There's even a montage of them being shown at different ages, from when they first met as children to them growing old together.
%%* Mary Ann from ''Series/GilligansIsland''

* Donna Pinciotti in ''Series/That70sShow'' is an excellent example of the {{Tomboy}} version of the trope.
* From ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' there's Liberty, Emma, whose {{foil}} is the provocative Manny, and Terri whose {{foil}}s are queen bee Paige and top dog Ashley.

* Mary from ''Series/SeventhHeaven'' starts going out with a neighbor guy who she used to play basketball with. After she breaks up with him he says that playing a game together will help him feel more like they're friends again.

* Penny from ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''. She moves into the apartment across the hall in the first episode and that alone gave Leonard some hope that she might become interested in him. She is consistently portrayed as a fairly down-to-earth and friendly girl who helps fill in the gaps in the guys' social skills. Still, as she and Leonard start dating, it's made fairly clear that if they weren't neighbors he wouldn't have had much of a shot with her.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019''. Starlight is just a simple WideEyedIdealist farm girl from Iowa, and the Vought's PR department goes to great lengths to present Starlight as this trope for her brand. Her character arc is all about the struggle to maintain her values versus what her new life forces on her.
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E138BlackLeatherJackets Black Leather Jackets]]", Ellen Tillman is a nice, sweet girl who lives next door to the house that the aliens have rented. Scott soon falls in love with her.

* To some extent, Alyx from ''VideoGame/HalfLife2''. Only debatable thing is that when she was living in Black Mesa, she was only a baby. But then came the Combine occupation and she became a rather hot tomboy by the time Gordon returned two decades later. Since then, they've been together for most of the time.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':
** The series as a whole has a few, though they can be ''[[FanDumb HEAVILY]]'' disputed. Counting by appearance, there's [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Caeda/Sheeda]], [[TokenMiniMoe Lilina]], and Tana. Note that all three of these girls are ''royalty'' (more or less; Lycia's not a monarchy but Lilina's father is nevertheless the head of a country). Then again, the same is true of their love interests, so it's all relative.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', if Chrom doesn't have enough supports or love points with any of his prospect girlfriends before [[spoiler: Chapter 11]], he's slated to marry [[spoiler: and have Lucina with]] a girl from an Ylissean village, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep only known as]] [[NoNameGiven the Village Maiden]]. In her first and only appearance, she fits in here to a T: she's sweet, soft-spoken, and she and Chrom seem to be pretty HappilyMarried.

* Rachel from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' is set up as this, being a childhood friend and mother figure for Bam. [[spoiler: The fact that she ran away from their life together should have been a first good hint, but it is subverted when she tries to kill him out of jealousy and fear that he might stop her in her quest.]]

%%* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'', Rose, at start of the series, has a lot of this trait.

* For another male example, there's Gil Nexdor [[MeaningfulName (it's literally right in his name!)]] in relation to Susan and Mary Test in ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest''.
* Spoofed in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' in the episode "The Fan":
-->'''Sarah''': Or maybe I'm just the girl next door who's always been there for you, but you're too foolish to realize it's perfect for you.\\
'''Darwin''': But you don't live next door.\\
'''Sarah''': I can move.

%%* Sophie Prentice and Grella from [[Literature/{{Dragons}} The Last Dragon Chronicles]].

* Maggie (Marla Sokoloff) from the movie ''Film/WhateverItTakes''. She eventually ends up with her boy next door.

She will always be easy to talk to and usually a good listener. But she also tends to be [[BrutalHonesty frank with her opinions]] and expects the same in return. In a BettyAndVeronica duo, she's the "Betty". As such, her disposition ranges from [[OnlySaneMan even-tempered]] [[GenkiGirl to boisterous]].

Girls of this nature will often appear in {{Harem|Genre}}s, usually as the inevitably UnluckyChildhoodFriend of the protagonist, or the less flashy option in a LoveTriangle. In non-romantic stories, she'll either be {{best friend}}s with one of the others, or she may be the CoolBigSis.

She'll usually embody a "[[MadonnaWhoreComplex wholesome]]" sort of femininity and she's rarely the promiscuous sort, though she might play the {{foil}} [[BettyAndVeronica to a woman who is]]. Since her characterization is built on her accessible, down-to-earth personality, she's often cute but never to the point that her looks are her defining feature: she'll be the prettiest girl at church, the [[FanserviceWithASmile coffee shop's best-tipped waitress]], or the [[UnkemptBeauty uncombed but comely]] FarmersDaughter.

She will always be easy to talk to and usually a good listener. But she also tends to be [[BrutalHonesty frank with her opinions]] and expects the same in return. In a BettyAndVeronica duo, she's the "Betty". As such, her disposition ranges from [[OnlySaneMan even-tempered]] [[GenkiGirl to boisterous]], and if she attracts attention with her appearance, she usually doesn't exploit it.

* In VisualNovel/AoNoKanataFourRhythm, Hinata and Rika's bedrooms are right next door to each other, mere feet apart. As a Running Gag, Hinata keeps running into his new neighbor while she's changing clothes in her room. Queue the simultaneous screams.

The SpearCounterpart, Boy Next Door, is the same, only -- you know -- male. Often overlaps with OneOfTheBoys. Contrast with HeadTurningBeauty and PeerlessLoveInterest. Also compare TheAllAmericanBoy, who might well be her {{High School Sweetheart|s}}.

She'll usually embody a "[[MadonnaWhoreComplex wholesome]]" sort of femininity, so she's rarely the promiscuous sort, though she might act as a {{foil}} [[BettyAndVeronica to a woman who is]]. Since the trope is more about her accessible, down-to-earth personality, she doesn't have to be plain looking, but she's generally a small-town beauty: like the prettiest girl at church, the [[FanserviceWithASmile coffee shop's best-tipped waitress]], or the [[UnkemptBeauty uncombed but comely]] FarmersDaughter.

She will always be easy to talk to and usually a good listener. But she also tends to be [[BrutalHonesty frank with her opinions]] and expects the same in return. In a BettyAndVeronica duo, she's the "Betty". As such, her disposition ranges from [[OnlySaneMan even-tempered]] [[GenkiGirl to boisterous]], and if she's a looker, she usually doesn't flaunt it.

The SpearCounterpart, Boy Next Door, is the same, only--you know--male. Often overlaps with OneOfTheBoys. Contrast with HeadTurningBeauty and PeerlessLoveInterest. Also compare TheAllAmericanBoy, who might well be her {{High School Sweetheart|s}}.

* ''Series/TheBoys2019'':
** Starlight is just a simple WideEyedIdealist farm girl from Iowa. Her arc is all about the struggle to maintain her values versus what her new life forces on her.
** Vought's PR department goes to great lengths to present Starlight as this for her brand.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67ZAY0OCrH4&start_radio=1&list=RD67ZAY0OCrH4 "Living Next Door to Alice,"]] a song about UnrequitedLove sang first by Music/NewWorld, and popularized by ''{{Music/Smokie}}''. The song tells a story about the man who who was in love with his neighbor girl with whom he grew up as friends, and suddenly finds out from their mutual friend that she is moving all of the sudden and he never expressed his feelings. It is hinted, though, that he gets better thanks to the mutaul friend.....

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67ZAY0OCrH4&start_radio=1&list=RD67ZAY0OCrH4 "Living Next Door to Alice,"]] a song about UnrequitedLove sang first by Music/NewWorld, and popularized by ''{{Music/Smokie}}''. The song tells a story about the man who who was in love with his neighbor girl with whom he grew up as friends, and suddenly finds out from their mutual friend that she is moving all of the sudden and he never expressed his feelings.

The Girl Next Door is a StockCharacter (often as a potential LoveInterest for the male protagonist) who is open, approachable, and unassuming: the girl he thinks of as his best friend, his childhood pal, even just OneOfTheBoys.

* ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCadillacCats'': Riff-Raff's girlfriend, Cleo, is a humanoid feline with a blonde 80's hairdo, hourglass figure, and leg warmers. Yet, despite her looks and living [[UptownGirl in a music store]], she's dating an alley cat who's the leader of his own street gang and accepts Riff-Raff for [[CoolLoser who he is.]] Aside from wanting excitement now and then, she keeps her expectations simple. All she asks is that Riff-Raff stay faithful to her and treat her well, which ''he does''.

She will always be easy to talk to and usually a good listener. But she also tends to be [[BrutalHonesty frank with her opinions]] and expects the same in return. In a BettyAndVeronica duo, she's the "Betty". As such, her disposition ranges from [[OnlySaneMan even-tempered]] [[HotBlooded to boisterous]], and if she's a looker, she usually doesn't flaunt it. That isn't to say she wouldn't look good on a guy's arm, but she won't advertise that fact like MsFanservice will.

She'll usually embody a "[[MadonnaWhoreComplex wholesome]]" sort of femininity, so she's rarely the promiscuous sort, though she might act as a {{foil}} [[BettyAndVeronica to a woman who is]]. Since the trope is more about her accessible, down-to-earth personality, she doesn't have to be plain lookint, but she's generally a small-town beauty: like the prettiest girl at church, the [[FanserviceWithASmile coffee shop's best-tipped waitress]], or the [[UnkemptBeauty uncombed but comely]] FarmersDaughter.

The Girl Next Door is a StockCharacter (often as a potential LoveInterest for the male protagonist) who is open, approachable, unassuming, and nonthreatening: the girl he thinks of as his best friend, his childhood pal, even just OneOfTheBoys.

She'll usually embody a "[[MadonnaWhoreComplex wholesome]]" sort of femininity, and she's rarely the promiscuous sort, though she might act as a {{foil}} [[BettyAndVeronica to a woman who is]]. Since the trope is more about her accessible, down-to-earth personality, she doesn't have to be plain, but she's generally a small-time beauty: the prettiest girl at church, the [[FanserviceWithASmile coffee shop's best-tipped waitress]], or the [[UnkemptBeauty uncombed but comely]] FarmersDaughter.

* Faline comes off as this in ''[[Disney/{{Bambi}} Bambi II]]'', not being nearly as [[GenkiGirl hyperactive]] as she was as a fawn in the first film.

* Rachel from ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' is set up as this, being a childhood friend and mother figure for Baam. [[spoiler: The fact that she ran away from their life together should have been a first good hint, but it is subverted when she tries to kill him out of jealousy and fear that he might stop her in her quest.]]

* Like Buffy, WesternAnimation/KimPossible is a double subversion because she's insecure about boys, dating, and the social order, and has very few close friends; however, she's admired by her peers, involved in every school activity, and is an [[ActionGirl international kung-fu-fighting pro-bono action heroine]].
%%* For another male example, see [[MeaningfulName Gil Nexdor]] in relation to Susan and Mary Test in ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest''.

** The series as a whole has a few, though they can be ''[[FanDumb HEAVILY]]'' disputed. Counting by appearance, there's [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Caeda/Sheeda]], [[TokenMiniMoe Lilina]], and Tana. Note that all three of these girls are ''[[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses royalty]]'' (more or less; Lycia's not a monarchy but Lilina's father is nevertheless the head of a country). Then again, the same is true of their love interests, so it's all relative.