History Main / MermaidArcEmergence

* After Westernanimation/{{Mulan}} jumps into the lake, she resurfaces throws her hair in an arc, droplets flying everywhere. Though unlike many cases of the trope, she's just happy doing it.

* ''VideoGame/DaveTheDiver'': GadgeteerGenius Duff can build and upgrade weapons, and one ForgingScene shows him jumping in a pool to test the gun he has just enhanced. He emerges triumphantly with this move. Of course, he has comically little in common with a graceful mermaid: Duff is a fat, sweaty, conventionally unattractive {{Otaku}}.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'', as a throwback to the movie, Ariel does this towards the end of "T'ank You for That Ariel". Notably, this is only time Ariel strikes this pose as a mermaid instead of a human.

* It is occasionally used in parodies of works like ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', sometimes with a twist, like the hair not moving as intended or someone using something that ''isn't'' their hair (like a beard) or making fun of the {{Fanservice}} aspects of this pose by having it be done by a conventionally unattractive character.

* If it's an older character doing this, it can make an excellent SexySurfacingShot, often for women but it has been used for other genders as well. Due to the way it's executed, it makes the face visible, the hair looks dynamic, [[BuxomisBetter pushes out the chest and rear]], and can even show off a character's legs depending on how far out of the water they are. It helps that the general body language of this [[note]] [[DoesThisRemindYouofAnything character caught in an explosion of liquid, soaking wet, spine bent back, head and hair thrown back, eyes shut, gasping for breath]] [[/note]] can ''heavily'' invoke a stereotypical [[TheImmodestOrgasm Immodest Orgasm]] in an elegant and tasteful way as the character in question isn't doing anything that's actually sexual in nature. Occasionally, depending on [[BarelyThereSwimwear how much clothing]] ([[SkinnyDipping or lack of]]) a character is wearing, CensorShadow will be used, which makes the shot invoke something akin to a SexySilhouette. May also be combined with the attention-grabbing aspects to create an InUniverse DistractedByTheSexy moment. Common in scenes involving a WaterfallShower and/or SkinnyDipping.

* If it's an older character doing this, it can make an excellent SexySurfacingShot, often for women but it has been used for other genders as well. Due to the way it's executed, it makes the face visible, the hair looks dynamic, [[BuxomisBetter pushes out the chest and rear]], [[ShesGotLegs and can even show off a character's legs depending on how far out of the water they are]]. It helps that the general body language of this [[note]] [[DoesThisRemindYouofAnything character caught in an explosion of liquid, soaking wet, spine bent back, head and hair thrown back, eyes shut, gasping for breath]] [[/note]] can ''heavily'' invoke a stereotypical [[TheImmodestOrgasm Immodest Orgasm]] in an elegant and tasteful way as the character in question isn't doing anything that's actually sexual in nature. Occasionally, depending on [[BarelyThereSwimwear how much clothing]] ([[SkinnyDipping or lack of]]) a character is wearing, CensorShadow will be used, which makes the shot invoke something akin to a SexySilhouette. May also be combined with the attention-grabbing aspects to create an InUniverse DistractedByTheSexy moment. Common in scenes involving a WaterfallShower and/or SkinnyDipping.

A character who was underwater (usually a woman with [[RapunzelHair long hair]]) emerging in a massive splash, bending their spine and throwing their head back in a way that makes all to almost all of their hair flip backward and fling some water droplets from the splash over themselves in an arc, occasionally having their eyes shut and mouth hanging open.

[[quoteright:320:[[WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ariel_hair_flip.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:320:[[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ariel's]] splashing to the surface with style.]]

* If it's an older character doing this, it can make an excellent SexySurfacingShot , often for women but it has been used for other genders as well. Due to the way it's executed, it makes the face visible, the hair looks dynamic, [[BuxomisBetter pushes out the chest and rear]], [[ShesGotLegs and can even show off a character's legs depending on how far out of the water they are]]. It helps that the general body language of this [[note]] [[DoesThisRemindYouofAnything character caught in an explosion of liquid, soaking wet, spine bent back, head and hair thrown back, eyes shut, gasping for breath]] [[/note]] can ''heavily'' invoke a stereotypical [[TheImmodestOrgasm Immodest Orgasm]] in an elegant and tasteful way as the character in question isn't doing anything that's actually sexual in nature. Occasionally, depending on [[BarelyThereSwimwear how much clothing]] ([[SkinnyDipping or lack of]]) a character is wearing, CensorShadow will be used, which makes the shot invoke something akin to a SexySilhouette. May also be combined with the attention-grabbing aspects to create an InUniverse DistractedByTheSexy moment. Common in scenes involving a WaterfallShower and/or SkinnyDipping.

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* The [[TropeCodifier most famous example of all]] occurs in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Little Mermaid|1989}}'', where a human Ariel emerges from the sea and desperately gasps for air after almost drowning in Ursula's lair. Alongside Ariel as a mermaid singing "Part of Your World" on a rock with waves crashing behind her, this is arguably Princess Ariel's [[SignatureScene most iconic moment.]]

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'' episode "Fill Bill". Bill, a hefty older man, learns a lesson about not needing to change who he is to fit in, has his merman tail turn back into legs, then swims to the surface and throws his head back in a direct ShoutOut to the transformation scene from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''. He then [[MatchCut wakes up in a diner]] and gags on a mouthful of drool, in a further parody of a CatapultNightmare (which the dream isn't, but it's there).
* In the ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' episode "Ocean Commotion", while the family is at the beach, Dee Dee swims in the ocean, wearing a bathing suit that looks like a mermaid tail. At one point, she swims to the surface and throws her head back as a direct ShoutOut to ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989''.

* Or most mundane of all, [[RuleOfFun the character might just be striking this pose for fun, showing how much they're enjoying the water.]]

* If it's an older character doing this, it can make an excellent {{Fanservice}} pose, often for women but it has been used for other genders as well. Due to the way it's executed, it makes the face visible, the hair looks dynamic, [[BuxomisBetter pushes out the chest and rear]], [[ShesGotLegs and can even show off a character's legs depending on how far out of the water they are]]. It helps that the general body language of this [[note]] [[DoesThisRemindYouofAnything character caught in an explosion of liquid, soaking wet spine bent back, head and hair thrown back, eyes shut, gasping for breath]] [[/note]] can ''heavily'' invoke a stereotypical [[TheImmodestOrgasm Immodest Orgasm]] in an elegant and tasteful way as the character in question isn't doing anything that's actually sexual in nature. Occasionally, depending on [[BarelyThereSwimwear how much clothing]] ([[SkinnyDipping or lack of]]) a character is wearing, CensorShadow will be used, which makes the shot invoke something akin to a SexySilhouette. May also be combined with the attention-grabbing aspects to create an InUniverse DistractedByTheSexy moment. Common in scenes involving a WaterfallShower and/or SkinnyDipping.

* After ''Westernanimation/{{Mulan}}'' jumps into the lake, she resurfaces throws her hair in an arc, droplets flying everywhere. Though unlike many cases of the trope, she's just happy doing it.

[[caption-width-right:320:Splashing to the surface with style.]]