History Main / OverAndUnderTheTop

Over and Under the Top can refer to:

In a deliberate modification of having an EconomyCast, a series will sometimes have two characters who clearly share a given value ''X'' for a particular trait.

The 'Over' is the fanciful depiction who never has to worry about being [[RefugeInAudacity over the top]]. The character can be a [[FanService guilty pleasure]], the comedic version, or to show the writers are self-aware about a topic without becoming a full parody. His proximity to others makes them immediately more subtle and can make TheReveal in other characters more credible when he acts as a red herring. He is allowed to be campy. Whenever the 'Over' does X thing, we know [[PlayedForLaughs not to take it seriously]].

'Under' is the semi-moderate to normal version of ''X'', for a given value of normal. He is needed when the writers want to do a "serious" plot that requires X trait. Him being more moderate means he has more potential for the audience to identify with him and makes him easier to [[{{Fanon}} project]] [[FanWank whatever traits]] the audience wants. His possession of X trait is also useful as it usually prevents the audience from accusing writers of outright making fun of X trait. When the Under does X trait, we know it's a ''[[PlayedForDrama dramatic]]'' X.

For example, if your main character is TheCasanova instead of the traditional HollywoodDateless NiceGuy, giving him a downright LovableSexManiac friend makes it easier to paint the lead in a good light. Sure, he's dating a different woman every week and breaking up for [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup stupid reasons]], but he's a lot more thoughtful towards them -- and less successful with them -- than that ''other'' guy.

If a show [[{{Dramedy}} attempts both the comedic and dramatic]], this sometimes occurs in a ''single'' character, leading to the sort of person who [[TheGlomp gleefully jumps on the object of their affection]] while needing an entire story arc to consider [[FirstKiss mundanely kissing them]].

Naturally, this all depends on the audience being smart enough to spot it; if not, one can get {{Misaimed Fandom}}s, loud complaints, and worse.

See also ExaggeratedTrope and DownplayedTrope. Compare {{Foil}}, when character contrast is created by making one character the complete ''opposite'' of another in terms of the relevant trait.

If the "Over" character is introduced later, this is ReplacementFlatCharacter.

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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' uses this as a way of handwaving the appearance of a {{Harem}}. We dismiss Ayaka's apparent love for Negi as being "serious" because she goes about it in a loud, hilarious, melodramatic way. We accept Nodoka's as genuine because she does it in a subdued, shy, honest way.
%%* Ryuichi from ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'' is a good example of the "one-character" variety.
* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess''. Affection for Keiichi being the ''[[Manga/{{X 1999}} X]]'' value, with Peorth (and others) being the "over" and Belldandy the "under".
* Sasahara from ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'' is an {{otaku}}, but he tries to keep some aspects (such as the sexual fetishization of manga characters) on the DL. As the focus character, he has to be at least somewhat relatable, so his otaku-ness is, at least at the start, overshadowed by the other members of the Genshiken, especially Madarame. For his part, Madarame is introverted and socially awkward, but functional enough to form several deep friendships. Kuchiki, on the other hand, is [[AmbiguousDisorder so socially dysfunctional]] that it occasionally borders on criminal, and his presence in the club is merely tolerated, and then only because Sasahara feels sorry enough for him to vouch for him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/RunFatboyRun'', main character Dennis is a lazy, unmotivated ManChild who [[MyGreatestFailure left his pregnant fiancée at the altar]] out of panic. Her new American [[RomanticFalseLead fiancé]] is successful, attentive, and everything Dennis wasn't, at the expense of being TheComicallySerious with a slight competitive streak. In order to save Dennis from looking like an irredeemable loser, his best friend Gordon is a huge exaggeration of all his negative qualities, as well as being addicted to [[TheAlcoholic alcohol]] and [[TheGamblingAddict gambling]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/WillAndGrace'' - Jack and Will are Over and Under examples of CampGay, respectively. ("Over" and "Under," not "[[{{Seme}} Top]]" and "[[{{Uke}} Bottom]]". Get your mind out of the gutter.) The fact that people actually refer to Will as StraightGay shows you just how effective this trope can be.
* Dharma's parents from ''Series/DharmaAndGreg'' are both aging hippies, but Abby is a [[CloserToEarth sensible]], friendly hippie while Larry is a raving ConspiracyTheorist whose drug experimentation left him rather worse for wear.
* ''Series/TopGear'':
** The dynamic of Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (both over) and James May (under) in their brashness and love of automotive power and speed. Clarkson or Hammond driving fast is everyday stuff. When "Captain Slow" drives fast, [[BewareTheSillyOnes it's serious]].
** In the car-modifying challenges, Clarkson is over - his approach can be summed up as "[[TimTaylorTechnology more power]]" and "hit it with a hammer", May is under - considered and technical, and Hammond is somewhere between the two.
* On ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', Leonard is the straight man in his group of nerds, written to be normal enough to be relatable to the average person. Sheldon is written to be ridiculously over the top, hyper-intelligent but [[AmbiguousDisorder completely unable to comprehend normal society]].
* The whole cast of ''Series/{{Coupling}}'' is designed this way. Steve and Susan are the everyman Unders, whose relationship is charted over the course of the show. They each get a friend of the same gender who is completely Over when it comes to [[ReallyGetsAround dating confidence and promiscuity]] (Patrick and Jane; [[LoveDodecahedron also Susan & Steve's respective exes]]), and another who is completely Over when it comes to neuroses and hang-ups ([[CovertPervert Jeff]] and [[OldMaid Sally]]).
-->'''Steve''': Let me explain, Patrick. Here on Earth, there is a gap between seeing someone you like and having sex with them that we like to call "conversation". In Jeff's case, it can last for up to ten years.
* On ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Diane was originally the only character who was well-educated and interested in "high" culture, and was generally used as an over-the-top caricature of pretension: if she wasn't insisting the other characters abandon their "low" pursuits for something more sophisticated, she was excessively analyzing the philosophical, psychological, historical, cultural, or literary implications of every minor event. However, Season 3 introduced Frasier, who shared Diane's interests and background but in a much more understated way. He was still prone to being verbose and analytical but was never as mono-maniacal about it as Diane could be, and usually engaged the other characters in actual conversations, rather than monologuing as Diane was prone to do.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Excellen Browning]] from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars OriginalGeneration'' is another two-for-one example. She's usually a HardDrinkingPartyGirl who speaks of the PowerOfLove and has apparently chosen TheStoic Kyosuke Nanbu at random as the recipient of her overexaggerated affections. In spite of this, the two have some of the most genuinely tender moments in the entire series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'', Annie is the "over" and Ben the "under" version of TheRoleplayer.
[[/folder]]
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For example, if your main character is TheCasanova instead of the traditional HollywoodDateless NiceGuy, giving him a downright LovableSexManiac friend makes it easier to paint the lead in a good light. Sure, he's dating a different woman every week and breaking up for [[ManHands stupid reasons]], but he's a lot more thoughtful towards them -- and less successful with them -- than that ''other'' guy.

* Ryuichi from ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'' is a good example of the "one-character" variety.

** The dynamic of Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (both over) and James May (under) in their brashness and love of automotive power and speed. Clarkson or Hammond driving fast is everyday stuff. When "Captain Slow" drives fast, it's serious.
** In the car-modifying challenges, Clarkson is over - his approach can be summed up as "more power" and "hit it with a hammer", May is under - considered and technical, and Hammond is somewhere between the two.

* ''[[Manga/MahouSenseiNegima Negima!]]'' uses this as a way of handwaving the appearance of a {{Harem}}. We dismiss Ayaka's apparent love for Negi as being "serious" because she goes about it in a loud, hilarious, melodramatic way. We accept Nodoka's as genuine because she does it in a subdued, shy, honest way.

* ''Manga/AhMyGoddess''. Affection for Keiichi being the ''[[Manga/{{X1999}} X]]'' value, with Peorth (and others) being the "over" and Belldandy the "under".

[[folder:Web Comics]]

The 'Over' is the fanciful depiction who never has to worry about being [[RefugeInAudacity over the top]]. The character can be a [[FanService guilty pleasure]], the comedic version, or to show the writers are self-aware about a topic without becoming a full parody. His proximity to others makes them immediately more subtle, and can make TheReveal in other characters more credible when he acts as a red herring. He is allowed to be campy. Whenever the 'Over' does X thing, we know [[PlayedForLaughs not to take it seriously]].

* Sasahara from ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'' is an {{otaku}}, but he tries to keep some aspects (such as the sexual fetishization of manga characters) on the DL. As the focus character, he has to be at least somewhat relateable, so his otaku-ness is, at least at the start, overshadowed by the other members of the Genshiken, especially Madarame. For his part, Madarame is introverted and socially awkward, but functional enough to form several deep friendships. Kuchiki, on the other hand, is [[AmbiguousDisorder so socially dysfunctional]] that it occasionally borders on criminal, and his presence in the club is merely tolerated, and then only because Sasahara feels sorry enough for him to vouch for him.

* On ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Diane was originally the only character who was well-educated and interested in "high" culture, and was generally used as an over-the-top caricature of pretension: if she wasn't insisting the other characters abandon their "low" pursuits for something more sophisticated, she was excessively analyzing the philosophical, psychological, historical, cultural, or literary implications of every minor event. However, Season 3 introduced Frasier, who shared Diane's interests and background, but in a much more understated way. He was still prone to being verbose and analytical, but was never as mono-maniacal about it as Diane could be, and usually engaged the other characters in actual conversations, rather than monologuing as Diane was prone to do.

For example, if your main character is TheCasanova instead of the traditional HollywoodDateless NiceGuy, giving him a downright LoveableSexManiac friend makes it easier to paint the lead in a good light. Sure, he's dating a different woman every week and breaking up for [[ManHands stupid reasons]], but he's a lot more thoughtful towards them -- and less successful with them -- than that ''other'' guy.

* On ''Series/TopGear'', the dynamic of Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (both over) and James May (under) in their brashness and love of automotive power and speed. Clarkson or Hammond driving fast is everyday stuff. When "Captain Slow" drives fast, it's serious.

* The whole cast of ''Series/{{Coupling}}'' is designed this way. Steve and Susan are the everyman Unders, whose relationship is charted over the course of the show. They each get a friend of the same gender who is completely Over when it comes to [[ReallyGetsAround dating confidence and promiscuity]] (Patrick and Jane; [[LoveDodecahedron also Susan & Steve's respective exes]]), and another who is completely Over when it comes to neuroses and hang-ups ([[Covert Pervert]] Jeff and [[OldMaid Sally).

See also ExaggeratedTrope and DownplayedTrope.

For example, giving a sitcom character a LoveableSexManiac friend makes it easier to paint the lead as a HollywoodDateless NiceGuy. Sure, he's dating a different woman every week and breaking up for [[ManHands stupid reasons]], but he's a lot more thoughtful & romantic towards them -- and less successful with them -- than that ''other'' guy. And if the other guy [[LadykillerInLove ever gets as soppy over a woman]] as his friend is every week, you know OOCIsSeriousBusiness.

* ''Film/RunFatboyRun'' provides a good example. Main character Dennis is a lazy, unmotivated ManChild who [[MyGreatestFailure left his pregnant fiancée at the altar]] out of panic. Her new American [[RomanticFalseLead fiancé]] is successful, attentive, and everything Dennis wasn't, at the expense of being TheComicallySerious with a slight competitive streak. In order to save Dennis from looking like an irredeemable loser, his best friend Gordon is a huge exaggeration of all his negative qualities, as well as being addicted to [[TheAlcoholic alcohol]] and [[TheGamblingAddict gambling]].

* The whole cast of ''Series/{{Coupling}}'' is designed this way. Steve and Susan are the everyman Unders, whose relationship is charted over the course of the show. They each get a friend of the same gender who is completely Over when it comes to dating confidence and promiscuity (Patrick and Jane), and another who is completely Over when it comes to neuroses and hang-ups (Jeff and Sally).

* [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Excellen Browning]] from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars OriginalGeneration'' is another two-for-one example. She's usually a HardDrinkingPartyGirl who speaks of the PowerOfLove and has apparently chosen TheStoic {{Badass}} Kyosuke Nanbu at random as the recipient of her overexaggerated affections. In spite of this, the two have some of the most genuinely tender moments in the entire series.

If a show attempts both the comedic and dramatic, this sometimes occurs in a ''single'' character, leading to the sort of person who [[TheGlomp gleefully jumps on the object of their affection]] while needing an entire story arc to consider [[FirstKiss mundanely kissing them]].

* ''RunFatboyRun'' provides a good example. Main character Dennis is a lazy, unmotivated ManChild who [[MyGreatestFailure left his pregnant fiancée at the altar]] out of panic. Her new American [[RomanticFalseLead fiancé]] is successful, attentive, and everything Dennis wasn't, at the expense of being TheComicallySerious with a slight competitive streak. In order to save Dennis from looking like an irredeemable loser, his best friend Gordon is a huge exaggeration of all his negative qualities, as well as being addicted to [[TheAlcoholic alcohol]] and [[TheGamblingAddict gambling]].

* ''WillAndGrace'' - Jack and Will are Over and Under examples of CampGay, respectively. ("Over" and "Under," not "[[{{Seme}} Top]]" and "[[{{Uke}} Bottom]]". Get your mind out of the gutter.) The fact that people actually refer to Will as StraightGay shows you just how effective this trope can be.

* On ''TopGear'', the dynamic of Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond (both over) and James May (under) in their brashness and love of automotive power and speed. Clarkson or Hammond driving fast is everyday stuff. When "Captain Slow" drives fast, it's serious.

* On ''TheBigBangTheory'', Leonard is the straight man in his group of nerds, written to be normal enough to be relatable to the average person. Sheldon is written to be ridiculously over the top, hyper-intelligent but [[AmbiguousDisorder completely unable to comprehend normal society]].

* On ''{{Cheers}}'', Diane was originally the only character who was well-educated and interested in "high" culture, and was generally used as an over-the-top caricature of pretension: if she wasn't insisting the other characters abandon their "low" pursuits for something more sophisticated, she was excessively analyzing the philosophical, psychological, historical, cultural, or literary implications of every minor event. However, Season 3 introduced Frasier, who shared Diane's interests and background, but in a much more understated way. He was still prone to being verbose and analytical, but was never as mono-maniacal about it as Diane could be, and usually engaged the other characters in actual conversations, rather than monologuing as Diane was prone to do.

If the "Over" charactor is introduced later, this is ReplacementFlatCharacter.

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' - One great (and rather extreme) example would be the portrayal of relationships. For the 'under', you've got Marshall & Lilly: engaged, dated for 15+ years, love each other very much. Then for the 'over' you've got Barney, who almost never sleeps with the same girl twice (often abandoning them), picks up hundreds of girls at bars using the most insane lines, believes that every aspect of his life is AWESOME. Then throw the DoggedNiceGuy Ted as a main character in the middle of this. The fifth character, Robin, falls somewhere between Ted and Barney, a serial monogamist who is wary of marriage and children.

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* Ryuichi from ''{{Manga/Gravitation}}'' is a good example of the "one-character" variety.

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* In ''DarthsAndDroids'', Annie is the "over" and Ben the "under" version of TheRoleplayer.

* Ryuichi from ''{{Gravitation}}'' is a good example of the "one-character" variety.

* Sasahara from ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'' is an {{otaku}}, but he tries to keep some aspects (such as the sexual fetishization of manga characters) on the DL. As the focus character, he has to be at least somewhat relateable, so his otaku-ness is, at least at the start, overshadowed by the other members of the Genshiken, especially Madarame. For his part, Madarame is introverted and socially awkward, but functional enough to form several deep friendships. Kuchiki, on the other hand, is so socially dysfunctional that it occasionally borders on criminal, and his presence in the club is merely tolerated, and then only because Sasahara feels sorry enough for him to vouch for him.

* Sasahara from ''{{Genshiken}}'' is an {{otaku}}, or at least a closet case. As the focus character, he has to be at least somewhat relateable, so his otaku-ness is, at least at the start, overshadowed by the other members of the Genshiken, especially Madarame.

* Dharma's parents from ''DharmaAndGreg'' are both aging hippies, but Abby is a [[CloserToEarth sensible]], friendly hippie while Larry is a raving ConspiracyTheorist whose drug experimentation left him rather worse for wear.

In a deliberate modification of having an EconomyCast, a series will sometimes have two characters who clearly share a given value ''X'' for a particular trait.

[[AC:{{Anime}} & {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:WebComics]]

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* [[SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Excellen Browning]] from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars OriginalGeneration'' is another two-for-one example. She's usually a HardDrinkingPartyGirl who speaks of the PowerOfLove and has apparently chosen TheStoic {{Badass}} Kyosuke Nanbu at random as the recipient of her overexaggerated affections. In spite of this, the two have some of the most genuinely tender moments in the entire series.

* ''WillAndGrace'' - Jack and Will are Over and Under examples of CampGay, respectively. (I said "Over" and "Under," not "[[{{Seme}} Top]]" and "[[{{Uke}} Bottom]]". Get your mind out of the gutter.) The fact that people actually refer to Will as StraightGay shows you just how effective this trope can be...