History Main / PaperCutting

* A variant in ''VideoGame/{{Danganronpa 2}}'': near the end of the first "execution" cutscene, where [[BigBad Monokuma]] demonstrates his power by [[spoiler: gunning down Monomi]], a single ricochet leaves a cut on protagonist Hajime Hinata's cheek in exactly this fashion, underscoring just how real the stakes are.

* In ''SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version three, Maxie Dasai gets hit in the face [[AnnoyingArrows by an arrow]] and comes away with a minor wound across her cheek, somehow managing to avoid any serious harm. (By luck, rather than skill, the archer, Renee Valenti, had been ''trying'' to kill Maxie).

* If the character who receives a papercut flinches or stops dead in his or her tracks, chances are the attack was a mere warning shot by the true {{Badass}} to make the recipient stop whatever he or she was going to do.

* Happens quite a lot in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''

The act of making a very fine incision upon someone with an attack that cannot even remotely believably do such a thing, usually incorporating elements of ImplausibleFencingPowers or ImprobableAimingSkills. Though paper cutting is usually just the leading cause for the third item of StandardBleedingSpots, used to maintain tension in a long battle or uphold realism when HitPoints are in play, it can also effectively drive home a point about the character on either end of the attack:

* In one of the ''AttackOnTitan'' OVA's, Eren's group gets attacked by bandits. He fights back against a guy with a gun, and the others try to escape. The gun fires, just grazing Jean's cheek, causing him to freeze in shock over how close the bullet was to killing him.
* Though ''DragonBallZ'' has paper cutting occur on innumerable occasions, it is mostly of the cookie-cutter StandardBleedingSpots variety. One memorable subversion: When Super Saiyan 3 Goku tosses a provocative little Ki ball past Super Buu, the audience expects a paper cut - but instead the tiny ball rips a horrible gash on Super Buu's face, revealing all manner of alien anatomy. Gross.

* Happens quite often in ''OnePiece''.

* If the character who receives a papercut does not flinch or generally carries on with his business, it is a very good indication of his or her badassery.
* But if he does flinch or stop dead on his tracks, chances are the attack was a mere warning shot by the true BadAss to make you stop whatever you were going to do.

Paper cutting is done with equal yet ever improbable frequency with both actual bladed weapons such as swords and knives, as well as bullets and magic projectiles. Never mind what properties have been attributed to the latter and that a bullet passing right by the skin would more likely burn and bruise it than cut it with surgical precision.

* In ''SamuraiChamploo'', after being deprived of his sword, Mugen is still able to provide a very fine cut across an opponent's cheek with a roundhouse kick. He's just that badass.

* In ''[[Manga/RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', during their first battle, Ryoga strikes at Ranma with an open-handed punch, which results in a PaperCutting wound on Ranma's cheek. This indicates both Ryoga's incredible strength (especially considering he missed Ranma with the strike in question) and Ranma's badassery, since he didn't seem to think much of it and proceeded to soundly thump Ryoga.

* During the non-canon Christian Arc of ''RurouniKenshin'', Sanosuke learns a martial arts move that allows him to paper cut an opponent if his punches miss within a small margin.
* In ''FushigiYuugi'', during the fight between Tasuki and Tamahome, Tasuki stabs at Tamahome with a relatively [[PaperFanOfDoom blunt instrument]]. Tamahome's face is completely unscathed, but as he turns away, the very thin headband he was wearing splits apart.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' does this occasionally. The most straightforward example is probably the training exercise where Asuna does this to Evangeline using ''a PaperFanOfDoom''. Eva is [[strike:not happy]] disturbingly blissed-out by this, and [[DisproportionateRetribution encases Asuna in a block of ice as a response.]]

* A variant in ''VideoGame/Danganronpa2'': near the end of the first "execution" cutscene, where [[BigBad Monokuma]] demonstrates his power by [[spoiler: gunning down Monomi]], a single ricochet leaves a cut on protagonist Hajime Hinata's cheek in exactly this fashion, underscoring just how real the stakes are.

* Happens quite a lot in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar''

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/TotalDramaIsland Total Drama]]'' story, ''Fanfic/{{Legacy}}'' has a subversion. The chainsaw psycho tries to inflict a minor wound and might well have succeeded, but he is [[NiceJobBreakingItHero interrupted at precisely the wrong moment]] and so inflicts a serious wound instead, more or less by accident.

* The season 1 FinalBattle from ''SengokuBasara'' has Nobunaga inflict a shallow cut on Yukimura's cheek... with his [[BadassCape cape]].

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'' Scarlet and Knightwalker does this to themselves and it becomes a plot point later.
* When Haru and Lucia finally throw down in Manga/RaveMaster, this is the first bit of damage done to Lucia.

* Played with in ''FinalFantasyIX'', where the papercut effect is not deliberate from the point of the attacker, but rather to emphasize powerful magical defenses of the target. The great dragon Bahamut fires his breath weapon at Kuja, just one, normal-sized, [[DudeLooksLikeALady not very manly]] wizard who should by all accounts be [[SquishyWizard squishy]]. A whole war fleet is firing cannons at the same guy. The results? Ow, a paper cut.

* Played with in ''FinalFantasyIX'', where the papercut effect is not deliberate from the point of the attacker, but rather to emphasize powerful magical defenses of the target. The great dragon Bahamut fires his breath weapon at Kuja, just one, normal-sized, [[DudeLooksLikeALady not very manly]] man. A whole war fleet is firing cannons at the same guy. The results? Ow, a paper cut.

* Played with in FinalFantasyIX, where the papercut effect is not deliberate from the point of the attacker, but rather to emphasize powerful magical defenses of the target. The great dragon Bahamut fires his breath weapon at Kuja, just one, normal-sized, [[DudeLooksLikeALady not very manly]] man. A whole war fleet is firing cannons at the same guy. The results? Ow, a paper cut.

* The intro to the boss Vamp in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2''.
* Kato does this to Yuri as a warning halfway through ''ShadowHearts: Covenant''. Yuri ignores it, but the rest of the party talks him down.