History Main / SecondLawOfGenderbending

** Iori is generally [[GenderBenderAngst very unhappy]] constantly being turned into a girl by Sylphie, but [[DownplayedTrope there's rare occasions]] where "Shiori" [[ThrowTheDogABone is pleased by it]]. Most obviously, after trying to stay a boy for swim class, Shiori enjoys free swimming with the girl when the boys' swim coach has a much harsher exercised routine planned.

Of the three laws of gender-bending, this one is the most prone to carrying UnfortunateImplications relating to transgender people. With increasing awareness that gender identity is strong and inherent for many people, writers are now expected to acknowledge that if a character prefers living as the other sex, they had some form of gender dysphoria already. In particular, the idea that ManIFeelLikeAWoman could be reason enough for a man to enjoy being female is discredited. Instead, being subject to a magic sex change may make a character [[LGBTAwakening realize they were already transgender]], or [[ComingOutStory come out of the closet]] if they were already aware (in which case the trope can have applicability as WishFulfillment). Alternatively, the character may be agender or [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity otherwise have little personal attachment to any gender and/or physical sex]], and enjoys changes that are entirely incidental.

** At the series' very end, [[spoiler:once Shirogane is able to reverse the transformation, Matsuri has decided they're actually ''more'' ready to date Suzu as a girl. Following that, they give a lot more consideration to their life as a girl, again bringing up their friendship with Yayo and Lu as a girl "became a big part of who I am". So Matsuri decides to stay a girl for ''at least'' their entire time in high school.]]

* The older T-Girls of ''Webcomic/JetDream'' all come to the first form of acceptance at varying rates. However, teen T-Girl Cookie Jarr was an awkward young lad transformed into [[AttractiveBentGender a knockout of a girl]]. She is quickly excited by the possibilities of being an extremely attractive and [[AnythingThatMoves enthusiastically bisexual]] girl, even voicing a desire to remain female instead of taking a hypothetical antidote to Virus-X. ([[TotallyRadical "It's the Love-In Generation, Harmony! And I was being Left-Out! But a chick can play with Jacks AND Jills! Double the Hills, Dig!"]])

** Matsuri barely minded living as a girl in the first place (his decision to still identify as male still makes "her" a pretty hefty {{Tomboy}}, though), and it directly lead to him [[GenderBenderFriendship repairing his friendship with Suzu, improving his social life]], and [[spoiler:[[LoveEpiphany realizing]] he was in love with Suzu]]. In a subversion, this doesn't make him like being a girl, and the last point ''intensified'' his GenderBenderAngst, as now Matsuri thinks he's missing out [[IncompatibleOrientation stuck as Suzu's "girl friend"]]. [[DramaticIrony He is not aware]] that Suzu [[IfItsYouItsOkay has seriously considered]] dating Matsuri even if he were to remain female, leaving obvious potential for a DoubleSubversion. [[spoiler:Except once Suzu reveals she's eager to hook up with girl Matsuri, Matsuri insists they can't date until he changes back on the [[HonorBeforeReason questionable logic]] that his girl self is "not the real him".]]\\
In another subversion, Matsuri one muses his GenderBenderFriendship with Lu and Yayo shows he's "better suited" to being a girl. After some prying from Suzu, he admits he still doesn't ''want'' to remain a girl, he's just afraid he'll lose two of his few friends if he doesn't. [[spoiler:Matsuri gets up the courage to tell them anyway--Yayo accepts him, while Lu doesn't believe him.]]
** At one point, Reo and Suzu [[DiscussedTrope wonder if Matsuri might eventually identify as female]], and discuss how that would [[TransRelationshipTroubles affect their feelings for him]]. Reo is completely undisturbed, not basing her attraction to Matsuri at all on gender. Suzu initially agrees, even if she clearly finds Matsuri more attractive a guy. But seeing Matsuri dressed up in a very feminine way--[[ClingyJealousGirl and]] Soga [[StupidSexyFlanders awestruck]] at the sight of him--makes Suzu think she has to change Matsuri back before that can happen. [[spoiler:Ironically, her concerns lead to Matsuri's abovementioned insistence that his "real self" is male, making Suzu realize [[ALessonLearnedTooWell she may have sabotaged herself]].]]

** Ellen states she doesn't suffer gender dysphoria and wouldn't want to be male (though there are hints that the LossOfIdentity associated with [[OppositeSexClone Opposite Sex]] CloningBlues was a sore point until she got a new set of memories).

* Common restriction in regards to those who seek sex reassignment surgery is to obtain a psychiatrist's approval (or ''several'' psychiatrists' approvals) following a lengthy evaluation period before the surgery can be performed. This is nominally intended as a means of enforcing this trope, making sure that the person is likely to be happy after the procedure, rather than come to regret it. In practice, this is often regarded as an institutional method to make them occur as little as possible. In an inversion of this trope, the difficulties in getting a sex change are a leading cause of suicide among trans people.

* Heavily downplayed in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Even though Ranma [[SexShifter can easily make himself male again whenever made female]], he still wants to make it so he'll be male full-time. That said, Ranma starts to bring his macho approach to acting girly and cute. Ranma's competitive streak is so hardwired that he even refuses to lose in a contest of femininity, which is a plot point in at least two stories. He also becomes increasingly willing to use his girl form's good looks to his advantage, either to manipulate and trick his enemies, or simply to acquire FavorsForTheSexy. The very last chapter of the manga addresses this in a comically mean-spirited fashion: Ranma discovers that he inadvertently flooded the Jusenkyo Springs whilst saving Akane's life from the arc's BigBad, and makes a noble speech about how he forgot all about changing back into a guy permanently and just wanted to save Akane... with Akane suggesting that he is, essentially, lying through his teeth and trying to sound like a stoic badass when in reality he's very upset.

* Pointedly averted in ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'': despite his life being much improved in several aspects, Ash still vehemently tries to go back to being a boy, even if it means that all the good things she achieved in the meantime disappear. Keeping a firm grasp of "his" male identity remains top priority over all else.

* Almost every playable character in ''Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme'' ends up feeling this way (the one exception is Stephenie/Stephan, who was also the first female to male transformation in the game- canonically, she goes back to being a woman after the end of her arc and is seen in both her male and female forms in subsequent arcs), and it's even pointed out by the characters responsible in certain paths. Good thing too, since [[FirstLawOfGenderBending the gender-flipping turns out to be irreversible]]. A cure is discovered eventually, but by that time none of the characters who were affected by the initial accident are interested in going back to being male.

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/TheWho song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4_eSW6D6sc I'm a Boy]]" subverts this trope; the narrator can't wait to resume his normal sex role.
[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', although he's only crossdressing and not actually a woman, Corporal Nobbs is reluctant to get back into his male uniform/role after he's spent half of the book wandering around Klatch as Beti.
** Gladys the golem from ''Literature/GoingPostal'' and ''Literature/MakingMoney''. Golems are technically genderless but are normally addressed with male pronouns [[ItIsDehumanizing as a courtesy]]. The golem responsible for cleaning the women's restroom was renamed Gladys and given female clothing to ensure propriety. Over the course of the books she starts adopting more and more female traits.

** Subverted in Chalker's ''The Four Lords of the Diamond'' series. In each of the books, the main character has his brain pattern imprinted on four prisoners, each being sent to a different planet in the Warden Diamond PenalColony. One of the bodies is that of a female. Fortunately for the protagonist, he is going to a planet that has the strange property of switching the minds of two people when they sleep with each other (in the literal sense). He jumps at the first opportunity to get himself back into a male body, and never looks back --even though this inevitably ''blows his cover''.

* Slightly subverted in ''Literature/TheWarlockOfStrathearn''. The main character turns himself into a woman because [[spoiler: he falls in love with a lesbian.]] This works out very well for awhile, and he enjoys many aspects of being a woman. Eventually, though, [[spoiler: after his lover dies, he begins to experience the not-so-good parts of being a woman, and begins to want to be a man again. However, his powers aren't working anymore, and he has to make a deal with someone to change him back into a man.]] He turns out to like different qualities of being either gender.

** [[spoiler: Also played straight with his mom (who took to her mode-locking to female with gusto) but subverted with his dad, who is very much a manly badass-type who does ''not'' take well to his gender-changing. He has come to enjoy it for sex, but he's always male apart from that.]]
* Subverted in ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'': Despite his life being much improved in several aspects, Ash still vehemently tries to go back to being a boy, even if it means that all the good things she achieved in the meantime disappear. Keeping a firm grasp of "his" male identity remains top priority over all else.

* ''Webcomic/OutOfPlacers'' has an ironic subversion: While Kass says she accepts her change (which came with an accompanying change of species) fairly quickly Matriarch Vislet believes Kass actually hasn't even ''begun'' to deal with it and her premature "acceptance" is just another way of ''avoiding'' dealing with it.

* ''Webcomic/TheWotch'' positively loves this trope, with four jocks-turned-cheerleaders (who later got a spinoff comic), a male teacher turned Asian girl student and an InnocentBystander-turned-PerkyFemaleMinion, amongst others. There's even a variation where a woman turned centaur decides she prefers that form as well.
** Special mention goes to a couple who keeps swapping bodies and gender as a RunningGag. The one person who has expressed an interest in trying the other gender again recreationally is the ''girl'', not the guy.

* In the Website/SCPFoundation, Agent Diogenes has had his/her gender changed so many times by magical artifacts that, in addition to a now very androgynous appearance, said Agent also is comfortable with the new gender identity they took, that identity being none. Diogenes refuses to pick either, state what the biological sex even is at this point and also refuses to alter things like hair or uniform to make a more masculine or feminine impression.

* In ''WesternAnimation/MaryShelleysFrankenhole'', Victor gives himself female genitalia but is extremely hesitant when Elizabeth tries to treat him to stereotypically feminine things. It's subverted slightly when he acts traditionally feminine to date Dracula, but that was only so he could [[GoldDigger screw him over.]]

Since the FirstLawOfGenderBending ensures that most of these characters are male-to-female, ManIFeelLikeAWoman is frequently a contributing reason for these characters' choice. Though it would take [[AllMenArePerverts a rather base view of human nature]] to assume this as someone's primary reason for wanting to keep his/her gender change permanent, many "adult" stories often do make use of the common pornographic cliche that sex is inherently more pleasurable for women even if their authors would rather point to more dignified reasons. Even in those works where the above is not the case, the law likely is as prominent as it is at the behest of the first, as from a [[WatsonianVersusDoylist Doylist]] perspective, there are not a lot of other ways of resolving the GenderBender situation that result in both a HappyEnding and don't violate the FirstLawOfGenderBending.

Often used as an EndingTrope since invoking the second law typically resolves the gender-bent character's FishOutOfWater status, though it may not eliminate all DifferentForGirls moments.

The one GenderBender plot that usually ''averts'' this law is when it occurs due to a FreakyFridayFlip, mostly because of the added complexity of changes besides gender.

Of the three laws of gender-bending, this one has become the most DiscreditedTrope. With growing awareness of UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} people, portraying gender identity changing along with physical sex is increasingly viewed as having UnfortunateImplications regarding gender dysphoria. Thus, it's become more prevalent for writers to justify such a reaction in pre-existing gender identity: Being in such a situation may make a character [[LGBTAwakening realize they were already transgender]], or [[ComingOutStory come out of the closet]] if they were already aware (in which case the trope can have applicability as WishFulfillment). Alternatively, the character had little personal attachment to any gender and/or physical sex, [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity may or may not have changed gender identity]], and enjoy changes that were only incidental to them.

* The ''[[NamesTheSame other]]'' transgender Megumi in ''Manga/TheDayOfRevolution'' goes the "reluctant admission" route when she's menaced by a boy and realizes that she finally knows how it truly feels to be a girl. Fortunately her new-found sense of femininity also empowers her to free herself with the ultimate female defence against male attackers: a GroinAttack so severe it practically paralyzes him.

* In the Wiki/SCPFoundation, Agent Diogenes has had his/her gender changed so many times by magical artifacts that, in addition to a now very androgynous appearance, said Agent also is comfortable with the new gender identity they took, that identity being none. Diogenes refuses to pick either, state what the biological sex even is at this point and also refuses to alter things like hair or uniform to make a more masculine or feminine impression.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

** The titular Asuka [[ZigZaggingTrope dances around this]] — he does enjoy a lot of the momentary benefits of being turned into a cute girl (especially since [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide he was already quite feminine to begin with]]), but just as often, this freaks him out as he ultimately really wants to be turned back into a guy, and he doesn't want to be tempted away from this goal.

* Mao of ''{{Manga/Maomarimo}}'' inverts the usual plot arc associated with this trope by accepting her involuntary GenderBender straight off as an act of faith in her village deity. The drama comes from the various ways her family, her best friend, and her village deal with her change. Her three older sisters exhibit the full range of reactions from simple acceptance to flat-out denial.

* Downplayed in ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'': Falling in love with Minato causes Homura's body to start becoming female. He initially [[GenderBenderAngst hates this so much]], he's willing to die from SuperpowerMeltdown after a failed attempt to kill the one responsible. After Minato saves him, Homura accepts his feelings for him and that his body will continue to change, though unlike most examples Homura's gender-identity ultimately remains the same as before.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film ]]
* Averted in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' porn parody ''Charly XXX''. The female {{Body Surf}}ing alien uses her powers to take over Captain Quirk and the starship Intercourse, but quickly discovers a drawback in that men get tired after BoldlyComing. She body-surfs back into a BridgeBunny so she can have more sex, enabling Quirk to take back his ship.
* In the Italian movie ''Film/LeComiche2'' a male individual accidentally undergoes an undesired breast augmentation first and a sexual reassignment surgery later. She becomes the favourite odalisque in a harem and reveals she is very happy about it.

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Played with in ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', where a male character disguises as a (female) whore. Due to male's GenderRarityValue, the whores in this world are women who disguise as men. He quite enjoys the ability to walk around without being noticed.
* From ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':

* In Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/ACivilCampaign'', Lady Donna Vorrutyer goes offworld for gender reassignment surgery so she can contest her vile cousin's ascension to her late brother's Countship. Lord Dono soon admits that while she primarily did it out of a sense of duty, he'd discovered there were some advantages to being a man (especially in Barrayar's highly sexist society) so even if he lost he would remain a man in order to explore them.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Mythology ]]

[[folder: TabletopGames]]

[[folder: Theatre]]
* PlayedWith in John Lyly's ''Gallathea.'' After presenting as males for the bulk of the play and falling in love, both Gallathea and Phillida are revealed to each other, and the rest of the characters at the end of the play. Still in love, Venus pities them and declares that one of the maidens (which one is not revealed) will become a man for real so that they can be together.

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Visual Novels]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Possibly Tiresias from Myth/GreekMythology, who spent seven years as a woman (and had children) after killing a mating female snake, then transformed back into a man after killing a male; at very least, one can assume he enjoyed sex better as a woman. Zeus and Hera called upon him to settle an argument over which gender enjoyed it more (as he alone had experienced it from both perspectives), and Tiresias claimed, "Of ten parts a man enjoys one only." (In other words, he was saying a woman enjoys it ten times as much.) By the by, that crack was what got him turned into a BlindSeer. (Specifically, Hera [[JerkassGods did not take the answer well]] and Zeus tried to make up for his wife's behavior by giving Tiresias magic powers.)

* This, but for species rather than gender, is essentially the 54th law of [[BalefulPolymorph 'Morphic Transformation]]. ([[http://doc.tf-media.net/Stories/Topaz172/99laws.html Yeah, there are a lot of them]].

* Heavily downplayed in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Even though Ranma [[SexShifter can easily make himself male again whenever made female]], he still wants to make it so he'll be male full-time. That said, Ranma starts to bring his macho approach to acting girly and cute. Ranma's competitive streak is so hardwired that he even refuses to lose in a contest of femininity, which is a plot point in at least two stories. He also becomes increasingly willing to use his girl form's good looks to his advantage, either to manipulate and trick his enemies, or simply to acquire FavorsForTheSexy. The very last chapter of the manga addresses this in a comically mean-spirited fashion: Ranma discovers that he inadvertently flooded the Jusenkyo Springs whilst saving Akane's life from the arc's BigBad, and makes a noble speech about how he forgot all about changing back into a guy permanently and just wanted to save Akane... with Akane suggesting that he is, essentially, lying through his teeth and trying to sound like a stoic badass when in reality he's very upset. This is then followed by the epilogue, where Ranma abandons Akane at their wedding to try and grab the Jusenkyo Water that can cure his curse before the other cursed men steal it; when Happosai drinks it, he joins them in trying to force the DirtyOldMan to vomit it back up so he can still use it. Meaning Ranma is willing to [[{{squick}} slather himself in vomit]] on the off-chance that it ''might'' cure his curse, which is hardly the attitude of someone who has accepted their SexShifter status.

* ''Manga/KashimashiGirlMeetsGirl'': Hazumu never expresses any desire to return to her former gender. Of course, the aliens announced from the get-go that she couldn't become a boy again even if she wanted to, but you'd think she'd have missed ''something'' about life as a boy, even if it was only the ability to write her name in the snow. However, since the gender change allows her to get together with the girl(''s'') of her dreams and her parents seem to prefer it she really doesn't have all that much to complain about. (It doesn't hurt that pre-change Hazumu was ''more girly'' than every other girl in the series and may even have been transgender without realizing it.)
* Heavily downplayed in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Even though Ranma [[SexShifter can easily make himself male again whenever made female]], he still wants to make it so he'll be male full-time. That said, Ranma starts to bring his macho approach to acting girly and cute. Ranma's competitive streak is so hardwired that he even refuses to lose in a contest of femininity, which is a plot point in at least two stories. He also becomes increasingly willing to use his girl form's good looks to his advantage, either to manipulate and trick his enemies, or simply to acquire FavorsForTheSexy. The very last chapter of the manga addresses this in a comically mean-spirited fashion: Ranma discovers that he inadvertently flooded the Jusenkyo Springs whilst saving Akane's life from the arc's BigBad, and makes a noble speech about how he forgot all about changing back into a guy permanently and just wanted to save Akane... with Akane suggesting that he is, essentially, lying through his teeth and trying to sound like a stoic badass when in reality he's very upset. This is then followed by the epilogue, where Ranma abandons Akane at their wedding to try and grab the Jusenkyo Water that can cure his curse before the other cursed men steal it; when Happosai drinks it, he joins them in trying to force the DirtyOldMan to vomit it back up so he can still use it. Meaning Ranma is willing to [[{{squick}} slather himself in vomit]] on the off-chance that it ''might'' cure his curse, which is hardly the attitude of someone who has accepted their SexShifter status.

* Downplayed in ''Manga/{{Sekirei}}'': Falling in love with Minato causes Homura's body to start becoming female. He initially [[GenderBenderAngst hates this so much]], he's willing to die from SuperpowerMeltdown after a failed attempt to kill the one responsible. After Minato saves him, Homura accepts his feelings for him and that his body will continue to change, though unlike most examples Homura's gender-identity ultimately remains the same as before.
* Mai Natsume of ''Manga/BlazblueRemixHeart'' was originally a boy, but got magically transformed into a girl right before the manga started. Mai was at first uncomfortable with her new gender and tried to find a way to change back, but later on she came to enjoy her life as a girl, [[GenderBenderFriendship especially her female friends]], and even fell in love with a male classmate. The manga ends with Mai fully accepting her change in life and seeing herself as a girl.
* Mao of ''{{Manga/Maomarimo}}'' inverts the usual plot arc associated with this trope by accepting her involuntary GenderBender straight off as an act of faith in her village deity. The drama comes from the various ways her family, her best friend, and her village deal with her change. Her three older sisters exhibit the full range of reactions from simple acceptance to flat-out denial.
* WholesomeCrossdresser Tao Nozomu from ''Manga/NozomuNozomi'' accepts that her GenderBender gives her ready access to the cuteness she craves but still hides her new gender for an entire year (gradually transforming into a SweetPollyOliver in the process) largely because she's not sure she won't change back and can't figure out how to break the news to her family and friends. Unlike most examples here Nozomu's GenderBender occurs in early puberty and he was barely past the point of noticing girls before he became one.

* In contrast to ''Kanojo Ni Naru Hi Another'' the {{ecchi}} manga ''Manga/NyotaiKa'' uses YouCantGoHomeAgain to offer a very "base view of human nature" take on this trope because Manaka finds sex is so much more pleasurable for women (soft sensitive skin! exquisitely delicate genitalia! multiple orgasms! boobies!) that he cannot accept the pale imitation of sexual pleasure that men experience.
* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'':
** Matsuri barely minded living as a girl in the first place (his decision to still identify as male still makes "her" a pretty hefty {{Tomboy}}, though), and it directly lead to him [[GenderBenderFriendship repairing his friendship with Suzu, improving his social life]], and [[spoiler:[[LoveEpiphany realizing]] he was in love with Suzu]]. In a subversion, this doesn't make him like being a girl, and the last point ''intensified'' his GenderBenderAngst, as now Matsuri thinks he's missing out [[IncompatibleOrientation stuck as Suzu's "girl friend"]]. [[DramaticIrony He is not aware]] that Suzu [[IfItsYouItsOkay has seriously considered]] dating Matsuri even if he were to remain female, leaving obvious potential for a DoubleSubversion. [[spoiler:Except once Suzu reveals she's eager to hook up with girl Matsuri, Matsuri insists they can't date until he changes back on the [[HonorBeforeReason questionable logic]] that his girl self is "not the real him".]]\\
In another subversion, Matsuri one muses his GenderBenderFriendship with Lu and Yayo shows he's "better suited" to being a girl. After some prying from Suzu, he admits he still doesn't ''want'' to remain a girl, he's just afraid he'll lose two of his few friends if he doesn't. [[spoiler:Matsuri gets up the courage to tell them anyway--Yayo accepts him, while Lu doesn't believe him.]]
** At one point, Reo and Suzu [[DiscussedTrope wonder if Matsuri might eventually identify as female]], and discuss how that would [[TransRelationshipTroubles affect their feelings for him]]. Reo is completely undisturbed, not basing her attraction to Matsuri at all on gender. Suzu initially agrees, even if she clearly finds Matsuri more attractive a guy. But seeing Matsuri dressed up in a very feminine way--[[ClingyJealousGirl and]] Soga [[StupidSexyFlanders awestruck]] at the sight of him--makes Suzu think she has to change Matsuri back before that can happen. [[spoiler:Ironically, her concerns lead to Matsuri's abovementioned insistence that his "real self" is male, making Suzu realize [[ALessonLearnedTooWell she may have sabotaged herself]].]]
* ''Manga/AsukaHybrid'':
** The titular Asuka [[ZigZaggingTrope dances around this]] — he does enjoy a lot of the momentary benefits of being turned into a cute girl (especially since [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide he was already quite feminine to begin with]]), but just as often, this freaks him out as he ultimately really wants to be turned back into a guy, and he doesn't want to be tempted away from this goal.
** Played straight with Akira. Even though him being turned from female to male was an accident, he's completely comfortable with staying as a guy because it make him more accepted as a martial artist, with his father wholeheartedly supporting his new son and getting him legally recognized as such. Unlike Asuka, who's searching for the sorceress who accidentally genderbent them in order to reverse the change, Akira's searching for her to make him ''even manlier.''

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11946465/1/Genderbent Genderbent]]'': A concoction of dust released by Nora causes some of the main ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' cast to change genders. By the end of the story, Ren, Nora, and Weiss choose to remain in their new bodies, even taking new names. Initially Jaune and Pyrrha decide to stay as a girl and boy respectively, though the final chapter revealed they turned back.

* Played with in ''Film/SomeLikeItHot.'' At first, Gerald doesn't like being Daphne. Dresses are too drafty, he can't hit on women, etc. Eventually, though, he enjoys being female immensely, to the point where the HoYay with Osgood is so great that Joe makes him say "I'm a boy," over and over. But hey -- ''Nobody's perfect.''
* ''Film/TheHotChick'': Though initially horrified, Clive uses Jessica's body to become a successful crook, and when Jessica tracks him down, [[spoiler: Jessica has to trick Clive into getting her body back]].
* In the Italian movie ''Film/LeComiche2'' a male individual accidentally undergoes an undesired breast augmentation first and a sexual reassignment surgery later. She becomes the favourite odalisque in a harem and reveals she is very happy about it.
* Averted in the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' porn parody ''Charly XXX''. The female {{Body Surf}}ing alien uses her powers to take over Captain Quirk and the starship Intercourse, but quickly discovers a drawback in that men get tired after BoldlyComing. She body-surfs back into a BridgeBunny so she can have more sex, enabling Quirk to take back his ship.

* As one might suspect from the title, the entire plot of Justin Lieber's ''Beyond Rejection'' revolves around getting an involuntary GenderBender to this point. Unlike other examples this is treated as a potentially deadly situation requiring intensive medical intervention to prevent dysphoria and death.
* Variation 2 shows up in Sean [=McMullan's=] ''Eyes of the Calculor'': John Glasken's distress at being reincarnated in the beautiful body of young Valesti Disore initially manifests in a lot of psychopathic behavior (such as amputating the hand of a man who dared to pinch her butt) but in the end she claims she finds being a woman (albeit one with a "baleful and malevolent" reputation) "rather liberating."
* In Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/ACivilCampaign'', Lady Donna Vorrutyer goes offworld for gender reassignment surgery so she can contest her vile cousin's ascension to her late brother's Countship. Lord Dono soon admits that while she primarily did it out of a sense of duty, he'd discovered there were some advantages to being a man (especially in Barrayar's highly sexist society) so even if he lost he would remain a man in order to explore them.

* From ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
** In ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', although he's only crossdressing and not actually a woman, Corporal Nobbs is reluctant to get back into his male uniform/role after he's spent half of the book wandering around Klatch as Beti.
** Gladys the golem from ''Literature/GoingPostal'' and ''Literature/MakingMoney''. Golems are technically genderless but are normally addressed with male pronouns [[ItIsDehumanizing as a courtesy]]. The golem responsible for cleaning the women's restroom was renamed Gladys and given female clothing to ensure propriety. Over the course of the books she starts adopting more and more female traits.
* Andrew Jackson Libby, a character from several of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's works, had his gender changed to female when he was resurrected, when it's discovered that he had both male and female sex chromosomes. He changes his name to Elizabeth Andrew Jackson Libby Long, and tells anyone and everyone that he's much happier as a woman.
* The ''Literature/LandOfOz'' books have Tip. ''Literature/TheMarvelousLandOfOz'' stars a boy named Tip who works for an evil witch named Mombi. Near the end, it's revealed that Tip is [[ReallyRoyaltyReveal actually the lost Princess Ozma]]. She was RaisedAsTheOppositeGender in order to prevent people from finding her. Tip is very against the idea of being turned into a girl and wants to stay a boy, but once he's transformed back into Ozma he shows no discomfort at being a girl. Ozma is completely content with being female and develops a PseudoRomanticFriendship with Dorothy.
* In ''Literature/PrincessHolyAura'', after Steve becomes acclimated to being a girl, Holly finds changing back into Steve gives her severe body dysphoria, so only does so at times of the most urgent need (such as explaining the whole thing to the other Maidens' parents, or [[spoiler:when she picks up a creepy male stalker on a walk home]]). She also takes great pains to explain to people that, though she started out as Steve, she now considers herself to ''be'' Holly in every way that matters. (This is at least in part to try to defang some of the creepiness inherent in a story concept that involves a 35-year-old man hanging out with a bunch of teenaged girls.)
** It nearly gives Holly a HeroicBSOD when [[spoiler:an adversary offers to let her go back to her old male self if she'll join his side, and]] she explicitly admits for the first time, even to herself, that she ''doesn't want to go back to being Steve.''

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/{{Misfile}}'': Despite his life being much improved in several aspects, Ash still vehemently tries to go back to being a boy, even if it means that all the good things she achieved in the meantime disappear. Keeping a firm grasp of "his" male identity remains top priority over all else.
* ''Webcomic/TheWotch'' positively loves this trope, with four jocks-turned-cheerleaders (who later got a spinoff comic), a male teacher turned Asian girl student and an InnocentBystander-turned-PerkyFemaleMinion, amongst others. There's even a variation where a woman turned centaur decides she prefers that form as well.
** Special mention goes to a couple who keeps swapping bodies and gender as a RunningGag. The one person who has expressed an interest in trying the other gender again recreationally is the ''girl'', not the guy.
* Played straight in ''Webcomic/{{Cheer}}'' (the aforementioned spinoff comic of ''Webcomic/TheWotch'') when Jo, the only one of the the transformed cheerleaders who knows she used to be a boy, freely admits that she and her friends were all troubled as boys and are all much happier as girls, though she still cries when she discovers that no one remembers her former male self's SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. The other three jocks-turned-cheerleaders have so far averted this trope, since they don't appear to remember the past.

* Variation 1 shows up in ''Webcomic/SailorSun'', though it seems less like grudging acceptance than flat-out surrender to hear Bay describe it. (Naturally, it's immediately followed by a SnapBack due to amnesia, proving the first law takes precedence.)
** This may also be a case of the author wanting to take the comic back to its original premise (at least for a while), and a possible jab at those who think Bay should remain a girl. 'Brad' is quickly seen to be a [[AllMenArePerverts perverted]] {{Jerkass}} though, so this could in fact be a TakeThat at ''both'' sides [[FridgeBrilliance to not think too much and take everything so seriously]], as evidenced by its WMG page.
* Mocked in one strip of ''Webcomic/MurryPurryFreshAndFurry''; the parody TF comic boils down to "Boys are hideous and live bleak, miserable lives; girls (and boys turned girls) are pretty and have perfect lives with no problems".
* The older T-Girls of ''Webcomic/JetDream'' all come to the first form of acceptance at varying rates. However, teen T-Girl Cookie Jarr was an awkward young lad transformed into [[AttractiveBentGender a knockout of a girl]]. She is quickly excited by the possibilities of being an extremely attractive and [[AnythingThatMoves enthusiastically bisexual]] girl, even voicing a desire to remain female instead of taking a hypothetical antidote to Virus-X. ([[TotallyRadical "It's the Love-In Generation, Harmony! And I was being Left-Out! But a chick can play with Jacks AND Jills! Double the Hills, Dig!"]])

* Played with a great deal in ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'', since there are a great deal of gender benders in it. It's all over the map, ranging from genuine gender dysphoria to total acceptance and everything in between.

* The emperor from ''Webcomic/BeyondTheVeil'' embraces this trope mere minutes after changing genders. It's implied issues with a new body were never a big concern and she takes her second-in-command as [[http://beyondtheveilcomic.com/?p=251 her new lover]] (having never found a worthy one as a man) before going back to trying to conquer the universe.

* The main characters in ''[[Literature/WhateleyUniverse Whateley Academy]]'' play this trope across the entire spectrum. It doesn't hurt that for most of them being turned female was a side effect to gaining the superpowers which make them some of the most attractive and powerful people ''on the planet.'' (It's also completely and utterly '''[[FirstLawOfGenderBending impossible]]''' for them to change back, period.) Still, the degree of acceptance tends to be directly contingent upon the degree to which each character was (knowingly or unknowingly) transgender in the first place.
* Pretty much the second staple of amateur GenderBender fiction after DifferentForGirls.
** Case in point: Website/{{Literotica}}. About the only stories that avoid this are the ones that use a male-to-female GenderBender for BreakTheHaughty, and even ''those'' sometimes go for a HappyEnding by way of this.
* There is a video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vErJFmUF7DM Geraldine]] where a young man is turned into a woman against his will in some unexplained way. After a decade of assimilating to the point of dating, becoming a famous model, and becoming the leader of France, the man turns back on his wedding day. He then ends up with his best (girl) friend instead.
* Artist [[http://kdingo.net/champ/pics/main.php Ian Samson]] does a lot of gender-bending work, much of which plays with this trope. Link of Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda succumbs to the Second Law a few times in his work, whether [[http://kdingo.net/champ/pics/main.php?g2_itemId=2001 becoming a fairy]] or [[http://kdingo.net/champ/pics/main.php?g2_itemId=5285 forced to stay in the form of a Gerudo.]]
* In the ''WebOriginal/{{Paradise}}'' setting, humans are randomly, permanently changed into {{Funny Animal}}s (with some experiencing a gender-change at the same time). A number of stories follow the journey of gender-changed characters as they come to accept and then enjoy their new (usually female) gender. Some stories take this a notch further into ThirdLawOfGenderBending territory.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* Heavily downplayed in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Even though Ranma [[SexShifter can easily make himself male again whenever made female]], he still wants to make it so he'll be male full-time, though he does stop complaining about it. That said, Ranma starts to bring his macho approach to acting girly and cute. As seen in his competition with Tsubasa, Ranma's competitive streak is so hardwired that he even refuses to lose in a contest of femininity. He also becomes increasingly willing to use his girl form's good looks to his advantage, either to manipulate and trick his enemies, or simply to acquire FavorsForTheSexy. The very last chapter of the manga addresses this in a comically mean-spirited fashion: Ranma realizes he'd forgotten about a cure entirely when trying to save Akane, and takes it as a sign he's fine with it... the next page, however, implies some level of resent over a cure seemingly being lost forever.

** It's touching in Vlad/Vladia's case. There's nothing kinky about her accepting the change. The transformation humanization, instead of just giving a GenderBender to their original monstrous form. For the first time in her whole life normal people aren't terrified by the sight of her, so she's willing to accept ''any'' form provided it's human, which her old, male form decidedly was not. And given that her one attempt to use her supposed shapeshifting powers was a painful, near-death experience she's not about to experiment even given the chance.

** Played straight with Akira. Even though him being turned from female to male was an accident, he's completely comfortable with staying as a guy because it make him more accepted as a martial artist. His father wholeheartedly supporting his new son and getting him legally recognized as such. Unlike Asuka, who's searching for the sorceress who accidentally genderbent them in order to reverse the change, Akira's searching for her to make him ''even manlier.''

Of the three laws of gender-bending, this one has become the most DiscreditedTrope. With growing awareness of UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} people, portraying gender identity changing along with physical sex is increasingly viewed as having UnfortunateImplications regarding gender dysphoria. Thus, it's become more prevalant for writers to justify such a reaction in pre-existing gender identity: Being in such a situation may make a character [[LGBTAwakening realize they were already transgender]], or [[ComingOutStory come out of the closet]] if they were already aware (in which case the trope can have applicability as WishFulfillment). Alternatively, the character had little personal attachment to any gender and/or physical sex, [[AmbiguousGenderIdentity may or may not have changed gender identity]], and enjoy changes that were only incidental to them.

* Heavily downplayed in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': Even though Ranma [[SexShifter can easily make himself male again whenever made female]], he still wants to make it so he'll be male full-time, though he does stop complaining about it. That said, Ranma starts to bring his macho approach to acting girly and cute. As seen in his competition with Tsubasa, Ranma's competitive streak is so hardwired that he even refuses to lose in a contest of femininity. He also becomes increasingly willing to use his girl form's good looks to his advantage, either to manipulate and trick his enemies, or simply to acquire FavorsForTheSexy. The very last chapter of the manga addresses this in a comically mean-spirited fashion: Ranma realizes he'd forgotten about a cure entirely when trying to save Akane, and takes it as a sign he's fine with it... which the next page implies could have just sour grapes over a cure seemingly being lost forever.

[[folder: Fan WOrks]]

[[folder: Fanfic]]
* In ''Harry Potter and the Mists of Avalon'', Harry is [[GenderBender turned into a girl]] by a potion gone wrong. Much later, an antidote to the potion is developed, but by then she has spent so much time as a girl that she chooses not to change back.
* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11946465/1/Genderbent Genderbent]]'', a concoction of dust released by Nora causes some of the main ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' cast to change genders. By the end of the story, Ren, Nora, and Weiss choose to remain in their new bodies, even taking new names. Initially Jaune and Pyrrha decide to stay as a girl and boy respectively, though the final chapter revealed they turned back.

** Since Sylphie [[FirstLawOfGenderBending wants Shiori to stay a girl]], she'll sometimes [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope to argue Iori should stop resisting. She astoundingly unconvincing, especially when she [[ShipperOnDeck thinks Shiori should hook up with]] [[JumpingTheGenderBarrier her male friend Shuichi]]. [[spoiler:Seraphie has an [[BlueAndOrangeMorality even more deranged view]]: that it's fine to [[{{Gaslighting}} trick]] or [[FakeMemories force]] Shiori into believing she was ''always'' a girl because she'll be "happy" with it that way.]]