History Main / ShowerOfAngst

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* In ''Roleplay/DeptHeavenApocrypha'', this is [[spoiler:Meria]]'s first reaction to having been cheated on by [[spoiler:Seth]] the day after they first slept together. (Given the character, her breakdown [[FromBadToWorse picked]] [[DrowningMySorrows up]] [[RevengeBeforeReason speed]] quickly, but...) The example is a little unusual in that we never actually ''see'' her in the shower -- it's just mentioned by another character that she's been crying in there for hours.
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* ''Fanfic/MutantStorm'': After Harry kills for the first time (Lucius and Bellatrix), including one person with his bare hands, he spends about an hour sitting in a shower making washing motions with his hands...

* Two "Regretting the Past" episodes on ''WebVideo/RockedReviews'' had the albums in question driving Luke to do this.

Men are not in the least exempt from this trope, since every shower scene is also a ShirtlessScene. The male variant often features a hunky male leaning towards the wall, with the running water falling on his back.

Of course, when it comes to {{fanservice}}, these showers of angst are solid gold (and no, not ''that'' kind of shower). You can't argue with the titillation provided by seeing a hot-bodied person nude, soaking wet, and [[TheWoobie in desperate need of support]] (though in most cases of Shower of Angst, the person showering will be so distraught or depressed that he or she will shower with clothes on, resulting in a SexySoakedShirt scene). However, in some cases, [[FanDisservice this can border on creepy]], such as when a woman takes a shower of angst after being physically or [[RapeAsDrama sexually abused]] (or is [[BathSuicide suicidal and trying to kill herself by slashing her wrists and letting the running water bleed her dry]]). That particular version of the trope is common in soap operas, most serious movies, and cable dramas.

* ''Webcomic/{{Clarissa|Yungbluth}}'' has the grade-schooler treat her baths like this, [[ParentalIncest and for good reason]].

** Also from Channel Awesome is WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob's meltdown halfway through his synopsis of ''Sadomania'' when he discovers the attractive warden is played by a {{transgender}} woman. Cue shower scene and frantic phone call to his girlfriend:

* In ''Fanfic/TotalDramaComeback,'' Tyler wakes up from a FlashbackNightmare and immediately takes a shower, both because he's covered in sweat and to try and calm himself down.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'': In Peter Parker's flashback to his past as Spider-Man, along with his {{Unreliable Exposit|or}}ion, he notably mentions after his divorce with Mary Jane, "I handled it like a champ." Then we see Peter curled up and crying in the shower while still wearing his Spider-Man costume.

Naturally, the first thing the woman wants to do is go home and take a nice, long, hot shower. This is not surprising; many people find the best way to relax after a hard day is to take that shower, put on fluffy pajamas and just let it all go. [[KillItWithWater Water is also an archetypal purifier in general]], capable of symbolically washing away sins or past events -- though that doesn't mean it'll ''work''.

* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': After [[spoiler:getting kissed by Shinji]] Asuka feels confused, frightened and needed, so she decides to have a shower in order to trying to clear her mind.

* ''Manga/Evangelion303'' has ''many'', the first of them happening in the ''second'' chapter. Usually Asuka takes one when she gets distraught, upset or angry (and she often feels like that in this story).

-->All in all, this entire process had become less of a morning shower to her then a morning ritual. Not in the least because she had increasingly needed the hot, soothing water to wash away the dark shades that haunted her sleep… even if she would never admit it to anyone. Least of all herself.

* Done twice with [[{{Webcomic/Homestuck}} Gamzee]] in {{Fanfic/Hivefled}}, first in Reprise after the first time he is raped by the Grand Highblood, and has to clean himself up alone while wishing his friends were there, and later in Hivefled proper when the trolls are on the ship.

* Parodied in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' where Tristan is washing him self up in a lake, he's muttering "Must... wash... away... the sin..."

* Music/ImagineDragons frontman Dan Reynolds seems to have a DeliberatelyMonochrome one in the "Roots" music video, submerging himself in a bathtub while {{singing| in the shower}} about how he needs to reconnect with his past, and reflecting on childhood memories and his explorations of remote New Zealand locations. The memories (including some taken from home movies) play in full-color, as does Dan's rise out of the tub at the end of the video.

** Earlier, Stanley's friends shove him under a shower spray fully clothed in an attempt to sober him up after he got drunk, subsequently lost his self control and hit Stella.

** Also from Channel Awesome is WebVideo/TheCinemaSnob's meltdown halfway through his synopsis of ''Sadomania'' when he discovers the attractive warden is played by a {{transgender}} woman. Cue shower scene and frantic phone-call to his girlfriend:

** WebVideo/MikeJ also does this after waking up from a dream sequence which ends with him [[spoiler: kissing Film Brain]].

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail:

* ''FanFic/CodeWings30'': After a strong nightmare, Cassidy goes into a shower to try and calm herself.
* ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': This fanwebcomic has ''many'', the first of them happening in the ''second'' chapter. Usually [[{{Tsundere}} Asuka]] takes one when she gets distraught, upset or angry (and [[BrokenBird she]] [[BrokenAce often]] [[BreakTheHaughty feels]] [[DespairEventHorizon like that]] in this story).

* In the Music/WeirdAlYankovic song, “Couch Potato”, Al notes how he needed a long shower after watching ''Fear Factor''.

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': [[http://whateleyacademy.net/index.php/original-timeline/234-spring-and-a-young-squirrel-s-fancy After an incident]] in which her [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway squirrel-related]] mating instincts nearly got the better of her, Aquerna flees for refuge in the showers in Dickenson Cottage. Because [[ThereAreNoTherapists there]] ''[[ThereAreNoTherapists are]]'' [[ThereAreNoTherapists therapists]] at Whateley, her house mother quickly gets her out of there for a trip to a school counselor.

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': After an incident in which her squirrel-related mating instincts nearly got the better of her, Aquerna flees for refuge in the showers in Dickenson Cottage. Because [[ThereAreNoTherapists there]] ''[[ThereAreNoTherapists are]]'' [[ThereAreNoTherapists therapists]] at Whateley, her house mother quickly gets her out of there for a trip to a school counselor.

* In the Music/WeirdAlYankovic song, “Couch Potato”, Al notes how he needed a long shower after watching Fear Factor.

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* PlayedForLaughs in [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=128 this]] ''Webcomic/VGCats'' strip.
* Same in [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?id=78 these]] two [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?id=80 pages]] of ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}''. [[spoiler:It ends… um… [[ShowerOfLove happily]].]]

* ''Webcomic/{{Clarissa}}'' has the grade-schooler treat her baths like this, [[ParentalIncest and for good reason]].

[[caption-width-right:330:[[Theatre/{{Macbeth}} Will all great Neptune's ocean]] [[TheseHandsHaveKilled wash this blood clean from my hand?]]]]

* Same in [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=78 these]] two [[http://www.fanboys-online.com/index.php?comic=80 pages]] of ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}''. [[spoiler:It ends… um… [[ShowerOfLove happily]].]]

* Happens in a ''PvP'' strip concluding a storyline about Brent becoming a gamer after wearing Skulls "Fez Of Power". After escaping the influence of the Fez, Brent finds out that during his brief delusional state, he (a hardcore Mac fanboy) ordered a Windows-based gaming PC. Cue Brent crying hysterically in the shower.

[[caption-width-right:330:[[TheseHandsHaveKilled Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?]]]]