History Main / TheMasochismTango

* Taken very literally in ''WesternAnimation/IceAge3DawnOfTheDinosaurs'', where the squirrel couple fight over [[MacGuffin the acorn]] while a tango plays in the background.

* ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'': [[AmazonianBeauty Natsu]] and her ''sometimes boyfriend'', [[TheNapoleon Shoma]], bicker so often that it's a wonder to the fans and their friend, Roberto, why they don't simply cut their losses and see other people. Their shouting matches have even led to physical altercations, at times, with Roberto being stuck in the middle [[OnlySaneMan trying to act as the voice of reason.]] But he's just as likely [[VisibleSigh to sigh]] and let 'em get it out of their system.

* Invoked by the {{Yandere}} StalkerWithACrush Yubel in ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', who sees this as the only true expression of love. After a decade of physical and mental torture, they genuinely cannot distinguish between joy/pleasure and pain/sorrow, and are thus convinced that every single bit of suffering they cause for their obsession Judai -- and every bit reciprocated from him in kind -- are simply their way of sharing love.

In fictional relationships, there's a gray area between a DestructiveRomance, a FriendlyWar and RomanticizedAbuse. Sometimes the writers make it hard for the audience to figure out [[AmbiguousSituation if the relationship is even supposed to be a good thing or not]]. Sometimes the writers [[ShrugOfGod don't even know the answer themselves]], and sometimes this question isn't even meant to have an answer--the characters are there for the audience to laugh at, and that's all there is to it.

For the platonic version, see WithFriendsLikeThese or VitriolicBestBuds.[[note]]In comparison, VitriolicBestBuds is closer to this trope, while WithFriendsLikeThese is more comparable to DestructiveRomance.[[/note]] For a milder version, see SlapSlapKiss, BelligerentSexualTension, and NoAccountingForTaste. If the characters ''aren't'' at each other's throats, but their relationship feels contrived and artificial nonetheless, they've been StrangledByTheRedString. Compare AllTakeAndNoGive. If the sadism and the masochism part in the coupling is off balance, also compare LoveMartyr. PlayedForDrama, it can easily become DestructiveRomance. If the characters are married, is also falls under AwfulWeddedLife.

* Yoh and Anna from ''Manga/ShamanKing''. Though at least Anna shows her love regularly by running at heel to Yoh's help.
** Eventually subverted. They become decidedly more openly relaxed with each other during the American half of the tournament, regularly spending time together, saving each other and even hints of affection when no one but Amidamaru was around (who of course respectfully looked away, blushing). Yoh seems less frightened of Anna, implying that she was particularly strict before to prepare him for the tournament, which is probably a huge reason for his survival. [[spoiler: The reveal that Yoh fell in love first and earned Anna's love by accepting her as she was, and the implication that they slept together before Yoh left Japan first probably helps.]] Either way, as their relationship is expanded upon, we see that this isn't really the case.

* Shinji and Asuka from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Both love each other, but they are not exactly mentally sound (both are afraid of getting hurt by other people, but Asuka pushes them away as Shinji runs from them), and their relationship is not healthy: Asuka is a fiercely competitive young woman who teases Shinji in what she considers flirting, while Shinji is a reclusive, socially inept introvert who doesn't respond well to her flirtations, either acting as an ExtremeDoormat till she's placated or lashing back at her on occasion, leading Asuka to be even angrier, more insecure and more depressed. The two's BelligerentSexualTension paired with their inability to discuss their feelings for one another results in one of the most disturbing, squick filled, and generally infamous cases of DudeShesLikeInAComa in television history.

* An interpretation of [[ManChild Chiaki]] and [[{{Yandere}} Hatori's]] relationship in ''Manga/SekaiIchiHatsukoi'' given that every single episode/chapter concerning them starts with them having a nasty fight due to either Chiaki being [[InnocentlyInsensitive insensitive]] or Hatori [[CrazyJealousGuy being possessive.]] At the end of each episode, while they do end up reconciling, it doesn't change the fact there is a lot of yelling involved before they come to a compromise...and this relationship ends up hurting the third wheel Yanase given he's pulled into their fights every single time. [[spoiler: It gets to the point where [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Yanase]] finally [[BreaktheCutie breaks]] [[HeroicBSOD down]] [[CryCute crying]] for Chiaki pulling on his heart strings.]] And let's not mention the novel where the interpretation of their relationship crosses between this and DomesticAbuse.

* ''ComicBook/AntMan'' and ''ComicBook/TheWasp'' or Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, were this to a tee, long before the notorious issues where Hank slapped Janet, leading to the end of their marriage. Janet was far younger than Hank and was a DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest who resembled his first wife, Dr. Maria Trovaya. Personality wise, Janet was an extroverted socialite interested in fashion and invested in being a public superhero. She was often playful and flirty with her fellow male team-mates and insensitive to Hank. Hank was introverted and insecure, preferred staying in the laboratory and rarely communicated openly to her. This in part led to his breakdown as a "bad-boy" Yellowjacket. Janet [[QuestionableConsent consented]] to marry him in this state knowing that he was normally too shy to do it despite both of them wanting to. While Janet believed she was helping Hank, he would backbite and hurt her emotionally during their marriage until the incident when he slapped her led her to call it quits.

* ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': Shinji went through this in chapters 11 and 12. [[spoiler:After waking up from her several-month-long coma]] Asuka blamed herself for [[spoiler:the failure of the mission, the destruction of the aircraft and her best friend's death,]] saw herself like a pathetic failure and was permanently angry at herself and everybody. For several months she treated Shinji with silence and utter disdain or hitting him and insulting him cruelly. Shinji did not know how helping her but he would not dump her either because [[LivingEmotionalCrutch he had become too co-dependent to live without her]]. Finally, Shinji managed to help her and she got better slowly, but she felt so guilty for her atrocious behaviour that she [[spoiler:ran away.]] When he found her and [[spoiler:proposed her]] Asuka could not believe it and she asked him: "You're in love with a woman who [[spoiler: tried to kill herself -- and take you with her]]? What's wrong with you?"
* ''Fanfic/ScarTissue'': Shinji and Asuka's relationship became self-destructive between [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Third Impact]] and the beginning of the fic. Asuka had become so paranoid, angry and unstable that she constantly abused Shinji physically and emotionally. Shinji never tried to stop her because he thought that he deserved it after his own awful behaviour (never being there for her, leaving her alone after her MindRape, [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbate over her naked breasts]] [[DudeShesLikeInAComa when she was in a coma]], doing nothing as she was butchered and eaten alive, trying to kill her...). At the same time, Asuka felt guilty and repulsed with herself every time that she mistreated him. As a result of it, their bodies were quickly deteriorating until the beginning of the fic, when Asuka determined never hitting him again and they started to rebuild their relationship.

* In the ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' book ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', Shasta [[spoiler:aka Prince Cor]] and Aravis spend most of the book arguing and making up. At the end of the story, it's mentioned that they get married so they can argue and make up more efficiently. "Efficiently" should in this case be read as "by having lots of sex". Of note here: at no point does one character abuse the other physically or emotionally. However the relationship still feels forced, because they also didn't do anything resembling flirting. Also, Aravis is the only (human) woman in the story.

** In Season 12, Nathan & Jennifer fought the entire race rather than mend their broken relationship, which is why they came on the show on the first place.

** Sam and Diane on many occasions. They do genuinely love one another, but Diane is extremely put off by Sam's less sophisticated tastes, and has a tendency to overreact to anything, while Sam is often hurt by Diane's jabs at his intelligence. Toward the end of season 2, he notes he's started being nasty to Diane just to hurt her, even though he doesn't like doing it. Their break-up drives him back to alcohol, and Diane to a mental institution. Several times from then on, they're told the relationship is unhealthy and will bring them misery, but they (mostly Diane) [[IRejectYourReality refuse to hear it]] and keep on trying to make it work. [[spoiler:It doesn't.]]

* ''Series/DeviousMaids'': Evelyn and Adrian Powel often berate, insult and scheme against one another. They despise each other deeply, but they also love each other. It is a very complicated relationship. The trope is referenced almost directly:

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Doctor and [[spoiler: River Song]]. In between constantly snarking at each other, constantly lying to each other in order to prevent paradox and her punching/slapping him in the face a few times over, she also [[spoiler: repeatedly tries to kill him because she was raised to be his assassin]]. And then, when she ''has'' to [[spoiler:kill him because it's a fixed point in time and not doing so would rip the universe apart, she adamantly refuses because she thinks she loves him too much. Their relationship only gets more complicated from that point on.]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': The incestuous, decades long affair-slash-defacto-marriage between Queen Cersei and Ser Jaime Lannister. They're both prideful, volatile people, and when paired with the stress caused by secrecy, you end up with a mild version of the the Masochism Tango from the beginning, which then gets dialed up. Like in the books, Jaime ''does'' slowly begin to drift apart from his sister, but--unlike in the books--he still remains committed to her for far longer, despite recognizing her flaws. Eventually, [[spoiler:at the end of Season 7, upon seeing that Cersei has no intention of helping out in FinalBattle when GondorCallsForAid, Jaime finally has enough and leaves Cersei to go help. During that time he tries to [[OnTheRebound rebound]] with his friend Brienne, but that serves as the catalyst to him realizing that he wants to be with Cersei anyway. He goes back to [[KnowWhenToFoldEm convince her to surrender, thus saving her life]]. He fails to get to her in time for, and they [[TogetherInDeath die in each other's arms]].]]

* ''Series/ICarly'': The Sam/Freddie pairing. Once they get together, the next episode is about them ''constantly'' fighting, to the point where Carly tells them they need to sort out their problems or they should break up. The next episode says they only fought ''three times'' that day, and that Sam still [[DomesticAbuse hits Freddie]], just [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale not in the face]]. They then get into a massive almost break up moment when Sam is revealed to have sabotaged an admission paper that could have helped him get into any college he wanted. They still stay together through both episodes.

* ''Series/TheKidsInTheHall'': There's a sketch where a couple is being very loud in a restaurant with their arguing. Mark's character complains to them and he gets punched in the face by the guy, only to get up and see that the couple has forgotten about him and begun making-out passionately.

* Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy have been the OfficialCouple of ''Franchise/TheMuppets'' for a quarter century, however, in that time, there have been a fair bit more instances of them bickering than getting along. Piggy's affections towards Kermit usually go unreturned, and they can both be quite abusive towards each other (Kermit verbally, Piggy physically).

* ''Series/TheOfficeUS'' plays this for laughs with Ryan and Kelly. They are absolutely terrible for each other and share nothing in common, except for the fact that they are both narcissistic, vain, shallow, manipulative, immature, self-obsessed and selfish drama addicts. They make each other miserable whenever they're actually in a relationship, but whenever they break up and one seems to be taking an interest in another person, the other will pull out all the stops to sabotage any other relationship and ensure that they get back together.

* [[https://youtu.be/dP8xqlXziU0 The Ballad Of Tom Jones]], Music/{{Space}}'s duet with Cerys Matthews, veers between an extreme version of this trope and SlapSlapKiss. The couple in the song are constantly at each other's throats, to the point where the woman tries to kill the man by driving him off a cliff. The only thing that stops the couple killing each other is -- you've guessed it -- the sound of the music of Tom Jones.

* Music/TomWaits' ''Music/TheHeartOfSaturdayNight'': "Semi Suite" and "Please Call Me Baby" are both about relationships were the couples argue a lot, but just keep coming back to each other.

* The main premise and the backstory of the Japanese card game "Gachinko" concerns the battle between a married couple who are also martial artists. Mariko (the wife) and Mario (the husband) aren't in a good mood, and fight each other physically over trivial matters.

* ''Theatre/ThrillMe'': Nathan and Richard have this sort of relationship -- at first glance it looks [[LoveMartyr one-sided]], with Richard stringing Nathan along and dropping him on a whim, but we have a few moments where Richard's mask slips and we can see he feels basically the same way about Nathan. Not that that's actually any healthier.

* ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'': [[AmazonianBeauty Natsu]] and her ''sometimes boyfriend'', [[TheNapoleon Shoma]], bicker so often that it's a wonder to the fans and their friend, Roberto, why they don't simply cut their losses and see other people. Their shouting matches have even lead to physical altercations, at times, with Roberto being stuck in the middle [[OnlySaneMan trying to act as the voice of reason.]] But he's just as likely [[VisibleSigh to sigh]] and let 'em get it out of their system.

** Kismesissitude is also the ''only'' quadrant that [[EldritchAbomination cherubs]] experience, as all evil cherubs are destructive, evil tyrants that attempt to rip universes apart, while good cherubs are kind, shy protectors who naturally hunt them in order to stop their destruction by mating with them. These attitudes begin development in childhood, when each cherub body consists of a "good" half and a "bad" half that each vie for "predomination" of the body; predomination is ''supposed'' to be completed at the beginning of adulthood, and the good half usually spend a long time in isolation in order to come to understand the need to procreate, while the bad halves, fueled by the earlier conflict with their sibling, begin destroying planets and life. When they are ready, each cherub couple usually mates ''around a black hole,'' and though the ritual itself is of such extreme violence that one or both mates die, the "victor" gains territory, however briefly, while the "loser" is forced to bear the offspring. [[MisterSeahorse So if the loser is male...]]

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': This might be part of the reason why Lois stayed with Peter more than a few months, let alone the two decades of marriage. The time travel episode has Peter ditch her repeatedly thanks to a ResetButton, and every time she seems annoyed but unsurprised.
* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'' gives us the April Fool's tango between Arnold and Helga... '''solely fueled BY REVENGE'''. She might love the guy, and he might think she's more than what she appears, but that moment is nothing but rage and spite (despite what most fans think). Of course, the whole thing is a set up for Helga to fool Arnold, but Arnold finds out about it and decides to out-wit her.

* Invoked by the {{Yandere}} StalkerWithACrush Yubel in ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', who sees this as the only true expression of love. After a decade of physical and mental torture, it genuinely cannot distinguish between joy/pleasure and pain/sorrow, and is thus convinced that every single bit of suffering it causes for its obsession Judai -- and every bit reciprocated from him in kind -- are simply their way of sharing love.

JustForFun/NotToBeConfusedWith RealLife [[CasualKink masochism]]. Or, for that matter, [[SinisterTangoMusic real tango]]. Or a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TytGOeiW0aE combination of the two]]. Then again, some ''works'' [[AbuseMistake don't really make a distinction between masochism and being a victim of abuse]]...

* Invoked by the {{Yandere}} StalkerWithACrush Yubel in ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', who sees this as the only true expression of love. After a decade of physical and mental torture, it cannot distinguish between joy/pleasure and pain/sorrow, and is thus convinced that every single bit of suffering it causes for its obsession Judai -- and every bit reciprocated from him in kind -- are simply their way of sharing love.

'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do\\

* [[PracticallyJoker Junko Enoshima]] and her sister Mukuro are shown to have this relationship in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''. While their relationship is familial rather than romantic [[IncestSubtext (for the most part)]], Mukuro acts more like a battered spouse than a sibling as she's completely dependent on her due to her sisterly affection having been [[TheCorrupter twisted into unquestioning loyalty by Junko's manipulation]]. Their very first interaction in the show is Mukuro casually responding to Junko's verbal barbs [[DissonantSerenity while blocking her attempts to kill her with an ice pick and a grenade]].

* [[PracticallyJoker Junko Enoshima]] and her sister Mukuro are shown to have this relationship in ''Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool''. While their relationship is familial rather than romantic, Mukuro acts more like a battered spouse than a sibling as she's completely dependent on her due to her sisterly affection having been [[TheCorrupter twisted into unquestioning loyalty by Junko's manipulation]]. Their very first interaction in the show is Mukuro casually responding to Junko's verbal barbs [[DissonantSerenity while blocking her attempts to kill her with an ice pick and a grenade]].

* In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioStrikers'' and ''VideoGame/MarioStrikersCharged'' Wario doesn't howl in pain when electrocuted. He sounds as if he enjoys it.

* Yubel in ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' sees this as the only true expression of love; it cannot distinguish between joy/pleasure and pain/sorrow, and [[LoveMartyr convinces itself]] that every single bit of suffering it causes its obsession Judai -- and every bit reciprocated from him in kind -- are simply their way of sharing each other's love.

* For the Echani in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', repeated duels constitute both courtship and foreplay. When asked, HK-47 says to the exile "Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope... Love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds."

* The Morrigan and Baphomet dance around this relationship in ''Comicbook/TheWickedAndTheDivine''. While they do truly love each other, they've been dysfunctional and furious with each other for [[YourCheatingHeart one reason]] [[MortalityPhobia or another]] since their introductions, [[spoiler: and as of issue 28, they've been veering into some [[DestructiveRomance other]] [[DomesticAbuse tropes]].]]

* The main premise and the backstory of the Japanese card game "Gachinko" concerns the battle between a married couple who are also martial artists. Marikonote (the wife) and Marionote (the husband) aren't in a good mood, and fight each other physically over trivial matters.

* This might not actually count, but for the Echani in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicII'', repeated duels constitute both courtship and foreplay.
** When asked HK-47 says to the exile "Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope... Love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds."

* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' Fanon and Kaguya/Mokou Shippers often display Kaguya and Mokou in The Masochism Tango since Kaguya and Mokou have been trying to constantly kill each other for years and years. It doesn't work because of their Immortality. This Fan comic displays this interpretation [[http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/486273/absurdres-comic-fujiwara_no_mokou-highres-houraisa rather well]] (Warning: Ads are NSFW)

* In the ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' book ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', Shasta [[spoiler:aka Prince Cor]] and Aravis spend most of the book arguing and making up. At the end of the story, it's mentioned that they get married so they can argue and make up more efficiently. "Efficiently" should in this case be read as "by having lots of sex".

* ''Series/TheOrville'': Bortus and Klyden's marriage shows them constantly at odds, to the point where it seems like they actually hate each other. There's a massive disagreement when their child is born female, with Klyden revealed to be a BoomerangBigot, over giving the child "corrective surgery" to make her male. Then Bortus gets addicted to holographic pornography and starts ignoring his marriage, so Klyden tries to divorce him by stabbing Bortus through the heart per Moclan customs. Then Klyden exposes Bortus' former partner for being heterosexual and starts to indoctrinate their son with his [[Homonormative Crusader HeteronormativeCrusader]] beliefs, earning Bortus' ire. Eventually, Bortus gives Klyden a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech in front of his own commanding officer.

* ''Series/TheOrville'': Bortus and Klyden's marriage shows them constantly at odds, to the point where it seems like they actually hate each other. There's a massive disagreement when their child is born female, with Klyden revealed to be a BoomerangBigot, over giving the child "corrective surgery" to make her male. Then Bortus gets addicted to holographic pornography and starts ignoring his marriage, so Klyden tries to divorce him by stabbing Bortus through the heart per Moclan customs. Then Klyden exposes Bortus' former partner for being heterosexual and starts to indoctrinate their son with his HeteronormativeCrusader beliefs, earning Bortus' ire. Eventually, Bortus gives Klyden a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech in front of his own commanding officer.

* "The Ballad Of Tom Jones", Music/{{Space}}'s duet with Cerys Matthews, veers between this and SlapSlapKiss. The couple in the song are constantly at each other's throats, to the point where the woman tries to kill the man by driving him off a cliff. The only thing that stops the couple killing each other is -- you've guessed it -- the sound of the music of Tom Jones.
* A recurring theme in {{Music/Pink}}'s music, reflecting her real-life relationship with her husband, especially "True Love":

* "I Love the Way You Lie" by Music/{{Eminem}} and Music/{{Rihanna}} is this pure and simple.