History Main / WhatIsThisFeeling

So you have a character who's usually defined by a certain mood. Maybe they're always [[TheStoic calm and inexpressive]], or [[GenkiGirl cheery and upbeat]], or [[HairTriggerTemper brimming with rage]], or [[TheEeyore moping]]; whatever it is, this mood defines them to the audience and the cast. But every once in a while the planets align and something happens that brings this person a momentary change of heart. This can come as a shock to the audience, the rest of the cast, and sometimes even the character himself! They were so used to their normal state of mind and they're not sure what's going on when that smile starts to spread across their face or their eye starts to twitch in that odd way. They can only ask - "[[TitleDrop What is this feeling?"

So you have a character who's usually defined by a certain mood. Maybe they're always [[TheStoic calm and inexpressive]], or [[GenkiGirl cheery and upbeat]], or [[HairTriggerTemper brimming with rage]], or [[TheEeyore moping]]; whatever it is, this mood defines them to the audience and the cast. But every once in a while the planets align and something happens that brings this person a momentary change of heart. This can come as a shock to the audience, the rest of the cast, and sometimes even the character himself! They were so used to their normal state of mind and they're not sure what's going on when that smile starts to spread across their face or their eye starts to twitch in that odd way. They can only ask - WhatIsThisFeeling?

-->But what is this feeling I am feeling? It is not a happiness. It is a feeling that I have not done all I should have done. I do not like it. How do I make it go away?

* Light in DeathNote is always very confident and powerful. However, [[spoiler: when Near first calls him and says "call me N",]] Light is shocked that he is deathly afraid and has a fantasy where he is still [[spoiler:handcuffed to L]].

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* In an interesting meta-example, the VN ''KatawaShoujo,'' when released, turned out to be the one thing on the internet that could [[http://i.imgur.com/by4JK.jpg make]] [[ImageBoards 4chan]] [[http://i41.tinypic.com/5owp3a.jpg cry]].

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* Luna in ''MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. "Your princess enjoys this 'fun'. In what other ways may we experience it?"

* Uttered by Galinda, the spoiled AlphaBitch who occasionally borders into CloudCuckooLander in the musical ''{{Wicked}}'', when she is denied entrance to the Sorcery Class she craves: "Something's wrong here. I'm not getting what I want." Later, she utters, in grief, "Is this what ''other'' people feel like?"

[[quoteright:258:[[OdinSphere It took planting fruit that eats souls, which can be eaten for his HP to gain XP, in a 2D sidescrolling RPG brawler set in a book for this to occur.]]]]

* Uttered by Galinda, the spoiled [[TheLibby Libby]] who occasionally borders into CloudCuckooLander in the musical ''{{Wicked}}'', when she is denied entrance to the Sorcery Class she craves: "Something's wrong here. I'm not getting what I want." Later, she utters, in grief, "Is this what ''other'' people feel like?"

* According to [[WordOfGod Word Of Actress]], Hermione went through this regarding her feelings about Ron dating Lavender in ''Film/HarryPotter and the HalfBloodPrince'':

* According to [[WordOfGod Word Of Actress]], Hermione went through this, regarding her feelings for Ron, in ''HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'':

[[PennyArcade http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joy.jpg]]
[[caption-width:258:[[OdinSphere It took planting fruit that eats souls, which can be eaten for his HP to gain XP, in a 2D sidescrolling RPG brawler set in a book for this to occur.]]]]

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** In the play version, Leo gets that same feeling or similar after his first encounter with sexy foreigner Ulla. In this case, Max calls it an 'erection'. Or in some modern performances, 'swine flu'.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

-->'''Dr. Cox:''' It’s called "guilt", ya Vulcan.

* {{Seinfeld}} episode "The Serenity Now". Jerry's current girlfriend challenges him to openly express his feelings, in this case, anger. This backfires as he becomes overly angry about everything, leading to the girlfriend eventually dumping him. For the first time, Jerry actually reacts to this not-too-uncommon turn of events, to which Elaine responds "Jerry, you break up with a girl every week!" Jerry, mystified by his own emotions, touches his eyes and says "W-what is this salty discharge?" Elaine: "Oh my God, you're crying." "That's horrible. I care!"

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* Draco does this in AVeryPotterMusical, experiencing... certain feelings and sensations for the first time when he sees the cleaned-up Hermione. It becomes one of the show's Crowning Moments of Funny because Draco is played by a girl. Ron has a similar but much more subtle reaction during the scene.

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[[AC:WebOriginal]]

---> '''Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw:''' But after I'd played for a couple of hours, a strange thing happened; I was actually having fun. I know, it was a weird and frightening realization.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

-->'''Lisa:''' It's called "remorse", you vile burlesque of irrepressible youth.

* [[EmotionalessGirl Ren]] of ElematalGelade has to be taught jealousy. It works!

* Gob in ''ArrestedDevelopment'' is puzzled to feel something that he can't identify as either 'angry' or 'hungry'.

* In the ''StarTrek'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E9Metamorphosis Metamorphosis]]", the Companion doesn't understand what Zefram Cochrane when he complains about being lonely. After she becomes human, she suddenly understands.

* The ''StarTrek'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E9Metamorphosis Metamorphosis]]", the Companion doesn't understand what Zefram Cochrane when he complains about being lonely. After she becomes human, she suddenly understands.

For specific types of feelings that can evoke this, see WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove, and IFeelAngry.

* [[ZeroPunctuation Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw]] sometimes reacts this way when he actually enjoys a game he is playing: whenever this happens, his AuthorAvatar looks ''extremely'' disturbed.

* ''The Grinch Who Stole Christmas''
"And what happened then? Well, in Whoville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two!"

So you have a character who's usually defined by a certain mood. Maybe they're always [[TheStoic calm and inexpressive]], or [[GenkiGirl cheery and upbeat]], or [[HairTriggerTemper brimming with rage]]; whatever it is, this mood defines them to the audience and the cast. But every once in a while the planets align and something happens that brings this person a momentary change of heart. This can come as a shock to the audience, the rest of the cast, and sometimes even the character himself! They were so used to their normal state of mind and they're not sure what's going on when that smile starts to spread across their face or their eye starts to twitch in that odd way. They can only ask - WhatIsThisFeeling?