Line #36 Main/QuiveringEyes


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4	[[quoteright:250:[[Manga/{{Nichijou}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quivering_eyes_3109.png]]]]
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6	During times of emotional stress, a character's eyes, or just the reflected highlights in them, will shake perceptibly. The aim is usually to show someone on the verge of tears; as in, their eyes are pricking, or tears are welling, or something difficult to show otherwise. This is not usually a comedy trope, and can in fact mean that things have turned very serious. It may presage a SparklingStreamOfTears if the situation gets worse. It can also indicate [[TenderTears extreme happiness or love]]. When the irises shrink ''and'' shake, it's usually to indicate great shock and/or fear. Pretty hard (but not impossible) to replicate in RealLife. [[SchmuckBait Best not to try, really]].
7	----
8	!!Examples:
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10	[[foldercontrol]]
11
12	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
13	* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', this almost always happens anytime Griffith gives his trademark beast-stare to anyone, or looks them in the eyes at all. Also happens a lot to Casca when she's feeling emotional (and that's almost always, as she's generally either raging or sobbing at all times).
14	%% ZCE * ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' uses this trope, quite often PlayedForLaughs.
15	%% Needs Context * Happens plenty of times in ''Anime/PrincessTutu'', sometimes ending with the character breaking down.
16	%% Needs Context * God knows how many times this happens in ''Manga/ElfenLied'', considering that nearly every female character has been [[BreakTheCutie broken]] at one point or another.
17	* Akane Tendo in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', every time Ranma does something that goes beyond their normal bickering and really hurts her feelings.
18	* ''Manga/SpyXFamily'': Anya does shaking tears after she finds out that Yor's "work" on the Lorelei was a Thorn Princess mission. Although her [[ItAmusedMe tendencies]] quickly overcame her worries.
19	* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'': At the end of the manga, after Kiyal reunites with her sisters after the last battle, she does a VSign, followed by quivering tears as she tells them of [[spoiler:Kittan's HeroicSacrifice]].
20	* Happens to Lelouch of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' when [[spoiler: Suzaku springs on him that Nunally will be the next Governor of Area 11.]]
21	%% Needs Context * All of the girls in ''Anime/CandyBoy'' are prone to this, but Yukino really takes the cake.
22	* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'':
23	** Sousuke does this, most noticeably in ''TSR'', when [[spoiler: Gauron]] tells him that he had Kaname killed.
24	** Gauron himself does this during the time when he hijacks the Tuatha de Dannan, when he realizes that [[spoiler: Kaname managed to regain control of the submarine]]. And in another instance, he ends up doing this in [[spoiler: ''The Second Raid'', on his death bed, while he's taunting Sousuke and yelling for Sousuke to hate him, in the hopes of Sousuke killing him]].
25	%% ZCE * In ''Manga/OutlawStar'', Professor Nguyen Khan has some impressively quivery eyes.
26	* Done regularly in ''[[Manga/HarukanaruTokiNoNakaDe Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Hachiyou Shou]]'', but a specific mention should probably go to the end of episode 22, where this happens to the [[TheStoic normally emotionless]] [[ArtificialHuman Yasuaki]] once he starts to consider himself useless.
27	%% Needs Context * Happens to Faye Valentine in the last episode of ''Anime/CowboyBebop''.
28	%%* Very often in ''Anime/SailorMoon''.
29	%%* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. Often occurs with PuppyDogEyes, particularly in the first series.
30	* ''Literature/KonoSuba'': Aqua always makes use of this trope, specially when confronting Kazuma. It's mainly present in the first episodes of the anime.
31	* This is used in emotional scenes in ''AudioPlay/SaintBeast'', such as Maya throwing a tantrum over Kira wanting to leave heaven and Rey and Luca promising to always fly together.
32	* Happens in ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' when Ed [[spoiler:discovers the splattered remains of a [[BodyHorror chimera-fied]] Nina after she was [[MercyKill mercy killed]] by Scar.]]
33	* In ''Manga/KotouraSan'', [[{{Telepathy}} Haruka]] [[PowerIncontinence Kotoura]] falls apart every time she is called and/or [[PokeInTheThirdEye thought of as]] "[[YouMonster a monster]]" because of [[TraumaButton the associated memories]]. The second episode even combines this with WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises, DullEyesOfUnhappiness, and TearsOfFear for a truly horrifying effect.
34	* Happens quite often in ''Anime/ProjectK''- even to the normally cruel Fushimi when he hears about the death of a former clansman.
35	* In ''Literature/TanteiTeamKZJikenNote'', Aya, being the local NervousWreck, has this nearly OnceAnEpisode. Other members of the cast have them occasionally as well:
36	** In episode 11, when Aya learns from Uesugi the reason behind the latter's [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness strange behavior during the arc]]: [[spoiler:his eye are so bad that he can't even see text any more. And a moment later, ''both'' the speaker and the listener gets this, as Uesugi mentions any treatment for his condition has at most 40% success rate, and bears the real risk of ''a complete loss of vision''.]]
37	** In episode 12, as Aya relays the same news from above to Kuroki and Kozuka (with HiddenEyes), the latter two get this as well.
38	* The artistic direction of ''Manga/AsteroidInLove'''s AnimatedAdaptation portrays this in a rather subtle way; only the gloss of the irises quiver. It appears in several scenes when the person is moved or shocked.
39	** In the AMinorKidroduction, when Mira suggests to Ao that [[ThePromise they should find an asteroid together]], Ao's eyes start to quiver.
40	** When Mira talks about her promise with a boy called "Ao" many years ago, ''that'' Ao, sitting next to Mira, gets this in addition to LuminescentBlush. Mira gets this the next minute, since [[UnsettlingGenderReveal she always thought the "Ao" she met was a boy]].
41	** During a flashback, a younger Ao gets this when other kids started teasing for her OpenMouthInsertFoot.
42	** In the NewYearHasCome segment of the eighth episode, Mira has this as she is shocked to learn that [[spoiler:Ao is moving away after the Spring Break]].
43	* In Episode 3 of ''Literature/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'', [[TheStoic Nicol]]'s on the verge of tears when Catarina genuinely says he's blessed with such a loving sister, especially since all he ever heard from others is how much of a burden his sister Sophia was to him.[[note]]Sophia is an albino and has been [[AlbinosAreFreaks subjected to serious discrimination]] that she's been a {{Hikikomori}} until shortly before the scene in question.[[/note]]
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Film]]
47	* Shows up repeatedly in ''WesternAnimation/ArloTheAlligatorBoy'' as part of the heavy eye animation, usually coupled with PuppyDogEyes in the more emotional moments.
48	* Creator/FrankLangella does this a couple times in the 1979 version of ''Film/{{Dracula\|1979}}'' when he gives more intensive stares to the ladies.
49	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', the highlights in a character's eyes is seen to shake almost every time someone cries.
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder:Literature]]
53	* In the Kadambari of Bana (ca. A.D. 600), "thy twin eyes announce a cause of great joy, for they are dilated, their pupils are tremulous, and they are bathed in tears of joy".
54	[[/folder]]
55
56	[[folder:Video Games]]
57	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': In the Mysterious Console DLC, when Noni realizes that the device has been activated, giving her contact for the first time after being trapped for years causes her to develop quivering tears before composing herself.
58	* ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork4RedSunAndBlueMoon'': Aqua Man has these and a squiggly mouth, making him look like nothing so much as a toddler on the brink of tears.
59	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
60	** Combined with ExoticEyeDesigns on the sardine-like Wishiwashi to make it look like it's perpetually crying. It DOES start crying once it enters battle and it's Level 20 or higher though, which summons other Wishiwashi to school up with it. Then [[MagikarpPower it gets much more powerful]] and stops crying.
61	** Tapu Lele will start tearing up in this way in Pokémon Refresh if [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/dcb3ac8834004e7aec243a83e1708df0/tumblr_ohseskMic01ttdkobo1_400.gif you touch its antennae]].
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Western Animation]]
65	* ''WesternAnimation/HazbinHotel'': Whenever Sir Pentious gets emotional such as when Charlie forgives his betrayal, his pupils get super-big and his eyes get watery.
66	%% Needs Context * Used by the cuter characters in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7PGKcikaGY Observe.]]
67	%%** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Uc0YMZLTs "Aren'tcha gonna stay for brunch...?]]
68	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheHobbit'' has Gollum discover that his "precious" is missing, his eyes become this in the ensuing FreakOut.
69	%% ZCE * Bubbles in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Powerpuff Girls\|1998}}'' episode "Uh-Oh, Dynamo".
70	%% Needs Context * ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': One-time character Red, Eduardo, Mac, and Bloo at various times used this.
71	%% Needs Context * Dipstick does this briefly in the ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'' episode "Twelve Angry Pups".
72	%% Needs Context * Vince uses this trope in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'' episode "Legend of the Big Kid".
73	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Jem}}'', Pizzazz's eyes tremble in fear during the "It Takes A Lot To Survive" music video when [[ItMakesSenseInContext she's stuck in a giant spiders web.]]
74	[[/folder]]

Context Main / QuiveringEyes