Line #5 Main/TheFakeCutie


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15	[[quoteright:350:[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_dahlia2.png]]]]
16	[[caption-width-right:350:Behind the cute exterior lies a long trail of corpses and ruined lives.]]
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18	->''"When ''you'' consider something charming, it never ends well."''
19	-->-- '''Satsuki Kiryuin''' to Nui Harime, ''Anime/KillLaKill''
20
21	While TheCutie is known for being a character that is sweet, lovable, and innocent, some characters, while apparently cute, aren't as innocent as they seem.
22
23	The Fake Cutie is either a full-grown woman or [[WiseBeyondTheirYears otherwise mature person]], but insists on dressing, speaking, and acting like a child, or at least much younger than she is in order to be cute and "get dates" or other benefits.
24
25	This [[TheCutie cutie]] act is actually camouflage to hide [[ObfuscatingStupidity her intelligence]], [[StepfordSmiler her true self]], [[EnfantTerrible her nefarious intentions]], or [[{{Yandere}} her insane jealousy]]. Sometimes she knows full well how shaken up her behavior makes her foes, and [[{{Troll}} takes great joy in seeing them squirm]]. She tends to be very manipulative and is often murderously dangerous to those that see BeneathTheMask. For children, may involve levels of TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior. However, it is entirely possible that she may have [[BrokenBird less malicious]] intentions.
26
27	She is the cute counterpart of the StepfordSmiler, and may even be her daughter. The BitchInSheepsClothing is her meaner sister. The fully grown Fake Cutie is invariably a [[PsychopathicManChild Psychopathic (Wo)man Child]] unless she is of the BrokenBird variant.
28
29	While this trope is almost AlwaysFemale, examples using little boys or adult [[{{Keet}} Keets]] are not unheard of.
30
31	Compare and contrast CuteAndPsycho, DeliberatelyCuteChild, FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon, {{Kawaiiko}}, {{Keet}}, TheIngenue, KiddieKid, TheCutie, LittleRedFightingHood, DawsonCasting. See also ConfoundThemWithKindness.
32
33	----
34	!!Examples:
35	[[foldercontrol]]
36	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
37	* In ''Manga/BlendS'', Mafuyu is the group's TokenMiniMoe, DeadpanSnarker, and, more often than not, the group's OnlySaneMan. She's also a 20-year-old college student [[OlderThanTheyLook despite her short height and youthful looks]]. However, she acts completely differently in her job as a waitress at the CosplayCafe Stile, where the waitresses act like anime character archetypes and Mafuyu is cast as the "LittleSisterHeroine". She plays up her cuteness for maximum effect, speaking super sweetly to the "Onii-chans"/"Big Brothers" who patronize the café and, on one occasion, using her act to steer customers away from ordering items they can't make due to lack of ingredients.
38	* Minatsuki Takami from ''Manga/DeadmanWonderland'' deliberately acts like a sweet, demure girl at first, but this hides her true personality of a foul-mouthed, sadistic sociopath. Later on, she drops the act altogether.
39	* ''Manga/DeathNote'': Misa is this whenever she has all her memories intact and serves as the second Kira, playing up her cute looks and mannerisms to manipulate people. Otherwise, she's a genuine cutie.
40	* ''Manga/DGrayMan'': Road Kamelot. Even though she appears to be a child, she's actually the oldest Noah and a total sadist, once [[EyeScream stabbing Allen in the eye]] and then [[LecherousLicking licking]] off [[BloodLust his blood]].
41	* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': Biscuit Krueger is an expert combatant and, for some time, a mentor to the main characters. She has the ability to alter her body to appear like a preteen girl; she does so because her true form is a BrawnHilda and she is ashamed of looking like that. She also likes the bonus of keeping a low profile and, if she ever needs to get in a fight, having the opponent go easy on her due to her cuteness.
42	* ''Manga/{{Joshiraku}}'': Kigu often acts cute and expresses interest in cute things since that's what the other girls expect of her. However, her inner thoughts show that she isn't naturally like this and it's all a front; for example, when she gushes about how cute pandas are, she thinks to herself that she doesn't actually like pandas and finds their eyes creepy.
43	* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': Nui Harime, a bubbly, bouncy, adorable girl dressed all in pink, and also TheDragon and an AxCrazy killing machine [[spoiler:responsible for the murder of Ryuko's father]]. After Ryuko becomes strong enough to finally deal her a real defeat, she snaps and drops the cheerful demeanor for the rest of the show.
44	* ''Franchise/LoveLive'':
45	** Nico Yazawa from ''Anime/LoveLive'' acts like a cute and cheerful idol who likes to go [[CharacterCatchphrase "Nico Nico nii~!"]] when on stage. However, her cuteness is a deliberate act, and she's really more of an AttentionWhore with the temperament of a grumpy old lady.
46	** Kasumi Nakasu from ''Anime/LoveLiveNijigasakiHighSchoolIdolClub'' is obsessed with cuteness, [[ThirdPersonPerson referring to herself constantly as "Kasumin"]] and wanting to be the cutest school idol ever, but she's actually more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. She doesn't play this as straight in ''[[VideoGame/LoveLiveSchoolIdolFestivalAllStars ALL STARS]]'', where she acts that way because she ''thinks'' school idols have to act cute but secretly be cruel to each other, and she's ultimately more good-hearted.
47	* ''Manga/LovelyComplex'': Mimi Yoshioka acts this way around her crush, Otani. She does eventually slip, revealing her true nature.
48	* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': Akira Kogami is a 14-year-old IdolSinger who usually acts like an adorable GenkiGirl, but whenever something annoys or angers her, she reveals her real personality of [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight a cynical, dried-up entertainer]] who's completely disillusioned with the entertainment industry. The main joke behind the ''Lucky Channel'' segments in the anime is her rapid personality switches between a {{kawaiiko}} girl even younger than her real age and her more bitter, jaded side. The cutesy act apparently doesn't go over well with the audience compared to [[BeleagueredAssistant Minoru]] or the main cast, of course.
49	* [[FallenPrincess Flay Allster]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' becomes this when she goes {{yandere}} after [[spoiler:her dad's death]], acting sweet and kind to Kira while planning to [[spoiler:get him killed in battle as "punishment" for him not being able to save her old man]]. CharacterDevelopment fixes that, however. [[spoiler:And then she dies.]]
50	* One episode of ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' features a Teddiursa who exhibits this sort of personality, taking advantage of their cute appearance to secretly steal food.
51	* ''Anime/PrincessPrincipal'': Princess, Ange, Dorothy, and Chise will act cute as part of their cover as spies operating out of a prestigious school, but they will switch to ruthless at the drop of a hat -- they are spies after all.
52	* ''Manga/RamenFighterMiki'': Megumi is a full-grown woman that insists on dressing, speaking, and acting like a cute child, sometimes to a sickening degree, [[FanserviceWithASmile as a ploy to get clients into her bakery]].
53	* ''Manga/ShugoChara'': Yaya goes as far as having her Shugo Chara, AKA the AnthropomorphicPersonification of what's BeneathTheMask, be a ''baby''. Her MagicalGirl form even wears bunny pajamas and her special attacks include rubber ducks and a giant rattle. Oh, and she's prone to burst into tears if hurt. It's eventually made clear that she has a desire to be "the baby" forever due to [[InfantSiblingJealousy her jealousy towards her new baby brother]].
54	* ''Manga/StrawberryMarshmallow'': Miu. Cute is practically a way of life for her, but so is being a {{Jerkass}}.
55	* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'': Washu, though it's ''definitely'' an act; she can move in and out of it at a moment's notice (she even [[VoluntaryShapeshifting physically alters her body]] to switch between [[DualAgeModes the usual "Cutie" act and her true age]]). She's the smartest person in the galaxy, and [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld Really Twenty Thousand Years Old]]... and that's in the continuities where she's ''closest'' to what she appears.
56	* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': Roma Hoito. When initially introduced, she's a clumsy and forgetful waitress that has a [[HeroWorship crush]] on Kaneki because of his fame in the Ghoul community. She's a source of comic relief, and a slight annoyance to her coworkers because of her frequent mistakes. This cute personality is entirely false -- she's actually a member of the [[MonsterClown Clowns]] and a sadistic LoonyFan that considers Kaneki's suffering romantic. Even fellow Clown [[DepravedHomosexual Nico]] is mildly disturbed by her obsession with destroying Kaneki's happiness. [[spoiler:To make it more disturbing, she's already on her 50s ''and'' the founder-leader of the Clowns, a jarring revelation considering her youthful appearance and childish disposition.]]
57	* ''Anime/ToLoveRu'': Momo Belia Deviluke presents an innocent, smiling face to the public. Behind that mask hides a girl that can be, at turns, a ManipulativeBastard, an AxCrazy LittleMissBadass, and a LovableSexManiac that wants to create a harem around the boy she loves, Rito.
58	* ''Anime/TousouchuuGreatMission'': [[spoiler:Mika Lelouch]] may look act and cute, but deep down inside, she's actually an AxCrazy SerialKiller.
59	* Ran from ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' deliberately plays up the image of a sugary sweet {{Kawaiiko}}, but she's not as innocent as she looks; she has a violent streak a mile wide and is deeply resentful of how often Lum got her into trouble when they were children.
60	* ''Anime/{{Vandread}}'': On top of being a GenkiGirl, Dita fits this description pretty well. She talks like a child ("Hello, Mr. Pilot!") and acts like one, even if you ignore the fact that she plays with toys. Her CharacterDevelopment reveals a more complex reason why she grew up this way: When she was little, being a CheerfulChild brought hope and smiles to the adults around her in a tough time. [[ForHappiness She resolved to be as cheerful and cute as possible to continue helping out as best she could]], [[StepfordSmiler and it kind of stuck]]. To her credit, she didn't let this get ''so'' out-of-proportion that she didn't learn more practical skills, like cooking, sewing, flying a HumongousMecha and delivering babies -- [[spoiler:the last skill in particular is instrumental to saving the entire crew in the opener of the second season, as the cry of a newborn baby is the password to unlocking the central computer of the ship from its BSOD.]]
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Comic Books]]
64	* In the ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue34To37 Siege of the Crystal Empire]]'' story arc of the [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW My Little Pony IDW comics]], this trope is [[InvokedTrope invoked]] by Umbrum, who initially appear to [[UnwittingPawn Radiant Hope]] as cute, pony-like pixies. [[spoiler:However, it is all just a ruse to get on Hope's good side and manipulate her into believing that Umbrum are actually harmless, innocent creatures who were wrongfully banished by evil, [[FantasticRacism xenophobic]] Crystal Ponies. When Princess Cadance accidentally reveals their true forms by using [[ThePowerOfLove her magic]] in their presence... let's just say, ''[[AnimalisticAbomination it]] [[BodyHorror ain't]] [[NightmareFuel pretty]]'']].
65	* ''ComicBook/RunawaysRainbowRowell'' gives us Abigail, Molly's new best friend, who is ostensibly a pretty thirteen-year-old, but who is in fact [[spoiler:a middle-aged woman who ate a magic cupcake as a child that prevented her from physically aging past thirteen. When Molly angsts about her role as the "kid" of the team, Abigail urges her to make a similar choice, in hopes that she'd have an eternal companion]].
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
69	* Nermal from ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' is actually shown to purposely stunt his own growth to stay a permanently cute kitten.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Fan Works]]
73	* Agent Diamond, from ''Fanfic/AkatsukiKittenPhoenixCorporationOverhaul'', seems to swing between this and CuteAndPsycho. She is generally sweet and happy a lot of the time... she just has an extremely frightening tendency to do things like kill people while [[GigglingVillain giggling madly]]. There may be a FreudianExcuse behind that, as well as basic nature: [[spoiler:She "used to be" [[Literature/{{Twilight}} Renesmee Carlie Cullen]] and has only grown less human in mind since then.]]
74	* ''Fanfic/DanganronpaMementoMori'': Luka Aikuchi appears to be a rather cheerful and upbeat young girl. Emphasis on "appears to be", as she's actually [[spoiler:a SerialKiller who rips out the teeth of and leaves {{Glasgow Grin}}s on her victims, operating on [[TheSocialDarwinist an insane belief that "unclean" people should die]]]].
75	* ''Fanfic/LokiAgentOfDoomgard'' gives us Loki, Goddess of Traps and Poisons, who is a short, cute, harmless-looking woman... so scared and vulnerable. Well, yes. It ''is'' a trap. When she gets arrested, the "cops" find a head in her freezer.
76	[[/folder]]
77
78	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
79	* Darla Dimple in ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance''. Literally a case of NiceCharacterMeanActor, Darla is a human child star who is America's sweetheart on-screen... and off-screen, a spoiled prima donna who despises animal actors and is even willing to kill or injure them rather than share the limelight.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
83	* ''Film/AllTheBoysLoveMandyLane'': Mandy Lane seems like an innocent, virginal, late-teen girl whom all the teenage boys are obsessed over at high school. [[spoiler:Turns out she's an evil, manipulative girl who uses her charms to make a multiple murder and suicide pact with her nerdy male best friend, which she then breaks by killing him too. And she gets away maintaining her innocent persona.]]
84	%%* [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} Kit]][[Creator/CillianMurphy ten]], from ''Film/BreakfastOnPluto''.
85	* Gogo of ''Film/KillBill''. SailorFuku on the outside, lethal [[EpicFlail meteor-hammer]]-wielding psychopath on the inside.
86	* ''Film/{{Orphan}}'': [[spoiler:Esther fits this perfectly. Her entire life is based around hiding her AxCrazy personality, and the [[OlderThanTheyLook fact that's she's in her thirties]], with a cute-girl facade.]]
87	* ''Film/Scream4'': [[spoiler:Jill Roberts, initially set up as the film's FinalGirl, turns out to be the Ghostface killer, one who specifically cultivated a wholesome image so that, after she pinned all the murders on Charlie and Trevor, she could become famous as the hero who stopped a killing spree just like her older cousin Sidney had done.]]
88	* Blaire in ''Film/{{Unfriended}}'' is presented as the film's FinalGirl, the GirlNextDoor audience POV character who's less overtly sexy than the sexpot Jess and the AlphaBitch Val and is dating the NiceGuy Mitch. [[spoiler:Except Laura's ghost was saving her for last not because she was innocent in Laura's death, but because she was more guilty than everyone else, having filmed and uploaded the humiliating video that [[DrivenToSuicide drove Laura to kill herself]]. Either Laura wanted Blaire to suffer the most, or she wanted her to finally confess, and when Blaire refuses to do so even as all her friends die around her, Laura finishes her off. Oh, and not only is Blaire not a virgin, she cheated on Mitch with his best friend Adam.]]
89	* In ''Film/WhatEverHappenedToBabyJane'', Jane dresses like a little girl and sings songs that would be adorable for a little girl but are incredibly creepy when sung by an adult.
90	* Almost all of the women in ''Film/WomenWhoFlirt'', but especially the main character's [[BitchInSheepsClothing rival]].
91	[[/folder]]
92
93	[[folder:Literature]]
94	* In ''Literature/{{Bakemonogatari}}'', we have [[spoiler:Nadeko Sengoku, as revealed in "Nadeko Medusa". She acts cute, plays victim, and behaves non-confrontationally in order to avoid responsibility and get people on her side. In truth, she hates hard work and emotional stress, is extremely irresponsible and selfish, deeply jealous of Hitagi's and Shinobu's relationship with Koyomi (whom she's yandere for), and believes nothing is ever her fault.]]
95	* ''Literature/BeastTamer'' brings us Natalie Brough who ''lampshades'' that she is this. At first glance, she appears to be the stereotypical cute adventurer's guild receptionist, but she later smacks down a known troublemaker with a several hundred pound wooden table and then grills protagonist Rein Shroud about taming a Cat Spirit (Kanade), terrifying said spirit and then goes "Oops! Showed you my true personality!" and switches right back to her cutesie persona without skipping a beat.
96	* Willie Connolly in J.R. Lowell's 1972 thriller ''Daughter of Darkness'' starts out as a [[DeliberatelyCuteChild Deliberately Cute]] ChildProdigy, and becomes this as she matures. She doesn't want her father to realize that she has hit puberty, because she thinks (and is probably right) that he will send her away to some stupid prep school instead of allowing her to stay home and care for him. She spends the next few years with a tight bandage around her breasts and dressing like an eight-year-old. It works for a while.
97	* Creator/DavidEddings' ''Literature/TheElenium'' novels and their sequels ''The Tamuli'' have the goddess Aphrael. Her "real" form is an adult woman, but she always appears to everyone as a six-year-old girl. This allows her to use ThePowerOfLove on everyone. When a cute young girl asks to sit in your lap, no one can refuse. Once she sits in your lap and gives you a kiss, she ''will'' get her way on everything she wants.
98	* ''Literature/TheSagaOfTanyaTheEvil'': The eleven-year-old brutally ruthless military commander Tanya Degurechaff usually tries to present herself as an adult in a child's body, but will occasionally take advantage of being a cute young girl when it suits her. In one case, when required by International Wartime Law to announce beforehand her attack on an enemy munitions factory, she does so in an overly-cutesy girlish voice. This leads the factory workers to assume that she is just some girl who is using the radio to play a prank, so nobody evacuates or prepares for an assault. Two minutes later the factory explodes.
99	* Natasha Rostov tries this for a long time in ''Literature/WarAndPeace''. She's eventually [[BreakTheCutie broken]] though.
100	* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'''s Bonesaw is the veritable patron saint of this trope. She dresses in pigtails and dresses, is cute as a button, [[FamilyValuesVillain hates swearing]], and is personally responsible for a not-insignificant chunk of the work's FateWorseThanDeath and the AndIMustScream pages. Played with on account of this being a direct result of her being [[TykeBomb deliberately groomed for this role]] by Jack Slash, who's best described as an {{expy}} of some of the darker incarnations of ComicBook/TheJoker.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
104	%%* Annie on ''Series/{{Community}}'' is in-universe compared to Pollyanna and Disney Princesses, is okay with her sexual repression, and other characters have commented they "try not to sexualize her".
105	* Amy Hughes from ''Series/DeadOfSummer''. [[spoiler:Initially presented as a wholesome, virginal FinalGirl, she's actually the BigBad who was responsible for every murder on the show, using a Satanic cult as her {{Unwitting Pawn}}s to summon the demon Malphas. She murdered her best friend Margo in order to get her job at [[EldritchLocation Camp Stillwater]], and she ''[[WillingChanneler embraced]]'' her DemonicPossession, seeing Malphas as the only one who "understood her".]]
106	* Ada Moon from the ''Series/HereComeTheBrides'' episode "Next Week, East Lynne" is an actress who appears to be somewhere in her twenties but claims to be thirteen. She acts like a caricature of a young girl, speaking in a falsetto and behaving in an aggressively perky manner. Most of the townspeople instantly fall for her act.
107	%% Yet another Administrivia/ZeroContextExample from ''Scandal''. (* ''Series/{{Scandal}}'': [[spoiler: Cyrus]].)
108	* Vala Mal Doran of the later seasons of ''Series/StargateSG1'' is portrayed as being in her early to mid-thirties, but most of the time acts like she's in her early twenties at best, even wearing her hair in a pair of unbraided pigtails. It's almost certainly calculated to make her appear harmless, because [[spoiler:in an episode when she loses her memory, aside from trying to continue her thieving and lawless ways, she acts more maturely]]. It's helped when people make reference to pop culture, as she's not from Earth, allowing her to demonstrate something approximating real naivete. And when she stops acting cute and acts competent instead, she unnerves everyone. It's a skill.
109	%%* Princess Ariel of ''Series/WizardsAndWarriors'' was the epitome of this trope. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
110	* In the episode ''Shangri-La'' of ''Series/LawAndOrder'', one of the students at a high school was seduced by a teacher, who was suspected of killing one of his co-workers. [[spoiler: The reality is that the student actually seduced the teacher, and killed his co-worker who had found out she was OlderThanSheLooked and a con-woman and threatened to expose her.]]
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:Music]]
114	%%* Fling Posse Leader Ramuda Amemura from ''Music/HypnosisMic''. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
115	* [[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]]:
116	** Sayumi Michishige plays this trope for laughs ''constantly'' in her TV appearances, putting on the attitude of a [[ItsAllAboutMe cheerfully narcissistic]] {{Kawaiiko}}.
117	** Momoko Tsugunaga of Berryz Koubou does the same, only cranked up.
118	%% No context (* Baby Spice of the Music/SpiceGirls.)
119	* Early appearances of Music/{{Eminem}}'s Slim Shady character show him exploiting his cute, white-boy appearance and squeaky voice to get away with acts of unspeakable depravity. Of particular note is the skit in the middle of the video for "Forgot About [[Music/DrDre Dre]]" - Slim's interviewed on local news about a house fire that he obviously caused, playing it like a sweet young lad ("I was in my room listening to my Will Smith CD...")
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
123	* Maki Itoh acts like a typical IdolSinger, but it doesn't take much for the facade to slip and her to reveal herself as the delinquent, narcissist {{Heel}} she is.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Theater]]
127	* One of the titular character's peers in ''Theatre/TheMadwomanOfChaillot'' is a downright ''ancient'' version of this trope.
128	* A subversion occurs during ''Murder Mystery Dinner Train'', where one of the suspects, a one-time child actress, is revealed to have remained young and cute for so long because her agent used a variety of drugs to stunt her growth and keep her in the movies as long as possible.
129	* Rosalie in ''Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad'' is an oversexed version.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Toys]]
133	* Mockolate from ''Toys/TransformersBotBots''. He's a white chocolate bar that knows deep down that no one ''really'' likes white chocolate, so he plays a cute and innocent facade, waiting for the chance to overthrow the rest of the Sugar Shocks and become the lead candy.
134	[[/folder]]
135
136	[[folder:Video Games]]
137	* B.B. Hood from ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' (notably, the only playable character in the franchise who is a perfectly ordinary human, for a given value of [[EnfantTerrible "perfectly]] [[PsychoForHire ordinary]] [[KillingIntent human"]]) plays up her cuteness, but is [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters more vicious and psychotic than most of the monsters in the cast]].
138	* Zigzagged with the ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5 Ultimate'' character Marie Rose. If she loses she'll sit on the ground and sob, but then mug for the camera as if it's an act. That said, she often is TheCutie and cheerfully [[PintSizedPowerhouse smacks the crap]] out of her opponents with a smile on her face.
139	* Usalia from ''VideoGame/Disgaea5AllianceOfVengeance'' is a downplayed example. She is genuinely TheCutie for the most part, but she also purposefully tries to make herself seem even cuter with her "plip" VerbalTic.
140	* Vanille from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' is a [[StepfordSmiler Deconstruction]] of TheCutie. She pretends to be innocent in order to hide her guilt. While she's by no mean a bad person, some of the main characters, particularly [[TheCynic Lightning]] and [[OnlySaneMan Sazh]], end up not trusting her.
141	* Cindy from ''VideoGame/{{Kindergarten\|2017}} tries'' to be this to cover up her true AlphaBitch self, being a little girl in GirlishPigtails and a cute pink dress who calls herself "the prettiest, smartest, nicest girl you'll ever meet" and her numerous boyfriends various petnames. However, she's absolutely terrible at it, and nobody is fooled.
142	* Introduced in [[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite the fifth generation]], the Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Purrloin acts like a CuteKitten to get out of trouble when it gets caught stealing things. It's actually [[FourLegsGoodTwoLegsBetter bipedal]], but it sits down on all fours to look more catlike. It's classified in the Pokédex as 'The Devious Pokémon'.
143	-->'''Pokedex entry (Black):''' They steal from people for fun, but their victims can't help but forgive them. Their deceptively cute act is perfect.
144	* Momo Karuizawa, the skipping, pigtailed, stripey-socked, 4 1/2-foot tall tennis player from ''VideoGame/RivalSchools''. [[spoiler:Oh, [[BitchInSheepsClothing and she's also evil.]] But she gets better in the Gorin path -- it turns out a good part of said evil [[LoveMakesYouCrazy came from her loyalty and love for]] [[ManipulativeBastard Kurow]], and then [[YouHaveFailedMe he throws her under the bus]]. Shouma saves her and tells her to pick a side, and this drives Momo to a HeelFaceTurn.]]
145	* Ibuki from ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' kind of reverses this trope. She is legit TheCutie and a genuine GirlyGirl, but when dealing with evil and they don't take her seriously they can expect to be [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTAUVSB8KdBYFhhvuCMO2C4nNI2j9Ub2tcuyA&usqp=CAU roughed up]] (as [[SNKBoss Gill]] finds out). Even worse for nameless evil characters, who can expect to have their neck snapped or have a kunai break through their skulls without hesitation from her.
146	* In ''VideoGame/{{Super Robot Wars Z}}2'', Marilyn Catto's character encyclopedia entry mentions she's taken cosmetic surgery to maintain her looks and she makes the men in her squad treat her like a princess, which could mean that she is a case of OlderThanTheyLook.
147	* Alice from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld'' is this in spades. Not only is she {{older than she looks}} (she's 18, but could pass for being in her early teens), but she's a sadistic bitch that is more than willing to torment her underlings and claim them as her pets. She is also very manipulative, using her looks to trick people by lying blatantly.
148	* Flowey from ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' is an adorable, talking flower who introduces himself as supposedly your best friend, [[EstablishingCharacterMoment only to take advantage of the player's naivety to try and convince them to walk straight into his attacks]]. It all goes nowhere but downhill from there. [[spoiler:Later subverted, though, as it turns out that he actually UsedToBeASweetKid, and, [[TheSoulless given half a chance]], reverts to old habits.]]
149	-->''[player avoids the "white friendliness pellets"]''\
150	'''Flowey:''' Is this a joke? Are you braindead? RUN. INTO. THE. friendliness pellets.[[note]]The speech bubble says "BULLETS" instead [[FreezeFrameBonus for a split second]].[[/note]]\
151	''[if player continues to avoid the "friendliness pellets"]''\
152	'''Flowey:''' ''[trembling text]'' You know what's going on here, don't you? You just wanted to see me suffer.\
153	''[Flowey creates a huge, unavoidable circle of bullets]''\
154	'''Flowey:''' '''DIE.''' ''[reveals his GameFace and lets out an EvilLaugh as the bullets close in]''
155	* ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'': In a sidequest, it's revealed that the Nopon race owes their nature as {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s to this. Centuries prior, a Nopon pirate known as Captain Nopopon realized that the other races thought the Nopon were harmless and cute at first glance. To take advantage of this, he decided to quit piracy and become a proper merchant, deliberately fluffing up his fur and talking in pidgin with a VerbalTic to get prospective trade partners to underestimate him. The ''entire rest of the species'' soon followed suit when it turned out to be ridiculously effective, to the point that acting and looking cutesy is a normal part of their culture in the present day, instead of a deliberate manipulation tactic.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
159	* Dahlia Hawthorne of ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' is introduced as a sweet, innocent girl in a pink dress with [[FriendToAllLivingThings butterflies fluttering around her]], winning over everyone in the courtroom. This hides her true nature, which is a [[spoiler:scheming, manipulative murderer]].
160	* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'':
161	** Hiyoko Saionji from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' is not only [[OlderThanTheyLook the same age as the other students despite looking like a little girl]], but she's also rather cruel and sadistic towards everyone else, particularly [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl Mikan Tsumiki]]. It doesn't help that she has rather childish mannerisms, which makes her actions come across as even more unsettling.
162	** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'': Much like Saionji, Kokichi Ouma [[OlderThanTheyLook appears younger than he really is]], and uses his looks to his advantage. He plays up his appearance by speaking in a cutesy manner, calling everyone "-chan", and going out of his way to act like a kid. He often displays a child-like excitement over things that others are either wary or terrified of, such as the Exisals and the morphing Trial Grounds. While he openly insults and mocks others, especially [[GadgeteerGenius Miu Iruma]], he will immediately switch to acting like a threatened child if somebody else insults him. He cries crocodile tears and melodramatically accuses others of being bullies, only to return to normal moments later. Ouma seamlessly transitions between the role of a childish boy who just wants to have fun and his more sinister villain persona that he uses to frighten and upset his classmates. His inhuman sprites only add to the creepy effect.
163	* Played straight by Aizawa Eiichi of ''VisualNovel/TheDevilOnGString'', who puts up a cute front to get close to the girls he wants, though Kyousuke knows his other side very well and Kanon easily saw through it.
164	* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'':
165	** Rena [[spoiler:seems like this with her ObfuscatingStupidity and occasional forays into CuteAndPsycho territory, but we eventually find her cute personality is ''not'' an act. She's just a nice teenage girl trying to put her DarkAndTroubledPast behind her so she can live happily and peacefully surrounded by her dear friends. Unfortunately, she lives in a TownWithADarkSecret that makes this all but impossible.]]
166	** A straighter example would be [[spoiler:Rika]]. She spends most of the time [[spoiler:looking adorable and acting like a child, [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe much to the joy of Rena]] (when she's not crazy). But come the second half of the series, we learn that she is in fact quite [[ObfuscatingStupidity mature (and somewhat cold)]], having lived through [[OlderThanTheyLook hundreds of years worth]] of bloodbaths, at the end of which she is always killed. And her only option is to [[FateWorseThanDeath live through each one]], waiting until a [[DeusExMachina miracle occurs]] or until she [[GameOver cannot resurrect into another timeline]].]]
167	* Liliana in ''VisualNovel/PrincessWaltz''. [[spoiler:Some of it is natural, some of it is obfuscating stupidity.]] Hints start dropping fairly early that she's not as young as she looks.
168	* [[spoiler:Kohaku]] from ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. Her faked personality isn't revealed until you get to the second to last route of the game, though there are hints beforehand. However, it actually appears as though she's been faking her personality on accident and out of habit. As a child, she was something of an EmotionlessGirl, but now when Shiki sees her he thinks to himself, [[spoiler:"If only Hisui had some of Kohaku's cheer."]]
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Web Animation]]
172	* ''WebAnimation/AttackOnMika'':
173	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alIu34O1jKs Ririna]] hides her {{Jerkass}} behavior under a cutesy facade. It helps that her pink hair has green tips.
174	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHGAE47yGCY Mina]] adopts a cutesy persona to manipulate boys. However, it falls apart when she [[spoiler:swears at the boys after they fight over who gets to save her from drowning, accidentally beating her up in the struggle.]]
175	* ''WebAnimation/MangaWaido'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RjgmhgDfrM Aya]] appears to be a nice young woman who is unfairly bullied by her female coworkers for being pretty, but it's all an act. She is actually [[spoiler:a manipulative adulteress who became known for sleeping with the husband of a waitress' older sister. That is, the same waitress who squirted ketchup on Aya's arm and reveals the truth to Fuyuki.]]
176	* ''WebAnimation/SekaiNoFushigi'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGNPfwekm0 Adachi]] plays up her cuteness to get out of any trouble she causes. No one dares to treat her harshly for being the daughter of the head of another department until new employee Kudo gets on board.
177	[[/folder]]
178
179
180	[[folder:Webcomics]]
181	* Runie from ''[[http://www.200-20.com/ 200:20]]'' because of her carefree behavior and the fact that you're led to believe that her behavior is mostly just an act she's putting on for one reason or [[http://www.200-20.com/uploads/2/6/6/9/2669145/7664147_orig.jpg another]].
182	* Bailey from ''Webcomic/{{Alternate}}''. She even etches ''smiley faces'' on her ''food''.
183	* Lutark Lampri from ''Webcomic/{{Hackbent}}'' is a decent male example. He's [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=602 positively]] [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=603 adorable]] in fake moe-mode, disconcerting when he [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=814 shows]] [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=824 his]] true nasty colors, and [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=495 rather]] [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=2810&p=799 terrifying]] when he goes into full villain mode.
184	%%* Portia from ''Webcomic/MyLifeInTrue''.
185	[[/folder]]
186
187	[[folder:Web Original]]
188	* ComicBook/LessThanThreeComics' ''Brat Pack'' features Pixel, who is one year younger than her team-mates, and acts about five years younger most of the time, having a blast doing so.
189	* Syera of Website/{{Springhole}} mentions that a predator trying too hard to be cute will use childish gestures, such as pouting, whining, or even talking in a childish vocabulary.
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Western Animation]]
193	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'': Dot Warner likes to think of herself as TheCutie and takes her cuteness very seriously, but she's [[AllWomenAreLustful hardly]] innocent. [[BerserkButton Press her buttons]] and risk pain, call her "Dottie", and you die.
194	* Mary "Baby Doll" Dahl of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' was a child actor with a growth deficiency which prevented her from physically aging, and similarly [[NotAllowedToGrowUp prevented her career from advancing as well]]. Years later, she snapped and started kidnapping old cast members, but kept doing so in character as "Daddy's widdle precious". It's only at the end of the episode, when she stumbles in front of a funhouse mirror that seems to show the adult form she could never have, that she breaks character and reveals what she's really like, in a speech that's a real TearJerker.
195	-->'''Baby Doll:''' Why wouldn't you let me make ''believe''...?!
196	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Little Miss Warden, a little girl who's the warden of Neither-Neither-Land, the Neitherworld's jail system: a [[CrapsaccharineWorld Candyland-like environment]] where prisoners are [[{{Brainwashed}} "rehabilitated"]] into cute, sweet, playful creatures. She likes frilly dresses, wears her hair in long blonde ringlets, and forces her prisoners to [[WorkingOnTheChainGang work on the "daisy chain gang."]] Those who try to escape are made to spend the night inside a ScaryJackInTheBox, where Jack plays videos for brainwashing.
197	* This is spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/DrawnTogether'' with Strawberry Sweetcake, a parody of WesternAnimation/StrawberryShortcake. She turns out to be a homicidal [[spoiler:and kinda-cannibalistic]] StepfordSmiler.
198	* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has Li'l Gideon, a child psychic whom everybody loves. Well... turns out he's a vicious CreepyChild who [[spoiler:tries to kill Dipper after he tries to tell Gideon that Mabel's not interested in him, and is willing to summon a demon in order to get the deed to Mystery Shack.]]
199	* Lila, the "ever so" sickeningly sweet farm-girl from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'', is a love interest of Arnold. She is hated by Helga, who has a crush on Arnold. Later episodes reduce her character by taking away her flaws, making her more perfect. By WordOfGod, she has a hidden dark side, which is implied when she sings about having a inner sad side despite her perfect exterior. She is also theorized by fans as having led Arnold on, giving him affection while also reminding him that she does not like-like him while knowing Helga does. It is theorized by fans that her actions towards Helga and Arnold are her retaliating against Arnold for initially dumping her and against Helga for humiliating her when she first transferred over to their school. She also subtly manipulates Helga into revealing her feelings for Arnold when Helga was trying to pressure her into giving her the role of Juliet in the school play while Arnold played Romeo so Helga could kiss Arnold. An episode depicting the possible future from both of their [=POVs=] where Arnold and Helga are married has Lila from Helga's dream being depicted as a crazed {{Yandere}} after Arnold. Arnold has a dream at one point when he's going to visit his country cousin Arnie of alternate versions of his friends, including Lila as Lulu, who's a more forward and self-centered version of Lila. It's hinted to be the show's depiction of the manifestation of Lila's hidden dark side, since Lulu actively pursues Arnold despite being the girlfriend of Arnie, making it no secret that she prefers Arnold over Arnie in Arnie's presence even. She abandons Arnold at the end when Arnie gets jealous and crazy and fights Arnold, with Lulu cheering on the fight with Arnold being in danger because Arnie has gotten visibly rabid.
200	* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'': [[EnfanteTerrible Heloise]], who has the appearance of a cute little girl but is a MadScientist and enjoys being mean.
201	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'':
202	** The WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon ''Baby Buggy Bunny'' has Ant Hill Harry, aka Baby Face Finster -- a dwarfish bank robber who disguises himself as a baby. He can look very adorable -- and at one point beats seven shades out of Bugs with a baseball bat.
203	** From the main characters, this is entirely [[WesternAnimation/SylvesterTheCatAndTweetyBird Tweety's]] shtick. His act is that of an innocent, sheltered bird who can be easily taken advantage of by cats and who then proceeds to arrange their downfall from as high as possible. This is especially noticable in the Bob Clampett era, where he’s more aggressive than later in the Freleng era.
204	* [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E25SchoolRazePart1 The season]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E26SchoolRazePart2 8 finale]] of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' reveals that Cozy Glow's ridiculously cute, sweet demeanor was all an act and that she has been plotting to take over the Friendship School and steal all of the magic in Equestria. She's even pen pals with former BigBad Lord Tirek, who admits to being impressed by the little filly's ambition.
205	* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': Suzy Johnson may seem like a cute, innocent kid, but when she's alone with Candace her true personality comes out with a vengeance. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that she only does it when her brother and Candace's crush Jeremy is around because she only does it to manipulate him. When it's just the two of them Suzy is (in her own words) "off the clock", and has even assisted Candace in trying to bust her brothers.
206	* ''{{WesternAnimation/SheRa and the Princesses of Power}}'': Flutterina acts like and is thought to be a cute little girl who joins the Rebellion, even though she's too young to fight. It is revealed that she's actually Double Trouble, the shapeshifter/spy of the Horde.
207	* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'' has [[CuteKitten Little Bits]], who at first appears to be a poor stray who Wander finds [[CutenessProximity unbelievably cute]], claiming he'll do anything for her... but then it turns out she's actually mind-controlling him so she can bring him to Lord Hater.
208	* ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'': Eileen (a.k.a. The Birthday Girl) is a {{spoiled brat}} who claims that every day is her birthday. She pretends to be sweet and innocent (complete with saccharine {{baby talk}}) to get what she wants. If she doesn't get her "birthday presents", she throws a tantrum and [[HulkingOut hulks out]].
209	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheFakeCutie