[[{{CLANNAD}} http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cit_Clannad_-_Nagisa_-_you_been_THUNDERSTRUCK.jpg]]
[[caption-width:250:"[[HoYay Sunohara likes me.]]" "EHHH?!"]]
A great shock is emphasized in the background with metaphorical lightning. As a gag, the character might be literally shocked as a result.
Not to be confused with LightningGlare or BeamOfEnlightenment. Or DramaticThunder, which is... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin dramatic. And thunder.]] For a more direct metaphor of the effects of being struck by ''actual'' lightning (or other electric surges), see XRaySparks.
Also not to be confused with [[{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]]'s signature attack.
----
Examples:
* Experienced by both Nagisa and her theatrical mother, Sanae, ''{{Clannad}}''. In Nagisa's case, her antennae-hair is temporarily withered as a result.
* Many times in ''LuckyStar''.
* Sakaki from ''AzumangaDaioh'', overwhelmed by the cuteness of a photo of kittens.
** Same series, when Kaori and Chihiro discover that Chiyo not only ''makes her own lunch'', but is actually quite good at it.
* Exploited in ''TsunamiChannel'', with one comic having the characters intentionally saying shocking (untrue) things (i.e. "I'm pregnant!") in order to repeatedly electrocute another character.
* This happened to Setsuna in {{Negima}}!? when she made a particularly [[CannotTellAJoke bad word-play joke]] (uncharacteristic of her in that she [[UnFunny made a joke at all]]). She apologized for it after the lightning cleared.
* Used often by the members of the ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'', especially by the highly theatrical Idiot King, Tamaki.
* In the ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha [=StrikerS=]'' [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary manga]], privates [[ThoseTwoGuys Alto and Lucino]] gush over a cute, floating, child-like mage in a military uniform... shortly before said mage floats over to them and introduces herself as Sergeant Major Reinforce Zwei, their superior officer. Cue ThunderShock.
* Shows up in a FreakOut in PhoenixWright. [[spoiler:Damon Gant's,]] to be specific.
* Used interchangeably with the BeamOfEnlightenment in ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]'', both for comedic and serious purposes, but mostly the former.
* ''ToAruMajutsuNoIndex'': Index and Aisa (plus a ColorFailure), when Komoe starts [[{{squee}} happily]] talking about how Touma was a naughty boy, and how "various things" happened. Though in this case it's more like a Thunder ''Rage'': "[[UnwantedHarem Another one]]?" "That bastard."
----
<<|StockVisualMetaphors|>>