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
Lightning Glare or
Beam Of Enlightenment. Or
Dramatic Thunder, which is...
dramatic. And thunder.
Also not to be confused with
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 Lucky Star.
- Sakaki from Azumanga Daioh, 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 Tsunami Channel, 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 bad joke (uncharacteristic of her that she made a joke at all). She apologized for it.
- Used often by the members of the Ouran High School Host Club, especially by the highly theatrical Idiot King, Tamaki.
- In the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS supplementary manga, privates 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 Thunder Shock.
- Shows up in a Freak Out in Phoenix Wright. Damon Gant's, to be specific.
- Used interchangeably with the Beam Of Enlightenment in Ranma 1/2, both for comedic and serious purposes, but mostly the former.
- To Aru Majutsu No Index: Index and Aisa (plus a Color Failure), when Komoe starts 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: "Another one?" "That bastard."
