Chuck: I have so many questions. My mind wanders. Ned: You need to feed it warm milk and a turkey sandwich, let it curl up in a sunny spot and take a nap. — Pushing Daisies
Or: Moment OfD'Awwwwwwsome. This page is for entire works that manage to be one big Heartwarming Moment. When you post a work, just remember to explain what in it made you go "Awwwwwwww" :)
If a work has one Heartwarming Moment but is otherwise not particularly heartwarming, post it to that page. Sometimes related to the other kind of sweet dreams.
Highly recommended to drop by this page if you've been over at Nightmare Fuel and plan on sleeping.
A lot of the works of Osamu Tezuka are full of Sweet Dreams Fuel, especially Astro Boy and Unico. However, his work tends to have just as much of the other side as well.
Chachamaru's pactio. The way Negi tells her to believe (in him who believes in her) and then practically shouts at whoever oversees the pactios "Who the hell do you think I am?!", followed by Chachamaru looking at the card like her newborn daughter made this troper cry from happiness.
Not to mention the lovely, simplistic watercolour artstyle.
Azumanga Daioh, even though Sakaki keeps on being bitten by cats.
It only makes the moments with Maya all the sweeter.
The part where Kaorin does the folk dance with Sakaki. It's the perfect mix between funny and adorable.
The entire Chiyo-chan in a penguin sequence. Sure she is abused a little bit, but she is so incredibly adorable.
Chiyo-chan in general. Take the scene where Sakaki first meets Tadakichi-san: she comments that Chiyo could ride on his back, as she's just about the right size to do so. Turns out, she's already done so, and it's adorable.
Any scene with Osaka in it. Yes, even the creepier ones. If you think she isn't adorable, you're either lying or you haven't seen enough of her personality yet.
Speak for yourself. This troper has had many sweet dreams about Misato Katsuragi.
Cardcaptor Sakura. I love it because it's cute. Both the manga and anime just make me feel so gooey inside.
Even the commanding imperiousness of Yue the Judge, the silver moon spirit that took almost sadistic satisfaction in making hell for Sakura and Syaoran, is lost in the face of him being just so damn sugary sparkly pretty.◊
Unfortunately, the flashbacks of the Darker and Edgier sequel make it much harder to enjoy the simple happiness of the lighthearted original. Damn you, CLAMP! Damn you to ell
Mind you the original couple only made an appearance to help Tsubasa's Sakura and Syaoran, they aren't related (well not by blood anyways)
Ah, but Clow is the same. Unfortunately. Tsubasa completely changes the tone of the sad but still sweet scene when he says goodbye to his Guardians before he dies. Then again, CCS is still adorable when taken as a stand-alone work.
Stellvia of the Universe. It's basically Azumanga Daioh in space, with awesome spaceship scenes and not one, but TWO instances of all humanity uniting to save the solar system.
Slayers. It's light, funny, heartwarming, and still manages to be engaging. After the first story arc, I wanted to live in that world. ^_^
Considering most Mazoku are Nightmare Fuel and Lina dies at least once per season? And don't forget the novel's graphic depictions of Mazoku-induced Body Horror.
Binbou Shimai Monogatari, Kyou and Asu's relationship is just so sweet and heartwarming. Especially, in the (much longer) manga which among other things includes a happy version of "The Little Match Girl" with them as the title character. Kinko and Ginko's relationship is almost as sweet. Also, deep down everyone is is a nice person. Yes, even their father.
The ending of Prétear. Everyone lives happily ever after. The villain is not defeated, but redeemed, and even she gets to live happily ever after with the man who loved her enough to die for her.
Natsume Yuujinchou has a lot of this too, being basically Mushishi with even more heart-warming... And Tear Jerkers too, but that just makes the fuzzy all the fuzzier.
In Dragon Ball Z, the Cell Game saga fillers. It wasn't a particularly Nightmare Fuel type show, but it wasn't particularly light hearted through most of it. It's just before the Cell Games and everyone's just having a hell of a time before the fight to save the world. Something about it is just... heartwarming. It's the main reason why I could stand those fillers. Yes, even the fight scenes that were in there were good too.
When Ouran High School Host Club isn't making you laugh from the sheer ridiculousness of its melodramatic comedy, it's warming your icy heart by devoting episodes to reuniting couples torn apart by circumstance or showing just how much the other hosts actually care about Haruhi at the end of the day.
Heck, I don't even have to watch the whole show. Just the opening theme is enough to make me grin. After that, everything is just icing on the chocolate cornet.
My Neighbor Totoro, a Slice of Life movie about a loving family consisting of two young sisters, an attentive father, and a mother who is sick in the hospital (but getting better). And the furry, friendly supernatural critters the girls befriend.
Kiki's Delivery Service. An adorable young witch in a wonderful coming-of-age story, three loving mother characters, a surprising and beautiful change of pace when Kiki spends the night with Ursula, Scenery Porn worthy of the Louvre, and a heroic rescue at the end. And a cat romance. The whole movie is like the cup of hot coffee/chocolate Osono gives Kiki when they meet.
Ponyo. One of the few times I walked out of a theater actually feeling uplifted.
Whispers Of The Heart. A sweet slice-of-life romance between two young people. The "Country Roads" scene in the violin shop is enough to make even a hardened macho dude sniff.
Ditto it's quasi-sequel The Cat Returns - yes, there are some tense moments, but all in all the fantastical nature of the story, the beautiful visuals, and the wonderful Ear Worm ending song combine to make you just feel *happy* after watching it.
Oh, heck, *any* of the Studio Ghibli films which are aimed at children are this.
Shinryaku! Ika Musume has the tile Ika Musume (squiid-girl) planing to invade the world, because humans pollute the ocean. Tough she might not have been successful with that, the show has invaded your heart. And also causes Awesomeness Withdrawal because it's that awesome.
Despite the characters living in something of a nasty, dangerous world, what makes One Piece good is that it's still full of Sweet Dreams Fuel of all kinds. It's loaded with hilarious and positively warm and fuzzy scenes. And you always come out of reading it feeling NO ONE is alone, and that your true friends will care about, protect, and stay by your side no matter what, and that miracles happen and nothing is really impossible.
You will have trouble finding something more awesome and uplifting than Luffy beating the ever-loving snot out of Arlong and ending the battle by breaking his base in half with one kick. * sniff* So awesome...
I take the Arlong arc and raise you the Water 7/ Enie's Lobby arc. Even though it has a lot of depressing parts, it also has the appearance of Sogeking, Luffy going 'LEEE-ROOOOOOOOOOOOOY JENKINS!' on Enie's Lobby and declaring war on the World Government to prove he won't abandon one of his crew. This one cheered. One Piece is very good at taking all the depressing moments and turning them into Crowning Moments of Awesome.
This troper literally has had One Piece be sweet dream fuel! She had the awesomest dream of her life the night she finished reading the manga.
Macross7, a lot of it, but especially the scene in Episode 37 when it's revealed that "the Sign of Peace" that a door locked with a riddle requires in the Protoculture ruins is a half-breed, someone born of two parents from two different races. That's when you realize in full force that humanity was nearly annhiliated by the Zentradi, a race of giants that knew only war and destruction, just a few years ago, and they were literally LOVED INTO SUBMISSION... and that it's all happening again, with what what was thought to be a soul-devouring Eldritch Horror about to be saved by The Power of Rock. All to the notes of the incredibly aptly-named Power To The Dream.
Sket Dance. The friendships. The endless and unique humor. The adorable characters. The endlessly cute and heartwarming relationship between Bossun and Himeko. This manga WILL make your day better.
ARIA. Just ARIA. Seriously, between the incredibly beautiful and soothing music, the cuteness, and the general tone of how life should be enjoyed, this troper actually makes it a point of watching one or two episodes before going to bed after particularly bad days - and, somehow, he inevitably comes out of it with a smile and an uplifted heart, and sleeps well.
Haibane Renmei. There's something about Rakka waking up and seeing everyone else just smiling at her that warms this troper's heart.
Ichigo Mashimaro. The two sisters, the weird neighbor, the innocent girl and the British girl who can't speak English. There's a laugh in almost every scene with this group.
Fruits Basket is a great thing to watch marathon-style while in the depths of depression. It's basically a giant Hurt/Comfort Fic. The manga is better story-wise (and, you know, complete), but the anime is better spiritual ice cream binge material.
For that matter, what about the ending of the manga, after Tohru and Kyo hook up? Folks pair up with the people they've been in love with, the Zodiac curse is broken so they can show affection, we see that Kyoko was reunited with her husband in the afterlife, Akito is able to move on, and Tohru and Kyo end up Happily Married.
The Read or Dream manga is very much a Lighter and Softer version of Read or Die focusing on the everyday life of the Paper Sisters, three characters who interact excellently and very obviously care a lot about eachother. As a result the series consists entirely of this. The same goes for large parts of ROD the TV.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann cheers this troper up whenever he feels down. Some series just make you feel better to be alive.
Nia. Getting a troper who pretty much hates Moe, and getting him to like a character just because of HOW DAMN ADORABLE she is. She is made of d'awwww and Squee!
Air Gear isn't exactly filled with heart warming moments, but as a skater who hates gravity with a passion, the stuff they do in this show often makes This troper feel like flying. Not to mention Akito/Agito! Squee!
The main turn-off factor of Zettai Muteki Raijin Oh to mainstream mecha fans is this, and inversely is a turn-on to this troper. Those adorable kids, while not diabetes-inducing sweet, are an antithesis to the Kids Are Cruel truism that pervades today's media. Their everyday interactions, both on and off the battlefield, just makes me wanna go awwwww.
Together With Master, a one-shot shoujo-ai Manga that has a lot of sweetness to it without being Diabetic. The twist in the ending helps take the edge off some of that sweetness.
FLCL. It's like Mind Rape, but in the opposite direction—your brain is just as broken, and you're just as confused, but you feel good. Not really sure why, though.
But watch out for grains of Nightmare Fuel, such as the arm in Episode 20, Charles dying, Eureka getting petrified, Eureka pre-evolution, Hap sitting on the toilet naked, Coralians, typeZERO's rolling eyes, Anemone eating jam... Yeah, just be careful with it, ok?
The Power of Love and The Power of Friendship are central themes in Sailor Moon; when they're not fighting monsters, they're just teen girls hanging out, and some funny moments and sweet scenes of conversations between the girls are Sweet Dreams Fuel. Its humor is a good thing for it, and then sometimes Off Model-wacky art style adds to its charm to some.
This image song. The image songs for the girls also bring a smile.
Anytime a Code Geass character does anything genuinely sweet or romantic. Also, anytime Lelouch actually smiles for real (and any fanart that shows him doing so counts as well). And, any (non-violent) scene of any character(s) as a child/children!
Windy Tales. A few kids learn how to control the wind, and have fun playing with it together. Cats can fly. Girls can float. The bond between friends is nigh-unbreakable. Soft, relaxing music. A gorgeous, highly experimental art style. All wrapped up in one Thirteen Episode Anime that shows both the bitter and sweet sides of growing up—but likes to lean toward the sweet.
Kamichu!. A Slice of Life about an ordinary middle school girl who becomes a god, and lets her life continue mostly as usual. The characters actually look and act their age, there is pretty much zero fanservice, and the backgrounds are pure Scenery Porn. Any conflicts that arise are resolved within an episode, and several things happen just because they can—a WWE-esque cat wrestling match? Sure, sounds like fun. Amazingly relaxing.
Mokke. The relationship between the sisters Shizuru and Mizuki is so heartwarming, and even their realistically portrayed occasional bickering can't put any dents in that. Sure, some of the ghosts are scary, but in the end their appearance only seems to enrich the two girls' lives.
Don't forget the shrine maiden's song. While the lyrics are somewhat dark, the singing itself is beautiful. It's an in-universe example, too, calming troubled souls.
Hanamaru Kindergarten. It's... oh, my God, if you could weaponize cuteness, this show would be freakin' lethal.
Digimon Tamers is dark, but also outdoes the other seasons in terms of sheer cuteness factor. Culumon is just... It has to be among the most "awwwww" inducing critters this troper has ever seen. Guilmon's personality is utterly adorable outside of battle, Terriermon needs not be said ("Moumantai~"), Lopmon's frown doesn't make him less cute, and then MarineAngemon is introduced. Cuteness overload. I await the night when I get to cuddle up to Culumon in my dreams.
Minami-ke deserves mention, a funny and cute series involving the love of three sisters and their daily lives in their own schools and as a family. Full of funny moments and heartwarming moments as well.
While Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha has its darker moments, the show simply has such strong themes of forgiveness, second chances and acceptance that it ultimately becomes this.
Time Of Eve: If you don't feel some sort of Hope for humanity/non-humanity you... well you probably still have a soul in some way.
Oh My Goddess!. Anhonestlyromantic couple, three truly close sisters, and a sweet, homey feel add up to over twenty years' worth of warm-tea-with-honey feelings. The five-episode OVA alone will fill you with amazing feelings.
Kimi ni Todoke: shy, socially awkward girl with low self-esteem gradually opens up and makes loads of great friends thanks to the influence of the nicest most-popular-boy-in-school you ever saw... and she does it without having to change who she is. It's adorable.
Angelic Layer. The angel-motif "Angels" and the background stories of the characters just makes this troper so giddy and happy.
Wandering Son. Behind the constant Tear Jerker moments is a cute, inspiring manga about two kids who just want to be themselves while being adorable.
Tamayura. Four girls on their quest toward adulthood, following their dreams, all while enjoying springtime in their beautiful seaside town. It makes one want to move to Takehara just to enjoy the view every day.
Pandora Hearts may be a dark and violent manga, but Lacie, the nostalgic melody from the pocketwatch is definitely Sweet Dreams Fuel. And this series is heavily based on Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, after all, so the whole thing gives me a happy, nostalgic feeling.
Clannad. If you're ever feeling depressed or agitated, look at this picture◊. Seeing Nagisa and the rest of the girls sweetly smiling and beaming up at you is bound to help you relax.
Chobits. Some parts of the series are admittedly veryserious (and, well, perverted), but most of it is the adorable antics of cute robot girls and a couple of intertwining love stories. What really makes it Sweet Dreams Fuel, though, is the atmosphere: the visuals are soft, pretty, and mostly pastel-colored, and the soundtrack alternates between sugary-sweet and soothingly peaceful.
Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is possibly the most heartwarming series this troper has ever seen, in every way possible.
While it starts out (and doesn't stop) with Nightmare Fuel, Fullmetal Alchemist as a whole (especially the Happily Ever After in the manga and Brotherhood) has a very uplifting message that you'll find yourself repeating when you feel like nothing's going your way:
Edward Elric: There's no such thing as a painless lesson. They just don't exist. Sacrifices are necessary; you can't gain anything without losing something first. Although, if you can endure that pain, and walk away from it, you'll find that you have a heart strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Yeah. A heart made fullmetal.
Mahoraba is a funny, heartwarming and strangely weird Slice of Life where every chapter is guaranteed to make you go "D'awwwww!" at least once. The characters are all absolutely adorable and the ending wraps everything up like a big hug in a warm sweater.
A Little Snow Fairy Sugar certainly qualifies. The night I began watching the show, I literally dreamed that Saga was playing my favorite songs on her piano with Sugar right next to me.
The anime version of THE iDOLM@STER. Almost every episode has An Aesop and leaves you with a good feeling about their world.
One Piece. I mean just look at the Straw Hat Crew, especially Luffy, Usopp and Chopper. Not to mention the extremely flamboyent world they travel through and the people they meet. You know what else? People communicate through colorful talking snails known as Den Den Mushis.
Ristorante Paradiso. Yes, it's a show about a damn near Mary Suetopia of a restaurant. Yes, said restaurant is called "Cottage of the Bear." But it's so sweet and nice that eventually you give in and get your sugar addiction on. My particular favorite episodes are the birthday parties of one of the chefs' son and the owner's wife.
Nichijou, it's a light hearted comedy about how awesome everyday life is. That alone should tell you how ridiculously happy the anime is, and then you get to the last few episodes showing you just how great having friends really is.
Comic Books
The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics is pure, unleaded Sweet Dreams Fuel from start to finish. Loaded with over 60 classic comics from a large variety of artists (some of whom were even Golden Age animators!) binded in a pseudo-classic book like fashion. The stories feature lovely artwork and stories handpicked by industry veterans like Art Spielgelmen (who you might know as the creator of the not-so-sweet dreams fuel ridden comic Maus)—stories that they feel are worthy enough to be read by the children of today.
There is also the Craig Yoe book The Golden Collection of Krazy Kool Klassic Kids' Komics, which also has a large variety of comics from many classic artists. The story selection isn't quite as impressive as the Toon Treasury book, but it's still a worthy addition to any classic comic enthusiasts collection, a fun read for any age, and just as loaded with sweet dreams fuel.
is a wonderful compilation of Sunday Felix the Cat comic strips penned by his creator Otto Messmer. Rich in imagination and fantasy, Felix embarks on many escapades, loaded with fun sight gags, good characterization, all told with Otto's imaginative rubberhose art style—even his props are fun to look at! If you're a fan of Felix, this book is a must have!
Another excellent Felix collection is the Craig Yoe book Felix The Cat's Greatest Comic Book Tales, offering a selection of stories that are truly ideal for children—loaded with lovely illustrations, cute fantasy stories, funny gags, and great artwork from Otto Messmer, Joe Oriolo and even Jim Tyer. It's also much easier to get ahold of than the Nine Lives to Live book.
The Complete Milt Gross is yet another excellent collection from Craig Yoe, featuring a plethora of hilarious stories from one of the best comic artists of the 30's and 40's! The artwork is hilarious bizarre and full of energy, and Milt's slang and witty dialogue, as well as his funny cast of characters made this ideal for someone who wants a little more spice in their sweet dreams fuel.
Mickey and the Gang: Classic Stories in Verse is a truly excellent, LARGE book loaded with classic Disney comics, Good Housekeeping magazine poems represented with beautiful hand-painted illustrations, and is crammed to the bursting point with trivia and information on Classic Disney. Great to read to your kids before bed, and a true treat for any fan of Classic Disney.
E.C. Segar's Popeye anthologies are all excellent comics that have stood the passage of time. While his artwork is fairly crude, Segar created some of the most memorable characters in comic history, and his wit is as sharp as a razor. Even if you're already a fan of the Popeye cartoons, the original comics will only enhance your appreciation for the series even more.
Krazy Kat is a truly surreal, but sweet dreams fuel inducing series. Not much more to be said.
Pretty much any comic made by Winsor McCay will fall into this, but his legendary Little Nemo comics take the cake.
Calvin and Hobbes is pure sweet dreams fuel from start to finish, loaded with great artwork, truly imaginative stories, and some of the richest, funniest characters to ever grace the comics page.
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: This is the tonic to One More Day. Adorable, well-written, enjoyably fluffy, and barely wangsty at all despite being about a teenage girl in high school...a nice change from the ordinary comics fare.
The chibi Endless from Sandman and spin-off comics. This troper owns a set of figurines of them. They live on her desk and watch over her sleep in their cuteness.
Tiny Titans: Aw yeah, Tiny Titans! If you're depressed by the team's sky-high body count and the book's downward spiral, please check out this book. Who ever thought Trigon could be even remotely adorable?
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade: Supergirl, her sort-of-evil clone and Lex Luthor's kid sister get into wacky hijinks. Just the thing if you're feeling stressed.
Also this◊, though it may actually creep/gross out some.
It's a little weird to put this here, considering the rest of the movie, but this troper always considered the ending of Raising Arizona to be this.
Film
Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. I, for one, boycott each, every and all Christmas movies ever (sugar-iced, honey-coated, syrupy pieces of cheap tacky feelgood...) And that one manages to make me cry four to five times every time I watch it.
For example: Death himself, in the role of the Hogfather (Discworld's version of Santa), savingthe Little Matchgirl.
Nope. The finale where Jack and Sally have their ending duet is a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming and if that's not a high note for a movie to end on, then what is?
While the older version was good, the new Hairspray is pure Sweet Dreams Fuel, from the joyous dance numbers, to its giddy optimism.
Try, just try, to watch Sigur Rós' homecoming-tour documentary Heima without wanting to move to Iceland and just bask in a sea of etheral post-rock, cable-knit sweaters, and geological anomaly forever.
Pretty much any Pixar movie. If you can watch one all the way through without smiling at least once, then you have no soul.
Ironic that Joss Whedon helped write the screenplay for one of them.
Well, he has said that not one of his lines actually made it into the final film; his one real contribution is the character of Rex.
This movie, typical of a Don Bluth film, has its tragic moments, but it balances it with some of the most beautiful portrayals of maternal and filial love ever shown on film. The soundtrack only makes it all the more heartwarming...
The end of It's a Wonderful Life looks cheesy and cliche if taken out of context, but taken with the rest of the film it makes excellent Christmas-flavored sweet dreams fuel. Many people owe their holiday warm fuzzies entirely to Frank Capra.
Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky: Poppy's cheerfulness really rubs off on you. Unless you can't stand quirky happy people who joke a lot :D.
Magician's Hat, even though I've only recently discovered it and was only released in one language (which I don't speak). Try doing a youtube search for "Thistle sings" - the song, the voice and the imagery is truly sweet (and has considerably fewer gawky forest creatures than its prequel). But the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming comes at the end when the aformentioned Magician defeats the film's bad guy but in the process ends up being another victim of said bad guy's freezing curse (and due to the timing is not freed by the curser's death) and Fairy Queen, who has come to reciprocate his affection is able to remove the curse with her tears
This one's going to receive a lot of raised eyebrows, but Deep Rising has earned the title of Sweet Dreams Fuel to this troper. Sure it's an action/horror movie with some gruesome and horrifying moments, but one night this troper suffered an enormous emotional breakdown for reasons it was difficult to pinpoint. When he hit the Despairevent Horizon, he pulled up the movie and watched it, hoping it would take his mind off everything. It did. The likable characters, masterful buildup and atmosphere, pulsepounding action, pants-wetting horror, amazing soundtrack and ultimate resolution with an indescribably awesome action sequence ultimately giving the villains and the monster(which was a magnificent creation in its own right) their ultimate punishment, and seeing the protagonists triumph against impossible odds all made for a film that left this troper in a good mood by the end, despite everything. The Nightmare Fuel just made the ultimate payoff that much more uplifting.
The Disney Animated Canon. Beautifully animated movies with sweeping soundtracks, loveable and relatable characters, and an idealistic, romantic viewpoint of the world. Examples include:
Tangled. Of note are the scenes where Rapunzel gets out of the tower for the first time, running about singing about how wonderful it is, and the festival where she drags in a bunch of complete strangers to dance with her.
Flynn/Eugene and Rapunzel's relationship is WAFF incarnate, especially with their duet "I See The Light", which is probably one of the most spectacularly beautiful sequences Disney has ever made. (As you can tell, I'm totally not a fangirl at all.)
Meet the Robinsons is the inspiration for my idealistic, if not realistic dream of the future. Blue skies and Ghibli Hills are awesome. Don't forget the house of the future.
The Emperor's New Groove. Cute, funny, and so uplifting you won't care if it doesn't make sense. It has a great feel to it and I DARE you to watch it and not like it.
Guest from the Future, a children's Sci Fi classic from 1980s Russia. The characters—both kids and grownups—are all likeable, especially Alisa, the future girl herself. She made a new generation interested in science and the future, and the actress, Natalia Guseva, became a scientist herself. And the theme music is always worth a listen if you want to feel good.
You Never Dreamed is also very adorable, and lets you know that no matter how hard it may seem today, love always works out in the end.
Literature
Spring-Heeled Jack, a half-graphic, half-novel about Victorian London's Batman as he rescues scruffy orphans with trinkets and takes on Mack the Knife himself, wittily and with great aplomb. When Philip Pullman does sweet, he does sweet.
If you think about the fact that Spring-Heeled Jack is a semi-folkloric character more like a fire-breathing, failure-prone rapist than a dispensory of vigilante justice.
Lloyd Alexander's The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen. Wise without being smarmy. Fun without being sugary. Harrowing without being Nightmare Fuel.
The cangue wasn't Nightmare Fuel? Or Li Kwang's adventure? Or the thirsty sword? But the paintbrush, kite and flute made up for a lot of it.
On the subject of Lloyd Alexander, The Arkadians does it for me. Retellings of myths? A truly happy ending? Rainbows? Can it get any better?
Arguably also The Cat Who Wished to be a Man. It's a very innocent outlook on humanity, and while some of it is depressing and frightening, there are enough genuinly witty or sweet moments to make it worth it.
Audiobooks of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories. A kind, grandfatherly voice narrating the adventures of the scatterbrained Pooh and his friends... I'm horribly cynical at best, but these audiobooks have never failed to put a smile on my face. The animated adaptations are good as well, but nothing beats the original stories.
Even just reading the books aloud is wonderful! Nothing is as adorable as reading about Pooh describing the lunch he packed while a series of little pictures show him packing said lunch.
Paddington Bear. You will never look at marmalade without a nostalgic smile ever again. Kind of like when you open a jar a Play-Doh.
Pretty much anything by Diana Wynne Jones can qualify as this. Slice of Life stories of friendship, romance and teamwork made interesting with magic!
The best one is The Ogre Downstairs. It's what this Troper reads if something has creeped her out and she can't sleep.
Though you might wanna avoid, um I don't know, Hexwood, Charmed Life, The Time of the Ghost, The Homeward Bounders, Dogsbody, Eight Days of Luke... They are totally amazing books, just not exactly what you'd call cheerful. Actually I can't think of any book by her that's completely free of nightmare fuel, and I've read all but two. Still, that's what makes her awesome. You read about not nice things happening to nice people and end up with a warm fluffy feeling when it all works out. Only, like in a few of the titles above, sometimes it doesn't.
The Time of the Ghost is the only one of those that really doesn't qualify. The other ones are mostly light-hearted throughout, and the endings are varying levels of bittersweet, but Time of the Ghost? This troper couldn't sleep after reading it. The Dalemark books also may not count due to being more serious in tone throughout.
Terrence Real's books (which sort of straddle the divide between Literature and Real Life) are made of Sweet Dreams Fuel. This editor is particularly reminded of a retelling of "Echo and Narcissus" in How Can I Get Through to You?
Oddly enough, Melina Marchetta's On the Jellicoe Road, despite being a pretty much non-stop Tear Jerker (or maybe because of?) has this by the bucketload.
Brian Floca's Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11. Yes, it's a picture book for little kids, but out of ALL the books that came out for the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, this troper thinks this one captured the beauty and wonder the best. ESPECIALLY the last picture, with the family running outside to play with the little toy rocket and the moon in the background.
Dinotopia. Especially the very first one. A utopia of poets, writers, artists, and scientists? With friendly dinosaurs? Brilliantly illustrated? Oh yes.
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is like a happy, magical fairytale for grownups. Its whimsy and wonder are childlike without completely distancing oneself from adulthood.
So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish. We've followed Arthur Dent through so very much, from his house (and subsequently his planet) being demolished, going insane, and being given more reasons to say "So this is it. We're going to die" than any man should have in his lifetime. And in a few months, he recovers his planet (and subsequently his home) and finds true love with someone so right for him that she even makes the idea of leaving Earth once more bearable. It's remarkably sweet and somehow feels right to the point where the narrator can concede the point without losing the wit or the trademark simile-ing everything to death.
Connie Willis's Bellwether and To Say Nothing Of The Dog. Particularly the second - all her trademark screwball-comedy dialogue, a charming homage to Victorian and Edwardian literature, and even in the darker bits, there's a sense that everything will turn out OK. Also, fluffy kittens.
P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster stories. They're just so innocent and silly that it's impossible not to smile through the whole thing.
Pretty much everything by Wodehouse, really.
No matter how dark and depressing it can be, Harry Potter is this, at least for this troper. For the nostalgic reasons, and for the "I wish I lived in this world" feeling everyone gets.
Go break out the stash of books you read as a kid. Read one of your old Junie B. Jones books. You're welcome.
Doctor Dolittle. A man who does what he loves (talking to and helping animals) without caring about what other people think or how much money he earns doing so. His pets are all completely endearing, from Dab Dab the housekeeper to the parrot who first teaches Dolittle the animal's language. Turns to Tear Jerker when you realise the original form books have been out of print for 40 years.
The Little Prince. "You only see well with your heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes". Brings me to happy tears even as I write this.
As mentioned in the Films section, Death from Discworld is absolutely adorable- he doesn't quite understand humans, but he finds them extremely fascinating, and, in the end, he really cares about people, working hard to protect them from the Auditors.
Live-Action TV
Pushing Daisies. Brightly colored sets, fantastic clothing, impeccably witty dialogue, and amazing acting. Should rightly taste like diabetes, but somehow everything works out in its favor (even the combination of the sweetness of Ned and Chuck and gruesome murders).
Gilmore Girls. The love that the mother and daughter have for each other, and not only that, even with all the troubles, Stars Hollow and the Gilmores are good people inside they hearts..
Mork and Mindy. Both the show and the titular couple. So much sweetness and optimism... why is it they don't make shows like this anymore?
It's more than that. It just perfectly encapsulates childhood, period, with a healthy dose of exaggeration. All the problems that seem petty looking back are displayed with outrageous importance, blown up to proportions that by all logic should seem too absurd to take seriously, but the characters are so genuine and their reactions so familiar and close to home that the lengths the conflicts are taken to seem justifiably as important now as they were then. The show takes you back to how it felt to search desperately for a missing Ear Worm or how unfair curfews seemed or how the local bully acted like a Complete Monster. But with that you get how it felt to have a crush, or end a fight with a friend, or do something nice for someone, or even just to relax. This show is an epic, feel-good tribute to what it means to be a kid and have fun without tasting like diabetes for a single moment. And it makes you laugh. So, yeah, perfect.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. No one else has compared in the world of children's television, and Mr. Rogers cared about adults too.
"Family Ties" is definitely sweet dreams fuel for anyone who was a child in the 1980s.
iCarly: iSaved Your Life. Freddie would sacrifice his life to save Carly, Carly realises how much he means to her, they kiss about 6 times in a very cute way (and one hot way in the extended version). They practically glow with happiness whilst they are together, and the final 'dawww', Freddie has a I Want My Beloved to Be Happy moment because he doesn't want to hurt Carly by taking advantage of her when he's unsure if her feelings are true. Even though it's a minor Downer Ending, it's a very powerful expression of his feelings for her and that it's not just some random teenage hormonal attraction on a show with practically no morals, aesops or lessons.
Also the relationships between Spencer and Carly, and Sam and Carly. Whilst most of the show isn't especially heartwarming, the 3 major relationships, Spencer/Carly, Carly/Sam and Freddie/Carly are a heartwarming core of warm fuzziness.
The Joy Of Painting with Bob Ross. There is a reason all the trees are happy!
One German TV channel used to broadcast it around 3 AM (and without dubbing!) specifically for its soothing qualities. Literal Sweet Dreams Fuel for the insomniac.
What about the 2011 Christmas special's ending, when the Doctor arrives at the Ponds?
What about Amy and Rory's wedding? Everything about that day is perfect, from her parentsly beinng brought back to reality, to Amy and Rory being happy and safe and able to be together, to the Doctor dancing like a loon to the three of them riding off in the TARDIS together.
Near the end of the finale for season six, the scene where River goes home to Amy and Rory's place, and Amy's whoops of joy when she finds out the Doctor's alive.
The entire show which has taught whole generations of people that a hero is a slightly barmy alien with a screwdriver who is a huge fan of our planet. Even his ship thinks we're bigger on the inside.
Fraggle Rock. There's a reason that it's considered Jim Henson'sMagnum Opus. Not many shows are created with the intention of bringing about world peace.
It is impossible to listen to "Pilots" by Goldfrapp without feeling chilled out afterwards, but add in the dreamy music video, with the elegant dancing and the synchronized scooter stewardess ballet, and suddenly all the fuss and annoyances of airport security and terror threats seem very far away...
Iron and Wine's "The Sea and the Rhythm" "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" and "Fever Dream" never fail to soothe this troper into sleep.
Dreameater Girl in the Sand has literally helped this troper get over nightmares and go back to dreaming happy things.
SF-A2 Mikiembodies sweet dreams fuel for this troper. Just saying her name can put a smile on their face.
Okay, maybe this won't work for everyone, but this troper is a United States Air Force veteran, and at my Airman's Coin Ceremony (when you become an Airman in basic training, a wonderful moment even without this song) this song played. Imagine you've been put through hell (physically and mentally) for two solid months, and finally, the squadron commander shakes your hand, gives you your coin, and says "Congratulations... Airman." all the while this song is playing in the background, and, for the first time in this two month period, YOUR FAMILY IS THERE. This troper can't hear the song without tearing up.
Corpsman here. I'm green with jealous rage... sort of (lol chairforce bootcamp is hell?). All we get is that corny "Proud To Be An American" song at our capping ceremony. Still, even with the corny music, having your RD Cs shake your hands and give you your Navy ballcap, and getting addressed as "shipmate" for the first time? Holy hell, such a crowning moment of heartwarming.
Lingalad. Pretty much anything by them qualifies, but Il Vecchio Lupo especially. Even if you don't speak a single word of Italian.
So much of The Beatles music can't help but make you smile, but Hello Goodbye is quintessential Bealtes happytime music of awesome. Especially their goofing around in the video during the coda.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is one of the most cheerful songs ever written, telling a nice small-town love story with a lovely happy ending. It even ends with the lines, "And if you want some fun / sing OB-LA-DI-LA-DA!", before one of the Beatles puts on a silly high-pitched voice and squeaks, "Thank you!" while one of his bandmates laughs.
"Evening Song" is a Russian lullaby that will leave you dreaming of the romantic city of Saint Petersburg standing serenely and triumphantly on the blue waves of the Neva River.
"Lullaby To Tim" by The Hollies. Despite the criticisms, I get all warm and fuzzy listening to this, right down to the WALL•E styled vocals.
Just anything by Brooke Fraser, like Shadowfeet or Flags. It can heal you from any bad day.
This troper once left Rufus Wainwright's cover of Across the Universe playing and went to sleep. Result? She had a dream about an astronomical observatory built in her town, with a huge planetarium near it. It was the best dream she ever had. Sadly, It Only Works Once.
Almost anything by Donna Summer qualifies. Her music seems to emanate from a world of brightly colored lights and nonstop dancing and love. How can you NOT want to dance to Donna?
"That's the Way of the World" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. Makes me smile.
Pretty nuch anything sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Misty is a great example.
The instrumental Robinsonse Pitter Patter Goes by Heart by Broken Social Scene. The top comment put it best, saying it is the "sound of falling in love."
Julie London had a voice as delicate as a cloud. When I Fall In Love proves it.
Girls' Generation's Gee and Kissing You are my happy place songs. Dear Mom is a good one, too, since it was made specifically to be a love letter to the members' mothers.
This seems to be one of Connor Kirby-Long's two default modes, the other being Tear Jerker.
The album Ghost by the Devin Townsend Project so much for this one. Starting off with Fly and Feather. The dreamy flutes and -what sounds like- Oboe, the sweet lyrics about a father singing to his daughter, gentle whispering ("Close your eyes and go to sleep... Peace to you..."). The whole album it comes from is generally this, it's hardly sinister at all compared to Devin's other works. In fact this one listens to it before going to bed it's so chill.
The Crystalline Effect's song "Right". It's slow, beautiful, faintly nostalgic and just so damn perfect.
Also, "Three Little Birds." The simplest, sweetest Hope Spot you could ask for, perfect for listening to in rough times.
Most of Anna Nalick and Amy MacDonald's songs I've heard so far, especially this one.
Megurine Luka's Toeto. Just hearing that song automatically makes this troper feel so peaceful. Even moreso with the Nico Nico Chorus version, where it, literally, sounds like a chorus of angels.
Every second of the Sailor Moon Orgel Fantasia CD. Princess Moon and Tuxedo Mirage sound like two of the worlds greatest lullabyes.
All opinions youmayhave about Bill Plympton's 1987 classic "Your Face" aside, Maureen McElheron's score is one of the most heartwarming love songs out there.
Megadeth's song Coming Home is very calming and soothing compared to their other music, some of which borders on Nightmare Fuel.
Though they're certainly not known for their sweetness, Gorillaz has a gem in "On Melancholy Hill". It's highly instrumental, with subdued lyrics that carry a gentle, loving message: 'nothing's perfect, but I'll do anything I can to make it better, because I feel like I'm a better person when I'm with you.'
Especially in the acoustic version. Skip to 2:35 to hear it- and it's nice to see how happy and peaceful the band look whilst playing.
The Kuricorder Quartet. Anything they've ever done, ever. Yes, even the Imperial March. (Tuba, ukulele, bongos and melodica.)
Snow Patrol, especially Chasing Cars, Shut Your Eyes, Crack The Shutters and finally The Lightening Strike.
"Sylvia" by Focus contains what may be the sweetest, most uplifting melodies ever. Never fails to bring a smile to this troper's face.
The aplty named "These Dreams", by Heart.
Emilie Autumn, has some sweet dream making songs such as Across The Sky, and Remember.
and her covers of such songs as Leclair-Tabourin, Vitali-Chaconne and Crazy He Calls Me.
Britney Spears has some sweet dream giving songs such as Strangest Love, Trip To Your Heart, Heaven On Earth, When I Found You, Everyday and State Of Grace
The Veronicas have "I Could Get Used To This" a song basically describing the(ir) ultimate boyfriend.
Also putting Colbie Caillat here. Particularly "Magic" and "Oxygen", but most of her music would fit here, either uplifting or loving or telling you it's okay to be afraid sometimes of little things like commitment (Tied Down) or of failure (It Stops Today)
This troper finds Coldplay's Paradise always cheers her up; Strawberry Swing by the same band has the same effect, too. "It's such, it's such a perfect day..."
Quite a few LM.C songs. Some of the best examples are "Punky Heart" ("You’re crying all alone but if you can just smile then it doesn’t matter if the whole world’s your enemy"), "Optimisland" ("The blue color of the sky that we always see as the color of tears just does not look that bad if I am with you, right?"), and "Ah Hah!" ("Every day, even if you’re meeting the worst moment in your history, say 'I just wanna be the happiest' - laugh it off; it’s OK")
Just about all of Eric Whitacre's choral peices are Awesome Music, but the most uplifting are surely Sleep, the hauntingly beautiful Seal Lullabye (Dreamworks picked Kung Fu Panda over this?!), and especially the upcoming various solo, orchestral, and choral settings of the beloved children's classic, Goodnight Moon.
A lot of the music for the The H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast is created by one of the co-host's, Chad Fifer, and his track for the story Celephais is a wonderful soundscape of bell-like melodies, soft synths and calm, lapping ocean waves. This troper often happily falls asleep to it. The track (and the rest of the music) can be obtained through contact with either show host on the HP Podcraft site.
Even if you're not a fan of the show, Pinkie Pie's song "Smile Smile Smile" is a genuinely uplifting and nice song about how Pinkie likes to make her friends happy.
When your jimmies are more rustled than a forest after a hurricane, sometimes you just gotta settle down and listen to some Lakmé Act 1. Click, and let the blessings of the Unrustled Triumvirate wash over you like clean, sparkling bathwater.
Normally, Silent Hill isn't a source of heartwarming, but as evidenced by the case of Letter From The Lost Days from Silent Hill 3, there is the occasional tidbit. Especially in this song about love, keeping up hope, and wanting someone else to find happiness. "Oh, what a pair, me and you, put here to feel joy, not feel blue. Sad times and bad times, see them through—soon we will know if it's for real, what we... both feel..."
Shako-Pani makes drum-n'bass inspired tunes to briefly put your troubles aside by, with sweet melodies and a light atmosphere prevalent even in his most chaotic works.
Suzuka. Her works always seem to have an air of overwhelming beauty and pure, unadulterated soul, with melodies seemingly designed to remind you that better days exist, or at least help you take your mind off the worse ones.
Suntra's "Other Victories" album. Cheesy, video-game melodies made with old equipment, bring to mind an old RPG or a sidescroller set in a cartoony, surrealist world of the sort the cover only hints at, with a warm and cheery atmosphere building throughout.
Mozart, especially pieces like the Piano Concerto in G (#19), several of the piano pieces, a lot of his chamber music... The man was capable of amazing depths of happiness which cheer the very soul just by being so very happy to exist. Beethoven needed struggle against adversity, Bach was raptured in religious reassurance, but Mozart's music is just plain excited.
Reading just one panel of Calvin and Hobbes takes me right back to being six years old and reading the collections with my grandfather.
It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy. Let's go exploring!
Same for this troper, but with my older sister.
Yes. C and H is awesome.
Hey, waitaminute. C and H is a sugar company. Coincidence?
The quote's a bit of a Tear Jerker. Every other comic of its ten year run is made of cute.
Cul de Sac. Take Lucky Star, remove the Moe, make everyone grade schoolers, and watch yourself become all giddy as you read it.
Frazz is one of the cleverest strips being published today, and frequently gives the warm fuzzies besides!
Radio
The Ku Klux Klan is listed under nightmare fuel, and quite rightly. But the method of their defeat, the complete changing of their image from a distasteful but marginally tolerable part of the American social fabric to a collection of hate-filled idiots, is most definitely this: Superman took them on, and won. No joke. For the serial "Clan of the Fiery Cross," one of the writers of the Adventures of Superman radio serial infiltrated a "klavern," as the Klan called their chapters, and loaded the script with every last possible bit of genuine Klan slang, methodology and doctrine. The Klan leadership was so panicked they even tried to get the serial cancelled by organizing a boycott of Kellogg's products in Atlanta. It didn't work.
Theater
Almost all of Shakespeare's comedies have at least a little of this in the final scene. Typically, there are Weddings for Everyone. A Midsummer Night's Dream ends with the promise of eternal love for all the couples, because the fairies are protecting them and will protect their children—plus, the laborers have put on their play, and everyone's going to continue partying, day in and day out, for the next two weeks.
Roll's theme song "Kaze yo Tsutaete". it makes you feel warm and happy inside just listening to the cute singing voice of Yoshino Aoki, especially the Japanese version of Tatsunoko vs Capcom.
Knytt: One of the best freeware games ever created, it's basically what happens when you take the atmosphere of Ico and turn it into a side-scroller. The graphics are deceptively simplistic but soothing, the music is ambient and lively, and the gameplay is so peaceful and dreamlike—there are almost no enemies in the game, no boss fights, and the only non-enemy way to die is to touch liquids. The crisp pacing and Metroid Vania based gameplay, as well as it's short length (it can be beaten in an hour) make it a soothing gaming experience.
Pikmin 2: The cynical ideas aside, in Captain Olimar's notes about a certain treasure you pick up, he describes how he choreographed a musical in which his pikmin danced and sang on top of the 'podium' that this treasure was perceived to be.
Imagine being able to hug Pikmin— if you want to get cavities...
Bring on the cavities, then!
Yoshi's Island, at least until you lose Baby Mario. Then it's pretty creepy.
Try Yoshi's Story, then. Eat fruit. Listen to happy music. Look at pretty pictures. <3!
He also manages to carry it over to Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Right after Link draws the Master Sword, usually a key point in his games, we see Yoshi... sleeping happily on a treestump.
And then Link gets attacked, and Yoshi just wanders up, still half-asleep, with an air that says, "Hey bro, what's goin' on over here? Oh, is that all? Cool, I'll give yez a hand."
Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, the adorable characters and the entire premise of helping bring the couples together, not to mention the "Duets" song
But when you fail you get red text with the word "fail". To compare this, imagine you're stroking the best kitty in the world, and accidentally nudge it wrong. The kitty looks at you and says, in the voice of Darth Vader, "You have failed me for the last time, insolent whelp".
At the same time, every once in a while the green text saying "So close! Just one away!" is really quite encouraging and refreshing; it takes away all the frustration of failing by only one and makes you want to try again.
ThisMother-themed Affectionate Parody of the video to the beatmania IIDX song "smooooch" is also incredibly sweet. (caution: spoilers if you haven't beaten Mother 3.)
Midna is considered by many to be pretty adorable.
Even Midna's One-Winged Angel powerup isn't really that scary. Like, yeah there's a house-sized black chitinous spider-thing with a trident stomping around...but it's on your side.
90% of the cast of ''The Wind Waker'' and the overall design and mood of the game also apply.
Skyward Sword. Especially flying around on your giant bird, and anything Link does, and any scene where Link and Zelda interact, squee! <3
Final Fantasy VIII. Yeah, it has its shortcomings... but you can't help wanting to live in that world because of the beautiful, sunshiny look to everything.
The main point of the entire plot of the game is Squall coming to realize that friendship and love make life worth living and that the world is worth saving, dammit!
For that matter, Final Fantasy IX, a charming thowback to past Final Fantasies, where you play as chibi-characters consisting of a cheerful, Chivalrous PervertLoveable Rogue with a monkey tail, a six year old Genki Girl with a small, adorable horn, and a klutzyChild Mage who is a walking embodiment of The Woobie, who each gain an integral and heartwarming lesson throughout the story. The save points consist of a wide variety of adorable Moogles (tiny winged bears with pomp pomps on their heads) that write your progress in a story book brought out of Hammerspace for goodness sake!
The entirety of Katamari Damacy. Na naaaaaaaa, na na na na naaaaaaah na naaaaa na na na na na naaaaaa...
Ah dun dun dikadika dun dika dun dun... The soundtrack is definitely what makes this one break the Happy Meter. DISCO* PRINCE is awesome driving music, Katamari Star is both happy AND melancholy, Walking On A Star and Fugue #7777 make me smile and giggle EVERY DAMN TIME I HEAR EITHER, and I have Beautiful Star for an alarm.
Katamari Damacy is essentially a direct antidote to the horrors of the Silent Hill series. It's the polar opposite!
Hey You, Pikachu! is pretty much cute in cartridge form. Not only is the only point of the game to have fun romping around with a young Pikachu, said Pikachu is pretty much the most adorably scatterbrained member of the species ever. Also, when you become very close, he will present you with Valuable Treasures like magnets and Pidgey feathers while singing a pirate song in Pika-ese. Eeeeeeee!
This game is made of the cotton candy from your childhood.
It has kind of a Bittersweet Ending where you have to let Pikachu back into the wild, but Pikachu comes right back and the game continues forevermore. After, again, the cutest credits sequence ever. Pikachu sings you a song.
My Pokémon Ranch. Chibified Pokémon playing with each other. A good deal of them are those you transferred yourself. The concept is way too adorable.
Don't forget Pokémon Snap. Pretty much just a leisurely tour of an island, taking pictures of Pokémon in their natural habitat. One lap around the ultra-serene starlit skies of Rainbow Cloud, with the ultra-cute Mew as your lone photography subject, and you'll be having sweet dreams in no time.
In Heart Gold and Soul Silver, the first member of your party walks with your Trainer. If they are sufficiently fond of you, when you interact with them, sometimes they'll dance happily, cuddle or hug you, or just is happy walking beside you. It's incredibly cute.
In Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, there is a character named Dr. Footprint, who analyzes how your Pokemon walk (or fly or scoot or whatever) and tells you how they feel about you. Show him a Pokemon that has a high/maximum friendship rating, and he'll spout adoration on their behalf. Even sweeter if you show him a Pokemon of a typically scary/evil species with a good friendship rating; he lampshades the species's ill repute and thanks you for loving it anyway.
A somewhat odd example from Baldur's Gate... Imoen discusses her Superpowered Evil Side and mentions that yes, she gets... urges sometimes in the middle of the night. Luckily it's just that the slayer wants a sandwich.
Florina and Serra's A support in Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken. Florina's declaration of admiration and friendship is so sweet it renders Serra speechless beyond simply "Aww...Florina!"
Especially notable with Minit. Everything about her is cute, including the song she's in. Even her miss animation (in which she cries) and her "stage failed" animation (in which she cries and needs her brother Timer to comfort her) are cute.
The 'Good' ending of BioShock. Sure, the game has some of scariest, most profoundly messed up things ever, but that ending... It was such a Heartwarming Moment that you may shed Manly Tears.
The sequel's good ending also qualifies. Eleanor is free. Delta's nightmarish existence finally ends, and he will continue to live within his beloved Little Sister / daughter. And Eleanor is going to teach to the Little Sisters he saved to be good persons, just like his daddy taught her to be. Even Lamb, who for the whole game has been trying to kill you, is given a second chance at life, and will instead be a better person than she ever was. Awwww...
The Legendary Starfy <3! He's so cute and loveable and Kirby-like and has an even cuter sister to boot. The game is adorable.
Chibi Robo has, as its main objective, solving the Sanderson family's problems and making everyone happy. It is also cute.
Super Robot Wars. Imagine growing up watching all kinds of Super Robot and Real Robots shows, like Mazinger Z, Daitarn3, the various Gundams, Getter Robo and all others and see them all join forces to defeat the forces of evil and save the day even from world-ending tragedies like those of Neon Genesis Evangelion or Space Runaway Ideon... No villain ever becomes a Karma Houdini, and - if you play you cards right - the sympathetic characters can all be saved from their untimely death.
Not just that, but it turns out more than just music is overriTROMBE! Seriously, how can you stay in a sad mood with that lodged in your ear?
If you add this unrelated music from Virtual On Force... Holy shit!! Even more of a Sweet Dreams Fuel for both game series!!! Imagine all the heroes making a victory march together in space after defeating the ultimate force of evil!!!
The Soar Star theme from Super Mario Galaxy. Everyone likes the flying dream, and it's the perfect soundtrack.
NiGHTS. Something about having a creature who is technically a nightmare protecting you in your dreams is incredibly comforting. Plus, "Dream Dream" is such a wonderful song.
The soundtrack to Ristar -yeah, you were on your way to take down the evil empire, but some of the music really made you feel everything would be OK by the end of the adventure. (Ristar's little "waiting" animations and the pictures during the end credits helped to drive that point home.) It would be great to dream about exploring planets 2, 4 and 5.
Ōkami has its moments. Scratch that, it's 90% Sweet Dreams moments. Sidequests include feeding kitties and making sakura bloom. The characters are all so loveable, from silly Mr. Orange to Queen Himiko. The brush gods are awesome, and Amaterasu is humorous as well as good-hearted. Even some of the battles are sweet—fighting Waka with his amazing flute-sword and fighting Hayabusa as he tries to trap you in a hole in the ground and do doggy business. Heck, in the Moon Cave and Oni Island dungeons, which are supposed to be NIGHTMARE fuel, just don't seem that scary once you meet imp chef Ajimi and Demon Paper Tobi.
Zelda's Lullaby from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time really would make a good lullaby. The way Link sways back and forth while playing it on his ocarina is also charming, as is the blue magic that surrounds him while he does so.
That game has many, manymany dark regular Nightmare Fuel moments, but it also has Link yawning. And stretching. And blinking. And when left idle, tapping his boots and fidgeting boredly. One of this troper's favorite things to do is play the Song of Storms, stay idle, and watch him shiver in the rain and sneeze.
Elite Beat Agents. Some songs are funny. Some songs are heartwrenching. But every time the world is saved by everyone getting together and dancing, you'll smile for the rest of the day.
Servbots! Whether from The Misadventures of Tron Bonne or Marvel vs Capcom 2, you just can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy when these guys are around. Even when they're beating up manly men.
Even though it's only for Face Book and MySpace, the game Pet Society by Playfish. It's where you make a pet, and try to raise coins to buy nice-looking clothes and furniture. Absolutely nothing there is inappropriate, violent or creepy-looking at all. One of those games for all ages that all could enjoy.
Endless Ocean. Launch the game. Listen to the smooth music. Dive. Pet cute fishes. Relax.
Even the Nightmare Fuel -prone Castlevania has a few of this as well. The most notable should be the Lighter and SofterCastlevania: Portrait of Ruin, where Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin, the close childhood friends, make the adventure as an opposite-sex duet, as opposed to the other protagonists going solo in the other Metroidvania games. From the way they interact with and tease each other, it gives a hint they have sincere crush with each other; Charlotte's wedding dress and engagement ring, especially when paired with Jonathan's tuxedo, further fuels this.
Just add any of the music of Salamander such as this, which happens to be from the same company as Castlevania, and you get a romantic duet adventure in space - Charlotte is a Vic Viper, and Jonathan is a Lord British/ Super Cobra, respectively.
Apart from the two protagonists, there's Jonathan regaining his respect for his father, and the general theme of familial love as expressed by Brauner, his daughters, and Eric Lecarde. The game even manages to make the relationship between Dracula and Death heartwarming!
Considering that the plot of the previous two installments of the series revolved around a Rival Turned Evil and the next one had a Big Bad Friend, it was surprisingly refreshing to see the protagonist find genuine True Companions in Aria Of Sorrow. Especially when you consider that their You Are Not Alone speech essentially convinces the Big Bad of the series to change his ways, and gives him back what he had lost centuries ago. And the story's being told from his viewpoint.
Even though it has some of the most potent Nightmare Fuel in the series, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is almost pure 2-D sidescrolling bliss, with some incredibly enjoyable and atmospheric levels, some highly amusing and enjoyable weapons and familiars to use, and one of the beautiful soundtracks ever put to a video game. If the song Lost Painting doesn't put you in a dream like state, nothing will.
The music in Gradius gives this, in spite of the game's tendency to give Nightmare Fuel just like Castlevania. Hearing it over the course, how would one not think of an amazing, heroic space adventure even if one is fighting a war against the Eldritch Abomination??
Animal Crossing. An idyllic little town where you can talk to cute anthropomorphic animals, fill your house with fountains and spaceships (or whatever else you want), or just kick back and go fishing. This game is the perfect antidote to a bad day.
The music is uplifting too. Almost every track from the original Gamecube game is amazing, and cheery. Namely the title theme.
The ending of Ghost Trick: After a night of undoing death after death Sissel finally manages to fix the world so Everybody Lives. Even Kamilla's mother and Yomiel's fiancee. The ending sequence is an entire montage of everyone going about their newly renewed lives, peaceful and happy—including lonely kitten Sissel himself, who is adopted by Jowd and his family.
Think about this again: You broke one of the most persistent curses that inevitably plague any anime-style storyline: The dead mother. It feels like you flat out ignored the laws of the universe when you realize you actually brought Camilla's mother back from the dead!
The entirety of the Harvest Moon series is this, really; a pleasant little utopia where nothing bad ever happens and you can spend your days watering virtual crops and petting virtual animals. It's so soothing.
Nothing bad ever happens? What about Nina's death? Or worse, your own at the end?
The entirety of Dead or Alive Xtreme/Paradise. A summer sports game and vacation sim with beautiful scenery, all about having fun on a beautiful tropical island vacation, which completely frees the series from the often quite dark storylines of the main series. They're even playing with the villain of the series as if they're all good friends! Awwww!
The downloadable game Always Remember Me, a dating/life sim game where you play as Amy, a girl whose boyfriend, Aaron, has forgotten her after a car accident. Not only does the game allow you to get the happy ever after with Aaron, but also it encourages you to play through again to try to get a different happy ever after with one of three other guys who in their own way, have feelings for Amy. Plus every happy ever after is the topped with a perfect ending scenario, making it like dipping a strawberry in ice-cream. And that's not even getting to the theme music for the game it will rekindle your belief in true love
Dark Cloud II. You go around the continent and restore things to its former beauty, helping and recruiting a colorful cast of NPC's to aid the heroes in their journey. The bright, cel-shaded visuals really add to the sunshiny look to almost everything. In between rebuilding the world and bopping monsters, if there's water nearby you can pull out your fishing pole and have at it, or play a funky cool version of golf (Spheda). And whenever you go fishing or play Spheda, a nice, soothing acoustic song plays
No mention of the Portal ending song? Sure, Gla Dos is making grim jokes at parts, but the entire song, being clever yet still good sounding, was a great way to end the game.
Question Duck, a Web Comic, is about a boy and his duck that goes around the world as Question Duck asks questions. General duck adorableness plus Scenery Porn just makes me squee whenever I see a new update.
Count Your Sheep. A webcomic about a young girl, her widowed mother, and the imaginary friend they share that helps out in the event of insomnia. Both funny and cute.
My Cardboard Life, a Slice of Life comic about people made from materials such as cardboard, paper, and tin foil (et cetera) is consistently adorable without being sappy or Tasting Like Diabetes. The character designs are cute, the puns are surprisingly funny, and the art is quite awesome.
Anything from Team Starkid. They're just a bunch of kids in college goofing around and being ridiculous, but they're all friends and it's so clear that they love what they're doing. Not to mention that for all the ridiculousness, all of their plays have this heart to them deep down. Couple that with all the amazingly talented actors and writers they've got with them, as well as the awesomelycatchy music and the insanely quotable humor, and you've got something totally awesome. I lessthanthree all of those Starkids out there. :)
Futurama - great show, lots of moments that are Sweet Dreams Fuel, but there's something about the theme song that just puts a smile on my face every. single. time.
The theme song was so innovative, it almost didn't make it onto the show. The Futurama theme is based on "Psyché Rock", one of the more accessible compositions by musique concrète progenitor Pierre Henry. In that context, however, it's possible for music to be relatively accessible yet almost devoid of melody. (To be fair: both pieces somehow have a melody, despite being based almost entirely on percussion.)
The characters are enough. And the laughs make everything so great.
The Simpsons may be full of dark satire and bitingly sharp wit, but just three seconds of any town scene, or a single frame of the opening credits, let alone an entire episode; is enough to cause an explosion of cozy, bright-colored, safe, nothing-will-ever-change security.
Dexter's Laboratory makes me smile just thinking about it. Anyone else love this inventive, clever show?
Me me me! And I love the "Justice Friends" cartoons, too.
The Justice League episode "Comfort and Joy" makes me smile. Especially Ma and Pa Kent greeting their son's guest, the Martian Manhunter. "Oh, we're used to aliens around here." And Superman trying to use his X-ray vision to see through the wrapping paper. Love it.
I love the episode "Flash and Substance". A fun, lighthearted episode with wonderful dialogue. And Mark Hammill as the Trickster. And great character interplay. I understand this episode is a fan favorite, and I can see why.
This troper has loved and adored Yellow Submarine with a passion since she was 8, and was baffled by it's inclusion on Nightmare Fuel. To me, this movie is pure Sweet Dreams Fuel, what with The Beatles and the colorful animation and The Power of Rock and the wonderful songs and the wit and then it all culminates at the end and the "All Too Much" number is just utter Sweet Dreams Fuel. So damn much!
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is awesome. The entire "Winter Wrap-Up" song is packed with enough sweetness and light to blow your goddamn head off. It's this troper's recourse when the world is too depressing or scary to contemplate.
Walt Disney Classic Animation (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, to list a few) are designed to give this to the audience, although they also highlight it further by addng the contrasting Nightmare Fuel, too.
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. It's a sweet and funny show with sweet and funny characters. Pretty much every character's really cute.
Chowder. Especially the finale. Try not to d'awwwww at Scraps. I dare you.
KaBlam!! can brighten any rainy day. Funny and at times, cute. I dare you not to smile when Loopy smiles.
Or if June sings.
Or if Race Rabbot appears. C`mon, he's a little animatronic (but very realistic) bunny! So cute!!!!
Mina and The Count, hailing from What A Cartoon Show, was made up almost entirely of this trope.
If it can be considered western, anything animated by Rankin/Bass. It just leaves you with a fuzzy feeling, the kind reserved for great and memorable Christmases.
The Powerpuff Girls. This troper never fails to tear up because of the great memories it brings back. It was adorable, funny, and had wonderful lessons most of the time.
Although it only lasted 2 seasons (due to its poor time slot), Mission Hill is perhaps one of the funniest animated cartoons you'll ever see. Just watch this clip to see what I mean.
The theme songs to 1980's British children's shows Postman Pat and Fireman Sam. Try not humming along cheerfully.
Doug is one of the funniest and sweetest shows this troper has seen.
The Small One is all about a little boy trying to find a home for his beloved pet donkey. As with most Don Bluth, even the Tear Jerkers are heartwarming.
Bagpuss. Of all Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate's "small worlds", this may be the sweetest and most comforting. The songs will instantly transport Brits of a certain age back to their childhoods.
Recess. The show is built on awesome, heartwarming, and funny moments. The characters are all very likable, and the main six kids are adorable. This will bring anyone back to their elementary school days.
The Pre-pieman 2003 Strawberry Shortcake series qualifies. Nothing too scary ever occurs in the show and it and episodes always end on a high note.
PB&J Otter. Just PB&J Otter. It's from the same minds that brought us Doug!
Walt Disney. Not the modern company, but the man himself. Regardless of all the rumors, you can't look at a picture of good old Uncle Walt smiling and not smile. His voice also had that "kind father telling bedtime stories" quality to it - even when he's outlining his plans for the Florida Project, there's a genuine warmth in his voice.
Adventure Time. Sure, there's plenty of accidental and intentional Nightmare Fuel, but the innocence of the characters and Finn and Jake's amazing friendship give this troper the warm fuzzies. Not to mention it's colorful and imaginative.
Cute Overload. To the point where I consider it very very cheap therapy. It's hard to have a bad day when there's a website devoted to cute.
BBC Radio 4's nightly Shipping Forecast. No, really. There's a beautiful orchestral arrangement called "Sailing By" played in between the preceeding programme and the actual forecast (as a buffer, both to allow sailors to easily tune into the station and to fill time before the shipping forecast starts at 00:48hrs precisely), which is Sweet Dreams Fuel alone. Then there's the forecast itself, whereby the weather report for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles is read calmly at dictation speed. The whimsical names of the sea areas, the news of rough conditions at sea while listeners are safely at home and the hypnotic pace of the forecast make the programme popular beyond those solely interested in nautical weather. It's a Great British institution, and it aids a restful sleep.
The recent Travel Nevada ads. Beautiful footage plus a great song never fails to make me smile. In fact, it's the only ad on YouTube I don't mind watching. An example can be found here.
Bogleech in this troper's honest opinion. Yes, seriously. It's a site made by someone who absolutely LOVES all the creepy crawly, wiggly icky, creatures in the world. The site's fans love them too. What does this mean, and why is it Sweet Dreams Fuel? Because it shows that, no matter how many people may dislike something (or someone) for not being aesthetically pleasing, there is someone out there who thinks that it/him/her is ''great''. The whole idea of the site is just unbelievably sweet if you view it from this perspective. And educational too! ...But then, if you happen to scare easily, you may want to view the site during the day, find the aesop by sunset, and then go to sleep with that happy thought in your mind. Just a friendly suggestion.
Why limit this entry to corgis? Let's give domestic dogs in general some credit. It's a furry creature which is almost always happy to see you, and it loves being smothered with affection.
Psh. Shelties◊ > Corgis. They have that facial expression *all the time* and also they breakdance.
Pomeranians. My God, the puppies. Ever wanted a pet teddy bear?[1]◊ [2]◊ [3]◊
Small greek domestic dogs! I mean, how can you refuse this cute look◊?! (Granted, most puppies fall into this)
Albino pekingese◊ look like what you'd get if you cross-bred an Ewok and a bunny that was also the living embodiment of pure joy.
Westies. Fluffy white balls of cuteness and unconditional love and curiosity. They love people and have the sweetest eyes ever. They're better at making you feel better than any antidepressant in the world.
A litter of kittens, old enough to chase each other madly about. Running wildly around, stopping for pets at random moments, and then dropping into a kittenpile until they recharge for more of the same. The purr of a happy kitten is one of the sweetest sounds this troper can think of.
This troper volunteers for a cat rescue and has at least twenty cats in her house at one time. There's nothing like swooping down to pick up her baby—the only one who knows exactly when to show her cold side for laughs, and sweet side for comfort—and getting a good snuggle out of her.
When kittens open their eyes for the first time. I saw my friend's kittens do this for the first time when I was about seven. It was simply heartwarming.
A baby's smile or laugh.
Also, a baby sleeping. They look so peaceful...
Your infant managing to fall asleep in the safety of your arms.
Story of kitten, a recap/"best-of" montage of 99 previous videos about a cat named Fuchagi whose owner found him on the back of his truck as a small kitten, and adopted him as his own.
Mom's cookies. Especially freshly made after a bad day.
This troper's mom worked full time and had type 2 diabetes for all said troper's childhood, but she would make cookies during the holiday season for work gatherings, and she would make extra oatmeal lace cookies for me because she knew how much I loved them and because the holiday season was the only time my family didn't eat a health food diet. Wow, I just "awww"ed inside.
Hugs. Whether you're in a bad mood or a good mood. For this troper, bonus points if they're from behind.
It's psychologically proven—the contact lowers your blood pressure and raises oxytocin levels (the literal "warm and fuzzy feeling"). That must have been the best scientific experiment ever.
The best? Hardly. I think orgasm research would top it.
Orgasm research isn't as fun as it sounds.
This troper finds "Free hugs campaigns" absolutely one of the most heartwarming things he has ever seen done by people. When you've had a shitty day but get a hug from someone you don't even know.. Topped of with...
Gizzmo the Fennec Fox pup. And his Cat and Dog friends.
Hamsters.◊ Especially teddy bear hamsters◊ (the ones with really long fur). I mean, just look◊ at the cute little thing! They're very cute when you put one in a plastic hamster ball and let it roll around on the floor. My mother once watched my hamster do that, and she decided, "You know, if you're depressed, you should just get a hamster." Not without reason did she say that.
Pet rats. Imagine a big, hyperactive mouse that can rest in a scarf and eat practically any human food from pasta to hamburgers. Now realize that this animal has little rounded ears & beady little eyes. Now think of the fact that you can take this critter on a walk around your house, teach it to recognize words, and often give mischievous, playful grins as they scamper about you, each other, and your furniture. In fact, Rupert Grint adopted Scabbers after filming because rats can be That. Damn. Cute.
I was going here to say the same thing. Rats are the sweetest.
The ocean. There's nothing like standing on the beach looking out over that mighty chaos of waters and realizing that everything your eye can see, all the way to the horizon, is the smallest part of something vast and unfathomable, something that sings forever. You can glimpse eternity in that unbounded sweep.
The fact that people loved the Hubble and its images so much that they pressured the NASA management to get it repaired again and take MORE pictures is like self-perpetuating Sweet Dreams Fuel.
A kiss. On the lips, cheek, hand, forehead, it can be just the thing you need to feel how much you are loved by friends and family.
This mother hen◊ doing what she does best. DAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW.
Hamsters, Hamsters, fluffy little hamsters◊!! These things exist to be cute! If you look at this and dont smile, say 'Awwwww!' or feel happy, something IS wrong with you. No exceptions.
Chinchillas. They're essentially a mix of squirrels and bunnies, with the softest fur ever made. Just◊ look◊ at◊ them!◊
The absence of cities. Something about seeing no trace of human life, knowing we haven't ruined everything, gives me hope for the future.
Falling in love. It is amazing how one simple emotion can just cause loads of this. And it can just be in the simplest of ways... just a slight smile, a brush of your hand against theirs, that scared yet exhilarating feeling when you're around that one person... and that feeling like your eyelashes are floating after spending the day with that one person. There's nothing quite like it. While there are those moments of falling in love when the angst, the anger, or the cynicism kicks in, you can't argue that the initial moments of falling in love don't make your dreams just a little bit sweeter.
Seeing a couple in love; I just love seeing happy couples.
This troper was introduced to the adorableness of baby wombats◊ by a close friend. OMG CUTE OVERKILL.
Going to a natural history museum as an adult, looking at all of the dinosaur displays, and getting flashes of that "Dinosaurs are/were really big and really cool!" sense of wonder and awe from when you were a child. Even better if you can watch actual children demonstrating it with big smiles on their faces.
Oh God, did you have to include the links to the adult animals? The fish especially is Nightmare Fuel. Here◊ are◊ some◊ cute◊ things◊ to make up for it. (That last is a mouse deer, which are a whole category of adorable all on their own.)
Maine Coons! The Gentle Giant of cat breeds. Plus they are very talkative and love to snuggle up to their owners whenever they can.
Birman cats are also giant fluffs of cute! They are known for their docile nature, enjoying spending time with humans and other pets and just have great, relaxed personalities in general, let alone their beautiful blue eyes and their gorgeous fluffy coats! And their white little paws! And! AND! Bwah! Just SO cute!◊
Fireflies. Going outside during summertime, just as darkness is falling, and watching all the slow-moving, flashing bugs. They make me think of stars on earth.
"And I get a thousand hugs from 10,000 lightning bugs.." Good song
The feeling of belonging. Especially after being the loner for so long, it's delightful and amazing to feel part of a group.
I imagine for a lot of people - conventions and other fan events. There is nothing like this. The first time this troper went to an LGBT group meeting came close, though.
Oh, conventions, most definitely. A whole group of people — maybe one hundred, maybe two thousand, whatever — come together just to adore the thing they adore. Everyone enjoying each other's spectrum of creative works, staying out until strange hours, having so much fun that some forget to eat and bathe (a sidenote: if you go to a convention, please eat and bathe.) It's hard to put the right words to that kind of concentrated delight.
Hell, Chloë Agnew (the girl holding the Koala) is this troper's sweet dreams fuel :D
On that note, Órla Fallon. Fellow CW member Lisa Kelly described her as "angelic". Whenever she's onstage she gets so into the music, you just know she wants you to have as good a time as she's having. And at her solo concerts she'll talk to the audience afterward, and encourages you to sing along with her. Órla is pretty much the living incarnation of Sweet Dreams Fuel. And for that matter, so is her voice. Listen to her sing "Carrickfergus" or "Isle of Inisfree" or pretty much any song on her solo album Distant Shore.
Science! The feeling of discovery and learning, of finding out something that explains something else, that explains something else. The real world can be really cool too, itturnsout.
Snow.
This troper once heard that the odds of life developing at all within our universe, and specifically arising to form intelligent life, could be compared to filling a dozen major football stadiums with sand, and then choosing one of these stadiums, and picking a single grain of sand from it, and having it be just the right one. We are that lucky to even be alive.
Life could only evolve on a life sustaining planet, so luck doesn't have much to do with it? Fair enough. Also, leaving the planet without tremendous preparation and good equipment is a death sentence. At the moment, this is still the best planet to be on because it has air, and the air isn't super poisonous. You haven't died while reading this entry (and if you have, this troper sends his condolences to the family or friends who find the fellow troper face-down in the keyboard, stiffening into rigor mortis. Also, he's sorry for being tactless) so, unless you're already in the depths of depression you can probably agree that breathing is nice. (If you are in the depths of depression it's not your fault. People love you. Ask them to help.)
An absurdly funny condolence and a plea for people suffering depression? YOU, sir, are Sweet Dream Fuel. *applause*
Sitting on a couch with a loved one as it softly rains outside, and just cuddling with each other and enjoying each other's company.
Watching the sun set. It leaves you with a sense of peace.
Also, when it rises.
Watching the galaxy rise afterwards (if possible). It leaves you with a sense of awe.
A full moon on an overcast night.
Sitting on the porch with your best friends on a warm summer evening, munching on Chinese food, counting fireflies, and naming constellations.
Sitting outside in early spring morning (like 4:00-5:00AM) listening to birds.
The satisfation, happiness and sense of accomplishment that you get from having a clean bedroom is, in this tropers opinion, sweet dreams fuel.
watching a little fawn take its first wobbly steps, first faceplant, and then get back up and start running- it's one of the sweetest things ever
finding an old letter or note from a childhood friend, or a gift from a childhood friend, even if it's a scribble of a drawing.
Reading this page after spending several hours reading the old War And Crimes Against Humanity page and and similar, reducing to tears from the sadness. I now have a smile on my face and tears of heartwarming.
Stealth compliments, especially from people you care about. My friend made a set of characters and sketched them, them gave the sketches and descriptions to me. She told me she based a certain one on me, and when I was later viewing the descriptions, the one based on me said "She is very nice and listens to what people tell her." Around that time, I had very low self-esteem, so it meant very much.
Owls! Technically they qualify as super advanced flying stealth dinsosaurs, but they're nice to us and so darn cute! Take a look for yourself.
Bats. In. Blankets. Granted, a few of these little guys fall more under Ugly Cute than conventionally cute, but still!
The moments when you start to feel really, irrationally lonely...and then someone does something, gives you something, even just says something, that completely renews your faith in the people you love and makes you want to hug them forever.
The feeling of gratitude that seems to radiate from people after you've organised something, or just done something for them in general.
Christmas morning. Whether you're eight or eighty.
Going outside on a cloudless night, and as your eyes adjust to the darkness, seeing the millions of stars in the sky. It's breathtaking. For added fun, imagine Also Sprach Zarathustra is playing.
Strawberries the size of Hand Fruits! =D
Coming home to Mom—and she's already has a plate of food waiting for you.
Freedom, a disabled bald eagle rescued by a wildlife sanctuary, later returned the favor by comforting her keeper as he recovered from cancer. The description of basically being hugged by a giant bird of prey is awesome with a capital 'aw.'
