History Main / HappyFlashback

The Happy Flashback is often used as a mood counterpoint in a scene that is decidedly dark. It especially helps when the entire story is very sad or even [[{{Tragedy}} tragic]] because it provides a "breather" for the audience and helps avoid DarknessInducedAudienceApathy. It's similar to comic relief, with the benefit of adding BackStory and helping to breathe some [[HopeSpot hope]] back into a character or plot. The emotional counterpoint is especially useful for storytellers since it serves to show that the character(s) aren't walking bags of {{Angst}}, they ''can'' feel other emotions and the pain they feel now is all the more keen because they once were happy.

* ''Film/JusticeLeague'' opens with a home video of Superman being [[CutenessProximity interviewed by children]] at the scene of his heroics. We then gets a montage showing the worldwide mourning and DespairEventHorizon caused by his death in the [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice previous movie]].

* In the ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' and ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2009}}'' crossover, Red Robin gets a couple of himself and Batgirl. Just as an assassin named Prudence, who's life he saved, and who he neglected to immediately incapacitate, is pointing a gun at Batgirl's head and saying she was ordered to kill her. The flashbacks include a nice one with a pink background of him and Stephanie kissing, and Tim blaming himself for getting someone else killed. Of course, Bat-Steph then proceeds to hand Prudence her ass, so the tragic contrast is subverted two seconds later.

* Jill Tuck has one in ''Film/Saw3D Saw: The Final Chapter''

* ''Film/XMen'':

* Near the end of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' we see a flashback to when [[LoveMartyr Fate's]] [[AbusiveParents mother]] [[EvilMatriarch Precia]] was a sane, loving parent. [[spoiler: Subverted at the end of the episode when we learn that [[GeneticMemories they aren't]] [[CloningBlues Fate's memories]].]]

* Used in a ''HouseOfMouse'' episode when Pluto has a dilemma on whether or not to save Figaro and has flashbacks of them playing with each other.

* ''ASongOfIceAndFire'' is rife with these, especially with regards to the Stark family. Very often a TearJerker.

* ''Series/NeverWipeTearsWithoutGloves'' frequently flashes back to moments from Rasmus' and Benjamin's childhoods, often playing in contrast to the tragic things that are happening to them in the present.

* Jill Tuck has one in ''Film/Saw3D Saw: The Final Chapter]]''

* In ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', 1973 Charles briefly reminisces about the first time he met Raven, which was a much happier and more innocent period of his life than his current state of abject misery and self-destruction. One notable difference between his memory of the event and what we saw in ''First Class'' is that Charles as a kid never said, "And that's a promise" right after he told Raven that she would never have to steal again.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' starts this way, showing John Reese relaxing in bed with [[TheLostLenore Jessica]], then cutting to John as he is today, a homeless alcoholic with a BeardOfSorrow. Later flashbacks show this was the moment before 9/11, when John said [[TenMinuteRetirement he was going to leave the military and marry Jessica.]] Until he turns on the television.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' starts this way, showing John Reese relaxing in bed with [[TheLostLenore Jessica]], then cutting to John as he is today, a CrazyHomelessGuy with a BeardOfSorrow. Later flashbacks show this was the moment before 9/11, when John said [[TenMinuteRetirement he was going to leave the military and marry Jessica.]] Until he turns on the television.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' starts this way, showing John Reese relaxing in bed with [[TheLostLenore Jessica]], then cutting to John as he is today, a homeless bum with a BeardOfSorrow. Later flashbacks show this was the moment before 9/11, when John said [[TenMinuteRetirement he was going to leave the military and marry her.]]

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' starts this way, showing John Reese relaxing in bed with [[TheLostLenore Jessica]], then cutting to John as he is today, a homeless bum with a BeardOfSorrow. Later flashbacks show this was the moment before 9/11, when John said he was going to leave the military and marry her. Things go from BadToWorse after he turns on the television.

* ''Series/JessicaJones2015'' has one at the beginning of ''[[Recap/JessicaJones2015S1E8AKAWWJD AKA WWJD?]]'', of her now dead family leaving for vacation from her childhood home...[[spoiler:right when she's going back to her childhood home with her stalker/former rapist in order to both hopefully record a confession and stop him from hurting and killing people around her.]]

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* [[color:red:(Please confirm)]] Happens in ''Film/ShutterIsland.'' Some of the flashbacks have a more surreal, symbolic value and far from all of them are happy (but some are).

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* ''WebComic/AxisPowersHetalia'' has a one of these in another flashback. The viewer briefly gets a glimpse of America's childhood, with England taking the younger nation's hand and them going home together. It serves to contrast [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution the current situation]] with how happy they used to be.

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* In ''Film/TheGodfather'':

* The ''AudioPlay/SaintBeast'' [=OVAs=] as a whole are meant to be this, although they are tinged with hints of [[CallForward darker things to come]].
* ''Anime/SakasamaNoPatema'': About 2/3 into the film, Patema finds a notebook belonging to Age's father, while they're [[spoiler: stranded on the ceiling structure in the "sky"]]. While Age reads through it, the audience is treated to a flashback sequence which showed how Age's father met and befriended [[spoiler: Lagos]]. The two spent their time together sharing information from their societies, while jointly working on a flying machine to explore the sky. The final entry is a scribbled note summing up their elation: "We are alive". [[spoiler: Which becomes [[HarsherInHindsight a downer]], since his father and Lagos were both killed by the Agian government, as a result, under Izamura's orders]].
* ''Anime/TheFumaConspiracy'' has Goemon [[SeparateSceneStorytelling reminiscing to the gang]] about how he met Murasaki while they're on their way to make the HostageForMacGuffin switch. The happy story is then ended with Inspector Zenigata's arrival, and the trio have to escape.

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* In ''{{Smallville}}'', ''Abyss'', Chloe starts to forget everything due to Brainiac's interference. She is rushed to a hospital in which the doctor tells her to focus on her happiest memories while they scan her brain. [[spoiler:They are ''all'' intimate moments with Clark. Including their FirstKiss. ''Aww''.]]

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A Happy Flashback is pretty much ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, a {{Flashback}} to a happy time in a character's past. Frequently they have a drastically different color palette from the rest of the film/tv show in keeping with most {{Flashback}}s. It'll be very bright, warm and colorful (possibly even supersaturated with color) or almost completely white from the brightness, or in simple [[DeliberatelyMonochrome sepia tones]] with blurriness added. Then again, it might be drawn in crayon to ''really'' invoke the "good old days" feel.