History Main / NobodyThinksItWillWork

* Subverted by way of WriterConflictsWithCanon in ''Franchise/SpiderMan''. Howard Mackie's final story in his late 1990s run on the comic had Mary Jane reflecting that apparently everyone had said they would never last. However, pretty much ''everyone'' was [[ShipperOnDeck trying to hook her and Peter up]] in the early comics. In fact, MJ was first introduced as a girl that Aunt May was trying to set Peter up with, and him regularly refusing to even meet her because he thought she'd be ugly became something of {{running gag}} for several dozen issues (hence the famous "Face it, Tiger... you just hit the jackpot!" line once they ''do'' meet).

Often a romantic version of the OddCouple, though the two romantic leads don't need to literally be opposites. Also frequently involves an UptownGirl. Compare with StarCrossedLovers. Also see WhatDoesSheSeeInHim, where the question is how the attraction occurred at all, not whether they can make it work.

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', this is Kaname's biggest source of hesitation towards attempting a RelationshipUpgrade with Sousuke despite her undeniable attraction to him and recognition that he might like her back. Not only do Sousuke's [[PrivateMilitaryContractors job]] and [[ChildSoldier background]] leave him horribly ill-prepared for anything resembling a healthy romantic relationship, but she's also aware of her own reputation as undateably abrasive and is surprised she hasn't already driven him away. [[spoiler:Witnessing Sousuke's bloody-minded determination to bring her back home in the four months following Amalgam's assault on Tokyo is what finally gives her the confidence to discard those worries and go for it. When they finally reunite in front of Jindai High School after a year-long life-and-death struggle against Amalgam, they immediately kick the relationship off with a BigDamnKiss in front of the entire student body.]]

->'''Diane Court''': Nobody thinks it will work, do they?
->'''Lloyd Dobler''': No. You just described every great success story.

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Manga/BitterVirgin'' ends on this note. While [[PatientChildhoodLoveInterest Yuzu]] and [[ClingyJealousGirl Kazuki]] give up their pursuit of Daisuke, they do so feeling that he and Hinako are bound to break up sooner or later, leaving things open for them to try again. If only because Daisuke's mother will eventually find out about [[RapeAsBackstory Hinako's]] [[TeenPregnancy history]], despise her for it, and forcibly separate them. Even Daisuke and Hinako themselves believe that the other will eventually find a more suitable partner, but hope to make the most of their relationship until then.

* Everybody in ''Manga/BitterVirgin'' expects Daisuke and Hinako to break up at some point. To be fair, the couple expects it too, as both fully believe the other can and will eventually find a better person. The series ends with them still together despite this.

* ComicBook/GreenArrow and ComicBook/BlackCanary. After years of relationship issues (cheating, abusive behavior, etc.), the two finally get married in a mini-arc across both their series in 2007. When they sent out invitations to the wedding, the reactions from most of the superheroes ranged from hysterical laughter to taking bets on how long it would last. For the record, it lasted three years out-of-universe, with the Black Canary ending the marriage after her husband's actions during ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice''.

* Howard Mackie's final ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' story attempted to go this route with M.J reflecting that apparently everyone had said they would never last. Subverted, as anyone who had read the older stories should know that pretty much ''everyone'' was [[ShipperOnDeck trying to hook her and Peter up]]. In fact, Aunt May trying to get Peter to even ''meet'' Mary Jane was something of a RunningGag for the first forty issues of the original Stan Lee run.

* Everybody in ''Manga/BitterVirgin'' expects Daisuke and Hinako to break up at some point. To be fair, the couple expects it too (both expect the other to find a better person someday).

* ComicBook/GreenArrow and ComicBook/BlackCanary, after years of relationship issues (cheating, abusive behavior, etc.), finally got married. When they sent out invitations to the wedding, the reactions from most of the superheroes was somewhere between hysterical laughter and taking bets on how long it would last.
* Howard Mackie's final ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' story attempted to go this route with M.J reflecting that apparently everyone had said they would never last. Of course, anyone who's read the older stories should know that pretty much ''everyone'' was trying to hook her and Peter up, particularly Aunt May.
* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' and ''{{ComicBook/Rogue}}'' is a recent case. It's canon they both have feelings for one another and went on their first date after sharing their first two kisses -initiated by Rogue in ''{{ComicBook/Uncanny Avengers}}'' vol 3. Chapter 22. During the kiss, Rogue absorbs Deadpool's powers which weakens her, allowing Wonder Man to finally be set free. In the following chapter, Beast explains how it worked, saying that skin on skin contact made it happen. However, Beast thinks that Rogue was slapping Deadpool, rather than thinking she'd kiss him. Later, Synapse and Brother Voodoo talk about it. The latter is surprised to hear of it, and Synapse says she doesn't think it's really a thing. [[ShipperOnDeck Quicksilver]] isn't surprised however, stating that it's natural the two loneliest people in the world found one another.

* Amanda Marshall's "Dark Horse" is another of these.

* [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Lois Griffin (née Pewterschmidt) is the bright and attractive daughter of a very wealthy Rhode Island family while her husband, Peter Griffin,]] is a not-so-bright jock, although this is more of an OddCouple. Peter points out to Lois in the episode "Brothers & Sisters" that back when he and Lois first became a couple, hardly anyone felt that they made a good match -- in fact, as Lois soon realizes, Carol (Lois's sister) was one of the few people to have supported the relationship from the very beginning.

A trope frequently seen in {{Sit Com}}s and {{Romantic Comed|y}}ies. The hero and his love interest are obviously all wrong for each other. They have little in common as far as interests or hobbies are concerned, their personalities are built to clash, and it's obvious that once the shine has worn off the apple, they're going to break up and break up hard. Maybe he's a serious-minded businessman and she's the daughter of two aging hippies who never left TheSixties behind. Maybe he's an unambitious semi-jock who has never really done anything in his life, and she's a genius bound for a life of intellectual achievement. Whatever the case, friends, family and casual acquaintances point out that "This will never work" at every opportunity, because nobody in his right mind thinks that the two belong together.

* ''Film/JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack''. Justice is a highly intelligent, highly skilled, erudite cat burglar. Jay is an ignorant foul-mouthed semi-homeless pothead.

* ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'': He's the handsome, brave, heroic and renowned king of a massive country. She was raised by trees.

* ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' has Beck and Jade. No one understands it, but they've been going strong for almost 3 years, and its implied they make each other better people as a result.

* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic, this is Kaname's biggest source of hesitation towards attempting a RelationshipUpgrade with Sousuke despite her undeniable attraction to him and recognition that he might like her back. Not only do Sousuke's [[PrivateMilitaryContractors job]] and [[ChildSoldier background]] leave him horribly ill-prepared for anything resembling a healthy romantic relationship, but she's also aware of her own reputation as undateably abrasive and is surprised she hasn't already driven him away. [[spoiler:Witnessing Sousuke's bloody-minded determination to bring her back home in the four months following Amalgam's assault on Tokyo is what finally gives her the confidence to discard those worries and go for it. When they finally reunite in front of Jindai High School after a year-long life-and-death struggle against Amalgam, they immediately kick the relationship off with a BigDamnKiss in front of the entire student body.]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' and ''{{ComicBook/Rogue}}'' is a recent case. It's canon they both have feelings for one another, and went on their first date after sharing their first two kisses -initiated by Rogue in ''{{ComicBook/Uncanny Avengers}}'' vol 3. Chapter 22. During the kiss, Rogue absorbs Deadpool's powers which weakens her, allowing Wonder Man to finally be set free. In the following chapter, Beast explains how it worked, saying that skin on skin contact made it happen. However, Beast thinks that Rogue was slapping Deadpool, rather than thinking she'd kiss him. Later, Synapse and Brother Voodoo talk about it. The latter is surprised to hear of it, and Synapse says she doesn't think it's really a thing. [[ShipperOnDeck Quicksilver]] isn't surprised however, stating that it's natural the two loneliest people in the world found one another.

[[folder: Fan Fiction]]

* ''FanFic/{{Rules}}'': Light Yagami and [[spoiler:his love interest [[OriginalCharacter Charlie]] invoke this on themselves by listing all the problems a relationship between them would have: Their personalities would constantly clash, he has to go back to Japan and she'd never do a long-distance relationship, his parents would want him to have an obedient, Japanese homemaker for a wife, and she'll never give up her dream and/or pretend to be someone else just to appease them. All in all, a recipe for disaster -- so it's only fitting that the epilogue indicate that they're still going strong, with Charlie even learning how to speak Japanese]].

[[folder: Film]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: LiveActionTV]]
* The core premise of ''Series/DharmaAndGreg'', ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', and possibly ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie''. In Dharma and Greg they have clashing personalities which their family thinks makes them incompatible, in ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', pretty much all of Samantha's relatives think she's crazy for marrying a mortal, and in ''Series/IDreamOfJeannie''... she lives in a goddamn bottle. The former two series have romantic tension since they start out married, and the last has them begin in a master/more-powerful-servant relationship, making a recurring plot one or both spouses/interests getting doubts or clashing, only to reconcile and learn AnAesop.

* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Both Rachel and Phoebe look down on Monica and Chandler's as a couple, but as neither of them manage to establish a successful relationship until the end of the series, and Monica and Chandler are very happy and well-suited, they come across looking like [[{{GreenEyedMonster}} jealous jerks]] rather than friends with legitimate concerns.

[[folder: Music]]

* [[WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy Lois Griffin (née Pewterschmidt) is the bright and attractive daughter of a very wealthy Rhode Island family while her husband, Peter Griffin,]] is a not-so-bright jock, although this is more of an OddCouple. Peter points out to Lois in the episode, "Brothers & Sisters," that back when he and Lois first became a couple, hardly anyone felt that they made a good match--in fact, as Lois soon realizes, Carol (Lois's sister) was one of the few people to have supported the relationship from the very beginning.

* Lord Rosebery commented that the marriage of UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill and Clementine Hozier wouldn't last more than six months. It lasted 56 years, until the former's death.

* Patti and Robin Lee Graham (the sixties teenager who sailed round the world alone) were not shockingly different but they did have a marriage that no one would have bet on. She was a teenage beach girl, he was a crazy (if not really as crazy as some when you think of it) boy who wanted to sail around the world. They met at 18 and eloped and are still together.

** The original working title of this trope "Let Them Say This Isn't Love" comes from "''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYJgkpFJyqk Niech mowia, ze to nie jest milosc]]''" by Piotr Rubik, a Polish symphonic pop song which also exemplifies this trope. (Major EarWorm warning!)

* ''{{Deadpool}}'' and ''{{ComicBook/Rogue}}'' is a recent case. It's canon they both have feelings for one another, and went on their first date after sharing their first two kisses -initiated by Rogue in ''{{ComicBook/Uncanny Avengers}}'' vol 3. Chapter 22. During the kiss, Rogue absorbs Deadpool's powers which weakens her, allowing Wonder Man to finally be set free. In the following chapter, Beast explains how it worked, saying that skin on skin contact made it happen. However, Beast thinks that Rogue was slapping Deadpool, rather than thinking she'd kiss him. Later, Synapse and Brother Voodoo talk about it. The latter is surprised to hear of it, and Synapse says she doesn't think it's really a thing. [[ShipperOnDeck Quicksilver]] isn't surprised however, stating that it's natural the two loneliest people in the world found one another.