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1Over time, works can change in tone. A formerly episodic comedic work can become a dark political satire with a strong plot arc. Or a dark work about a future dystopia can become a lighthearted adventure series.
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3This can be a deliberate shift in tone that was planned all along, it can be done deliberately because of a perceived advantage to the new tone (almost always financial), or it may be an unplanned and almost accidental shift over time.
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5This is especially true in episodic media, such as LiveActionTV, ComicBooks or WebComics, where their long-running status and, in the first two cases, changes in writing teams can cause marked changes in tone over time.
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7This also frequently appears when remaking or re-imagining older media for a modern audience.
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9Changes to tone are not always permanent, but in order to qualify, they must be long-lasting. A single dark episode in an otherwise light and fluffy show is '''not''' a Tone Shift.
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11A SuperTrope to:
12[[index]]
13* AscendedFridgeHorror: An ambiguously and/or subtly disturbing aspect of a series becomes more established and/or overt.
14* BloodierAndGorier: A work contains a lot more graphic violence.
15* CerebusRollercoaster: A work repeatedly shifts between mostly light and comedic and mostly dark and dramatic.
16* CerebusSyndrome: A light, comedic work becomes darker and more dramatic.
17* DarkerAndEdgier: A series gets darker undertones over time or when a sequel/reboot/alternate continuity is noticeably darker (i.e., more violent, more sexual, more bleak themes) than its predecessor(s).
18* DenserAndWackier: A work becomes more convoluted and zany.
19* FilibusterFreefall: A body of work becomes an AuthorFilibuster.
20* GenreShift: A work strays far from its original concept as it progresses.
21* GoingCosmic: A work begins to incorporate more philosophical and theological themes.
22* GutPunch: A single moment makes a work considerably darker.
23* HotterAndSexier: A work takes on a lot more sexual over- and undertones.
24* IssueDrift: A work becomes political.
25* KinderAndCleaner: A work removes some or all of the cursing in a future installment.
26* LighterAndSofter: A work becomes more lighthearted and kid-friendly.
27* ReverseCerebusSyndrome: A dark, dramatic work becomes more episodic and comedic.
28* RuderAndCruder: A series entry is more profane than the ones that came before it.
29* SelfCensoredRelease: A work clearly intended for adults is given an adaptation that is cleaner and eschews the original's mature content.
30* TamerAndChaster: A work reduces the amount of sexual content.
31* TrilogyToneShift: A trilogy contains a thematically balanced first film, a darker second film, and a lighter third film.
32* YoungerAndHipper: A work's characters are retooled to be younger.
33[[/index]]
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35Compare GenreShift and MoodWhiplash.
36----
37!!Examples:
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41%% Please only add examples that don't fit into one of the subtropes.
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45[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
46* ''Series/FullHouse'' started with some family-friendly undertones but otherwise a run-of-the-mill sitcom. Over time, it brought the family-friendly aspect more and more to the forefront until they were dropping {{Aesop}} anvils every episode. Complete with heavy {{Flanderization}} and a continual feed of new child actors. ''Series/FullerHouse'', its SequelSeries, has more adult content and self awareness than the original, complete with the cast [[BreakingTheFourthWall glaring at the camera]] when the current status of Michelle (who has not returned to the series) is brought up.
47* ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' started out as a very witty sitcom with elements of KitchenSinkDrama with a good deal of CharacterDevelopment, until [[{{RealLifeWritesThePlot}} behind the scenes drama]] derailed the entire show into A DenserAndWackier farce of its former self AND a heavy-handed Melodrama subject to MoodWhiplash. The last season plays like one long GainaxEnding, especially with its TearJerker--hence why it was {{Retcon}}ned after the reboot and rebranding as ''Series/TheConners''.
48* Downplayed with ''Series/{{Taskmaster}}'', which is always a fairly light-hearted comedic variety show that keeps the same format throughout the show's run. However, each series has a [[RevolvingDoorCasting revolving door cast]] of comedians and actors, meaning that the tone and style of comedy can change depending on who's on the show and how they connect with the format and the other contestants. For example, Series 4 is fairly cheery as everyone clicks well and tends to be fairly good-natured and supportive of one another while Series 7 is more manic, chaotic as everyone hurls themselves into the tasks, and a little more fractious as there are more clashing personalities around.
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50[[AC:Video Games]]
51* The first two games in Creator/RemedyEntertainment's ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' series were noir tales in the style of Creator/JohnWoo set in TheBigRottenApple, and featured a lot of references to respectively Myth/NorseMythology and ''Literature/ParadiseLost'', had rather cartoonish enemies [[EnemyChatter whose chatter]] which often functioned as comic relief, used graphic novel sequences in lieu of cutscenes, and had a story that was often self-referential and even bordered on SelfParody a couple of times. Enter the third game by [[Creator/TakeTwoInteractive Rockstar Games,]] which is based rather heavily on ''Film/ManOnFire'' and is set in Brazil, features enemies who deliberately are incomprehensible to anyone who doesn't understand Portuguese, and even then their dialogue is clearly not meant to be comical in any way, has normal cutscenes which are again based heavily on ''Man on Fire'''s visual style, and while the game sometimes does become self-referential, these moments are fewer and further in-between and are relatively downplayed.
52* The short indie visual novel/dating sim ''Carpe Diem'' has an AntiEscapismAesop, specifically [[spoiler:the girl you are romancing is an advanced AI, and the player character is not a stand-in for the player but a whole character in itself]], meaning that [[spoiler:it is more fulfilling to look for relationships in the real world than in games.]] Meanwhile, its sequel ''Carpe Diem Reboot'' (which, [[NonIndicativeName despite the title]], is not a reboot), completely reverses the concept and turns into a typical escapist fantasy: the scientist player character is a lazy otaku but also a world-class hacker and programmer, who gives the AI girl a physical android body so that he can live the romance of his dreams.

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