Line #71 PerpetualFrowner/AnimeAndManga


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13	{{Perpetual Frowner}}s in AnimeAndManga.
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15	* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': Judging by its visible facial muscles, the Colossial Titan is trying to scowl even if it doesn't have a face.
16	** Several characters in the series are this trope, including the protagonist Eren Yeager, Annie Leonhart, Levi, and [[spoiler: Eren Kruger]]. Considering the horrifying CrapsackWorld they all live in, it makes sense. They're all traumatized.
17	* ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita'': Alita, in addition to her Perpetual Frown, usually has a Perpetual Pout as well, amply {{lampshaded}}. She even got nicknamed "Octopus Lips" in-story, and when [[GenkiGirl Zwoelf]] has to pose as her she loudly complained that Alita's constantly sullen expression is very boring. Though, given [[TheWoobie her backstory]], it's somewhat justified.
18	* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Guts during his days as the Black Swordsman after the Eclipse. Again, he doesn't have much reason to smile after watching [[spoiler:his entire team get slaughtered and eaten by demons, and the love of his life get raped to insanity by his former commander turned demonic god]]. In fact, when he does smile, it's either a sneer (usually directed toward Puck) or [[SlasherSmile a murderous and bloodthirsty grin]] (which he reserves for his demonic enemies).
19	* ''Manga/BlackButler'''s William T. Spears ''never'' smiles and always looks at everyone with disdain.
20	* Giichi from ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal''. Admittedly, he has good reasons to never smile.
21	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
22	** Ichigo is well-known for his default frowning expression, early on revealed to be a result of losing his mother at a young age and trying very hard to cultivate a badass image ever since. (In one episode when Kon runs amok in Ichigo's body, Ichigo bemoans Kon ruining his image that he'd worked so hard on.)
23	** Hitsugaya is also a major frowner, probably a result of frequently being [[OnlySaneMan the most professional among a group of wackier characters]].
24	** [[BloodKnight Kenpachi]] is usually frowning whenever he's not in the middle of a fight, in which case he'll have a big SlasherSmile.
25	** Among the Vizards, [[HairTriggerTemper Hiyori]] and [[TheComicallySerious Kensei]]. Hiyori is implied to have led a rough life even before Aizen's experiments, and Kensei is probably perpetually annoyed by [[WomanChild Mashiro]]. Kensei's case is somewhat [[LampshadedTrope Lampshaded]] when he is trying to smile and comfort a young Shuuhei Hisagi -- and ends up with an unintentionally evil version of TheUnsmile.
26	** [[TheStoic Ulquiorra Cifer]] is also this, almost always keeping a frowned expression on his face due to his inability to feel human emotion, which he calls "the heart". The closest he can get to emotion is when he is shocked. He finally understands emotions when he dies.
27	* [[SourOutsideSadInside Jun]] never smiles until the very last few episodes of ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}''. Even then, his smiles are rare and small.
28	* [[{{Tsundere}} Hitomi]] [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Mizumura]] from the Hentai manga ''Boys Empire'' is like this at first. Makoto even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it for us:
29	-->'''Makoto:''' Mizumura looks like she's always angry or something.
30	* In ''Manga/Brave10'', Nobuyuki never looks happy.
31	* ''Manga/BusoRenkin'': Tokiko is rarely seen without smiling during the first half of the series as she is totally dedicated to her mission to destroy [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculi]]. This [[DownplayedTrope changes in the second half of the series]] when [[DefrostingIceQueen she begins to soften]] her expressions due to her relationship with [[StockShonenHero Kazuki]].
32	* Wagner from ''Manga/Classi9'' usually has expressions ranging from "positively annoyed" to "pissed as hell". When Liszt mentions Wagner laughed when he got drunk once, Bach and Mozart immediately dismiss the thought as NightmareFuel. He smiled a grand total of two times in the manga and had ''one'' chuckle in the last chapter.
33	* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Come R2, [[Characters/CodeGeassSuzakuKururugi Suzaku Kururugi]] smiles less and less; eventually, by the last couple of episodes, we don't see him smile at all. Gino lampshades this when he's looking through a packet of photographs from the good old days at Ashford Academy; he comes across Suzaku in several of the pictures and comments, "I've never seen Suzaku smile like that. He's so... happy!"
34	* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'''s Vicious is also not a happy camper. The only smiles that he actually gives are {{Slasher Smile}}s that live up to his name.
35	* Kyōtarō Ichikawa from ''Manga/TheDangersInMyHeart'' is typically scowling on default, as fitting of his negative personality. The handful of smiles he makes are usually awkwardly forced. Even throughout his kindergarten and elementary school days, he consistently had a blank, neutral expression and his graduation book doesn't appear to have so much as a smirk in any photos.
36	-->'''Yamada:''' He laughs and smiles a lot! Like when I showed him the cat-mantis stamp. Or when I showed him that dog face switch.\
37	'''Ichikawa:''' That was false laughter.
38	* The number of times L had smiled in ''Manga/DeathNote'' can most likely be counted in less than fifteen panels. He is generally the "focused and serious" variety, though sometimes he dips into "mopey and listless". [[spoiler: Both of his successors, however, are more expressive. Near frequently displays a CheshireCatGrin, and Mello has a full-on SlasherSmile a lot of the time.]]
39	* [[TheDragon Kokushibo]] from ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' is never seen smiling, save two very specific stances, both in flashbacks in happier times: [[spoiler:1) As a kid, in Yoriichi's version of their childhood recollection. 2) For a brief period as an adult, happy with his wife and children as head of the Tsugikuni family]].
40	* In ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'', [[MultipleHeadCase Asuramon]]'s three heads can each only experience and express a very limited range of emotions unless they wear faces that they stole from humans, which carry the victims' emotions and personalities. While they can change their expressions to a degree, a given head can only make a full range of expressions while wearing a stolen face. Of the three heads, the left one can normally only experience sadness and the middle one can only experience anger. These two heads can't even smile while laughing maniacally from [[FantasticDrug the high they get]] from wearing a face whose owner was feeling powerful emotions. The right head is a PerpetualSmiler instead.
41	* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
42	** Among several others, Tien, Piccolo and Vegeta were the three biggest Perpetual Frowners in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. The only things they did with their arms were punching, lifting, push-ups and crossing over the chest. Though Vegeta does crack a smile every now and then in the form of an arrogant smirk (and the occasional [[PsychoticSmirk evil grin]] during his scenes as a villain).
43	** Piccolo got the occasional grin as well, mainly when interacting with Gohan -- even with the eyebrows up at least once (during his death in DBZ). Vegeta, however, had somehow managed to master scowling even when asleep or unconscious.
44	** [[SplitPersonality Launch]] from the [[Manga/DragonBall original series]] always has a frown in her blonde-haired form, opposite to her blue-haired side's PerpetualSmiler.
45	%%** Jiren from ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' also qualifies. Goes with his quiet personality.
46	%%* Lucy from ''Manga/ElfenLied'' combines this with HiddenEyes.
47	* Tetsuma Jou, receiver for the Seibu Wild Gunmen from ''Manga/Eyeshield21'', has had a permanent serious frown on his face from (at least) the tender age of four. Although he did once adopt an expression of raging, unholy killing intent when [[spoiler:Gaou broke Kid's arm]], if that counts as a change.
48	* Kenshiro from ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' used to be a happy camper but after his best friend kidnapped his fiancee and left him for dead in the desert, it's understandable that he doesn't smile much.
49	* Scar from ''Franchise/FullmetalAlchemist'' has smiled a grand total of three times in the entire anime. He also smiles once in the [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist manga]], in the Ishvalan refugee camp when he is told that there are many survivors of the genocide in camps all over the country.
50	%%* The title character of ''Manga/Golgo13'' fame is one of the trope's fathers.
51	* ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'':
52	** Kageyama fits this trope to the point that he even looks angry when he's doing mundane things such as trying to decide what drink to get from a vending machine. In one episode of season 4, a boy watches him frowning to himself and figures he must be plotting something when he's actually thinking about buying t-shirts.
53	** Ushijima also fits for how [[TheStoic stoic]] and serious he is in general.
54	* Professor Hoot from ''Manga/HappyHappyClover'' is mostly seen with a serious expression and pretty strict with the younger animals since he's the teacher and doctor of Crescent Forest. But he does smile a few times when he gets very impressed.
55	* Germany and Sweden from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' rarely smile, though not because they're unhappy. Hong Kong may be [[EmotionlessGirl a straighter example]], and Belarus mixes this with {{Yandere}}. Germania so much so that he couldn't smile when he tried to.
56	** [[ItRunsInTheFamily Of the few blood-related siblings]], [[DeadpanSnarker Norway]] and [[SugarAndIcePersonality Iceland]] both tend to frown, and have only rarely been seen smiling.
57	** [[InscrutableOriental Japan]] too. While it's more of [[TheStoic a blank expression]] than a frown and he has smiled once or twice, it's noticeable enough that one manga strip revolved around Italy trying to get Japan to smile and failing.
58	** Netherlands has also never been shown smiling yet, always having either a disinterested expression or scowl on his face whenever he appears.
59	** [[{{Tsundere}} Romano]] is almost always scowling, contrasting with the [[PerpetualSmiler perpetually-smiling]] [[NiceGuy Spain]]. The few times he ''has'' smiled, it's been [[SlasherSmile pretty]] [[PsychoticSmirk unsettling]].
60	* ''Manga/HiyoAndVivid'': To Hiyo's annoyance, her face is stuck in a cold, deadpan glare no matter how much she thinks she's smiling.
61	* Sesshomaru from ''Manga/InuYasha'' is characterized by his constant aloof, disdainful frown, though it is said that he is all the more dangerous when he actually does smile; on one occasion when he ''did'' smile, Jaken was so freaked out by it that he literally ''begged'' Sesshomaru to get angry and beat him instead.
62	* Jotaro Kujo from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' hardly ''ever'' smiles throughout the series. (In fact, one of the few times he does, it's because he's inches away from losing his mind.)
63	* Shinobu from ''Manga/JunjouRomantica'', when he's not crying. He's even frowning in the opening theme while glomping Miyagi.
64	* [[YakuzaPrincess Momo]] from ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' seems to only be capable of three emotions: boredom, annoyance, and anger. [[spoiler:She is, however, shown giving a smirk in Chapter 202 when Shirogane gets her and the other members of the previous student council together to throw a small graduation party for his predecessor.]]
65	* Tomoe from ''Manga/KamisamaKiss''. He actually has a lot to be pissed about; like the fact that his master and best friend Mikage abandoned him twenty years before the start of the story or the fact that he was made an indentured servant to an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent. However, he also manages to be pissed at anything and everything.
66	* ''Anime/KillLaKill'':
67	** Ryuko Matoi herself is usually shown to be rather grumpy, though she does become more chipper over time. Then again, it's hard to blame to her considering everything she went through.
68	** Satsuki Kiryuin often has a scowl on her face. Ryuko once even referred to her as a "perpetually frowning, [[BigOlEyebrows caterpillar-eyebrow]] bitch." If she's smiling, it's not so much a smile; it's a smirk.
69	** Her friend, Shiro Iori is much the same way, as in all the time we've seen him, he has an annoyed/serious expression. He's only smiled once.
70	%%* ''Anime/KotouraSan'': Kumiko Kotoura, paired with DullEyesOfUnhappiness.
71	* ''Manga/{{Lady}}'': Baron Gruffald often frowns and has an unhappy past because of his CareerEndingInjury that prevented him from competing in the Olympics. He is a harsh teacher to Lynn and always critisizes her style of riding Victoria. Lynn is hurt, but this motivates her to practice even more.
72	* Constanze from ''Franchise/LittleWitchAcademia'' is perpetually grumpy and gloomy, and it's implied she suffers from some sort of mental disorder. Constanze also from UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}, so she could be a nod to the stereotype that Germans are often depressive. However, at the end of one episode she did [[WhenSheSmiles give a radiant smile]] to Akko.
73	* Ogami Itto from ''Manga/LoneWolfAndCub'' seems to have only two expressions: Grim scowl, or [[OhCrap horrified surprise]].
74	* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
75	** [[FieryRedhead Nove]] in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'', whose expression is always in some form of angry, and maybe some bits of embarrassment. In fact, fans reacted with shock when the artwork for an audio drama showed her with a slight smile on her face. She would later [[TookALevelInCheerfulness lose this characteristic]] after a few years of being HappilyAdopted.
76	** Rinne from ''Anime/VividStrike'' is noted to never smile, even after she wins fights. The only time she is shown to smile is while she has breakfast with her adoptive parents.
77	* Exedore/Exsedol's redesigned version, when seen in ''Anime/Macross7''. The only time he ever smiles is...
78	* Dr. Hell from ''Anime/MazingerZ'' has mostly three default expressions: angry, worried and disappointed/frustrated. He seldom smiles (fortunately, since when he actually does so, it is a very creepy SlasherSmile).
79	%%* Athrun Zala from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed''.
80	* Kii the dryad from ''Manga/MonsterMusume'' always looks either bored or vaguely annoyed. Lala also very rarely smiles, but mostly to keep up her "reaper of souls" facade.
81	* In ''Literature/MyYouthRomanticComedyIsWrongAsIExpected'', the anime version of Hachiman Hikigaya nearly always has his eyebrows in a knit. He does smile but usually it's a wry smile.
82	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
83	** Even after rising to become the first Chuunin in his class, achieving the place as team leader of the group, being subjected to considerable CharacterDevelopment, and getting a [[{{Shipping}} potential girlfriend]], Shikamaru still doesn't seem to find a reason to wipe that big ugly frown off his face.
84	** Sasuke also started out as a frowner due to his tragic past and fervent mission in life to kill his brother. However, following his FaceHeelTurn and the series' timeskip, Sasuke gains a more impassive look, adding to his growing similarity with his AloofBigBrother.
85	** Gaara, even after accepting his companions, has almost never smiled a non-murderous smile. In the later manga chapters, Gaara smiles ''once in awhile'' and generally shows far more emotion than he used to, but it's still pretty rare in comparison to other characters.
86	** Shikamaru's son Shikadai has inherited his serious expression in ''Manga/{{Boruto}}''.
87	* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
88	** Along with a [[FingerTenting certain pose]], Gendo Ikari is a reliable owner of one of these. While he is occasionally seen smiling, in the vast majority of cases, it is when he [[PsychoticSmirk smirks in triumph]] over something going [[AllAccordingToPlan just as planned]]. His only truly warm smiles only really ever happen around Rei or in flashbacks to before [[TheLostLenore Yui's death]].
89	** Gendo's son Shinji, being a {{Angst}}[=-=]filled [[TheWoobie woobie]] with many mental issues, likewise has a sad frown on his mug 24/7. In [[Manga/NeonGenesisEvangelion the manga]], when Shinji does smile, his [[ParentalSubstitute caretaker]] Misato immediately takes note of it and tells Shinji that [[WhenSheSmiles he's much cuter when he smiles]] and that he should do it more often.
90	** Rei Ayanami, being the TropeCodifier for EmotionlessGirl, naturally has an impassive frown on her face all the time. When Rei [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/66/27/f3/6627f3e21a4f9ea88eceede22e8c60a0.png does smile]] for Shinji (who is also smiling and crying with happiness over the fact she's not hurt) in Episode 6, it's a SugarWiki/CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
91	* Renge from ''Manga/NonNonBiyori'' is affixed with a perpetual half-open-eyed frown (with flashbacks showing that she's been like this since she was a baby). Though it's not very indicative of her mood, as she's your average CheerfulChild.
92	* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
93	** Try to find canonical pictures of Zoro where he's just smiling happy and friendly-like as opposed to scowling or just [[SlasherSmile smirking]]. ''It's very hard.'' Especially recently, though. He used to smile and laugh quite frequently in [[CharacterizationMarchesOn early appearances]]. It gets rarer after he loses to Mihawk. In the Arlong Arc, Sanji notes that Zoro developed a bad temper after he lost to Mihawk, so this change is very, very intentional on Oda's part. It's gotten to the point where [[https://external-preview.redd.it/SVEmdNIBBzvc1WEfDcsSXUaik4DeSYm3GLlpXAmrIfE.jpg?width=704&auto=webp&s=886a35368d5b0d79bec402ab60b2fc604e0b9ece Sanji]] and [[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/03/50/dc/0350dc9cd2892e7dc67fcdf8db8b82dc.jpg random strangers]] literally [[FingerForcedSmile force Zoro to curl his lips up]] because otherwise he just ain't doing it.
94	** Speaking of Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman has smirked a few times (when Zoro challenges him, when Zoro accepts his loss and turns around so he won't have a swordman's greatest shame of a wound to the back, and when Luffy states that he'll become Pirate King) and outright laughed when [[spoiler:Zoro asks Mihawk to tutor him]], but otherwise has a constant dispassionate frown.
95	** Similar case with Tashigi. She smiled a lot early on, but after some bad experiences in Alabasta, likely disillusioning her in many important ways, she generally looks either impassive or rather miserable. She smiles again after taking care of the giant children at the end of the Punk Hazard arc.
96	** Jimbei has this as his regular face with him rarely changing it.
97	** Trafalgar Law is an interesting example in that, [[CharacterizationMarchesOn in his first appearance]] and all other pre-timeskip appearances to a lesser extent, he was established as a PerpetualSmiler instead. Post-timeskip, however, he has become this, being portrayed as a much more serious character.
98	** Once his true appearance was actually revealed, contrasting with the SlasherSmile of his unfinished character design, Kaido just seems to be perpetually pissed off at something, never changing his dour grimace. It seems fitting enough, considering he's the sort of DeathSeeker that would set the whole world on fire and walk into the flames to see if they could finally kill him (which would be [[NighInvulnerable up for debate]]).
99	*** Averted in later chapters and episodes, Kaido can smile [[https://api.duniagames.co.id/api/content/upload/file/18945802431600080647.jpg it just ain't pretty]].
100	%%* Ichimatsu from ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'', though he becomes increasingly NotSoStoic as the show goes on.
101	* Kasanoda from ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' is an unfortunate example. He looks scary as hell, and his default expression is an angry frown... because he's been trained from childhood to take over the position of {{Yakuza}} boss of his family. Unfortunate, because he's not such a bad guy, but nearly everyone is too freaked out to notice.
102	* [[TheRival Paul]] from ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesDiamondAndPearl'', as by far Ash's most serious rival, is almost always shown scowling, save for the occasional PsychoticSmirk when trapping Ash either verbally or in battle.
103	* Fakir from ''Anime/PrincessTutu''. He's constantly frowning, even when he's sleeping and coming out of the shower.
104	* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': Homura Akemi always has a melancholic look on her face. And [[BrokenBird she's got a lot of reason to]].
105	* ''Manga/Reborn2004'':
106	** Xanxus is in a permanently bad mood and nearly always scowling, but his smile is even ''more'' frightening.
107	** Tsuna in Dying Will form has been described several times as having "his brows always furrowed".
108	%%* Saionji from ''Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena'' fits this trope to a t, given that his life has been a bit... complicated.
109	* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'':
110	** Mugen always has a nasty, twisted, "don't trust anybody/ya wanna mess with me?" look on his face. Unless [[BigEater presented with food]].
111	** Jin doesn't smile, since he's TheStoic.
112	* ''Manga/SgtFrog'': Giroro, presumably, though the Keronian biological structure disguises this a little.
113	* Kaede Rukawa from ''Manga/SlamDunk'' has this expression as a standard. He only gives ''one'' smile throughout the entire story, in the second-to-last volume. Doesn't stop girls from fawning over him, though. The fact that he's TheAce of Shohoku certainly helps.
114	* Kurogane from ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle''. The only times you see him smiling are when he's fighting... And it's more of a SlasherSmile than everything. He only really smiled in the flashbacks from his childhood... And in Chapter 167.
115	* Sheila from ''Anime/TweenyWitches'' wears a stern expression at almost all times.
116	* Thorfinn from ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', when he does smile, those smiles are rather....[[SlasherSmile vicious]].
117	* ''Franchise/YuGiOh'':
118	** [[Characters/YuGiOhSetoKaiba Seto Kaiba]] from ''Anime/YuGiOh''. This was commented on in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', with Yugi remarking "Every time Kaiba smiles, a puppy dies.". The latter's expression does lighten occasionally (and usually when he gets to stroke his own ego in the most [[LargeHam hamtastic]] way possible) but otherwise pulls off the 'stern' expression 90% of the time.
119	** ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'':
120	*** Kaiser Ryo. Oddly enough, his FaceHeelTurn to Hell Kaiser caused him to ''smile''... [[SlasherSmile evilly, with a touch of insanity]].
121	*** Edo is initally introduced as the opposite of this trope, but as we get to see more and more of him, his smiles become much rarer. He's serving as the ShadowArchetype of Judai after all.
122	*** Edo's new Ace Monster, Destiny HERO Bloo-D/[[DubNameChange Plasma]], takes this trope up to eleven, who is always depicted with an angry expression on his face.
123	* Yusaku Fujiki of ''Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS'' is hardly seen with a non-serious expression thanks to his DarkAndTroubledPast where he was kidnapped and forced to duel for months when he was 6. He has lightened up and appears to smile more after the Tower of Hanoi, but it's few and far between.

Context PerpetualFrowner / AnimeAndManga