Where do you go to read the latest about new tropes?
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
Welcome to the fourth issue of the Trope Report revival!
Trope Report is a monthly newsletter that intends to showcase works and tropes from all corners of this website. It also aims to keep the troper hivemind updated with pertinent trope changes and discussions.
Somehow, it's already April, which is an eventual month. It's spring, if you live in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. It's Easter on the 4th, if you are familiar with Christian traditions and/or a fan of bunnies and chocolate. And April 1 is April Fools' Day, which means absolutely nothing to us as creators of this newsletter. Yup, all of these recommendations are 100% serious and none of them are jokes. Honest.
Also, did you hear? Believer Magazine published an article on TVTropes
. While media publications frequently link to tropes on the site when discussing works of fiction, it's not as often that an entire article is focused on us. That's exciting! Check it out if you want to learn more about the site's history and know more about some of the staff.
As always, happy troping!
~Synchronicity, Chief Trope Report Officer
open/close all folders
Tropes and Works
Trope Spotlight
Obscure Tropes
This section highlights older tropes that need a boost.- The Bunny Ears Picture Prank. You've probably seen it in a few photos already, wherein someone in the picture or just out of frame surreptitiously holds the V-shaped two fingers over another's head, making the fingers the "bunny ears". It's a simple way for The Prankster to spoil— ah, enhance a photo. Careful where you do this, though! In the United States, the bunny ears sign is a harmless prank, but it's similar to the Cuckold Horns gesture (using different fingers) and might be seen as an insult.
- The Gilligan Cut is a classic comedy staple, wherein someone determinedly says, "I will not do this." There's a sudden shift in scene, possibly even mid-sentence, and the character is shown doing that exact thing they were protesting. It's one of the ways to tempt fate. This is a very old trope, but the page on TV Tropes is much newer (launched circa 2005) and has only 3600 wicks.
New Tropes
This section brings attention to recently-launched tropes that could use a little help to really get rolling.- If you're familiar with anime (particularly Light Novels), then you may be aware of a common female character archetype that's similar to both Shana Clone and Stock Light-Novel Hero, but not quite at the same time. Well, now that character archetype has its own trope. Introducing Stock Light-Novel Calamity Princess, where it talks about secondary female leads who are usually Love Interests to the aforementioned Stock Light Novel Heroes. They tend to be Fiery Redhead Tsunderes much like their Shana Clone predecessors while also sharing some traits from High School DXD's Rias Gremory, like being a Pretty Princess Powerhouse and bearing a great power that can be destructive in the wrong hands. This trope has had an interesting Trope Launch Pad history to say the least. It was originally proposed in 2015 before subsequently being abandoned due to the original sponsor's inactivity, but was then revived during the latter half of 2020 and got adopted by two different sponsors. Some disagreement followed over the trope's validity as well as its writing, but after a long Development Hell, the trope was finally launched in March 18 after most of those issues had been ironed out.
Work Spotlight
New Work Page Spotlight
This section covers newer work pages that could use a little help.- Bunnies are all the rage this time of year. One bunny that's gotten a lot of attention lately is Lola Bunny. This spunky Distaff Counterpart to Bugs Bunny is likely the most well-known female character in the Looney Tunes roster, but only got a page for herself on March 13th. Lola's known for her appearances in works like Space Jam (and its upcoming sequel), Baby Looney Tunes, and The Looney Tunes Show, but maintains some consistent traits and tropes in her appearances that can be added to her work page. The complicated reception to her character is also worth noting on a YMMV page. And remember: don't ever call her "doll"!
- You may know The Russo Brothers for their directing work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You may also know Tom Holland from his role as Peter Parker in those films. They've teamed up to create the crime drama Cherry (2021), starring Holland as an Army veteran and opioid addict who's turned to robbing banks while pursuing the love of his life, Emily. The film debuted on February 26th and the work page was created on March 14th. If you like stories about war, crime, and romance, feel free to contribute to the page.
- If you knew kids with smartphones in the 2010s, you may be familiar with the "My Talking Tom" virtual pet app. Did you know the tomcat got his own animated series in 2014? Talking Tom Shorts was created on February 19th and describes a few tropes that apply to the adventures of Tom and his Funny Animal friends. There's over 47 episodes in Season 1 alone, so if you've seen any of the shorts, try purr-rusing trope lists to see what tropes those episodes contain.
- The Rose Flower and Joe is a 1977 anime short by Sanrio, the company behind the Hello Kitty franchise, but the page was only created on March 13th. This story follows a little homeless dog named Joe who falls in love with a pink rose and protects it throughout his life. Like much of the company's fare, it's incredibly sweet, though not without its share of tearjerking moments. If this short tugged at your heartstrings, feel free to add any tropes pertaining to its story.
- Finally, if you like female empowerment stories, demon-slaying, and classic teen drama, work on the pages for the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This page has only been around for less than a decade, and it could always use more attention.
Older/Obscure Work Spotlight
This section is intended to highlight works that may no longer be in the zeitgeist — but that doesn't mean they're any less tropable.- MoneySeize is a 2009 Platform Game in Adobe Flash by Maddy Thorson. In it, you play as Sir Reginald MoneySeize II, Esq., who aims to collect 1000 coins scattered around 40 levels to build a tower, with an additional 10 coins in nine Brutal Bonus Levels and one easy one. He can Double Jump, Wall Jump, and skid jump (done by running at full speed, turning, and jumping) to get past obstacles that stand in his way. The game's brutal and you can expect to die over a thousand times on a level, but the finely-tuned controls, level design, and aesthetics turn this into quite the offer for challenge-seeking gentlemen.
- The Goddamn George Liquor Program is a 1997 web animation series consisting of eight one-minute shorts by John Kricfalusi. It features George Liquor from the Ren & Stimpy cartoon, along with his 8-year-old nephew Jimmy the Idiot Boy, two bratty nephews Slab and Ernie, and Jimmy's girlfriend Sody Pop, as they take part in Slice of Life adventures. This is actually the first cartoon series created exclusively in Adobe Flash for the Internet, plus John K. considers George his strongest character. Watching it in full screen in an emulator like Flashpoint (likely the only way you can actually watch it in its intended format) lets you see the engine's vector graphics to the fullest, making the characters and sceneries really sharp, even if you have to go through an unskippable credits sequence for each episode and it's still ultimately Limited Animation.
- Congo Bongo is a 1983 Platform Game originally released as an Arcade Game, which was soon ported to several other systems. The player character is a safari explorer who had his tent burned down by an ape named Congo. Frustrated, he tries to catch Congo in an attempt to get retribution. The gameplay's similar to Nintendo's Donkey Kong, as you go through four levels and defeat the ape at the end. However, the game takes place in a jungle rather than a construction site, which means there are other animals also running around, and it uses Isometric Projection for its levels (unless you're playing the SG 1000 version, which makes it a 2D scroller). While the inspiration can't be overlooked, it's an exhilarating adventure with an original perspective.
Works That Need a Page
This section takes a page from the List of Shows That Need Summary. It is intended to spotlight works that people have been talking about enough to link around the site, but don't have a page yet. If the work page link turns blue after this, then we know we've done our job!- Ratatouille the Musical, a.k.a. Ascended Meme: The Musical. What started out as a Filk Song on TikTok written by an elementary school teacher quickly became a meme where people sang songs based on the 2007 Pixar film Ratatouille. Eventually, Disney decided to join in on the fun, and the songs were adapted into a virtual concert musical starring Tituss Burgess, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Ashley Park, among others. It surprisingly doesn't have its own page, so step right up and make it!
Non-English Work Spotlight
The wiki may be in English, but that doesn't mean non-English media are any less important! This section focuses on works that may have a language barrier to deal with — but are worth it if you do.- Urbanoids is a Java game by the Swedish developer Karl Hornell. It has you control Erwin O'Skunk, an out-of-work TV repairman, who didn't evacuate his robot-infested town. His task is eliminating every robot in the city. This is done by shooting them with a gun, but he can also attempt to hack them, which involves a Hacking Minigame where the goal is converting the majority of the robot's weak points. Successfully hacking a robot can increase his firepower and defense, allowing him to dispose of stronger ones. While getting adjusted to the control scheme is difficult for players used to WASD or arrow keys, the strategic gameplay, appealing graphics, and enjoyable music make Urbanoids ideal for a quick play session.
- The Miser is a play by Molière. Harpagon is the title character, who owns a box full of cash, but is not willing to spend any of it to not look like a beggar. His son Cléante wishes to marry Marianne, whom Harpagon himself intends to marry, while daughter Élise loves Valère, who works in Harpagon's house in order to be closer to his beloved. Harpagon intends to marry Élise off to old Mr. Anselme. This leads to schemes and the theft of Harpagon's wealth. This is an interesting play with an accurate depiction of what can happen if a father cares about money more than his children.
- CosPrayers is a 64-episode Magical Girl anime by Masters of Entertainment. It's about Koto Hoshino, an Ordinary High-School Student who gets sucked by a tentacle monster... er, into a parallel world. She is then recruited by the titular team of magical girls, who are able to Charm Up and transform to fight monsters and spread tolerance about different cultures and religions, like Japanese Shinto, European Catholicism, and Indian Buddhism. The series shows those guys' mastery with stunning animation, memorable characters with deep personalities, and an interesting story.
Creator Page Spotlight
Works would be nothing without the people who make them. This section highlights authors, artists, actors, musicians, and everyone else responsible for trope creation and proliferation.- When thinking of pop culture depictions of the Easter Bunny, E. Aster Bunnymund from The Guardians of Childhood (or its animated 'sequel' Rise of the Guardians) might come to mind. Why not get to know the man behind this work, American author and artist William Joyce? He's also responsible for many other iconic children's works — he's the man behind Rolie Polie Olie and wrote the books that inspired Meet the Robinsons and Epic.
- The Mars Volta was a Progressive Rock band from Texas, known for blending surreal themes with Latin music influences, as well as a host of other genres. Confused about what that might sound like? Try "The Widow" or the Grammy-winning "Wax Simulacra" for a taste. The band rocked hard from 2001 to 2013, and the members have gone on to do other projects — but have also indicated that they plan to reunite the band at some point.
- Curious about modern, real-life examples of a Renaissance Man? Look no further than Alejandro Jodorowsky, a Chilean-French artist who's dabbled in many forms of art, from filmmaking to sculpting to painting. On this wiki, he's known for his "Jodoverse" series of Franco-Belgian Comics, and films like The Holy Mountain. His interest in mysticism and the occult shows up in much of his portfolio, giving his works a unique and distinctive surreal flair.
- Ian McKellen is an up-and-coming actor whom you may know from films like A Touch Of Love, The Keep, and Six Degrees of Separation. He's also been making some waves on British stage. I don't know about you, but this guy seems like a star in the making. He definitely seems like he can play some fantasy blockbuster roles in the future, but which ones?
Image/Image Caption of the Month
This section brings you the best of the recent selections from Image Pickin.
This issue's featured image comes from Buttersafe, and illustrates Informed Ability.
This article has the ability to make its sentences rhyme entirely in Limerick!
In any case, this image manages to have quite the simple trick.
As for why it's this specific pic I chose,
Its ability to illustrate the trope is quite composed.
It manages to humorously portray something not happening, which is particularly difficult for tropes in general.
In addition, the image's humor leaks into the caption.
With it there is no divide or faction.
This image is the greatest of the month!
When illustrating images it's quite a crunch.
Well done to the Image Suggestions crowner that selected it!
This issue's featured image comes from Buttersafe, and illustrates Informed Ability.
This article has the ability to make its sentences rhyme entirely in Limerick!
In any case, this image manages to have quite the simple trick.
As for why it's this specific pic I chose,
Its ability to illustrate the trope is quite composed.
It manages to humorously portray something not happening, which is particularly difficult for tropes in general.
In addition, the image's humor leaks into the caption.
With it there is no divide or faction.
This image is the greatest of the month!
When illustrating images it's quite a crunch.
Well done to the Image Suggestions crowner that selected it!
Projects and Discussions
Forumwatch
Hey guys! Welcome back to Forumwatch! In this section, we'll be telling you about what's going on in the forums — interesting discussions that may be going on in Wiki Talk, some fun forum games, or lively debates going on in On-Topic Conversations, you name it!
- For many years on this site, the 5P (Place for Purging Porn and Pedo Pandering) system has been used as a way to get rid of any content that crosses the line of what we consider acceptable. As of late, the methods of managing this policy have become overwhelming, and it stands to reason that the system has become outdated. Therefore, a new system is being implemented that will replace the 5P, where each page on the site has a report button that starts a new thread automatically for discussion and voting. If you want to help discuss the mechanics of the new system, check out the Replacing the 5P system thread and help us out with keeping TV Tropes content acceptable.
- What's that? TV Tropes was featured in a magazine?! The heads of the site got interviews?! That's an amazing accomplishment! But where can we talk about this awesome development? Never fear, we have the Believer Magazine published a story on the history of TV Tropes thread! Join the conversation about an article discussing how a bunch of Buffy the Vampire Slayer nerds formed a very nerdy website!
- Ever since last spring, the COVID-19 Pandemic has been disrupting our normal lives, killing many people and forcing countries to lock down to contain the spread. Luckily, vaccines have been developed and are in the process of being rolled out. To keep up with this news, please check out the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic thread. TV Tropes thanks you for following quarantine procedures to keep yourself and those around you safe.
- "Knock knock!" "Who's there?" "Jokes." "Jokes who?" "If you have any jokes that you want to share, please share them in the Joke thread! Whether they are funny, unfunny, or So Unfunny, It's Funny, we would be glad to see them as long as they follow community guidelines!" "...that wasn't funny. That wasn't even a joke." "I know. In the end, I was the real joke." "That's just sad."
- Have you heard of this cool new thing known as "Let's Plays"? Apparently, people record themselves playing video games and then post those videos online! It's crazy, I know! Well, us Tropers are able to do these things too. So if you want cool and new let's playing action, check out the Let's Play Super Mario 64! thread! All of you other let's players, be warned! Wait, why is the thread locked?
Trope/Article Changelog
This section covers renames, removals, hard-splits, merges, and wick cleaning. We'll try to keep you alerted of any major changes to the site, including perpetual projects and Wiki Talk decisions that you may have missed, but if you want to be a part of the process that affects so much of our wiki, then head over to the Trope Repair Shop on the left-hand side of the forum.
- All There Is To Know About The Crying Game was merged with It Was His Sled, after the discussion determined that "Everyone knows the spoiler/twist" is not a meaningful distinction from "Everyone knows only the spoiler/twist". It's now a disambiguation page.
- Bee Afraid has been redefined to mean "dangerous or antagonistic bees or bee-themed characters". The original definition, "scary stinging insect swarms" will be given a new name. See the TRS thread here.
- Elemental Hair has been renamed to Elemental Hair Colors. The former page now serves as a disambiguation page.
- Deader Than Disco is now a disambiguation between two pages: Condemned by History, a YMMV item which covers the original definition (and has also been broadened in scope), and Disco Sucks, a trope which covers works mocking disco. Check out the TRS thread linked here.
- Fora tropes are being reorganized. Some articles like Lurker and Internet Detective were merged into the newly created Forum Speak which is a page for internet jargon. See this TRS thread for more details.
- Tyrannosaurus Rex is now a disambig and has been split into King of the Dinosaurs, T. Rexpy, and UsefulNotes.Tyrannosaurus Rex. See the TRS thread here.
Pages Needing Help
This section highlights articles indexed on the Pages Needing Wiki Magic policy page and sub-pages. Such articles are, at best, under-performing and below wiki standards. At worst, these pages are in violation of the wiki's rules against stubs. If you're an editor, try checking out some of these under-performing trope and work articles to see what improvements you can make to the page.
- April's birthday is Jorge Garcia, an actor/comedian who has appeared in several works... yet none of the ones that were important enough for their bio were important enough for their filmography? There's no indication as to what order the filmography is supposed to be in. It would probably be useful to include information on where they've performed comedy, as well as trope examples!
- Dumbo's Circus is a live-action/puppet show from the Disney Channel, starring the famous character from Dumbo. Our article on it, however, needs a bit of care. The show had 114 episodes, and we only have twelve wicks? It seems odd to have about one trope for every ten episodes, and the lack of context in the example list seems pretty disappointing as well. Does anyone have a screencap of the title screen or a VHS cover for the page? Maybe there's a '90s kid who fondly remembers this show and can find episodes online?
- The Rimshot shows up at the end of a joke. See? The description needs a cleanup (Example as a Thesis tends to detract, especially as the opening line), we can't tell where the image came from (proper attribution is important!), and we're missing an example list! What, has nobody heard it used in a movie before? Ain't we got a few stand-up episodes where it happened? Do we need to resend this back to the TLP? [horror!]
Project Spotlight
Looking for a project to dedicate some time to, but not comfortable jumping into large threads? Here are some smaller projects, or more recent discussions, in need of a few more hands.
- It's April, the month where Hilarity Ensues... but what's not so hilarious is the misuse Hilarity Ensues gets. TRS recently voted to redirect the trope to Played for Laughs and create a new trope for the old definition. If you'd like to help, feel free to jump in.
- Most of us in our wiki-reading careers have stumbled upon odd, bash-y, or otherwise bad Headscratcher questions or debates. A project thread exists to clean these pages up by removing complaints, First-Person Writing, and duplicate questions. For such a big project, more hands are needed, so if you're interested, why not help out?
- The Ensemble Dark Horse trope has had some entries missing that the character must be unexpectedly popular and is currently undergoing a cleanup effort. If you want to help out, please check the project thread.
- Hey there, grammar heads. Have you been left annoyed, angry even, at the use of punctuation on the wiki? Do you wish you could just slash away at every semicolon, Oxford Comma, and use of ellipses? Maybe you feel like every example should end with an exclamation mark, just to drive home how important it is? Or, maybe you just want to play a prank on everyone by removing all the punctuation from the wiki period? If so, you're in luck. The new Punctuation Cleanup Effort is the hot new project all the editors are buzzing about.
Know the Contributors
- Synchronicity, like, writes that thing called Creator Page Spotlight, or whatever? You know, that thing. And that other thing. Somehow also in charge of this? Like, what?
- Piterpicher is the head honcho of Older/Obscure Work Spotlight and Non-English Work Spotlight. Despite that and other responsibilities, he's a procrastrinating gamer with no life. When it comes to wiki philosophy, the priorities are making it weird, perverted, and money-grubbing. (Editor's note: he also made our boring new logo!)
- crazysamaritan is a cat that summarizes works into stub pages, ensuring that articles only have a few examples without bothering to duplicate them onto trope pages.
- Kappaclystica writes for Image of the Month and is Just a Face and a Caption.
- Satoshi Bakuwa is a cute wowe-pwaying kitten mew >:3 pewson who wwites fow Fowumwatch. They quietwy pwoww awound the wiki and fowums in seawch of naughty twopews to punish, and as such you nevew hewe of them untiw they pounce you. *meows and pounces away*
- Mighty Mewtron writes for the New Work Page spotlight. This is because she, herself, is a very new person. She's a very advanced infant who spends all her time in front of the computer because she still hasn't learned to walk.
- MacronNotes doesn’t have a joke.
- War Jay 77 is actually just 77 blue-jays in a trenchcoat, who all have decided to write for Project Spotlight. When not refreshing on the wiki endlessly, they're enjoying bird-seed, fighting over a single mirror, or hiding from the internet's many cats.
- gjjones writes for the Project Spotlight section. He also frequently spends his time working on projects whenever they are necessary, cleaning up wiki entries and participating in the ATT and Trope Repair Shop threads.
- Divine Flame 100 has been burning for hundreds of centuries on top of Dragonspine, the lone source of light and warmth in the dark, blizzard-blasted region where... DAMMIT QUIT TOASTING MARSHMALLOWS OVER ME!
- naturalironist writes for the Obscure Trope Spotlight, and spends a lot of time on the wiki, adding examples and serving as an Entry Pimp.
- 𝕋𝕒𝕓𝕤 is not a contributor. This is getting out of hand. We said anyone could participate in Trope Report, but we've realized we have to make an exception. If you find this entry, please delete it.
- ccorb does not contribute to Trope Report or do anything meaningful. They primarily contribute to TV Tropes just to entry-pimp Hunter × Hunter and lurk the forums.
- Twiddler makes sure are grammar is in order.
This edition of Trope Report has been sponsored by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, makers of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, Skiving Snackboxes, and Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs.
Interested in becoming a contributor, or have suggestions for works or tropes to feature? Pop by the the thread and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)
and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)