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    • Wrong: The Mentor: Kevin is this to Bob in the first episode.
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  • A character name is not an explanation.


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For best results, please include why you think an example is iffy in your first post.

Also, many oft-misused tropes/topics have their own threads, such as Surprisingly Realistic Outcome (here) and Fan-Preferred Couple (here). Tropers are better able to give feedback on examples you bring up to specific threads. We don't discuss Complete Monster or Magnificent Bastard examples; please don't bring them up.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jul 17th 2025 at 8:59:01 PM

Edgar81539 Since: Mar, 2014
#25851: Feb 12th 2023 at 7:23:10 PM

If it's using the same characters and the same basic premise it seems like it's the same franchise, just changed names. So yeah, it probably doesn't count.

Bubblepig Rei from Tokyo (Apprentice) Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
#25852: Feb 12th 2023 at 7:28:07 PM

I found one example of Bowdlerise from Darna where I think it's misused for another trope.

  • Bowdlerise: Just like in more recent ABS-CBN teleseryes, the NLEA from the 2022 series is based on the real-life PNP.

Is there's any trope that match to the examples other than Bowdlerize?

Edited by Bubblepig on Feb 12th 2023 at 9:35:56 AM

"Now it's starting to feel like a game!"
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#25853: Feb 12th 2023 at 8:33:51 PM

[up]I'd see Trope Finder for that. For the record, I'm personally unsure if there is a substitute or not, sorry.

ElRise I fix my examples all the time from The Dying City (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
I fix my examples all the time
#25854: Feb 12th 2023 at 9:41:23 PM

Found this example in ByronicHero.Video Games.

Simply being cynical and sarcastic isn't enough. The entry does not say anything about whether he has strong passions or ideals that causes conflict between him and other people / society. Cut?

Graffiti Wall
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#25855: Feb 12th 2023 at 10:48:38 PM

The entry does not say anything about whether he has strong passions or ideals that causes conflict between him and other people / society.

As someone familiar with the game/series: he very much does. The most the entry seems to allude to it as currently written is the contextless spoilered Vigilante Man link, but in short: he's strongly opposed to the corruption of the empire he lives in and especially the way particularly powerful and evil figures within it use their position to avoid justice, and ultimately decides to start 'dispensing his own justice' by killing them outright, leading to a major clash of ideals with his best friend, Internal Reformist Flynn.

Honestly, as the entry actually does mention, the thing that gives me pause is more that I tend to think of Byronic Heroes as less easygoing than Yuri generally is (and the other Tales characters on the subpage tend to bear that out) but I do think he probably qualifies.

Ayumi-chan 3rd happiest man in Connecticut from Iacon City (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
3rd happiest man in Connecticut
#25856: Feb 13th 2023 at 4:44:07 AM

Trivia.Tokyo Xanadu has this, and I’m very unsure of it

  • Channel Hop: While the publishing rights to Cold Steel and Ys games were in the hands of XSeed at the time, the rights to this game went to Aksys Games instead. Could count as Foreshadowing, as following this, the rights to future Trails and Ys games hopped to NIS America.

I think fits under the other name Studio Hop, and I’m not sure if the mention of the jump to NIS is necessary. Any thoughts?

Edited by Ayumi-chan on Feb 13th 2023 at 8:44:23 PM

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#25857: Feb 13th 2023 at 6:19:17 AM

[up]I don't feel it counts because Channel Hop/Studio Hop seems to involve a show.

Dghcrh You can't escape this monster from Small country that looks like a fish Since: Dec, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
You can't escape this monster
#25858: Feb 13th 2023 at 6:21:05 AM

Does Fire-Forged Friends count if two characters that are not friendly at first become friends during the adventure instead of after it?

I'm mainly a fan of underrated media.
Twiddler (On A Trope Odyssey)
Ayumi-chan 3rd happiest man in Connecticut from Iacon City (Experienced Trainee) Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
3rd happiest man in Connecticut
#25860: Feb 13th 2023 at 6:53:24 AM

[up][up][up] Looking at the Channel Hop page, it does have a dedicated video game folder. But I'm still unsure if the example counts, especially the foreshadowing part.

She/Her | Currently cleaning: N/A
tomhur Since: Mar, 2014
#25861: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:12:19 AM

So something that's been noted by more than a few viewers of Western Animation/Velma is how a lot of the meta jokes and references don't seem to accurately reflect what they are referencing.

For example, in the opening scene, Velma says something about how most origin stories are about "Tall Handsome Guys being gifted with the burden of too much power" or "Why'd this hot chick go crazy" except neither fits the label of most Suphero Origin stories. Sure in the case of the former, you have examples like Green Lantern and Superman but there have been plenty of superheroes who were not tall and handsome prior to getting powers(Peter Parker, Steve Rogers, etc) or were tall and handsome but had something actually terrible and traumatic happen to them(Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Bruce Wayne etc) and the latter blatantly ignores several female Superheroes who didn't go crazy in their origins.

And another example would be Norville saying that 'In Teen movies whenever a girl needs money a guy sells something and blackmails the girl into dating him for it" but I'm struggling to think of any Teen Movie like this.

You think these would fall under Shallow Parody?

WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#25862: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:24:47 AM

[up]I know some works that do blackmail dating. But maybe its not done alot to be really true with that statement.

Edited by WhirlRX on Feb 13th 2023 at 12:36:02 PM

Synchronicity (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#25863: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:30:56 AM

I think "tall handsome guys" is honestly a generalization that works. While there are obvious exceptions, it applies to a significant enough majority. Batman having trauma doesn't rebut that because he is still a super handsome gazillionaire.

I can't think of any teen comedies that do blackmail dating off the top of my head, though.

WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#25864: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:37:26 AM

I mean, blackmail dating is more well known in the um, sultry side of the media works.

BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#25865: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:55:48 AM

I found this entry under Mythology Gag on WesternAnimation.Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur 2023:

  • When she realizes Syphonator has an alien symbiote, Moon Girl mentions that alien symbiotes are weak against sonic attacks - which is exactly how it works for the Venom symbiote and its spawn.

Like… I’m not so sure that’s a mythology gag? That’s just a thing of the characters’ and the creators keeping it in the show. I really don’t think it counts.

You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.
WhirlRX Since: Jan, 2015
#25866: Feb 13th 2023 at 9:59:32 AM

[up]Yeah. Thats kust a well known weakness to an enemy. Cut.

StarSword Captain of USS Bajor from somewhere in deep space Since: Sep, 2011
Captain of USS Bajor
#25867: Feb 13th 2023 at 10:07:04 AM

[up][up][up]"Blackmail dating" would be examples of Captive Date, FWIW. But on examination, I don't think these are examples of Shallow Parody; I think we need to look under The War on Straw if we want to trope that spiel.

Trust me, I'm an engineer!
wingedcatgirl mys. minty from the silly dimension from lurking (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Oh my word! I'm gay!
mys. minty from the silly dimension
#25868: Feb 13th 2023 at 11:00:32 AM

Iji has the same ending listed as both a Bittersweet Ending and a Downer Ending. Pretty sure these are contradictory and it can't be both. Here are the two example texts; which one should we keep?

  • Bittersweet Ending: As of 1.7, the ending where you do not meet Ansaksie and Iosa survives as a result. Tor is beaten and decides not to go through with the Alpha Strike, humankind survives and the remaining Tasen live on Earth alongside them, but Iosa kills Iji and Tor after the final battle.
  • Downer Ending: If after killing almost nobody in the game, you go wildly out of your way to make sure Iosa isn't killed including by Ansaksie, then after defeating Tor, Iosa enters, delivers a “The Reason You Suck” Speech to Iji, then immediately does a One-Hit Kill on you. She then tries to extort Tor into destroying Earth, but is thwarted by Kiron and demoted. Iosa kills her husband in rage and then the fleet leaves, leaving Dan (provided he is even still alive) standing over his sister's body.

Suddenly I'm... still rotating Fallen London in my mind even though I've stopped actively playing it.
Mrph1 he/him from Mercia (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: This is not my beautiful wife!
he/him
#25869: Feb 13th 2023 at 11:36:30 AM

[up] I don't know the work, but assuming you've actively saved humanity and the bad guys aren't going to come back next week, that sounds like victory at a high price, so Bittersweet seems the better fit.

worldwidewoomy (Plucky Ensign) Relationship Status: I miss my wife, Tails
#25870: Feb 13th 2023 at 12:13:17 PM

hi again, i tried rewriting that one Sensory Abuse example that i brought up earlier. how does this look?

  • This is a regular occurrence in Profound Moments In Left 4 Dead 2. The cast regularly scream into their microphones, often to the point of producing microphone-cracking feedback.

MaeBea from Satan's basement Since: Jul, 2021 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
StarSword Captain of USS Bajor from somewhere in deep space Since: Sep, 2011
Captain of USS Bajor
#25872: Feb 13th 2023 at 2:08:31 PM

[up]Neither, actually: that has its own trope, Sadly Mythtaken.

Trust me, I'm an engineer!
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#25873: Feb 13th 2023 at 2:29:39 PM

[up](x3) That Sensory Abuse example looks good to me[tup].

[up][up]Besides[up], maybe In-Universe Factoid Failure if it's a character in-universe making an inaccuracy about mythology.

gjjones Musician/Composer from South Wales, New York Since: Jul, 2016
Musician/Composer
#25874: Feb 13th 2023 at 6:26:17 PM

From Trivia.Girls Bravo:

Since the manga's drama CDs were released back in 2002 and the anime's first season premiered in 2004, does this example count?

Edited by gjjones on Feb 13th 2023 at 9:26:38 AM

He/His/Him. No matter who you are, always Be Yourself.
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#25875: Feb 13th 2023 at 6:33:49 PM

[up]Because it doesn't have the part about their being a span of five years, I don't feel it counts.


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