I've decided to start a cleanup thread for Narm, since it seems to attract a lot of misuse and complaining. Like I said in my ATT post
, "some misuse is easy to catch (e.g. saying a joke is Narm when Narm by definition can't be a joke), a lot of examples fall into grey areas that seem like misuse but it's hard to tell. Like nitpicks that at first glance seem to be valid examples, but feel like stretches the more you think about them."
I think one of the main reasons for misuse is that most people aren't clear on what Narm actually is. To my understanding, it's when a scene is intended to be dramatic, but comes off as cheesy/funny unintentionally. But going by the page description, it's kind of vague what actually qualifies something as Narm. At the top, it says "Narm is a moment that is supposed to be serious, but due to either over-sappiness, poor execution, excessive Melodrama, or the sheer absurdity of the situation, the drama is lost to the point of surpassing "cheesy" and becoming unintentionally funny." But then later on in the same page, it gives a much more vague definition:
In CGI movies or video games unrealistic movements or facial expressions may result in Narm. Dated special effects during dramatic scenes can cause Narm for younger audience members who were raised on nothing less convincing than the Phantom Menace. Totally Radical dialog in cartoons or commercials pandering to children can also be a rich source of Narm. Even a good performance in a bad movie can evoke Narm if the actor's performance isn't enough to save the scene.
That last sentence I feel just confuses the whole thing. It makes it sound like absolutely anything can count as Narm, no matter if it works in context or not.
Most often, Narm is misused to mean "anything I personally don't think worked," whether or not it was intended as dramatic or comes off as funny. And when a work is high-profile enough, hoo boy, pretty much every scene is Narm to somebody. You can look at the Narm subpages for Doctor Who, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones and find tons of examples of people nitpicking the tiniest of details in a scene and blowing whatever it is out of proportion.
Another problem is that since it's such a subjective trope, it's not clear if there's supposed to be any sort of in-fandom consensus on the example in-question, or if every example is valid under the "it's called YMMV for a reason" excuse, even if the only person who thinks the example is Narm is the troper who adds it in.
I think it needs to be clearer whether nitpicks are valid examples of Narm, especially since nitpicking overlaps so often with barely-disguised complaining. The most frequent offenders for Narm entries I see are complaining, nitpicking, adding jokes, and ZeroContextExamples. I'm going to use Venom (2018) as an example, with my comments in bold:
- The scene of Eddie freaking out on the medical table is presented as the teaser's Money-Making Shot. It... doesn't quite work as intended, which isn't helped by it being sped up, making it look like a parody.
- The final trailer features a more complete version of the clip showing Venom's face "shutter" over Eddie. Whether or not this works or if it looks like a cheap special effect depends on who you ask.
- What makes the freakout even more narmful is that Eddie's screams are different screams playing on top of each other. The actual film lacks this strange effect. This example seems fine to me, but falls into the "The trailer is Narmy but the finished product isn't" doublespeak.
- The leaked trailer revealed some pretty terrible lines (“The guy you work for is an evil person.”). Tom Hardy's horrible New York...ish(?) accent isn't doing the delivery any favors either. And it really does not help that his voice cracks on the reading of "evil person". Thankfully, that line is not in the film proper. Do we keep examples that are purely in the trailers? Also an example of "thing falls flat" instead of "thing is funny."
- Hardy's line reading of "You're not real, you are just in my head." sounds like he's suffering from Elmuh Fudd Syndwome. At worst, he sounds like Adam Sandler's signature Manchild babbling. However there's some speculation that, based on the context of the scene and Eddie's stumbling movements, he's actually drunk, or perhaps even overdosed on medication (considering he was seen taking a bunch of pills, thinking he's sick). That and it could be a case of Reality Ensues, as it's unlikely anyone would keep the mental clarity to speak normally as an alien parasite is slowly bonding with their body. Natter. Goes back and forth between snarky complaints and defending the moment. Also nitpicking.
- Movie trailers cutting quotes out of context to form a new sentence is nothing new, but the editing on the line "you will only hurt bad people" is particularly poor, and it's very easy to hear that the line has been cut together out of separate pieces of dialogue. Not really a dramatic thing, so I don't think it counts as Narm. And it definitely isn't funny, it just falls flat.
- How Jenny Slate's character pronounces "symbiote" note . Plus, her giving firm, equal stress to all three syllables like she's speaking some foreign language. Luckily, this was cut from the theatrical release. Nitpicking and not funny.
- The shot of Eddie crashing straight through a half-fallen tree in the forest that he could just as easily have ducked under comes across as more comedic than cool, as if they just needed an additional gratuitous shot of something breaking. Especially if your mind goes to Victor from Wet Hot American Summer and his inexplicable refusal to jump over anything. It really does not help that the evil bad-guy vehicle chasing him looks like a slightly modified golf cart. The context for this one in the movie is that Venom is taking control of his body and forcing him to blindly flee through the woods to escape the Life Foundation. Context makes it not-Narm. Cut?
- Although it may look better in the context of the full scene, Eddie flying 50 feet into the air on his motorcycle off a slightly steep hill seems to rather severely break the laws of physics. Clearly written before the movie came out. Cut?
- The Jump Scare (on both sides of the fourth wall) where Venom suddenly shouts Eddie's name as he brushed his teeth would have been much more scary if not for the fact that the latter Screams Like a Little Girl. There's also the fact that he somehow throws himself backwards so hard that he crashes into the bathroom wall. Intended as comedic, so it isn't Narm.
- Remember how creepy and awesome that shot from the second trailer of the symbiote forming around Eddie's face in order to eat a guy was? In the third trailer, the potential Nightmare Fuel of that moment is significantly undercut by Venom slobbering all over the man's face with its tongue in an amusingly over-the-top manner. One is reminded of the scene with Patrick licking the yellow popsicle, or perhaps "This is the taste of a liar".... This seems pretty in-character for Venom. I'm not sure with this one.
- The guy who Carlton Drake subjects to Orifice Invasion in the third trailer would have been disturbing, if not for the victim's bland expression. Moment that falls flat; not funny. Cut.
- The symbiote's Venom-face forming on the end of Eddie's arm to talk to him strongly resembles a deranged hand puppet rather than a vicious alien parasite. There's also the fact that they can communicate telepathically, making that sequence unnecessary. Seems fine.
- Venom's violent threats to his enemies are this if they're not aggressively tasteless Black Comedy. His threat to mutilate a man until he's "like a turd on the wind" is particularly groan-inducing, especially coming after a genuinely frightening threat. How It Should Have Ended was even driven by this to make a video on just the trailer for the very first time, in which he mangles a bunch of other sayings. Pretty sure they are intended as comedy, so it's not Narm. Cut.
- The animation of the yellow symbiote just looks like mozzarella cheese come to life. Nitpick. Also... inaccurate? It's more of a mucus yellow.
- After Venom heals Eddie's broken legs, he flatly states "My legs! They were broken... and now they're not broken..."
- "My leg!" Seems fine to me.
- "HOSPITAL!!!! (extremely long pause) Now!" Zero-Context Example.
- Eddie and Anne quite casually discussing cannibalism as one of the symbiote's favorite activities. It's something that would probably sincerely shock and disgust the average person and likely require therapy, and yet it's bandied about like it's a pretty normal occurrence. These kinds of entries are tricky to me. They seem valid at first glance, but there's something off about them. I don't think this one counts if the work itself is treating the moment lightly.
- Any menace from Cletus Kasady is completely undercut by Woody Harrelson's truly ridiculous wig. A common comparison is that it causes him to look like a live-action Sideshow Bob, or a make-up-less Pennywise. Uses complainy word-choice. Otherwise fine.
- Kasady promising that there will be "carnage" after he gets out is so on-the-nose that it feels like it's straight out of a parody. First off, that's not an example of Anvilicious. Secondly, this verges on a nitpick to me. I'm not sure. It's not really funny, just lame.
- The final trade of words between Venom and Riot before the final battle is nothing but total Ham-to-Ham Combat - that and the two symbiotes happen to be Perpetual Smilers, which just gives off the feeling that they don't really give that much of a damn about their goals.
- Towards the end of the film, it's revealed that Venom used to be something of a loser on his home planet, like Eddie. This is his entire reason for wanting to save the Earth. Moment played as a joke, so it isn't Narm.
- Despite angrily forcing Eddie to spit out cooked meats because they're no longer living animals, the symbiote develops a taste for tater tots, and it practically demands that Eddie buy some during a conversation in the ending. The director admitted in an interview that the writers just thought it was funny and put it in the script. It unfortunately invites comparisons to a similar tots-focused scene in Napoleon Dynamite as a result. Entry admits it's a joke. So it isn't Narm.
- Drake having bonded with Riot is treated as a huge shocking twist going into the final battle... except for the fact that the audience was already well aware of it and saw the whole process. It feels very much like a consequence of Executive Meddling to give Riot more screentime. Another tricky example. Seems to fall under "scene doesn't work" instead of "scene is funny."
- Right after Eddie is separated from the symbiote, a rather obvious ADR overdub replaces the intended "fuck you" with the much less vicious "we're done". Not really funny, just falls flat.
- Eddie's "DRAKE! STOP!" sounds less like he's in pain and more like a little kid telling his Big Brother Bully to stop giving him a wedgie. Nitpicking. Most people wouldn't even pay this sequence any mind.
Another issue with Narm is the distinction between moments that are unintentionally funny on their own, and moments that are only unintentionally funny after Memetic Mutation or similar feat. Does the latter truly count as Narm? Because you can make the case that everything that has ever been made can fall under that.
Edited by MisterApes-a-lot on Mar 31st 2019 at 7:06:31 AM
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1302: Apr 29th 2022 at 11:50:24 AM
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Probably not played for drama, doesn't say what's funny, and too complainy.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1303: Apr 30th 2022 at 2:21:04 AM
Bringing up the following example from Perception:
- Narm: the show's cheesy execution is not conducive to the credibility of its intended "serious" moments.
UFOYeah
Since: Mar, 2022
#1304: Apr 30th 2022 at 4:55:28 AM
Too general.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1305: May 2nd 2022 at 1:07:59 PM
Bringing up the following example from Under the Dog:
- Narm: Anthea's Clothing Damage during her fight with the Pandora.
TantaMonty
Since: Aug, 2017
#1306: May 2nd 2022 at 2:11:17 PM
Removing more examples from Resident Evil. This covers all the games I've played.
Resident Evil 5
- Wesker delivering a line in an over the top manner: "A new Genesis is at hand, and I will be the creator!" Too vague, and the delivery is quite unremarkable if you ask me
- Irving: "I JUST GOT AN EXTREEEEME MAKEOVAH!" Random lines are not examples
- Then, after he dies, he tries to give a serious dying monologue about how the world's changing. ZCE
- The fact that Irving ("Let's go get this eeeeeerrrving") sounds like one of the cartoon weasels from Who Framed Roger Rabbit does not assist in taking him in any way seriously. Fan Myopia
- For quick perspective, Irving is where the inspiration for Retsupurae's screechy, Jersey "Ridley Voice" came from. That's what he sounds like. Natter
- "Oh I'm not like them, I'm a business man with steaaandaads" (standards) ZCE
- "The Human race requires JUDGEMENT!" "And you're going to judge us? Do you get all your ideas from comic book villains!?" Considering Wesker's plan, though, that question actually makes sense. Example argues with itself
- Twice as hilarious now, because of Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Irrelevant natter
- Complete... global... saturation... SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Random quote
- CHRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS! Weblinks are not examples
- Everything Wesker says and does in the entire game is Narm Unleaded. He is, after all, a cat-eyed Johnny Bravo lookalike (right down to the permanent sunglasses) clad in a leather trenchcoat and armed with all the physics-bending strength and speed of Agent Smith, not to mention a god complex on par with only the best cartoon supervillains. If all of this does not seem Narmful enough for you, perhaps this◊ will do the trick. General example
- Relish? Good ol' Wesker? Nah. But that's why we love him. Makes absolutely no sense
- Let's not forget Wesker's constant "There's no point in hiding!" and "Found you!" if you try to hide from him during a battle. Especially when you walk around the pillar you're hiding behind, shoot him in the back, and beat the shit out of him. Bonus points because you can pull this little trick off several times and Wesker never gets smarter. Doesn't really look like an example of this trope. It's more of a case of Artificial Stupidity and Cheese Strategy
- During the second battle, you can turn off the lights. Wesker will then stand around and just rant about how he's going to kill all unworthy humans, at which point you can just sneak up on him, shoot him in the face, and punch him out. When he gets up again, he will just stand there again and continue his rant. Villain Ball, anyone? Same as above, this one is almost a guide on how to beat this boss
- Kirk, one of the longest-surviving helicopter pilots in the series (next to Brad, of course), dies when he is attacked by flying B.O.Ws, which causes his helicopter to crash. This is silly for two reasons: 1) The B.O.Ws in question are big enough to hurt individuals, but they shouldn't be able to knock a helicopter out of its flight pattern and cause it to crash, especially if you have a support gunner who should be able to suppress them with small arms fire (in-game, it only takes a few bursts from a machine gun or one blast from a shotgun to take them down). 2) Kirk's reaction to the B.O.Ws and the crashing of the helicopter is downright hilarious, even though it is supposed to be a serious situation. Reason 1 is Fridge Logic, reason 2 is too vague
- The Giant Majini's battle cries sound too much like Curly. Fan Myopia
- The two mercenaries mini-games have this. For starters, when you play co-op with Chris and Wesker, it is absolutely hilarious to hear Chris scream Wesker's name in sorrow if he dies. Then we have the Mercenaries Reunion where Rebecca's catch-phrases are "I'm Rebecca!" and, "Oh no!" In addition, pretty much everything about Excella in this game. She bitch-slaps time, can make enemies' heads explode by slapping them, and there's her "first aid" finisher move which involves her injecting the enemies with Uroboros. Oh, and Barry's catchphrase of "I have THIS" returns during a certain melee move or when he's planting proximity bombs. Each sentence is about a different topic, making this example as a whole quite confusing. Overall, Chris and Wesker'sinteractions are just Gameplay and Story Segregation, Rebecca and Barry's catchphrases are ZC Es, and the stuff about Excella is likely intended to be amusing.
- The scene where Chris and Sheva learn that beating Wesker involves making him overdose on his virus (via an injection of course) is pretty serious up until Chris says "Let's give it a shot." C'mon Chris, now is not the time for another pun! Intended to be cheesy
- And Wesker joins in on the pun fun too! Its entirely possible to run near a certain door in the first Wesker fight in the ruins, triggering a cutscene where Wesker boots you through a door...while shouting "Your future HINGES upon this fight!" Ditto
- As this is the first game in the franchise that didn't feature Umbrella as the megacorp responsible for everything, it had to resort to making another Megacorp to pick up the slack...which just so happened to be ANOTHER Pharmaceutical company. Apparently studying medicine in this universe instantly makes you evil. It gets worse with later series, as it seems there's even Illuminati-like organizations controlling all the world's medicine manufacturers and they're all evil! Pure complaining
- The scene with the motorbike Majini and the following car chase. ZCE
- The jungle chapters in general, between the Indiana Jones style temple and the stereotypical tribesmen. General example
- One of the many majinis you can come across on the town area looks a lot like Sadam Hussein. And this is funny because...?
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
- This exchange from the TA.L.O.S. fight: Two lines that make perfect sense in context
Chris: He changed forms?!Jill: Is this his true form.
- YEAH Weblinks are not examples
- The encounter with T-A.L.O.S., a whole new boss battle designed for the game as essentially the Final Boss, is literally a Tyrant stacked from head-to-toe with body armor, an impractically large mutated claw, and a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher almost as big as itself. Compared to all the organic B.O.W.s the series became filled with, the design is almost childishly absurd, especially when you find out that this was the culmination of everything Umbrella worked towards for an ultimate bio-weapon to be used in military scenarios. Even worse, it inevitably mutates after enough damage into a hybrid of cybernetics and organic tentacles, looking like it dropped out of another series altogether. Pure complaining
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
- Blob Birkin's gargled and muffled "SHEEEERRYYYYYYYYYY" when he comes bursting into the train. This is long after he should have the proper vocal chords to speak, let alone the sentience to do so. Not funny, maybe a Plot Hole
- During Ada Wong's "death" some of her lines come across as forced. This clashes greatly with her portayal in The Umbrella Chronicles. Complaining, not funny
Ada: It's strange. I barely know you, but somehow I knew you'd say that.
- All the dialogue in the final cutscene, like the "virus in your soul" line. ZCE
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
- Now they're doing it on purpose. The game opens with an advertisement for TerraSave, with the cheesiest possible catchphrase. Its got twinkly teethy smiles and everything! If it's on purpose, it's not this trope
- The line "We are the unflinching mop that sops up the evils of bioterrorism and chemical warfare" makes you wonder if the writer has been watching Darkwing Duck. Complaining, doesn't look like a serious line
- Monster Neil, full stop. When the fucker isn't being a difficult boss, he's spewing the best lines in the game. Lovely gems include: Random quotes are not examples
- "IIIIIIIMMMM BUUUUUUURRRRRRNIIIIIIIIING UUUUUUUUUPPPPPP"
- "FOOOR THE FBCEEEEEE"
- Moira's Bond One-Liner if you go for the Good Ending also doesn't help the case whatsoever. What should be a badass moment of Character Development comes off as just crass for the sake of crass. Not a serious line
Moira: Go jump on a dildo, Boss. - "Mother of balls, my life is awesome!" Would probably be funny in most contexts, but in this game, it is said while the character in question is being chased by Zombies. Seriously. Not a serious line
- Moira Burton isn't exempted from narm (it runs in the family). Not a serious line, ZCE
"FUCKING SHIT ON A STICK!"
- A horrible line ruins a great ending: Complaining
Barry (Joking): Fuckin' technology!Moira (Cheerfully): Fuck it right up the ass!
Edited by TantaMonty on May 2nd 2022 at 2:11:35 AM
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1308: May 3rd 2022 at 2:01:00 AM
Bringing up the following examples from Narm.Sword Art Online:
- Also from the scene in which Kirito and Sinon are trying to figure out how Death Gun kills, as Kirito wonders why Death Gun switched from the handgun (the weapon used in the murders) to the rifle when Kirito arrived to save Sinon. Immediately before Kirito realizes that Death Gun couldn't use the handgun to kill him, the scene shows a shot of Sinon's backside, making it seem as though Kirito got a "Eureka!" Moment from staring at Sinon's butt.
- During the climactic battle between Kirito and Death Gun, when Death Gun tries to cloak himself, Kirito draws his pistol in slo-mo and shoots Death Gun while leaping forward so he's in the air. Once Death Gun gets uncloaked he panics and slashes Kirito about twenty times, all the while Kirito is still airborne and slowly spinning in midair before his feet finally touch the ground. Given Death Gun was able to get in that many attacks in the time it took Kirito to drop to the ground, it's fair to assume that Kirito must have been lagging.
- After Death Gun has been taken out, Shinkawa goes nuts in Shino's apartment and attacks her, which would be scary and dramatic if not by his hilariously exaggerated "crazy face" and his vociferous, Motor Mouth-style cries of her name.
- As tragic as it is, the idea of Yuuki and her entire immediate family dying from AIDS in the 2020s sounds just like Black Comedy, especially given that AIDS hasn't been a death sentence for decades and that Japan enjoys a world class healthcare system in real life. Even without resorting to the insanely advanced tech the series' setting has to offer, both Yuuki and her relatives should have easily been able to receive treatment that would have prevented their case of HIV from ever developing into AIDS.
- The fact that Eiji's name sounds like "Edgy" in English, which fits his personality quite well.
- The romantic scene at Asuna's real life bedroom has a couple of lines that some people found cringy (although others found endearing). But more than that, there is the part where Kirito hugs Asuna so hard they both fall down on Asuna's bed... and Kirito's face ends up shoved in Asuna's breasts. Many people consider this a tone deaf joke that completely ruins what is otherwise supposed to be an powerfully emotional scene.
- Kirito and Asuna's use of Photon Swords in GGO is very hard to take seriously given the sound effect of the Laser Blades resembles a farting sound. This may be a case of Real Life Writes the Plot, as the stock lightsaber sound effect is likely off-limits to them now since Disney bought the franchise in 2014, but they could have still found a less funny replacement (such as the one used in the anime adaptation of Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online which used a different electrical sound effect that still managed to sound cool).
- While Kirito is discussing the nature of the Soul Translator project he's working on with Asuna and Shino in the bar, it stretches disbelief a bit that Asuna could instantly relate the company's name "Rath" to Alice in Wonderland, a reference that even most Americans would have difficulty getting.
- Johnny Black attacking Kirito with a syringe would have been scary and dramatic if it wasn't for the fact that an absurdly good Kendo practitioner like Kirito, wielding an umbrella (a popular weapon in real-life self-defense systems, albeit admittedly a bit of a narmy one by itself), managed to get beaten by a lunatic with a syringe. That's right; syringe beats umbrella!
- Even funnier is the fact Kirito somehow manages to incapacitate Johnny by jamming said umbrella's dull tip into his leg. "My enchanted shin! How did you know it was the source of my power?"
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1309: May 3rd 2022 at 9:49:04 PM
- Not sure. Take out the "also" at the beginning.
- Just reads as regular stylization to me. Maybe it's fine.
- Fine I guess.
- Kinda Fridge-y
- General. Not played for drama.
- Cringe is not inherently Narm, and jokes definitely aren't.
- Without context, this sounds like an intentional joke. If it's not, I guess it's valid.
- Just a nitpick.
- Reads as Fridge to me.
- One of those pile-on sub-bullets that just exists to make a snarky comment.
Snowy66
Since: May, 2012
#1310: May 4th 2022 at 12:09:19 AM
I agree most of those are cuts, but I'll give context for the latter Johnny Black examples.
This is the scene in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5oAlTyVSU You can see there is a huge juxtaposition between the length of a long umbrella and a tiny syringe (a needleless syringe mind you, so has even smaller reach than usual), that it's just laughably ridiculous that the syringe made contact at the same time as the umbrella did.
Then there's also the fact that Kirito chose to use the umbrella to attack the guy's leg (already amusing in how absurd a choice of body part to target), to which he immediately loses consciousness. Like you'd think the realistic outcome was him keeling over and yelling in pain, but he literally just passes out instantly. Though I do agree the Simpsons link at the end is not necessary.
So yeah, these two instances caused much laughter from fans from the scene that it completely took away from what was intended as quite a serious moment of the protagonist almost getting murdered by a lunatic.
Edited by Snowy66 on May 4th 2022 at 1:07:00 AM
RandomTroper123
She / Her
from I'll let you guess...
(Not-So-Newbie)
Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#1311: May 5th 2022 at 12:59:17 AM
On the Narm page for the infamous My Brave Pony: Starfleet Magic, the other day I wrote an entry in which I used the term "likely". However, someone deleted the entry under the edit reason, "Can’t be 'likely', has to be definite.". Before continuing, I feel it's noteworthy that the (also infamous) author of this fic has written several other scenes which other tropers have considered Narm. In case I need to state this, I wasn't trying to come off like I was complaining, I was just mentioning that I found this exchange silly-sounding.
This is the original:
* The pre-battle conversation between Human Lightning Dawn and a gang's leader is silly-sounding, although it's likely meant to be dramatic.
Before it was deleted, another troper changed it to this:
The Leader: [To Lightning Dawn] So you wanna be a hero too, junior?
Human Lightning Dawn: You're nothing but a filthy bucket of scum!
The Leader: Wow, you're not very polite are you? Well, I am, that's why I'm gonna let you take it back.
* The pre-battle conversation between Human Lightning Dawn and a gang's leader is silly-sounding, even though it's likely meant to be dramatic.
However, this is what it should have been written as in the first place:
The Leader: [to Human Lightning Dawn] So you wanna be a hero too, junior?
Human Lightning Dawn: You're nothing but a filthy bucket of scum!
The Leader: Wow, you're not very polite are you? Well, I am, that's why I'm gonna let you take it back.
Human Lightning Dawn: You're nothing but a filthy bucket of scum!
The Leader: Wow, you're not very polite are you? Well, I am, that's why I'm gonna let you take it back.
* The pre-battle conversation between Human Lightning Dawn and a gang's leader is silly-sounding. This is despite the fact it's meant to be dramatic as he's confronting the gang who's responsible for the deaths of his parents, which started his Dark and Troubled Past.
So, can I have permission to add this back?
The Leader: [to Human Lightning Dawn] So you wanna be a hero too, junior?
Human Lightning Dawn: You're nothing but a filthy bucket of scum!
The Leader: Wow, you're not very polite are you? Well, I am, that's why I'm gonna let you take it back.
Human Lightning Dawn: You're nothing but a filthy bucket of scum!
The Leader: Wow, you're not very polite are you? Well, I am, that's why I'm gonna let you take it back.
Edited by RandomTroper123 on May 5th 2022 at 10:12:07 AM
katrinahood
Since: Feb, 2013
#1312: May 5th 2022 at 1:48:15 PM
Yes, you can add it since it's supposed to be dramatic, but it ends up comedic thanks to the wording.
RandomTroper123
She / Her
from I'll let you guess...
(Not-So-Newbie)
Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#1313: May 5th 2022 at 2:47:57 PM
Thank you for your response.
#1314: May 7th 2022 at 8:58:42 AM
Bringing up this whole thing from the page for the band Live:
- Narm:
- Live tends toward Narm even at their best, but "The Dolphin's Cry" takes the award. Aside from the title, the song features lines such as these:
"We are lost till we are found
This phoenix rises up from the ground."- The video for "I Alone", which features the group dancing around and miming playing their instruments against weird backgrounds while Ed makes funny faces and generally acts like he's on a serious sugar high. It doesn't help that Chad Gracey didn't even have an instrument to mime playing (Beavis And Butthead figured he was being punished for forgetting to bring his drum set to the video shoot). Whatever effect they were going for, it just looks goofy.
- "Freaks" has the line "You know your sperm is weak", as well as that odd moment before the last chorus where Ed Kowalczyk starts growling "Labor-labor-labor."
- The second verse of the song begins with this: "If the mother goes to bed with you, will you run and tell the papers how she picked you from a line up in downtown Philadelphia with a cigarette hangin' out of your mouth and Henry Miller in your back pocket?" The second half of that lyric is sung in Motor Mouth fashion, and it's like that in the verses. And immediately after that, Ed goes "You little fucker!"
- From "Lightning Crashes": "Her placenta falls to the floor."
- From "Lakini's Juice": "I rushed [to] the ladies room, took the water from the toilet, washed her feet and blessed her name." Symbolic or not, that's just funny. Also, was there no sink in that ladies room or were they not working? Either way, that's just gross.
- And to add to that, the video for "Lakini's Juice" is as guilty of narm. While the video aims to make an interesting point on the line between sexual intimacy and sexual exploitation. Ed Kowalczyk's constant over-dramatic movements and mugging for the camera behavior does little favor for the video. While the music video is a lovely video to a great song, after watching it's impossible to deny Ed's Large Ham tendencies.
- And to add to that, the video for "Lakini's Juice"
Should it be cut or cleaned-up?
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1315: May 7th 2022 at 10:50:14 AM
- Doesn't say what's funny.
- Doesn't appear to be played for drama, but if it is, it could be fine.
- Low context
- Doesn't say what's funny.
- ZCE
- I don't think those last two sentences are necessary. Could be valid if it's played for drama.
- Maybe fine
#1316: May 7th 2022 at 2:33:09 PM
So, a mixed bag then? What should I cut?
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1317: May 8th 2022 at 12:29:17 PM
Bringing up the following example from Space: 1999:
- Narm: Suffice to say, the show did have its moments, especially during the infamous second half. For just one example, "All That Glisters" features a character named Reilly who, though born and raised an Irishman, affects the persona of an American cowboy due to spending much of his adult life in Texas, complete with a Stetson ten-gallon hat, cowboy boots and frequent use of Western colloquialisms (which contrast rather jarringly with his thick brogue). Then there's the fact that the episode itself centres around the characters being terrorized by an immobile silicon-based entity - essentially an intelligent rock. It's probably no surprise therefore that Martin Landau and the rest of the cast hated the episode so intensely.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1318: May 8th 2022 at 12:49:45 PM
I think you can cut everything through "For just one example", so that it's not general. It doesn't say what's funny about the cowboy thing, just that it's a flaw. The thing about the rock can probably stay.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1319: May 8th 2022 at 1:18:55 PM
Bringing up the following examples from Kamen Rider Dragon Knight:
- Narm:
- Kit trying to make a sandwich and he struggles about not having what it takes to be a rider and his choices and almost destroy the sandwich.
- Some have found the sound effects for the transformation sequence to sound too similar to a microwave or vacuum to be taken seriously.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1320: May 8th 2022 at 5:37:15 PM
- Just a dry plot description that doesn't say what's funny. Also the grammar needs a rewrite.
- Weasel Words. Otherwise, I'm not sure. Could just be "thing falls flat".
TPPR10
Shocking Gun!
from out of nowhere
Since: Aug, 2013
Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Shocking Gun!
#1321: May 9th 2022 at 12:21:55 AM
From Capcom Fighting Evolution
* Narm: The idea of Hauzer's Midnight Bliss (taken from the official Red Earth guidebook) is already silly, as it involves Hauzer's head put onto a regular Japanese school girl body (ignoring the oversized hands) and given some lipstick. But this game makes it even weirder by having said school girl body be a modified version of Sakura's sprite, which means that (including Demitri) there are three completely different artstyles on-screen at once!
Midnight Bliss has never been the most consistent in terms of what Demitri transforms the character into (such as Morrigan's weird doll thingie, or SNK Vs. Capcom having Hugo first turning into "female Hugo" before Demitri squeezes "her" down to looking more like Poison) so I am not sure how this would be taken seriously in the first place.
Continue the bloodline, Fujimaru!
) is already silly, as it involves Hauzer's head put onto a regular Japanese school girl body (ignoring the oversized hands) and given some lipstick. But this game makes it even weirder by having said school girl body be a modified version of Sakura's sprite, which means that (including Demitri) there are three completely different artstyles on-screen at once!
Oversized Garden Ornament
#1322: May 9th 2022 at 2:25:54 AM
A somewhat late reply to the Space: 1999 question above:
The problem with the "Irish cowboy" thing is that it's probably intended to be funny, so it's not Narm. I agree with cutting that. The sentient rock holding the crew hostage qualifies, since it's intended to be serious but is so silly that it's kind of funny.
My personal reaction to the cowboy thing is actually that it's the exact opposite of Narm: it's intended to be funny, but isn't. It's just awkward and irritating.
Anddrix
Since: Oct, 2014
#1323: May 10th 2022 at 3:47:51 PM
Bringing up the following examples from Narm.Sword Art Online:
- An otherwise emotional scene ends up being laugh-out-loud funny when Kirito breaks down into tears overseeing his flower garden dug up, without the context that he had been relating to the flowers and seeing them as sharing his journey of thriving in a foreign land. Although Kirito brings that up, he only does so after the flowers have been destroyed, meaning that the moment suffers from Show, Don't Tell reasons.
- There's also the particular line from a sentence in the scene that some fans have taken out of context, which only amplifies with Kirito's flashback Dissonant Serenity of a happy smile at that moment.
- When the corrupt pair of noble students, Raios and Humbert, try to have their way with Ronye and Teise, the girls and Eugeo all react as one would expect, but the pair of nobles play off the entire thing as just another game as the whole scene rapidly descends into an unintentional Black Comedy filled to the brim with too much ham to be taken seriously. In particular, as he's talking to Eugeo mid-sentence, Raios literally disrobes and leaps at the girls in the same motion, complete with the camera lingering on him in the air for a few seconds like it's something out of Lupin or a tag team Professional Wrestling match! It was so jarring that even Reki Kawahara (who was otherwise not involved in the production of the episode) himself admitted he was surprised to see it on his Twitter (said jump is an anime-original scene and was not in the light novel).
- One of the most infamous moments of season one, what with Sugou licking up Asuna's tears to revel in her despair, even gets replicated here as if the pair are trying to make this as theatrical and over-the-top as possible. The fact that they suffer extraordinary amounts of Off-Model and Art Shift to become particularly Gonk once Eugeo loses his shit doesn't help either.
- It is also hard to ignore that, while the episode is focusing on Eugeo's thoughts for minutes, Raios and Humbert are all the time on top of the girls, enjoying maniacally the act yet without actually doing anything beyond toying with their victims' clothes. And even when they finally start to strip them down, several minutes of scenes more happen again, yet they are still shown doing the same, without having even bared a bit of skin from their victims aside from their shirts! If Sugou's groping of Asuna in season two was portrayed in an absurdly naive and minimalistic way, this one probably tops that. It almost looks like the two villains were just pretending to harass them, as if they were actors in a rape scene from a very amateur film and were waiting all the time to hear "cut!"
- Then there's the moment when Raios and Humbert are about to completely consumate their respective rapes right before Eugeo manages to break free from his Taboo Index induced paralysis. They both get ready at unison and show quite ridiculous grins on their faces, while the animation does a sudden momentary freeze frame for dramatic effect that makes the whole moment unintentionally funny.
- If you pay attention as Raios' fluctlight glitches out and causes him to die, everyone in the room is just staring at him with mild concern, besides Eugeo's annoyed look. Even Humbert seems more like he's somewhat confused rather than paying much attention to his missing arm, and Tiese and Ronye also join in on the awkward staring.
- Raios and Humbert's response to having their arms hacked off is way too childish to take seriously, and seems like a rejected scene from Fist of the North Star or Monty Python and the Holy Grail (and the fact that those two works are being referenced in the same sentence should clue you in to how ludicrous that scene is).
- Afterwards, Eugeo feels torn up about what he did and considers himself to be "just like those goblins." In-context, it's likening himself to lawless and chaotic monsters he and Kirito fought previously, and considering himself a murderer, plain and simple. Out-of-context, considering a certain other series airing at the same time that is infamous for the gratuitous Goblin rape at the beginning of its own storyline, and the fact that Eugeo is saying this with a missing eye tearfully to a near-rape victim, it's a bit more unintentionally funny than it should be.
- While the majority of the fight between Kirito and Fanatio in Episode 15 was quite awesome, there was one moment where the two of them are trading high-speed blows between each other... but the only parts that are moving are their arms and swords. It looks a bit silly to see just a bunch of white lines sparking against each other as Eugeo mutters, "Incredible..." Thankfully it only lasts a few seconds.
TantaMonty
Since: Aug, 2017
#1324: May 10th 2022 at 7:33:21 PM
Regarding Midnight Bliss: There is no way any of these are not meant to be humorous. Cut away.
MisterApes-a-lot
Since: Mar, 2018
#1325: May 10th 2022 at 8:15:03 PM
- Could be fine.
- Maybe fine.
- I guess fine.
- Fine
- Kinda seems like unnecessary wordage to me.
- I guess fine
- Seems Fridgey to me.
- Reads as just a complaint.
- Wow there's a lot of these sub-bullets. Reads as Association Narm to me.
- Seems like "thing falls flat".
Total posts: 2,636
From My Little Pony: A New Generation.