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TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit The clown of STEEL from Ichnusa Since: Mar, 2024
The clown of STEEL
#4251: Aug 28th 2025 at 1:22:48 AM

2/10: The title alone activated my flight-or-fight response.

I can guess why it'd be used, but in that case, what hole were you digging yourself into?


Kid-Appeal Character?
    My rating 
6,5/10: Oh, it's that trope.

Personally, the Fatal Flaw of this trope, if it can be called that, is the presumptiousness of the creators — "oh yeah, kids will definetely love this character, for sure".

In terms of personal experience, I don't remember particularly liking the kid-appeal characters back when I was an actual kid (but I did love Plucky Comic Reliefs, and there's an overlap between the two tropes); and nowadays, well, I'm too old for these kinds of characters.

And yet... Something about this trope still fascinates me, even if it's only bile-y.

Edited by TMH-Sir-Iron-Vomit on Aug 28th 2025 at 10:24:09 AM

Oo oo ah ah
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#4252: Aug 28th 2025 at 5:02:25 PM

4.8/10. This... you ever have a trope, where you just know that its origins were rooted in executive mandates, that it reeks of "Let's appeal to the children in the audience", all for the sake of boosting ratings? This is that trope. A trope that broadcasts right out in the open of "The network wanted us to put them in"... and it is a trope that, consequently, I don't really have positive feelings towards.

...With that being said, it's always amusing to see what happens when the show runners decide "The hell with it, the network can kiss our asses on this", and decide to Torch the Franchise and Run. Full napalm on burning the bridge, giving the parent company the full middle finger, AXING the twerp or whatever. Bile Fascination is a hell of a drug, after all.


The Stoner

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#4253: Aug 29th 2025 at 4:34:56 AM

6/10. Sort of an overdone trope, but not inherently a bad archetype.


Ungrateful Townsfolk

What would be my biggest Pet-Peeve Trope if not for Orcus on His Throne.

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
Superjohn Muscle witch from Tokyo Empire Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Muscle witch
#4254: Aug 29th 2025 at 5:01:41 AM

5/10, oh great, Ungrateful Bastard but on a societal level. still, I will say that it is possible to get good stories out of these concept, but I tend to hate this trope mainly due the fact that they're often Karma Houdinis.

The Quisling

"Give our Captain back, you jerks!"
Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
#4255: Aug 29th 2025 at 11:55:26 AM

7/10. Good for making a character unlikeable for betraying their people (a good example being Will Harangue in Ben 10: Omniverse).


Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!

petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#4256: Aug 29th 2025 at 12:30:58 PM

9/10. What makes a heroic character even greater is when they are willing to get in trouble for standing up for their values.


Heroic Self-Deprecation

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
DrNoPuma Bud and Lou(ise) from the land of Humorous Hyenas (Ten years in the joint) Relationship Status: Married to the music
Bud and Lou(ise)
#4257: Aug 29th 2025 at 5:57:33 PM

9/10. As someone who enjoys self-deprecation myself, I like how it's seen as a humble and good quality, although it can admittedly be dangerous if you're too hard on yourself.


Pirate Song

Edited by DrNoPuma on Aug 29th 2025 at 9:00:57 AM

Please make this canon, DC. I love the idea of the Joker and Harley's hyenas acting like them.
The-Omniscient-Dex Just call me Jason, I suppose from Classified (Terrible Twos) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Just call me Jason, I suppose
#4258: Aug 29th 2025 at 6:00:08 PM

7/10 Can be a fun type of song, like with "You Are a Pirate" and "Master of the Seas".


Go-to-Sleep Ending

I'm much too lazy to come up with a caption.
DeadlyEspresso Mister Pendleton from your local Popeyes Since: Apr, 2023
Mister Pendleton
#4259: Aug 29th 2025 at 6:05:41 PM

8/10. It's just so satisfying to get to go to bed after a long day of work... Zzzzz...


Nighttime Transformation

I literally cannot make out with a television the fuck
LunarianManeki Ace Trainer from EPCOT Since: Nov, 2024 Relationship Status: In another castle
Ace Trainer
#4260: Aug 30th 2025 at 6:23:12 AM

9/10 I prefer Voluntary Shapeshifting, but as far as automatic transformations go, the vibes with this one are immaculate.


Iconic Outfit

Sometimes in fiction, robotic arms with White Gloves on them will be part of a machine. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
Salixshiraii Since: Jun, 2014
#4261: Aug 30th 2025 at 7:11:44 AM

8/10

Good practice if you want to set up a very distinctive protagonist or even just a character. It can make for some interesting moments when another character emulates (or tries to emulate) the look, or when there’s a mistaken identity based on it. It should be relevant to the character though: showing that they’re gregarious or eccentric. If a character is kind of Average Joe coded it’s not appropriate.


Held Gaze

petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#4262: Aug 30th 2025 at 8:01:38 AM

Unrated. This trope feels rather chairs-y to me. There might be different reasons why people would hold a gaze, and each should be a different trope, if applicable. But in itself, I feel it's meaningless.


Paint It Black

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#4264: Sep 1st 2025 at 9:46:42 PM

5.5/10. Extremely overused and cliché, though not inherently harmful.


How Would You Like to Die?

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
Superjohn Muscle witch from Tokyo Empire Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
Muscle witch
#4265: Sep 2nd 2025 at 3:43:38 AM

6/10 not a terribly impressive one, but can still help establish the villains sadism.

Bullying a Dragon

"Give our Captain back, you jerks!"
DeadlyEspresso Mister Pendleton from your local Popeyes Since: Apr, 2023
Mattman_the_Storyteller Since: Aug, 2018
#4267: Sep 2nd 2025 at 4:41:16 AM

7/10. This can be done well as a character flaw or or a Fatal Flaw.


Men Don't Cry

Bluethorn They're back! from Partash Since: Jan, 2018 Relationship Status: Star-crossed
They're back!
#4268: Sep 2nd 2025 at 4:51:35 AM

2/10. Just a really problematic idea if played straight.


Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds

Currently playing Yooka-Replaylee
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#4269: Sep 2nd 2025 at 5:15:38 AM

Side Note Before I Rank: ...Oh, shit, this became a trope now? Damn, alright, gimme a bit.

8.1/10. There is something to be said for an antagonist, pushed to the absolute breaking point, where, even if you feel they've earned the inevitable defeat, there's still a bitter aftertaste in regards to the circumstances that allowed someone like them to be created in the first place. Because, for every Card-Carrying Villain, you have someone who just wants to snap beyond all belief, who probably has ample motivation to do so.

...Still, be certain to trope responsibly. Fight the urge to add this to a YMMV page. The character does not have to be agreed to be ultimately sympathetic, in order to qualify them for this trope.


Forgot Flanders Could Do That

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
petersohn from Earth, Solar System (Long Runner) Relationship Status: Hiding
#4270: Sep 2nd 2025 at 5:39:04 AM

6.5/10. I haven't encountered this trope too much, but once you get to the point of a character being flanderized, it seems to be the reasonable thing to, if temporarily, de-flanderize them from time to time.


Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting

Fjón þvæ ég af mér fjanda minna rán og reiði ríkra manna.
Salixshiraii Since: Jun, 2014
#4271: Sep 2nd 2025 at 7:07:34 AM

7/10

It’s campy, it’s silly, but it’s so much fun. But only if it’s played deliberately campy.


The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized

RWBYraikou888 The Undercover Troper from The Kingdom of Atlas Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
The Undercover Troper
#4272: Sep 2nd 2025 at 12:45:27 PM

4.5/10. Any trope that evokes Hobbes Was Right won't do well in my eyes.


You Are Worth Hell

Orcus on His Throne will always be my pet peeve.
The-Omniscient-Dex Just call me Jason, I suppose from Classified (Terrible Twos) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Just call me Jason, I suppose
#4273: Sep 2nd 2025 at 12:51:06 PM

9/10 Very heartwarming for someone to affirm that their care for someone else runs very deep, even if it means suffering a FWTD.


Unholy Matrimony

Edited by The-Omniscient-Dex on Sep 2nd 2025 at 3:52:00 PM

I'm much too lazy to come up with a caption.
DirtyMoneyLaunderer Since: Sep, 2025
#4274: Sep 2nd 2025 at 6:29:28 PM

7.5/10 normally. 10/10 if the two are actually infatuated with each other and still two evil scumbags that do evil scummy things together.


Detrimental Determination

CosmosAndChaos Shigaraki from Brazil (Don’t ask) Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Shigaraki
#4275: Sep 2nd 2025 at 6:34:52 PM

8/10 Sounds interesting.


Girl-on-Girl is Hot

I never watched My Hero Academia, but his Death Battle with Mahito made me like him.

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