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ccoa Ravenous Sophovore from the Sleeping Giant Since: Jan, 2001
Ravenous Sophovore
#1: Oct 28th 2010 at 9:56:22 AM

I Have Two Kidneys appears to have been named for the launcher's favorite example. It does an extremely poor job of describing the trope in question. (In fact, I'd be surprised if anyone could divine what the trope is about without checking the page).

While it doesn't seem to be misused, the obscure name is probably the reason it has so few wicks (only 41, some of which are cross-references or indices). This trope is relatively older, but it isn't performing well.

EDIT: Check that, there was some minor misuse. At least one example was of a character surviving an attack because they had more than one of a certain organ. I will check the wicks to see if that is a common misuse.

EDIT EDIT: Misused on Hollywood Voodoo and only there as far as I can tell. However, it is interesting how few of the wicks are actually to works pages (and most of those seem to be Anime pages). It really isn't spreading much.

edited 28th Oct '10 10:09:37 AM by ccoa

Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
JoieDeCombat Since: May, 2009
#2: Oct 28th 2010 at 10:07:39 AM

Agreed that the trope could use a rename that properly indicates what it's about. I'm coming up dry for any suggestions, though.

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#3: Oct 28th 2010 at 10:23:29 AM

I Have Two Kidneys found in: 41 articles, excluding discussions.

This title has brought 214 people to the wiki from non-search engine links since 20th FEB '09.

This is fairly strong usage. Please check some of the wicks.

Fight smart, not fair.
carla Since: Jan, 2010
#4: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:19:07 AM

i don't think the name is that bad, actually. i tried Guess That Trope on it and i think i got the general gist of it right, the "i can let myself be injured, if that's what it takes" part, at least. i think it could do with a more straight-forward redirect, but i don't think it needs a full rename.

also, most of the wicks are anime-related because... well, it happens a lot in anime. probably has something to do with the self-sacrifice thing... and the swords. (and kunai, and shuriken, and...)

ccoa Ravenous Sophovore from the Sleeping Giant Since: Jan, 2001
Ravenous Sophovore
#5: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:35:31 AM

Strong compared to...? 41 wicks is a very small number, especially considering the age of the trope. And as I already said, most of the wicks appear to be relating to Anime, which does suggest it's been a single troper or a small number of tropers adding wicks.

If you want hard numbers:

Of the wicks, 3 are misused (Clean Cut, Hollywood Voodoo, Tekken), 2 are cross-references from other tropes (see also: type links that were probably added when the page was launched), 2 are index pages (again, added when the page was launched), and 4 are misc pages such as Troper pages, Trope Namers, etc.

So, we have 30 good wicks using it as a trope, with an unknown number of those added at the time the trope was launched and/or by the trope creator. I'm not seeing how that's strong in any sense of the word.

Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
EternalSeptember Since: Sep, 2010
#6: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:52:40 AM

41 wicks are healthy, even if not spectacularly great.

Many tropes can't get more than that for the simple reason that they really didn't happen more than 30 times. In this case, no matter how clear the title is, or how many people recognize it as a trope, or how many inbound links it gets, it won't have more wicks, because there's nothing else to wick it to.

KJMackley Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Oct 28th 2010 at 12:09:19 PM

I can't find really anything wrong with the title, its rather clever and I can't think of a different trope it might be describing (redundant organs, maybe?). Nearly all tropes will have some degree of misuse regardless of the quality of the name. I usually think if the proper use is over 90 percent of the time than its a matter of clean-up over renaming/redefining/repurposing.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#8: Oct 28th 2010 at 12:12:15 PM

The title is actually rather obscure for the concept it's describing. It's almost a kind of Briar Patching with regards to lethal or disabling injuries; a relative of Good Thing You Can Heal. I'd expect the actual title "I Have Two Kidneys" to be something more like Redundant Organs; as in the dwarves from Order Of The Stick who have two livers so they don't all die from alcohol poisoning.

Also: Doesn't everyone have two kidneys? Or am I missing some essential point?

edited 28th Oct '10 12:12:59 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Madrugada Since: Jan, 2001
#9: Oct 28th 2010 at 12:16:01 PM

I think it's "Yes, you stabbed me in the kidney, but I have two kidneys!" — i.e. I can afford to lose one.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#10: Oct 28th 2010 at 12:19:00 PM

Ah, yes, Normally, I Would Be Dead Now is the trope I was thinking of. I'm not really sure this is suitably distinct from that; it's like a deliberate invoking of that trope.

And the name is really nonindicative if you don't know the Trope Namer. I'm not letting that one slide.

edited 28th Oct '10 12:20:12 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
JoieDeCombat Since: May, 2009
#11: Oct 28th 2010 at 1:06:42 PM

I'd say it's distinct from Normally, I Would Be Dead Now in that Normally, I Would Be Dead Now is specifically about surviving a wound that should have been fatal, whereas in this trope, whether or not the character survives is irrelevant - it's the willingness to take a wound in order to gain an advantage that's important.

Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#12: Oct 28th 2010 at 1:15:46 PM

This is when the a character intentionally takes a likely lethal hit to gain an advantage in the fight. It's closer to a Suicide Attack.

edited 28th Oct '10 1:16:02 PM by Clarste

ccoa Ravenous Sophovore from the Sleeping Giant Since: Jan, 2001
Ravenous Sophovore
#13: Oct 28th 2010 at 2:00:22 PM

The hit doesn't have to be lethal to count, as far as I can tell. It's when a character takes a wound in order to gain the advantage in a fight.

The description could probably be made more clear.

Also, the examples include it but the description does not: should a character injuring him or herself to hurt the opponent count?

Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
JoieDeCombat Since: May, 2009
#14: Oct 28th 2010 at 3:45:46 PM

The description says "Sometimes it's a form of Heroic Sacrifice or Mutual Kill, but it's surprisingly common for the hero to survive pulling this maneuver," which seems reasonably clear to me: neither their survival nor their death is a required element of the trope.

As for whether or not self-inflicted injury counts, I don't see why not. It fits the base description of "takes an injury to gain an advantage."

Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
I see the Awesomeness.
#15: Oct 28th 2010 at 10:34:07 PM

The Gods Blessed Me With Spare but that's probably not as good.

edited 28th Oct '10 10:34:20 PM by Deboss

Fight smart, not fair.
shimaspawn from Here and Now Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In your bunk
#16: Oct 28th 2010 at 10:36:33 PM

I Have Another Kidney?

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
fawn Since: Aug, 2009
#17: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:10:29 PM

I Have Two Kidneys, going by the name, sounds like a Sub-Trope of Bizarre Alien Biology about things that have extra organs. Its a terrible name for the trope it actually describes.

Some suggestions:

edited 28th Oct '10 11:14:03 PM by fawn

^Not actually my favorite animal.
Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
jebuz I've been Bluelinked from Australia Since: Jan, 2001
I've been Bluelinked
#19: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:27:56 PM

Huh! I thought it was about donating a kidney.

The trope isn't about sacrificing organs specifically, so most of those proposals arn't any clearer for me. What we need is a name that distinguishes it from Only a Flesh Wound. Deliberate Injury Ploy could work.

Edit: And it turns out Only a Flesh Wound doesn't mean what I thought it did either. Bloody inconsistent Trope Namer...

edited 28th Oct '10 11:35:16 PM by jebuz

Australia The country with a 2 party system But all the power with independents
Deboss I see the Awesomeness. from Awesomeville Texas Since: Aug, 2009
jebuz I've been Bluelinked from Australia Since: Jan, 2001
I've been Bluelinked
#22: Oct 28th 2010 at 11:51:31 PM

[up] That's a good one. Seconded.

Australia The country with a 2 party system But all the power with independents
SomeSortOfTroper Since: Jan, 2001
JoieDeCombat Since: May, 2009
#25: Oct 29th 2010 at 2:00:07 PM

The definitions I've come up with for "ploy" are all along the lines of "a devised or contrived move," "an action calculated to gain an advantage," etc., which seems accurate. But Deliberate Injury Gambit or Deliberate Injury Maneuver would also be acceptable.

SingleProposition: IHaveTwoKidneys
20th Apr '10 12:00:00 AM

Crown Description:

Vote up for yes, down for no.

Total posts: 49
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