Minimonsters/Heartwarming

Minimonsters is generally a comedy full of Comedic Sociopathy, Toilet Humor and Crosses the Line Twice. Behind the comedy, there's surprisingly large moments that warm the reader's heart:

El Veneno de Porcelana (The Porcelain Poison)

 * When Victor moves to Villa Susto at the beginning of the first album, Piruja greets him (and falls for him right off the bat), enthusiastically telling him they'll be inseparable friends. Victor is unhappy about it, of course, but it's adorable seeing her like this.
 * Even more heartwarming is when you take into account Piruja is the only character to be constantly kind and friendly to him when everybody else understandably didn't care or hated his guts (Even Frank had ulterior motives in befriending him and told him point blank he's The Friend Nobody Likes)

"Frank: Look, Von Pijo, if I helped you is because, upon seeing you, I realized that, just as you were, you wouldn't be friends with anybody in school. Everything, from the bet to the challenges, I made it so my gang would meet you and you'd fit in, you idiot. Don't you see that if you stay alone, you'll be the bullies' favourite victim?!"
 * Even taking into account his ulterior motives and gadfly demeanor, Frank trying to be friendly to Victor and getting him into his gang despite them (in particular Lupo) going against the idea is this. He even went to the town's sewers to help him, and affectionately pets his head when he cries, mistakenly believing he was moved. Even the Break the Haughty challenges were a form of Tough Love, a fact he spells out to him when he gets fed up with Victor's ungratefulness:


 * When he hears of Rattus Sapiens' Evil Plan, Victor doesn't care if Villa Susto in its entirety gets poisoned, but gets extremely concerned when he realizes his family will drink the poisoned water, so he tries to get out of the sewers to alert them. Given his otherwise strained relationship with them, it's quite the Pet the Dog moment.


 * Frank's friends, Lupo in particular, express disapproval over Victor joining the gang, yet they go along with it regardless, since Frank is their friend and leader. It helps he gives Victor challenges to enter the gang and take him down a peg, which they happily join.

"Victor: *to Frank* So annoying! Don't you see I don't wanna find her? Victor: *overjoyed* YAY, I FOUND HER!!! Victor: Ahem! I mean... Ugh, I found her..."
 * In Victor and Frank's conversation in the sewers, Frank tells him to come back and search for Piruja, so he finally could be part of the Gang. This leads to an hilarious (and adorable) Tsundere slip moment from Victor, as described here:
 * Piruja's croacs sound in the sewers*
 * beat*


 * The album ends with the gang celebrating Victor's official admission, cheering for him and for not seeing toilet bowls again. Considering all his perils throughout the album, this surely counts as heartwarming.

El Perfeccionator (The Perfeccionator)

 * The comic's book cover features Frank protecting Henrietta from a very evil-looking Miss Hit. Especially moving
 * The back cover is even better: It features Frank showing his heart-shaped brain to Henrietta, and her being flattered by it. It's Better Than It Sounds.
 * And if that doesn't convince you they're an Official Couple, this image features Henrietta clearly fawning at Frank. Isn't it adorable?


 * Throughout the entire album, it's shown how amazingly embarrasing Frank's parents are. Yet, for all this, they're ultimately well-intentioned and caring, doing their best to cheer their son up, fully aware of his self-esteem issues.


 * Seeing Frank in love with Henrietta is downright adorable. In fact, this love is part of the reason he makes the Perfeccionator: He wants to improve his physical appearance to attract her attention and feel good about himself. Consequently, it's heartbreaking seeing him suffer for love,


 * Billy trying to cheer up Frank after being cruelly rejected by Henrietta. It doesn't work, but it shows how much of a sweet kid Billy is behind his smell issues.


 * When Frank has an emotional breakdown over the aforementioned rejection, both Lupo and Momses quickly go to comfort him, and defend him when Morty's gang laugh at him for this.


 * Frank and Gus' brotherly relationship is one of the most heartwarming in the entire comic, and it shows there at full force. Gus adores and idolizes Frank greatly, enthusiastically telling Miss Hit how much of an honor is sitting with him in class while complimenting him. When Victor tries to take over as leader, Gus is the most outraged at this, and immediately joins Frank in investigating the disappearances. It goes around the other way, too: Is pretty much stated Gus is Frank's best friend and, rather than putting him in danger, tells Gus to call the police and stay away from the conflict to protect him while the rest of the Gang goes to stop Miss Hit personally. Seriously, these two really care for one another.


 * Frank, despite being annoyed at Lupo's constant sleepiness, shows he cares a lot for him when he made him a security belt for his narcolepsy as a school project. This gets even more heartwarming when at the end Lupo's Batman Gambit against Victor was partially motivated by him considering Frank the gang's true leader, and happily calls him such when he comes back after (accidentally) defeating Quasim in Victor's place.


 * Victor has spent the entirety of the album being a jackass starscream-wannabe. After the reveal of, you would think he would just go back home and get out of this, especially after being utterly humiliated. Instead, he joins Frank, Lupo and Piruja in stopping Miss Hit and rescue everyone. Granted, he's still abrasive as always, but the fact he willingly joined to help his disliked friends to save people he doesn't give a crap for no reason whatsoever, it's an incredibly powerful Pet the Dog moment. Maybe he's not so bad after all...
 * This is even more heartwarming considering that in the previous album he had no compunctions over leading the citizens of Villa Susto to their deaths (Which would easily be his Moral Event Horizon), and in this album he reluctantly but willingly tries to save them from Miss Hit's machinations. Guess his time in Villa Susto is giving him some slivers of decency, however brief they may be.


 * At the end of the album, Aaaww...
 * Again: Aaaww...


 * The ending. Just... the ending. It definitely counts as this trope, especially considering
 * It's not just him, really.

Historias para no Dormir (Sleepless Stories)

 * In "El Cómic" (The Comic), Gus puts all his friends as the main characters in his Sherlock Holmes-esque story. And it's adorable to see.
 * Also, he was kind enough to put Victor in the story (as the victim, but that's another story), considering he almost always treats him like shit.


 * In the "¡Vaya Perro!" (What a Dog!) story, Chopped enthusiastically trying to get Victor to play with him.


 * In "Surfeando" (Surfing), Momses teaching Frank how to surf.


 * In "Los Sustitutos the Chopped" (Chopped's Replacements), the Frank's Gang playing with Chopped at the beginning.


 * In "Lupo y sus Hermanos" (Lupo's Siblings), Momses goes to Lupo's house to play outside, only to find out he can't due to him taking care of his younger siblings. What does he do? He helps him in taking care of them, of course!
 * Also, his younger siblings wanting to play with Momses. The fact they're Ridiculously Cute Critters only makes this more adorable.
 * Also, seeing Lupo acting like a responsible older brother with them. Of course, he falls asleep soon afterwards, and his little siblings have to take care of him instead. It's heartwarming regardless.


 * In "Los Inventos de Frank" (Frank's Inventions), we get a brief one when Lupo kindly tells Victor to relax and take things more calmly like him. It's heartwarming because most of his interactions with him are between making cutting remarks at his expense, or just being plain hostile towards him.
 * And as expected, you can guess what happens next.


 * In "Maldita Claus ha venido, y a todos regalos nos ha traído" (Santa Curse has come, with presents for everyone), it's both funny and adorable to see the kids' happily with their Christmas presents. Even moreso seeing both Frank and Morty's gangs getting along with each other for once.


 * In "De Visita" (Visiting), Frank going to Henrietta's house and trying to give her a gift for Valentine's Day, in his full Adorkable glory.
 * Later, he tries to find a game they could play together. Too bad she doesn't put it easy due to her ridiculously low health.


 * Almost the entire "¿Cuál es tu lugar favorito de Villa Susto?" (Where is your favourite place in Villa Susto?) story, in which Frank, Piruja, Gus, Lupo, Quasim, Billy and Momses happily discuss where's their favorite place in there. Oh, and there's Victor, who instead says he hates the town.


 * In "Cambio Radical" (Wild Makeover), Guillotine helping Piruja in conquering Victor by giving her a makeover. It fails, though.
 * What makes that endearing is the fact they're completely different girls who each are members of rival gangs, yet none of this prevents them from being friends. Plus, it also shows Guillotine's nicer side.


 * In "La Niña Invisible" (Invisible Girl), Morty's Gang's member Mienai awkwardly begs Lupo for help to find his little sister. After much reluctance, Lupo accepts. Cue his little siblings happily saying how kind is their older brother and how much he cares for others. Then Lupo blows this up by falling asleep, as usual.
 * During the entire story, Mienai is shown to be actually a nice and friendly guy when left to his own, which heavily implies he has a Jerkass Facade caused by his asshat "friends". At the end, he even thanks Lupo for it.


 * In the longest story of the album, "Una Velada con los Von Piro" (Dinner with the Von Piros), despite being largely about the weird meeting of the Von Piros and the Einsteins, it shows there's barely any resentment between the families. In particular, the Von Piros are shown, despite their eccentricities, to be very friendly and courteous with the Einsteins, while other rich families would have criticized them for their lower status. Also, it shows them having something in common: They're embarrassing as hell.
 * Also, there's Frank's older sister Francesca playing with Victor's dog Chopped. It's about one of the rare occassions she smiles and has a fun time, considering her usual behavior.


 * In "La Prima de Victor" (Victor's Cousin), at the end, we see Quasim being friendly with Victor's cousin Dayana after seeing her Stylistic Suck drawings. You can pick your jaw over the floor now.


 * In "Colgado por Piruja" (Crazy over Piruja), Guillotine helps Piruja again to get Victor to invite her to the school dance. In this case, though, she does this a bit more differently. As in "tying Victor to a tree with a horde of hungry alligators waiting" kind of differently. Well... It's the thought that counts, after all.

El Gran Partido de Calabacesto (The Great Pumpkinball Match)

 * When Victor shows up to the gang, Gus enthusiastically gives him the Fresita (Strawberry) Team uniform, thinking him as a member of the team. Unfortunately, Victor rejects it, gleefully stating he's on the "Muerte Chunga" (Morty's Gang) side now.


 * When Frank and Morty discuss the conditions of their match's bet, they decide what they want of the other if their respective teams win the match. What does Morty want? Frank's brains. Frank? Getting Victor back to his gang. That's right: Despite Victor's betrayal, he still cares for him, or at least enough not to let him in Morty's company.


 * The Frank's gang considering Billy The Reliable One to act as Victor's replacement on the team.


 * Frank reacting with utter joy when Piruja comes back to serve as the team's fifth member.


 * Piruja's mom is an Extreme Omnisexual, which causes problems to her and especially Piruja. That's Mama Bear at its finest.


 * The whole match shows how much Frank's Gang (Fresita Team) and Morty's Gang (Muerte Chunga Team) contrast with each other. The latter may seem cool on the surface, but in reality they're a mess due to inward tensions and overall stupidity, only managing to score by cheating. The former, while seemingly embarrassing in appearance, manage to work incredibly well together via teamwork.

Others

 * In one post-Perfeccionator story, Billy tries to be nice to Henrietta after the two are paired up in class. Given he's The Pig Pen, though, his methods are hilariously inappropriate, a fact not helped by Henrietta being an extremely Ill Girl.
 * Even though she's clearly discomforted by it, she patiently and politely deals with it, knowing he is just being friendly to her, at least until she has enough. Even so, she didn't snap into Miss Hit at any point in the story, which means a lot.


 * In the latest storyline, Piruja and Henrietta's interactions in the Twilight Forest are pretty sweet to watch. Which quickly turn hilarious when enters the picture.
 * Later, Yokai rescuing the two of them from Flan Hellsing. This is a weird case as it serves as a backwards Pet the Dog moment, since his personality wasn't established until much later.
 * When Yokai stole Lupo's younger sister's doll, Lupo was pissed off, showing his Big Brother Instinct full-time.


 * Album-related example: It's amazing to see how much the guys in the Frank's Gang have changed their opinions of Piruja. In the first album, they didn't really consider her a friend, viewing her as The Friend Nobody Likes. Compare that with the following albums, when they have no problem being with her, and are even happy she joins them (see the aforementioned heartwarming moment about her in the fourth album). Part of it is a case of Characterization Marches On, but that doesn't make it any less heartwarming.


 * The comics' original artwork frequently portrays the Frank's gang in usually weird situations. While always hilarious, it's adorable seeing all the six characters (Victor, Frank, Piruja, Lupo, Gus and Momses) together as a group, especially when in-story there aren't many pics of them as a whole. This image in particular confirms the whole group as inseparable True Companions who will face anything together, whether they want to or not.

Outside examples

 * When "Minimonsters" ran on the ¡Dibus! magazine, the creator, David Ramirez, has always been shown to be very close to his fanbase. Some of the things introduced at the comics where their fans' ideas, both characters and stories.
 * Even better, there's a lot of his fans who post his signatures with drawings of the characters in it. Heartwarming indeed.


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