Everything's Cuter with Lucky Charms



This trope was much used in the eighties anime, especially in the openings. Hearts and stars continue to be the most popular symbols, while lipstick kisses seem to have gone out of use.

Related to Lucky Charms Title, where a show's printed title includes similar whimsical shapes.

The symbols are:


 * hearts
 * stars
 * clovers
 * crescent moons
 * rainbows
 * music notes
 * wings
 * lipstick kisses
 * colored letters
 * fruits (oranges and bananas are favorites)
 * flowers (all kinds)
 * tears
 * bells
 * colored numbers
 * umbrellas
 * mushrooms and feathers, if you're playing Super Mario Bros.

(Horseshoes, pots o' gold, and red balloons tend to only appear in cereal.)

Advertising

 * Lucky Charms, of course. They're magically delicious.

Anime and Manga

 * Urusei Yatsura has stars in the first OP.
 * Lucky Star has stars in the first OP.
 * Sailor Moon has stars, hearts and crescent moons.
 * Aishite Night has hearts, stars, music notes and a moon in the OP.

Newspaper Comics

 * Rose Is Rose does this a lot.

Video Games

 * Super Mario Bros.
 * Panel De Pon (and Tetris Attack by extension) have panels with hearts and stars on them.

Western Animation

 * Powerpuff Girls full of hearts
 * Metalocalypse sort of uses/subverts it in Toki's fantasy sequence song about a girl he's going to date. His song is both appropriately cutesy/brutal: he decapitates an adorable dragon, and lucky charms (stars, rainbows, balloons, everything) spews out.