Bishonen Line/Playing With

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Bishonen Line: A character's most powerful form is also his most humanlike or attractive.

  • Straight: Emperor Evulz, after initially fighting Alice and Bob in a demon-like form, transforms into one that looks like an angelic version of his normal body. Naturally, this proves to be even tougher than his demon form.
  • Exaggerated: After going through a Cosmic Horror form that goes down in two hits, Evulz becomes a Bishonen but otherwise human version of himself, which beats Alice and Bob without him even trying.
  • Justified:
  • Inverted:
  • Subverted: Evulz initially goes into his angel form, but becomes a demon again after it's beaten.
  • Double Subverted: After that form is beaten, he becomes an even prettier angel.
  • Parodied: Bob comments on Evulz' lack of creativity when it comes to making his forms intimidating.
  • Deconstructed: Since everyone expects the angel to be the most powerful form of an evil person, they begin to distrust the Forces of Good (tm), since they have actual angels on staff.
  • Reconstructed: Which is a smart thing, as Light Is Not Good: Most angels are evil mortals who got that way through sheer power.
  • Zig Zagged: Emperor Evulz transforms into a giant demon...then an angelic humanoid...then an even bigger demon...then an even stronger humanoid, then an even BIGGER demon, etc.
  • Averted: Evulz has only one alternate form, and it's a demon.
  • Enforced: "You know, Evulz doesn't seem that threatening in the form of a monster, since his defining trait is intelligence and organization. Let's give him a more fitting final form."
  • Lampshaded: "Ha! You thought my true form was a monster? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but I didn't lose that much of my humanity!"
  • Invoked: Evulz is deliberately attempting to play with expectations of what evil people really look like.
  • Defied: "Make sure he's dead, Bob. I don't want him to suddenly reform and come at us with a new, human body."
  • Discussed: "So, Evulz really looks like a human underneath all his forms." "Well, he used to be one. It's not really surprising that he hasn't changed all that much."

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