Break the Cutie/Anime: Difference between revisions

*** Also from ''5D's'': [[Dark Magical Girl]] Aki Izayoi. We're first introduced to her as the [[Emotionless Girl]] and a closet sadist, as well as someone who refuses to think for herself and is a generally unsympathetic character, to both the audience and pretty much the entire world. Come Episode 40, where Aki is {{spoiler|comatose after dueling [[Evil Counterpart]] Misty (who pretty much breaks her brain by telling Aki that she killed her brother, and, indirectly, Misty herself) and witnessing the only person she really cares about fall to his death ([[Back from the Dead|or so they think!]])}}, and we meet her father. Who reveals that, aside from having serious [[Parental Abandonment|abandonment]] issues due to the fact that she adored him and he was never home, she suffered serious mental abuse and even a bit of physical abuse when she was a child, due to the fact that he couldn't come to terms with the fact that she had powers. When she grows up, she's ostracized by nearly every single person she meets for the same reason, and she can't get rid of it without turning into what is implied to be an even bigger social pariah in the ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' universe, since ''everyone'' you meet plays cards. And I mean ''everyone.'' Yuusei forgives her for being a little psychopathic.

* Subaru Sumeragi in [[CLAMP]]'s ''[[Tokyo Babylon]]'' and ''[[X 1999]]'' was very carefully broken, and then some more, by his love interest Seishirou.

* Rena and Satoko from ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'' both qualify, though Rena tends to snap, while Satoko breaks. Rika also tends to get it pretty hard. In fact, it's hard to argue that any of the cuties of Hinamizawa ''aren't'' broken at some point.

** Shion, however, outperforms all other cuties in the fine art of breaking and snapping. Don't ask. Rather, instead of breaking/snapping, she [[Ax Crazy|explodes violently with the force of an anti-personnel mine, ripping everyone else apart with the shrapnel]].

* ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'' revolves around this trope. Yui is raped basically within 5 minutes of her second trip there, and becomes a vengeful, hateful villainess, primarily because of her {{spoiler|bishonen bodyguard Nakago, who warped her mind to the point where she blames her best friend Miaka for the rape, since she wasn't there to help her. Eventually, it turns out that Yui was never actually raped, but the entire thing was a [[Gambit Roulette|ridiculously complicated plan]] by Nakago to pit them against each other as a part of a larger plan to stage a coup in Genbu. Later he tries to rape Miaka as well but fails, though he ''does'' get her to believe that it happened until someone else explains the mess.}}

** Also, that whole arc where {{spoiler|Yui drugs Tamahome to make him betray Miaka, who was temporarily broken until she breaks the spell with [[The Power of Love]]. Then, Miaka's own mistakes make everything ''worse'' for her, Tamahome, and their friends}}

** Suboshi and Amiboshi, impoverished twin orphans who have the misfortune of being recruited by [[Manipulative Bastard]] Nakago. Suboshi deals by becoming a [[Hot-Blooded]] [[Jerkass]], later crossing the [[Moral Event Horizon]] and thereby losing his "cutie" status ([[Draco in Leather Pants|for most fans, anyway]]); Amiboshi fares much better, but even he still has {{spoiler|a [[Driven to Suicide|suicide attempt to his name]], and only reaches happiness when [[Tear Jerker|his memory of the preceding 15 years is completely erased]]... thanks by Suboshi, [[Pet the Dog|as his last act of kindness ever]].}}

* Misuzu from ''[[AIR]]'' arguably qualifies, since a lot of time and effort is put into presenting her as a sweet, lovable, although somewhat peculiar girl—only to {{spoiler|have her suffer enormous pain in the last few episodes and die in the arms of her adoptive mother, her aunt Haruko. Her final moments are still [[Tear Jerker|gruesomely beautiful]], though}}.

* In ''[[Chirin no Suzu]]'' a lamb named Chirin starts out as cute, friendly, and happy go lucky until his mother is killed by a wolf, so he seeks revenge but realizes that he's too small and weak to do any damage so he convinces the wolf to become his apprentice and he goes through [[Training from Hell]] until he becomes a deformed ruthless killing machine.

* In ''[[Full Metal Panic!]]'''s backstory between Sōsuke and Kalinin, you can get a taste of young Sōsuke's [[Break the Cutie]] (though most of what you see is the huge contrast and aftermath). Especially noticeable from [http://pics.livejournal.com/fmp_misha/pic/0003a17w this] to [http://pics.livejournal.com/fmp_misha/pic/0003eq61 this].

* Ditto for ''[[Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle]]''. All 4 main characters have tragic angsty backstory.

* [[Break the Cutie|This]] [[Kill'Em All|happens]] to main character Sara Werec of ''[[Soukou no Strain]]''. In the ''first episode'' no less!

* Please don't be a female lead in a [[Mayu Shinjo]] manga. And ''specially'', don't name yourself [[Haou Airen|Kurumi Akino]] or [[Sensual Phrase|Aine Yukimura]]. Because you'll end up horribly broken not just by your boyfriend's rivals/enemies/scorned women, but [[Bastard Boyfriend|by your own boyfriend]].