Expressive Hair: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

See also its sister trope, [[Expressive Mask]], and its (occasionally) more violent cousin, [[Prehensile Hair]]. Can be related to [[Kaleidoscope Hair]] if the hair changes color.

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Ranma from ''[[Ranma ½]]'' has the "simple" extending pigtail form.

** A [[Filler]] manga story has Genma Saotome take a hair-restoring tonic that gives him a ridiculously large, spiky hairdo (a parody of the hairstyles of Super Saiyans from ''[[Dragonball Z]]'') when he's angry, which actually attacks the source of his anger.

* Ma Renka in ''[[Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple]]'' has two short pigtails that droop when she's sad, stand up when she mad, and ''wag'' when she's happy!

** Arika's waist-length braids have been everything from an ant's antennae to punctuation marks to a [[media:1129311451965.jpg|heart]], in addition to generally flailing about whenever she gets excited.

* In ''Negima!?'', an [[Alternate Continuity]] of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', Asuna's long ponytails are almost as expressive as Arika's braids; in the first episode alone, they stand up when she is agitated, and repeatedly formed the numerals for the number of minutes of extra sleep she wanted. And as if that weren't enough, the bells she wears in them get into the act as well, firing off like cannons when reaches a certain level of frustration. Here, being expressive is the default state of Asuna's hair, forming anything from exclamation marks and question marks to words and [[Cross-Popping Veins]].

** Also played straight on occasion.

* Edward Elric's braid (and the rest of his body, for that matter) flares up when ever someone calls him short on ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]''.

* On ''[[One Piece]]'', Mr. 3 of Baroque Works often forms his number-three-shaped top-knot into question marks and exclamation points. For some reason, when he is about to use his Doru Doru powers, the tip sets itself on fire without the flame spreading or him feeling it.

** And then there is [[Cyborg|Franky]] whose hair works as a fuel gauge and also indicates what kind of fuel he's currently on.

*** Franky can now control his hair by pressing down his nose. Considering how much Oda loves afros and mohawks, it's no surprise that this is currently all it's been used for.

* Tenma from ''[[School Rumble]]'' has stubby not-quite-antennae sprouting from her temples which waggle when she's happy or angry. This is lampshaded in the comic once: she's feeling decidedly mixed, so one not-quite-antenna is sticking straight out, the other straight ''up''.

* Bakura and Malik in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]!'', as well as Takuma Saiou in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX]]'', get much more bizarre hairstyles when their evil sides emerge. The same thing happens with Yugi, although in his case the only change that occurs when Yami Yugi appears is that lightning-bolt-shaped strands of hair float up.

* In the unexpectedly violent anime/manga ''[[Alien Nine]],'' the winged hat-like alien symbiotes eventually transform themselves into consciously controllable, spike/spear/drill-forming hair, replacing a host's natural hair.

* Himeko of ''[[Pani Poni Dash!]]'' has an expressive [[Idiot Hair|ahoge]] that not only wiggles when she's happy and stands straight up when she's startled, it also occasionally form shapes like a heart or a question mark, and in the first episode even became a rainbow when she [[Ocular Gushers|cried buckets of tears]].

* ''[[Tokyo Mew Mew]]'': Retasu's braids do this on a few occasions, and Ichigo's pigtails also do this somewhat.

* In ''[[Axis Powers Hetalia]]'', Yonsoo aka Korea's hair has a single strand that curls up. It's often drawn with a little face inside of the curl, so he ''literally'' has expressive hair.

** The Italies' hair curls also do a little of this, occasionally shaping into hearts when happy or going jaggedy in shock.

* Mahoro in ''[[Mahoromatic]]'' has two little sideways locks of hair that follow this trope.

* Solty in ''[[Solty Rei]]'' has her ears, which look like thick, [[Hair Colors|green]] versions of Mahoro's side locks, do this.

* Maka from ''[[Soul Eater]]'' has pigtails that have a life of their own when she's agitated. (At least in the anime.)

* Ogiue from ''[[Genshiken]]'' has a spiky pigtail that sometimes stands up when she's startled.

* In ''[[Bakemonogatari]]'', Koyomi Araragi's hair this way and also serves on occasion to point out that [[Something Else Also Rises]].

* [[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei|Ai Kaga]] has a ponytail that wags like a nervous dog's tail whenever she apologizes. [[Apologizes a Lot|Which is all the friggin' time.]]

* On ''[[Keroro Gunsou]]'', Momoka's Fawcett curls become [[Spikes of Villainy|sharp and pointy]] when her [[Split Personality]] takes over.

* In ''[[Aoi Hana]]'', Akira's braids jump up whenever she is startled. Which happens quite a bit.

* ''[[Yotsubato]]'': Yotsuba's quadruple pigtails point downwards when she's sad and become rigid when she's exhilarated or shocked.

* Although not used as extensively as many of the examples here, in [[IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix]] major emotional shifts will cause Takeshi's hair curl to either point up for happiness or fall down for depression, complete with a corresponding slide whistle.

* ''[[Wandering Son]]'', the manga version, is made of this trope. All the characters hair is expressive, and changes depending on their reaction or the general scene. Sometimes its just messy because it is, and other times they're shocked or surprised and it stands up.

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Franco-Belgian comics example: ''[[wikipedia:Titeuf|Titeuf]]''.

 

 

== [[Live Action Television]] ==

 

 

** Hell, Phoenix and Apollo themselves. Their hair looks quite downcast when they're losing, and returns triumphant come victory time.

* Laharl from ''[[Disgaea]]'' has two hair "antennae" on his head that have the tendency to go stiff (or straight up) when he's particularly angry or annoyed.

* It may be the wrong category, but some fan depictions of [[Vocaloid|Miki]] make her ahoge change shape according to her emotions.

* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'': Kino's ponytail droops in his sad sprite. And it is absolutely [[Moe|ADORABLE]].

** Don't forget Marle, whose ponytail turns into a fro when she's startled.

* [[Genki Girl]] Momoko from ''[[Aoi Shiro]]'' has short braids that stick up and go spiky when she is surprised or excited and droop when she's feeling down (not that that state of affairs ever lasts long).

 

 

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

** Sapphire Gem hair shows this in a lesser degree.

* Susan of ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'': Dan says "Badass Hair in the Wind Effect With No Wind is your friend."

* Many fans consider this to be one of the most endearing things about [[Shadowgirls]]' resident [[Badass Normal]] Lindsey Jun Yeoh.

* The girls of ''[[Wapsi Square]]'' have hair that behaves according to their moods. If happy, their hair is perky. It droops if they're sad, and it gets spiky and pointy if they're angry.

* Used, and then lampshaded, in ''[[Questionable Content]]'' [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2066 here.]

 

* While never seen in action, the author of the web fiction serial ''[[Dimension Heroes]]'' has stated that the tufts of hair on Tami's head change depending on her emotions; when she's sad, they droop. When she's scared, they stick straight up. When she's furiously angry, they frizz out like a cat.

* In ''[[Gaia Online]]'''s Valentine's Day '09 NPC Valentines, Blaze's gigantic ponytail is formed heart shapes.

* Slipknot, a member of the superheroic Euroguard from the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', has long, [[Super Strength|superhumanly strong]] hair he can use as a set of hands. Naturally, it also reflects his emotional state.

 

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* Harley Quinn from ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' has blondepigtails when not in costume that perk up or droop, depending on her moods.

** They still do it ''in'' costume, they're just stuffed in her hat and take it with them.

* Parodied on ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]''. When Willie Nelson successfully reunites the family, his trademark braids rise like those of Pippi Longstocking.

** Krusty the Clown on ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' has expressive hair, especially on the season four episode "Lisa's First Word". During a Krusty Burger commercial for the 1984 Olympics, Krusty bites into a Krusty Burger. When the commercial ends and the director yells, "Cut!", Krusty spits out the burger and his hair droops (then slightly comes back up after he drinks some booze from a flask to wash the taste out of his mouh).

** Loopy's pigtails seem to rise a bit when she's scared, curious or inspired.

** Also in the episode "Comics of Champions", when June keeps on teasing Henry about his crush on Thundergirl, he gets so upset that his hair goes on fire, but June puts it out (wearing a firefighter hat with a siren in the background).

* Pinkie Pie's hair in ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'', which is apparently made curly by sheer exuberance; when she's bummed out (as seen in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" and "Party of One"), it becomes straight.

* In at least two episodes of Hanna-Barbera's version of ''[[The Little Rascals]]'', when Darla is frightened, her hair resembles a brown sea urchin.

[[Category:Anime Hair]]

[[Category:Hair Tropes]]