Love You and Everybody: Difference between revisions

'''Fry''': ''Even me?''<br />

'''Leela''': ''As a friend.''<br />

 

A standard delaying or misleading tactic of [[Romantic Comedy]] that depends on the vagueness of language.

* ''[[Mai-HiME]]'' carries this out to its natural conclusion: due to her inexperience with the concept of ''suki'', [[No Social Skills]] Mikoto wants to tie ribbons for just about everyone she knows at a place where according to local superstition doing so will attract the one you love to you.

* ''[[Mahou Tsukaitai]]'' also concludes with a depiction of this scene, with Sae bursting Takeo's bubble of delirious happiness.

** Belldandy, who initially seems to play this trope, flat out states that her [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|wish to make Keiichi happy overrules her wish to make everyone in the world happy]].

* In ''[[Love Hina]]'', Seta pulls this after Naru's crush for him is exposed. It's debatable if he is really that [[Selective Obliviousness|oblivious]], or just wanted to let her down gently.

* The words, if not the actual intent, crops up in [[Mahoraba]] with a fair amount of frequency.

* The ending of ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]''.

** Of course, being Ataru, he ''does'' mean it that way. He'll explain himself, if forced, but the explanation makes no damn sense to ''anyone but'' Ataru.

*** Sure it does. Though it changes over the course of the series, by the end, it's Lum + Harem > Lum alone > Harem > One girl > Nothing.

* ''[[D.N.Angel]]'''s main character's name is actually "Daisuke Niwa". At one point, he has to be in two places at once, one of them involving one of the love-interests. He uses his pet bunny to create a doppleganger of himself, and sends it off to go be with her. The catch, the bunny can only find itself able to say "Daisuk''i''." Hilarity ensues.

* ''[[Nagasarete Airantou]]'' has an interesting variation. When Mikoto tells Suzu that Ikuto would fall in love with Rin, Suzu says that he already loves Rin... and Suzu, and...

** Minoru Shiraishi attends school with them, and we see Kagami talking to a male classmate during their school trip. And Konata tells another nameless male student to fetch Tsukasa for her, after informing him that [[Older Than They Look|she's a senior]]. Just because they're background characters doesn't mean the boys at the school don't exist. Konata's fears were probably justified.

* Chiaki pulls this on Fujioka in ''[[Minami-ke]]'', but not for the usual reasons. The "I love you" comment is completely random, the first thing that comes to mind to cover up something else she said, then she adds the "and everybody" part after realizing that's just as bad.

* Done by Mihoshi in ''[[Sora no Manimani]]''. After she apparently says "I love you!" to Saku, there's a beat, a chance for Saku and Hime to be stunned, followed by Mihoshi listing every other member of the Astronomy Club, leaving Saku and Hime stunned in a different way.

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' uses this once or twice as well. Once when trying to encourage Asuna to confess to Takahata - I've always liked you, Asuna * gasp and blush* And so does Konoka and everyone else! The second is when Negi is about to head to the Magical World, gets Asuna alone and asks her to come, seeming to imply a relationship upgrade on the pactio thing, and then invites everyone else along as well. Asuna's reaction is rather [[Just Friends|suspicious]] but ambiguous as well.

** A straighter example would be Italy. He's very vocal about his love for Germany, but his incredibly affectionate nature towards everyone in general (including their friend Japan and random pretty girls on the street) and his overall [[The Ditz|ditziness]] implicitly leads Germany to assume that he only means "love" in the friendship sense, especially in the scene where Italy pesters Germany about what he thinks of him. In fact, even when Germany realizes that he does love Italy in that way, it's still not 100% clear whether Italy loves Germany ''specifically'' and really was flirting with him, or loves Germany in a more general sense and is just oblivious to what his actions can come across as, although {{spoiler|the strong implication that Germany is Italy's long-lost childhood love probably clinches it.}}

* ''[[Hanamaru Kindergarten]]'' has [[The Messiah|Yamamoto-sensei]] say it, but unlike most romantic examples she doesn't say it to the guy who likes her ([[Unlucky Everydude]] Tsuchida-sensei), but rather to [[Clingy Jealous Girl|Anzu]], who was confronting Yamamoto because of her own crush on Tsuchida.

** Maede also does this during Yukari's confessions.

* Early on in ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'', Godai receives a handmade scarf from Kyoko. He is dismayed when he learns that Mitaka received one as well. They debate whether that means she likes them equally, only to learn she made scarves for everyone at Ikkoku as thanks for taking care of her when she was sick.

* A variation occurs in ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]''; When [[Wholesome Crossdresser|Nuriko]] confesses to Tamahome that he {{spoiler|loves Miaka}}, he goes on to say, "For that matter, I love you too. I love Hotohori, Tasuki - all of them. I think that's what makes me a Suzaku warrior, and I'm ''proud'' of that." The whole speech is so vague that fans still dispute whether Nuriko {{spoiler|was IN love with Miaka, or if he just really loved her as a friend.}}

* In ''[[Katekyo Hitman Reborn]]'' Tsuna is thrilled when his crush Kyoko gives him a charm thinking this mean she likes him but is soon disappointed when he learns that she made some for Gokudera and Yamamoto too.

 

 

== Live Action TV ==

* In ''[[Stacked]]'', Skyler (a [[Hello, Nurse!]] bombshell played by Pamela Anderson) says "I love you" to Stuart, and he says it back. But Skyler (unlike Stuart) really did mean it in a generic, affectionate sense. When Stuart becomes clear on this, he pretends that he too is prone to say "I love you" in a casual, affectionate way--going so far as to say it to random customers in the bookshop where he and Skyler work.

** And that's his ''second'' attempt. On his first try he for some reason went with, "I love cake."

** He's trying to work up to telling her he thinks he's developed romantic feelings for her and she interrupts him with "Angel, are you trying to tell me you love me? It's ok, I love you too". He's surprised she was able to just come right out with it, but she just wants to reassure him that she knows he cares about her, turns out that five minutes earlier everyone else was saying they loved each just in case they all die in the coming apocalypse.

* On ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]'' Barney intends to confess to Ted that he is in fact in love with Robin. Instead, he announces to Robin herself that he's "in love with... ''tacos''!"

* This happens in an episode of ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'', while Rodney is on his (apparent) death bed.

'''McKay''': You're just saying that because I'm gonna die. }}

** Later it's played for laughs with Rodney trying to turn Weir's statement into something romantic and her quickly reminding him that she said "we."

* Used in ''[[Lost Girl]]'' during a scene between Bo and Lauren in second season finale.

{{quote| '''Bo:''' I love you…all, so much}}

 

== Video Games ==

** Just so the joke fully carries to those that haven't played the game: Giet is a dog. (Well, generic wolf like quadruped creature #326)

* In her alternate route, Sayaka in [[Suika]] asks Souji if he likes Mie. He answers of course he does, then about thirty seconds later realizes she meant romantically and more or less laughs it off.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* In the [[High School AU]] arc of [[Dubious Company]], Sal gives her childhood friend, Leeroy, chocolates for Valentine's Day. He's surprised and deeply touched, and [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|equally crushed]] when she tells him she made chocolates for everyone.

* Roomie from ''[[Go Get a Roomie]]'' just loves everyone. Though she doesn't seem to ''love'' love anyone. She falls in a complicated spot in between [[Allergic to Love]], and [[Anything That Moves]].

 

** Fortunately, "beminnen" still means love in the strict sense of the word in both Dutch and Flemish. However, not a lot of people use this, as it is rather archaic and "minnaar"/"minnares" (a male and female lover, respectively) have the negative connotation of cheating attached to them. ("Minne" used to be what is now "liefde" (love) until somewhere in the Renaissance.)

* In English (at least in this troper's part of the U.S.) the term "girlfriend" can mean a female significant other, or (usually in the plural) female friends which go out together and do feminine things.

** In writing, this can be differentiated by calling the former a "girlfriend" and the latter a "girl friend," but that doesn't translate verbally (and is kind of awkward in writing anyhow).

** Made even worse by some people of the older generation who use "hook up" to mean meet with or make plans with, rather than the current slang meaning "have sex with."