Narm Charm: Difference between revisions
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Perhaps the rest of the work is so good, and they are too wrapped up in it to be bothered. Or what's cheesy is more the [[So Bad It's Good|fun kind of cheesy]], so they are grinning, not laughing. Or maybe [[Rule of Cool]] is working its magic. Or perhaps the Narm feels natural in the scenario presented (see image).
This is
If a remake does away with this, it can result in [[I Liked It Better When It Sucked]].
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== Anime and Manga ==
* Many English dubs from the 80s and 90s possess this for old-school fans, with just a few notable examples including ''[[Akira]]'', ''[[Dragonball Z]]'',
* Lots of the dramatic scenes in ''[[One Piece]]'' are incredibly over the top even for [[Manga]]. Because the rest of the story is just as exaggerated and fantastic, and the characters and situations themselves are uniquely compelling, there's still a rather moving effect. All the snot, tears, and loud broken groaning are usually indicative of Narm(even the girls had them), yet here it makes the story more raw and emotional.
* The first ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'' movie. Hell yes.
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** Try just about all of ''Code Geass''. Lelouch as Zero is the [[Large Ham|biggest ham ever]] and that actually helped it to reel in legions of followers.
** Mao's infamous "[[Chainsaw Good|I'll make you compact]]" line has become slightly [[Memetic Mutation|memetic]] among his fans. It's totally ridiculous... but it actually gives a good view of how insane he really is.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGODPi9_8IU Most] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KQ-Fw-TiGc of] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD-uoZI87VM&feature=related the] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4scUOyOJnBU&feature=related openings] are grade-A
* Everyone makes fun of the infamous [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaoy1QKxGQs potato-chip scene] in ''[[Death Note]]'', or the somewhat "overexpressive" anime in itself. Still, it is a very popular and critically acclaimed show with a ton of fans.
** This is especially evident in the final episode, in which the over-the-top fashion in which {{spoiler|Light and Mikami break down}} runs a weird line between comical and horrifying.
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* [[Detective Conan|Conan]]'s use of broken English while telling {{spoiler|his [[Broken Pedestal|former idol]], Ray Curtis}} that his circumstances do not justify turning to drugs and murder would otherwise be funny, but it, combined with the music and his facial expressions, effectively conveys how he feels, and {{spoiler|Ray Curtis's}} response in perfect English makes it clear that the grammar mistakes are Conan's, rather than the writer's.
* ''[[Zoids]]''. The first series (Chaotic Century) in particular. The entire script is so laughably bad it's amazing that everyone keeps a straight face. (Van and Raven's exchange in episode 33 is a personal favorite example) But that's the reason it works. The whole universe speaks in narm and once you get used to it you realize that it's the language of the universe and it's a much more entertaining universe as a result.
* ''[[Eureka Seven]]'', episode 48. {{spoiler|Anemone}} is on a suicide mission after having learned that {{spoiler|Dominic has abandoned the military}} to stop the [[Big Bad]]'s plan. Lines like "I want to live! I wish I didn't have feelings like this!" are tearfully screamed at full blast, with all the pretentious angst of a bad Goth band.
** The entire PREMISE is built on this. The series is built on giant surfboarding robots, tons and tons of blatant counter-culture references (including one of the most disastrous incidents in recent history being called the Summer of Love), and an incredibly sappy romance at the forefront (hell, the main mecha of the series is practically POWERED by love.)
* In ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', many examples result from [[Gratuitous English|Engrish]] for English-speaking viewers.
** Most notably, during Itsuki's rooftop talk with Kyon, after Haruhi has [[Sleep Cute|fallen asleep]] beside Mikuru, he suggests to Kyon that he should, "embrace Suzumiya-san from behind, and whisper 'I love you' in her ear." What the English audience hears is assorted Japanese, and then, "AI LAAV YU." What keeps it from falling into [[Narm]] is the heart-warming playfulness of the scene.
** The [[Image Song
** [[Cristina Valenzuela|Christy Vee's]] translation of "Hare Hare Yukai" has her first line shouting (in the most high-pitched voice she can muster) "ALL RIGHT SOS BRIGADE, ASSEMBLE!" It's ''incredibly'' cheesy, but also incredibly hilarious and totally in-character for [[Genki Girl|Haruhi]].
* When the ending of ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]'''s second arc was adapted to anime, quite a lot of people were collapsing in laughing fits over the "takomaria". However, there was a significant creepy factor to seeing her head rolling around like that, and in a series of over-the-top messed-up scenes like the banquet of the witch and Rosa's feast afterwards, to a certain extent, it actually fit pretty well.
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMM_BPTYglM OH DESIAH!] In spite of the Narmy
* In ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'' Satoko's breakdown in episode 10 involves her somehow throwing a guy twice her size all the way across the room, with the chair he's sitting on. The voice actor's delivery, combined with the music, is what makes the scene work.
** [[Madness Mantra|"Gomenasai...gomenasai...gomenasai...gomenasai...."]]
* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]''. Father's expression are often over the top, but he's still the main source of [[Nightmare Fuel]] of all the series... {{spoiler|especially when he looked pregnant of Hohenheim after having just absorbed him... but his [[One-Winged Angel]] form was '''''absolutely terrifying'''''}}.
* Episode 167 of ''[[Naruto]]'' Shippuden. Full stop. It goes into full-on Looney Toons action at various points, including the "hammer person into ground without killing them" and "Road Runner legs" effects. Yet, it can also be absolutely awesome.
** Sasuke's [[Evil Laugh]] in Shippuden episode 214 and manga chapter 483 is
* [[Two Words: Obvious Trope|Two words]]: '''''[[Weiss Kreuz]]'''''. Genuinely interesting characters with great characterization, [[Insane Troll Logic|illogical]] plot points, [[So Bad It's Good]] animation, [[So Cool Its Awesome]] cinematography, music that ranges from forgettable to awesome, [[Rule of Cool]] villains, [[You Fail Biology Forever|impossible]] [[You Fail Physics Forever|unrealistic]] [[You Fail Logic Forever|stuff]], epic voice acting, ridiculous/awesome facial contortions, [[Rule of Cool]] weapons for Weiss... [[Weiss Kreuz]] is awesome.
** And to this day, people still wonder whether [[Takehito Koyasu]] [[What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?|was on drugs]] when he thought of this one.
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* Belldandy from [[Ah! My Goddess]] continues to call Keiichi "Mister Keiichi" even tough they have lived together for a pretty long time. And she is just an overly melodramatic [[Tastes Like Diabetes|sugarqueen]] in general. But you just can't hold it against her when it comes with that weapons-grade smile.
* In ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'', Kotetsu/Wild Tiger used to wear a [[Superheroes Wear Tights|spandex costume]] that [[Fan Nickname|fans have affectionately named the crapsuit]]. General opinion was that it was either [[Adorkable|endearingly dorky]] or just plain dumb... until Kotetsu {{spoiler|[[Break Out the Museum Piece|Breaks Out The Museum Piece]] as part of a plan to prove to the public he's the real Wild Tiger and strikes a [[Triple Take]] [[Asskicking Pose]] at the end of episode 21}}, at which point the fandom decided it was the sexiest, most badass superhero costume ever.
** Many aspects of the show count as Narm Charm—the [[Ho Yay|relationship]] between the two leads, the frequent use of [[Japanese Stock Phrases]], the [[
* The [[Engrish]] opening and ending themes to the ''[[Berserk]]'' anime manage to be both hilarious on account of their mangled pronunciation and borderline-nonsensical lyrics (and a completely straight-faced use of the line "[[Innocent Innuendo|I can get it off!]]") and awesome on account of being damn good songs regardless.
* The ''Manga Bible'', as noted in [[World of Ham]] article, the characters are so dramatic, the [[Anachronism Stew|anachronism]] so blatant (calling someone "punk" in 1500 BC, think about it), but it still manages to keep the [[Original Flavor]] from the source while maintaining it as enternaing reading (for everyone, averting the [[Confirmation Bias]] trope).
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** Also the buttloads of [[Engrish]] in episode 16. [[Memetic Mutation|HERY MR. PRESIDEEEEEEEENTTTTT!]]
** When {{spoiler|Masako pulls her [[Facing the Bullets One-Liner]]}} in episode 22, we see {{spoiler|Esmeralda next to her opening a paper fan.}} It would've made the whole scene [[Narm|hilarious in normal circumstances]]... but come on, {{spoiler|Esmeralda [[Undying Loyalty|is THAT loyal to her partner and to #1]], and [[Together in Death|she's ready to die with Masako]]}}! How can that '''not''' be [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|really touching]]?
** The whole scene where Ringo remembers her parents eventually deciding to split up is reenacted via stuffed animals. It's ridiculous, but considering she was a young child at the time it actually works and conveys how traumatic it was for her. And by the same token, most of Ringo's [[Imagine Spot
* The [[Bleach]] Concept Cover albums. The engrish is absolutely INSANE, with one of the best examples being Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, by '' BEAT CRUSADERS '' sung by ''' '' [[Fumihiko Tachiki|KENPACHI ZARAKI]] '' '''. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av9jyBLuSlE This is either the funniest or most absurd thing this troper has ever heard.]
*** On that note, go see "Science Show" from [[Kosuke Toriumi|Szayel's album.]]
** For an unexplained reason, Ulquiorra's release has him in a ''dress'' and waist-length hair. {{spoiler|It stops being cute about 15 seconds later when the Arrancar nearly cuts Ichigo's head off with a pointed pole made of energy.}}
** When Ichigo sees {{spoiler|one of Aizen's... "special" transformations}}, he reacts via saying [[Precision F-Strike|"What... the fuck... is THAT...?!]] It should be hilariously out of place, but the context in itself was so odd that it
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== Film - Live-Action ==
* [[Batman]] films have a fair amount:
** Certain scenes in ''[[The Dark Knight]]'', less by not killing the drama and more for injecting a little
*** And the Joker's socks when he's sitting in his cell. Helps that both they and Heathy are [[TV Tropes Made of Win Archive]].
*** Batman's rusty voice. Some people went along with it because he was obviously trying to disguise his real voice, but it became unintentionally funny when he started using it in front of [[Morgan Freeman]]'s character, who already knew who he was.
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** Him screaming "[[Big Word Shout|KHAAAAAAN]]!" seems like [[Narm]], unless you remember what [[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|Khan]] said to prompt that. And the fact that {{spoiler|He was Narming it up on purpose to trick Khan}}.
* ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' had a few [[Narm]] moments that were nonetheless forgivable because it was a student film and otherwise well-made. ''Evil Dead 2'' and ''Army of Darkness'' [[Crosses the Line Twice|actively cultivated]] [[Narm]].
* A lot of moments from the first three ''[[Spider-Man (film)|Spider-Man]]'' films may qualify
** "We'll meet again, Spider-Man!!" Corny? Oh yes. But somehow incredibly appropriate for a Spider-Man movie.
* ''[[Enchanted]]'' is essentially a combination of this, [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]], and [[Camp]], with two heaping tablespoonfuls of [[Affectionate Parody]] for spice.
* In ''[[For a Few Dollars More]]'', the wonderful shooting contest scene. Monco walks around Mortimer, glaring at him; Mortimer walks around Monco, glaring at ''him''; Monco steps on Mortimer's shoe, getting it muddy; Mortimer does the same to him, et
** Another one from Mortimer, when he spots a wanted poster of his nemesis. And [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|looks at it very hard]].
* ''[[There Will Be Blood]]'''s [[Memetic Mutation|very popular]] line "I. Drink. Your. MILKSHAKE!"
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* ''[[Big Fish]]'': "You become what you always were... [[Tear Jerker|a very]] [[Title Drop|big fish."]]
* Most of the werewolf scenes in the 2010 remake of ''[[The Wolf Man]]'', starting with their decision not to change the werewolf appearance from the black and white original.
* A lot of ''[[The Road Warrior]]'' is Narm but especially this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iRmOc10SMw&feature=related scene] with Wez, the Lord Humungeous' [[The Dragon|dragon]] has
* The ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]'' films have quite a bit of this in small doses throughout, but they pull it off with deliberate bravado in the second film when Abe and Hellboy get drunk and sing the incredibly cheesy song, "Can't Smile Without You." Who hasn't gotten drunk with a friend and sung bad music to try and get through the blues?
* George Bailey's friends and family spontaniously bursting out into Christmas carols at the end of ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' ''should'' be [[Narm
* ''[[The Mummy Trilogy]]''. All three of them. Largely due to John Hannah.
* In ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still]]'', [[Special Effects Failure|the robot is less than convincing]].
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* [[Al Pacino]]'s first scene with [[Johnny Depp]] in ''[[Donnie Brasco]]'' was noted on the [[Directors Commmentary]] as one that could have been pathetic, but worked due to Pacino's skill. Lefty's line, "In all the five boroughs, I'm known. I'm known all over the fuckin' world. Anybody asks ''anybody'' about Lefty from Mulberry Street..."
* The only actor in ''history'' who could deliver the line "If it had to happen to one of us, why did it have to be you?" in ''[[An Affair to Remember]]'' was [[Cary Grant]]. Combine this with the explosive chemistry between Grant and co-star [[Deborah Kerr]], and what could have gone down as one of the sappiest, glurgiest movies ever produced is instead one of Hollywood's most epic love stories.
* The [[Syfy]] [[B-Movie]] ''[[Meteor Apocalypse]]'' has just what you'd expect of a B
* The final scene of ''[[Dead Poets Society]]'' is almost universally considered to be a very powerful and moving ending to the film. But think of how it would sound written down on a script and what one would think it would end up like...
* ''[[Troy]]:'' Achilles' captive Briseis wakes him up with a [[Sword Over Head|sharp knife]] to the throat. After imploring her to "[[Kill Me Now or Forever Stay Your Hand|do it]]" ''("[[The Fatalist|we all die some time]]")'' he grabs her and [[Coitus Ensues|has his way with her]], prompting her to drop the knife slowly out of her hand. ...[[Better Than It Sounds|Yeah]]. As one reviewer said: ''"[[Even the Guys Want Him|Only Brad Pitt]] could do this (old-style Hollywood) scene and not have the audience burst into laughter."''
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{{quote|"It's just a city, the whole thing, one big, huge, really big city. It's ''[[Single Biome Planet|all]]'' city."}}
* To many, it's what makes the charm of ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]''.
* Frank Peretti, a Christian horror writer, is very adept at the use of Narm Charm. Apparently, he realizes that his plots are extremely outlandish, and in order to avoid Narm he cranks up the absurdity of it his situations [[Up to Eleven]] and lets you know it's okay to laugh through witty prose, thereby leading to
* ''[[Little Women]]'' plots a course through [[Mary Sue
* Discussed with an internal example in ''[[Star Trek: Klingon Empire]]''. The old animated show "[[Battlestar Galactica Classic|Battlecruiser Vengeance]]" is this for many Klingons (and it's a nice wink to actual fans of [[Star Trek: The Original Series|Original Series]] ''[[Star Trek]]'' too). One particular episode presents the Klingon hero repelling a Federation boarding party. The episode was produced during the height of tensions between the empire and the Federation, and the party consists of ridiculous, inaccurate computer-generated images of Federation member races. Specifically, the Andorian is more green than blue and has overlong antennae, the Vulcan's ears are too pointed, the Tellarite looks more like an actual boar, the Betazoid has fully blacked-out eyes instead of simple dark irises, the Human has eyes too large and a mouth too small, the Trill has spots covering her entire body, and the Denobulan has misplaced ridges. In the minds of many "modern" fans, the inaccuracy just adds to the joy of it.
* Let's face it: Both the ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' books and [[Harry Potter (film)|films]] can be quite [[
** * [[Harry Potter/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|"I'll join you when hell freezes over!"]] is one of the cheesiest cliches out there. But considering that this is {{spoiler|[[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass|Neville Longbottom]]}} saying it to {{spoiler|[[Big Bad|Voldemort]]}}'s face, and suddenly [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|you don't feel like laughing anymore.]]
* ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''. This conversation was used in the climax of the story. At first it seems to be a trivial discussion about counting fingers, but it's actually about a man being [[Mind Rape|tortured]] into changing his perspective in order to ''[[Two Plus Torture Equals Five|see things that aren't there]]''. Some might say it's worse than [[Room 101]] itself.
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** Blaine's {{spoiler|confession of love}} to {{spoiler|Kurt}} could count, as the dialogue is like something from a chick flick, but the way he says it is so heartfelt that you can't help but [[Squee]] as he says it. Even the people who don't like Blaine admit that they're glad something was ''finally'' going right for {{spoiler|Kurt}}.
* Many, many scenes in ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' containing [[Large Ham|Goa']][[Physical God|uld]], especially with [[Deadpan Snarker|O'Niell's]] constant [[Lampshade Hanging]].
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' is the inverse of [[Special Effect Failure]], as noted on that very page. The cheesy effects are so loved, that the new seasons deliberately keep the effects from being too polished to retain that feel. The new series seems to thrive on
** Not to mention the Daleks' famous "EXTERMINATE!" line is clearly [[Chewing the Scenery]], except they usually come across as unstoppable, merciless [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|genocidal maniacs]] (so much that a Cambridge University academic wrote [http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/ex-tra-po-late-moral-philosophy-and-the-daleks/ a paper] ''about'' the Daleks' Narm Charm.). So that line gives more chills than snickers.
** The Daleks' "Exterminate" is a bit Narm Charm in itself, especially in its more modern incarnations. Case in point: The Daleks transmit a single word message of their famous catchphrase across the whole earth during ''The Stolen Earth'' and pretty much every one of the Doctor's earthbound former companions just about needs to change their pants upon hearing it and realising who it is. Including Sarah Jane Smith and a man ''who can't die''.
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** The production staff can be forgiven the hideous monsters from "The Three Doctors", and Omega's scenery-chewing, as the interplay between Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell and Nicholas Courtney make up superbly for it.
* ''[[Power Rangers]]'': [[Silver Age]] comic super-weirdness and ''[[Doctor Who]]''-style fondness of [[Special Effect Failure]] all in one package. [[Atop the Fourth Wall|Linkara]] put it best: "It's ''[[Power Rangers]]'': it's ''supposed'' to be cheesy!"
** [[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers|Jason]] is the master of
** Bulk and Skull calling the people of Angel Grove to help in the final battle of ''[[Power Rangers in Space]]''. Corny, yet awesome.
** When Saban ran out of footage of Bandora from ''[[Zyuranger]]'' to use for Rita Repulsa, they made their own. Despite Rita now being played by an American actress, she was still given a [[Hong Kong Dub]] because it had become an iconic part of the character. This also holds true in the higher-budget [[The Movie|movie]].
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* Then there's ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'' which occasionally also runs on pure cheesiness. It's the series outright honesty and belief in itself, and its writers' (and actors') refusal to shy away from uncomfortable subjects, which means it gets away with a lot of it (when you have characters living in a future when humans are, supposedly, a much more reasonable, understanding bunch, and got there ''the hard way'' via a couple of near apolcaypses and one helluva lot of personal growth, then an audience can't help but appreciate their passion and dedication to their ideals. Even if they ''are'' pointing about dramatically and occaisonally doing flying leaps).
** In particular there's the episode "[[Wham! Episode|Chains of Command]]". Picard's dragged out, thick-tongued [[This Is Sparta|"THERE. ARE. FOUR. LIGHTS!"]] just wouldn't have worked in any other time or place, but given that it came at the end of one of the most [[Nightmare Fuel|horrifying demonstrations of torture and cruelty]] to ever be aired on daytime television... let's just say if anyone can pull it off, then [[Patrick Stewart]] can.
** It has been remarked, as well, that [[Patrick Stewart]]'s strength as an actor is his ability to deliver bad dialogue with utter conviction. Case in point is ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'': ''"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!"'' Controversial. Some fans see it as [[Narm|horrible]],
* ''[[CSI: Miami]]'': It may sound hilarious...but I...[[Glasses Pull|[puts on shades] ]] [[Rule of Cool|make it cool]]. '''''[[The Who|YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!]]'''''
* There's a scene in the fourth season of ''[[Angel]]'' where {{spoiler|Cordelia, posessed by Jasmine}}, is sending telepathic messages to Angelus, using an incredibly cheesy "evil overlord" voice. Somehow, the way the scene plays out makes the voice only add to the creepiness.
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* Somewhere there is a video where the creators of ''[[Lost]]'' admit to giving the character Ben Linus narmy lines because they feel that Michael Emerson can make them sound awesome.
** Also, from the season 6 premiere: The line: "I'm very disappointed... in all of you!" shouted by none other than {{spoiler|Faux-Locke/The Monster}} after he beats the crap out of {{spoiler|Richard}} while everyone watches. It's just so bizarre and creepy that the sheer silliness of the line can be ignored.
* The ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'' episode "5 to 9" [[Day in The Limelight|focuses on Cuddy's]] position as Dean of Medicine. She suffers a stressful day of fighting with medical insurers, a sociopathic medical technician, and (of course) House's antics (not to mention, getting called a "bitch" by every character possible). When the medical insurers cave and agree to her "outrageous" medical costs, she has a [[Big Yes|Big Yeah]] complete with the camera pulling back to show everyone in the lobby react. The rest of the episode features a montage of an abundance of good things happening to
* ''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House On the Prairie]]'' features a great deal of people caught in unbridled moments of passion. On one hand, an actress expressing such outright rage at injustice that they cry while yelling for the camera can be cheesy; on the other hand, that does take a good deal of talent, and perhaps just a spark of genuine conviction.
** Quite a few other CBC shows have had Narm Charm, comedies included.
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* ''[[The A-Team]]'' could go back and forth between this trope and straight-up [[Narm]], all within the same episode. And it's entertaining as hell.
* The characters on ''[[Gossip Girl]]'' are prone to dream sequences which easily fall under this category, as the actors seem to be in competition over who can [[Large Ham|ham]] it up the most. Current trophy holder is probably Ed Westwick after his performance in Chuck's season three nightmare.
* ''[[iCarly]]'' generally plays it's hammy moments 'straight'. Occasionally, they do a parody and fall from the usual webshow [[Narm]] into
* In ''[[Smallville]]'', when Clark tells Lois, {{spoiler|"I'm the blur!" and she tackles him in a fit of passion}}. Also, at least a good 30% of ''everything entertaining in Smallville''.
* ''[[LazyTown]]'' is ridiculously cheesy and suffers from a major case of [[Widget Series|cross-cultural weirdness]], but fans can't help but love every minute of it.
{{quote|[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}3AzpByR3MvI YAR HAR FIDDLE DEE DEE! YOU ARE A PIRATE!]}}
* ''[[Fringe]]''. [[Hollywood Science|Science, even the most far-out, fringiest science that ever fringed DOES NOT work that way]]. But it's ''soooo'' much [[Rule of Cool|fun]]. [[Nightmare Fuel|Nasty]], [[Squick
* ''[[The Thick of It]]'': On paper, "COME OUT OF THE CUPBOARD HUGH..." looks ridicuolus. In Malcolm's low Glaswegian growl it sounds genuinely terrifying.
** The best example would be from episode 7 of series 3, the [[Wham! Episode]] in which Malcolm is sacked. Before leaving [[Whitehall|10 Downing Street]] for what his enemies are sure will be the last time, he vows to them "YOU WILL SEE ME AGAIN! YOU WILL ''FUCKING'' SEE ME AGAIN!" before striding out with his [[Badass Longcoat|long black coat]] flowing behind him. This should be cliched and [[Narm
* This trope occurs at the conclusion of Season Two of ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'' during the death scene of {{spoiler|Marian}}. On the one hand, the build-up involves a confusing and contrived sequence of events, and the death scene itself is drawn out to an utterly ridiculous extent in which {{spoiler|Marian}} has a sword in her stomach and yet is able to carry on a completely coherent conversation for several minutes; on the other hand, {{spoiler|''Maid freaking Marian''}} is dying and the [[Emotional Torque]] is [[Over Nine Thousand]] and [[Like You Would Really Do It|no one can believe it's really happening]] and it's the most horrible, devastating thing that's ever happened on any [[Robin Hood]] retelling ''ever''.
{{quote|{{spoiler|'''Robin:'''}} "We have forever, my love."
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* King Diamond's "Welcome Home" when the lyrics are considered. It being King Diamond, he's either snarling or screaming his balls off, and then there's lines like "We're going to repaint the front door soon".
* Japanese remixer [[Hyadain]]'s remix of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkIEVrFVeG4 Bubble Man's Theme] from ''[[Mega Man 2]]'' is made of this. Despite the grating use of [[Gratuitous English]] and the fact that it's pretty much about about [[Foe Yay|Bubble Man's love for Mega Man]], the song works anyway, because it's very well arranged, has nice vocal work and, well...it's not on the [[Tear Jerker]] page for nothing.
** '''All''' of his Robot Master remixes are about confessing
** Heat Man's recent theme tops Bubble Man's in this. In it, Heat Man (very passionately) describes what it's like to spend a night making love with him. It has even more [[Gratuitous English]] as well.
* "Infection" by [[J Rock]] band D'espairsRay. This song should have been horrible: The imagery was cliched, the grammar was bad, some of the lyrics made no sense and the rest were drenched in
** The PV for REDEEMER. Just... the PV for REDEEMER.
** "Death Point", which is made of Engrish (not to mention, Hizumi repeating over and over, "death point, death point, death point!"), yet still so catchy...
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* [[Nightwish]] is made of this. They combine the most epic of rocking with questionable English, cheesy themes, [[Truck Driver's Gear Change]], and [[Word Salad Lyrics]]. Doesn't matter one bit.
* [[Radiohead]]: Thom Yorke's singing style is one of both the easiest ''and'' toughest things to make fun of ''at the same time''. Especially after listening to "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9UkgkzUkUA Idioteque]".
** The live performances of "Idioteque" take it up to
* [[Dream Theater]]'s "The Count of Tuscany" has some of the most ridiculous lyrics that the band has ever written, yet it's one of the most popular songs from ''Black Clouds and Silver Linings'', probably ''because'' of the cheesiness. (Or because the rest of the lyrics on that album are even worse. Or because the music on that song is just that good.)
* [[Meat Loaf]] practically defines this trope. Over the top enough that he probably ended up on the moon? Yes. ''Totally awesome'''? Also yes. Combine it with ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46u0W_HVURc and the result might just implode the world from awesome].
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** Possibly the best thing about it is the way it seems that Shatner's distracted "singing" style can't handle the more emotive parts of the song, so Joe Jackson has to cover for him.
* The metal band [[Bal-Sagoth]] take many tropes [[Up to Eleven]], including [[Grim Up North]], [[Proud Warrior Race Guy]], [[Cosmic Horror]] and [[Purple Prose]]. It is incredibly over the top, which is part of what makes it great.
** Ditto for [[Immortal]], who in addition to the above, also have [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VBdAY8eA9w music videos] where they look like [[Kiss]] [[LARP
* Heavy Metal fans can simultaneously celebrate [[Dio]]'s "Holy Diver" as a great old-school Metal standard, while realizing that the lyrics make no sense and and the music video is ridiculous in a [[So Bad It's Good]] way.
* [[Dragon Force (video game)]], [[Memetic Mutation|the hardest metal known to man]], better known as [[Fan Nickname|Dragonfarce]].
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* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaN7RwckVIQ "The Final Countdown" by Europe]. Hugely stupid hair metal anthem that's firmly in [[Guilty Pleasure]] territory, but ''awesome''.
* Sarah Brightman. Dear god, she could sing the telephone book and make it sound profound. For example, we have "Fleurs de Mal" (Flowers of Evil), "A Question of Honor" and "How Can Heaven Love Me?" And the lyrics are even goofier than the titles...
* Michael Crawford was the original lead in the musical ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''; Brightman was the original Christine, and he may be her male counterpart in terms of
* Everything by [[Journey (band)|Journey]].
** ''JUST A SMALL TOWN GIIIIIRRL, LIVIN' IN A LONELY WOOOOOORLD... SHE TOOK THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOIN' ANYYYYWHEEEEERRRREEEE...''
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* The song "[[Last Kiss]]" is so earnest with [[Teenage Death Songs|its subject matter]] it pretty much gets by on this trope.
* Peter Cetera's "jaw singing", specially in the video for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAj-Y6uUA_k "Glory of Love"]. It makes what would've been just yet another of these [[Silly Love Songs]] if performed by anybody else but him, into condensed narm charm.
* [[Hollywood Tone Deaf|YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...!]] [[Biz Markie|YOU GOT WHAT I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!]] [[Tear Jerker|But you say he's just a friend...]] but you say he's just a
* [[Jewel]] has a lot of this, especially in her debut album.
* [[Vitamin String Quartet]] runs on this. They specialize in string quartet covers of popular songs, ranging from the predictable "[[Evanescence|My Immortal]]" to "[[Dragon Force (video game)|Through the Fire and Flames]]" and "[[Three Days Grace|Animal I Have Become]]" ([[Flat What|What?]]). This should be totally cheesy. And yet, due in part to amazing arrangements and great musicianship...it's not.
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* [[Lady Gaga]]. It's what she does and will continue to do. Marry The Night makes this certain.
* [[Kate Bush]].
* The [[Queen]] song "Somebody to Love." It's a good song,
* From a certain point of view, [[Death (band)|Death]]'s logo, particularly in its original, more elaborate version, looks a lot like something that would be on a homemade Halloween party invitation. Load up enough "evil" iconography into five letters and it starts becoming oddly adorable.
* Rock Sugar. One of their most famous songs is a cover of [[Journey (band)|"Don't Stop Believing"]], which qualifies under its own merits, mashed up with [[Metallica|"Enter Sandman"]]. And it is ''awesome''.
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* [[Van Canto]]. Their recreations of classic metal songs with nothing but a drummer and lots of vocal effects are both awe-inspiring and a bit silly.
** Singing the song titles as lyrics definitely tops the silliness: "bataree, baa -- taree, bataree baa -- taree..."
* By nature, a very large number of [[Award Bait Song|award bait songs]] epitomise narm
{{quote|I looked at you, you looked at me,
I knew it then, but you couldn't see it,
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** Even [[The Undertaker]], regarded for over twenty years as one of the [[WWE]]'s top stars, is no stranger to unintentional hilarity; especially during the time he was managed by [[Paul Bearer]]'s shrill voice and goofy facial expressions.
* Not even ''[[Ring of Honor]]'' is immune: See Rhett "The Thrust... is a Must!" Titus, basically "Ravishing" Rick Rude with more obvious comedy and sexual references. The reason the fans essentially took his side in the Titus-Daizee Haze-Delirious love triangle was because of this. His wrestling wasn't the "best in the woooooorld!" but the sheer lulz and his sheer enthusiasm/sincerity more than made up for it.
* To some fans, this is kinda the point of pro wrestling. [[World of Ham|Pretty much everyone is a]] [[Large Ham]], sometimes the moves look fake
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** When the [[Hideo Kojima|creator]] is notoriously irreverent of his creation, the best response is to be a totally irreverent fan. It all becomes quite charming with that mindset.
* ''[[House of the Dead]]'' is well known for its bad voice acting. ("Suffer like G Did?"). The latest game in the series, ''[[House of the Dead]] OVERKILL'', took the [[Narm]] football, ran it back for a touchdown, and ended up with a perfectly corny narrator, a [[Bond One-Liner]] dropping agent, and a [[Cluster F-Bomb]] dropping detective. [[Painting the Fourth Wall|Not to mention the deliberate]] [[Grindhouse|grindhouse B-Movie look for the game and cutscenes...]]
* On that note, ''[[Devil May Cry]]'', which seems to run on [[Camp
* ''[[Castlevania]]: Symphony of the Night'' is a classic for many reasons, one of which is the hilariously over-the-top voice acting. This is so well-loved that some fans actually complained about Konami redoing the dialogue scenes when the game was ported to the PSP as part of ''Dracula X Chronicles''.
** Castlevania is often like this. Many of the bosses call their attacks in ridiculously overdramatic ways, and it is so epic.
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* The comm officer of the ''Colossus'' during the "Their Finest Hour" mission of ''[[Free Space|FreeSpace 2]]'' delivers some horrific Narms, but somehow the shock and horror of the pride of the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance being destroyed right before your eyes outweighs terrible voice acting.
* ''[[Duke Nukem]]'': ''Nobody steals our chicks... and lives!''
* Every ''[[Silent Hill]]'' game contains what can perhaps be best described as lacklustre voice-acting coupled with some truly silly lines, the first game being by far the worst offender ("Huh? Radio?") although the second is certainly not bereft either ("You're not friends with that red, pyramid thing, are you?"). The charm comes from a combination of the characters being steadily and constantly [[Mind Rape
* A rather silly plot, low production values, spotty acting, and it being [[Full Motion Video]] made a lot of the story in ''[[Crusader: No Remorse|Crusader]]'' endearing at best... but occasional moments, such as Ely chewing you out if you fail the mission where {{spoiler|Andrews}} dies, have real emotional resonance.
* If videogame music can have
** "Brue brue skiiiiies!"
* The ''[[Dynasty Warriors]]'' series would be a LOT less fun to play if they ever got rid of the [[Large Ham|outrageously hammy]] voice acting, the [[They Just Didn't Care|atrocious pronunciation]] of Chinese names, the anachronistic dialogue and the across-the-board commitment to [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?]] moments.
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** Zhao Yun's cry for help in ''DW6'' "Someone! I am in ''NEED'' of ''ASSISTANCE!"'' leaves it unclear whether the player should save him from enemy troops or bring him his Xanax, but remains highly amusing either way.
* ''[[The Chronicles of Riddick]]'': "I think you're gonna need backup."
* Even ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' has this. The opening to ''[[Super Robot Wars Alpha]]'' shows the robots looking so [[Super-Deformed|chibified]] that at first it's impossible to take seriously, which isn't helped by the music (voiced in what sounds like slightly lisped English). Once the music picks up, it immediately swings right around to being kickass, and everything some found rather stupid becomes rather charming (especially the parts where a Chibi EVA-01 goes completely berserk, and the AVF's from Macross avoiding Massive [[Macross Missile Massacre
** Most of the ''music'' in ''SRW'' falls under this. There's the sheer [[Hot-Blooded]] bravado of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqh3JYSfY1w Neppu! Shippu! PSYBUSTER (Masaaki Andoh)] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1TU9-QVoGs Everywhere You Go (Ryuusei Date/R-1)], and the fantastic Engrish of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcNAMpccro8 Ace Attacker], and a hundred other examples, but nothing quite outdoes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TLW9-UmYik Kotetsu no Cockpit], the theme of the Grungust Type-2, a completely unabashed homage to every cheesy [[Super Robot]] cartoon of the '70s, describing in loving detail the Nishiki and each of its attacks, in the grand tradition of [[Mazinger Z]], [[Combattler V]], [[Raideen|Brave Raideen]], and all the other classics.
* As noted by [[Zero Punctuation|Yahtzee]] on the quotes page, this is one of the reasons why fans love ''[[Resident Evil]]''. You'd expect a zombie game to have a basic plot that says "Zombies! Shoot them!" but ''[[Resident Evil]]'' has a winding detailed story that makes little logical sense. Combine this with characters ripped from B movies, awkward dialog and even more awkward voice acting. Then put it all in between two slices of self-unawareness and you've got a delicious Jill, er, [[Narm]] sandwich.
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The more the Merrier! The more the Merrier! The more-- (and it goes on). }}
*** The strange, over-the-top expression in Shadow's various "I Am" Speeches, particularly "THIS is WHO I AM" underscores his mental instability. So does his whining, five-year-old like protests to Rouge about his identity in ''[[Sonic Adventure]] 2'' and his lame puns in ''[[Sonic Heroes]]''.
** Espio's stereotypical ninja lines in ''[[Sonic Heroes]]'' come off as
{{quote|"DASHAAAAA!"
"Behold, ninja power!"
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* ''[[Pokémon]]'': "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!"
** The phrase "It's super effective!" not only made it into the original Pokémon games, but is still the standard [[For Massive Damage]] line over a decade later, enough so that the Pokemon Trainer's final smash in ''[[Super Smash Bros.|Super Smash Bros Brawl]]'' references it with no gameplay need to do so. For similar reasons, variations on the "I like shorts!" kid appear in many of the games.
* ''[[Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box]]''
* ''[[Okami]]'': You'd think that God herself getting [[Mouse World|shrunk]] to the point where brooms are deadly and [[The Thing That Goes Doink]] is usable for platforming would be sillier than it is, yet it works. Even when you have to jump down the Emperor's throat while he snores and fight a boss [[Womb Level|in his stomach]].
** The final boss fight. Your powers are stripped, the final boss is about to eat you, and then...all the people you've helped along the course of the game start praying for your victory, restoring your powers through [[Gods Need Prayer Badly|the sheer power of their faith]]. The [[Cel Shading|graphics are cartoony]], the scene is full of cheesy lines, all of it is a hopelessly clichéd concept...and it's also a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] and a guaranteed [[Tear Jerker]].
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{{quote|{{spoiler|''Mithos''}}'', voice dripping with chilling sarcasm: Wow. That was an amazingly corny speech''.}}
* ''[[Blaz Blue]]'': BANG BA BA BAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!
** Being a [[World of Ham]], ''[[Blaz Blue]]'' is naturally full of this. Special mention goes to [[Big Bad|Terumi]]. He goes on ''constant'' [[Hannibal Lecture
* Kinda the whole idea of ...''[[Freedom Force]]''.
* The boss /yells in ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' tend to be extremely [[
* ''[[Command & Conquer]]''. ''Especially'' the ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert|Red Alert]]'' series. If it wasn't completely [[Large Ham|hammy]], [[Camp
** The ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberium|Tiberium]]'' series, [[Darker and Edgier|not so much...]] Though it's interesting to see that a few of ''Tiberium'''s [[
* ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]''. "You [[Spoony Bard]]!" It's a silly and mistranslated line, but so well loved that it's preserved in all remakes and sequels.
* Most fans of ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'' cite the generally upbeat characters, silly dialogue, "save the crystals" Light Warriors plot and the game's tendency to [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall|lean on the Fourth Wall]] as the reason they love it... in other words, the very reasons many fans of "Classic Final Fantasy" (before Square [[Unpleasable Fanbase|ruined everything, of course]] seem to ignore it. Which is not to say the game is devoid of seriousness, because in certain scenes there may well be [[Tear Jerker|something in your eye]]...
** Special mention goes to the GBA port, whose English translation [[Woolseyism|Punched up the dialogue]] with some great cornball lines, while keeping the original intent intact. And you've gotta love Gilgamesh saying "It's morphing time!" and "Now we fight like men, and women, and women who dress like men!"
** In ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'', the scene between Tidus and Jecht, specifically after Jecht thinks Tidus is down for the count. Cue [[Autobots Rock Out|''Otherworld'']] [[Theme Music Power-Up|theme]] and [[Heroic Second Wind|Tidus getting back up to fight]], followed by '''''
* ''[[The Seventh Guest]]''
* ''[[Bayonetta]]'' is a rare case of just being so hyper-sexualized to the exact point where it becomes delicious [[Narm]], but before it becomes just porn.
* The English voice acting in the ''[[STALKER]]'' series fits the bill.
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== Webcomics ==
* In ''[[Questionable Content]]'', the big [[Reveal]]
* The bits of comedy that ''[[Megatokyo]]'' contains post-[[Cerebus Syndrome]] often slip into this. For example, in [http://megatokyo.com/strip/1241 this] recent strip, Ed is taunting and tormenting Ping with text messages while planning to kill her; meanwhile he strikes up a pleasant conversation with our favorite [[Cloudcuckoolander]] Largo and (among other things), complements him on his [[Nice Hat]].
* ''[http://www.nuzlocke.com/?p=4 Nuzlocke Comics]'' are designed to be way too over-the-top and silly to be taken seriously, but due to the nature of the challenge it's hard not to feel something for the guy whenever a Pokémon faints.
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== Western Animation ==
* Who could ever expect a [[Battle Cry]] of "Let Justice prevail!" to sound anything ''but'' [[Narm
** A less prominent example from the same scene is the other catchphrase "In Seaboard City, crime doesn't pay" spoken by one of the Guild members. Like the aforementioned battlecry, it sounds perfectly corny in its own right, yet the context of the scene combined with the VA's delivered makes it almost [[Tear Jerker|Tearjerking]]. You can hear the resignation in his voice as he says it, knowing he's dooming himself by fighting the villain.
** That entire two-parter runs on Narm Charm. It revels in Silver Age silliness, and is incredibly entertaining, all while it slowly turns into a genuinely creepy mystery with a [[Tear Jerker]] ending.
* ''[[Ace Lightning]]'' was just one big constant dose of
* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': "[[This Is Sparta|Prepare...T]][[Prepare to Die|o... DIE!]]" is one of the most [[Narm
** The fact that while he said it to the person while ''{{spoiler|engulfing him in fire}}'' probably helps.
*** Being voiced by [[Mark Hamill]] doesn't hurt much either.
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** And, when he starts yelling at the sky in "Bitter Work" about how it's always thrown hardship at him, but lightning won't strike him now. He's so conflicted, he can get away with that.
** Zuko has a couple of those. The main Avatar page lists "You're so beautiful when you hate the world" as [[Narm]], but it and the next two lines ("I don't hate you." "I don't hate you, too.") are very sweet.
* The kids in the ''[[Peanuts]]'' TV specials were voiced by kids who were too young to
** The first special, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', features poorly mixed sound, choppy animation, and sloppy editing, but that's part of what makes it a beloved Christmas classic. In fact, director Bill Melendez was embarrassed to see it repeated every year and wanted to "fix" it years later, but Charles Schulz vetoed the idea.
* The [[Stop Motion]] [[Christmas Special|Christmas specials]] produced by Rankin/Bass are full of these. At one point in ''Santa Claus is Comin' to Town'', a character is looking at her reflection in a fountain... which is a cardboard cutout of the character placed under the fake water.
* ''[[Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!]]!'' has narm charm almost every episode, intentionally. It even gets away with playing [[The Chosen One]] completely straight, ''[[Star Wars]]'' style.
* ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers]]'' lives and breathes this trope. Missing the mark on its beloved [[Green Aesop
** "AIDS stinks!"
*** And the green mullet. Good God, the mullet.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:YMMV Trope]]
[[Category:Sublime Rhyme]]
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