The Scream: Difference between revisions

Sometimes this is abbreviated by showing the character as they see something frightening or as they inhale, and then [[Distant Reaction Shot|cutting away to a distant location]] while a muted scream plays in the background.

 

 

Almost universally a comedic trope. If it's not, expect a HUGE [[Tear Jerker]].

* Used repeatedly in ''[[El-Hazard: The Magnificent World|El Hazard the Magnificent World]]'' as a [[Running Gag]].

* ''[[Excel Saga (anime)|Excel Saga]]'', ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'', ''[[Naruto]]'', ''[[Great Teacher Onizuka]]'', ''[[Oruchuban Ebichu]]'', and ''[[Ranma ½]]'' all contain examples of the Munch-parody variation. ''[[Excel Saga (anime)|Excel Saga]]'' took it a step further by parodying the ''parody'' on its second use - the parody turned out to be a standee, which fell away from the characters.

* Taken to an extreme in ''[[Pani Poni Dash!|Pani Poni Dash]]'', where Becky Miyamoto screams so loudly that the onomatopoeia splits the ceiling and calls down a [[Pillar of Light]]. Meanwhile, a crowd in Cairo is shown to be alarmed.

* Another example of being caused by anguish, in ''[[Tenchi Muyo!|Tenchi Muyo]]'''s second OVA, the android Zero, having taken Ryoko's form and memories, is ordered to kill Tenchi due to how her emotional reactions (inherited from what she copied of Ryoko) are interfering with her mission of capturing Washu. Reflecting on the order, she makes to stab Tenchi with a dagger, and the image cuts away to her agonized scream as we pull out from the room to the house, to the exterior galaxy...all the way out to Dr. Clay's ship hovering (potentially outside of conventional reality itself). However, the next episode makes it clear this is an exaggeration, as not only does this not wake up the entire house, but Tenchi sleeps right through it AND Zero plunging the energy dagger into his pillow inches from his head.

* One of the ''[[Naruto]]'' OVAs has Naruto invoking this trope, complete with [[Art Shift]] into the Edvard Munch painting.

* Otani of ''[[Lovely Complex]]'' does [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7DoEVyvWgs this] after Maity blows in his ear to wake him up during class.

* ''[[Black Butler|Black Butler II]]'' episode 10. It begins with Hannah talking to Ciel and saying that she has something to show him. Then her mouth opens unnaturally wide to reveal [[Body Horror|this black abyss where the inside of a human mouth would be]]. The eye she stole from Alois Trancy is rooted in the back of her throat, and since Ciel's soul has been partially fused with Alois's at this point, he's basically staring at himself from inside her. Hannah watches calmly while Ciel suffers a [[Freak-Out|severe nervous breakdown]] and screams before falling unconscious.

* In ''[[Deadman Wonderland]]'' Ganta does this understandably as he's being forced to watch the Carnival of Corpses.

* In an episode of ''[[Invader Zim]]'', a little girl's scream is heard by The Tallest, who are on a spaceship on the other end of the galaxy.

** You're not mentioning the crowner? In Battle of the Planets, {{spoiler|Zim uses Mars as a giant steamroller to flatten Earth. The planet comes down gently and crushes a man's soda can.}} The man's screams go on for about a minute onscreen without end.

** "Dear lord, that's the loudest profanity I've ever heard!"

** Subverted in "Mona Leaves-a". Homer arrives in the living room to apologize to his mother for his jerkish behavior to her lately, but then asks her name when she doesn't respond (as she had died). It cuts to the outside of the house, yet Homer says "...Mother?" in the exact same tone and volume as he did before the cutaway point.