Topic on Forum:Trope Talk

I wasn't kidding.

I guess Narm was kind of a big deal in 2005, but it's not like I can find anything relevant on google today outside of tropes wikis. And well, the page itself warns you to use "bathos" when talking to normals.

At the very least, we need to address the Trope Decay that's happened here. OK, let's start with definitions:

Narm is a moment that is supposed to be serious, but due to either over-sappiness, poor execution, excessive Melodrama, or the sheer absurdity of the situation, the drama is lost to the point of surpassing "cheesy" and becoming unintentionally funny.

Bathos is a story-telling technique that follows serious ideas with the commonplace or ludicrous. The juxtaposition of these ideas creates humor.

Or, from wikipedia:Bathos: Bathos (/ˈbeɪθɒs/ BAY-thoss;[1] Greek: βάθος, lit. "depth") is a literary term, coined by Alexander Pope in his 1727 essay "Peri Bathous",[1] to describe amusingly failed attempts at sublimity (i.e., pathos). In particular, bathos is associated with anticlimax, an abrupt transition from a lofty style or grand topic to a common or vulgar one. This may be either accidental (through artistic ineptitude) or intentional (for comic effect).[2][3] Intentional bathos appears in satiric genres such as burlesque and mock epic. "Bathos" or "bathetic" is also used for similar effects in other branches of the arts, such as musical passages marked ridicolosamente. In film, bathos may appear in a contrast cut intended for comic relief or be produced by an accidental jump cut.

So on our wiki, Bathos is intentional use of absurdity to break up drama, Narm is unintentional absurdity causing failed drama. But what is this page really?

• From The Big O: the protagonist dramatically shouts, "I'm one of the tomatoes!" It made sense if you knew the Backstory, but it would produce nothing but giggles from anyone new checking in.

Nope! If It Makes Sense in Context, it's not this trope.

• In Rosario + Vampire, it is stated that one of Moka's weaknesses as a vampire is fresh water. This is shown the first time when she jumps in a pool to save Tsukune. The second time, all they do is flick water on her, and she is screaming like crazy, and sparks are going everywhere.

Nope again! This is a comedy manga. Dramatic scene played straight + comedic scene played straight + Fridge Logic ≠ Narm or Bathos.

• Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann There's the pronunciation of Simon's name both in the original (She-Moan) and the dub (See-Moan), which can produce laughs because they both sound vaguely dirty and like "Simone" (Si-MOAN), which is a girl's name.
  • According to Matt Greenfield, the would've-been ADR director of the ADV Films dub, ADV would've dubbed the name as the English "Simon" (Sai-mun) and averted this.
  • Much of Gurren Lagann's main motifs are drills and genetic material. Maybe that's why Simon's name is pronounced like that...
  • In the 24th episode, when Simon is told that his drill won't be enough to penetrate an enemy's shield, his response is just hilarious. His very first thought is "So you're saying I need to get a bigger drill?"
    • That's because Simon is awesome. And he's Genre Savvy, too!
  • "EAT THIS!"
    "NEVER!!"
    • This gem from the dub could be intentional:

"The magma of our souls burns with a mighty flame! Super Ultra Combining, Gurren Lagann!"

• • Less fun, however, is dub!Kinon's Big No when it looks like Rossiu's going to off himself after all. It sounds like she stubbed her toe.

"No! Stay away!"
"AAAAAAOOOOWWW!"

• • When the Anti Spiral is being fought in the dub, he pulls a Hannibal Lecture..and then starts saying "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, NOT AT ALL!" This makes the scene rather funny.
    • Strangely, dub fans often cite this exact line as an example of how awesome the actor is!

"ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH"

• • The Anti-Spiral spacecraft. The hands with faces, and the evil Mt. Rushmores, are creepy. The jet-propelled feet...not so much.

OK I hate YMMV Tropes. Folks don't know about Simon Peres. Or that Jesus' #1 disciple was called by the same name. Isn't weird translation another trope? All of the Ham and drill = penis stuff is 100% intentional, so that wouldn't meet the definition of Narm we have. But the other stuff? I guess a person could feel like it negates some of the drama to a hear a word in a weird context. OK, so juxtaposing the great with the banal applies here, but for some reason I feel like Localization Bathos should be a thing.

• Ghost in the Shell SAC, ...
  • From either season of the show, Batou screaming "MOTOKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
    • Even Ishikawa found it funny.

So if it was intentional, then not this trope? Maybe?

• Popotan has a good, dramatic story, which is sometimes narmed by the show's attempt to stay true to its Eroge roots. Nothing breaks a Tear Jerker moment like framing the shot up a crying girl's skirt.

Agree 100%. Carry on.

• Durarara!! can be abbreviated to DRRR. In fanart and even in-series, this is used. A lot. There are three problems... It sounds like DDR, it's reminiscent of the narmy ending of The Enigma of Amigara Fault, and, most importantly, it sounds like DERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. AKA the stereotypical stupidity sfx.

What is this i don't even

So I see a lot of examples that look like they could be a different trope entirely, a few that seem to be intentional bathos, a few that some random person felt took him out of the drama, and Ham and Cheese. And then there's Narm Charm which is Bathos that doesn't ruin the drama? How the hell is that supposed to make sense? This is all capped off with a title that the page warns you not to use off-wiki.

I guess I just hate YMMV tropes.