When She Smiles: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''"This is the story of a girl''

''I absolutely love her''

''[[Trope Namers|When she smiles]]"''

 

A character is described as plain or unremarkable, except, well, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|when they smile]]; when you get them to crack a grin, '''[[Hello, Nurse!]]'''! A [[Slasher Smile]] or [[Psychotic Smirk|evil smirk]] doesn't do it - it's something about the sheer happiness in that smile that makes whoever's watching immediately feel welcome, or better, and very often want to make them smile again. Preferably a lot. Depending on the application, can lead to [[Love At First Sight]], a [[Love Epiphany]], or a [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]. It's very effective for a [[Broken Bird]], [[The Stoic]], a [[Shrinking Violet]] or a [[Perpetual Frowner]], but is in no way limited to them. The key element is that the smile adds a ''lot.''

 

{{examples}}

* Eucliwood in ''[[Kore wa Zombie Desu ka?]]'' surprises Ayumu when she finally shows her extremely cute smile.

** Seraphim as well.

** Russia is an interesting case. He's constantly seen smiling cheerfully, along with the occasional [[Slasher Smile]]. But there was one instance where he [https://web.archive.org/web/20120104002948/http://aph.starry-sky.com/rrt.html geniunely smiled.] Cue [[Squee]].

** Japan doesn't normally smile but when he does its quite cute. Italy, in particular, said in one strip that he really wants to see Japan smile.

* Meia from ''[[Vandread]]''. [http://i53.tinypic.com/28jvez9.jpg Her smile] causes babies to stop crying.

* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', though [[Wild Child|Sapphire]] is perfectly capable of being happy and showing smiles, as she's normally in full tsun mode around [[Camp Straight|Ruby]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20130905200639/http://www.jb2448.info/Japanese/Pocket_Monsters_SPECIAL_Volume_21/pkm21_187 this trope is in full effect] when she finally admits her feelings to Ruby. {{spoiler|The realization that she's his [[Forgotten Childhood Friend]] nails it down all the more him.}}

* In ''[[The Prince of Tennis]]'', there are exactly two (perhaps three) instances in which Tezuka Kunimitsu can be seen smiling: one is after a very symbolic match with his best friend Fuji Shusuke, the other is after his team has just won the National Tournament against the supposedly-unbeatable Rikkaidai. The last one, Inui Sadaharu even felt necessary to get on tape.

* [[Elfen Lied|Lucy]] hardly ever smiles ([[Slasher Smile]]s notwithstanding), but when [http://i55.tinypic.com/20r0bhj.jpg she] [http://i53.tinypic.com/erju6t.jpg does...]

* In ''[[Vampire Hunter D]]'', D's (very, very rare) smiles are apparently worthy of historical documentation.

{{quote|If that boy could have seen it, he would have told people for the rest of his days how he'd been the one to bring it out. It was just such a smile.}}

* Konzen, from [[Saiyuki]], like his later incarnation, Sanzo, is very pretty but has a permanent scowl. Goku, his surrogate son, thinks he'd be beautiful if he did smile. Subverted, though, as when he finally does Goku decides it doesn't suit him at all, even though it is a completely genuine loving smile. Doubles as a crowning moment of heartwarming, as essentially Goku is saying he loves Konzen as he is.

* Nako of ''[[Poor Poor Lips]]'', [[Older Than She Looks|with her kid-like proportions]], is frequently mentioned by [[Lipstick Lesbian|Ren]] to not be her type. However, all of that changes when Nako flashes one of her genuine smiles...

{{quote|'''Ren:''' The thing I want most in the world, is to see her smile.}}

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* The rare times [[Batman]] smiles—a real smile, not a fake "Bruce Wayne, idiot billionaire playboy" smile—can be either really creepy or really heartwarming, depending on the context.

 

* Kyon, already described as average-looking in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'', whose smile is a source of security and relief to Tsuruya.

 

* Aurelia in ''[[Love Actually]]''. In the commentary, Richard Curtis says he immediately decided to cast Lucia Moniz after she smiled during her audition, and immediately went from dour plain woman to radiant beauty.

* ''[[Sense and Sensibility (film)|Sense and Sensibility]]''. The Colonel, as played by [[Alan Rickman]]. He's looked like the incarnation of gloom throughout the film, and then, in the final scene when he's married Marianne, his face lights up and he seems to have dropped about ten years of age.

* ''[[Scott Pilgrim vs. the World]]'': Kim. She's completely [[The Stoic|serious]] throughout the movie, but when you look through the bloopers and outtakes and you see her laugh, or smile... She's absolutely beautiful.

** She also smiles ''once'' in the movie itself, after [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|Scott finally apologizes]] for [[Noodle Incident|whatever he did to her when they dated in high school.]]

* Warren in ''[[Sky High]]''. For reference, behold [http://i40.tinypic.com/1reozo.png behold Kubrick!Warren] and, for contrast, [http://i43.tinypic.com/2h7p85i.png grinning!Warren]. [[Mr. Fanservice|Oh my, I'm all swoony!]]

 

* In [[Robin McKinley]] and [[Peter Dickinson]]'s short story collection ''Water: Tales of the Elemental Spirits'', the main character in one the stories is described as one of these ("Her face lit up with kindness and humor and intelligence.") The same phrase, in an non-ironic echo, is used to describe her [[Love Interest]].

* Meghan Whalen Turner's short story collection ''Instead Of Three Wishes'' has the protagonist of the titular story fitting the trope. Her honest smile "could make flowers bloom early" and stuns the elf king who's known her for a while when he finally sees her smile for real.

** Actually, that's only how ''Ron'' noticed. Harry only figured it out at the Yule Ball.

** Also, Sirius Black. He's not in great shape after breaking out of prison, but after {{spoiler|he invites Harry to live with him and Harry happily accepts}}, he smiles for probably the first time since his imprisonment, and it makes him look ten year younger.

* In the YA book ''[[Will Grayson Will Grayson]]''.

{{quote|[[Name's the Same|Will Grayson #1]]: [Jane's] whole face changes when she smiles—this eyebrow-lifting, perfect-teeth-showing, eye-crinkling smile I've either never seen or never noticed.}}

* In [[Tales of Kolmar]], the usually serious, inclined-to-brood mage Vilkas is noted by one character to be "pleasant enough, if only he'd smile now and again". Later she says her wish is granted, and she notes "a broad glorious smile that lit up his face and showed the joy that danced behind his eyes". At the end of the series he's [[Character Development|more inclined to smiling in general]].

* Asher in ''[[Someone Else's War|Someone Elses War]]'' is a rare male example. His face is heavily scarred, and he spends most of his time shunning emotion as weakness. Smiling (or laughing) makes a huge improvement to his appearances, but he doesn't do it often.

 

* Sarina, one of the Augments in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' that works with Bashir in "Statistical Improbabilities", is catatonic in that appearance due to her senses being too slow for her brain to process. In a later appearance, Bashir is able to get her highly accelerated neural pathways in tune with her senses, breaking her out of her catatonia...and the first time she smiles, Bashir is absolutely smitten with her.

** In "Amok Time" many a [[Fan Girl]] seems to have had this reaction to {{spoiler|[[S.P.O.C.K]]'s}} smile. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6408JrvFNWc See for yourself.]

'''Cordelia:''' Smile. }}

 

* "The girl works at the store sweet Jane St. Clair / Was dazzled by her smile while I shopped there." - Barenaked Ladies, Jane.

** That's a reference to the extended version of "[[The Velvet Underground|Sweet Jane]]": "Heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to her when he smiles; heavenly wine and roses seem to whisper to her when she smiles." [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgUs7yWnDJ8 Hear it here].

* [[Golden Earring]] has the song When The Lady Smiles revolving around this trope.

* [[The Flaming Lips]], "When You Smile".

{{quote|"As I lift my groceries in to my car/I turn back for a moment and catch a smile/That blows this whole fucking place apart"}}

* Dia Frampton, "Inventing Shadows":

* [[Concrete Blonde]] also have a song called "When You Smile". Unlike what you'd expect, the musical backing of the song is [[Darker and Edgier]] heavy [[Grunge]]/[[Post Punk]].

* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc71AmT_b2k "Mine"] by Bazzi, a 2017 song that was [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-so-precious-when-you-smile turned] into a [[Memetic Mutation|meme]], starts off with:

 

* In the comic opera ''The Firefly'' (no relation to ''[[Firefly]]''), a waif wins a man over from his [[Disposable Fiance|Disposable Fiancée]] by smiling at him.

* [[Cyrano De Bergerac]]: Roxane is extremely beautiful even without smiling, but at Act I scene V, Cyrano mentions that her smile is akin to perfection. In act IV scene V, we know this is not an [[Informed Ability]] because of Roxane's answer to the Gascon cadets about how she passed enemy lines to smuggle them food:

* In ''[[The Little Foxes]]'', Regina has a smile that profoundly affects her brother Ben.

 

* Cloud gives the smallest of smiles at the end of ''[[Advent Children]]'', which [http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa105/ziza4/grab58030.jpg though small was very cute]. Apparently the producer was so shocked when he read it that he had some sort of revelation.

** Not to mention Nobuo Uematsu, who was so surprised by this while reading the script that he was prompted to call the finale song "Cloud Smiles".

* Kyle Hyde from ''[[Hotel Dusk: Room 215]]''. Normally, he is either frowning or poker faced. But when he breaks out one of these shiners...

 

* Lana Skye, in the end of the bonus case of ''Phoenix Wright: [[Ace Attorney]]'', {{spoiler|having finally escaped the grasp of Gant and finally being at peace with herself}}, grants us a wonderful smile.

{{quote|'''Lana''': [[Defrosting Ice Queen|It's been a long time, Your Honor.]]}}

** An interesting subversion can be found in Phoenix's perpetually perky sidekick [[Plucky Girl|Maya]] [[Genki Girl|Fey]]. The first time Phoenix meets Maya, however, it is under rather miserable and unfortunate circumstances. When Maya at last flashes her signature cheerful grin, Phoenix notes that she looks like an entirely different person when she smiles.

* Part of the fun of the Fate route of ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' is seeing the different reactions Shirou provokes out of [[Frozen Flower|Saber]].

{{quote|'''Mio''': "I'm so glad."

'''Riki''': "I am, too."

* Raizze Haimer, the [[Emotionless Girl]] of ''[[Mitsumete Knight]]'', has a special event and CG, where she has a rare beautiful smile, {{spoiler|when the Asian is poisoned and she manages to save him}}. The game's CG Gallery names this CG "Mezurashii Egao" ("An unusual smiling face").

 

* ''[[Homestuck]]'' is home to several examples:

** Dave Strider has been shown smiling exactly once over the course of the comic, which as of now is [[Webcomics Long Runners|around 6000 pages long]]. It can be seen [http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002282 here], and even though it's only one pixel of difference it is extremely adorable.

*** Make that [http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=006273 two!]

** John is goofy looking to the point of bordering on [[Ugly Cute]], but within two pages of the comic's beginning [http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=001903 you see him smile]. Even later, he's [http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005590 positively adorkable].

** Aradia Megido is an odd example. When she enters the story, she's the resident [[The Eeyore|Eeyore]] and [[Emotionless Girl]], but she departs from this gloominess twice. The first is in [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=004149 a flashback] {{spoiler|to just before her death}}, and the second is when [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005084 she hugs Sollux] {{spoiler|just before her robot body explodes}}. Then she gets over the issue that had been causing her gloominess,<ref>(that is, she came back from death... [[Came Back Strong|as a god-tier player]])</ref> and now she's almost constantly smiling. Though the smile on her [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005383 sprite mode] is a bit more subtle than the one from her hero mode and [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005392 close-up pictures]. [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005479 Further flashbacks] have shown that she smiled more often in the backstory as well—so her emotionless state from earlier in the comic had actually been a departure from the norm for Aradia all along.

** In the most recent development of the 'Sober Gamzee' arc, [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005995 Karkat is finally seen genuinely smiling] {{spoiler|as he manages to calm Gamzee down and establish his role as Gamzee's moirail}}. This smile stands out due to Karkat's characterization as someone who rages and screams constantly and is constantly negative, making it stand out.

 

* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] has a lovely little-kid-with-a-dimple grin that shows up whenever he's actually having a good time for once in his [[Chew Toy]] life. Lampshaded by the three pictures on his blip page: one Critic is [[Adult Child|goofy]], one Critic is [[Madden Into Misanthropy|pissed]] and the last Critic is just [[Moe|smiling from something funny]].

 

* ''[[Daria]]'' epitomizes this trope. She may look at the world with a jaundiced eye and a sharp tongue, but when she gives you a small smile when you've done something right or smart, then you will know it is the sincerest kind of thing she can give you. The show even used the [[Trope Namer]] song in one episode.

** The opening sequence actually features this at the very end, though it's so zoomed in at that point you can only see her little smirk and not the rest of her face.

** [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4340502/1/The_Usual_Reasons This fanfic]<ref>heads up: it's Sokka/Zuko</ref> put it this way: "Zuko's smile had widened, warm and genuine and little startled. He looked younger, disarmingly so, and Sokka found himself smiling back."

* In ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'', it's implied that Beast Boy feels this way toward Raven, as he puts immense effort into getting her to smile.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Unisex Tropes]]

[[Category:Smile Tropes]]