You Called Me "X" - It Must Be Serious: Difference between revisions

** Up until Episode 8, Kyouko is too much of a [[Jerkass]] to call anyone by their name. {{spoiler|As she watches Sayaka turn into a witch, Kyouko yells out [[Say My Name|"SAYAKAAAAAAA!!"]], a sign of her [[Character Development]].}}

* On ''[[Maison Ikkoku]]'', Yusaku Godai and Kyoko Otonashi are always "Godai" and "Manager" to each other as part of their complicated romantic dance. When he calls her "Kyoko" to her face, it's important, and when she calls him "Yusaku," it's ''really'' important.

* In ''[[Hellsing]]'', Alucard usually calls Seras Victoria "police girl". If he calls her by name, it's serious.

* In ''[[Pokémon Special]]'', Pearl usually calls his best friend 'Dia', but when serious calls him by his full name, Diamond.

* In [[Tokyo Mew Mew]], Masaya refers to Ichigo by her last name, in one episode however, when he is chasing her, he refers to her by her first, causing her to stop. In the "[[Macekre|dub]]", he just said her first name but louder.

* In [[Tsubasa Chronicles]], Kurogane and Fai normally don't use each other's names - the former uses variations of "mage" or "idiot", while the latter uses pet names such as "Kuro-puu", to Kurogane's unending annoyance. After the [[Cerebus Syndrome|Tokyo arc]], Fai finally starts calling him simply "Kurogane" all the time... to put distance between them, [[Be Careful What You Wish For|which Kurogane isn't all too happy about]]. By the end of the series, they've settled their issues and Fai seems to favor the slightly respectful but still affectionate "Kuro-sama". Also to a lesser extent between Sakura and Syaoran, who normally refer to each other "Syaoran-kun" and "Sakura-hime" with a couple notable exceptions. (Rather annoyingly, official published translations rarely pay attention to this.)

 

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* In ''[[Batman]]'', the Al-Ghul family has this with the Dark Knight. Ra's Al-Ghul refers to Batman as "Detective". If he ever uses anything else, it's a sign something's seriously wrong. Talia tends to refer to Batman as "Beloved", and likewise, it's serious, if she ever refers to him otherwise.

** When Ra's died and Talia took up the title of Ra's Al Ghul, she started calling him ''Detective''.

* In ''[[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', Robotnik calls [[The Starscream|Snively]] by his real name, Colin. This it what clues him in that his boss is suffering from a [[Villainous Breakdown]].

* When the [[Fantastic Four|Human Torch]] stays in the negative zone to hold off [[Bolivian Army Ending|the entire horde of Annihilus]], The Thing, who almost always treats him like a kid and uses the name Johnny (or matchstick), calls him John.

== [[Fanfic]] ==

* Some authors use this in [[Mass Effect]] fanfiction. In the games, Commander Shepard is never referred to by a first name, since the player can chose it. Many authors will stick with this, because it seems out of character for others to refer to Shepard as anything but "Shepard." This can go as far as audience expectations; many readers will be thrown off if a character refers to Shepard by a first name, some even prefer that not even the narration uses it. Clever authors will invoke this trope using their Shepard's first name in the same way as a [[Precision F-Strike]], where otherwise sticking to the expectation but but having a single use of Shepard's first name will add a tremendous amount of weight to a scene.

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[Chicago]]'', Amos is shocked when Billy Flynn refers to him by his actual name at the trial, rather than the Andy or Alan or whatever from all their previous meetings. This helps Flynn get exactly the testimony he needs.

{{quote| '''Agent J:''' "Hey, Z? K? Guys? HEY, OLD GUYS!!"}}

** Better still, the ''whole room'' looks.

* Variation, from ''Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels": "What are we going to do, Rory?" "Mister Breaker. Today, my name is MISTER BREAKER."

* All through [[John Carpenter]]'s Vampires, the priest calls Jack "Mr. Crow." So when he says "Jack, you need to see this," as he's staring at a closed circuit television, you ''know'' something bad's about to happen. For the record, he calls him "Jack" from that point on in the movie as well.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

** [[Chekhov's Gun|Comes back later]] when Butler {{spoiler|is watching Artemis' tape made to help them recover their memories after their Mind Wipe. Artemis saying "your name is Domovoi" is what triggers Butler's memories to come rushing back to him.}}

** Root has been known to comment that Holly calls him Julius only when she's about to do something he really won't like.

** The demon Algaliarept calls people by the names he has been given in exchange for demonic favors. Unless he has them in his thrall, at which point he uses diminutives. And conversely, Rachel's people tend to refer to him by the nickname Big Al due to [[Speak of the Devil]], and only use his proper name when they have to deal with him directly...which is always serious.

** Rachel's brother Robbie hates to be called "Bert", so Rachel does it when she needs to drive a point home to him.

** ''Blood Rites'' does a different variation on the trope: Murphy is well acquainted with Harry's usual irreverence in the face of authority, so when she hears him address his mentor Ebenezar McCoy as "sir," she [[Drop What You Are Doing|drops everything she's holding]] in shock.

** A minor example crops up in ''Half-blood Prince'', when Harry and Hagrid, usually good friends, refer to each other as 'Potter' and 'Professor' in conversation to indicate that they're annoyed with each other.

* Maya Angelou in ''I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' recalls a conversation with her mother when she was afraid she was turning into a lesbian. She fears the worst when her mother calls her "Marguerite" instead of one of her many nicknames. When her mother calls her "Ritie", she knows it's nothing serious.

* In the ''[[CSI]]'' episode "Grave Danger", it took Grissom calling Nick by his family nickname (Pancho) to break Nick out of his panic.

* In every [[Star Trek]] series ever, calling someone by their first name instead of their rank or last name indicates something very serious is going on.

{{quote| '''Spock:''' Captain, you're getting dangerously close to the planet killer.<br />

'''Kirk:''' I intend to get a lot closer. I'm gonna ram her right down that thing's throat.<br />

* Either used or inverted in ''[[Battlestar Galactica Reimagined]]'' when Billy, in an early season, is attempting to get through to Dee, who is in shock. At Roslin's suggestion, he calls her by her full name and rank, which snaps her out of it at least enough to notice them. Referring to her by her affectionate nickname doesn't work.

* [[Eureka]]: Sheriff Jack Carter and several friends become trapped inside his house by its sentient AI. When his deputy Jo Lupo shows up to check on him, Carter wants to let her know what's going on, but, of course, the house is listening. So he tells Lupo that everything is fine, but addresses her as Josefina (which no one ever does) as a way to alert her that something isn't right.

* Similarly, when ''[[Law and Order Special Victims Unit]]'' Detectives Benson and Stabler stop the "El" and "Liv" and use "Elliot" and "Olivia", it's a bad sign.

* [[Inspector Lynley]] universally called his colleague and partner Barbara Havers by her last name - until Havers {{spoiler|was shot in the line of duty}}, at which point Lynley [[Berserk Button|went quite berserk]] and could only say desperately, "Barbara? ''Barbara???''"

{{quote| '''Morgan''': Thanks baby gi- Agent Garcia.}}

** Used jarringly in recent episodes, though not between Morgan and Garcia. Reid, upset that {{spoiler|JJ didn't tell him that Emily's death was faked, even though he spent over two months in a deep depression and crying at her house}}, calls JJ by her first name of "Jennifer". Given that ''everyone'' calls her JJ, it was quite unusual to hear, especially out of Reid, who has always had a close relationship with JJ.

* Played with in the ''JAG'' episode "Full Engagement." Harm always calls Sarah MacKenzie by her nickname "Mac." During an emergency landing in Harm's Stearman, Harm mutters, "Come on, Sarah." Mac later says she knew the situation was serious because Harm called her Sarah. Harm explains that Sarah is his plane's name; he named it after his grandmother.

* In ''[[Ashes to Ashes]]'' Ray almost never refers to [[Fair Cop|Alex]] by name, and then only as [[Last-Name Basis|Drake]], but when they all get a bit of [[Character Development]] in series three and he begins to respect her skills despite her gender he refers to her as [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|"ma'am"]]. Also in a similar vein, when Gene's in a good mood he calls her Bolly, Bollykegs, Bolly-knickers, Bolls or Mrs-lady-woman over there, when he's angry he calls her Drake and when it's serious, Alex.

* In the ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'' stories, Holmes and Watson only refer to each other by last name unless the situation is deadly serious. (In the Granada TV Series, this happens in "The Devil's Foot" when Holmes is under the influence of a psychotropic drug, and Watson is trying desperately to snap him out of it.)

** Subverted in the new series of [[Sherlock]], which has a modern setting, in that they call each other 'John' and 'Sherlock'.

* [[Person of Interest|Finch and Reese]] are usually very formal and only call each other by their last names unless they're really worried the other is in a really bad situation or are really serious about something they're going to say (though occsionally Reese uses Finch's first name when he wants to be especially irritating to his very formal and very private boss).

* ''[[El Chavo Del Ocho]]'': When Dona Florinda gets angry at her son, (yes, she does get angry at him at times) she shows him by calling him "Frederico" instead of "Quico" or any sweet nickname she usually calls him.

** And in ''[[Ace Attorney|Trials and Tribulations]]'', Godot calls Phoenix Wright, "Trite," because he blames him for Mia's death. He only calls Phoenix by his real name at the end of the last case in the game after {{spoiler|he successfully proved that Godot was the real killer, and proved his worthiness as Mia's successor.}}

* Danette from ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]'' has a problem with remembering names, which gets really annoying for Gig whom she frequently refers to as "Hey you in there". Until the end of the game {{spoiler|Gig [[Heroic Sacrifice|uses up all of his powers to defeat the final boss]] and appears to have died. She first tries to call for him as "You in there" before screaming "Giiig!" Ironically in one of the endings she still calls him "You in there" even when he's no longer possessing the main character.}}

* In [[Dragon Age II]], Varric, who tends to refer to most people except for Hawke, Isabella and [[I Call It Vera|his crossbow Bianca]] by pet names, starts to call Fenris "Elf", then says his actual name when {{spoiler|trying to convince him not to kill his sister}}.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

** Played [[Tear Jerker|another way]] in the prequel, "Start Of Darkness": {{spoiler|Redcloak and his brother, Right-Eye, have a conversation where they promise to call each other "big brother" and "little brother" instead of the names they've adopted for Xykon's convenience. At the end of the book, after Redcloak has mortally wounded Right-Eye, their last words to each other are "Goodbye, little brother." "Goodbye...''Redcloak''."}}

** Another instance, when Belkar decides being left behind is an elaborate prank:

{{quote| '''Belkar''' OK, elf, enough with the jokes. You got me, fair enough, now bring the ship back. [[Beat Panel|...]] Vaarsuvius?}}

* ''[[Scary Go Round]]'': [http://scarygoround.com/?date=20090901 "Oh, Eustace"]

 

== Web Original ==

** A woman with very little English used the Hawkgirl name to thank Shayera for saving her and her child. This was especially poignant because the rest of the crowd in which she stood was berating Shayera for her part in the Thanagarian invasion.

* On ''[[The Secret Saturdays]]'', Van Rook's first name is used when circumstances become dire for him. {{spoiler|Like moments before he dies after a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] }}

* Episode 11 of ''[[Scooby Doo Mystery Inc]]'' had a pissed-off Velma call Shaggy, who chose Scooby over her, Norville to express her hostile reaction to losing out to a dog.

* MIB - Kay calls Jay "Jay" - compared to how he's ranked Jay from Tiger (competent streak) to Slick (regular) to Sparky (did something REALLY stupid) - when Jay gets REALLY intuitive against heat-loving (to the point of psychopathy) aliens. Too bad Jay's not good enough (at golf) to hold it.

* Lois attempts to invoke this in one episode of [[Family Guy]], when {{spoiler|Diane Simmons is pointing a gun at her back, and}} she refers to Peter as 'Pete' in the hope that he'll suspect from her out-of-character behavior that something is amiss. Peter notices, but [[Subverted Trope|doesn't think anything of it.]]