History Main / BlankFaceOfShame

Please correct any links to one of the above tropes, or remove the link if they fit neither.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16788465180.83278100 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

A [[JapaneseVisualArtsTropes Japanese Visual Arts Trope]] in which a character's entire face, or just the top half, is left blank, obscured with lines or blacked out to show that the character is experiencing an extreme mental state.

This may be related to the Japanese concept of ''On'', the public face. The irony is that the moment the character becomes so transparent, so clear to viewers, the character’s facial expressions can't be recognized -- and often, there's no need.

This occurs most often during extremely emotional scenes or scenes of shame or embarrassment. Though characters in anime are shown crying and breaking down all the time, Losing Face happens quietly and is always serious.

Compare with HiddenEyes. SisterTrope to ColorFailure. See also BlueWithShock.

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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Happens in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' 10 minutes into episode 22 when Kagura asks Nyamo (a P.E. teacher) to explain some bit of math during a study session. When she reluctantly admits to not understanding it, Yukari thoroughly humiliates her by showing off to the students with a speech in GratuitousEnglish, despite Nyamo's desperate protests that Yukari speaking English is not that impressive considering she's an English teacher.[[note]]It's also quite ironic considering Yukari had tried teaching math on a whim in an earlier episode and couldn't understand it either. One wonders if she set Nyamo up, since Kagura came to ''her'' first, and she refused to help.[[/note]] Afterward, Nyamo is [[CornerOfWoe huddled in a corner]], both faceless and [[ColorFailure colorless]].
* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Lelouch is shown with his bangs obscuring his eyes at the funeral for his friend Shirley's father - because he's responsible for Mr. Fenette's death, however unintentionally.
* Ogiue in ''Manga/{{Genshiken}}'' shows this trope shortly after she's revealed to be a YaoiFangirl and shortly before she tries jumping out a third story window because of it.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': After Asuka's attempt at kissing Shinji turns sour, she is ''very briefly'' seen making this face, just before she leaves the screen. It's a subtle visual clue that she was actually deeply hurt by how badly it went.
* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'': This happens in the anime to Haruhi when she leaves after witnessing Kyon saving Mikuru's pictures. Also annoyingly subverted because she immediately walks into Mikuru, who ''can'' see her face and quickly reacts.
* After [[spoiler:Asuna's tragically unexpected and sudden death]] at the [[GeckoEnding end]] of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'''s first animated adaption, Konoka is shown sitting alone, her bangs obscuring her eyes and the rest of her face a near-blank. Nodoka is common to this as well.
* ''Manga/SchoolRumble'': Happens to Tenma as well when she resolves to sit beside Karasuma on the bus.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In the ''Webcomic/SexyLosers'' webcomic, Kenta's face is almost always drawn in this style, and most of the time he indeed finds himself in embarrassing situations due to him living with his horny mum...
* The artist of ''Webcomic/EarsForElves'' takes inspiration from manga and uses this on several characters. It happens to Elon [[http://www.earsforelves.com/archives/209 here]], after an exasperating attempt at warning Myari about the forest that ended with his embarrassment.
[[/folder]]

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* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'': This happens to Haruhi when she leaves after witnessing Kyon saving Mikuru's pictures. Also annoyingly subverted because she immediately walks into Mikuru, who ''can'' see her face and quickly reacts.

* After [[spoiler:Asuna's tragically unexpected and sudden death]] at the [[GeckoEnding end]] of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'''s first animated adaption, Konoka is shown sitting alone, her bangs obscuring her eyes and the rest of her face a near-blank. Nodoka is common to this as well.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

A [[JapaneseVisualArtsTropes Japanese Visual Arts Trope]] in which a character's entire face, or just the top half, is left blank, obscured with lines or blacked out to show that they are experiencing an extreme mental state.

This may be related to the Japanese concept of ''On'', the public face. The irony is that the moment the character becomes so transparent, so clear to viewers, their facial expressions can't be recognized -- and often, there's no need.

This occurs most often during extremely emotional scenes, or scenes of shame or embarrassment. Though characters in anime are shown crying and breaking down all the time, Losing Face happens quietly and is always serious.

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* In the ''Webcomic/SexyLosers'' webcomic, Kenta's face is almost always drawn in this style, and most of the time he indeed finds himself in embarassing situations due to him living with his horny mum...

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]

[[AC:Webcomics]]

* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'': After Asuka's attempt at kissing Shinji turns sour, she is ''very briefly'' seen making this face, just before she leaves the screen. It's a subtle visual clue that she was actually deeply hurt by how badly it went.

* Happens in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' when Kagura asks Nyamo (a P.E. teacher) to explain some bit of math during a study session. When she reluctantly admits to not understanding it, Yukari thoroughly humiliates her by showing off to the students with a speech in GratuitousEnglish, despite Nyamo's desperate protests that Yukari speaking English is not that impressive considering she's an English teacher.[[note]]It's also quite ironic considering Yukari had tried teaching math on a whim in an earlier episode and couldn't understand it either. One wonders if she set Nyamo up, since Kagura came to ''her'' first, and she refused to help.[[/note]] Afterward, Nyamo is [[CornerOfWoe huddled in a corner]], both faceless and [[ColorFailure colorless]].

* Happens in ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' when Kagura asks Nyamo (a P.E. teacher) to explain some bit of math during a study session. When she reluctantly admits to not understanding it, Yukari thoroughly humiliates her by showing off to the students with a speech in GratuitousEnglish, despite Nyamo's desperate protests that Yukari speaking English is not that impressive considering she's an English teacher. It's also quite ironic considering Yukari had tried teaching math on a whim in an earlier episode and couldn't understand it either. One wonders if she set Nyamo up, since Kagura came to ''her'' first, and she refused to help. Afterward, Nyamo is [[CornerOfWoe huddled in a corner]], both faceless and [[ColorFailure colorless]].