History Main / FreakyIsCool

* The Doctor, from ''Series/DoctorWho''. They often react this way themself to the MonsterOfTheWeek and stands around cooing over it when they probably should be running.
* In ''Series/BigWolfOnCampus'', Lori thinks the [[CursedWithAwesome werewolf thing]] is kind of hot.
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'': Phoebe gets fired from singing to children at a library because the staff think her songs are too creepy. It turns out the kids ''loved'' her because she's honest with them about subjects like "where does the meat in burgers come from?" and "why Grandma doesn't visit anymore".

* A similar case in another ''Fanfic/ProjectDarkJade'', fanfic "Webwork" where Jade positively loves being [[spoiler: A humanoid spider demon]] since now she is super strong, fast, durable, and has access to powerful magic. [[spoiler: Two of her three minions feel the same.]

* Often experienced by ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} in the ''ComicBook/XMen'' franchise. Every time he feels a little put off by his appearance (basically he looks like {{Satan}} except with short blue fur), he meets someone who ''really'' likes it. Usually an available woman whose fetish is, coincidentally, pointed tails, blue fur, and CuteLittleFangs. This is enough of a theme in his life that "[[CursedWithAwesome chicks dig the fuzzy guy]]" is the ''default'' view on Kurt's appearance; it only starts being portrayed as genuinely freaky when it's his turn in the X-Men Angst Hotseat.
* Beast was also popular with women much of the time, especially during his stint with the [[ComicBook/TheAvengers Avengers]]. There's just something about blue fur and CuteLittleFangs. [[NerdsAreSexy Brains don't hurt either]], plus he's a WalkingShirtlessScene and [[HeroicBuild quite ripped even by superhero standards]].
* Beast's fellow Avenger, [[CatGirl Tigra the Werewoman]], was equally popular with the men.
* ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}''.
* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Ben Grimm]], with his (very attractive) blind girlfriend Alicia Masters. Hell everybody loves Ben Grimm. While he frequently jokes about being "the idol of millions", it's actually ''true''; the Thing is in-universe one of the most popular superheroes around.
* Disney Adventures magazine once ran a ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' one-shot comic about Lisa venturing under the school to discover mutant substitute teachers. The mutants loved to teach but were forced to hide underground ages ago because people were afraid of their hideous appearance. Lisa assures them things are different now...and the last page shows one of the mutants substituting for Mrs. Krabopple's class. Children cry out, jump, Bart shouts out "He's a mutant freak!"...and then they erupt into cheers, shouting how cool it is, and "Teach us everything you know, Freak-Man!" And the mutant smiles, shedding a happy tear.

-->'''Ragdoll:''' It just goes to show that sometimes the scars are on the inside, like with [[ComicBook/LexLuthor Luthor]] and that [[ComicBook/VandalSavage Vandal fellow]], and [[ComicBook/SecretSix my friends]], too. Which is much less fun and only half as sexy. I pity them, to man, if you must know. Better to be odd and whole than normal and broken, I always say. Rats. I sure hope I start to decompose soon!\\

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Beast Boy's reaction on first finding out that Cyborg is half-machine: "Cool!"
** In [[ComicBook/TeenTitans the comics]], Beast Boy himself was something of a TeenIdol, despite his green skin and hair. (In the comics, he originally lacked the Nightcrawler-esque pointy ears and CuteLittleFangs-- but they've been showing up in recent versions.) He also starred in a TV series. Yeah, THAT Gar Logan.)
** A scene in the comics, also replicated almost verbatim in the TV series, had Cyborg-- bummed because of his [[WhatHaveIBecome state]]--get cheered up by running into a kid with a prosthetic hand who gushes that Cyborg's parts are much cooler because they're "all shiny and stuff" ..and not, say, because he's a frikkin' ''superhero'' who ''saves the world''.

* In ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', "freakiness" is part of the reason [[spoiler:Setsuna]] never reveals that she's part demon and has wings. (Her wings are ''white'' instead of black like they're supposed to be, and she was cast out from her relatives as a result.) When she ''does'' reveal them for the first time with that admission, Asuna incredulously points out the obvious: the wings are ''cool'', and to humans she looks like an ''angel''.

* This is a defining trait of [[FluffyTamer Luffy]] in ''Manga/OnePiece''
** When Luffy and Sanji notice that Chopper is a reindeer man that can change into a large form, they conclude he must be a monster, sending Chopper running off in shame, right before Luffy and Sanji mention that such a thing also sounds ''awesome''.
** When the crew meets Brook, a living skeleton, on a derelict ship, playing a haunting tune, most of them were freaked out. Luffy, on the other hand, immediately asks him to join their crew.
** For her entire life, [[spoiler:Charlotte Pudding]]'s [[spoiler:third eye]] has been considered monstrous by everyone who sees it, and constant abuse over this drove her to become murderously insane. She's come to hide it under her hair and even uses revealing it as a weapon; apparently her targets tend to be shocked by a pretty woman having such a hideous facial feature and she uses that moment of distraction to kill them. When [[spoiler:Sanji]] sees it for the first time, he tells her she looks even more beautiful that way. This was such an unexpected thing to hear that she ''[[VillainousBSOD collapses]]'', and with her, [[SpannerInTheWorks multiple plans]].
* In ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'', a young man named Shinra is infatuated with a female [[HeadlessHorseman Dullahan]] that he and his father have been sheltering for the last twenty years. The fact that she's ''missing a head'' just makes her cuter in his eyes.
** Shinra's fascination with the weird doesn't just stop at Celty. While most people are reasonably afraid of Shizuo's combination of SuperStrength and what appears to be some [[HairTriggerTemper severe rage disorder]], Shinra's reaction consists of following him around like a lost puppy all through school and going, "That was awesome! I bet it has some crazy scientific explanation. Can I do a full body examiaaaAAHH AAH ''ARRGH, MY ARM!''...Okay, so that's a "no" then? How about just a blood sample?"
** Celty also ends up fangirling Shizuo during his fight against Saika's 'children', much like how Shinra did when he and Shizuo were in high school.
---> '''Celty:''' He's so strong... No, he's terrifying... No, he's awesome!
* During the Cursed Island arc of ''Manga/FairyTail'', this is Natsu's reaction to seeing [[spoiler: the cursed villagers transformed into monsters.]] [[spoiler: {{Foreshadowing}} of the fact that he ''himself'' is one ([[YouMonster not figuratively]]), [[NotHyperbole literally]].]]
* This trope is the emotional crux of ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'': It's a pretty normal rendition of the story SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy...with one important change; the 'most popular guy,' Kazehaya, is a very [[NiceGuy compassionate boy]] who likes her quiet SugarAndIcePersonality and doesn't want to change her. (This, combined with good writing, is the reason the story is so heartwarming.)
* For all of her life, the title character from ''Manga/KotouraSan'' was ostracised by nearly everybody she knew, as a consequence of being a {{telepath|y}} who oftentimes had difficulty distinguishing between people's thoughts and their outward speech, and therefore had a tendency to [[InnocentlyInsensitive blurt out private information without realising it]]. She grew up friendless and was raised by her grandfather after her parents divorced each other and disowned her. It wasn't until she started high school when she encountered [[ChivalrousPervert Manabe]], who reached out to her in spite of everything, did she ever see any change in her circumstances. In fact, he quite enjoyed the fact that she could read his mind, as he liked to [[DirtyMindReading imagine her in sexually compromising positions]] [[TheGadfly solely to tease her]]. At one point, when a cold left rendered her unable to read minds at all, he found that it was no fun to fantasize about her ''unless'' she could see it.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', Kiel'ndia and Naal'suul's relationship [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5490 began this way]].

** Most of Ranma's male schoolmates have stated opposition to him losing his GenderBender curse. This is only evident in the manga, since none of them find out about it in the anime until one of the last episodes. Then again, it's all but explicit that the reason they object is because they like to ogle Ranma-chan; Nabiki is known to sell racy photos of "her" to just about the entire male student body, so they know that if Ranma gets cured, their porn supply disappears. The anime version also has the male members of Ranma's classroom interfere in his efforts to cure Hinako, because they're afraid that she'll be stuck in her child form and so they won't ever see her sexy adult form again. Nabiki also once suggested to Akane that Ranma's curse is going to be "[[PowerPerversionPotential a lot of fun on your honeymoon]]."

** Celty also ends up fangirling Shizuo during his fight against Saika's 'children', much like how Shinra did when he and Shizuo were in highschool.

* For all of her life, the title character from ''Manga/KotouraSan'' was ostracised by nearly everybody she knew, as a consequence of being a {{telepath|y}} who oftentimes had difficulty distinguishing between people's thoughts and their outward speech, and therefore had a tendency to [[InnocentlyInsensitive blurt out private information without realising it]]. She grew up friendless, and was raised by her grandfather after her parents divorced each other and disowned her. It wasn't until she started high school when she encountered [[ChivalrousPervert Manabe]], who reached out to her in spite of everything, did she ever see any change in her circumstances. In fact, he quite enjoyed the fact that she could read his mind, as he liked to [[DirtyMindReading imagine her in sexually compromising positions]] [[TheGadfly solely to tease her]]. At one point, when a cold left rendered her unable to read minds at all, he found that it was no fun to fantasize about her ''unless'' she could see it.

* Disney Adventures magazine once ran a ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' one-shot comic about Lisa venturing under the school to discover mutant substitute teachers. The mutants loved to teach, but were forced to hide underground ages ago because people were afraid of their hideous appearance. Lisa assures them things are different now...and the last page shows one of the mutants substituting for Mrs. Krabopple's class. Children cry out, jump, Bart shouts out "He's a mutant freak!"...and then they erupt into cheers, shouting how cool it is, and "Teach us everything you know, Freak-Man!" And the mutant smiles, shedding a happy tear.

* A similiar case in another ''Fanfic/ProjectDarkJade'', fanfic "Webwork" where Jade positivley loves being [[spoiler: A humanoid spider demon]] since now she is super strong, fast, durable and has access to powerful magic. [[spoiler: Two of her three minions feel the same.]

-->'''Bartimaeus:''' Anyway, from their point of view you look extremely eligible. ({{Beat}}) Except for your hair, which ''is'' pretty bad. But so's my master's, and it doesn't stop him from flouncing about in broad daylight.

* The Doctor, from ''Series/DoctorWho''. He often reacts this way himself to the MonsterOfTheWeek and stands around cooing over it when he probably should be running.

* The popularity of a lot of eccentric musicians, despite their odd music; behaviour, fashions and outer appearance is a result of this trope: Music/GeorgeClinton, Music/MarilynManson, Music/FrankZappa, Music/KlausNomi, Music/{{Bjork}}, Music/SydBarrett, Music/DanielJohnston, Music/TheBonzoDogBand, Music/InsaneClownPosse, Music/{{Slipknot}}, Music/TheFugs, Music/NinaHagen, Music/SunRa, Music/ScreaminJayHawkins, Music/LydiaLunch, Music/TinyTim, Music/YmaSumac, Music/DavidBowie, Music/GenesisBreyerPOrridge, Music/JohnZorn, Music/ThePlasmatics, Music/LeeScratchPerry, Music/{{Moondog}}, Music/{{Nico}}, Music/YokoOno, Music/OingoBoingo, Music/TheResidents, Music/TomWaits, Music/RobZombie,...

* Wrestling/{{ECW}}'s "Sideshow Freaks" stable (Johnny Swinger, Bilvis Wesley The Muskateer, The Prodigy, Prodigette and Simon Diamond) some of whom would later [[FaceHeelTurn turn face]].

* Rachies Adam Flash and Danny Rose, whose most high profile exposure came in Wrestling/{{CZW}}, openly referred to themselves as a Family Of Freaks.
* Il Cognito's self proclaimed "Freakshow" stable in the Australian Wrestling Federation, a gathering of supposedly rejected "freaks".
* Big Daddy Bravo and Buck Nasty, the two men who make up "The Freakshow" of Top Rope Promotions, though its harder to be cooler or freakier than Wrestling/{{Demolition}}, who they've had to compete against.
* Mistress Belmont, the "freak" half New England Championship Wrestling and later, Pro Wrestling Syndicate tag team "[[ShoutOut Freaks And Geeks]]". She possessed blue hair, red eyes, [[HearingVoices heard voices]] and preferred battering her opponents with chairs, whips and [[ImprobableWeaponUser goggles]] to wrestling but it did not stop her from turning face.

* In ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'', due to the events of the War the previous year and his very unique upbringing, Kanata thinks of himself as more monster than human and relates heavily to weird-looking, ugly deep sea creatures. When he shows one to Kaoru in a management event, he claims not to like them but says that Souma does, and indeed Souma adores Kanata [[spoiler:even though he is the only member of the cast who truly believed he was a God and not human]] and is eternally grateful to him for 'teaching him the value of the ocean' no matter how weird it all is.

** The cast aren't easily freaked out, to the point where [[Film/{{Jumanji}} Goonmanji]] in "[[BSideComics Newspaper]]" [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth failed to impress them much]]. Especially Tedd. In-continuity he wasn't even surprised when his crush turned out to be a {{shapeshifter}} and commented on various [[ShapeShifterMashup hybrid forms]] she assumed later exclusively in fetish terms. [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-08-21 His reaction]] when [[VitriolicBestBuds Susan]] demonstrated magic-related knowledge?

** Sort of played with with regard to Ashley. While she is reassured by Liz telling her there's nothing wrong with being weird, she's taken aback when she discovers that Grace ''doesn't'' think her fantasies are weird, because nobody's ever said that to her before.
* Used in one particular ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'', where a newly turned werewolf decides to remain one rather than being turned back to human, because he and his girlfriend are "into that". [[{{Squick}} Sam doesn't see the appeal.]]

** A scene in the comics, also replicated almost verbatim in the TV series, had Cyborg-- bummed because of his [[WhatHaveIBecome state]]--get cheered up by running into a kid with a prosthetic hand who gushes that Cyborg's parts are much cooler because they're "all shiny and stuff" ..and not, say, because he's a frikkin' ''super hero'' who ''saves the world''.
* Apparently, when Hak Foo goes through certain magical procedures that increase his powers in ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', and doesn't care about the side-effects. Noted when Jackie fought him after he became Daolon Wong's servant.

*** Zoey admitedly likes oddballs, and actually likes Mike's split personalities, claiming that it means there's more of him to love.

** For her entire life, [[spoiler:Charlotte Pudding]]'s [[spoiler:third eye]] has been considered monstrous by everyone who sees it, and constant abuse over this drove her to become murderously insane. She's come to hid [[spoiler:the third eye]] under her hair and even uses revealing it as a weapon; apparently her targets tend to be shocked by a pretty woman having such a hideous facial feature and she uses that moment of distraction to kill them. When [[spoiler:Sanji]] sees it for the first time, he tells her she looks even more beautiful that way. This was such an unexpected thing to hear that she ''[[VillainousBSOD collapses]]'', and with her, [[SpannerInTheWorks multiple plans]].

* When [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} one of Fry's friends]] gets singled out for being different, Fry will inevitably stand up for them and defend them for being unique because that is what makes them special to him.
** This probably has a lot to do with him being from the 20th century. Everything in the 31st century is new and cool to him, even things most people of the future consider abnormal or unappealing. His attitude is perhaps best exemplified in the very first conversation he has with Bender:

* Back in the 1980s, one of [[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance Championship Wrestling From Florida]] and the USWA's attractions were "Freaks & Geeks", a monstrously large {{power stable}} made up of the usually {{heel}} and monstrous Wrestling/{{Kamala}}, Dragon Master, Awesome Kong ([[Wrestling/KiaStevens not that one]]), Leatherface, [[Wrestling/TheMoondogs four of the seven Moondogs]] (Rex, Spot, Cujo, Rover) [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers and]] Wrestling/EddieGilbert.

* Invoked in the ''Film/{{Maleficent}}''/''Film/{{Descendants}}'' crossover "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13414681/1/Maleficent-and-Descendants-A-mother-s-love A mother's love]]"; after Fae-Maleficent finds herself in Auradon and swiftly forms a maternal bond with Mal, Ben finds himself picturing Mal with Fae-Maleficent's horns and wings and privately acknowledges that he thinks Mal would look beautiful that way (although he's attracted to her regular form as well).

* In ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', "freakiness" is part of the reason [[spoiler:Setsuna]] never reveals that she's part demon and has wings. (Her wings are ''white'' instead of black like they're supposed to be, and she was cast out from her relatives as a result.) When she ''does'' reveal them for the first time with that admission, Asuna incredulously points out the obvious: the wings are ''cool'', and to humans she looks like an ''angel''.

** Many {{Fan Girl}}s agree.
** In a flashback in ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}: Evolution-R'' it's shown how children who used to be friendly with Zelgadis now run away from him shouting "Monster!". These were the same children who were shown happily playing with wolf-man Dilgear and fish-man Noonsa without batting an eyelid. In this case, it's justified because Dilgear and Noonsa, while monstrous, are natural beings. Zelgadis is a chimera, an unnatural fusion of three creatures, so he is still monstrous by the standards of their universe.

--> '''Celty:''' He's so strong... No, he's terrifying... No, he's awesome!

* Often experienced by ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} in the ''Comicbook/XMen'' franchise. Every time he feels a little put off by his appearance (basically he looks like {{Satan}} except with short blue fur), he meets someone who ''really'' likes it. Usually an available woman whose fetish is, coincidentally, pointed tails, blue fur, and CuteLittleFangs. This is enough of a theme in his life that "[[CursedWithAwesome chicks dig the fuzzy guy]]" is the ''default'' view on Kurt's appearance; it only starts being portrayed as genuinely freaky when it's his turn in the X-Men Angst Hotseat.
* Beast was also popular with women much of the time, especially during his stint with the [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]]. There's just something about blue fur and CuteLittleFangs. [[NerdsAreSexy Brains don't hurt either]], plus he's a WalkingShirtlessScene and [[HeroicBuild quite ripped even by superhero standards]].

* In the WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures fic ''Fanfic/QueenOfAllOni'', not only do we have the canon Hak Foo, but Jade, who LOVES how she looks creepy now, and likes her new powers a LOT.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned''.

* The cast of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''... they aren't easily freaked out, to the point where [[Film/{{Jumanji}} Goonmanji]] in "[[BSideComics Newspaper]]" [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth failed to impress them much]]. Especially Tedd. In-continuity he wasn't even surprised when his crush turned out to be a {{shapeshifter}} and commented on various [[ShapeShifterMashup hybrid forms]] she assumed later exclusively in fetish terms. [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2008-08-21 His reaction]] when [[VitriolicBestBuds Susan]] demonstrated magic-related knowledge?
-->'''Tedd:''' Yeah. Do you have ''creepy {{psychic powers}}'' that you haven't told us about? Because that would be ''cool''.

* WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace:
** [[Main/{{Goth}} Crimson and Ennui]] are entranced by all things dark and scary, and the only time they come close to showing excitement is during a trip to Transylvania. Crimson comes so close to expressing outward happiness that Ennui has to pull her back.
** They also take a liking to Devin when he comes bitter and depressed.

* In the ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' a few characters are fascinated rather than freaked out by Sig's big red arm. To give some examples, Amitie calls it "neato", Jaan goes as far as to try to turn her arm red, and Raffina somehow thinks Sig's arm is like that due to him ''exercising too much'' and considers it nice fashion.

* In the ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' a few characters are fascinated rather than freaked out by Sig's big red arm. To give some examples, Amitie calls it "neato", Jaan goes as far as to try to turn her arm red, and Raffina somehow thinks Sig's arm is like that due to him ''exercising too much''.

FreakinessShame is a subtrope. See also UglyCute and WhatMeasureIsANonCute. If someone has a lot of pets that qualify under this, you have a FluffyTamer. If a character decides again curing some handicap for this reason, this is KeepingTheHandicap.

* In ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'', Lexi (a sentient book capable of separating his pages into a human form, and having just been made up into what is an {{expy}} of [[Anime/YuGiOhVRAINS Specter]] is intrigued with [[ShrinkingViolet Chloe Cerise's]] love of the macabre and untapped talent in writing horror stories, something that Chloe has been trying to hide due to everyone she knows only wanting her to be into Pokémon.

A character, [[IJustWantToBeNormal moping about being weird]], eventually finds someone who ''likes'' him because he's different.