History Main / GenreShift

* ''Machinima/DarkSecretsOfGarrysMod'': The series mostly revolves around {{comedy}} but [[CerebusRollercoaster often turns into more dramatic from time to time]]. Not only that but it also jumps between SliceOfLife and {{adventure}} while experimenting with various {{subgenre}}s from {{fantasy}}, ScienceFiction and {{horror}}.

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' veers all over the genre map as it progresses. Beginning as a mildly surreal, Halo-themed take on ''Series/{{Mash}}'', it quickly becomes more and more [[Creator/MontyPython Pythonesque]] until it's nearly crossed into slapstick, ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' territory. Then, beginning with side stories like ''Out of Mind'', it suddenly veers into serious science fiction, which spills over into the main series before settling into a very odd fusion of all the above genres. Which genre or combination of genres works best is definitely a matter of personal taste. As of its later seasons, it is firmly entrenched in SeriousBusiness, albeit with some gags.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' started off as science fiction SuperheroSchool with FairytaleMotifs, with hints of a greater plot going on in the background beyond school drama and the upcoming TournamentArc. [[spoiler:Then magic is revealed to exist, the TournamentArc slams to a halt when the AcademyOfAdventure is destroyed, and the whole thing is revealed to be just another move in a SecretWar between two immortals over four Relics that will bring back the missing gods for a final [[HumanityOnTrial day of judgment]] to see whether humanity will regain their magic or be utterly destroyed.]] The FairytaleMotifs go from aesthetics and influences to a reconstruction of fairy tales themselves, the emphasis on hope against fear and the protagonists' innate powers shows definite MagicalGirl influence, and the apocalyptic vibes previously in the background gain far more significance. Unlike ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' by the same company, this was clearly intended from the beginning and there's a lot of {{Foreshadowing}} before the shift officially happens.

* The first two acts of ''Theatre/LaBoheme'' are a light, happy portrayal of bohemian life, with blissful romance and comedy to spare, where poverty is only a mild inconvenience and even jealousy and infidelity are PlayedForLaughs. The latter two acts are heartbreaking drama (though still with some comic relief), as jealousy, infidelity and poverty become serious issues, as the two romantic couples both break up, and as [[IllGirl Mimí]] rapidly succumbs to her IncurableCoughOfDeath.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' started off as science fiction SuperheroSchool with FairytaleMotifs, with hints of a greater plot going on in the background beyond school drama and the upcoming TournamentArc. [[spoiler:Then magic is revealed to exist, the TournamentArc slams to a halt when the AcademyOfAdventure is destroyed, and the whole thing is revealed to be just another move in a SecretWar between two immortals over four Relics that will bring back the missing gods for a final [[HumanityOnTrial day of judgment]] to see whether humanity will regain their magic or be utterly destroyed.]] The FairytaleMotifs go from aesthetics and influences to a reconstruction of fairy tales themselves, the emphasis on hope against fear and the protagonists' innate powers shows definite MagicalGirl influence, and the apocalyptic vibes previously in the background gain far more significance. Unlike ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' by the same company, this was clearly intended from the beginning and there's a lot of {{Foreshadowing}} before the shift officially happens.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' shifted from an action-comedy spoof of superhero shows to a downright ''bizarre'' GagSeries late in its run. It was unsurprisingly not well received, and it wasn't long before the show was cancelled.

* ''Deliberately Invoked'' in ''Fanfic/HowToDrillYourWayThroughYourProblems'', a ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' Self-Insert]] fanfiction. The setting is that of Worm, which is a grimdark superhero story, where the "SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids" trope is one of the cornerstones of the setting... which makes it all the more jarring that Will Carran, the SI, has been given Spiral Power. From Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann. The setting that took "SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers," took it UpToEleven, and added fire and giant robots.

* Creator/GrantMorrison seems to enjoy switching up or tweaking the genres of any previously-established characters he writes on, largely to reinvent the characters and "revitalize" the story. Some examples:

** In [[ComicBook/NewXMen his run]] on ''ComicBook/XMen'', he deliberately shifted the book away from the superhero genre, making it more of a general Sci-Fi adventure series. The plot changed accordingly, becoming about the X-Men dealing with mutant-related crimes and conflicts rather than fighting mutant-themed supervillains.
** His run on ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' took the book from standard Silver Age superheroing to...very much not that.

* ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers'' starts out seeming like a standard superhero story, albeit one with an unusually large cosmic scale. Than as things progress and [[FromBadToWorse the Incursions and other threats get worse]], it becomes clear you're ''actually'' reading a CosmicHorrorStory that just happens to include superheroes. The [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism contrast]] between the early and later parts of the story is highlighted when Captain America gives a passionate, epic speech about how he saves worlds and will find a way to save everyone. Previous, similar speeches had been treated as rightfully awe-inspiring and hopeful. This speech? Kang bluntly tells Cap that nobody cares and that his HeroicWillpower won't stop the Incursions.

** [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Under his pen]] ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' shifted from a noir-style detective series with superhero styling to a ''Literature/DocSavage''-style, globe-trotting pulp adventure series. The plot changed from Batman fighting local crime in Gotham to Batman travelling the world to create a globalized crime-fighting force while trying to solve an AncientConspiracy.

* Under Nunzio [=DeFilippis=] and Christina Weir, ''[[Comicbook/NewMutants New X-Men]]'' was essentially a teen drama WITH SUPERPOWERS! When Craig Kyle and Chris Yost took over, it rather abruptly (and with lots of StuffBlowingUp) became a more standard superhero comic.
* This trope was probably the single biggest problem with ''Comicbook/NovasAventurasDeMegaMan'', an infamous Brazilian comic that [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom actually authorized]]. The writers have actually ''admitted'' to changing the genre nearly every issue, because they wanted to see which sort of storylines the readers liked best. As such, one comic could be a flashback to a horrifying backstory about Roll's mind being taken from a young girl whom an evil scientist murdered for his mad robotics experiment, while another could be an anything goes, LargeHam comedy with NoFourthWall. By the time it settled into the action-adventure style of plot, most readers had probably dropped it in frustration.
* Likewise, fellow Marvel girl comic ''ComicBook/PatsyWalker'' went the romance-adventure route during the same time period. Amusingly, her books were cancelled around the time Millie's books shifted back. Oddly enough, the character herself went through a genre shift when she became a superheroine and member of both Comicbook/TheDefenders and ComicBook/TheAvengers. She no longer had a series at this point but the contrast was jarring.

* ComicStrip/{{Blondie}} started out just before the Great Depression with the couple being fabulously rich. When the stock market collapsed, Dagwood lost his fortune overnight, shifting the strip from flapper comedy to everyday struggles.

If this happens only once in a series before reverting back to the main genre, it's an OutOfGenreExperience. If it happens before the work is released to the public, it's a case of MidDevelopmentGenreShift. If it suddenly ends up being a horror story, possibly even a CosmicHorrorStory, without much foreshadowing, that’s SurpriseCreepy and CosmicHorrorReveal. If it happens during one specific installment (such as an episode of a series), then it's a HalfwayPlotSwitch. In the middle of a song, it can be SongStyleSwitch.

If this happens only once in a series before reverting back to the main genre, it's an OutOfGenreExperience. If it happens before the work is released to the public, it's a case of MidDevelopmentGenreShift. If it suddenly ends up being a horror story, possibly even a CosmicHorrorStory, without much foreshadowing, that’s SurpriseCreepy and CosmicHorrorReveal. If it happens during one specific installment (such as an episode of a series), then it's a HalfwayPlotSwitch.

* ''Fanfic/MyImmortal'' starts off as a fairly generic, albeit a little over-the-top, ''Literature/HarryPotter'' badfic with a typical MarySue protagonist and the [[MostFanficWritersAreGirls usual focus on relationships, clothing and teen popular culture]]. Then it gradually turns into a surrealistic mish-mash of fanfic clichés and confused plot points involving such things as TimeTravel -- sort of like a badfic version of ''Series/{{Lost}}''.

* The [[InternationalCoproduction South Korean/Canadian]] series ''Animation/NoonboryAndTheSuper7'' was originally a superhero show where the Borys would fight off the evil Gurys with superpowers based off of the five human senses (hearing, sight, taste, smell, and touch). Then there came a [[NoExportForYou Korea-exclusive]] second season called ''Tooba Tooba Noonbory'', which scrapped the superhero plot in favor of SliceOfLife stories. They even went as far as to get rid of the Borys' superpowers!

* Chester Gould's strange twist of ''ComicStrip/DickTracy'' from crime drama (albeit with futuristic technology) to SCI-FI, one of the most obvious genre shifts of all time. This is so (in)famous, it could almost be the trope namer.

* ''Webcomic/NonPack'' is a MatureAnimalStory about {{Gangbangers}} fighting turf wars in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals version of UsefulNotes/PuertoRico. It starts as a relatively realistic CrimeDrama, but takes a turn into SciFiHorror when we learn that one of the major villains is using a PsychoSerum that causes him to [[HulkingOut Hulk out]]. Eventually, the protagonist gets an accidental overdose of the stuff that temporarily turns her into a literal monster.

* ''Webcomic/NonPack'' is a MatureAnimalStory about {{Gangbangers}} fighting turf wars in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals version of UsefulNotes/PuertoRico. It starts as a relatively realistic crime drama, but takes a turn into SciFiHorror when we learn that one of the major villains is using a PsychoSerum that causes him to [[HulkingOut Hulk out]]. Eventually, the protagonist gets an accidental overdose of the stuff that temporarily turns her into a literal monster.

* ''Webcomic/NonPack'' is a MatureAnimalStory about {{Gangbangers}} fighting turf wars in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals version of UsefulNotes/PuertoRico. It starts as a relatively realistic crime drama, but takes a turn into SciFiHorror when we learn that one of the major villains is using a SuperStrengthSerum that causes him to [[HulkingOut Hulk out]]. Eventually, the protagonist gets an accidental overdose of the stuff that temporarily turns her into [[PsychoSerum a literal monster]].

* Korean Webtoon Blood Bank started as a smutty BDSM postapocalyptic yaoi romance comedy & ended as an action-packed horror war magic-fighting series with a borderline-tragic ending.

* The initial ''Comicbook/StrangersInParadise'' miniseries was a {{Slapstick}} LoveTriangle comedy. When creator Terry Moore launched the ongoing series, he added a crime drama plot, and subsequent arcs alternated between this and the WillTheyOrWontThey love triangle story, which also took on a more serious tone. Then, about two-thirds of the way through, Moore wrapped up the criminal conspiracy plot and for the remainder of the series focused on the romance story which soon expanded into a LoveDodecahedron.
* ''ComicBook/{{Savage}}'' started off as an AlternateHistory action series, with technology slightly more advanced than the present day. Around 2009 or 2010, it shifted to full-on ScienceFiction, with teleporting tigers and the predecessors of the ''ComicBook/ABCWarriors'' appearing.

* This trope was probably the single biggest problem with ''Comicbook/NovasAventurasDeMegaMan'', an infamous Brazilian comic that [[ExecutiveMeddling Capcom actually authorized]]. The writers have actually ''admitted'' to changing the genre nearly every issue, because they wanted to see which sort of storylines the readers liked best. As such, one comic could be a flashback to a horrifying backstory about Roll's mind being taken from a young girl whom an evil scientist murdered for his mad robotics experiment, while another could be an anything goes, LargeHam comedy with NoFourthWall. By the time it settled into the action-adventure style of plot, most readers had probably dropped it in frustration.

* Under Nunzio [=DeFilippis=] and Christina Weir, ''[[Comicbook/NewMutants New X-Men]]'' was essentially a teen drama WITH SUPERPOWERS! When Craig Kyle and Chris Yost took over, it rather abruptly (and with lots of StuffBlowingUp) became a more standard superhero comic.

* When atmospheric (and occasionally supernatural) western title ''ComicBook/JonahHex'' ended its eight-year run in 1985, DC published a followup series called ''Hex'', about the gunfighter getting sucked into a time rift and stranded in the post-apocalyptic 2050s.
* ''Comicbook/AmeliaRules'' shifted from wacky comedy about a girl moving to a new town and making quirky friends to an emotional SliceOfLife ComingOfAgeStory about halfway through its run.
* Creator/GrantMorrison seems to enjoy switching up or tweaking the genres of any previously-established characters he writes on, largely to reinvent the characters and "revitalize" the story. Some examples:
** [[ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Under his pen]] ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' shifted from a noir-style detective series with superhero styling to a ''Literature/DocSavage''-style, globe-trotting pulp adventure series. The plot changed from Batman fighting local crime in Gotham to Batman travelling the world to create a globalized crime-fighting force while trying to solve an AncientConspiracy.
** In [[ComicBook/NewXMen his run]] on ''ComicBook/XMen'', he deliberately shifted the book away from the superhero genre, making it more of a general Sci-Fi adventure series. The plot changed accordingly, becoming about the X-Men dealing with mutant-related crimes and conflicts rather than fighting mutant-themed supervillains.
** His run on ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' took the book from standard Silver Age superheroing to...very much not that.

* ''ComicBook/{{Reyn}}'' starts off as a typical medieval fantasy with a few sci-fi elements mixed in. By chapter five, it shifts into a full-on sci-fi when the fifth issue reveals that [[spoiler:the whole story takes place on a giant spaceship thousands of years in the future]].
* ''ComicBook/GIJoe2016'' moves from the [[DarkerAndEdgier dark, realistic]] military science fiction of [[ComicBook/GIJoeIDW the previous IDW series]] to a DenserAndWackier sci-fi adventure inspired by [[WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero the Sunbow cartoon]].
* ''ComicBook/JonathanHickmansAvengers'' starts out seeming like a standard superhero story, albeit one with an unusually large cosmic scale. Than as things progress and [[FromBadToWorse the Incursions and other threats get worse]], it becomes clear you're ''actually'' reading a CosmicHorrorStory that just happens to include superheroes. The [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism contrast]] between the early and later parts of the story is highlighted when Captain America gives a passionate, epic speech about how he saves worlds and will find a way to save everyone. Previous, similar speeches had been treated as rightfully awe-inspiring and hopeful. This speech? Kang bluntly tells Cap that nobody cares and that his HeroicWillpower won't stop the Incursions.
* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' in his early days dealt with street-level crime but had none of the gritty crime-noir feel that Creator/FrankMiller brought to the table during his run.
* ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'' starts out as a silly gag comic about three cartoon characters ending up in a strange land, but slowly reveals itself to be a sprawling, ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''-inspired LowFantasy story. Creator/JeffSmith did this deliberately, figuring it would be better to ease readers into the MythArc over time instead of throwing them right in.

* ComicStrip/{{Blondie}} started out just before the Great Depression with the couple being fabulously rich. When the stock market collapsed, Dagwood lost his fortune overnight, shifting the strip from flapper comedy to everyday struggles.

* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'' starts off a soul searching Disney flick, moves into a parody of the "FirstPersonShooter" game, and then goes to "conspiracy movie" when the stars land in ''Sugar Rush''.

* Creator/DreamWorksAnimation: Originally, [=DreamWorks=] focused on sweeping epics, and more serious stories such as ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt''. These unfortunately fell under the umbrella of AllAnimationIsDisney. Now, barring some of their more [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda recent]] [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon efforts]], it can be hard to remember when their films weren't based primarily on pop-culture references and heavily marketed celebrity voice-acting. As alluded before, however, [=DreamWorks=] shifted once again, with its movies once more taking themselves seriously while remaining healthily comedic. While still not quite as serious as ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'', the tone generally leans towards what was seen in ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado''.
* The infamous ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTheMovie'' actually goes from a zany slapstick cartoon to a generic [[AllAnimationIsDisney '90s Disney Renaissance]] [[FollowTheLeader cash-in film]] within the first few minutes!
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' started out as a racing film; in 2 it became a action-spy film; in 3, [[ZigZaggedTrope it became a racing film again]], and a much more [[DarkerAndEdgier dramatic]] one at that.
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'' movies are mostly HighSchoolAU with some Main/MagicalGirl elements. The third movie, ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsFriendshipGames'', adds in a few action and science-fiction elements, including talks of alternate worlds, advanced technological devices that could steal magic [[spoiler:and the villain of the story causing a RealityBleed between both worlds.]]

* The first two seasons of the ''Juno Steel'' storyline of ''Podcast/ThePenumbraPodcast'' are a FantasticNoir, focusing on a detective solving crimes in the largest city on Mars. But then [[spoiler:Juno and Rita leave Mars for good in the season 2 finale]], and as of season 3 it's shifted to become a SpaceOpera centered around a six-person EnsembleCast.

* Lesser Shades Of Evil -- the book ''begins'' with a disclaimer telling would-be [=PCs=] not to read any further, which is setting them up to make blessed champions of the gods in a high fantasy setting, then face all of the following in ''the very first session'': that was all centuries ago, their powers are all genetic engineering and nanomachines, the intervening time has moved the setting AfterTheEnd... and the idyllic fantasy setting was after a separate, ''earlier'', end. Also, their main superpower is creating multiple bodies for themselves. After this exposition-heavy first session (which fast-forwards the [=PCs=] through their actions over these hundreds of years), one assumes the players are meant to go home and contemplate why any of that was kept secret if it were just going to be revealed as soon as they made their characters, anyway.

* In the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' expansion ''Zendikar'', the first two sets of the block are about adventure and surivial on a Death World. The last set turns it into a CosmicHorrorStory.

* Something similar to this - the couching of ideas or stories that may be disturbing and/or controversial within a more conventional, non-threatening story - has happened throughout the history of art and literature.

* The first two acts of ''Theatre/LaBoheme'' are a light, happy portrayal of bohemian life, with blissful romance and comedy to spare, where poverty is only a mild inconvenience and even jealousy and infidelity are PlayedForLaughs. The latter two acts are heartbreaking drama (though still with some comic relief), as jealousy, infidelity and poverty become serious issues, as the two romantic couples both break up, and as [[IllGirl Mimí]] rapidly succumbs to her IncurableCoughOfDeath.

* Ditto ''Webcomic/UnicornJelly'', which goes from a quirky almost-but-not-quite Fantasy series (the main character is a witch with apparently no magic) to science fiction spanning hundreds of thousands of years and multiple universes. A Powers Of 10 map on the site really hits it home, going from the main character's home out into the multiverse.
* ''Webcomic/CollegeRoomiesFromHell'' is looking like it might be doing this. The strip started out as the standard light college campus humor, but little hints and bits have added up so that it looks like it might have always been intended to end up with an apocalyptic ending. If the author has stated for sure one way or another, I haven't heard.
* ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' started out as a lightweight and slightly surreal urban SitCom, but gradually began adding elements of ScienceFiction and/or {{Fantasy}} with the introduction of characters who might be gods, immortals or aliens, the concept of humans possessing (or being possessed by) inner demons, and a 12,000 year old mystery. In spite of all this, the sitcom elements are still present, and often just as strong as ever.

* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'', while quite often is still the ScienceFiction[=/=]{{Fantasy}}[=/=]SliceOfLife comedy it started out as, has made increasing use of darker, more dramatic storylines as it's continued.
* ''FOG Club'' began life as a romcom about four college anime fans, before - with little to no explanation - having the cast sucked through a portal into an alternate dimension based on Trigun, where they fought an evil scientist called Falco Amadeus and an android duplicate of the main character.
* ''Webcomic/{{Achewood}}'' shifts back and forth between domestic, observational strips that find humor in the mundane, and surreal fantasy arcs involving Mexican MagicalRealism, three-hundred-man outdoor brawls, and Heaven burning down.
* ''Webcomic/MegaTokyo'' began as a simple, four panel webcomic about two friends trapped in Japan, the focus being more on the two men playing off each other verbally and [[TwoGamersOnACouch talking about video games]]. As time went on, [[ContinuityDrift the comic drifted away from this]], and began to focus more on the relationships Piro and Largo were creating in Japan, and [[{{Deconstruction}} picking apart aspects of popular Japanese culture]].

* Within [[http://xkcd.com/734/ this xkcd strip]].
* ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' was originally intended to be a superhero comedy webcomic about the titular brothers. It changed into a sprite comic after the author realized he couldn't draw.
* Webcomic/KidRadd started out as a general parody of video games. Then Cerberus syndrome sets in.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' started out as a simple SpiritualSuccessor to ''Webcomic/ProblemSleuth'', but in time became a riff on epic stories and creation mythos, which made the series much more popular. Later, When [[EnsembleDarkHorse the trolls]] [[AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent were introduced]], the entire comic shifted to have RomanticComedy elements and took a turn for the darker.
* Since-ended Website/{{Keenspot}} comic ''Webcomic/CoolCatStudio'' started out as a mundane office comedy without any hint of unusual goings-on. Then one of the characters underwent AlienAbduction and cloning. Eventually the comic became an all-out FantasyKitchenSink, with arcs centered around ghosts, magic, private eyes, and extraterrestrial war.
* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'' starts out as a comedic [[DeadToBeginWith Bangsian Fantasy]] about the periphery of Hell, but rather abruptly turns into a WalkingTheEarth fantasy adventure a few years in.
* Janet Steele in ''Webcomic/ContestJitters'' was a budding amateur bodybuilder. In ''Webcomic/SatinSteele'', she has become a professional bodybuilder who confronts aliens and a conspiracy.
* The Webcomic/{{Walkyverse}} has done this over the course of its various entries. ''Webcomic/{{Roomies}}'' was a SliceOfLife story about dorm life, which slowly became more of a dramedy after the introduction [[spoiler:and later death]] of Ruth. An initially one-off alien abduction plot also returns and takes over the final arc, leading into the next comic. ''Webcomic/ItsWalky'' is half sci-fi adventure story and half sitcom, following the various alien abductees as they fight the machinations of the Head Alien while dealing with their own personal problems. After that the story splits in two: ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'' is a DenserAndWackier sequel about the quirky and geeky staff of a toy store, and engages in frequent pop culture parodies, along with the odd serious storyline. Finally ''Joyce and Walky'' more directly follows It's Walky, beginning as a domestic sitcom, but eventually reintegrating the science fiction elements and tying up loose ends from the alien plot. This is averted with ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'', a spin-off-slash-reboot of the Walkyverse that excises the sci-fi elements, combines the casts of all the previous comics, and is a straight up dramedy throughout.
* ''Webcomic/ItHurts'' starts out as a crude high school comedy with certain hints at terrible life circumstances. Come strip 100, and [[spoiler:the apocalypse happens, sci-fi elements and deities are introduced, and it looks at the concept of obtaining happiness]].
* ''Webcomic/MyDeliriumAlcazar'' follows the everyday life of a broke content creator starting over in a new town, with light sci-fi elements... during the day. The protagonist dreams of a dark fantasy dungeon, full of body horror and video game mechanics, which she is forced into every night in a repeating loop. Once killed there, she re-awakens to her normal, mundane life. The switch is even accompanied by a change in art style, from sprites to a sketchy, inconsistent hand drawn look and back.
* ''Webcomic/FreakingRomance'': The supernatural elements, while always present in the story, really get kicked into high gear after [[spoiler: Zylith falls from the roof and doesn't appear on the ground]].
* ''Webcomic/ScoobAndShag'': This happens twice, in quick succession, in the early sections of Part 1.
** Firstly, the comic begins as a collection of disconnected strips focusing on absurdist humor, without any overarching continuity. One of these strips, about Scooby and Shaggy running from the cops and fleeing into a wood, rapidly turns into a much darker horror segment reminiscent of the work of Creator/JunjiIto. This is marked by a shift from the simple lineart of the first strips to heavily shaded, visually oppressive art.
** This horror theme remains prevalent for another segment of strips, until the whole thing is revealed to be taking place in a holodeck within a crashed starship. Afterwards, while horror elements return sporadically, the comic turns into a parody of {{Shonen}} manga and remains like that afterwards.

* WebVideo/{{Decker}}: The first two seasons are political action thrillers (granted, most likely a parody of them). The third season "Decker vs Dracula" though introduces monster horror, featuring many of the monsters from Franchise/UniversalHorror, to the series. This is rather short lived as Decker vs Dracula only lasted 3 episodes and the fourth season "Decker: Unclassified" went back to being an action thriller series [[spoiler: until the last episode where the BigBad is revealed to be Dracula. It seems some of the episodes in Decker: Unsealed with also involve monster horror]]

* ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' started out as an episodic comedy with heavy ExecutiveMeddling from ABC's standards and practices. This changed in the middle of season 2 when ABC dropped the show and the writers were given free rein on the show. The episodic nature was dropped in favor of longer story arcs and a much darker tone. The comedy is still there, just mixed in with the darker story.

* ''WesternAnimation/ShimmerAndShine'' started out as a gentle slice-of-life show with morals. In season 2, the animation changed from 2D to 3D, the show was relocated to Zahramay Falls, and the show began introducing more lore, characters, and overly toyetic themes, all while abandoning the morals that the first season had.

* Season 1 of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' is just slapstick comedy in a parody setting; season 2 downplays the raw slapstick and up-plays the parody/satire/{{Deconstruction}} elements of the show, culminating in a funny but fairly serious season finale. Seasons 3 & 4 still feature a lot of humor, and it's definitely still a comedy show, but there's been a significant shift from it being a parody of sci-fi/action/everything to now being a genuine example of those genres.

If this happens only once in a series before reverting back to the main genre, it's an OutOfGenreExperience. If it happens before the work is released to the public, it's a case of MidDevelopmentGenreShift. If it suddenly ends up being a horror story, possibly even a CosmicHorrorStory, without much foreshadowing, that’s SurpriseCreepy and CosmicHorrorReveal.