History Main / ManicPixieDreamGirl

-->''When I saw you buying Cosmo and a Hot Rod magazine\\
I said to myself now there's a girl for me\\

You stole my heart when you said if I can drive\\
I said how 'bout some music, you said, you got any Merle?\\

* Music/BrooksAndDunn's "Rock My World Little Country Girl" puts a country twist on the trope, about a girl who "acts like Madonna, but she listens to Merle," has "an A in math, but never cracked a book," and wears Calvin Klein snakeskin boots with dime-store sunglasses who insists the singer is too uptight and he's "got to learn to loosen up."

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''ManicPixieDreamGirl/AnimeAndManga''

* ''Manga/AiRen'': Ai has been especially brought back to life to accompany the male protagonist during his last days. Her looks and personality follow the rules of this trope to a T, [[spoiler:but, alas for the boy, she is of the variety that dies before he does]].
* In ''Manga/AngelBeatsHeavensDoor'', Hinata is at first a bit put off by Yuri's violent behaviour and awkward social skills, but in the end she's the one who gives him a goal and a will to struggle in his afterlife. For this reason, not only he but everyone else who later joins their group is eager to put up with her ridiculous plans and her moments of InsaneTrollLogic. It helps that more often than not, [[CrazyEnoughToWork said ridiculous plans end up working.]]
* ''Anime/AnohanaTheFlowerWeSawThatDay'': Menma becomes this for Jinta, [[WeWereYourTeam former leader]] of a group of childhood friends that have drifted apart due to the [[TheMourningAfter loss of one of their friends]]. {{Subvert|edTrope}}s the usual SecondLove part as Menma is [[DeadToBeginWith the friend that died]], and she came to Jinta for help accomplishing some [[GhostlyGoals unfinished business that's preventing her from moving on]].
* ''Ashita Dorobou'' has an interesting variant of this trope. Might be a DeconstructedCharacterArchetype of sorts. Straitlaced protagonist Kyouichi Miyasako, 30 years old, broke up with his quirky, free-spirited girlfriend Ashita Tendou way back in college, and has been haunted by regret ever since. Suddenly, with a UFO hanging in the sky over Tokyo, she returns to him, wearing the same maid costume she was wearing when he dumped her, and she hasn't aged a day. He tentatively accepts her back into his life, even though something feels off about the whole situation.
* ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita'' protagonist Alita went trough a period of almost obsessive MPDG behavior when she fell madly in love with a boy named Yugo, during which she was even willing to die for him. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, it is Yugo who died at the exact moment Alita dragged him out of his shell.]]
* In ''Manga/BoysOverFlowers'', [[GenkiGirl Shigeru]] [[GeniusDitz Ookawahara]] tried to be this to Domyouji, her [[ArrangedMarriage arranged fiancé]]. However, after he flat out tells her that he isn't in love with her and never will be, she becomes devoted to keeping [[TheMatchmaker Tsukushi and Domyouji together]].
* In ''Manga/Brave10'', Saizo is pretty much being dragged around by Isanami from their first meeting although she is sometimes more of a Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl.
* Subverted in ''Manga/CaseClosed''. The [[SingleTargetSexuality love of Inspector Shiratori's life]] is a strong-willed, outspoken girl [[ChildhoodFriendRomance whom he met when they were children]], and her [[GenkiGirl incredibly cheerful antics]] are what motivated him to become a policeman in the first place. [[ZigZaggingTrope Then we see]] that this was their first and only encounter in ''almost twenty years'', that Shiratori [[LovingAShadow chased after another woman]] because he mistakenly ''thought'' she was said girl, and that "the girl" actually grew into [[NiceGirl a much more thoughtful and quiet person]], [[spoiler:the local CoolTeacher Kobayashi-sensei]]. [[OfficialCouple Despite all these changes, they still fall in love and get together]].
* Creator/YuuWatase plays with this trope in ''Manga/CeresCelestialLegend'' with Chidori Kuruma. Although she has way more depth of character than the average MPDG (taking care of her sick younger brother and such), she tries to win over Yuuhi's heart with her child-like enthusiasm. However, although they end up being [[JustFriends good friends]], Yuuhi never loves her back, since he was already in love with TheHeroine Aya. [[spoiler:Their relationship ends tragically when Chidori ''dies'' in his arms shortly before the end of the story.]]
* ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'': Depressed demon is discovered by an [[{{Determinator}} absurdly stubborn]] GenkiGirl just after getting through the MayflyDecemberRomance from Hell. However, it's ''Rosette's'' life that goes completely pear-shaped upon the chance meeting.
* In ''Anime/CyberpunkEdgerunners'', Lucy puts on an air of this during their initial meetings, particularly when she rides the stretcher David is on out of the back of a moving ambulance into traffic while laughing her head off. But this turns out to largely be an act to get on David's good side. Her more normal state is more brooding and withdrawn, partially fed by her fears about David dying [[spoiler:and her fears about Arasaka turning him into a lab rat later on when she learns about the info they have on him about halfway through the series.]]
* Hotaru in ''Manga/DagashiKashi'' is not only a fairly textbook example of this for male lead Kokonotsu, but even looks a lot like his "ideal" girl he's been drawing in his manga.
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' has an interesting subversion, and probable {{deconstruction}}. Misa Amane is a GeniusDitz PerkyGoth with a mad zest for life and a MadLove for the uptight BrokenAce [[LightIsNotGood Light]] Yagami. Unfortunately for her, Light has no intention of falling in love, and finds her antics both obnoxious and exasperating. He does, however, play along in order to use her [[RedEyesTakeWarning shinigami eyes]].
-->'''Misa:''' LIGHT!!\\
''[Misa [[TheGlomp glomps]] him]''\\
'''Light:''' This is the first time in my life I've wanted to hit a woman.
* ''Literature/FateStrangeFake'': Saber is a male version with a twist. Saber, like most Manic Pixie Dream Guys, is impulsive, adventurous, relentlessly optimistic, charmingly idiosyncratic, pops into Ayaka's life at her lowest and most depressed, and is literally a magical KnightInShiningArmor that exists for Ayaka's sake. The problem? It turns out that Saber is [[spoiler:Richard the Lionheart]], and Manic Pixie Dream Guys [[TheCaligula make for rather poor rulers]]…
* ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'':
** Haruko seems like one of these, attaching herself to soulful brooding main character Naota and being the main impetus behind his ComingOfAgeStory. Up until it's subverted by [[spoiler:the reveal that she had her own agenda all along and her wacky hijinks were part of a plan to manipulate Naota until he'd served his purpose and she's not really all that interested in him as a person at all -- the 'CharacterDevelopment' she inspired in him was either incidental or (mostly) part of the plan (although her last few lines suggest that she's genuinely taken a liking to Naota, even if her own personal mission took top priority.)]]
** Mamimi is a deconstruction, as her strange actions and her inappropriate advances on Naota are signs that she has serious issues of her own to work out.
* ''Manga/FlunkPunkRumble'' subverts this. The girl forces him to help under the pretext of being the class president, making the life of the {{Delinquent|s}} loner hell with her hare-brained attitude and well-meaning schemes. [[spoiler:She's only bugging him because she used to be a delinquent herself and can't relate to anyone else.]]
* In ''Manga/FoodWars'', it turns out that Soma's mother Tamako was this to his father Joichirou. Although her family owned a restaurant, Tamako was a LethalChef who came up with bizarre food combinations and recipes which only sometimes turned out decent. Despite this, she never gave up on cooking and had geniune fun doing it. Her crazy combinations of ingredients without any fear of failure, not to mention her energy and charisma, snapped her to-be husband from his depression and motivated Joichiro to put his heart into cooking again after the pressure of always trying to live up to people's high expectations caused him to burnout and he lost his passion for cooking.
* ''Fujimi Lovers'': If it were any perspective but Jun Kouno's, he definitely fits the trope. His predicament makes it so his first and [[StarcrossedLovers always tragic]] love, Rino Hasebe, disappears from existence the moment she falls for him. Throughout his life he encounters multiple Hasebes, proclaiming his love for them out of the blue, insisting on getting his feelings through to them, and barging his way into their lives to help them through their personal struggle, which almost always leads to the Hasebes (re)discovering what it means to love.
* ''Anime/GatchamanCrowds'': Hajime Ichinose is an unusual example in that she is both the protagonist and plays this role to her entire team rather than just one person. She's energetic and optimistic to the extreme, encouraging everyone to expand their horizons.
* In Hanamori Pink's short manga ''Get Nude'', sloppy delinquent Subaru is the Manic Pixie Dream Boy to strait-laced StudentCouncilPresident Misao.
* ''Manga/GoodnightPunpun'': Punpun tries to invoke this with the pretty NewTransferStudent Aiko. Emphasis on "''tries''". Aiko's [[BrokenBird just as miserable]] as him, if not worse, and being in each other's lives screws everything up even more. Punpun is LovingAShadow for much of the series and imagines Aiko in ways that she isn't. The manga ends up deconstructing the trope badly. [[spoiler:They run off together but Aiko later [[DrivenToSuicide kills herself]]. Punpun tries to, but [[BungledSuicide fails]] and loses an eye. He's still miserable at the end of the manga.]]
* ''Manga/{{Gravitation}}'': Shuichi Shindou is Manic Pixie Dream Boy to Eiri Yuki. While he's actually the main character, his life revolves around drawing Yuki out of his shell to such an extent that everything else, even his singing career, takes a backseat to their relationship.
* ''Anime/IsabelleOfParis'': Irma became close to [[spoiler:Andréa]] after she rescued him from the throes of death. Being a wealhy bourgeioisie man, there were many things he did not know until she told him, as she was a HotGypsyWoman who was raised in a circus.
* ''Literature/IWantToEatYourPancreas'': A {{Reconstruction}}. The narrator becomes part of Sakura's life, but not the center of it. She has a family, other friends she spends time with, and a best friend who naturally sees the narrator as an interloper. She needs something from him — a friend who won't overreact to her illness. And, it develops, she wants to learn something from him. Most of all, they share a friendship, not a romantic relationship. (Friendship-with-benefits is on the table, but they have only teenage-level maturity to handle it.) The characters acknowledge it might have become a romantic relationship, given enough time.
* ''Anime/{{K}}'':
** In the anime, Shiro and [[ADogNamedDog Neko]] are both this for Kuroh. At first, Neko seems to fit this exactly for both of them, showing up in Shiro's room naked and declaring herself to be his cat, but Shiro has a lot of this himself. And Shiro is much more of a love interest to Kuroh, with both of them seeing Neko as somewhere between a pet and a little sister.
** In the novel ''Lost Small World'', Misaki Yata is this for Saruhiko Fushimi, when they were in middle school. Something of a deconstruction, because -- in addition to being a male/BL example -- when they join the Red Clan, Misaki fits in with them much better than Saruhiko does, causing Saruhiko to begin to resent him. When Saruhiko meets the Blue King, and realizes he would fit into the Blue Clan better than the Red, Misaki doesn't understand him at all, and considers him a traitor, setting up for [[FoeRomanceSubtext where their relationship is at the time of the series]].
* In ''Anime/KOn'', Ritsu and Yui act as Manic Pixie Dream Girls to [[HoYay/KOn Mio and Azusa]], respectively.
* ''Manga/{{Kakegurui}}'': Deconstructed with protagonist Yumeko Jabami. She sweeps into Hyakkaou Private Academy and immediately shakes things up, saving Suzui from his debts and forging many a FireForgedFriendship with fellow students. But her obsession with gambling is taken to extremes that terrify just about everyone, getting off on the thrill of risking it all and unconcerned with whether she wins or loses. She's repeatedly dragged her friends into these high-risk games, risking freedom and life itself for a thrill. When confronted about how she's ruined so many lives, she admits that [[LackOfEmpathy she doesn't feel any remorse]]. For a bonus, her name even ''means'' "[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Snake-devouring Dream Girl]]", hinting at her dangerous nature.
* Michiru is an almost literal example from ''Kono Kanojo wa Fiction desu'', to a frightening extent.
* ''Manga/KotouraSan'': Manabe brings [[BrokenBird Har]][[TheIngenue uka]] out of her shell with his love of life, wacky antics, and copious amounts of perverted {{Imagine Spot}}s.
* ''Manga/Mars1996'' has a deconstructed example. Rei Kashino is the energetic, carefree, and slightly eccentric partner to the passive, [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]], and repressed Kira, teaching her how to be more assertive and stick up for herself. However, his "eccentricities" tend towards reckless and violent behavior that often gets himself in trouble and hurts those around him, including manic mood swings and outright sociopathic tendencies. In addition, though he does love Kira, he finds her passivity deeply frustrating, at one point breaking up with her because he finds being with her draining and limiting. Finally, as much as Kira learns from him, she teaches Rei how to care more about those around him and to treasure his own life more.
* ''Manga/MyDressUpDarling'': Played with, if not downplayed. Male lead Wakana Gojo is a loner who's dedicated his entire life to his Hina doll making, and keeps to himself out of fear of being ostracized for it. Things change when the cheerful and lively GyaruGirl Marin Kitagawa discovers his talents in making clothes, and drags him into making costumes for her to live her dreams of being a cosplayer. So while there are many similarities to other MPDG stories, Gojo's role throughout the story is to support Marin in pursuing ''her'' hobby.
* ''Manga/MyLovelyGhostKana'': The eponymous CuteGhostGirl is much more of a GenkiGirl on the surface, but she and Daikichi play this role for each other. Daikichi starts the series contemplating suicide after a run of terrible luck, and happens to move into an apartment "[[PrettyFreeloader haunted]]" by Kana, who manages to talk him out of it with her unique perspective, having successfully committed suicide years earlier with considerable dissatisfaction. Eventually, Kana convinces Daikichi that life is precious, and Daikichi's friendship cheers Kana immensely after years of solitude. Later, Kana deliberately plays the trope towards Inagawa up to a point.
* ''Manga/NodameCantabile'': Megumi Noda fits this description, but her chosen inspire-ee, [[{{Tsundere}} Chiaki]], mostly wishes she'd just go away. Too bad she lives in the next apartment over, goes to his music school, and [[SelfProclaimedLoveInterest starts calling him her husband]] a few chapters in. Nodame's also such a manic pixie that [[ManChild she can't take proper care of herself]] ''[[ManChild at all]]'', necessitating Chiaki to feed her and keep her apartment from turning into the TrashOfTheTitans.
** Subverted, because while she is instrumental in motivating Chiaki to take his musical career further, she is very much a well-rounded character of her own. Her development later on in the series shows this very clearly.
* ''Manga/OnaniMasterKurosawa'': Takigawa Magister is the first to get the eponymous onanist out of his shell.
* The energetic [[CloudCuckooLander Jyushimatsu]] plays a male example in episode 9 of ''Anime/OsomatsuSan''. While practicing his baseball swing, he meets a depressed, unnamed country woman ready to [[DrivenToSuicide jump off a cliff]]. His wacky antics and funny personality make them become quick friends. [[spoiler:Their relationship ends tragically when the girl has to return to her city on the day Juushimatsu was planning to confess to her, no less.]]
* In keeping with ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'''s theme of gender reversal, Tamaki Suoh is a the story's Manic Pixie Dream ''Boy'', encouraging the shy and self-reliant Haruhi to come out of her shell, and the bookish Kyouya to loosen up a bit.
* ''Literature/{{Paprika}}'': Paprika's job is being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl for men: a sprightly therapist who joins them in their dreams and takes them on surrealist adventures. In her daily life, [[spoiler:she sees herself only as a dull, proper scientist and ignores the spontaneous part of herself too much]].
* ''Manga/PitaTen'': Misha is this toward Kotarou. In the anime she's just doing it because she believes it's what an angel should do, in the manga it's originally because [[spoiler:Kotarou is the {{reincarnation|Romance}} of his granduncle Kotaroh, the boy she loved who committed suicide]].
* ''Manga/PrincessJellyfish'' has a rare genderswap. Kuranosuke is a WholesomeCrossdresser who meets the protagonist, a socially awkward and shy manga artist, when he helps her save a jellyfish. In this case, it's romantic however Tsumiki originally doesn't realize that Kuranosuke likes her. She's more interested in his [[SiblingTriangle brother]].
* ''Manga/PuellaMagiOrikoMagica'': Kirika Kure is a childish, scatterbrained LoveFreak for the eponymous magical girl, and became a LivingEmotionalCrutch for Oriko after her family's fall from grace. [[spoiler:She's also the attacker in the magical girl murders. And she admits to Oriko, after being fatally wounded, that [[InvokedTrope the Manic Pixie persona was a charade fuelled by Kirika's own wish to become someone Oriko would love]].]]
* Another male example: ''Anime/SamuraiFlamenco'' has its very main character, [[{{Keet}} Masayoshi]], become this to [[FairCop Goto]] after a fateful meeting in a dark alley, dragging him into his superhero antics and taking him out of his mundane, boring life. Goto having a girlfriend already doesn't change things. [[spoiler:And then it even fits the SecondLove aspect of this trope, as Goto's girlfriend is revealed to have gone missing years ago, and he'd been [[LovingAShadow texting himself]] since then.]]
* ''Manga/SatouKashiNoDanganWaUchinukenai'' is about a [[LittleMissSnarker weary middle school girl]] named Nagisa Yamada, who plans on joining the army instead of going to high school. The weird NewTransferStudent, Mokuzu Umino, takes a liking to Nagisa and wants to be her friend. Mokuzu insists that [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent she is a mermaid]] and that if she doesn't make friends before the next hurricane she will die; Nagisa obviously doesn't believe her but Mokuzu keeps tagging alongside her and that's the start of their friendship... [[spoiler:It turns out Mokuzu isn't in a very good situation herself though. She has a ''very'' DarkAndTroubledPast involving her [[AbusiveParents abusive father]] and [[ParentalAbandonment her mother leaving them]]. She needs saving herself for much more serious reasons.]] Nagisa and Mokuzu try to [[TheRunaway runaway]] but Mokuzu [[spoiler:ends up {{kill|TheCutie}}ed by [[OffingTheOffspring her father]]]].
* ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' parodies this with Fuura Kafuka, the [[{{Pollyanna}} ridiculously upbeat]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, and Nozomu Itoshiki, a man who is always in despair. However, the show is adamant about not giving anyone any CharacterDevelopment whatsoever... And even if they did, [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant Kafuka's methods wouldn't develop anybody's character]], save possibly making them clinically insane... or dead.
* ''Manga/SingYesterdayForMe'': The young, quirky (she has a pet crow! she likes to stay out late at night!), determined Haru is a breath of fresh air in Rikuo's life, and once he meets her he gets out of his funk and decides to do more with himself. Despite livening up Rikuo's life, Haru has little development of her own, and it's unclear what her goals and motivations are besides getting together with Rikuo. The anime hints at things that would give her more depth, like an uneasy relationship with her parents and the fact that she dropped out of high school, but these plot threads are never given resolution, and she ends up being defined mostly by her relationship with Rikuo.
* Mihoshi Akeno in ''Manga/SoraNoManimani'', who has a touch of [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Unlucky Childhood Friend]] running through her in addition to being a hyperactive girl who wants to get broody book-reading protagonist Saku out into the world of the Astronomy Club.
* ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'': Ryoko is about as manic and pixie as girls can get (perhaps moreso, as in many continuities she's ''[[DesignerBaby engineered]]'' thus), and livens up Tenchi's life in a way he quickly becomes addicted to, but also demonstrates a LogicalWeakness in [=MPDG=]s; Those lovable personality traits have led her to become a career criminal with absolutely ''zero'' impulse control.
* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'':
** Kamina is a PARAGON OF MASCULINITY version of this for his bro, the shy, ShrinkingViolet main character Simon. He's zany, wacky, ballsy, crazy, and encourages Simon toward the CallToAdventure, setting the series into motion. [[spoiler:Sadly, he [[MentorOccupationalHazard ends up dying in order to move the plot along]], leaving Simon in a manic and depressive state.]] Hinted to be a subversion when [[spoiler: Kamina is often unable to power Gurren with his HeroicSpirit despite outwardly raring to fight, and confirmed when Kamina admits to Yoko in confidence that his bravado is mostly an act, that he maintains by witnessing Simon's budding potential and extreme perseverance when all seems lost. Simon's resolute determination when supplied with only the slimmest sliver of hope empowers Kamina to construct a facade of optimism and (over)confidence, which in turn acts as a source of hope Simon can cling to. Believe in the me who believes in you indeed.]]
** Nia, who replaces Kamina in this role after [[spoiler:his death]]. She ends up being the one to bring Simon out of his depression and serves as his strongest supporter teaching him to believe in himself directly. [[spoiler:She dies at the end, minutes after marrying Simon post Timeskip, resulting in Simon WalkingTheEarth from then on to [[FillItWithFlowers fill the world with flowers]] in her memory.]]
* Played with in ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. [[HopelessSuitor Banjou]] recalls Rize as a strong-willed, free-spirited dream girl that inspired him to take chances and live freely. His feelings for her blind him to the fact that Rize was a sociopath that only cared about herself, leaving ruin in her wake and completely unconcerned with how her actions impacted others. She made a pattern of causing problems in a Ward, and then fleeing it the moment her actions attracted attention from the human authorities -- leaving others to deal with the consequences, while she moved to another Ward to continue enjoying herself. In fact, Rize's disregard for the rules of the 11th Ward and killing of its leaders for trying to reign her in, allowed [[TheSyndicate Aogiri Tree]] to move in on the ward and enslave the local Ghoul population.
* ''Manga/VideoGirlAi'': This trope is [[DiscussedTrope explored]] in the manga. Ai and the other Video Girls are supposed to be sort-of RobotGirl versions this, created specifically to comfort young and kind-hearted persons in trouble, and supposed to comfort them without thinking of anything similar to their own agency... but Ai being played in a defective VCR actually kickstarts her ''acquiring emotions of her own'' and questioning her role. Which then starts a sort-of snowball to roll, since [[spoiler:her creator Rolex wants to eliminate and/or manipulate her as it first his purpose, while Youta and the old man from the Gokuraku Store rebel against this and think that Ai and other Video Girls ''are'' deserving of their own emotions and being more than just this trope.]] It also deconstructs the role of the ''man'' in this sort of relationship, as it is heavily hinted that while a standard Video Girl would give "pure-hearted" boys like Youta the fun-loving companionship and comfort they need, said boys would never grow as independent people, nor gain the emotional maturity to enter a real relationship. Furthermore, while "customers" know that a Video Girl's love is artificial from the get-go, they're so desperate for affection that a VG's devotion and unconditional affection would win them over regardless, and make them incapable of the real thing in the long run. On the other hand, it is explicitly shown ([[spoiler:as an experiment from Rolex with Video Girl Mai]]) that equally lonely, brooding, but not-quite-pure-hearted boys would succumb to a severely codependent relationship and would end up broken even worse than they started.
* ''Manga/YourLieInApril'' has Kaori who plays this role for the depressed Kousei. She inspires him to get back into playing the piano after he quit due to his mother's death several years ago. Slightly subverted in the fact that [[spoiler:she has a similar story of trauma in her past -- having been ill from an early age -- and she's [[InvokedTrope consciously being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl]] in order to help Kousei get through his problems]]. Further subverted in that the ending shows [[spoiler:that it was her goal to play violin with Kosei accompanying her, so getting him out of his funk fulfills her dream as much as it helps him]]. She also actively pursues classical music on her own terms.
[[/folder]]

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'':
** PluckyGirl {{Tomboy}} Estelle is a protagonist in this role to the her initially depressed and cynical BrokenBird adopted brother Joshua throughought the trilogy.
** A flashback to their academy life in 3rd shows it was GenderInverted with Khloe and the male Lechter Arundel, the ProfessionalSlacker class president and Erebonian spy who she's always having to chase around.

* ''Manga/YourLieInApril'' has Kaori who plays this role for the depressed Kousei. She inspires him to get back into playing the piano after he quit due to his mother's death several years ago. Slightly subverted in the fact that [[spoiler:she has a similar story of trauma in her past -- having been ill from an early age -- and she's [[InvokedTrope consciously being a Manic Pixie Dream Girl]] in order to help Kousei get through his problems]]. Kaori is a rare case as [[spoiler:Manic Pixie Dream Girls almost never die]]. Further subverted in that the ending shows [[spoiler:that it was her goal to play violin with Kosei accompanying her, so getting him out of his funk fulfills her dream as much as it helps him]]. She also actively pursues classical music on her own terms.

* On ''Series/TheBoys2019'', Butcher references this trope to Frenchie about his relationship with The Female/Kimiko.

* Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheUnfinishedTales'' features Tar-Vanimeldë, Queen of Númenor. She was more interested in dancing and playing music than actually, you know, governing the most powerful nation on Middle-Earth, so she left all the boring, practical day-to-day stuff to her consort, Herucalmo. Since the Tale is Unfinished, it's not really clear what Tolkien meant for Tar-Vanimeldë, but she fits many of the requirements, at least by Middle-Earth standards. Possibly a DeconstructedCharacterArchetype, since it seems Herucalmo was not okay with this: when the Queen died, he finally got sick of being the stable, modest, supportive guy and usurped the throne for himself.

** Despite being a [[CuteGhostGirl ghost]], Edward is an inversion to Roy Mustang. Edward's presence acts as an anchoring force in Roy's life, causing him to take things more seriously, work harder, take his duties more seriously and be more honest to himself and others. When Roy falls in love with him, he reevaluates [[AnythingThatMoves his promiscuous lifestyle]] and considers giving it up to be faithful to Ed.

* Kathleen Scott on the miniseries ''Series/TheLastPlaceOnEarth'' (about the race between Scot and Amundson to the South Pole) is a downplayed version of this and [[BoldExplorer her husband Robert]] specifically compliments her on it, and notes that he wishes he wasn't to grumpy to be like her. She is a great traveller(for an Edwardian woman), artist, and party girl; wishes she could go with Robert, and tells him in effect, "Be a badass and give me a badass son as well."

* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', while [[Characters/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilStarButterfly Star Butterfly]] does seem to make [[Characters/StarVsTheForcesOfEvilMarcoDiaz Marco Diaz]]'s life more interesting, the show is more about her growing as a character by toning down her chaotic overenthusiasm by being with the safety-minded, level-headed Marco.

* ''Film/{{Barefoot}}'' takes this a step beyond with the pair-up of dour, debt-owing Jay and carefree [[ManChild Womanchild]] Daisy, who, yes, DoesNotLikeShoes and blurts out things like "I have to go potty" and "My mom told me driving gets you pregnant." How is it taken a step beyond? Daisy is ''actually from a mental institution''.

* ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'' parodies this with Fuura Kafuka, the [[{{Pollyanna}} ridiculously upbeat]] {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, and Nozomu Itoshiki, a man who is always [[CatchPhrase in despair]]. However, the show is adamant about not giving anyone any CharacterDevelopment whatsoever... And even if they did, [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant Kafuka's methods wouldn't develop anybody's character]], save possibly making them clinically insane... or dead.

** Kamina is a [[CatchPhrase PARAGON OF MASCULINITY]] version of this for his bro, the shy, ShrinkingViolet main character Simon. He's zany, wacky, ballsy, crazy, and encourages Simon toward the CallToAdventure, setting the series into motion. [[spoiler:Sadly, he [[MentorOccupationalHazard ends up dying in order to move the plot along]], leaving Simon in a manic and depressive state.]] Hinted to be a subversion when [[spoiler: Kamina is often unable to power Gurren with his HeroicSpirit despite outwardly raring to fight, and confirmed when Kamina admits to Yoko in confidence that his bravado is mostly an act, that he maintains by witnessing Simon's budding potential and extreme perseverance when all seems lost. Simon's resolute determination when supplied with only the slimmest sliver of hope empowers Kamina to construct a facade of optimism and (over)confidence, which in turn acts as a source of hope Simon can cling to. Believe in the me who believes in you indeed.]]

-->[[CatchPhrase "What's the craziest thing you've done lately?"]]

* The [[strike:wildling]] [[InsistentTerminology free woman]] Ygritte is this for the rigid, honor-bound Jon Snow ([[CatchPhrase who knows nothing]]) in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire''. He ultimately [[spoiler:chooses his honor over his love for her and returns to the Night's Watch]]; like [[CrapsackWorld so much else in the series]], it doesn't end well, although his black-and-white sense of right and wrong does seem to have gained a little more nuance from the experience.

** Aang in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' could be considered this not only to Katara, but to ''the entire world''. This messiah's message is "have fun, not wars." He moves out of it in later seasons, to the point that halfway through season 2 he was becoming a full time grump (the wackiness by then having moved over to Toph and Sokka).
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Korra is a subversion, if not ''double''-subversion from Mako's perspective as she's the protagonist that clearly has her own goals from constantly saving the world to personal issues like PTSD, (he's just a SpotlightStealingSquad for half the series at most,) [[spoiler:break up for good by Book 2's end,]] but she otherwise turns his life upside-down and ultimately for the better as he reflects on her as remaining an inspiration in the fourth season ClipShow.

** Chat Noir acts the part of a [=MPDG=], as a way of coping with his abusive home life. He can become surprisingly bitter and sullen [[AllLoveIsUnrequited when the object of his affections refuses to play along]], but eventually learns that their relationship doesn't have to be romantic to be worthwhile.
** Ladybug is a straighter version of the trope, but ''only'' off-duty. Her manic obsessions aren't always cute or harmless, and she struggles with expressing her feelings appropriately. But if there is any hope for [[BrokenBird poor Adrien]], it rests with her- [[OneTrueLove there's a reason the universe has been trying to hook them up since they were 13]]. One reason their relationship hasn't progressed is that she prioritizes comforting him (as seen with the scarf gift that she pretended was from [[AbusiveParents his father]]) over confessing.

Compare {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, GenkiGirl, PerkyGoth, UptightLovesWild, SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl, PomPomGirl, and QuirkyUkulele for similar personality roles. May also overlap with TricksterGirlfriend if she enjoys playing tricks on the protagonist and deliberately misleading him just for the fun of it. Sometimes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is a HypercompetentSidekick. Contrast NerdNanny and YamatoNadeshiko for examples of calmer and more mature ladies. The ScrewballComedy is a genre driven entirely by this character type.

* ''Film/NoStringsAttached'' has a gender-inverted example with Adam, the Manic Pixie Dream Guy -- a goofy, romantic MrFanservice, who helps [[TheCynic cynical]] GoGetterGirl Emma [[DefrostingIceQueen get over her]] CommitmentIssues.

* ''LightNovel/KagerouDaze'':

* ''Series/{{Perception}}'''s Natalie Vincent is an interesting DeconstructedCharacterArchetype. She is hardly impulsive or spontaneous, and her male counterpart certainly is, but like any self-respecting MPDG she is there to serve Daniel's needs. As [[spoiler:a total figment of Daniel's imagination]] Natalie's life revolves around him, but she is there to be a friend, an intellectual equal, and to give Daniel a grounded perspective to contrast his wild, often irrational ideas. Though [[spoiler:her entire existence is a male fantasy]], he loves her to the point of recklessness for his own well-being.

** It is implied that Candace also started out this way for Joe. A [[HeroesWantRedheads redheaded]] musician who loves ''Literature/WutheringHeights'', strumming on her ukulele, and using pet names like "Bunny" for Joe. Like with his other love interests, Joe puts her up on an unattainable pedestal. [[spoiler: When it turns out she is not [[BrokenPedestal the perfect girlfriend]] and cheats on Joe with a producer to further her career, Joe attempts to murder her]].

* ''Series/{{You}}'': Deconstructed with Love Quinn. She's introduced as the typical version of this trope: doing quirky things like flirting in grocery stores by asking if peaches look like butts, spontaneously taking protagonist Joe on various road trips across Los Angeles, and making up cutesy in-jokes when she and Joe become a couple like saying "I wolf you". [[spoiler: It turns out she is just as AxCrazy and has just as much of a DarkAndTroubledPast as Joe, and partially put on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl persona to conceal this part of herself. As it becomes increasingly apparent that Joe got married to his mirror image and not a twee idol he could put on a pedestal, their relationship quickly deteriorates]].

** It is implied that Candace also started out this way for Joe. A [[HeroesWantRedheads redheaded]] musician who loves [[Literature/WutheringHeights]], strumming on her ukulele, and using pet names like "Bunny" for Joe. Like with his other love interests, Joe puts her up on an unattainable pedestal. [[spoiler: When it turns out she is not [[BrokenPedestal the perfect girlfriend]] and cheats on Joe with a producer to further her career, Joe attempts to murder her]].