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If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting them to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give her a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
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If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting them to a [[DespairEventHorizon point of no return.return]]. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give her a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
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* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Going out of your way to be as edgy and sadistic as possible sometimes isn't the best thing you can do. If it happens too much, it can get repetitive as you start breaking off and killing the Cuties now, there, here and then. Give at least 1 or 2 of them some room to heal, even if it would be a HopeSpot.
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* SanitySlippage: The Cutie doesn't need to be broken instantly through multiple of events. Sometimes, it can be a gradual, scheduled breakdown that eventually reaches a tipping point and causes her to end up undergoing a FaceMonsterTurn, or worse.
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* KillTheOnesYouLove: In settings such as the ZombieApocalypse, the CosmicHorrorStory or the LovecraftianLite, turn one of the Cutie's loved ones into one of "them" and force her to kill her now turned loved one.
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* KillTheOnesYouLove: In settings such as the ZombieApocalypse, the CosmicHorrorStory or the LovecraftianLite, LovecraftLite, turn one of the Cutie's loved ones into one of "them" and force her to kill her now turned loved one.
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* TheDogBitesBack: If the Cutie breaks down too much, there's a chance that she will fight back, and show her tormentors no mercy. Especially useful if you make it so her tormentors are heinous enough and she still has some power left to fight back.
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* KillTheOnesYouLove: In settings such as the ZombieApocalypse, the CosmicHorrorStory or the LovecraftianLite, turn one of the Cutie's loved ones into one of "them" and force her to kill her now turned loved one.
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* HealTheCutie: Of course, there are situations where you don't want the cutie-breaking to go too bleak. In this case, you can rehabilitate the Cutie and bring her back to sanity. Have her climb back and slowly recover from all the horror, so she turns back into the sweetheart she once was. ([[Manga/KotouraSan Haruka Kotoura]]) Of course, she might no longer be the same person -- she can become more practical, sensible, intelligent and/or even dangerous, but she will return to the sweetheart she is.
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* HeroicBSOD: This is to make sure the audience understands the seriousness of the situation whenever a heroic Cutie is broken and burnt into the ground. You can have the character show up depressed and listless for a few episodes, or have them show the most vacant expression they could make upon being thoroughly traumatized. At the worst cases, you could just turn them into the Ophelia for the rest of your work, or at least a huge portion of it. ([[Manga/{{Berserk}} Casca]])
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* HeroicBSOD: This is to make sure the audience understands the seriousness of the situation whenever a heroic Cutie is broken and burnt into the ground. You can have the character show up depressed and listless for a few episodes, or have them show the most vacant expression they could make upon being thoroughly traumatized. At the worst cases, you could just turn them into the Ophelia TheOphelia for the rest of your work, or at least a huge portion of it. ([[Manga/{{Berserk}} Casca]])
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* TheWoobie / JerkassWoobie: You'll want to Break the Cutie to garner sympathy towards your character. By making it as brutal as possible, you make sure your audience will want to give the character you're breaking a big hug.
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* TheWoobie / JerkassWoobie: IronWoobie / JerkassWoobie : You'll want to Break the Cutie to garner sympathy towards your character. By making it as brutal as possible, you make sure your audience will want to give the character you're breaking a big hug.
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If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give her a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
to:
If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her them to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give her a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
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* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie with a DarkAndTroubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
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* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie BrokenBird with a DarkAndTroubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on occured head-on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
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* InnocenceLost: By definition, the Cutie is an innocent character who will make you adore them, root for them, and give them a big hug. Showing that they had lost their innocence entirely to become a wreck or a force of terror to be reckoned with can tell the audience how grim the situation at hand is.
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* InnocenceLost: By definition, the Cutie is an innocent character who will make you adore them, root for them, and give them a big hug. Showing that they had lost their innocence entirely to become a wreck or a force of terror to be reckoned with can tell the audience how grim the situation at hand is. ([[VideoGame/{{Arcaea}} Hikari]])
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* DullEyesOfUnhappiness / ThousandYardStare: If someone is loudly shouting or crying after being broken, they aren't ''quite'' broken yet. In the other hand, if a character vacantly and quietly stares in horror of the mishap that just took place, you ''really'' play up the direness of the situation the Cutie is in, especially when they [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness break character]] to fall into total despair ([[Anime/DigimonGhostGame Hiro Amanokawa]]'s reaction to Regulusmon seemingly killing his stepbrother Gammamon).
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* TraumaCongaLine: Sure, you can place the Cutie to a series of misfortunes that eventually turn her into a wreck. But don't make it too overboard. If your Cutie has to suffer from AbusiveParents, is forced to scrap for goods outside, is abused by her mentor, finds her home burnt by the BigBad as revenge and gets her OnlyFriend killed and eaten, that's way too much and your character can look like an edgelord for the sake of instead of someone that garners sympathy. Only one of the aforementioned things is more than enough to break an innocent cutie.
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!! Methods:
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!! Methods:Methods:
* ColdBloodedTorture: If a villain goes out of their way to torture the Cutie in the most inhumane way possible, it will very likely leave a scar on her that would last through the rest of that show, and that's assuming they survive. It's also one of the easiest ways to generate a TheDogBitesBack response when the Cutie becomes hardened and is more likely to exact revenge.
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* ColdBloodedTorture: If a villain goes out of their way to torture the Cutie in the most inhumane way possible, it will very likely leave a scar on her that would last through the rest of that show, and that's assuming they survive. It's also one of the easiest ways to generate a TheDogBitesBack response when the Cutie becomes hardened and is more likely to exact revenge.
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* CompleteMonster: If you also have a Complete Monster and have them torture the Cutie, they will cross the MoralEventHorizon by definition and the audience will be more willing to cheer for their blood. ([[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakAcademy Junko Enoshima]]'s ColdBloodedTorture death course set up against Chiaki Nanami in ''Danganronpa 3's Despair arc'').
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* CompleteMonster: If you also have a Complete Monster and have them torture the Cutie, they will cross the MoralEventHorizon by definition and the audience will be more willing to cheer for their blood. ([[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakAcademy ([[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool Junko Enoshima]]'s ColdBloodedTorture death course set up against Chiaki Nanami in ''Danganronpa 3's Despair arc'').
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* CompleteMonster: If you also have a Complete Monster and have them torture the Cutie, they will cross the MoralEventHorizon by definition and the audience will be more willing to cheer for their blood. ([[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakAcademy Junko Enoshima]]'s ColdBloodedTorture death course set up against Chiaki Nanami in ''Danganronpa 3's Despair arc'').
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!! Supplementary Tropes:
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! Related tropes:
!! SupplementaryTropes:tropes:
!! Supplementary
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!! Mandatory Tropes:
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!! Mandatory Supplementary Tropes:
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!! Supplementary tropes:
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!! Supplementary Other useful tropes:
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!! Supplementary Tropes:
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!! Supplementary Mandatory Tropes:
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!!Supplementary tropes:
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* BrokenBird: For obvious reasons, Breaking the Cutie is always a step to the Broken Bird type of {{Badass}}. Broken Birds are cynical, aggressive and/or hardened characters who are coping with some sort of emotional trauma, be it as part of a backstory or a recent incident, so your BryonicHero or DesignatedHero will earn some sympathy.
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* BrokenBird: For obvious reasons, Breaking the Cutie is always a step to the Broken Bird type of {{Badass}}. Broken Birds are cynical, aggressive and/or hardened characters who are coping with some sort of emotional trauma, be it as part of a backstory or a recent incident, so your BryonicHero ByronicHero or DesignatedHero will earn some sympathy.sympathy and shed light to situations that would otherwise cement them as despicable.
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* TheWoobie / JerkassWoobie: You'll want to Break the Cutie to garner sympathy towards your character. By making it as brutal as possible, you make sure your audience will want to give the character you're breaking a big hug.
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* BrokenBird: For obvious reasons, Breaking the Cutie is always a step to the Broken Bird type of {{Badass}}. Broken Birds are cynical, aggressive and/or hardened characters who are coping with some sort of emotional trauma, be it as part of a backstory or a recent incident, so your BryonicHero or DesignatedHero will earn some sympathy.
Added DiffLines:
!!Supplementary tropes:
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* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie with a DarkAndTrubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
to:
* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie with a DarkAndTrubledPast, DarkAndTroubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
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Ideally, you'll only want to Break the Cutie in DarkerAndEdgier works, or works that at least an aspect of bleakness within them -- just a little bit of darkness within a work will allow you to pull this trope out effectively.
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Ideally, you'll only want to Break the Cutie in DarkerAndEdgier works, or works that at least an aspect of bleakness within them -- just a little bit of darkness within a work will allow you to pull this trope out effectively.effectively.
!! Supplementary Tropes:
* CerebusSyndrome: Breaking the Cutie in an otherwise innocent enough work is assuredly going to dramatically alter the tone of a work to a more serious or grim mood (When Beelzemon kills Juri's partner Leomon, the entirety of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' stops playing around to be as dark as possible, and most of the comedic elements seen in previous episodes cease).
* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie with a DarkAndTrubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
* HeroicBSOD: This is to make sure the audience understands the seriousness of the situation whenever a heroic Cutie is broken and burnt into the ground. You can have the character show up depressed and listless for a few episodes, or have them show the most vacant expression they could make upon being thoroughly traumatized. At the worst cases, you could just turn them into the Ophelia for the rest of your work, or at least a huge portion of it. ([[Manga/{{Berserk}} Casca]])
* InnocenceLost: By definition, the Cutie is an innocent character who will make you adore them, root for them, and give them a big hug. Showing that they had lost their innocence entirely to become a wreck or a force of terror to be reckoned with can tell the audience how grim the situation at hand is.
!! Tropes to avoid / be careful of:
!! Methods:
!! Supplementary Tropes:
* CerebusSyndrome: Breaking the Cutie in an otherwise innocent enough work is assuredly going to dramatically alter the tone of a work to a more serious or grim mood (When Beelzemon kills Juri's partner Leomon, the entirety of ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' stops playing around to be as dark as possible, and most of the comedic elements seen in previous episodes cease).
* DespairEventHorizon: You'll always want the Cutie to cross this by default. If you have a WideEyedIdealist, make sure she gets exposed to the most depraved, evil thing you can do to her or the most awful truth you can tell her. If you have a traumatized Cutie with a DarkAndTrubledPast, send her to the place where that DarkAndTroubledPast head on for a mission. Have her break character entirely and make her a ''wreck'', and make sure it sticks, so others will start viewing her in a totally different light.
* HeroicBSOD: This is to make sure the audience understands the seriousness of the situation whenever a heroic Cutie is broken and burnt into the ground. You can have the character show up depressed and listless for a few episodes, or have them show the most vacant expression they could make upon being thoroughly traumatized. At the worst cases, you could just turn them into the Ophelia for the rest of your work, or at least a huge portion of it. ([[Manga/{{Berserk}} Casca]])
* InnocenceLost: By definition, the Cutie is an innocent character who will make you adore them, root for them, and give them a big hug. Showing that they had lost their innocence entirely to become a wreck or a force of terror to be reckoned with can tell the audience how grim the situation at hand is.
!! Tropes to avoid / be careful of:
!! Methods:
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(Under construction)
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If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give them a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
to:
If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give them her a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
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Do some research on your desired target or be familiar with their characterization if they are your original character. Know what lines you can gladly cross without destroying the character's sanity and what definitely will. This is because even in real life, different people have different standards on what they will tolerate easily and what they will not. Sending a bunch of Angels trying to torture [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Bayonetta]] in hopes of breaking her spirit is not only an obviously bad idea, but you're asking her to start a full-blown slaughter against her would-be torturers instead of actually doing anything against her psyche. In contrast, a naive, sweet girl who doesn't even know what death and danger is like [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Madoka Kaname]] will fold and break instantly upon seeing her friends getting killed.
to:
Do some research on your desired target or be familiar with their characterization if they are your original character. Know what lines you can gladly cross without destroying the character's sanity and what definitely will. This is because even in real life, different people have different standards on what they will tolerate easily and what they will not. Sending a bunch of Angels trying to torture [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Bayonetta]] in hopes of breaking her spirit is not only an obviously bad idea, but you're asking her to start a full-blown slaughter against her would-be torturers instead of actually doing anything against her psyche. In contrast, a naive, sweet girl who doesn't even know what death and danger is like [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Madoka Kaname]] will fold and break instantly upon seeing her friends getting killed.killed.
!! Understand the nature of your work.
Of course, breaking the cutie might not be the best way to go, especially if the work is out of place for such a situation. Works where this isn't an appropriate trope to use include LighterAndSofter work genres like the SliceOfLife story, the dating sim and works with WhiteAndGrayMorality settings, unless if there's a DisguisedHorrorStory twist to it.
Ideally, you'll only want to Break the Cutie in DarkerAndEdgier works, or works that at least an aspect of bleakness within them -- just a little bit of darkness within a work will allow you to pull this trope out effectively.
!! Understand the nature of your work.
Of course, breaking the cutie might not be the best way to go, especially if the work is out of place for such a situation. Works where this isn't an appropriate trope to use include LighterAndSofter work genres like the SliceOfLife story, the dating sim and works with WhiteAndGrayMorality settings, unless if there's a DisguisedHorrorStory twist to it.
Ideally, you'll only want to Break the Cutie in DarkerAndEdgier works, or works that at least an aspect of bleakness within them -- just a little bit of darkness within a work will allow you to pull this trope out effectively.
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(Under construction)
[[BreakTheCutie Breaking the Cutie]]. Some of the most depressing things that can happen to a naive cinnamon roll. If you do it correctly, you might be able to add some valid drama to even a somewhat mediocre work, drive to the point how dire the situation your protagonists are in, and cementing the audience that they will cheer for the blood of the CompleteMonster that broke her. Or you're simply a {{Sadist}} of an author that you can't wait to see the Cutie becoming more depressed and unstable. Here's a guide on how to make it as inhumane as you would.
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! Major rules:
!! Hold nothing back.
If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give them a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
!! Understand the boundaries of the target's mental state.
Do some research on your desired target or be familiar with their characterization if they are your original character. Know what lines you can gladly cross without destroying the character's sanity and what definitely will. This is because even in real life, different people have different standards on what they will tolerate easily and what they will not. Sending a bunch of Angels trying to torture [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Bayonetta]] in hopes of breaking her spirit is not only an obviously bad idea, but you're asking her to start a full-blown slaughter against her would-be torturers instead of actually doing anything against her psyche. In contrast, a naive, sweet girl who doesn't even know what death and danger is like [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Madoka Kaname]] will fold and break instantly upon seeing her friends getting killed.
[[BreakTheCutie Breaking the Cutie]]. Some of the most depressing things that can happen to a naive cinnamon roll. If you do it correctly, you might be able to add some valid drama to even a somewhat mediocre work, drive to the point how dire the situation your protagonists are in, and cementing the audience that they will cheer for the blood of the CompleteMonster that broke her. Or you're simply a {{Sadist}} of an author that you can't wait to see the Cutie becoming more depressed and unstable. Here's a guide on how to make it as inhumane as you would.
----
! Major rules:
!! Hold nothing back.
If you're really trying to break TheCutie, make sure you don't pull your punches just because they're an adorable, smol cinnamon roll. Give them as rough of a treatment as you would with any other character who's been put into such a situation, and make sure it's as disproportionate as it could. Break the Cutie ''thoroughly'', preferably twisting her to a point of no return. This is so your audience can feel sorry for the Cutie and give them a big hug if they could, and in some cases, get a twisted sense of entertainment over it.
!! Understand the boundaries of the target's mental state.
Do some research on your desired target or be familiar with their characterization if they are your original character. Know what lines you can gladly cross without destroying the character's sanity and what definitely will. This is because even in real life, different people have different standards on what they will tolerate easily and what they will not. Sending a bunch of Angels trying to torture [[VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} Bayonetta]] in hopes of breaking her spirit is not only an obviously bad idea, but you're asking her to start a full-blown slaughter against her would-be torturers instead of actually doing anything against her psyche. In contrast, a naive, sweet girl who doesn't even know what death and danger is like [[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Madoka Kaname]] will fold and break instantly upon seeing her friends getting killed.
