"You're so beautiful."
"Yes, the stars ARE beautiful!"
"Yes, the stars ARE beautiful!"
A standard romantic scenario. A couple (or two potential romantic partners) are gazing out at some sort of scenery, like a wide landscape, a flower garden, the night sky. One of them (usually the female, if the couple is heterosexual) is enthralled by the view and comments about it. The other one (usually the male) might hum sort of affirmation, but he's not really looking out at it like she is. Instead, he's gazing at her, implying that she's more captivating than whatever they're looking at.
One common variant is for the girl to be unaware of his feelings for her and missing his gaze as part of that, making his stare a Longing Look.
A more innocent version of All Men Are Perverts. Compare Distracted by the Sexy.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- During the summer arc in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, when Kaguya's eyes are fixed on Shirogane as he watches the fireworks show, in complete awe of everything he did to get her there. This is especially notable as the entire reason they came to see the show was so Kaguya could see it.
Comedy
- The Rap Reiplinger piece "Loving You is Surfing You:"
Girl: Oh, Renten, isn't the ocean just beautiful tonight?
Boy: If you looking at de ocean.
Girl: And the moon. Isn't it love-a-ly?
Boy: If you looking at de moon.
Girl: Oh Renten, is so romantic my heart is pounding.
Boy: I can see dat.
Girl: Oh Renten, don't you like to look at anything natural?
Boy: No, just you.
Fairy Tales
- The Golden Phoenix: A variant; the Sultan tells his daughter to show Jean around the garden in preparation for their game of hide-and-seek. The princess wonders if Jean actually wants to win, because he isn't looking at any of the garden. Jean tells her he would rather look at her.
Fan Works
- Baby Boom (Shawna Canon): Chapter 75:
Two seconds later, he landed on her terrace railing on all fours. “Enjoying the view?”
His sudden, unorthodox appearance didn’t fluster her in the slightest, even though quietly walking up behind her as Adrien had sent her into wild babbling more than once. “It’s a beautiful sunset.”
He shifted to sit with one foot on the rail and the other dangling. “It is. But if I’m not mistaken, you weren’t looking at the sunset. Not that I blame you. It would be hard for any girl to tear her eyes off me for something as mundane as a sunset.”
Film — Animation
- Balto: When Balto shows Jenna his simulation of the aurora borealis through use of a bunch of colorful broken bottles and a lantern, she remarks that it's beautiful. He agrees while staring at her, leading to them almost touching noses before they hear noises overhead (above the floorboards that they're hiding under).
- Elemental (2023): During Ember and Wade's first date, the pair find themselves on a balcony overlooking Element City. As Ember creates some smoke rings to entertain some kids and watches the scenery, Wade watches her with a loving expression.
- Tangled: In the "I See the Light" romantic song that takes place during the breath-taking floating lanterns scene, Rapunzel is admiring the lanterns she always dreamed to see, meanwhile Flynn is looking at her the whole scene.
Film — Live-Action
- Inverted in Close Encounters of the Third Kind when a character insists on his wife coming to see the UFO's he's just witnessed (of course they're long gone). She gripes that they used to come to places like this to look at each other.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has a platonic version with Mantis and Drax as they watch the fireworks. Mantis says they're beautiful; Drax, looking at her, agrees, and says she's beautiful too… on the inside.
- Hachi: A Dog's Tale: At the theatre where Joan is managing a restoration, she asks her husband if he thinks the restored mural looks beautiful. While she looks at the painting, he looks at her and agrees that she is beautiful.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire contains a variation: When Hermione comes down in her dress robes for the Yule Ball, an amazed Parvati complimentarily declares "She's beautiful!" Her date Harry vocally agrees... while staring at his crush Cho Chang. It takes him a second to realize that Parvati is talking about someone else.
- A variation happens in Life Is Beautiful: Dora and Guido are at the opera together. Dora is watching the opera, Guido is staring at Dora.
- In The Lizzie McGuire Movie, when the title character and Paolo are at a fireworks show, Lizzie watches the fireworks while Paolo stares at her. Lizzie says, "This is so beautiful," to which Paolo replies, "Yes, you are."
- Another variation is when Mrs. Brisby mentions the underground lights to Justin in The Secret of NIMH. The two are staring at each other at the time, but Justin looks surprised when she says she's talking about the lights, as if he thought she meant her eyes, or possibly his.
- A variant of this trope is found in The Force Awakens. When Rey is awestruck by the forests of Takodana, Han Solo glances at her, realizing what hardship she grew up facing alone on Jakku. This prompts him to offer her a job aboard the Falcon. This can be a particularly heartbreaking example, as Han struggles with the knowledge that his son has been seduced to the dark side, and for that moment, might see Rey as a surrogate daughter. Too bad it doesn't last long.
Live-Action TV
- Done by the titular character with three different women in the Frasier episode, "Three Dates and a Breakup". Each woman looks out the window in Frasier's apartment says how good the view is, and Frasier, looking at her, agrees that it is. Notably, for all of Frasier's cultural posturing and need to be the better man, he is standing behind the woman each time, staring at her ass.
- Interview with the Vampire (2022): In "In Throes of Increasing Wonder...", there's a same-sex variation
◊ when Louis de Pointe du Lac (who later becomes the "feminine" partner in a Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple) is looking straight ahead because he's enraptured by the live Iolanta performance, whereas Lestat de Lioncourt is gawking at Louis, who's seated next to him — it should be noted that Lestat is a huge opera fan, yet his attention is laser-focused on his Love Interest instead of what's happening onstage. Louis is oblivious that his friend is smitten by him.
- Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story: George shows Charlotte the Transit of Venus through his telescope. Charlotte admits that it's beautiful. George does the same — while staring at Charlotte. She catches him staring.
Music
- In "Black Rainbows" by Miracle Musical, Madi Diaz sings the following:
I see the praised rays
You see me smile
We know the joy beyond above
Has been here awhile - One of several examples in "Eyes On You" by country singer Chase Rice:
Don't you remember Times Square?
And people countin' down everywhere
Two thousand whatever, no I didn't care
'Cause baby, you were there
And once again, couldn't help but stare
Video Games
- In one ending of Metal Gear Solid, Meryl comments on how beautiful Alaska is, and Snake responds but says the most beautiful thing there is Meryl.
- Inverted in Radiata Stories during the human path; Jack's date at the fireworks will steal a glance at him while he looks at the fireworks.
- This proves to be a detriment in Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. When Claire Redfield and Steve Burnside crash land in the Antarctic, they enter an Umbrella base and attempt to move a work vehicle out of the way with a crane. Steve operates the crane, with Claire staring off into the frigid tundra. While she's doing that, Steve proceeds to longingly stare at Claire's backside, resulting in him not paying attention and unknowingly knocking the vehicle into a gas pipe, resulting in the two needing to evacuate the base.
- During Mistress's entrance in Rumble Roses Sebastian only focuses on her while Mistress gives attention to the crowd for most of said entrance.
- During the post-game of Super Mario Odyssey, you can find two snail-like Bubblainian tourists — one male and one female — sightseeing in the Lake Kingdom. The female one is commenting on the beautiful scenery, while the male says that he only has eyestalks for the female.
Visual Novels
- Villainous Nights: In the first heart scene of "Across Time", when Zeke uses his powers to take the heroine to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Zeke: How're you feeling?
Heroine: A little dizzy, but I'll be okay. […] [looking out over Paris] And the view is absolutely worth it.
I study the exhilaration in her eyes, the way the wind stirs her hair.
Zeke: Yes. It is.
Webcomics
- To Love Your Enemy:
- On the astronomy club field trip, Yikyung is admiring the stars while Yeonhee on the mat next to him turns and notes how handsome he is.
- After Yeonhee spends the night cramming for a midterm, the two of them watch the sunrise. Yeonhee is entranced by it; Yikyung glances at Yeonghee before turning away, blushing.
Western Animation
- The first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic seems to have a bit of this; see here for context.
Spike: Beautiful...
Twilight: Yes, the decor is coming along nicely. This ought to be quick. I will be at the library in no time; beautiful indeed!
Spike: Not the decor... HER! - Played with in Avatar: The Last Airbender, when Suki and Sokka are looking up at the night sky.
Suki: It's a beautiful moon.
Sokka: Yeah, she is.- To clarify, they're both looking at the moon. Sokka's first girlfriend had given her life force to restore the moon spirit, leading to him viewing the moon differently than most people.
- Happened on Batman: The Animated Series, between Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane.
- Happens in Sym-Bionic Titan when Ilana and Jason are on the roof of the barn looking at the stars. Ilana comments on how beautiful it is and Jason agrees; only he is looking at her and not the stars.
- The Crumpets: Inverted with Caprice and Marylin. Caprice sometimes interacts with Marylin romantically while he is busy admiring flora and fauna due to his appreciation of nature. For example, on their first date, Marylin adores and pays attention to the animals Caprice has to babysit. In another episode, Caprice offers to kiss him, but he picks up a leafy plant and expresses a kiss towards it.
- Averted in an episode of Family Guy when Lois and Peter, framed by the sunset, have this exchange:
Lois: (gazing at the sunset) Oh, Peter, I love you.
Peter: (glancing at his watch) Ehh, about 10:30.
