You're Cute When You're Angry

"You look wonderful when you're angry... just like an avenging angel."

— Albert, Brief Encounter

Bob succeeds in pissing Alice off. Instead of running away fast, Bob tells Alice she's funny/cute/sexy when she's mad. This goes over as well as one might expect, though Bob probably wasn't trying to defuse the situation in the first place. Expect Alice to storm off, attack Bob, "attack" Bob, or inexplicably burst into tears.

May occur in Slap-Slap-Kiss relationships, when one partner finds the other to be attractive while angry. See also Beautiful Tears, when someone looks great when they cry.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• Flip says this to Princess Camille in Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, and gets a hook to the jaw for it.
• Inverted in chapter 9 of Ranma ½ when Ranma catches an angry Akane off guard by telling her she's cute when she smiles. Of course, Ranma being Ranma, he just has to ruin the moment. Thinking on Ranma's words a little later, she tries her smile in a mirror... at which point Ranma pops his head in and really ruins the moment by asking if mirrors always make her smile or if she's just testing her cheeks, earning himself a Megaton Punch.
• Rouge says this to Knuckles in Sonic X in regards to his quick and hot temper. Of course, she loves pushing his buttons a lot, much like the rest of the characters do at times, and it doesn't help that both have a Belligerent Sexual Tension.
• In Cross Ange, this is what Embryo says to Jill when he sees her again. In this case however, Jill shoots him with her magnum though all it hit was a tree since Embryo showed up in a hologram.
• In Aruosumente, Lante won't stop calling Jasmin by his real name, even when Jasmin resorts to punching Lante and threatening mayhem. Lante just comments how Jasmin isn't even scary when he's angry.

Comic Books

• Asterix: In Asterix and the Secret Weapon, Bravura says this to Asterix while grabbing him off his feet in an Effortless Amazonian Lift.
• Preacher: Jesse Custer uses this on Tulip, with terrible results. Likely inspiration from his Dad, who snarkily approves of John Wayne as Ghenghis Khan using the line "Yer beautiful in yer wrath".

Fan Works

• Kaworu mentions in Advice and Trust that Rei is at her most beautiful when she's angry, since it's when she's the most alive. Given that her outburst of anger are usually directed at him, fans started joking that he's a masochist.
• Naru-Hina Chronicles: In Chapter 68, Hinata behaves like a Clingy Jealous Girl after seeing Naruto not putting up much of a fight while dealing with Nanami. She then shyly apologizes to him for getting angry, only for Naruto to tell her that she has nothing to be sorry about and that she's cute when she's jealous.
• A Beetlejuice story titled Loud and Claire has Claire Brewster bursting into Lydia's bedroom and confirming what she suspected earlier...that Lydia is harboring a ghost that she sics on Claire as an equalizer.
  Beetlejuice: You're angry when you're beautiful!"
• Service with a Smile: Mercury calls Velvet "babe" because he likes the dangerous look in her eyes when she's annoyed. This might also be why he constantly antagonizes his partner Emerald, though with her he's not stupid enough to get caught staring at her ass. Both Velvet and Emerald could fight him on an even level, but the difference is that Emerald would.
• In the Temeraire and Assassin's Creed crossover fanfic Trade Winds, Desmond Miles, with his devil-may-care attitude, finds William Laurence's utter seriousness and strict adherence to duty and protocol amusing and adorable. Of course, he would never dare to express this thought outside his narration, likely because Laurence would probably go purple at the impropriety of it.

Films - Animated

• Batman: Hush: Watching Batman tear up a Bad Guy Bar, Catwoman says, "God, you're hot when you smash stuff."

Films - Live Action

• Inverted in Spaceballs:
  "Well, what have we got here? Will you look at her? Those flashing eyes, those flushed cheeks, those trembling lips. You know something Princess? You're ugly when you're angry."
• Brief Encounter:
  Albert Godby: ...you look wonderful when you're angry... just like an avenging angel.
• GPS:
  Frankie: Is that a date, Bob? You get so cute when you're angry.
• High School U.S.A.:
  Beau Middleton: Who's kinda cute?
  Beth Franklin: You, of course. Especially when you're angry. Your dimple twitches.
• Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves:
  Robin Hood: Don't play games with me.
  Maid Marian: You're so handsome when you're angry.
• The Breakfast Club:
  Bender: You're kind of sexy when you're angry.
• The Sea Chase:
  Capt. Karl Ehrlich: Did anyone ever tell you that you're beautiful when you're angry?
• Two Moon Junction:
  Perry: You're sexy when you're angry.
• The Conqueror:
  Bortai: For me, there is no peace while you live, Mongol.
  Temujin: You're beautiful in your wrath.
• Adam's Rib, where Adam Bonner is telling his wife over the phone that he's been assigned to prosecute Doris Attinger for shooting her husband:
  Adam: The boss wants a quick conviction, and I'm just the little guy who can get it for him—so he says.
  Amanda: You great big he-men make me sick!
  Adam: What?
  Amanda: An outrage, that's what I think!
  Adam: You're getting awful dramatic...
  Amanda: Why, why, what's so funny?
  Adam: Ha, ha, ha—nothing. You just sound cute when you get cause-y.
  Amanda: Oh— (hangs up)
• Also used in Revenge of the Nerds during the panty raid scene.
• Tom says it to Hallie at least twice during The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
• A Guy Named Joe: As Dorinda is ranting about Pete for unnecessarily risking his life (Pete's a World War II bomber pilot), Pete says "You know Dorinda, the madder you get, the prettier you are."
• In Scream 2, Gale says this to Dewey after accidentally coming across a video tape of them having an argument.
• Wartime Romance: So says Dubrovsky, the formerly Obstructive Bureaucrat, when Luba is in his office again bawling him out about her housing difficulties. (The subtitle of the Russian actually says "It becomes you, when you're angry."). They eventually get married.

Literature

• In Cerberus High, Akuji says this to Blanc at the beginning of their battle when the latter became enraged at his laid-back attitude and his refusal to bring out his weapon.
• Older Than Radio — courtesy of John Keats:
  Or if thy mistress some rich anger shows,
  Emprison her soft hand, and let her rave.
  And feed deep, deep upon her peerless eyes.
• The Female Man: Mentioned in one of Laura's monologues as one of the many backhanded compliments she's gotten from the men in her life.
• The Truth: This line flashes through William de Worde's mind when a very, very angry Sacharissa Crisplock comes storming into his office, against a general backdrop of terror.
• The Twilight Saga: Edward Cullen is all about this in Midnight Sun (2020). "Furious kitten that thinks it's a tiger" much?
• At one point in Mark Walden's H.I.V.E., Shelby says Wing is "Kinda cute" when he's angry. His response? "Then at this precise moment I can honestly say that I am cuter than I have ever been before."
• Tsunami from Wings of Fire thinks of Sunny like this whenever the young naive dragon gets passionate. As it turns out in The Brightest Night, Sunny hates being thought of like this.

Live Action TV

• Doctor Who
  • Turlough from uses this on Tegan, who already thinks he's an annoying, condescending public school sneak, and does not soften at being told she looks "so sweet" when she gets angry.
  • The Thirteenth Doctor isn't any more impressed.
    Lord Byron: May I just say you are quite lovely in a crisis?
    Doctor: No, you may not.
• Said by Mata Hari to Indiana in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles episode "Paris, October 1916."
• The Stand (1994) miniseries, part 3 "The Betrayal":
  Larry Underwood: You're awful cute when you're angry, Stu.
• Occurs in Hannah Montana when Rico keeps getting frustrated over Oliver liking his new job at Rico's.
  Oliver: I know. And you're cute when you're angry.
  Rico: WELL I'M ABOUT TO GET ADORABLE!
• Invoked in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
  Zack: Has anyone ever told you that you're really pretty when you're angry?
  Maddie: WELL I MUST BE GORGEOUS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I AM FURIOUS!
• Whenever Major Burns wanted to complain to Colonel Blake in early seasons of M*A*S*H, he'd bring Major Houlihan into Blake's office with him, and just stand or sit there glaring while she did all the talking. At one point, after Margaret delivers an angry tirade on Frank's behalf, Hawkeye says to her, "You know, you're beautiful when he's angry." In another episode Hawkeye turned that into a spoonerism, saying "You're angry when you're beautiful."
• Star Trek: Voyager
  • In "Death Wish", Q uses a humorous variation:
    Janeway: The vaunted Q Continuum: "Self-anointed Guardians of The Universe"! How dare you come aboard this ship and endanger this crew with your personal tug-of-war!
    Q: Did anyone ever tell you you're angry when you're beautiful?
  • In "Equinox", B'Elanna Torres runs into a New Old Flame, and tells Tom Paris (her current Love Interest) that he's cute when he's jealous.
  • In "Human Error", holodeck-Chakotay quips to Seven of Nine, "You're beautiful when you're chopping."
• Xena says this to Gabrielle in the Xena: Warrior Princess episode "Fins, Femmes and Gems", as Gabrielle single-handedly beats up a gang of thugs.
  Xena: You go, Gabrielle! You're beautiful when you're angry.
• Supernatural: Played for Sarcasm Mode in "Shut Up, Dr. Phil":
  "You're so cute when you try to tell me what to do."
• Westworld. Bernard Lowe, who creates the Character Tics of the androids in Westworld, interrupts an argument his boss Theresa is having with a particularly obnoxious employee with this trope. It's a non-sequitur that was probably meant to defuse the tension, but later it's revealed Bernard and Theresa are having a Secret Relationship so in retrospect it's played straight as well.
  Bernard: It's beautiful... Your brow. When you're angry but trying to control it, the fine muscles pull into a little arc. It's elegant. Would you mind if I recorded it? I'd love to show it to my team.
  Theresa: No, Bernard, you may not record it.
  Bernard: Ah, there it is again.
• Blake's 7. In "Sarcophagus", an Energy Being has possessed Cally and is urging Avon to Don't Make Me Destroy You, preferring that he submit to her willingly. Avon delivers the line before giving Cally a kiss so he can steal her Ring of Power.
• Modern Family: Phil says that the secret to a happy marriage is to find someone who looks cute when they're annoyed. His wife gives him an annoyed look.

Music

• When You're Mad by Ne-Yo is this.
• "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies. "Can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad? Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad..."

Newspaper Comics

• Dilbert: The Pointy-Haired Boss admits he gets turned on by angry women in pantsuits.
• Explained in this◊ Life in Hell strip.
• In Peanuts, Lucy once said this after telling Schroeder that she would be taking piano lessons, on a real piano.
• In Mutts, Earl said this to Mooch, who was complaining about humans finding them cute.
  • Another strip has Mooch ranting about how much he hates it when people call him "cute." Earl tells him that he [Mooch] is cute when he's angry, much to Mooch's fury.
• An interesting variant involving a third person occurred in Dykes to Watch Out For. At one of their first meetings, Sydney obliquely praises Pat Buchanan in order to provoke an angry rant from Mo. After Mo stomps off, there is this conversation:
  Ginger: Why'd you bait her like that?
  Sydney: Don't her ears turn an entrancing salmon hue when she's apoplectic?

Theatre

• In A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Senex uses this line on Hysterium in drag while chasing him around his house.
• In the final scene of Barefoot in the Park, Paul is chasing his wife Corie around the house despite her insistence that he's sick and should be in bed. After she elbows him in the stomach and escapes his grasp, he tells her, "Gee, you're pretty when you're mean and rotten."

Video Games

• Bully:
  Lola: Oh I love it when you get angry, Johnny. I really do. You're so... bestial!
• Happens in Evolution: The World of Sacred Device when Chain is having a go at Mag, then he defuses the whole confutation by title dropping the trope.
• Final Fantasy X - During the first battle with Seymour, he says this of Yuna:

Seymour: You eyes, they burn with resolve... beautiful.

• In the PlayStation 3 version of Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay, when Guybrush gets Morgan LeFlay angry by repeatedly checking out the mast while battling her on the Screaming Narwhal, one of the bronze trophies that the player is awarded is "She's Cute When She's Angry".
• In Spyro: Year of the Dragon, Hunter says this about Bianca the apprentice bunny wizard.
• Mass Effect 2: If you pursue a relationship with Jack, it freaks her out a bit. She responds in the only way she can and Shepard's attitude seems a lot like this trope.
• Hades does this during Chapter 12 of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Then again, this is Hades we're talking about.
  Viridi: Dang it, Hades! Get your filthy troops out of my bomb depot!
  Hades: You're so cute when you're flustered, rosebud.
• Hero & Daughter: Holly finds Ralph "pretty cute" when he's angry.
• Not for Broadcast: In the Lockdown level, when Jeremy Donaldson becomes agitated and asks Sophia Rymmington what our future will hold, she becomes all bubbly and responds, "Oh, honey, you're so cute when you're angry!"
• Inverted in Gunbird 2. One of the Queen Pirates' pre-boss fight dialogues has Gimmick note to Shark that getting mad makes her look ugly. Naturally, Shark is visibly unamused.

Webcomics

• A variant of this line is said in Kid Radd.
• Although not said out loud; in Between the Lines (2006), Shay gives this look after being told that her skin looks blotchy.
• In Candi, Linda is told that her breasts get larger when she's angry.
• In Bad Machinery, Lottie tells Claire, "I've never seen you like this! It's just like real white hot rage... but cuter?" (However, Claire's anger was directed at another girl, not Lottie.) Link
• Nova's ready with a response to this when the notably pale Elgin says it in The Wolf at Weston Court:
  Elgin: Oh, you're even cuter when you're angry.
  Nova: You'll be even paler when you're dead!
• Yeonhwa's most common insult to Dahye in White Angels Have No Wings. She does it often when she molests her and it pisses her off to no end. She does the same to her sister Minhye.

Western Animation

• One song in Animaniacs ends with Yakko saying this to Dot. The song is about Dot bragging about being so cute, so it actually fits in that case instead of just being a male not taking an angry girl seriously, since Yakko may have been apologizing for ruining Dot's song (since that's why Dot was angry in the first place).
• Said by Riven to Bloom in the Winx Club when she was getting annoyed by his jerky behavior in season 1.
• ThunderCats had an... awkward example in the first episode, where Wilykat frog-marches his sister into a suspension capsule and locks her in. When she orders him to let her out or else, he tells her, "You're beautiful when you snarl." This scene was cut from later showings and the DVD.
• Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends has it in one episode when Prince Charming, an imaginary friend, saying this after Frankie attacked him off-screen from the ladies' restroom.
• Gravity Falls: When Ford is yelling at Bill for lying to him about the portal and that he's going to stop him, he tells Ford it'd be "cute to see him try".
• The pilot of Kaeloo had Mr. Cat say this almost word for word to Kaeloo.
• The Smurfs (1981): In the episode "Haunted Smurfs", Brainy says something to the effect of "you're beautiful when you're mad" to Smurfette when he hops into her arms in fearful reaction to a growling sound...only to find out that it's merely the hallway echoing the sound of Greedy's stomach.
• Phineas and Ferb: Lawrence pulls this on an upset Linda in the beginning of "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together!". The reason she was upset with him? He forgot their anniversary.

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