Where do you go to read the latest about new tropes?
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
What about old tropes with new names?
How can you find the best but least linked tropes out there?
Worry no more: Trope Report is here.
Trope Report is a monthly newsletter that intends to showcase works and tropes from all corners of this website. It also aims to keep the troper hivemind updated with pertinent trope changes and discussions.
Happy New Year! We are entering the year of the dragon with high hopes. This issue marks Trope Report's third anniversary!
The biggest changes that happened last month are the quality of life upgrades the admins have added to the editing screen and edit history. We now have a set of template edit reasons and the edit history window has been paginated and now includes a search bar (for finding specific edits). More information on these changes and other fixes that were done last month can be found on the changelog
.
Another large change is that certain Useful Notes pages are being relocated to the new MediaNotes/ and Platform/ namespaces. You can check out our forum thread spotlight section for information on these namespace migrations.
Other notable changes that have happened over the course of last month are major TRS decisions that have completely overhauled well-established tropes like The Dragon, Blood Brothers, All Love Is Unrequited, and Nintendo Hard. More info regarding those changes can be found in our Changelog section.
We appreciate all of the feedback and support we have gotten over the years. Let's make 2024 another great year together.
Happy troping!
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Tropes and Works
Trope Spotlight
Obscure Tropes
This section highlights older tropes that need a boost.- It's National Hot Tea Month, which means that if you need some energy to get through the day, a nice hot cup of tea is just the thing. Be wary, though — caffeine may not always be enough, and you always need a good night's sleep. Caffeine Failure is a trope for those poor souls who are too tired to stay awake even after having caffeine. Despite being brewed up in 2015, this trope is something of a sleeper, only showing up on 36 pages. Why not give this trope a new boost of life?
- January 16 is Appreciate a Dragon Day, a day in which we recognize these mythical beings, whether they take eastern, western, or dinosaur forms. 2024 also marks the Year of the Dragon. So, time to hail their return with The Dragons Come Back! They made their emergence in 2012, but few have known about their comeback as they made their mark on 89 pages.
New Tropes
This section brings attention to recently-launched tropes that could use a little help to really get rolling.- Whether it be cold or hot outside where you will be celebrating the beginning of the new year, one thing we hope will happen is that you will be spending it with friends and family and thinking about those year-long resolutions to undertake ahead. But be wary, you comfy couch sitter, there is nothing like that champagne, all that hugging and kissing that might spur out some of those deep feelings for a very special someone in the form of an Accidental Declaration of Love! Dangerous, because it might start or end something, and you too will be made an example of in that trope's listing! This is a special one; the draft spent the majority of its time deep in the backlogs of TLP, and was launched on November 25th, but due to a too Fast Trope Launch Blunder akin to celebrating too early, it only had a short time as a front page feature, so go check it out now and take these 🥂 with you!
- For those living in the Southern Hemisphere, it's still summertime, and that means you'll still have to protect your skin at the beach, too. Most people during such weather would be wearing a nice sunhat, but what if one stood out from the crowd, and decided to decorate their hat with lace, ribbons, flowers, fruits, belts, and/or jewels? You get one of those Stylish Sunhats, which can symbollize a character's femininity and/or trendiness. Launched on December 14, it would be wise to hand out these hats to articles that could use one.
- Nerds, Geeks, and Otaku tend to enjoy collecting items relating to their hobbies, interests, and obsessions. A great way to signify that a character belongs to one of these groups is to show them with their Nerd Hoard, launched on December 18. Feel free to stop by, browse the collections of nerdy memorabilia, and contribute additional examples to the hoard, but please don't open any of the mint-in-box items!
Work Spotlight
New Work Page Spotlight
This section covers newer work pages that could use a little help.- Beach Invasion 1945 - Pacific is the 2023 follow-up to Beach Invasion 1944, being a hybrid First-Person Shooter Tower Defense. Once again developed by AIx2 Games, this title focuses on World War II's War in Asia and the Pacific. In contrast to the previous title, which only focused on the Germans defending Normandy against the Allied invasion on D-Day, 1945 features both the United States and Empire of Japan as playable factions with their own respective maps, with the US getting the Philippines in early 1942, and the Japanese getting Iwo Jima in February 1945. Once again, the objective is simply to Hold the Line for as long as possible against increasingly difficult assault waves.
- My New Boss Is Goofy is a shoujo manga that was launched in 2019 and was adapted into an anime in October 2023. It follows Kentaro Momose, who, after suffering severe abuse from his former boss, gets a new job and is tended by his new boss, Yusei Shirosaki. In contrast to his former boss, Shirosaki is kind, if a little airheaded, and is very prone to goofy moments. The page was created back in November 2023, so the page needs more love and maybe a few crosswicks.
Older/Obscure Work Spotlight
This section is intended to highlight works that may no longer be in the zeitgeist — but that doesn't mean they're any less tropable.- welcome to cat planet! cat planet is a very cute game by sylvie about exploring cat planet. you play a girl with wings and collect all the cats in cat planet. you can't die but you have to avoid obstacles to win. the game is short and will keep you busy for a short afternoon. cat planet cat planet cat planet!!
Works That Need a Page
This section takes a page from the List of Shows That Need Summary. It is intended to spotlight works that people have been talking about enough to link around the site, but don't have a page yet. If the work page link turns blue after this, then we know we've done our job!- Poco's Udon World is a manga by Nodoka Shinomaru that was adapted into an anime in October 2016. It follows Souta Tawara, a young man who returns to his hometown in the Kagawa prefecture following the death of his father. While visiting his family's old, rundown restaurant, he uncovers a Tanuki boy, whom he later adopts and names Poco. Despite the anime gaining a decent amount of popularity, it hasn't been given a page, and with the new year bringing new beginnings, now is the perfect time to give this cozy Dramedy anime a page.
- Carol & The End of The World is an adult cartoon that is streaming on Netflix. After news broke out of a planet being on a collision course with Earth, the world takes this opportunity to do exciting things before the end of the world. Our story follows the titular Carol, a middle-aged office worker who is uncomfortable with the hedonistic lifestyle the apocalypse brings. The show quickly gained praise for its character-driven narrative and how it explores its themes. As such, it would be nice if it were given a page here.
Non-English Work Spotlight
The wiki may be in English, but that doesn't mean non-English media are any less important! This section focuses on works that may have a language barrier to deal with — but are worth it if you do.- Ice Merchants is a 2022 animated short film by Portuguese animator JoĂŁo Gonzalez telling the story of a father and son who live on top of the mountains to bring ice to the city. Thanks to its beautiful animation and touching story, it got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. With the Oscar nominations on the 23rd of this month, why not give this nominee from last season another look?
- Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System RPG developed by Nihon Falcom and is the fifth primary installment in the Ys series. It takes place in the city of Xandria, where series protagonist Adol Christin embarks on a journey to find the titular lost city. It is currently the only Ys title to not be exported, and with Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo expressing an interest in remaking the game before he retires, it is time for this page to be given some editing love.
Creator Page Spotlight
Works would be nothing without the people who make them. This section highlights authors, artists, actors, musicians, and everyone else responsible for trope creation and proliferation.- Neil Newbon is an award-winning English actor, motion capture artist and voice actor with a fairly lengthy career. While he initially gained fame by having voice roles in Resident Evil Village and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, it wouldn't be until his role as Astarion in Baldur's Gate III that his popularity would skyrocket. With this, it's time to give his page some more love, as well as listing more of his past roles.
Image of the Month
This section brings you the best selections of the past month from Image Pickin'.
This issue's featured image comes from Loving Reaper, and illustrates Mysterious Animal Senses.
And now, to celebrate the New Year, we will take one last look at the pics chosen throughout 2023 and name one as the Image of the Year.
This issue's featured image comes from Loving Reaper, and illustrates Mysterious Animal Senses.
Don't Fear the Reaper, but also, don't pester him with demands, you little asshat.
Ever since the image in Engineered Heroics was added last month, Loving Reaper has very quickly become a fan favorite among Image Pickin' users, gaining more pics soon after for tropes such as Smash to Black, Devastating Remark, Throw the Dog a Bone and Lost Pet Grievance. As you might be able to glean from all of these pics and its title, the webcomic very prominently depicts the deaths of animals, often to raise awareness about animal abuse or neglect and the ways that the reader can help the cause or avoid making fatal mistakes.
All of this is a preamble to comment about how these comics are incredibly well researched, and it would be disrespectful and dangerous for us to try and make a statement about any of the topics dealt with, as we are not qualified professionals on the subject. So instead, let's talk about something lighter: kitties!
Yes, while Loving Reaper may be a largely Tear Jerking and depressing read, it's not above having some funny moments here and there to break up the melancholy. This strip, for instance, takes a situation familiar to any cat owner—that they like staring at nothing—and runs with it. Some believe that they are staring at ghosts or evil goblins, but this strip reveals that they were plotting murder all along. Who would've guessed?
And now, to celebrate the New Year, we will take one last look at the pics chosen throughout 2023 and name one as the Image of the Year.
Superman doesn't overshadow others; he inspires them to look up.
And speaking of fan favorites... yeah, Superman covers are certainly that and then some. We had named this pic (which illustrates The Paragon) our Image of the Month back in March's issue, but to quickly sum up once more: all the small details help paint the full portrait of how Superman managed to inspire so many people—from the multiracial cast, the Creator Cameo from artist Jorge JimĂ©nez, the kids in costume and the presence of The Real Heroes. While pics like the one on Evil Twin are merely funny, this one has become a fan favorite thanks to how heartwarming it is, which is what ultimately pushes it to be Image of the Year.
Projects and Discussions
Forumwatch
Hey guys! Welcome back to Forumwatch! In this section, we'll be telling you about what's going on in the forums — interesting discussions that may be going on in Wiki Talk, some fun forum games, or lively debates going on in On-Topic Conversations, you name it!
- At Trope Report, we like to pride ourselves on informing people about tropes they may not have discovered before. However, there are thousands of tropes on the wiki — far more than we can catalogue! So if you yourself uncover a hidden gem of a trope, visit Tropes you didn't know existed until recently and share your findings.
- We already have several ways of organizing specific tropes, but currently, setting tropes are lumped in with main work pages. As a result, there's been discussion about creating a namespace for settings. Stop at the A Namespace About Story Worlds thread to discuss.
- It's January, and in many countries, that means wild and very varying weather. For some enthusiasts, however, it can make a great topic for discussion. At Weather you like it or not, you can discuss your favorite weather and find out if you have something in common with other tropers.
Trope/Article Changelog
This section covers renames, removals, redefinitions, hard-splits, merges, and wick cleaning. We'll try to keep you alerted to any major changes to the site, including perpetual projects and Wiki Talk decisions that you may have missed, but if you want to be a part of the process that affects so much of our wiki, then head over to the Trope Repair Shop on the left-hand side of the forum.
- All Love Is Unrequited is being retooled into Unrequited Love, which will be a supertrope. The Unrequited Love Tropes index will also be combined into the supertrope. TRS thread here.
- Blood Brothers has been renamed to Sworn Brothers to make it clear that the two non-related characters made a brotherly oath or bond with each other. TRS thread here.
- Break Up To Make Up has been disambiguated due to a confusing description and a low amount of wicks. TRS discussion here.
- The Dragon had its description broadened. Those serving major villains that aren't the Big Bad and those that are second-in-command but not Number Two are now allowed. TRS thread here.
- Drop The Hammer has been disambiguated, as using a hammer as a weapon was deemed non-tropeworthy, similarly to the earlier An Axe To Grind. TRS thread here.
- Everybody Wants the Hermaphrodite was redefined to "intersex characters being considered intrinsically attractive" and will be renamed to Intersex Allure. The concept for "androgyny is attractive regardless of gender" has also been sent to the salvage yard. TRS thread here.
- Nintendo Hard has been classified as YMMV, as difficulty is seen as subjective. There was also misuse applying it to modes, bosses, and levels instead of the entire game. TRS thread here.
- Ritual Magic has been defined as "magic used in rituals". Instances of magic being accessible to anyone with the appropriate knowledge will be split off. TRS thread here.
- Transgender Fetishization has been split into two tropes: Trans Chaser, in which a cis character Has a Type for transgender or other gender-nonconfirming people, and Trans Equals Hypersexual, in which transgender and gender-nonconforming characters are shown with an Extreme Libido. TRS thread here.
Pages Needing Help
This section highlights articles indexed on the Pages Needing Wiki Magic policy page and sub-pages. Such articles are, at best, under-performing and below wiki standards. At worst, these pages are in violation of the wiki's rules against stubs. If you're an editor, try checking out some of these under-performing trope and work articles to see what improvements you can make to the page.
- This month's birthday is K. D. Wentworth, a science fiction author behind works such as The Imperium Game, The House Of Moons Chronicles, and the Jao Empire series. Yet for someone with an extensive career, her page's description is almost nonexistent. A fuller bibliography as well as pages for her works would be appreciated as well.
- Scratch and Crow is a surreal animated short film about the life of a chicken rendered in strange but beautiful watercolor imagery. As of this writing, the page has only five tropes listed, which is rather famished even for a five-minute film. Who wants to rise to the occasion of expanding this page?
- To Catch Heroes, Hire Villains is when a hero is publicly accepted to be guilty due to unscrupulous behavior in some way (regardless of actual circumstances), so the authorities hire other baddies who had long ago had their plans foiled to go after said hero. In addition to a muddied description, it's gathered a mere 15 wicks since its creation in late 2008, incidentally matching the date of MLK day. Writer of the poem "New Year", "Lang Syne" Hughes, was one of MLK's influences, though neither had a publicly accepted "downfall".
Project Spotlight
Looking for a project to dedicate some time to, but not comfortable jumping into large threads? Here are some smaller projects, or more recent discussions, in need of a few more hands.
- Now that Platform/ and Media Notes/ have been made into official namespaces, that will leave plenty of Useful Notes/ pages that need to be moved, along with wick migrating. If you want to lend a hand, stop by Platform/ and MediaNotes/ namespaces (formerly "Useful Notes and the two contrasting ways we use it").
- Quite a few examples with "The Trope" wording have been having problems. Thus, a dedicated cleanup thread has been created. If you want to help out, please come visit the "The Trope" cleanup thread.
Know the Contributors
- FernandoLemon writes for Work Spotlight and Image of the Month. He's not telling you his New Year's resolution or else it won't become true.
- War Jay 77 contributed to the Trope Spotlight this month. Her resolutions include trying harder at work and making some money to get through 2024.
- gjjones writes for the Project Spotlight section. He also frequently spends his time working on projects whenever they are necessary, cleaning up wiki entries and participating in the ATT and Trope Repair Shop threads.
- Expired Christmas Chicken plakythebirb writes for Works That Need a Page.
- callmeamuffin is placing up his 2024 calendar, since he finished writing for this month's Trope Spotlight and Forumwatch.
- Berrenta wrote for Trope Spotlight and Pages Needing Help, while also covering for the Changelog. Her New Year's resolution is to fix her sleep schedule.
- Ayumi-chan wrote for the Trope Report before preparing her "Things to be excited for in 2024" list and watching the fireworks on the TR beaches.
- Cardboard Bot used to draw art for Trope Report and designed the mascot, along with the default image.
- Twiddler makes sure our grammar is in order.
- Beer Baron needs more coffee but managed a contribution to Trope Spotlight.
- skewview's first time contribution to the report is in the form of a New Trope that was 10 years in the making.
- Coachpill wrote for Pages Needing Help this month. He yearns to get a couple extra inches taller before some point in his early 20s will mark the final cutoff.
- Rmpdc wrote the section for Beach Invasion 1945 - Pacific.
- alnair20aug93 made the page image — gave him an HD makeover.
- MacronNotes wrote the introduction.
- Trope Reporter (real name Taylor Von Trope) is the mascot for Trope Report whose likeness was given a literal new resolution for this edition's image.
This edition of Trope Report is brought to you by the Steamboat Willie Riverboat. Thanks to our world-famous crew, we've been shipping animals worldwide since 1928. Now open to everyone, everywhere!
Interested in becoming a contributor, or have suggestions for works or tropes to feature? Pop by the thread and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)
and let us know! We don't bite. (Much.)