Discussion Main / TroubledButCute

Can someone who is the Anti-Anti-christ (e.g. a demon in a cute human form) be this too, or does this only apply to characters who weren't born Obviously Evil?

Shouldn't this trope be classified as unisex? I mean, if the Broken Bird is always female, while this one is always male, wouldn't it seem ironic?

Shouldn't we rename it something like Rebellious But Cute, as the original title makes it sound like the character is cute despite being sad.

Zero Context Example entries were commented out or moved here.

• Sachiko from Maria Sama Ga Miteru arguably counts.

  • Removed as Examples Are Not Arguable.

• Every last protagonist student character in the Live-Action Adaptation of Gokusen.

  • List them and explain the context. Plus use a Name Space.

• Most major characters from Evangelion qualify as Troubled But Cute to some extent.

• Most of the main cast of The Outsiders, ranging from Johnny The Woobie to Dallas (handsome and hard as nails). The narrator, Ponyboy, falls somewhere toward the idealistic side; his eldest brother is slightly more troubled and his second brother slightly more cute.

  • Example Indentation

• Ryan Atwood on The O.C.. A bit of a subversion, as he was both the main character and, occasionally, the Only Sane Man.

  • A bit of subversion is nonsense.

• Degrassi gives us a few. Sean, Craig, K.C., and Eli. Spinner, Jay, Alex, and Johnny grow into this (either drama happening to them or growing nicer to people). Ellie, Alex, and Bianca are female examples, showing more textbook traits of this compared to the female counterpart trope.
• Both Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries, but particularly Damon. Jeremy also applies. Tyler counts as well, as does Vicki as the female equivalent.

• Degrassi gives us a few. Sean, Craig, K.C., and Eli. Spinner, Jay, Alex, and Johnny grow into this (either drama happening to them or growing nicer to people). Ellie, Alex, and Bianca are female examples, showing more textbook traits of this compared to the female counterpart trope.

• Both Stefan and Damon from The Vampire Diaries, but particularly Damon. Jeremy also applies. Tyler counts as well, as does Vicki as the female equivalent.

REMOVED.

• Shadow the Hedgehog from the Sonic games has had a very troubled past and is considered cute to some. Tikal the Echidna has a very troubled past and is very, very cute.