Dogged Nice Guy: Difference between revisions

** Come to think of it, most B5 romantic feelings seem to end unhappily.

* ''[[Noah's Arc]]'': Interestingly enough, {{spoiler|Ricky is this to Noah. Ricky shows increasing emotional investment and protectiveness of Noah, particularly after the gay bashing, but it's revealed in the movie that Ricky has actually been in love with him for some time}}.

** And Danny Concannon on ''[[The West Wing]]''. Sorkin must love these.

* The TV Adaptation of ''[[10 Things I Hate About You]]'' badly miscalculates this with the character of Cameron. While in the film he's a genuine [[Nice Guy]], the tv version never actually tells Bianca he's interested in her (he tries once in French, which he knows she doesn't understand, and sends her a note he knows she never received). When she assumes he's gay, he makes only a cursory attempt to deny it. In one episode, she arranges to go to a dance with a [[Jerk Jock]], and he [[Twilight (novel)|sabotages the guy's car]] and steals his cell phone to make her think she has been stood up, then offers to go with her in his place. Given that he comes off like a creepy stalker, and she has a really sweet chemistry with Joey (who was a [[Jerk Jock]] in the film), the show seems to be writing itself into a corner.

* Harper in ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'' is a rare female version vis a vis Justin. They seemed to drop this when Harper moved in with the Russos in the third season, though, probably to prevent some questions about what they do together when no one's around...

* Freddie in ''[[iCarly]]'' towards [[Girl Next Door|Carly]]. He flits between a mild case of a [[Played for Laughs]] [[Stalker with a Crush|puppy dog crush]] in season 1, this in season 2, and [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]] in season 3. Although he doesn't especially qualify for either major type of this trope: he doesn't sabotage her relationships, but he was also pretty clear about liking her, whilst not being over the top in trying to woo her. As they grew up, Freddie and Carly went from being next door buddies, to true best friends, and are very likely to be playing out a [[Just Friends]] [[Will They or Won't They?]] story arc in Season 4.

* Both incarnations of the reality show ''Average Joe'' featured entire casts of Dogged Nice Guys -- ugly and/or morbidly obese men vying for the affections of a stunning supermodel. At one point, the producers send a boatload of chiseled hunks to compete with the Joes, who instantly feel slighted by the new competition. This highlights the [[Double Standard]] and enormous sense of entitlement inherent in this trope, as the Joes begin lashing out at the supermodel for turning her attention to the hunks, calling her shallow...never mind that the Joes ''themselves'' only went on the show for the chance to get with a ''supermodel'' and that, at the end of the day, they are no kinder or more intelligent than the attractive men.

* Cody of ''[[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody|The Suite Life On Deck]]'' acted this way toward Bailey for most of the first season. This is a mild subversion, as it was pretty clear that she liked him, too. When they got together, the writers shifted this trait onto Marcus Little, toward London Tipton, who is [[Cloudcuckoolander|too much in her own world]] to notice.

== Theater ==

* Alfred in ''[[Tanz der Vampire]]'' is like this toward Sarah. Herbert is a less loser-ish version toward Alfred.

 

 

* ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldur's Gate II]]'' features the [[Violent Glaswegian]] dwarf fighter Korgan Bloodaxe, who will make advances towards a fellow tiny fighter, halfling Mazzy Fentan, should the player pick both for his party. The main reason Mazzy isn't very interested in him is that he, contrary to the trope name, is ''[[Psycho for Hire|not]]'' a very nice guy at all.

{{quote|"Hey, Mazzy! Just so's you know, I've somethin' long, hard, and low t'the ground you're free to touch and fondle if ye wish. No need to glare, girlie: I was talking aboot me axe!"}}

* Female example: Mai Shiranui from ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' and ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' series, who fell madly in love with Andy Bogard. Though she doesn't exactly act nice.

* ''[[Knights of the Old Republic (video game)|Knights of the Old Republic]]''. The male character's romance with Bastila consists mainly of immature teasing, but once you actually suggest a real relationship to her, she says no. If you want to achieve the romance, you pretty much have to keep pushing her and pushing her, regardless of how many times she turns you down. Though to be fair, she does make it quite obvious that she likes you too, and that it's only the Jedi code stopping her from saying yes.

{{quote|'''Garrus''': Dr. Michel ''did'' get me some dextro-amino chocolate. You're welcome to it, once we're back.

'''Tali''': She got you turian ''chocolate''?

'''Tali''': ''(innocently)'' Oh, nothing. / ''(if Shepard romanced Garrus)'' Watch yourself, Shepard. }}

** Unfortunately for her, by the third game, Garrus is most likely either [[Battle Couple|in a long-term relationship with Shepard]] or {{spoiler|[[Relationship Upgrade|he hooks up with Tali]]}}.

== Visual Novels ==

* In the third game from the [[Girls Love]] series ''[[Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo]]'', we have a dogged nice girl in Mai. To make things interesting, Mai is chasing a Type A [[Tsundere]].

 

 

== Webcomics ==

* The whole point of the ''[http://theniceguycomic.com Nice Guy]'' webcomic.

* [http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02142004.shtml This Something Positive] contains a wonderful deconstruction of self-professed nice guys, and a big part of Mike's overall [[Character Development]] is learning to get rid of "nice guy syndrome".

* [http://xkcd.com/513/ This] ''[[Xkcd]]'' comic is a ruthless [[Deconstruction]] showing exactly how [[Stalker with a Crush|creepy]] this can be. Though it may seem like [[Cannot Spit It Out]], the guy in the strip deliberately doesn't talk to the girl about how he wants to date her, because it would be "forcing the issue". It caused quite the [[Internet Backdraft]] on the xkcd forums. A certain contingent [[Misaimed Fandom|saw nothing wrong with the guy's actions]].

* The titular character of ''[[Hey Arnold!]]'' becomes a mild version of this after he realizes that he like ''likes'' Lila.

* Cody on ''[[Total Drama Island]]'' to Gwen, although he eventually decides [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]] when she hooks up with his friend Trent. In the third season, ''[[Total Drama World Tour]],'' he returns to the game and continues chasing Gwen (who has since broken up with Trent)...but when she hooks up with Duncan, [[Took a Level in Jerkass|he punches him in the face instead, and becomes more creeply obsessed with Gwen.]] Gwen uses him to help vote Courtney off and stays with Duncan.

** Tootie to Timmy in a female example, though it can drift into [[Stalker with a Crush]] [[Depending on the Writer]]. [[Word of God]] has it that she will be successful in the live-action adaptation.

* Jarvis Tetch (aka the Mad Hatter) from ''[[Batman: The Animated Series]]'' starts out as this. [[If I Can't Have You|Things go quickly downhill]] when he learns that his love interest, Alice, is engaged and only sees Jarvis as a friend.