Let's Talk Tropes (Possibly NSFW)

Let’s talk about the tropes that you commonly see (or rarely see) used in Movies, Television Shows, Literature, Comics, and of course Anime and Manga.
 
(in other words, plot devices)

The balloon trope  
Related to body inflation, this is a trope that commonly occur in older cartoons. A character is inflated like a balloon and often ends by deflating, flying out of control (sometimes accompanied by a fart-like sound)
 
Balloons behave like inflatables  
When a rubber balloon comes into contact with a sharp object, it doesn’t pop right away. Instead, it deflates

Beach Episodes
 
Common in Anime, this trope is commonly used to recap the events of previous episodes, but this trope has been plagued with problems, mainly because this has been used as filer and/or for fanservice.
 
There is a silver lining to this trope, sometimes this is used as breathers for heavy story arcs and there can be a plot twists (or fake-outs) within these beach episodes.

Five Man Band:
 
One of the big reasons I have a continued grudge against the TV Tropes higher ups and love Overly Sarcastic Productions’ video about said tropes.

I don’t know if this trope has been formalised yet, but it’s something I see a lot in modern incarnations of classic series.
 
Some backstory: I’m a fan of The Expanse (like many-another space game fan), have watched the Netflix adaption of Lost in Space, and recently started watching The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (I was a fan of the 90’s show).
 
One thing I noticed they all do with regards to characterisation and drama is something I call secret-asshole-itis, where in order to create conflict and character motivation is to make certain characters secret assholes in order to bind the characters with the narrative. In The Expanse it works well because of how the story and setting is structured; in Lost in Space and Sabrina not so much, because it in too many instances crosses the threshold of “if you just said that to ‘x’ character they wouldn’t be in that predicament.”

Air magically turns into helium
 
How does a balloon float after being blown by mouth or inflated by a normal pump?
 
The Anvil  
The secret weapon of vintage cartoon that will crush or obliterate someone with the metallic “THWANG” sound
 
Phallic Bruise  
Still from old cartoons, when a character get injured, they will have a really comedic bruise and swelling that may look phallic, resembling something explicit
 
Bad guys play billiards at the bar  
This is why people sometimes associate the game of billiards with drunk people, criminals and socially ill people
 
Tires are the weak spot of a vehicle, not fuel tank  
Shooting a target vehicle’s tires in the hope to subdue them

Status Quo Is God:  
“Plot/Character developement? Nonono, we can’t have that.”
 
Another reason I left so many shows, especially sitcoms and/or cartoons that refuse to make changes that have actual meaning rather than be a cheap ratings ploy.

Dream/Coma theories, a way to piss off the audience.

Professional Bowler Background Character
 
When a scene from a Western animation involves a bowling alley, note that background characters always make a strike

My favorite trope even if I don’t like the name.