Together Umbrella

"Now that it's raining more than ever,
 Know that we'll still have each other.
 You can stand under my umbrella.

You can stand under my umbrella."
—Rihanna, "Umbrella"

Back in the day it was not seen as kosher for a young woman to be seen in public with a man who was not a family member. One exception was during a rainy day, when a man could offer to share his umbrella with a young maiden in the street if she hadn't one herself.

It is a romantic image in media all over the world—but it doesn't quite have the iconic "oomph" to Westerners that it does in Japan. The Japanese equivalent of the 'John [arrow through heart] Jane' love graffiti is drawing the pair's names standing under an umbrella.

Compare Parasol of Prettiness, Old-Fashioned Rowboat Date.

Examples of Together Umbrella include:

Anime and Manga

  • In Sailor Moon, Usagi and Mamoru do this at least once. Usagi also unduly flips out over Mamoru offering an older lady his umbrella out of kindness at one point.
    • This trope is used early in the original manga, except the umbrella both foreshadowed the two of them becoming a couple and saved them from a nasty fall.
    • It's platonic—unless you listen to the fangirls—when Makoto and Shinozaki are under his umbrella, right after her boyfriend/senpai/who knows breaks her heart. It's so platonic, that Makoto herself dispells Usagi's squeals about them being in love when asked. She says that their friendship is actually more serious than any love she could have with a boyfriend.
    • And later (chronologically but in an earlier episode) Motoki also offers an umbrella to Makoto, resulting in her developing a severe crush on him.
  • In Suzumiya Haruhi, Haruhi walks Kyon home with the school umbrella. They aren't a couple, really.
  • Ranma ½ has a magical umbrella which makes any two people who share it fall in love. (Is any item in that series not magical?).
    • A "chapter title" illustration from the manga shows Ryoga and Akari standing happily under Ryoga's umbrella in a deliberate use of the trope.
      • Another one had female-Ranma cheerfully whacking Ryouga to the ground with it.
    • Also, the "carving one's names on a tree, under an umbrella-shaped symbol" version is used several times, especially by Kuno (to Ranma's annoyance, especially when the tree took it seriously,) but Genma and Nodoka did this too when they were dating.
    • The song "November Rain" from one of the albums is about a rather sad, subverted version of this trope. The entire reason why Ranma is singing the song is because he's heartbroken over his fiancée, Akane, ditching him under the umbrella they were sharing with each other. Since him hurting her feelings was what caused her to leave, he laments throughout the song over how he just can't seem to be tender with her.

Ranma: Even rain that's about to freeze from cold is warmer than my heart. November rain, until my tears vanish, don't stop.

  • Keiko, a previously flat member of Nanami's Girl Posse in the Black Rose Story Arc of Revolutionary Girl Utena, more or less becomes the Monster of the Week after Nanami catches Keiko under an umbrella with Touga and reacts by throwing Keiko out of the group. Turns out that Keiko does have a crush on Touga, but Nanami's simply a Clingy Jealous Girl with a Big Brother Attraction. And Mikage uses it against everyone, pushing the lonely and troubled Keiko into becoming a Black Rose duelist.
  • Subverted in The Prince of Tennis, where, actually, two * males* (Kunimitsu Tezuka and Shuusuke Fuji) share an umbrella under the snow. Not that it will stop Fanon and Tezuka x Fuji fangirls...
  • Lucia and Hanon in Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch get caught in the rain under an umbrella, and although they really can't stand the implications, they haven't got a choice, since getting wet will turn them into mermaids in the middle of the street. This doesn't stop Hanon from latching onto her teacher at the first opportunity, leaving Lucia open to share her umbrella with Kaito.
  • Asa's Instant Fanclub in SHUFFLE! is called Ai Ai Asa, playing off the word "aiaigasa" as well as the chant simply meaning "love love Asa".
  • Sort of subverted in a bonus chapter in Vampire Knight: A teenage Juuri Kuran walks home from a human school in the rain even though Haruka showed up at her school with an umbrella. They both end up getting drenched since he shuts his umbrella when it is obvious she is too irritated with him for hiding all the umbrellas in their mansion earlier that day by storming ahead of Haruka in a huff. When Juuri asks why he did such a childish thing after ranting at him for several minutes, he simply replies, "I wanted to share an umbrella with you."
  • The following examples are of the umbrella sketch:
  • Similarly, Candy Boy has a whole episode devoted to Kanade setting up for one of this for her and Yukino.
  • Strawberry Panic takes this trope to an absurd level—like most anything related to romance.
  • Mariasama ga Miteru has the episode "Holding a Parasol". It ends with a picture of Yumi and Sachiko sharing an umbrella under the sun.
  • Hayate and Vita of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha share an umbrella under the sun in the supplementary manga. And just to further drive up the Les Yay of the moment, Hayate gently caresses the blushing Vita while they talk about how it would be wonderful if they could be together always.
  • Kyouka from Kyouran Kazoku Nikki is probably one of the few people to pull off the Together Umbrella indoors.
  • xxxHolic has a situation where Watanuki doesn't want to walk under one with Doumeki (whom he's an Unknown Rival of) because they're both guys and he has this trope in mind. This is just one of many Ho Yay moments between them. (It is a CLAMP manga after all...)
  • In The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Makoto, Chiaki, and Kōsuke are all sharing a red umbrella in a flashback. Chiaki loves Makoto, Mokoto loves Chiaki, and Kōsuke probably knows that Chiaki loves Mokoto but isn't interested in her himself. (although she doesn't realize it until it's too late.)
  • Greece and Japan share an umbrella in Axis Powers Hetalia. Also, Japan's partner Italy uses the umbrella symbol in a poster, drawing himself and Germany underneath it without really understanding what it means.
  • Occurs during one of Hosaka's daydreams in Minami-ke.
  • In Takahata's Only Yesterday when Teako decides to stay at the farm instead of going back to city, followed by ghost-like (yet charming) visions of herself and her classmates. She meets with Toshio, and as they walk side by side, the children construct a wooden 'together umbrella' and follow them with it, to assure the audience that the two will get together and have a happy future
  • In the ending credits of Gakuen Alice, Hotaru and Mikan share an umbrella.
    • And in the manga, Mikan's parents have one in the Special Abilities room. Cue everybody from Special Abilities and some not getting their names added to the umbrella, with Mikan (unknowingly) writing herself as the child of her actual parents.
  • Also used in Midori Days, perhaps as not-so-subtle foreshadowing that Midori's feelings would not go unrequited for long.
  • In Doraemon: Nobita and Shizuka share an umbrella.
  • Appears in Samurai Champloo, when in one episode Jin's Girl of the Week ends up sharing her umbrella with him when he gets stuck in a heavy downpour without one.
    • And it is somewhat implied that he'll come back for her when her mandatory time on the island has ended, so there's hope for the "togetherness" part yet.
  • In 5 Centimeters Per Second, the umbrella symbol shows up on a chalkboard with Akari and Takaki's names under it. When they see it, Akari looks embarassed while Takaki hastily erases it, implying that some other kids had drawn it.
  • Played straight in the Fruits Basket anime, where we have a scene where Yuki offers his umbrella to Tohru on the way home from school, much to Kyo's dismay.
    • Also played with in the manga, where Tohru offers her umbrella to Kyo, since (as the Cat) he's utterly miserable in the rain. He gets flustered and angry, and turns her down.
  • Paranoia Agent: Briefly glimpsed in Ikari's dream world, drawn on a door in a school.
  • In the seventh episode of Pokémon, "The School of Hard Knocks", in the corner of Kaito's picture of Giselle, their names are written under the umbrella in kanji. 4Kids edited out the easter egg, obviously, because anything remotely Japanese or romantic is evil.
  • Done once in a Inuyasha episode. Miroku's hat had broken and he was left in the rain. Kagomi gave Sango her spare umbrella and Sango shared the umbrella with Miroku.
  • In the 10th ending credits to Naruto Shippudden (the beach ending), we see at the end that Sakura and Sasuke's names are written under the umbrella symbol...only to be washed away by a passing wave. Make of that what you will.
  • When Hayate the Combat Butler is kicked out of the Sanzenin mansion, and is left sitting in the falling snow, Hinagiku shields him with hers while they talk and invites him to warm up at her place.
  • Keichii and Belldandy do this once in Ah! My Goddess.
  • Tsuda and Shino from Seitokai Yakuindomo walk home this way once. They're aware that they look like a couple doing that, and so is the school Camera Fiend not far behind them.
  • School Rumble used this 3 times to ship Harima and Eri.
    • When Harima offered to walk Eri home after her father left her in the rain.
    • When someone drew an umbrella sketch with their names under it after the sports fest. Unfortunately for Harima...
    • When Harima got a flash of inspiration for a manga and used Eri's umbrella to scratch it on the ground (it was a dud) trashing it in the process and he was forced to walk her home.
  • Bleach: Orhime hugging Riruka on the cover of chapter 451 under an umbrella.
  • Non-romantic (or is it?) example: Durarara!! has a flashback with Berserker Shizuo Heiwajima standing in the rain by the jail after being set up for a crime, feeling and looking completely alone. Off screen, we hear a voice calling his name. It's a very close friend he lost contact with, who then holds his umbrella up over Shizuo's head as they walk off together. This is the anime version of Tom's defining character moment, as he's been there for Shizuo ever since.
  • In Sasami: Magical Girls Club, Anri fantasizes about sharing an umbrella with Tsukasa.
  • Wedding Peach: The love angels think Yanagiba has a girlfriend because of this trope. Later when they try to stage it themselves, Yousuke comes (with an umbrella) to pick him up instead.
  • The intro of Okusama wa Mahou Shoujo ends with almost but not quite showing Ureshiko and Kagura under one umbrella.
  • Played with in Code Geass for Lelouch and Shirley's First Kiss. While going to meet her, he sees her standing in the rain and tries to hold the umbrella over her, but a combination of the shocking thing she tells him plus his surprise when she embraces him causes him to drop the umbrella, so they end up kissing in the rain.

Comics

  • FoxTrot features a strip were Denise is muttering and cursing until it starts to rain, to which she squeals with delight. Peter comments on their newfound closeness; "Wow, good thing you brought this umbrella."

Film

  • Three Times: A boy and a girl stand under the same umbrella under the rain, and they tenderly join hands.
  • Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg).
  • Easter Parade has the song "A Fella with an Umbrella," as Johnny falls in love with Hannah while they walk in the rain under the umbrella from a fruit cart, completing the film's Love Dodecahedron.

Literature

  • Little Women: Jo and Professor Bhaer have their Relationship Upgrade and First Kiss under his umbrella during a muddy downpour.
    • In The Musical, it doesn't happen quite so - Bhaer finds Jo at Amy's wedding, on a day riddled with 'sun showers.' He proposes to her with the analogy of sharing a "small umbrella in the rain."
  • Anne Shirley is offered shelter under a handsome stranger's umbrella in Anne of the Island, although the romance doesn't last.
  • A platonic Together Umbrella (according to most) is conjured by Tris for her and Sandry in the Circle of Magic series.
  • You can actually hear Captain Wentworth's heart break in Persuasion when he offers to walk Anne home in the rain with his umbrella, and the for-once-oblivious heroine innocently says she already has an escort!
  • Agnes Grey: Rosalie Murray thinks she has Mr. Weston wrapped around her finger as securely as every man in town, but Agnes is the one who he walks to the carriage with his umbrella. Awww...

Live Action TV

  • Heroes featured one of Isaac's precognitive paintings (used above) featuring Simone and Peter apparently embracing under an umbrella, which Isaac took to be a sign of their relationship. He's right.
  • The X-Files frequently made use of this trope. Comically so, on occasion—David Duchovny has quite a bit of height on Gillian Anderson. Definite Ship Tease.
  • Used straight-up for courtship in an episode of The Commish. A police officer is advised to take his Girl of the Week to the park. When we see them there it's raining, only it's not a problem as they're both having a picnic under a pair of joined umbrellas.
  • Damon and Elena, in an episode of The Vampire Diaries.
  • A standard of many Korean Soap Operas, usually between the Canon Couple.
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In a platonic love version, Giles walks Willow to the taxi (so she can catch the plane back to the US) under his umbrella.

Music

  • Rihanna's single "Umbrella" (quoted above) makes obvious use of this image.
  • A much earlier example is "Bus Stop" by The Hollies.

"Bus stop, wet day, she's there I say
Please share my umbrella
Bus stop, bus go, she stays love grows
Under my umbrella"

The main characters continue to share an umbrella even on sunny days, leading others to stare "as if we were both quite insane".
  • The song Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police plays with this; the singer has a crush on a girl he knows, but Cannot Spit It Out. As he says in the song, "It's a big enough umbrella / But its always me that ends up getting wet!" (He gives his umbrella to the girl, instead of sharing it.)
  • French folk singer Georges Brassens had a song called Un P'tit Coin d'Parapluie ("a little piece of umbrella") about a boy who shares his umbrella with a girl, and whose chorus went: "A little piece of umbrella/For a piece of heaven/She sure looked like an angel".
  • The Japanese song Ai Ai Gasa from TegoMass.
  • The Hebrew song "Two of Us Together Under One Umbrella" ("Shneinu Yahad Tahat Mitria Ahat") by Naomi Shemer. The refrain, roughly translated:

"Two of us together under one umbrella
We're both skipping from one puddle to the next
a Raining City has just this to say to us
Life's a pretty thing, living life is great!"

Video Games

  • Rival Schools: United By Fate features this moment in Kyoko's ending as her to-be fiancee Hideo offers her an umbrella.
  • In Legend Of Zelda Skyward Sword, look close at the blackboard in the classroom—there's one of those Japanese umbrella diagrams. Alas, it's too low-res to make out the names.

Visual Novels

Webcomics

  • Red String has Kazuo offering Karen his umbrella here. Karen being (at this point in the plot) the lead girl Miharu's romantic rival and Kazuo being the lead guy and fiance of Miharu.
  • Gunnerkrigg Court Chapter 19 had a fun moment when Jack moves his umbrella (he was the only one who knew they'll need it) over Kat and Annie. Alas, in a few seconds Zimmy suffered a fit and this all have gone to spiders.

Western Animation

  • Zuko and Mai on the beach in Avatar: The Last Airbender—one gets the impression they were going for the "emos hate sunlight" image.
    • Much earlier, the Gaang was given an umbrella from a man that was told by a Fortune Teller that it will rain. Since Sokka is caught up in Arbitrary Skepticism, Katara and Aang are the only ones using it come rainfall.
  • Disney's The Rescuers has a scene where Miss Bianca and Bernard share an umbrella.
  • Hey Arnold! played this trope as a love as first sight kind of thing between Arnold and Helga as the first time she saw him, and ever felt that anyone ever saw her, was when the rain stopped falling on her and she noticed Arnold holding an umbrella over her head.

Other

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