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Two characters kiss due to the influence of mind-altering Applied Phlebotinum — or just plain ol' mind-altering substances like alcohol — to which one (or possibly both) of them have been exposed. The kiss may be directly caused by scientific or magical means, or be the eventual result from some kind of love spell. In one-sided cases, even though the unaffected participant is hardly if ever the one who cast the spell, he or she doesn't object.

This affliction usually strikes characters (a) who would never kiss when they're both sane, (b) whom fans have been dying to see kiss for many a season, or both. The trope's potential lies in the fact that the couple's shippers can Squee, and everyone else can brush it off with, "It wasn't real."

See also Intoxication Ensues. If it doesn't stop with just the kiss, it's Aliens Made Them Do It. If one of them refuses to take advantage, he's Above the Influence.

Examples of Kissing Under the Influence include:


Anime and Manga[]

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water: Happens between the two teenage leads, thanks to an Intoxication Ensues situation with a handful of mushrooms. It doesn't help resolve the Will They or Won't They? situation — the next morning, only one of them remembers it.
  • Living Game: Izumi and Raizo finally break through the sexual tension after some late-night boozing at the corporate party.
  • Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch had an episode where Lucia was in possession of a mood-altering device that took control of her and made her kiss Kaito, then pass out. In the corresponding manga chapter, she wasn't misusing Applied Phlebotinum, she was just drunk.
  • Ranma ½: In an early episode, Ranma's "Cat-fu" is revealed to be calmed by laying on Akane's lap, purring like a cat. The first time this happens he gives her a little kiss on the cheek (acting like an affectionate cat). Embarrassed, she gives him the Megaton Punch.
    • Once, after being snagged by a Fishing Rod of Love, Ranma fell under a spell that made him fall in love with Ryoga. As a girl, Ranma would then kiss him lovingly on the cheek — Ryoga's reaction was less than pretty.
  • Usagi's First Kiss in Sailor Moon was under the influence. Which can leave a bitter taste in one's mouth towards Mamoru's action in taking advantage of her.
    • It left a bitter taste in Mamoru's mouth when, after a First Kiss-themed episode, they were discussing theirs, and he realised he was remembering an earlier occasion than she was.
  • Houin ("horny drunk") kissing a passed-out Aoki in the Kodomo no Jikan manga.
  • Moyashimon has the unforgetable episode where Hazuki Oikawa and Aoi Muto take aphrodisiacs. They think it has no effect on them... But their thoughts might be different the following morning. Sado-Masochist Hasegawa has a somewhat different reaction (though admittedly she also had alcohol, as did the other two in the manga).
  • In the Ouran High School Host Club manga, Tamaki kisses Haruhi while delirious with a fever, and this is when she realizes that she has feelings for him. It psychs her out tremendously, and she is very frustrated when she realizes that she can't bust his chops about it since he doesn't even remember in the incident.
  • Sano from Hana Kimi kisses anyone near him when he's drunk. Cue Ho Yay moments.
  • Mahou Sensei Negima has a rather interesting example in which Nodoka asks Negi for a kiss...while they're in an area filled with the power of The World Tree. The magic turns Negi into a Determinator who will get a kiss from somebody. He ends up kissing Asuna, almost suffocating her in the process, and goes back to normal afterwards with no memory of the event. Asuna swears everyone who saw the incident to silence .
  • The Girls Love Manga, Girl Friends uses this. The central couple gets their first kiss when Mari drunkenly kisses a drunkenly passed out Akko. Also their two female friends, Sugi and Tamamin sometimes make out when drunk.
  • Kyo Kara Maoh — In one OVA, a possessed-by-Shinou Wolfram kidnaps Yuuri from his bed and forces them to kiss. The fact that Yuuri is conscious, awfully confused, and bound makes this scene that much funnier.
  • In the second season of Strike Witches, Mio kisses Minna (presumably with tongue, if the sound she made while doing so is anything to go by) after getting plastered from a huge jug of wine. Not exactly how we expected it would go from a Beach Episode.
  • It goes a lot further than kissing in Corsair when Canale is drugged with a powerful aphrodisiac and Ayace first saves him from the person who drugged him and then decides to take advantage himself, despite never showing any interest in him before. Being a BL manga though, the relationship continues even after Ayace can no longer use the aphrodisiac as an excuse.
  • Ai's First Kiss with Mew in Psychic Academy after they had drunken an apparently alcoholic 'energy drink' touted by Ai's brother.
  • In Vision of Escaflowne, Dornkirk uses magic with the help of Eria and Folken roleplaying to manipulate Allen Shezar, Van's rival, into kissing Hitomi. This was done to purposely drive a wedge between Hitomi and Van and keep them apart in order to change fate.

Comic Books[]

  • At the start of Scott Pilgrim volume 4, Kim and Knives get wasted and make out, much to Scott's horror.
  • In Amazing Spider-Man issue 601, Peter Parker wakes up in bed, naked, next to his roommate Michelle (equally naked). They apparently had sex after Parker had one too many at his Aunt May's wedding. It's later explained that, as a gag, Michelle kept filling his glass with cider when Peter wasn't looking, so he thought it was wine.

Film[]

Literature[]

  • Cat from the Night Huntress novels is determined to hate Bones despite her growing attraction to him. When she's been drinking, she forgets her prejudices and starts kissing him and flirting with him. Bones dryly observes that she only says nice things about him when she's drunk.
  • In Linnea Sinclair's Gabriel's Ghost, Sully self-medicates his mental problems with honeylace. While drunk furred on liquid courage he works up the nerve to kiss his long time crush. She goes along with it at first, but eventually breaks away because she thinks he'll regret it in the morning.
  • In Vampire Academy, Victor Dashkov sent Rose a necklace with a Lust Charm in it, which causes her to attack Dimitri.
  • In The Dresden Files short story "Love Hurts", Harry and Murphy are investigating a string of murder-suicides involving couples. Harry figures out that the couples were made to think they were in love with dark magic. While investigating the state fair that all three cases linked back to, Harry and Murphy get hit with the love spell.

Live Action TV[]

  • Angel — In "Life Of The Party," Angel and Eve have sex thanks to an accidental magical incident. There's some Lampshade Hanging at the end, as Angel begins to explain, but Eve flatly points out that it isn't the first time she had sex under a mystical influence.
    • Angel & Cordelia were possessed by spirits and almost had sex in "Waiting in the Wings" (you know, the one with Summer Glau in it?).
  • Arrested Development — Subverted. After drinking some wine, George Michael and Maeby make out, but the wine is fake. Gob had planned to use it in a magic tr... err, illusion.
  • Beverly Hills, 90210 — Brandon does this twice with Andrea! The first time, at a party in Casa Walsh the twins throw, where he drinks and dances with Andrea and kisses her. The other, while he's dating Emily Valentine, who's drugged him, he starts kissing Andrea. Both times she understandably freaks.
  • The Big Bang Theory — In the episode, "The Maternal Congruence", Leonard's mother kisses Sheldon when she's drunk. Sheldon is quite shocked; she's not really impressed. Later, they agree to keep it a secret.
    • There was one even earlier than that between Penny and Leonard. The first time Leonard's mother appeared on the show, she pointed out Penny's issues with her father, which caused her to be upset. Leonard goes over to her place to find her drinking rum mixed with Eggnog. (Though it was straight rum by the time he got there). The two got very drunk and made out. They would've had sex if Leonard hadn't ruined the mood.
    • Happens once a season, actually. Season 1: After the Halloween party, Penny to Leonard. Season 2: After the aforementioned rum, Penny and Leonard. Season 3: Leonard's mother to Sheldon. Season 4: Amy to Sheldon. Well, there's two in Season 4 if you count Raj and Howard in "The Boyfriend Complexity".
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer did this one a few times...
    • "Band Candy": Under the influence of a spell that makes adults act like teenagers, Giles and Joyce listen to sixties music, smoke, rob a store, and oh yeah, have sex (though the last isn't confirmed for several more episodes). They're awkward around each other afterwards and apparently eventually decide That Didn't Happen; however, apparently the memory was a fond one for Giles, because when Joyce dies he can be seen mournfully listening to the same records.
    • "Something Blue": Due to a botched spell by Willow, Buffy plans a marriage with Spike; the two act like lovebirds for the majority of the episode.
    • "Tabula Rasa": Their memories wiped, Anya and Giles believe themselves engaged; the spell wears off during a sweeping dip kiss.
    • "Once More With Feeling": A second case of Buffy and Spike Kissing Under the Influence... sort of. (Subverted when, a couple episodes later, they begin a sexual relationship.)
    • "I Only Have Eyes For You": Buffy and Angelus are possessed by the ghosts of two dead lovers and made to kiss.
  • Community — In the episode "Mixology Certification" Britta and Jeff kiss in the back of his car after a night at a bar. They forget that Abed is in the car with them watching.
  • In Doctor Who, Rose, while possessed by Cassandra, kissed the Doctor. His response: "Yep. Still got it." (In a very squeaky voice with eyes glazed-over).
  • Farscape — In the episode "Meltdown", Crichton and Aeryn are affected by fluids from Talyn that make them consumed with mutual lust. In one amusing scene they have to snog, frantically complete some essential repairs, then gratefully go back to snogging again. Likewise an alien infiltrator increases everyone's emotions prior to draining them in "Twice Shy". Chiana's already considerable sex drive is increased, leading to her almost kissing the (female) alien, cornering and attempting to flirt with Aeryn, and trying to forcefully 'recreate' with John Crichton on a table.
  • Felicity — Noel unknowingly eats cookies with SmartPowder in them, to which he is allergic and which make him hyper. Julie makes a move on him and he responds enthusiastically, although actually not really able to gauge the full effect of what's happening
  • Glee — Blaine (who is gay) and Rachel kiss while they are both playing a drunken game of spin the bottle.
  • H₂O: Just Add Water — In the first season all three girls kissed their love interests while under the influence of the full moon.
    • First it was Emma who came under the moon spell during her father's birthday. She kisses her love interest Byron twice during this episode.
    • Next it's Cleo, who has become a siren due to the moon spell. She and Lewis kiss at one point.
    • Then there's Rikki, who loses control over her powers and escapes to Mako island. Zane finds her there while he is searching for the "sea monster" that he believes saved him. After they talk for a while, Rikki kisses him, which causes Zane to overheat and pass out since Rikki's powers are still out of control.
  • House — Chase and Cameron during the episode where Cameron may or may not have HIV. Of course, it didn't stop there, but it counts godammit!
    • To elaborate — Cameron had just been exposed to some HIV-infected blood when the patient of the week coughed at her and, in a later scene with the patient, he encourages her to try some of his crystal meth stash. She does...and promptly jumps Chase. It was WAY more awesome than I'm making it sound.
    • In what universe is doing CRYSTAL METH awesome? Or is this the special kind that isn't horribly addicting, ruin your skin and teeth and ruin countless lives? The premise is okay but crystal meth!?
    • The jumping was awesome, anyway. And if it helps, that's pretty much what her last scene with the patient is all about. "You want to die? Fine, but stop recruiting!"
  • The Office — Pam kisses Jim early on in the second season of the American version. At the time, she's drunk on "second drinks" (melted ice mixing with leftover margarita).
  • Scrubs had a kiss between J.D. and Carla in season 4. Both were drunk and the morning after exchange was hilarious:
Cquote1

 JD: It was a friend kiss, and we'll never talk about it to anyone ever! (Elliot enters the room)

Elliot: What's going on?

JD: Nothing!

Carla: JD and I kissed!

JD: Carla!

Elliot: What, like a friend kiss?

JD: Yes...

Carla: No!

JD: CARLA! YOU'RE KILLING ME!

Cquote2
    • The whole next episode dealt with the backlash from Turk (Carla's husband) and it was a major plot point about their marriage being in trouble.
  • Skins — Does "Blaming it on the Influence" count? If so: Naomi and Emily have danced around each other for the entire season. They are at a party, both being three sheets into the wind.
Cquote1

 Naomi: [Motioning between the bottles in her hand] So, what do you want?

Emily: [Completely mesmerized by her] Anything. Just give me a fucking... Just.. Just give me a... [leans over and kisses her. Naomi shows absolutely no resistance]

Naomi: Oh... [her denial catches up with her libido] It's only the drugs, right?

Emily: ... Sure.

[The two start to make out like crazy.]

Cquote2
  • Smallville:
    • To prove his mind control powers, the meteor-freak of the week makes Chloe kiss Clark.
    • Also, every single episode that involves Red Kryptonite. Thankfully, almost everyone Clark kisses sufferes Easy Amnesia when the phlebotinum wears off. This sometimes reaches ludicrous levels — Why did red kryptonite lipstick erase Lois's memory when it wore off? If it didn't, the writers would have to use Character Development.
    • Later, Maxima and Zatanna used Psychic Powers and magic, respectively, to force Clark to kiss them.
    • Enchanted champagne causes this between Emil and Tess, too. Though theirs goes a lot farther.
  • Star Trek: Sadistic and bored aliens with psychokinetic powers, which allow them to control people's movements, force Spock and Nurse Chapel, as well as Kirk and Uhura, to kiss for their amusement. It freaks them all out, but a kiss between a black woman and a white man, no matter how fake it looked, freaked out the Media Watchdogs of the time even more. According to the cast, in response to the Watchdogs, the show did some takes without the interracial kiss, but William Shatner wanted it in, and would deliberately screw up every take without it — crossing his eyes, for example.
    • The scene between Kirk and Uhura is often cited as the first interracial kiss on American TV. It is presented as a milestone, but it was a forced kiss, which causes some people to wonder how much of a "milestone" it really is.
      • Right from the start Gene Roddenberry wanted the Kirk/Uhura kiss to be a willing one, but the network put the kibosh on that one in short order. The alien mind control element was put into the script as a compromise.
      • What now seems tame and an all around all things covered approach was way different back in the time. It was a start that was needed to build up on to reach today's levels.
    • Star Trek: Voyager — Kes almost gave us the only lesbian kiss of the series when she was possessed by an evil alien dictator in "Warlord". And when Vorick goes through his pon farr he forms a brief telepathic mind-meld with B'Elanna (before getting his jaw broken) who then becomes consumed with lust for Tom Paris, who fortunately proves to be Above the Influence.
      • She was more than just under the influence — her life was at risk! What was delaying for?
      • And, given later events, the target of her lust was anything but an accident.
      • That episode did lead to an entertaining sequence in which Vorick was trying to fight Tom for B'Elanna, but she shoved Tom out of the way and proceeded to beat up Vorick on her own.
    • Deep Space Nine also had a lesbian kiss in an episode involving Dax and another Trill, which was Under The Influence since both parties were remembering a previous life in which they were a heterosexual couple.
      • Debatable. They were both in their right minds when they kissed. It's not like their symbionts forced them together against their will.
  • Stargate Atlantis, where in one episode Rodney and a female soldier share Rodney's body between them. First she advances Rodney's social life by taking control of his body and kissing the woman he has a crush on. Then, at the end of the episode, she takes control again, but this time to kiss the man she has a crush on, before undergoing the risky reversal procedure. This last caused squee overload for slash fans because onscreen it's just two guys kissing.
    • Sheppard from Stargate Atlantis gets to kiss both female leads like this. The first time he kisses Teyla because he is losing his inhibitions due to transformation into a bug. Then while the two are acting as hosts to alien consciousnesses 'Elizabeth' kisses 'John'.
  • Stargate SG-1: Sam kisses Jack in "Broca Divide" after turning into a cavewoman; every male character who kisses Hathor is under the influence of her weird breath. It happens more than just these times...
  • Torchwood — The "alien orgasm monster" from the episode "Day One".


Video Games[]

  • In Blazing Dragons, Flicker reflects a hypnotic spell onto Trivet, putting him into a trance where he believes he's really Princess Flame. When Sir Loungealot comes in to check on "her", Trivet tells him to stop stalling and get to "some action". Loungealot happily obliges with a big kiss, only for the hypnotism to wear off right then.
  • In Rin's route of Katawa Shoujo, Rin, high on codeine, wearing only an unbuttoned shirt and panties, lets Hisao into her room and eventually kisses him. Then she falls asleep and forgets about it the next morning.

Webcomics[]

Web Original[]

  • The Tobuscus video "How to Get Women" is a parody of Axe deodorant commercials in which Toby, upon donning Axe body spray, is constantly assaulted by women attempting to make out with him. This wrecks his life and drives him into therapy, but he refuses to give up the Axe.


Western Animation[]

  • Kim Possible in its most memorable episode, "Emotion Sickness":
    • A mood-controlling chip (the Moodulator) attaches to Kim and gets inadvertently switched to "Love," leading to her first kiss with Ron. Cue the Grand Finale's Relationship Upgrade!
    • Shego is under the influence of the same device. In defiance of the usual "one-sided case" variation, Dr. Drakken spends the entire episode weirded out by Shego's mood swings and terrified by her actions when it's set to "very angry". The two only get an implied kiss.
  • Happened in an episode of Jimmy Neutron where everyone fell absurdly in love with the first thing they saw. Even though it was temporary, moments that generally are considered as the decline of the series.
  • In an episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Jonny and Jessie get possessed by the ghosts of two lovers who murdered each other over a jealous spat. Hadji and another character convince the spirits to literally kiss and make up... while still in Jonny and Jessie's bodies. There's a brief awkward moment between the two after, but is passes fairly quickly. Jessie even teases Jonny about it later in the episode.
  • Happens a few times in The Fairly Odd Parents. Timmy uses The Dark Side suit for this purpose on Trixie in "The End of the Universe-ity". He also tries in "Genie, Meanie, Miney, Moe", but it's though Norm. "You Doo" is a debatable example, while the dolls could control actions, there was no evidence it could change personality. A variation occurs in "Love Struck!", when Timmy puts a spell on himself so he can date Tootie.
    • The chapter book Token Wishes also has Tootie using one of Timmy's wish tokens to make him kiss her.

Real Life[]

  • According to Kate Fox, the sociologist author of Watching the English, this explains all drunkenness. British people are too chronically shy to just say they like someone, instead they get drunk, (not accidentally but as a deliberate aim) then kiss under the influence. Either you end up in a relationship or you can claim you were kissing under the influence. This idea is supported by studies that show that people can still get drunk on alcohol-free placebos, getting drunk in order to behave badly, rather than behaving badly because they are drunk.
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