I'm looking for a protagonist that is apparently cheerful/genki, but is actually secretly melancholy/depressed/vulnerable, and is just hiding all that behind a smile. A really convincing smile. If anyone's heard Michael Jackson's song Smile, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Maybe they're hiding in order to deceive people as to their true nature. Or maybe they want to protect their dear ones from the knowledge of how bad their situation really is, or maybe they're just proud and don't want to show their vulnerability to anyone. But the key thing is that they smile (or grin, or laugh) to cover their sadness, instead of pulling the standard tough tsundere act.

Bonus points for rare moments of visible vulnerability, that catch at your heart and make you go, 'Oh, so that's how they really feel - that's their real face.' Of course, that vulnerability is swiftly covered up (that's kind of the point!), but it should be there for at least a split second. Their 'hidden' melancholy shouldn't just be subtext; we should get to see it once in a while.

Recommend, please?

Thanks!

EDIT: Any genre except hentai and ecchi is fine. 😃

there are moments like that in many manga... (one easy example: yuuko in xxholic does it few times... so does watanuki)
are you looking for a character who always hide behind his/her smile through the entire manga?

Fruits Basket

@mu2020... Yeah, I'm looking for a character whose major trait is hiding behind a smile. So not just for a few scenes, I mean it's part of who they are, how they live their life. 🙂

And thanks, unusuallove!

I think these fit:

Watashi ni xx Shinasai! It's the love interest here
Natsume Yuujinchou MC here
Akuma to Love Song A pretty main character here, but not the MC

Fai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
edit: and Kurogane let's him know that he can tell all the time

Quote from sarablack10

Fai from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle
edit: and Kurogane let's him know that he can tell all the time

Second Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, though it's not THE MC, but one of the MCs.

I third Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle

And I suggest Pandora Hearts there are two characters I would consider 'hide behind a smile', one is the main character and the other is a very major character (Oz and Break)

Hrrm... my initial thought was Fruits Basket, but you already read that for sure...

Maaaaybe Shiawase Kissa Sanchoume? Uru's a super genki person... and I'm sure I've caught her being vulnerable at times... Oh she's so cute though...

Kuragehime? She's not SUPER duper genki, but she seems to be a pretty cute, uplifting character. And awwww... when she's vulnerable at the RIGHT time in front of her potential lover... *le sigh

Spice and Wolf? I don't really classify Holo as tsundere... or super genki... she's just a super tease. Superrrr tease... but considering that she's been living for what... 300? 600 years? I'm sure she's pretty insecure and lonely...

Edit: I forgot! Love So Life! And two adorable, active (devilish), round children are a plus. 😉

Ciel well the main heroine, it's more like hiding behind a cheerful personality but I think it still fits perfectly...

Legend of the Sun Knight thats the only one I can think of off the top of my head.

I'm pretty sure you've already read it, but the male lead in KareKano.

Ehm... Tsuruga Ren from Skip Beat!.
He has this shining smile for hiding the fact that he's angry or any other intention.
And he seems to have a dark past which make him the 'Tsuruga Ren' (His real name is Kuon and he's blonde).

[img]https://i.imgur.com/lHjrfaR.jpg[/img]

cheese in the trap - a manhwa where the main guy always smile in front of others but actually just a jerk...

kaze hikaru - the main guy always smile even after he killed someone. Actually he felt sad but he still smiles...

maria+holic - the main guy who is dressed as girl in girl school act like a really sincere and cheerful "girl". Actually he someone who is totally different from that.

rasetsu no hana - the heroine always smile and act tough even she has a curse on her.

Definitely the protagonist of Komatta Toki ni wa Hoshi ni Kike. You get to know the character as very cheery, but along the way you find out he kind of laughs his troubles away, not trying to think about them.

I second Kare Kano
I second Fruits Basket, but the protagonist is compulsively optimistic even though any other person would cry her eyes out.
If you like Tarot Cafe, maybe Pet shop of Horrors - Count D is always very friendly but it is clear it is just a façade.
Tokyo Crazy ParadiseThe protagonist keeps laughing through all her hardships, and someone very close to the protagonist even has a smile that could be considered a pokerface.
Gakuen Babysitters, just lost their parents but have their heads high and move on.
Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moushimasu < the girl has had so many hardships but still is cheery.
Natsume Yuujinchou, I wouldn't say Natsume is laughing a lot, but he does smile and keeps kind and open to everyone.
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge <3 protagonists in a house, the 4th comes to live there. The three seem very happy and have the 'job' to cheer the fourth up, but along the way you find out those three have had harsh lives.
Maybe the protagonist of Antique Bakery? < he has had his share of problems but is laughing trough his theeth.
Maybe the protagonist from Family Complex? But it might as well show in Princess Princess. He deals with a inferiority complex. The three main protagonists from Princess Princess which are befriended with the protagonist of Family Complex also are laughing a lot while their lives are complicated.

I don't know if you are in for yaoi, but Saigo no Door wo Shimero has it also: How the protagonist keeps smiling at his kouhai while he feels really bad about his onesided feelings.