When it comes to shapeshifting (be it voluntary or forced) regardless of whether the character transforms in front of a witness or is only found to have transformed after the fact, the most common reaction of the audience is one of immediate shock—at best. At worst, fear, terror, paranoia, and even violence may result.

In more comedic works, emphasis is placed on the witness's shock, often deliberately exaggerated for comic effect. In the cases where the transition itself is observed, expect hysterical screaming and attempts to flee the area, even if the transformation is completely bereft of Transformation Horror. In the case of witnesses who only discover the aftermath, expect a lot of denials, lingering cases of mistaken identity, and more screaming, even if the new form is harmless; a Reactive Continuous Scream may ensue if the shapeshifter is startled by the witness in turn.

Conversely, in more dramatic works, the shock may be prompted by the transformation being genuinely terrifying to behold, to the point that a Transformation Discretion Shot may be employed to emphasize the observer's horror via Reaction Shot. Reactions to the discovery of said new form will feature shock, grief, and much less amusing denials, especially in the case of discovering that a monster Was Once a Man. Even if the new form isn't terrifying or dangerous in some way, this may be followed by a long period of adjustment and lingering fear that might even give way to paranoia, distrust, or even outright rejection of the transformed, especially in more pessimistic tales.

However, bear in mind that there has to be at least some awareness that a transformation has taken place, even if it's immediately squished by denial, so characters being afraid of a werewolf or whatever without recognizing who it was are out of bounds.

May overlap with the Shapeshifter Showoff Session, with fear being the intended response.

Compare Bemoaning the New Body, in which it's the victim of a transformation who's shocked and upset.

Examples: