The 'I Gently Open the Door' meme originates from the 2017 psychological horror visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club! (DDLC). It marks a pivotal, traumatic turning point in the game where the protagonist enters Sayori's room to find her having committed suicide. Due to the extreme tonal shift and the 'gentle' phrasing of the text box preceding the shock, the internet repurposed the scene into a template for subverting expectations. In meme culture, the door usually opens to reveal something completely unrelated, cursed, or absurd, turning one of gaming's most disturbing moments into a versatile 'reveal' format used across social media and gaming communities.