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Society Marches On has been renamed; cleaning out misuse and moving examples
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* SocietyMarchesOn: InUniverse, when narrator decides to go back to the Dolphin Hotel. The hotel was bought out between novels, and is completely redesigned and refurbished. [[spoiler: The old building never left, though...]]
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Changed line(s) 104 (click to see context) from:
* RomanceOnTheSet: Between Gotanda and his ex-wife, and briefly with [[spoiler: Kiki.]] The latter becomes incredibly important later on.
to:
* RomanceOnTheSet: Between Gotanda and his ex-wife, and briefly with [[spoiler: Kiki.]] The latter becomes incredibly important later on. [[invoked]]
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* ForeseeingMyDeath]]: [[spoiler: Not for himself, but the other characters.
to:
* ForeseeingMyDeath]]: ForeseeingMyDeath: [[spoiler: Not for himself, but the other characters.]]
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* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:Did Gotanda really kill Mei as Yuki claims? He is unsure about it, and given that Yuki admits what she senses are emotions and mental images instead of direct events, it might be he just believes it due to his unspecificed mental pathology. On the other hand, what if he did kill her, but under a SplitPersonality? Or maybe he is a perfectly sane murderer and is trying to confuse the narrator with his acting skills by putting a show of self-doubt? In any case, why did he commit suicide? Was it due to guilt, madness or the belief that he would be caught by police? Or was he actually he attempting to stop his evil split personality once for all by killing himself?]]
to:
* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:Did Gotanda really kill Mei as Yuki claims? He is unsure about it, and given that Yuki admits what she senses are emotions and mental images instead of direct events, it might be he just believes it to be the killer due to his unspecificed mental pathology. On the other hand, what if he did kill her, but under a SplitPersonality? Or maybe he is a perfectly sane murderer and is trying to confuse the narrator with his professional acting skills by putting a show of self-doubt? In any case, why did he commit suicide? Was it due to guilt, madness or the belief that he would be caught by the police? Or was he actually he attempting to stop his inner evil or split personality once for all by killing himself?]]
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* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, while Yuki has matured a bit and has started to make her life go forward a bit. However, Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished leaving the narrator confused, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant in any case. And judging for somebody will die soon...]]
to:
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, while Yuki has matured a bit and has started to make her life go forward a bit.forward. However, Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished leaving the narrator confused, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant in any case. And judging for the skeletons in the weird building, somebody in the cast will die soon...]]
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* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''Literature/AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it might be only a pseudonym.]]
to:
* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''Literature/AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it Which might actually be only a pseudonym.]]
Changed line(s) 97 (click to see context) from:
** Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
to:
** Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone mature and caring in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
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* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: ...Only for the narrator to chew him out and make an agreement on ''his'' terms.
to:
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: ...ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules:
** ...Only for the narrator to chew him out and make an agreement on ''his'' terms.
** ...Only for the narrator to chew him out and make an agreement on ''his'' terms.
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* AmbiguousSituation: [[spoiler:Did Gotanda really kill Mei as Yuki claims? He is unsure about it, and given that Yuki admits what she senses are emotions and mental images instead of direct events, it might be he just believes it due to his unspecificed mental pathology. On the other hand, what if he did kill her, but under a SplitPersonality? Or maybe he is a perfectly sane murderer and is trying to confuse the narrator with his acting skills by putting a show of self-doubt? In any case, why did he commit suicide? Was it due to guilt, madness or the belief that he would be caught by police? Or was he actually he attempting to stop his evil split personality once for all by killing himself?]]
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* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Gotanda.]]
to:
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Gotanda.[[spoiler:Gotanda.]]
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* [[spoiler: BigBadFriend: Gotanda.]]
to:
* [[spoiler: BigBadFriend: Gotanda.[[spoiler:Gotanda. Possibly.]]
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* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, but Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant.]]
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays this straight...at first.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays this straight...at first.
to:
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, but while Yuki has matured a bit and has started to make her life go forward a bit. However, Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished, vanished leaving the narrator confused, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant.pleasant in any case. And judging for somebody will die soon...]]
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays thisstraight...at first.straight in order to mask her true insecurities.
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays this
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* CerebusCallback: Pretty much any time the phrase "shoveling snow" or "cuck-koo" are mentioned [[spoiler: after Mei is murdered.]]
to:
* CerebusCallback: CerebusCallback:
** Pretty much any time the phrase "shoveling snow" or "cuck-koo" are mentioned [[spoiler: after Mei is murdered.]]
** Pretty much any time the phrase "shoveling snow" or "cuck-koo" are mentioned [[spoiler: after Mei is murdered.]]
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* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: the scene with Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'']]
to:
* ChekhovsGun: ChekhovsGun:
** [[spoiler: the scene with Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'']]
** [[spoiler: the scene with Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'']]
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* CloudCuckooLander: Amé, who's so spacy that she strands her teenage daughter in hotels while she travels the world.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to be one.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to be one.
to:
* CloudCuckooLander: ClingyJealousGirl: Yuki has a moment of this when she learns the narrator has slept with a prostitute sent by her dad.
* CloudCuckooLander:
** Amé, who's so spacy that she strands her teenage daughter in hotels while she travels the world.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to beone.one, and they are mostly right given his penchant for weird witticisms.
* CloudCuckooLander:
** Amé, who's so spacy that she strands her teenage daughter in hotels while she travels the world.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to be
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* EarnYourHappyEnding: The narrator begins the story trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend. By the end of the novel, he's done so and [[spoiler: helped solve a murder case for which he's initially a suspect, befriends a former classmate turned suicidally depressed celebrity, become immersed in the life of a psychic girl and her neglectful parents, and has begun a new romance.]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychic powers]] it's not surprising.
* [[spoiler: ForeseeingMyDeath]]: Not for himself, but the other characters.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body.]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychic powers]] it's not surprising.
* [[spoiler: ForeseeingMyDeath]]: Not for himself, but the other characters.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body.]]
to:
* EarnYourHappyEnding: The narrator begins the story trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend. By the end of the novel, he's done so and [[spoiler: helped solve a murder case for which he's initially a suspect, befriends a former classmate turned suicidally depressed celebrity, become immersed in helped to improve the life of a psychic girl and her neglectful parents, and has begun a new romance.]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychicpowers]] powers]], it's not surprising.
*[[spoiler: ForeseeingMyDeath]]: [[spoiler: Not for himself, but the other characters.
*{{Foreshadowing}}: {{Foreshadowing}}:
** There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body. Or so he believes...]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychic
*
*
** There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body. Or so he believes...]]
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* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: The Rat, Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and Gotanda, all of which are symbolized by the six skeletons in the narrator's vision. However, Kiki's exact nature is ambiguous, and the sixth person is never revealed.]]
** On a minor, sad note to fans of the previous novel, [[spoiler: Kipper.]]
** On a minor, sad note to fans of the previous novel, [[spoiler: Kipper.]]
to:
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: The Rat, Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and Gotanda, all of which are symbolized by the six skeletons in the narrator's vision. However, Kiki's exact nature is ambiguous, and the sixth person is never revealed.]]
** On]] Also, on a minor, sad note to fans of the previous novel, [[spoiler: Kipper.]]
** On
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* OppositesAttract: The narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] have a bit of this going on. He's seen as a CloudCuckooLander, while she's more an [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]. The only thing they have in common at first is [[spoiler: their encounters with the Sheep Man.]]
to:
* OppositesAttract: OppositesAttract:
** The narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] have a bit of this going on. He's seen as a CloudCuckooLander, while she's more an [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]. The only thing they have in common at first is [[spoiler: their encounters with the Sheep Man.]]
** The narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] have a bit of this going on. He's seen as a CloudCuckooLander, while she's more an [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]. The only thing they have in common at first is [[spoiler: their encounters with the Sheep Man.]]
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* ThePowerOfFriendship: Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
to:
* ThePowerOfFriendship: ThePowerOfFriendship:
** Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
** Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
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Useful Notes/ pages are not tropes
Deleted line(s) 98 (click to see context) :
* SchrodingersCat: [[spoiler: Kiki]] is revealed to be one. [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled her to death when they were in the shadow world, and Kiki eventually explains that she's merely moved on to another reality.]]
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* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of ''NorwegianWood''. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
to:
* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of ''NorwegianWood''.''Literature/NorwegianWood''. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
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Added namespaces.
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''Dance Dance Dance (ダンス・ダンス・ダンス Dansu Dansu Dansu)'' is a 1988 novel by Creator/HarukiMurakami. As the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', it follows the same unnamed protagonist as he returns to the Dolphin Hotel in search of his former girlfriend. He's quickly drawn into a surreal mystery involving the enigmatic Sheep Man, psychic visions, prostitutes, a teenage girl, and murder. The result is a story that delves into the themes of change, loss, and the power of human connection.
to:
''Dance Dance Dance (ダンス・ダンス・ダンス Dansu Dansu Dansu)'' is a 1988 novel by Creator/HarukiMurakami. As the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', ''Literature/AWildSheepChase'', it follows the same unnamed protagonist as he returns to the Dolphin Hotel in search of his former girlfriend. He's quickly drawn into a surreal mystery involving the enigmatic Sheep Man, psychic visions, prostitutes, a teenage girl, and murder. The result is a story that delves into the themes of change, loss, and the power of human connection.
----
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* BusCrash: [[spoiler: Kiki was PutOnABus at the end of ''AWildSheepChase'' and died before the start of this story.]]
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to ''AWildSheepChase'':
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to ''AWildSheepChase'':
to:
* BusCrash: [[spoiler: Kiki was PutOnABus at the end of ''AWildSheepChase'' ''Literature/AWildSheepChase'' and died before the start of this story.]]
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to''AWildSheepChase'':''Literature/AWildSheepChase'':
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to
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* ContinuityNod: The first part of the novel deals with the fate of the old Dolphin Hotel, the setting for part of ''AWildSheepChase''. Also, the Sheep Man not only recognizes and advises the protagonist, but he's ''waiting'' for him to show up.
to:
* ContinuityNod: The first part of the novel deals with the fate of the old Dolphin Hotel, the setting for part of ''AWildSheepChase''.''Literature/AWildSheepChase''. Also, the Sheep Man not only recognizes and advises the protagonist, but he's ''waiting'' for him to show up.
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* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it might be only a pseudonym.]]
to:
* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''AWildSheepChase''.''Literature/AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it might be only a pseudonym.]]
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* TrilogyCreep: ''Dance Dance Dance'' is the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', which is itself the ending of ''The Trilogy of the Rat''.
to:
* TrilogyCreep: ''Dance Dance Dance'' is the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', ''Literature/AWildSheepChase'', which is itself the ending of ''The Trilogy of the Rat''.
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Changed line(s) 4,6 (click to see context) from:
''Dance Dance Dance (ダンス・ダンス・ダンス Dansu Dansu Dansu)'' is a 1988 novel by HarukiMurakami. As the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', it follows the same unnamed protagonist as he returns to the Dolphin Hotel in search of his former girlfriend. He's quickly drawn into a surreal mystery involving the enigmatic Sheep Man, psychic visions, prostitutes, a teenage girl, and murder. The result is a story that delves into the themes of change, loss, and the power of human connection.
to:
''Dance Dance Dance (ダンス・ダンス・ダンス Dansu Dansu Dansu)'' is a 1988 novel by HarukiMurakami.Creator/HarukiMurakami. As the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', it follows the same unnamed protagonist as he returns to the Dolphin Hotel in search of his former girlfriend. He's quickly drawn into a surreal mystery involving the enigmatic Sheep Man, psychic visions, prostitutes, a teenage girl, and murder. The result is a story that delves into the themes of change, loss, and the power of human connection.
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* RiddleForTheAges: [[spoiler: The identity of the sixth skeleton.]]
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Deleted line(s) 108 (click to see context) :
* StrangeGirl: Yuki, as the result of [[spoiler: her psychic powers.]]
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* AnArmAndALeg: Dick North lost an arm in Vietnam. He gets by just fine without it, though.
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* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of NorwegianWood. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
to:
* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of NorwegianWood.''NorwegianWood''. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
* ConspicuousConsumption: Gotanda [[DiscussedTrope talks]] about how celebrities are expected to have extravagant things, and how much he loathes every second of it.
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* DisposableWoman: [[spoiler: Mei]] dies a few chapters after being introduced, which triggers the novel's murder mystery plot going.
to:
* DisposableWoman: [[spoiler: Mei]] dies a few chapters after being introduced, which triggers gets the novel's murder mystery plot going.
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* IdleRich: Both of Yuki's parents first appear as such, though they do most of their creative work - writing and photography respectively - off-screen.
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* LonelyRichKid: Yuki.
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* RichInDollarsPoorInSense: Both of Yuki's parents, ''especially'' Amé.
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* RomanceOnTheSet: Between Gotanda and his ex-wife, and briefly with [[spoiler: Kiki.]] The latter becomes incredibly important later on.
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* Tsundere: Yumiyoshi has her moments early on.
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[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dance-dance-dance_8238.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The [[Literature/AWildSheepChase chase]] is over, but the dance is just beginning...]]
[[caption-width-right:320:The [[Literature/AWildSheepChase chase]] is over, but the dance is just beginning...]]
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None
Added DiffLines:
''Dance Dance Dance (ダンス・ダンス・ダンス Dansu Dansu Dansu)'' is a 1988 novel by HarukiMurakami. As the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', it follows the same unnamed protagonist as he returns to the Dolphin Hotel in search of his former girlfriend. He's quickly drawn into a surreal mystery involving the enigmatic Sheep Man, psychic visions, prostitutes, a teenage girl, and murder. The result is a story that delves into the themes of change, loss, and the power of human connection.
!!The novel contains examples of the following tropes:
* AloneWithThePsycho: Inverted from the usual way. The narrator and the killer [[spoiler: go out for pizza at a crowded Shakey's, and the narrator has to awkwardly broach the subject while they're eating. After admitting he killed Kiki, Gotanda slips away while the narrator goes to get a beer, and kills himself shortly afterwards.]]
* AmicablyDivorced: Yuki's parents, and Gotanda and his ex-wife.
* AgeAppropriateAngst: Yuki has had an exceptionally lonely childhood. [[spoiler: Her psychic powers]] make it even worse.
* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of NorwegianWood. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Gotanda.]]
* BackupFromOtherworld: [[spoiler: Kiki]] is one, after it's revealed that [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled her in the shadow world.]]
* [[spoiler: BigBadFriend: Gotanda.]]
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Yuki's father is a successful author who doesn't understand his daughter in the slightest. Yuki's mother is a highly skilled photographer and a ''really'' unreliable CloudCuckooLander living in Hawaii with a new boyfriend. Yuki herself is a bitterly lonely and [[spoiler: psychic]] teenager.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, but Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant.]]
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays this straight...at first.
* BusCrash: [[spoiler: Kiki was PutOnABus at the end of ''AWildSheepChase'' and died before the start of this story.]]
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to ''AWildSheepChase'':
** [[spoiler: Kiki's]] ears having strange powers.
** Kipper, the narrator's pet cat.
** The narrator becoming a freelancer after leaving his old job.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "Shoveling cultural snow."
* CerebusCallback: Pretty much any time the phrase "shoveling snow" or "cuck-koo" are mentioned [[spoiler: after Mei is murdered.]]
** Gotanda's [[spoiler: joke about crashing the Maserati wasn't a joke at all. He was already contemplating suicide.]]
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: the scene with Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'']]
** [[spoiler: Gotanda's Maserati.]]
* CloudCuckooLander: Amé, who's so spacy that she strands her teenage daughter in hotels while she travels the world.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to be one.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Dick North is this for Amé.
* ConsummateProfessional: Yumiyoshi is this when on the clock. She's not quite as straight-laced in her free time.
* ContinuityNod: The first part of the novel deals with the fate of the old Dolphin Hotel, the setting for part of ''AWildSheepChase''. Also, the Sheep Man not only recognizes and advises the protagonist, but he's ''waiting'' for him to show up.
* CoolCar: The Maserati. Gotanda hates it because someone of his celebrity stature is expected to drive one. He - and pretty much all the other characters - vastly prefers the narrator's old Subaru.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The new hotel management tries to keep the otherworldly secret of the building under wraps, to the point the staff are afraid to talk about their experiences.
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler: Kiki]] died before the story began.
* DeadPersonConversation: The narrator has one with [[spoiler: Kiki]] near the end. However, it's left ambiguous if [[spoiler: she's really dead or she's simply moved on to another dimension.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: Gotanda]] gradually becomes one, with tragic results.
* DisposableWoman: [[spoiler: Mei]] dies a few chapters after being introduced, which triggers the novel's murder mystery plot going.
* DisposableSexWorker: [[spoiler: Mei and Kiki.]]
* DoubleConsciousness: [[spoiler: Gotanda attempts to explain it during TheReveal. There's a big, deep chasm between his real self and his actor self, accompanied by extremely violent urges.]]
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: It happens to the narrator, most prominently as [[spoiler: a warning that six of his acquaintances - but not specifically ''who'' - will be dead before the adventure ends.]]
* DreamSequence: Whenever [[spoiler: Kiki]] wants to show him something. It's usually in the form of a hotel room [[spoiler: with half a dozen skeletons, each one representing a character who will die.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Gotanda. Literally.]]
* DwindlingParty: The characters gradually leave or die off, eventually leaving the narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi.]]
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler: Gotanda ''really'' hates being a celebrity, constantly talks about escaping the lifestyle, and jokes about wrecking his Maserati. That's exactly what he does in the end.]]
* DysfunctionalFamily: Most definitely ''not'' PlayedForLaughs.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: The narrator begins the story trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend. By the end of the novel, he's done so and [[spoiler: helped solve a murder case for which he's initially a suspect, befriends a former classmate turned suicidally depressed celebrity, become immersed in the life of a psychic girl and her neglectful parents, and has begun a new romance.]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychic powers]] it's not surprising.
* [[spoiler: ForeseeingMyDeath]]: Not for himself, but the other characters.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body.]]
** The Sheep Man saying that everything's connected. It's not until [[spoiler: the narrator takes Yuki to see Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'' that the murderer is uncovered.]]
** The narrator's vision involving [[spoiler: the six skeletons. Five characters are dead by the end of the novel, leaving you to guess the identity of the last one.]]
* HarmfulToMinors: Yuki [[spoiler: gets a vision of Gotanda murdering Kiki.]] She's deeply shaken and physically ill for most of the chapter afterward.
* HighClassCallGirl: There's a whole ''network'' of them.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Mei.
* IdiotBall: The narrator gets up to get a beer right after [[spoiler: Gotanda ''confessed to killing Kiki'', then musing over the idea of running off to Hawaii. Not only does Gotanda slip away while the narrator's back his turned, he drives off and ''eventually kills himself''.]] All because the narrator left him alone for a few moments.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Between the narrator and Yuki.
* IJustWantToBeFree: Gotanda realizes how hollow the whole celebrity culture is, and how it's making him be someone he's not.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Gotanda has a ''lot'' of problems dealing with his fame.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: It's pretty clear that the narrator is the only friend Gotanda has.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: The Rat, Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and Gotanda, all of which are symbolized by the six skeletons in the narrator's vision. However, Kiki's exact nature is ambiguous, and the sixth person is never revealed.]]
** On a minor, sad note to fans of the previous novel, [[spoiler: Kipper.]]
* LastGirlWins: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi.]]
* MagicalRealism: Everything involving the Sheep Man, from his mysterious location to his ability to [[spoiler: keep people connected]]. Also, [[spoiler: Yuki]] is psychic.
* MarkedToDie: [[spoiler: One of the skeletons only has one arm, just like Dick North.]]
* MindScrew: How much of the dreams are real? Where does [[spoiler: the Sheep Man's floor of the hotel exist]], and how can someone like [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] reach it? Where did [[spoiler: Kiki]] go?
* MotorMouth: The Sheep Man, as usual.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: Gotanda can pretty much do this with ''anything'', even high school science.
* MurderMakesYouCrazy: Or in [[spoiler: Gotanda's]] case, even ''crazier''.
* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it might be only a pseudonym.]]
* OddFriendship: The narrator and Yuki have one. The same goes with Gotanda, [[spoiler: but with much more tragic results.]]
* OlderAndWiser: The narrator has definitely matured a bit between books.
* OldFlame: Gotanda and his wife divorced due to pressure from her family and the media culture. [[spoiler: They end up having secret flings together anyway.]]
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Mei, June, and [[spoiler: Kiki.]]
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] doesn't respond to the surreal aspects of the story nearly as well as the others.
* OppositesAttract: The narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] have a bit of this going on. He's seen as a CloudCuckooLander, while she's more an [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]. The only thing they have in common at first is [[spoiler: their encounters with the Sheep Man.]]
** Had they stayed together, Yuki's parents would have likely been the same.
* OracularUrchin: Yuki knows ''way'' more than a young teenager should.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Dick North is a skilled poet, but he's got nothing on Amé's photography.
* ParentalAbandonment: Yuki's mother does this to her frequently when she runs off on photography jobs.
* ParentalNeglect: Both of Yuki's parents are guilty of this. Hiraku Makimura thinks throwing money at his problems and spoiling his daughter from a distance will win her over. Amé frequently forgets Yuki is ''even there'' and runs off on photography jobs whenever inspiration strikes.
* ParentalSubstitute: Mr. Makimura ''tries'' to pay the narrator into becoming one for Yuki, but he refuses and comes up with his own terms.
* PersonalEffectsReveal: The only thing found on [[spoiler: Mei's]] body is the narrator's business card, resulting in him being a suspect.
* PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler: Kiki. She was murdered in the shadow dimension, but not necessarily in the real one.]]
* ThePowerOfActing: It doesn't matter what the film or commercial is about, Gotanda can ''sell it.''
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
** [[spoiler: Gotanda ''attempts'' to use the narrator to curb his psychotic tendencies, but fails.]]
* ThePowerOfTrust: Thanks to the narrator's presence, Yumiyoshi is able to [[spoiler: return to and navigate the Sheep Man's realm without panicking.]]
* PsychicPowers: [[spoiler: [[PsychicChildren Yuki]]]] [[PsychicRadar experiences detailed visions]], usually in the form of retrocognition.
* RidiculouslyAverageGuy: Dick North, Amé's one-armed lover.
* SchrodingersCat: [[spoiler: Kiki]] is revealed to be one. [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled her to death when they were in the shadow world, and Kiki eventually explains that she's merely moved on to another reality.]]
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Mr. Makimura tries to pay the narrator into becoming Yuki's ParentalSubstitute...
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: ...Only for the narrator to chew him out and make an agreement on ''his'' terms.
** [[spoiler: Gotanda ''despises'' the lifestyle and expectations that come with fame, has a secret affair with his ex, and ends up killing himself.]]
* SecondLove: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] eventually becomes one.
* SerialKiller: [[spoiler: Gotanda. He was already psychologically unbalanced growing up, but the pressures of the celebrity lifestyle sent him off the deep end.]]
* ShowWithinAShow: ''Unrequited Love'', Gotanda's movie.
* SignificantAnagram: Yuki's father is named Hiraku Makimura, which is an anagram of Haruki Murakami. It could be a case of SelfDeprecation, as Mr. Makimura is a successful writer who thinks his wealth will solve his problems. Yuki has absolutely zero respect for him.
* SocietyMarchesOn: InUniverse, when narrator decides to go back to the Dolphin Hotel. The hotel was bought out between novels, and is completely redesigned and refurbished. [[spoiler: The old building never left, though...]]
* SpiritAdvisor: The Sheep Man exists in his own pocket dimension in the hotel that few can access. [[spoiler: Kiki can travel between dimensions at will.]]
* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler: Gotanda]] hides one, with tragic results.
* StrangeGirl: Yuki, as the result of [[spoiler: her psychic powers.]]
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Yumiyoshi is a consummate professional while on the clock. She loosens up a bit during her free time.
* SuicideNotAccident: [[spoiler: Gotanda launches his Maserati into the bay]], but it didn't fool anyone. Foreshadowing aside, there were plenty of witnesses.
* SympatheticMurderer: [[spoiler: Gotanda.]]
* TakeThat: Gotanda's entire character arc is a criticism of the price of fame and celebrity culture, which Murakami was dealing with at the time of writing.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled Kiki, and it's clear he feels terrible and confused about it.]]
* ThoseTwoGuys: Fisherman and Bookish, the two cops who interrogate the narrator after [[spoiler: Mei is murdered.]]
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: [[spoiler: Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and to a lesser extent, Kipper.]]
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Inverted. [[spoiler: Gotanda wanted the narrator's good, relatively sane personality to rub off on him in an attempt to regain his own sanity. It failed miserably.]]
* TrilogyCreep: ''Dance Dance Dance'' is the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', which is itself the ending of ''The Trilogy of the Rat''.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Yuki's occasional moments of deep maturity aside, she's also already a smoker.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler: Mei.]]
* YouAreNotAlone: Alienation is a big theme in this story. It's also a case of YouALLShareMyStory, as the Sheep Man states that everything is connected.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: The old Dolphin Hotel was bought out and refurbished. [[spoiler: The Sheep Man is still there, though.]]
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Yuki is barely a teenager, but she acts like an older one.
----
''You gotta dance. As long as the music plays.''
----
!!The novel contains examples of the following tropes:
* AloneWithThePsycho: Inverted from the usual way. The narrator and the killer [[spoiler: go out for pizza at a crowded Shakey's, and the narrator has to awkwardly broach the subject while they're eating. After admitting he killed Kiki, Gotanda slips away while the narrator goes to get a beer, and kills himself shortly afterwards.]]
* AmicablyDivorced: Yuki's parents, and Gotanda and his ex-wife.
* AgeAppropriateAngst: Yuki has had an exceptionally lonely childhood. [[spoiler: Her psychic powers]] make it even worse.
* AuthorAppeal: Murakami's love of surrealism and jazz are present and accounted for. However, he also wrote this story as a way to deal with the unexpected fame and success of NorwegianWood. He also stated that he enjoyed writing this more than any other novel.
* AxCrazy: [[spoiler: Gotanda.]]
* BackupFromOtherworld: [[spoiler: Kiki]] is one, after it's revealed that [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled her in the shadow world.]]
* [[spoiler: BigBadFriend: Gotanda.]]
* BigScrewedUpFamily: Yuki's father is a successful author who doesn't understand his daughter in the slightest. Yuki's mother is a highly skilled photographer and a ''really'' unreliable CloudCuckooLander living in Hawaii with a new boyfriend. Yuki herself is a bitterly lonely and [[spoiler: psychic]] teenager.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The narrator gets together with Yumiyoshi and solves the mystery, but Kiki and Gotanda are dead, the Sheep Man has vanished, and Yuki's future with her crazy parents won't be pleasant.]]
* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Yuki plays this straight...at first.
* BusCrash: [[spoiler: Kiki was PutOnABus at the end of ''AWildSheepChase'' and died before the start of this story.]]
* CallBack: Only a few with regards to ''AWildSheepChase'':
** [[spoiler: Kiki's]] ears having strange powers.
** Kipper, the narrator's pet cat.
** The narrator becoming a freelancer after leaving his old job.
* {{Catchphrase}}: "Shoveling cultural snow."
* CerebusCallback: Pretty much any time the phrase "shoveling snow" or "cuck-koo" are mentioned [[spoiler: after Mei is murdered.]]
** Gotanda's [[spoiler: joke about crashing the Maserati wasn't a joke at all. He was already contemplating suicide.]]
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler: the scene with Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'']]
** [[spoiler: Gotanda's Maserati.]]
* CloudCuckooLander: Amé, who's so spacy that she strands her teenage daughter in hotels while she travels the world.
** Everyone considers the unnamed protagonist to be one.
* CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Dick North is this for Amé.
* ConsummateProfessional: Yumiyoshi is this when on the clock. She's not quite as straight-laced in her free time.
* ContinuityNod: The first part of the novel deals with the fate of the old Dolphin Hotel, the setting for part of ''AWildSheepChase''. Also, the Sheep Man not only recognizes and advises the protagonist, but he's ''waiting'' for him to show up.
* CoolCar: The Maserati. Gotanda hates it because someone of his celebrity stature is expected to drive one. He - and pretty much all the other characters - vastly prefers the narrator's old Subaru.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The new hotel management tries to keep the otherworldly secret of the building under wraps, to the point the staff are afraid to talk about their experiences.
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler: Kiki]] died before the story began.
* DeadPersonConversation: The narrator has one with [[spoiler: Kiki]] near the end. However, it's left ambiguous if [[spoiler: she's really dead or she's simply moved on to another dimension.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler: Gotanda]] gradually becomes one, with tragic results.
* DisposableWoman: [[spoiler: Mei]] dies a few chapters after being introduced, which triggers the novel's murder mystery plot going.
* DisposableSexWorker: [[spoiler: Mei and Kiki.]]
* DoubleConsciousness: [[spoiler: Gotanda attempts to explain it during TheReveal. There's a big, deep chasm between his real self and his actor self, accompanied by extremely violent urges.]]
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: It happens to the narrator, most prominently as [[spoiler: a warning that six of his acquaintances - but not specifically ''who'' - will be dead before the adventure ends.]]
* DreamSequence: Whenever [[spoiler: Kiki]] wants to show him something. It's usually in the form of a hotel room [[spoiler: with half a dozen skeletons, each one representing a character who will die.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Gotanda. Literally.]]
* DwindlingParty: The characters gradually leave or die off, eventually leaving the narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi.]]
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler: Gotanda ''really'' hates being a celebrity, constantly talks about escaping the lifestyle, and jokes about wrecking his Maserati. That's exactly what he does in the end.]]
* DysfunctionalFamily: Most definitely ''not'' PlayedForLaughs.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: The narrator begins the story trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend. By the end of the novel, he's done so and [[spoiler: helped solve a murder case for which he's initially a suspect, befriends a former classmate turned suicidally depressed celebrity, become immersed in the life of a psychic girl and her neglectful parents, and has begun a new romance.]]
* EmoTeen: Yuki. Given her neglectful parents and [[spoiler: psychic powers]] it's not surprising.
* [[spoiler: ForeseeingMyDeath]]: Not for himself, but the other characters.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a ''very'' good reason Yuki [[spoiler: hates the Maserati. It's the car Gotanda used to dispose of Kiki's body.]]
** The Sheep Man saying that everything's connected. It's not until [[spoiler: the narrator takes Yuki to see Gotanda and Kiki in ''Unrequited Love'' that the murderer is uncovered.]]
** The narrator's vision involving [[spoiler: the six skeletons. Five characters are dead by the end of the novel, leaving you to guess the identity of the last one.]]
* HarmfulToMinors: Yuki [[spoiler: gets a vision of Gotanda murdering Kiki.]] She's deeply shaken and physically ill for most of the chapter afterward.
* HighClassCallGirl: There's a whole ''network'' of them.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Mei.
* IdiotBall: The narrator gets up to get a beer right after [[spoiler: Gotanda ''confessed to killing Kiki'', then musing over the idea of running off to Hawaii. Not only does Gotanda slip away while the narrator's back his turned, he drives off and ''eventually kills himself''.]] All because the narrator left him alone for a few moments.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Between the narrator and Yuki.
* IJustWantToBeFree: Gotanda realizes how hollow the whole celebrity culture is, and how it's making him be someone he's not.
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Gotanda has a ''lot'' of problems dealing with his fame.
* IJustWantToHaveFriends: It's pretty clear that the narrator is the only friend Gotanda has.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: The Rat, Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and Gotanda, all of which are symbolized by the six skeletons in the narrator's vision. However, Kiki's exact nature is ambiguous, and the sixth person is never revealed.]]
** On a minor, sad note to fans of the previous novel, [[spoiler: Kipper.]]
* LastGirlWins: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi.]]
* MagicalRealism: Everything involving the Sheep Man, from his mysterious location to his ability to [[spoiler: keep people connected]]. Also, [[spoiler: Yuki]] is psychic.
* MarkedToDie: [[spoiler: One of the skeletons only has one arm, just like Dick North.]]
* MindScrew: How much of the dreams are real? Where does [[spoiler: the Sheep Man's floor of the hotel exist]], and how can someone like [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] reach it? Where did [[spoiler: Kiki]] go?
* MotorMouth: The Sheep Man, as usual.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: Gotanda can pretty much do this with ''anything'', even high school science.
* MurderMakesYouCrazy: Or in [[spoiler: Gotanda's]] case, even ''crazier''.
* NamelessNarrative: It's the same unnamed narrator from ''AWildSheepChase''. However, his then-unnamed girlfriend now has a name: [[spoiler: Kiki. However, it might be only a pseudonym.]]
* OddFriendship: The narrator and Yuki have one. The same goes with Gotanda, [[spoiler: but with much more tragic results.]]
* OlderAndWiser: The narrator has definitely matured a bit between books.
* OldFlame: Gotanda and his wife divorced due to pressure from her family and the media culture. [[spoiler: They end up having secret flings together anyway.]]
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Mei, June, and [[spoiler: Kiki.]]
* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] doesn't respond to the surreal aspects of the story nearly as well as the others.
* OppositesAttract: The narrator and [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] have a bit of this going on. He's seen as a CloudCuckooLander, while she's more an [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]]. The only thing they have in common at first is [[spoiler: their encounters with the Sheep Man.]]
** Had they stayed together, Yuki's parents would have likely been the same.
* OracularUrchin: Yuki knows ''way'' more than a young teenager should.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: Dick North is a skilled poet, but he's got nothing on Amé's photography.
* ParentalAbandonment: Yuki's mother does this to her frequently when she runs off on photography jobs.
* ParentalNeglect: Both of Yuki's parents are guilty of this. Hiraku Makimura thinks throwing money at his problems and spoiling his daughter from a distance will win her over. Amé frequently forgets Yuki is ''even there'' and runs off on photography jobs whenever inspiration strikes.
* ParentalSubstitute: Mr. Makimura ''tries'' to pay the narrator into becoming one for Yuki, but he refuses and comes up with his own terms.
* PersonalEffectsReveal: The only thing found on [[spoiler: Mei's]] body is the narrator's business card, resulting in him being a suspect.
* PosthumousCharacter: [[spoiler: Kiki. She was murdered in the shadow dimension, but not necessarily in the real one.]]
* ThePowerOfActing: It doesn't matter what the film or commercial is about, Gotanda can ''sell it.''
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Yuki ''really'' needed to have someone in her corner. The narrator helped her get over her disillusionment toward life and was only person who understood [[spoiler: her powers.]]
** [[spoiler: Gotanda ''attempts'' to use the narrator to curb his psychotic tendencies, but fails.]]
* ThePowerOfTrust: Thanks to the narrator's presence, Yumiyoshi is able to [[spoiler: return to and navigate the Sheep Man's realm without panicking.]]
* PsychicPowers: [[spoiler: [[PsychicChildren Yuki]]]] [[PsychicRadar experiences detailed visions]], usually in the form of retrocognition.
* RidiculouslyAverageGuy: Dick North, Amé's one-armed lover.
* SchrodingersCat: [[spoiler: Kiki]] is revealed to be one. [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled her to death when they were in the shadow world, and Kiki eventually explains that she's merely moved on to another reality.]]
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Mr. Makimura tries to pay the narrator into becoming Yuki's ParentalSubstitute...
* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: ...Only for the narrator to chew him out and make an agreement on ''his'' terms.
** [[spoiler: Gotanda ''despises'' the lifestyle and expectations that come with fame, has a secret affair with his ex, and ends up killing himself.]]
* SecondLove: [[spoiler: Yumiyoshi]] eventually becomes one.
* SerialKiller: [[spoiler: Gotanda. He was already psychologically unbalanced growing up, but the pressures of the celebrity lifestyle sent him off the deep end.]]
* ShowWithinAShow: ''Unrequited Love'', Gotanda's movie.
* SignificantAnagram: Yuki's father is named Hiraku Makimura, which is an anagram of Haruki Murakami. It could be a case of SelfDeprecation, as Mr. Makimura is a successful writer who thinks his wealth will solve his problems. Yuki has absolutely zero respect for him.
* SocietyMarchesOn: InUniverse, when narrator decides to go back to the Dolphin Hotel. The hotel was bought out between novels, and is completely redesigned and refurbished. [[spoiler: The old building never left, though...]]
* SpiritAdvisor: The Sheep Man exists in his own pocket dimension in the hotel that few can access. [[spoiler: Kiki can travel between dimensions at will.]]
* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler: Gotanda]] hides one, with tragic results.
* StrangeGirl: Yuki, as the result of [[spoiler: her psychic powers.]]
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Yumiyoshi is a consummate professional while on the clock. She loosens up a bit during her free time.
* SuicideNotAccident: [[spoiler: Gotanda launches his Maserati into the bay]], but it didn't fool anyone. Foreshadowing aside, there were plenty of witnesses.
* SympatheticMurderer: [[spoiler: Gotanda.]]
* TakeThat: Gotanda's entire character arc is a criticism of the price of fame and celebrity culture, which Murakami was dealing with at the time of writing.
* TheseHandsHaveKilled: [[spoiler: Gotanda strangled Kiki, and it's clear he feels terrible and confused about it.]]
* ThoseTwoGuys: Fisherman and Bookish, the two cops who interrogate the narrator after [[spoiler: Mei is murdered.]]
* TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth: [[spoiler: Kiki, Mei, Dick North, and to a lesser extent, Kipper.]]
* ToxicFriendInfluence: Inverted. [[spoiler: Gotanda wanted the narrator's good, relatively sane personality to rub off on him in an attempt to regain his own sanity. It failed miserably.]]
* TrilogyCreep: ''Dance Dance Dance'' is the sequel to ''AWildSheepChase'', which is itself the ending of ''The Trilogy of the Rat''.
* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: Yuki's occasional moments of deep maturity aside, she's also already a smoker.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler: Mei.]]
* YouAreNotAlone: Alienation is a big theme in this story. It's also a case of YouALLShareMyStory, as the Sheep Man states that everything is connected.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: The old Dolphin Hotel was bought out and refurbished. [[spoiler: The Sheep Man is still there, though.]]
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Yuki is barely a teenager, but she acts like an older one.
----
''You gotta dance. As long as the music plays.''
----
