History Manga / Akumetsu

* AbsurdlySpaciousSewer: Under Tokyo.
** AirVentPassageway: [[spoiler: Chapter 78: Akumetsu ''fished'' a target into the vents... Yes, with a fishing rod and ''in a fisherman costume''. And escaped.]]
* AllYourPowersCombined: [[spoiler: Jinguuji's initial plan was to create an Ubermensch by combining all his clones' memories into one body.]]
** [[spoiler: And as of the current generation, the remaining Jinguuji clones sacrified themselves to create Version 1, Hazama Shou.]]
* AnatomyAgony: The series does not fuck around when it comes to this.
** AgonyOfTheFeet: A really dark[[note]][[BlackComedy or darkly-humorous, depending on your view of things]][[/note]] example happens in the first volume, where a CorruptCorporateExecutive gets his toe shot off courtesy of one of the Akumetsu.
** BoomHeadshot: Too many examples to list.
** EarAche: A biker in Volume 2 gets shot in the ear with a revolver.
** {{Fingore}}: A police chief in Volume 2 gets ''every finger on his left hand shot off.''
** KneeCapping: [[SubvertedTrope More or less]]; all of the Akumetsu have a habit of shooting/stabbing people in the legs and thighs in order to accomplish the same goal that this trope would.
** OffWithHisHead: At least one of their victims is killed this way.
** TeethFlying: The Volume 1 Akumetsu mentioned above pistol-whipping a guy in the face ends up resulting in this trope.
** YourHeadAsplode: Akumetsu's favorite trick; in order to hide his identity, [[spoiler: the mask is rigged to explode moments after Akumetsu's death.]]

* AssholeVictim: The Manga.

* AxCrazy: Go ahead and try telling us he's not.

* CassandraTruth: That kid with spiky hair is [[spoiler:Akumetsu]]! Believe me!

* DamselInDistress: Shina in the first two chapters or so.
* DangerouslyCloseShave: In Chapter 27.
* DeathIsCheap: ...like never before.
** This varies. Death is cheap early on when he has clones to throw away. Death becomes not so cheap once he is pushed since he does not have the materials nor the resources to create new ones as the final race makes every clone count.

* DecapitationPresentation: One of the Akumetsu pulls one. Apparently, [[NightmareFuel it's so graphic]] that the scanlation crew ''felt the need to censor it!''

* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler: The Perfect One, who would have been a "new" Jinguuji if not for an [[LoveRedeems unexpected twist]] of [[HeelFaceTurn events]].]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:All of the Shous die, as does his teacher, and at least six classmates. The Prime Minister's reforms ultimately failed, and corruption is still rampant. To add insult to injury, he's also homeless. Shiina survives only because the last Shou used the material from his body to build a new clone for her to transfer her consciousness to.]]
** It also has a few countable BittersweetEnding moments sprinkled here and there; like [[spoiler:Shou and Shiina's final moment together in the last cloning room]], and particularly the two final lines of the manga:
--->'''Murase''': Could you tell me more about [[spoiler:that boy called Shou?]]\\

* GambitRoulette: EVERYTHING Akumetsu does. It only partially succeeds.

** [[spoiler:The last 21 Akumetsu go out with such a bang it qualifies as a TearJerker]]
* HostageSituation: Akumetsu's ''favourite'' method.

* [[spoiler: IAmLegion]]: Akumetsu's ''here'' now? Let's switch to [[spoiler: Akumetsu in Chuukei]]! Next we have [[spoiler: Akumetsu in Shibuya]]!
* InherentInTheSystem: Many of Akumetsu's targets use this as an excuse for their inaction. He never buys it.

* KnightTemplar: Shou as a whole.

* [[spoiler: LoveRedeems]]: [[spoiler: The Perfect One stands as the ultimate example of how love can purify even the worst kind of degenerate in body and mind.]]

* MexicanStandoff: Akumetsu and Officer Yamada got into this once.

* MutilationInterrogation: Everyone on Akumetsu's hit-list gets a side order of this trope.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:This is not much of a case of beating the opponent, but basically, the Yakuza lackeys had Akumetsu by the throat and they thought that they could get away with the Coup D'etat only to fall victim to the IncrediblyObviousBomb. Though the Akumetsu inside did not die immediately, the minute they peppered him with bullets, they should have realized that like every Akumetsu before him, the head explodes. Thus it did not matter whether or not they used weak bullets, the minute the Akumetsu dies, the lab was officially screwed anyway.]]
** Actually, [[spoiler: it wasn't Shou Azuma's head that destroyed the lab, since the explosion would be too weak to wipe out the entire thing. Apparently, they rigged a SEPARATE bomb to explode if Azuma was killed. (most likely, they rigged it to explode at the same time as Azuma's head)]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Shou is a master at this. [[spoiler: ''EVERY'' Shou.]]

* PayEvilUntoEvil: Akumetsu's modus operandi.
* ProductPlacement: "Huh? Don't ya read manga? Like Weekly Shounen Champion."
** Also a ShoutOut because Weekly Shounen Champion is where the title is serialized in.

* ShootTheHostage: [[spoiler: How the Perfect One kills Jinguuji.]]

* ShownTheirWork: The author has ''very'' good insight into Japanese politics. Especially in economics.
* SleazyPolitician: We lost count a while ago...

* StrawmanPolitical: Often complete with an EvilLaugh.

* TakingYouWithMe:
** What [[spoiler:Akumetsu, or rather, Shou,]] planned from the beginning.
** [[spoiler:Plan E]]

* {{Ubermensch}}: [[spoiler: Katsuragi used the exact word to describe Shou.]]

* TheUnfettered: Akumetsu at the very end once backed into the corner.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: At least Akumetsu ''explains'' and be honest about his motivation and aim...

* TimedMission: Akumetsu "made a deal" with the Prime Minister: [[spoiler: For the PM to get his economic reform plan rolling in a month, he'll clear off any corrupted officials obstructing it and/or fueling Japan's deficit bigger. If it fails, he'll kill the PM and then the ''whole'' Akumetsu.]]

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: Comparable to ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'' in this area. Easily a 10.
** As mentioned under DecapitationPresentation above, one page in particular was so gruesome that the official scanlators felt the need to censor it themselves.

* NotSoDifferent: Done to [[spoiler: Officer Yamada.]]

* AuthorFilibuster

--->'''Murase''': Could you tell me more about that boy called Shou?]]\\

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:The final Shous]] all do so.

Comparable to both ''Film/TheBoondockSaints'' and ''Manga/DestroyAndRevolution''. On the other hand, [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v08/c064/ most definitely not]] ''Manga/DeathNote''.

* BecomingTheMask: Whoever decides to follow Akumetsu's methods better [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v06/c049/17.html "buck up and do it properly"]]... or else the real one's out there to get you. [[spoiler: And by "do it properly", it includes ''dying after the target''.]]

** [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v06/c049/7.html Weekly Tsop]].
** ''[[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v11/c096/15.html Sany]]'' Video Camera.

* CulturalCrossReference: [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Picard]] [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v02/c016/17.html has exceptional negotiation]]... Wait, what?![[note]]It's the one in the middle, with a silhouette of the Enterprise behind him, making him look like he's wearing a hat.[[/note]]

* GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger: Quite often. An overused example can be seen [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v07/c061/12.html here]].

* HumanShield: [[spoiler: Jinguuji, in his "new body", held Sachiko against the Perfect One. The Perfect One, however, managed to hit him through Sachiko... ''[[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v13/c112/8.html without killing her]]''.]]
* [[spoiler: IAmLegion]]: Akumetsu's ''here'' now? Let's switch to [[spoiler: [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v04/c026/6.html Akumetsu in Chuukei]]]]! Next we have [[spoiler: [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v04/c026/13.html Akumetsu in Shibuya]]]]!

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: No Politicians Were Harmed, in this case. The prime minister bears a striking resemblance to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichiro_Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi]] and there's even a [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v11/c091/16.html page]] in one of the translations giving you a helpful guide to the real-life equivalents of the various [[SleazyPolitician Sleazy Politicians]] that Akumetsu meets.

** [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v03/c022/7.html We cannot reprint/show you the lyrics here.]]

* PaperThinDisguise: Although Akumetsu appears in different uniforms, suits, and costumes for different occasions, the only "disguise" he has is his gimmick; a stylized Oni mask... which, [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v08/c063/7.html according to himself]], ''barely'' covers his face.

* ProductPlacement: [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v12/c099/10.html "Huh? Don't ya read manga? Like Weekly Shounen Champion."]]

* SociopathicHero: Although it's notable that Akumetsu ''[[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v07/c060/6.html admits]]'' that his methods are terrorism.

* AuthorTract: The primary purpose of the story seems to be 60% railing against the corruption of various political offices and figures (including groups often not talked about in fiction, like those in charge of building roads) and 40% watching said figures die in over the top ways.

But when Shina returns to school the next day... Shou is there, and seems fine. And he tells Shina that he'll change UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}.

* BringMyBrownPants: A CorruptCorporateExecutive wets himself in chapter 27.

* [[spoiler: AllYourPowersCombined]]: [[spoiler: Jinguuji's initial plan was to create an Ubermensch by combining all his clones' memories into one body.]]

* MaskPower: In addition to looking cool, the Akumetsu mask [[spoiler: transfers the wearer's memories as data to be implanted into a new body before implanting a bomb into the skull the moment he dies]].

* CantStopTheSignal
* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler: That kid with spiky hair is Akumetsu! Believe me!]]
* CharacterTitle
* [[spoiler: CloningBlues]]: [[spoiler: Every Shou is a clone of a mega syndicate boss called Hiroshii Jinguuji, who funded all the cloning- and memory-related researches they're using now. But luckily, none of them inherited his degenerate memories.]]
* CrazyPrepared: Oh... hell, and ''how''.
* CrossPoppingVeins

** That varies. Death is cheap early on when he had clones to throw away. Death becomes not so cheap once he is pushed since he does not have the materials nor the resources to create new ones as the final race makes every clone count.

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding]]: [[spoiler:All of the Shous die, as does his teacher, and at least six classmates. The Prime Minister's reforms ultimately failed, and corruption is still rampant. To add insult to injury, he's also homeless. Shiina survives only because the last Shou used the material from his body to build a new clone for her to transfer her consciousness to.]]
** It also had a few countable [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding]] moments sprinkled here and there; like [[spoiler:Shou and Shiina's final moment together in the last cloning room]], and particularly the two final lines of the Manga:
--> [[spoiler:'''Murase''': Could you tell me more about that boy called Shou?]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Shiina''': Of course.]]

* [[spoiler: ElaborateUndergroundBase]]

* GambitRoulette: [[spoiler:EVERYTHING Akumetsu did. Only partially succeeds.]]

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:The final Shous all do so.]]

* [[spoiler: HeelFaceTurn]]: [[spoiler: The Perfect One. Before completely inheriting Jinguuji's memories, which would supposedly have made him the same degenerate as him, his filial love for Sachiko, a female researcher in the project who fulfilled the role of his mother, pushed him on a different path.]]
* [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice]]: [[spoiler: The previous-generation Shous (surviving Jinguuji clones), after the process to create Version 1... kinda. Then again, the earlier memory-transfer gears drill holes into the skull and can't be taken off again once they're worn.]]

* [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed No Politicians Were Messily Killed]]: The prime minister bears a striking resemblance to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichiro_Koizumi Junichiro Koizumi]] and there's even a [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v11/c091/16.html page]] in one of the translations giving you a helpful guide to the real life equivalents of the various [[SleazyPolitician Sleazy Politicians]] that Akumetsu meets.

* OverlyLongGag: [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v03/c022/7.html We cannot reprint/show you the lyrics here.]]
** "The head of the former congressman. But because of it's frightening expression, it's been censored"
* PaperThinDisguise: While Akumetsu appears in different uniforms, suits and costumes for different occasions, the only "disguise" he has is his gimmick; a stylized Oni mask... which, [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v08/c063/7.html according to himself]], ''barely'' covers his face.

* [[spoiler: RedemptionEqualsDeath]]: [[spoiler: The Perfect One]]. It was kinda sad, too. The bright side, on the other hand, is that [[spoiler: he uprooted Jinguuji's whole syndicate network before [[DoubleKnockout he met his end]].]]

* [[spoiler: SelfDuplication]]: [[spoiler: Subversion; EVERY SINGLE Akumetsu is the real deal, since they all share the same memory and skills.]]

* [[spoiler: TakingYouWithMe]]: [[spoiler: What Akumetsu, or rather, Shou, planned from the beginning.]]

* [[spoiler: {{Ubermensch}}]]: [[spoiler: Katsuragi used the exact word to describe Shou.]]

The Japanese economy is crumbling. The country has a debt of over 7 trillion dollars. This is followed by, of course, bankruptcy, poverty and unemployment.

Hazama Shou and Nagasawa Shina are two high school students and friends. One day, with the school year almost over, Shina has to sell herself into prostitution due to her family's massive debt. That night, at the hotel where she is made to entertain the high-level members of a semi-governmental corporation, a guy wearing a mask crashes the party, calling himself [[TitleDrop Akumetsu]]. [[note]]''[[MeaningfulName Destruction of Evil]]. (Aku) Evil (Metsu) Killer also works and makes for a wonderful pun.[[/note]] Shina recognized him from the speech pattern... as Shou. After a conversation, bringing his target to admitting his crimes, Shou hacks his skull with an axe he brought and dragged the body outside with him, only to be shot to death by the police waiting outside.

Cue one dead SleazyPolitician and CorruptCorporateExecutive after another as Shou in his alter-ego, Akumetsu, set in motion his plan to save Japan from its economic and political disasters.

Published in ''Weekly Shonen Champion'' from 2002 to 2006, ''Akumetsu'' is a very violent series, but also boasts a realistic art-style. The story department, though, is a tad polarizing. The first plotline explores where and how "evil" can thrive in a modern society; in this case, the author chose politics and economy as its breeding grounds. The second one is about Akumetsu's plot to rid Japan of evil and the government's attempts to apprehend him and stop his terrorist acts. Those politically conscious might have a chance to pause and ponder on the facts the first plotline presents, while a casual reader will probably be interested in the second. Bottomlined, it has MultipleDemographicAppeal which may also appeal to some of the {{Shonen|Demographic}} audiences.

* {{Blackmail}}: One of Akumetsu's oft-opted methods. Apparently not [[HostageSituation his favourite]] though.
* BlandNameProduct: Such gems as [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v06/c049/7.html Weekly Tsop]].

** {{Fingore}}: Happens in the same volume mentioned in the EarAche example, where a police chief gets ''every finger on his left hand shot off.''

** OffWithHisHead: At least one of their victims suffers this.

** YourHeadAsplode: Akumetsu's favorite trick; in order to hide his identity, [[spoiler: the mask is made to explode moments after Akumetsu's death.]]

* AxCrazy: Tell me he's not.

* KnightTemplar: Chou.

* MutilationInterrogation: The manga.

* AnatomyAgony: This series does not fuck around when it comes to this.

** {{Fingore}}: The same volume mentioned in the EarAche example, where a police chief has ''every finger on his left hand shot off.''

** AgonyOfTheFeet: A man in the first volume gets his toe shot off, courtesy of one of the Akumetsu.
** BoomHeadshot: Too many times to count.

** Considering that the Shou conclave began from [[spoiler: several different clones that had all grown up in different areas, families, careers, and lifestyles, the current shou can be interpreted as an extreme case of becoming the mask that it jumps all the way to HiveMind]].

* DecoyProtagonist: Played straight and subverted with Shou Hazama. [[spoiler: Hazama may have preformed the first Akumetsu killing but he isn't connected to the overarching story and is quickly replaced with Shou Niikura as the protagonist by the second volume. However Niikura is killed by the penultimate volume and Hazama takes up the reins as protagonist once more until the end. So in essence, everything begins and ends with Hazama.]]

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: Comparable to ''[[ComicBook/OldManLogan]]'' in this area. Easily a 10.

* YourHeadAsplode: Akumetsu's favorite trick; in order that they can't identify his face, [[spoiler: the mask is made to blow up on Akumetsu's death.]]

Not to be mistaken with [[KenAkamatsu a certain mangaka]].

* HumanShield: [[spoiler: Jinguuji, in his "new body", held Sachiko against the Perfect One. The Perfect One, however, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome managed to hit him through Sachiko]]... ''[[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v13/c112/8.html without killing her]]''.]]

* TheUnfettered: Akumetsu at the very end once backed into the corner. And it is both [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome beautiful]] and [[TearJerker heart-rending]].

ThePunisher meets ''Comicbook/VForVendetta'' meets ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''.

* BatmanGambit: Not just the gambits. The methods are ''very'' reminiscent of [[Film/TheDarkKnight Batman]]... only with more violence. It precedes the Dark Knight Trilogy and Manga/DeathNote though.

But when Shina returns to school the next day... Shou is there, and seems fine. And he tells Shina that he'll change Japan.

Published in Weekly Shonen Champion from 2002 to 2006, ''Akumetsu'' is a very violent series, but also boasts a realistic art-style. The story department, though, is a tad polarizing. The first plotline explores where and how "evil" can thrive in a modern society; in this case, the author chose politics and economy as its breeding grounds. The second one is about Akumetsu's plot to rid Japan of evil and the government's attempts to apprehend him and stop his terrorist acts. Those politically conscious might have a chance to pause and ponder on the facts the first plotline presents, while a casual reader will probably be interested in the second. Bottomlined, it has MultipleDemographicAppeal which may also appeal to some of the {{Shonen|Demographic}} audiences.

Comparable to Film/TheBoondockSaints. On the other hand, [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/akumetsu/v08/c064/ most definitely not]] ''Manga/DeathNote''.

* AuthorAppeal: The writer clearly has a thing for countach cars.