History Manga / Amatsuki

* SexyBacklessOutfit: Bonten regularly wears one. Kon joins in on the second volume cover (see above picture).

* SpotlightStealingSquad: Bonten's group have appeared on almost every cover since volume 7, meaning aside from [[TheHero Toki]] few other characters show up.
* SproutingEars: Particularly Kuchiha and Susutake.

** ColorfulThemeNaming: Very nearly all the characters are named after traditional Japanese colours used in fabric dyeing and artwork.

** AnimalThemeNaming: Many character names also have a double meaning as birds, such as Toki (ibis), Kurotobi (black kite) and Suzume (sparrow).

* ArtEvolution: The artwork has steadily become more and more fluid and softer. The early stuff is almost unrecognisable compared to what was drawn recently.

* WildCard: A lot of the characters work for this, but possibly Toki as the best example, since he will always choose to help people instead of pursuing personal gains.
* WouldntHitAGirl: Subverted because although Kon has no qualms assisting in the smackdown of Tsuruume, he doesn't actually hit her at any point, and Toki scolds him for fighting with girls.
* YearInsideHourOutside: When Toki is transported to Amatsuki, Kon has apparently been there two years already, despite Toki having seen him in the present time just ''minutes'' beforehand.
* {{Youkai}}: Called 'ayakashi' in this case.
* NinetyPercentOfYourBrain: The "ten percent" myth is used in Chapter 48 by a crazy doctor trying to push the limits of the human body. It remains to be seen if [[spoiler:Lily]] develops any special abilities related to this, or if the other unusable 90% has any part to play in the two-worlds plot.
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** Midori's name is brought attention to in-story. Shiraai links the 'thousand-year-old green' colour to a hypnotic, dreamlike state.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose [[MixAndMatchCritters monstrous companion, the Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind in one eye]]. But, at the last minute, a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up to save the day, before poor Toki falls unconscious.

He wakes up in a room with none other than Kon, although the latter appears very different than before. Kon and Kuchiha explain to Toki that the masked figure is a [[{{Youkai}} demon]] known as Yakou, that he is now [[FishOutOfTemporalWater trapped in the simulation of Edo Period Japan]], and that Kon was also attacked and transported there two years earlier - despite the fact that Toki last saw him only a few hours ago. There is no known way to return home, so the pair of them elect to take care of Toki and teach him how to fit in.

* {{Miko}}: There are many traditional examples at the Sakagami shrine.

* MrExposition: Kon mostly. Ginshu, Bonten, Kurotobi, Tsuruume, and Hashita tend to dabble as well when required. In fact, this trope applies to pretty much everyone in Amatsuki except [[IdiotHero Toki]].
* MysteriousPast: All the main characters, though Kuchiha, Ginshu and Bonten have all had theirs explained somewhat. Toki's is still fragmented and downright confusing, whilst Kon has virtually no backstory whatsoever.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose [[MixAndMatchCritters monstrous companion, the Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind]] [[MagicalEye in one eye]]. But, at the last minute, a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up to save the day, before poor Toki falls unconscious.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose [[MixAndMatchCritters monstrous companion, the Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind]] [[MarkOfTheSupernatural in one eye]]. But, at the last minute, a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up to save the day, before poor Toki falls unconscious.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose [[MixAndMatchCritters monstrous companion, the Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind]] in one eye. But, at the last minute, a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up to save the day, before poor Toki falls unconscious.

* MismatchedEyes: Toki. One of his eyes is red to signify that its vision was stolen by the Nue.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose [[MixAndMatchCritters monstrous companion, the Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind]] [[MismatchedEyes in one eye]]. But, at the last minute, a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up to save the day, before poor Toki falls unconscious.

Tokidoki Rikugou is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who, after [[BookDumb failing history class]], is forced to visit an incredibly high-tech virtual reality museum modelling the [[JidaiGeki Edo Period]] with some of his classmates, including [[JapaneseDelinquents notorious class-cutting delinquent]], Kon Shinonome. As he explores the building, Toki comes face-to-face with a masked figure whose monstrous companion, the [[MixAndMatchCritters Nue]], inexplicably attacks him, destroying his VR goggles and [[EyeScream leaving him blind]] [[MismatchedEyes in one eye]]. But then a [[ActionGirl beautiful young swordswoman]] named Kuchiha shows up just in time to save the day, before Toki drops off into unconsciousness.

He wakes up in a room with none other than Kon, although the latter appears very different than before. Kon and Kuchiha explain to Toki that the masked figure is a [[{{Youkai}} demon]] known as Yakou, that he is now [[FishOutOfTemporalWater trapped in the simulation of Edo Period Japan]], and that Kon was also attacked and transported there two years earlier - despite the fact that Toki recalls having last seen him only ten minutes ago. There is no known way to return home, so the pair of them elect to take care of Toki and teach him how to fit in.

** FloralThemeNaming: As can be expected, several characters are named after flowers, like Ayame (iris), Kanzou (orange lily) and Tsuyukusa (dayflower). The chapters are also frequently given floral titles.

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler:Toki to Kuchiha.]]

* FirstNameBasis: After they hang out together for awhile, Toki eventually drops the [[{{Honorifics}} honorific]] on Tsuyukusa's name. Tsuyukusa, however, is [[{{Tsundere}} very taken aback]] by this and [[HeyYou deliberately avoids calling Toki by his first name]] until chapter 58.

* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: While they may not be evil, none of the humans introduced so far are above manipulating everyone around them for their own benefit. But the Demons have their bad points too.
* [[spoiler: InsideAComputerSystem]]: Probably.

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:Pretty much the ''whole cast'', except Toki and the demons as of now.]]
** [[spoiler: Not the demons as well. The whole world, including the demons, forgets everything after the reset. It's just that Bonten believes that absolutely everything Toki says is the truth, well, because he's the Blank Page.]]

** Amatsuki is an abbreviation of the term 'Amayo no Tsuki', which means 'moon on a rainy night', i.e. something that cannot really exist. Bonten believes that the world of Amatsuki is an illusion.

* MindScrew: The anime is for the most part fairly straightforward. The manga, on the other hand, quickly proves everything the characters originally believed to be false, and then rather than solve any mysteries it just keeps opening up more and more. [[spoiler:Things started to become set in stone approaching chapter 100.]]

* FakeMemories: Oh, boy. Where do we even start on this one?

* HairColors: Amatsuki mostly has realistic hair colors even for demons. All Japanese have black hair, unless (and we're looking at ''you'', Toki and Kon) they've colored it. Even some demons have realistic hair... until Tsuyukusa decided to break the mold by going green.

* JigsawPuzzlePlot: Just continues to get more and more confusing as time goes by. Even well over 50 chapters in, we still know very little about the main characters or the connection between Amatsuki and the real world. While there have been various hints, these are few and far between, and hard to fit together.

** Midori's name is brought attention to in-story. Shiraai links the 'thousand year green' colour to a hypnotic, dreamlike state.

* MindScrew: The anime is for the most part fairly straightforward. The manga, on the other hand, still hasn't set anything in stone after over 100 chapters of trying to figure out what the hell is going on...

While it's [[NeedsMoreLove often passed up or overlooked]] for its [[JigsawPuzzlePlot extremely complicated and often confusing storyline]], ''Amatsuki'', a manga by Shinobu Takayama (adapted into a thirteen episode anime in 2008), has a very strong story with {{awesome art}}, an intricate plot, [[ShownTheirWork accurate and detailed references to Japanese history and folklore]], and a fleshed-out cast of characters.

He later wakes up in a room with none other than Kon, although the latter appears very different than before. Kon and Kuchiha explain to Toki that the masked figure is a [[{{Youkai}} demon]] known as Yakou, that he is now [[FishOutOfTemporalWater trapped in the simulation of Edo Period Japan]], and that Kon was also attacked and transported there two years earlier - despite the fact that Toki recalls having last seen him only ten minutes ago. There is no known way to return home, so the pair of them elect to take care of Toki and teach him how to fit in.

* TrappedInAnotherWorld

* TrueCompanions: Toki, Kuchiha, and Kon... and later, [[spoiler:Toki, Tsuyukusa, and Bonten. Kinda.]]
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Momiji and possibly Kanzou.
* WildCard: A lot of the characters work for this, but possibly Toki as the best example.

* ChekhovsGunman: Kon, who turns up right at the beginning of the manga and later is revealed to be a major character. Also Ainezu, briefly introduced as a nameless doctor and then forgotten, only to turn up much later as a member of the infamous Onmyou Bureau.

* ArtEvolution: The artwork has become steadily more and more fluid and softer. The early stuff is almost unrecognisable compared what was drawn recently.

* [[spoiler: InsideAComputerSystem]]: Maybe.

* IronicNurseryRhyme: ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlI90w1oHEE "Toryanse"]]'', a traditional Japanese children's song which is used to incredibly creepy effect, especially when the Yakou is involved.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters
* LoveTriangle: Toki-Kuchiha-Kanzou. Sort of.

* MadScientist: Urushibara is a truly terrifying example.

* MrExposition: Kon mostly. Ginshu, Bonten, Kurotobi, and Tsuruume tend to fit into this role as well. In fact, this trope applies to pretty much everyone in Amatsuki except [[IdiotHero Toki]].

* MindScrew: The anime is for the most part fairly straightforward. The manga, on the other hand...

** Shiraai and Aonibi appear to have [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair blue hair]], and Wakasa has bright pink (though he probably dyed it). Also WhiteHairedPrettyBoy Ginshu had reddish hair before his [[spoiler:UnwantedRevival]].

This all plays out like a fairly typical TrappedInAnotherWorld story, until Toki eventually discovers that [[TheChosenOne he has a special power]]. In this world called Amatsuki, where [[BecauseDestinySaysSo everyone's destiny is pre-determined]] by the reigning PowersThatBe , Toki is unique in that, as a newcomer to the world, [[ImmuneToFate he is the only one whose destiny has not already been decided]] - thus giving him the power to [[RealityWarper change the fates of others through his actions and decisions]]. His status grants him the title of "The Unwritten Page", and as a war between humans and demons rages on in Amatsuki, both sides want to use his power to their own advantage. This soon leads him to encounters with members of the different factions, including Bonten, [[AntiHero a powerful demon and agent of Heaven]]; Ginshu, [[{{Miko}} a priestess who is head of demon extermination]]; and Tadajiro Sasaki, [[ManipulativeBastard a manipulative government official]].

!!This work provides examples of:

While it's [[NeedsMoreLove often passed up or overlooked]] for its [[JigsawPuzzlePlot extremely complicated and often confusing storyline]], ''Amatsuki'', a manga by Shinobu Takayama, has a very strong story with {{awesome art}}, an intricate plot, [[ShownTheirWork accurate and detailed references to Japanese history and folklore]], and a fleshed-out cast of characters.

* HumansAreBastards: While they may not be evil, none of the humans introduced so far are above manipulating everyone around them for their own benefit. But the Demons have their bad points too.

* SexyBacklessOutfit: Kon wears one on the second volume cover. See above picture.

* ArtShift: The artwork has become steadily more and more fluid and softer. The early stuff is almost unrecognisable compared what was drawn recently.

* CoverStealingSquad: Bonten's group have appeared on almost every cover since volume 7, meaning aside from [[TheHero Toki]] few other characters show up.

While its [[NeedsMoreLove often passed up or overlooked]] for its [[JigsawPuzzlePlot extremely complicated and often confusing storyline]], ''Amatsuki'', a manga by Shinobu Takayama, has a very strong story with {{awesome art}}, an intricate plot, [[ShownTheirWork accurate and detailed references to Japanese history and folklore]], and a fleshed-out cast of characters.

** Shiraai and Aonibi appear to have [[YouGottaHaveBluehair blue hair]], and Wakasa has bright pink (though he probably dyed it). Also WhiteHairedPrettyBoy Ginshu had reddish hair before his [[spoiler:UnwantedRevival]].

* [[spoiler:InsideAComputerSystem]]: Maybe.

* OrpheanRescue: The heroes must travel into an illusion of the SpiritWorld (which is also a gateway to the past) to try and rescue [[spoiler:Kuchiha]].

** ColourfulThemeNaming: Very nearly all the characters are named after traditional Japanese colours used in fabric dyeing and artwork.