Sasami Tsukuyomi is a beautiful tenth-grade girl who happens to be a total shut-in, refusing to even go out of her house. She constantly relies on her doting older brother Kamiomi, a teacher in her school, to take care of her, including dressing her up, even though she despises his slavish devotion to her. She spends most of her time watching Kamiomi's daily life outside the house through her "Brother Surveillance Tool" and his interactions with the Yagami sisters — fellow teacher Tsurugi, who looks too young for her thirty-one years of age; Kagami, the middle sister, Sasami's classmate and a sleepy sixteen-year-old; and Tama, the youngest at age nine with a ridiculously hot body.
As it turns out, however, his life is not so ordinary, and that's what slowly motivates Sasami to start connecting with society.
Sasami-san@Ganbaranai ("Sasami-san@Dismotivation") is a light novel series written by Akira and illustrated by Hidari, which was published by Shogakukan under the Gagaga Bunko brand from 2009 to 2013 for 11 volumes.
It is also adapted into a manga with illustrations by Akira Nishikawa and published in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday from October 2012 to September 2013, as well as a 2013 12-Episode Anime directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and produced by Studio Shaft.
The series provides examples of:
- Animal Motifs: Frogs for Tama.
- An Arm and a Leg:
- Sasami's sub-personality manifests as an arm that extrudes from her chest. Later, this personality is removed by Tsurugi.
- Juju Tsukuyomi is torn apart by Tama. Even if she's basically a zombie, you can't help but think, 'damn that's painful'.
- Backup from Otherworld: Tsurugi physically dragging Juju Tsukuyomi back to the realm of the dead.
- Literally:the ruler of the underworld appears to defeat Kuzuryuu.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Tama may be a genuinely sweet, loving kid, but hurt her siblings and friends, and she will absolutely show no mercy to anyone who dares do so. Juju (or at least her zombified body) learned the hard way (and lost some limbs in the process) why no one messes with Amaterasu, her creations and her friends, and still expect to get away with it unscathed.
- Big Brother Attraction: Tama to her "Paparin" Kamiomi. And Sasami to Kamiomi. Inverted with Sasami parents, her mother was the older sibling and was attracted to Sasami's father, her little brother
- Big Eater: Tama, almost to Extreme Omnivore levels. E.g., in Episode 1, she eats the chocolate monster.
- Bland-Name Product
- In Episode 1 Sasami receives Valentine's chocolate shipped by "Amazonas".
- Sasami watches her brothers' activity through her Vayo.
- In Episode 2, there is a fridge full of Red Blue. The logo looks like a bull.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Tama, Kagami and Tsurugi, respectively (the order also coincides with their age order, youngest to oldest).
- Body Horror:
- Sasami's repressed persona created from her time in Tsukuyomi Shrine manifests itself as an arm sprouting from her chest. Tsurugi later changes it into a rabbit.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Justified in the most nauseating way. Tsukuyomi's lineage inherits the power of Amaterasu and they rely on incest to maintain the purity (i.e., divine power) of their lineage. This power is matrilineal, and the male side of the family is basically just a Glorified Sperm Donor. This system is maintained by thorough indoctrination and what is basically a lobotomy.
- Casting Gag: This isn't the first time Chiwa Saitō has voiced a childlike teacher. Or an incarnation of Amaterasu.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Susanoo, the ruler of the underworld. He appears in person to defeat Kuzuryuu.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Sasami to her brother.
- Cloudcuckoolander:
- Kamiomi freely admits that he has no common sense.
- Every character is a Cuckoolander in their own way. Tama thinks she's a frog, nobody seems particularly confused by the entire world turning into chocolate and back again, etc.
- Cool Big Sis: Tsurugi to her sisters. Even if they're but her creation. At the end of Episode 7 she even contacts Sasami, asking her to take care of Kagami and Tama while she settles matters back at the Underworld.
- Cool Sword: Tsurugi has Ame-no-Murakumo though it's only good for self-defense. Later, Sasami's mother shows up with the sword of misfortune, Ame-no-Habakiri, at her disposal.
- Crossover Cosmology: It's strongly implied that other pantheons exist, and they can be quite belligerent toward each other. Juju (as the Amaterasu) fights Baron Samedi in a flashback. The Baron doesn't seem to be a black man.
- Cult: The Arahabaki, which to the Yamato gods is what the Titans were to Olympian gods.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Juju stains the floor red with Kagami's blood and throws Tsurugi to the Underworld almost effortlessly in Episode 6. Having borrowed the sword of misfortune from the King of Underworld and also received His divine protection helps. Next episode, however, Tama reverses the tide of battle when she manages to break Juju's Ame-no-Habakiri with Tsurugi's sword, then proceeds to eat some of her body parts before Tsurugi drags Juju back to the Underworld.
- Curiosity Causes Conversion: What drove Sasami to leave the Tsukuyomis with Kamiomi in tow? She discovered the internet.
- Death of the Old Gods: The Arahabaki was defeated by Yamato gods in the antiquity. Tamamo-no-mae tries to undo this history.
- Defeat by Modesty: Sasami's plan to get Kagami to avoid her in Episode 8 involved stripping her of her clothes and uploading nude pictures of her to the internet.
- Deflector Shields: Tama's power.
- Deus ex Machina: Literally and repeatedly. It helps that the main characters are literal gods. Namely: Tsurugi bailing Sasami multiple times, Juju decides to retake the mantle of Amaterasu to let her daughter live freely, and Susanoo appearing to defeat Kuzuryuu.
- Diabolus ex Nihilo: The... aliens. Okay, they aren't trying to screw everyone, but the net result is the same.
- Everyone Is Related: All named characters have some sort of connection with the sun goddess Amaterasu.
- The Faceless
- For some reason Kamiomi walks around holding his suitcase, frying pans, etc. in front of his face. Even the opening isn't immune. Sometimes the object just floats there unaided.
- Apparently every male is subject to this trope judging by Episode 3.
- Kitsunebi Youko, or Tamamo in disguise, has her eyes conveniently off-screen or hidden whenever she appears in Episode 10. It remains to be seen if this sticks.
- Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Gods, demons, international secret organization, aliens...
- Fête Worse than Death: The Kuzuryuu revival ritual.
- Flashback: Combined with Mental Time Travel.
- Friendly Enemy: Edogawa Jou vis-a-vis Tsukuyomi Sasami. It doesn't help that Jou has a serious case of chuunibyou and is unable to see the world outside the master-servant paradigm (and with her always being the master).
- Fractured Fairy Tale: Episode 3, which re-imagines a version of the "Hare of Inaba" story, where Sasami is the "rabbit" and Kamiomi is the shark.
- Funny Background Event: In the fourth episode, for some reason, an armor Kamiomi keeps in his room is able to pose according to fake Sasami's emotion as she watches a documentary DVD about her own creation process.
- Healing Factor: Kagami. Although she is a Robot Girl.
- Heel–Face Turn:
- Juju Tsukyomi, after listening to the reason why her daughter didn't want to be a shrine maiden, no longer considers her a traitor, and stops forcing her to choose that path.
- Egodawa Jou, after her defeat, becomes true friends with Sasami.
- Hikikomori: The eponymous Sasami... and she looks too hot to be a total recluse. Turns out she was cursed by an evil deity, until the Yagami sisters free her at the end of Episode 3.
- Hypocritical Humor: In Episode 2, Tsurugi childishly berates Kamiomi for being childishly happy after winning a jenga game against her.
- Incest Subtext: Kamiomi is far too coddling to Sasami; likewise Sasami is far too possessive of Kamiomi. Then it is revealed that all male Tsukuyomis are conditioned to serve, protect and marry their sisters in order to keep the power Amaterasu/Tsurugi had bequeathed them.
- I Want Grandkids: After it becomes obvious to Juju that her daughter Sasami is not willing to continue the Barrier Maiden duty, she force her to have kids. Just about any man will do. But the creepiest part is she choose Sasami's father/her husband/her brother.
- Master of Disguise: That Idol Singer is Sasami's father?!
- Mind Screw: Which makes its production by Studio Shaft very understandable. For example, in Episode 1 alone, the world almost completely turned into chocolate, with the Yagami sisters fighting chocolate monsters.
- Miko: The females of the Tsukuyomi family.
- Mythology Gag: When she turns into a Hikikomori (again), Sasami wants to videotape a naked Kagami and make her the new internet sensation. That seems to come out of nowhere, until you remember how Amaterasu was drawn out of her heartbreak-induced seclusion: by the laughter of the myriad gods incited by a naked dancing goddess. Naked People Are Funny, indeed.
- Narrator All Along Episode three begins with Sasami re-imagining the Hare of Inaba
folktale as we're treated to visuals of her as the "rabbit." This would appear to be an aesthetic choice, if Sasami weren't repeatedly praising of the rabbit for its cuteness and intelligence. - Never Trust a Trailer: The summary and trailers suggested this would be some kind of Romantic Comedy show. Take a look at the tropes on this page to see what the real genre is.
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Basically, Kagami is a cyborg demigod high school girl. She is also Kagutsuchi.
- Older Than They Look: Tsurugi looks like a little kid. She's actually 31, and acts even older than that.
- Old Maid: Tsurugi is still single for a woman in her thirties. Or, as Sasami calls her, a "prepubescent hag". She's Really 700 Years Old.
- Physical God: Tsurugi is none other than Amaterasu herself, Shinto goddess of the sun, who, having grown tired of being nigh-invincible, bequeathed her powers to an ancestor of the Tsukuyomi siblings.
- Pieces of God: Kagami was created using a part of Amaterasu/Tsurugi to serve as her Living Weapon.
- A Pig Named "Porkchop": Tsurugi names her pet rabbit "Meat".
- Put on a Bus: Tsurugi during Episodes 7-8, before returning midway through Episode 9.
- Rape as Drama: Juju will do absolutely anything to make sure the Tsukuyomi lineage continue, including setting up a hapless guy to impregnate Sasami. The way it's done, you would also feel pity for the man.
- Reality Warper
- When Kamiomi goes to buy chocolate for his sister, Apochocolypse happens. It comes with being a living vessel for the powers of Amaterasu.
- In Episode 3, it is revealed that Sasami had the powers of Amaterasu all along, and that she had been unconsciously influencing the gods to fulfill Kamiomi's wishes to make Sasami happy.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming
- Kamiomi and Sasami's surname is Tsukuyomi, after the Shinto god of the moon and Amaterasu's estranged twin brother.
- The Yagami sisters are loosely named after the Imperial Regalia: Kusanagi no Tsurugi (the sword), Yata no Kagami (the mirror), and Yasakani no Magatama (the jewel).
- Robot Girl: Kagami can turn her right hand into a flamethrower, her left into a cryogenic gun, and has an entire array of missiles over her torso (including Torpedo Tits), as well as mechanical wings. She also has her own internet connection.
- Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: In Episode 3, it is revealed that Amaterasu/Tsurugi's powers were with Sasami all along, influencing the gods to grant her wishes through Kamiomi, and that Tama was created by Amaterasu herself to serve as the next vessel for her powers.
- She's Back: Tsurugi in episode 9.
- Shout-Out
- In Episode 1, Kamiomi is seen doing the Hare Hare Yukai Dance popularized by the anime version of Haruhi Suzumiya, much to Kagami's disgust. This serves as a foreshadowing that, like Haruhi, Kamiomi is a subconscious Reality Warper.
- In the next episode Kagami herself references the same series, explaining that her online game character is a vet and not a nurse, because she has "no interest in ordinary humans".
- While browsing the internet, Sasami encounters an anime called "Choco and Choco and Chocolate", causing her to quip..."What happened to love and elections?"
- Kagami doubles over and sprouts robotic wings from her back, reminiscent of Battle Angel Alita or Saikano. The homing missile canisters she drops are also very like those Chise produces.
- The sound effect of Grief Seeds cracking open is reused. Episode 1 also even features a Magical Girl battle in a city with a somewhat surreal chocolate dragon which bears a passing resemblance to the tree dragons of Origin: Spirits of the Past.
- The DVD that Kagami checks out in Sasami's room in Episode 2 is called The Macky Horror Picture Show, and one speech balloon on its cover reads "I wanna have a pure time. Everyone's a noble mind."
- Tsurugi's "Nishishishi" Signature Laugh matches Miya's in Amagami SS.
- In Episode 1, Kamiomi is seen doing the Hare Hare Yukai Dance popularized by the anime version of Haruhi Suzumiya, much to Kagami's disgust. This serves as a foreshadowing that, like Haruhi, Kamiomi is a subconscious Reality Warper.
- Shown Their Work:
- It starts with getting the basic correct: Ame-no-Murakumo is not a katana. It gets even better from there.
- The way the kami works in Shintoism is that they are permeating the cosmos and not quite subject to contemporary spatiality. This is crucial in defeating Sasami's mother. About the only other works that mention this is Hisoutensoku.
- Signature Laugh: Tsurugi's "Nishishishi"
- Sleepyhead: Kagami
- Spit Take: In Episode 1 Sasami spews out the barley tea she was sipping when she sees a rather saucy scene from one of Tsurugi's eroges as seen through her "Brother Surveillance Tool".
- Stylistic Suck: In Episode 1 Kana Asumi sings the ending theme as Sasami very half-heartedly; come Episode 2 she doesn't sing at all, and in the third the Yagami sisters (minus Kagami) take over. In the fifth Sasami duets with Kagami. The former sings normal and the latter sings just as half-heartdly as Sasami did in the first episode. Only she doesn't know the words.
- Telepathy: If someone is capable of supernatural feats, then he or she is likely also capable of telepathy. Sasami use this to make Tama her replacement when she's bedridden.
- Mental Fusion: The telepathic link is also a hub, and other people can join in. The result is like an internet chatroom between Sasami, Tama, Kagami, and Tsurugi. Jou and her folk is also capable of this, and once types on the wrong chatroom!
- Third-Person Person: Tama refers to herself as such, which is justifiable, considering she is actually a little kid.
- Torpedo Tits: As lampshaded by Tsurugi, Kagami has these. She's a bit dismayed that Kagami didn't use them more effectively.
- Tsundere: Tsurugi plays a Type B towards Kamiomi in Episode 1.
- Kagami.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Every time Sasami tries to leave the house she vomits, but it's covered up by a card that says she vomited.
- Wham Episode: Sixth Episode. Juju suddenly comes Back from the Dead and it seems that she is approaching Sasami to have fun with her daughter. But no. She actually comes to force Sasami to become the priestess of Tsukuyomi Shrine again. And with the support from the God of Underworld to boot.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Oh, Kagami...
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Edogawa Jou. She mistakes certain events for a Final Battle in a Mahou Shoujo series, with herself as the super-villain. What kind of events? Hot Springs Episode, immediately followed by Beach Episode.
- Younger Than They Look: Tama looks like a mature lady. She's actually nine, and acts even younger than that.
