Manga / Jōjū Senjin!! Mushibugyō

Tsukishima Jinbei is a warrior who aims to be the best, under the belief that a weak warrior isn't a warrior at all. His father was scouted out by a representative to join the Mushibugyou and told to go to Edo with the instructions that he'd know what to do once he got there. Shortly after arriving at Edo, he hears a scream and goes to check it out... to find a giant spider-like creature devouring some citizens of Edo. Being a warrior, there's no way he could stand this...

Mushibugyō (ムシブギョー?) is a manga series written and illustrated by Hiroshi Fukuda, which was serialized in Shonen Sunday Super from 2009 to 2010. Fukuda later made Jōjū Senjin!! Mushibugyō, a retelling of the original series, which ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 2011 to 2017. An anime television series adaptation premiered as a part of the spring 2013 season. It is being simulcasted with English subtitles by Crunchyroll.

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Tropes associated with Mushibugyou:

• Absurd Cutting Power:
  • Koikawa can perfectly Clean Cut anything with a weapon even if that weapon happens to be a saw. According to what he says to Jinbee, his secret is imagining really hard that the thing he's about to cut is made of konjac jelly and forget that stone or steel is supposed to be hard. The manga later reveals that Mouri Katsunaga was the founder of this style, focused on channeling one's spirit and heart into an absolute slashing power.
  • The ultimate secret technique of the Fugaku Ryuu, the Taizangiri (Great Mountain Slicer), puts together all secrets from all swordsmen who managed to chip/crack helmets (given the sturdiness of helmets, having a sword able to as much as leave a visible chip in one was considered sign of skill) in order to develop a technique which uses all of their methods to cleave through the helmet... and pretty much everything else.
• Actually a Doombot: Hibachi seemingly destroys Kirigakure Saizo, the strongest of the Sanada Ten Great Insects, but it turns out it was a clone with only a fraction of his power.
• Anime Hair: All over the place but Mugai gets a special mention. Sephiroth looks tame compared to him.
• Anti-Regeneration: During the Kishu Arc, Koikawa ends up fighting the Nyuudo Brothers, who can reattach and heal themselves even if cut to pieces thanks to their cockroach nature. Koikawa just persist in cutting them up so extensively and so fast they're eventually unable to keep reforming.
• Babies Ever After: In the manga ending, Haru, Hibachi, & Kuroageha have each given birth to 3 children respectively for Jinbei.
• BFS:
  • Mugai wields a massive zanbato/halberd called "Jingaito". It can also grow in size when using its powers to replicate the abilities of absorbed insects.
  • The current leader of the Insect Hunters Uro Mugai's brother also wields one.
  • The yoriki (leader) of the Samurai district of the Mushibugyou doesn't wield a proper katana but rather a gigantic, hiltless variant with a huge knife-like blade.
  • Chiyomaru, despite being a child, uses a truly enormous spear as her weapon of choice, almost bordering as a Telephone Polearm for her.
• Big Creepy-Crawlies: The bugs that the Mushibugyou face are huge, ranging from man-sized to a fortress-class monstrosity. Turns out, they're merely the "larval" form of the bugs, since later they all turn into bugmen of various kinds.
• Big Bad: The Eternal Bug, the true source of all the bugs and the bugmen, as well as the "worst half" of the Insect Magistrate herself. Since the anime ended differently, he's Adapted Out. Eventually, the real villain behind the events of the series is revealed as the servant of the Eternal Spirit Joushi, alias Oube no Ou, the man responsible for the cult of the Eternal Bug and the one who manipulated the Mushikari for his plans.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: Kishuu's Lord Yamagatake.
• Big "WHAT?!": Jinbei is prone to saying this any time something remotely shocks him.
• Chameleon Camouflage: This is the ability of Akashi Takenori, one of the Osaka Braves, which comes from being an Orchid Mantis Bugman. He can pretty much become invisible on the spot and even turn into other people.
• Child Mage: Tenma, a child prodigy Onmyoji who fights by manipulating giant paper dolls. He's also the Last of His Kind and, according to his grandmother, won't live past his thirties in the best case.
• Chekhov's Gun: The special dart used by the Mushikari to seal up the powers of the Insect Magistrate is later used to reforge Mugai's Jingaitou into a much stronger form.
• Cooldown Hug: The Magistrate gives one to Jinbei.
• Cowardly Lion: Tenma, despite being a part of the Mushibugyou. He is afraid of bugs.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Koikawa and Mugai. And it's an intertwined past, too. We later learn the one of the entire Mushikari team.
• Dark Secret: The western half of Japan has fallen to Sanada Yukimura and his insect army, the Insect Magistrate is the only reason why Edo is not yet overwhelmed by giant insects. The peace that Jinbee sees everyday is a lie.
  • Worst is the only path between them towards Edo is Kishuu, which, should it fall, all hope is lost.
• Defrosting Ice King: Mugai is the coldest and most distant of the City Patrol, will feel nothing for the potential victims of the bugs and, when he first takes Jinbei with him on a mission it's simply because he believes that if he dies tears won't be shed and even call him country-boy/potato boy. By the time of the Edo Winter Campaign arc he respects him enough to call him by name and trust him in combat.
• Depower: After being hit with special weapon of the Insect Hunter, the Magistrate is incapable of using her Walking Wasteland power. Since she would really like to not have that power in the first place, it's a mixed blessing.
• Driving Question: Akashi Takenori was a profoundly devout Christian in life, but being slain and brought back to life as an insect man by the Eternal Bug, a god very different from the One he worshipped, brought him enormous pain. So he spent most of his century as a bugmen asking himself and other "strong" people the answer to the question "What's God to man?". His own colleagues either gave whimsical answers, couldn't or wouldn't answer and he has declared his intention to slay anyone who will give a bad or offensive answer. When Jinbee candidly admits that he has no idea, for he consider both God and the Eternal Bug as beings far beyond his understanding, he also voices his desire to reach Osaka Castle to get an answer on the Eternal Bug personally. Moved by his words, Takenori swears to lead Jinbee to Osaka Castle so that he can hear the answer from him and then decide wether or not to kill him.
• Dual Boss: Of all the Ten Great Bugs, six of them tend to fight together rather than one on one: first the "Rokuro Combo" made of Unno Rokuro and Mochizuki Rokuro (a smart, Fragile Speedster Dragonfly-man and a dumb, Pillbug-man with Super-Strength), then the Nyuudo Brothers Isa and Seikai Miyoshi. Finally, the two strongest of the group, the fast, sword-wielding Yuri Kamanosuke and the bigger, firearm user Juuzo Kakei.
• The Edo Fireball: Happens with regularity. There is a yearly giant beetle rampage, and Mugai takes it down every time.
• Enemy Mine: During the Winter Edo Campaign arc, the Mushikari come to Mugai's aid in fighting Gotou Matabei and his soldiers.
• Evil Redhead: Sanada Yukimura has a giant mane of red hair and is pretty cruel and evil.
• Eye Scream: Mushikari leader Uro sports a noticeable eyepatch with the emblem of their clan on it, having lost that eye to bugs in the past. After the big reveal, Oube takes out his remaining eye so that he hasn't to witness any more atrocity against his brothers.
• Facial Horror: Gaikotsu of the Insect Hunters always wear a mask... to hide the fact that most of his face is nearly Stripped to the Bone. Plot-relevant, as we later learn that he betrayed his companions when Oube gave him back his handsome face.
• Fanservice with a Smile: Part of the reason why Oharu's local is so filled with clients is her beauty. When Mitsuki opens a manjuu shop right across the road she finds herself outshined and has to sell manjuus from her cleavage in an openly flirtatious tone to drag in customers.
• Full-Frontal Assault: Mushikari member Mitsuki: aside from a collar and legwear, her entire torso is exposed, save for two small chest plates hiding her nipples (though, in most panels, they just seem to push her bust up even further).Even her winter outfit consist in just an open fur cape and a fur busby hat.
• Gender Flip: Subverted in the manga with: Akashi Justo Takenori: the historical Akashi (known as Teruzumi as well) was male, but this version appears to be female. When Mitsuki points this out, he explains that he's actually using his Camouflage skill to alter his appearence into one which is very different from his original body, having felt great shame for, in his eyes, failing his God and being forced to serve another, heathen god in his place.
• Giant Spider: Surprisingly rare, though the humongous, freakish Roof Prison Spider was the very first enemy fought by Jinbee upon arriving in Edo.
• Godzilla Threshold: Turns out, the Imperial Court segment of the Mushibugyou is this to all the others: they are composed of talented and powerful Onmyouji, but their first and foremost duty is to safeguard the Emperor, who's currently forced into hiding in the dungeons of Edo Castle. Only when the castle defense's is about to be breached Hinahime, the commander of the department, shows up to assist the heroes.
• Graceful Loser: Even though he was cut down, Yukimura spends his last moments taking pride in Genjuuro's compliment about his strength and express pride in having being felled by the current age's "number one".
• Gun Kata: The yoriki of the Sanctuary Patrol of the Mushibugyou has a refined, deadly fighting style resembling a dance and involving a sharp steel folding fan and a huge, beautifully-engraved rifle called "Murakumo."
• Handicapped Badass: Jinbee's father is still capable of kicking ass despite being barely able to walk. In the anime, this is for a given value of "handicap", since in the training episode the man is standing, walking, running, and swimming. His sole handicap appears to be a non-bending knee.
• Half-Human Hybrid: The Insect-Men, in original "Mushibito". When one of them learn that the humans have named them as such is surprised, but eventually claims that "Mushibito" has a nice ring to it.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In the manga, Jinbee's father succumbs to his wounds after delivering the finishing blow to Sanada Yukimura.
• Highly-Visible Ninja: Invoked by Hibachi's clan style, which involves a massive usage of explosives, petards and bombs, usually tied to throwing daggers. According to Hibachi's grandfather, this is the main reason why he doesn't want to teach her, as he feels that a kunoichi can't learn such a flashy and flamboyant style.
• Historical Villain Upgrade: The only series that so far dared painting Sanada Yukimura in a negative light. After the Anthill Arc we see that he's joined by other illustrious Toyotomi Generals such as Goto Matabei, Mouri Katsunaga and Chousokabe Morichika.
• Home Field Advantage: Jinpachi Nezu: when he apologizes to Yukimura for failing to defeat Jinbee, he forgives him on the ground that he was unable to do his best on dry land. Indeed, being a belostomatidae Bugman, Jinpachi becomes several times more formidable underwater.
• Hope Spot: During the early part of the Osaka Castle arc, the normally apathetic Eternal Bug finally admits to Naa that he was genuinely taken by Jinbee Tsukushima's mannerism and devotion to her and declares himself ready to listen to what she has to say about him to become more similar to him. However, the chance for a possible Heel–Face Turn that would have solved the situation vanishes when Ooube requests to enter the cocoon with the Eternal Bug to be absorbed by him in order to make him a "complete God".
• Hot-Blooded: Jinbee and Genjuurou Tsukushima.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: The reason why the Eternal Bug became so furious at mankind as a whole, wishing to wipe out all humans in a misguided attempt to make Naa, the Insect Magistrate, happy.
• Human Resources:
  • In the Anthill Arc, the Bugmen in the titular anthill use captured peasants to feed the fungus garden needed to mantain humidity and temperature inside the maze.
  • We later learn that the Jingaitou was forged from the bones of all the fallen Mushikari clan members.
• I Am Not A Weasel: Deconstructed with Kikyou during the Anthill Invasion arc: despite being a moth type insect woman with all that comes with it, she's adamant in referring to herself as a butterfly and becomes angry and vulgar should someone point out that she isn't. However, she's so deluded with being a butterfly that during the final clash against Isshin she blissfully believe she can dodge all his gun shots by fluttering in a confusing, graceful pattern like butterflies do... while in truth, she really can't, leading to her demise.
• Idiot Hero: Jinbee. Most of his wins are out of pure determination.
• Implacable Man: Goutou Matabei is the sturdiest of the Bugmen and, when marching, is truly implacable, taking extremely powerful attacks head on without even pausing. The one time he's actually hit by a plethora of attacks strong enough to push him backwards and force him to his knees, he breaks out in a Slasher Smile and prepares to fight seriously.
• I Shall Taunt You: Jinbee (of all people) exploiting Sanada's pride, forcing the Crucifix Insects to fight the Mushibugyou and preventing the titanic insects from killing the people en masse.
• Jerkass Gods: Subverted with the Eternal Bug: while he is the main threat of the story, Naa's flashback reveals that all he wanted was to stay buried somewhere in a random forest in his maggot form, not wanting anything to do with humans after seeing their pettiness and cruelty. When he finally opened his heart to Princess Naa, he once again saw Naa's own handmaidens threw her to the enemy invasors to save themselves and saw his beloved die in front of him. This made him pissed enough to swear to make Naa/Kuroageha happy by wiping out all humans.
• Kaiju: Some of the largest insects, such as the Warrior King Rhinoceros Beetle, are titanic in size.
• Kick the Dog: Joushi/Oube ending his big revelation by slaughtering the Mushikari and by plucking out the remaining eye of Uro so that he can't see any more sufference.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Koikawa, Mugai, Nagatomimaru and the Insect Magistrate herself are all this, for different reasons. They grow less sour after spending time with Jinbee.
• Love at First Punch: This is how Jinbei's parents got together, according to his father. They met while each carried a sackful of name plaques from dojo challenging, and then had a duel for over a year against each other. During this time his father proposed, they got married, chose baby names, and she gave birth. Jinbee was probably born holding a sword.
• Magnetic Hero: Jinbee. In the manga, his influence extends even to the Eternal Bug and Akashi Takenori, enemies.
• Marry Them All: Over the course of the story, Jinbee gets three different love interests. He ends up choosing all of them.
• Ms. Fanservice: Oharu is almost constantly under the Male Gaze. She gets less fanservice time as the manga goes on and the plot becomes more serious.
• Momma's Boy: Koikawa loved his mother and went berserk killing his father's entire gang (earning his title Killer of 99) thinking they killed her.
• Morph Weapon: Mugai's Jingaitou has a special power: it can absorb the essence of all the insects it stabs in the blade and use it to transform into a different sword with powers related to the last insect/insectman it stabbed. After being reforged, it can now swap freely among any form without restraint.
• Mystical White Hair: The Insect Magistrate being a poisonous person and is very mysterious.
• One-Man Army: During the climax of the Winter Edo Campaign arc, Jinbee ends up taking on alone an army of about 18000 bugmen lead by Juzo and Kamanosuke.
• One-Winged Angel: The Ten Crucifix Insect Men, who all revert from freakish humanoid insects to human looking insect hybrids when they take on their most powerful forms.
• Physical God: The Eteranl Bug is pretty much one: while all his followers still have powers rooted in the insect world, he can use his wings to deliver massive attacks across space, generate infinite bugs from his mouth and revive people at will.
• Pillar of Light: Anything sufficiently awesome, of course.
  • The Fuji Hammer tends to do this.
  • The Insect Magistrate has a purple-cored version of this.
• Poison Is Corrosive: The Insect Magistrate uses corrosive poison as a personal Force Field, protecting from attacks on all sides.
• Poisonous Person: The Insect Magistrate.
• Power-Up Full Color Change: The Insect Magistrate's hair and clothes turns purple after activated her poison powers.
• Pretty Boy: Villainous examples with Mouri Katsunaga, one of the Osaka Five Braves, and Geshi/Gaikotsu, who betrayed his entire clan to get back his good looks from Oube.
• Royal Rapier: Akashi Takenori of the Five Generals dual wields rapiers, an unusual duo composed of a standard-sized rapier slung across his shoulders and a longer one perpendicular to the first, giving the impression that he's carrying a cross on his back. He has a delicate and refined appearence, though it's also a reference to his historical self being a devout Christian under the name of Johan Just.
• Self-Duplication: Chousokabe Morichika has a body composed of countless parasiting worms and each of those parasites can turn into another Morichika, provided that they can merge together or drain nourishment from hosts.
• Shock and Awe: Uro's trump card is the Shirasu no Ikazuchi (White Shore Lightning), a special nodachi able to use the eletricity in the air to release devastating electrical surges on impact. According to him, it's the non-plus-ultra weapon against insects, as none of them can manipulate or handle electricity.
• Stay in the Kitchen: A sad plot point for Hibachi, as her kind old granfather would be adamantly cruel in his convinction that Hibachi couldn't learn his own school of ninjutsu and should become a Kunoichi like the others. Things don't get any better when said grandpa appears as Chuushi, one of the three strongest servants of the Eternal Bug.
• Spontaneous Weapon Creation: Obana is a house spider Bugman who can secrete silk from his fingers and wrist with such speed, precision and control that he can make himself hardened string javelins and staffs on the spot.
• Suggestive Collision: Jinbei ends up into this a lot with Oharu. One particular instance would be a literal case of Thanks for the Mammary were it not for the lack of groping.
  Jinbei: Thank you, Oharu-dono!
• Superpowered Evil Side: Jinbee of all people has one, courtesy of a single strand of the Magistrate's hair. Turns out it's a sign that he carries the blood of the Eternal Priestess.
• Sword of Plot Advancement: Halfway through, Kenjuuro entrusts his son with Kanae's personal sword, the Amanohabakiri. Apparently a tsurugi without a blade, it reacts to Jinbee's transformation by absorbing the energy of his Eternal Priestess ki and turning the sword in a Laser Blade.
• Taking You with Me: Shogun's advisor Muro, upon realizing he has been possessed by Mourichika's parasite, willingfully immolates himself to kill the parasite so that he can't threaten the refugees inside the castle grounds.
• The Symbiote: Sanada's Crucifix Insects are human underneath their insectoid appearance. They are capable of detaching the symbiote if they believe that their human form will gain them an advantage in combat.
• Technicolor Toxin: The Insect Magistrate's ultra-deadly toxin manifests as purple fog.
• Throw Down the Bomblet: Hibachi, who primarily uses bombs.
• Tsundere: Hibachi, especially towards Jinbee.
• Unfortunate Names: In-Universe, we see that, for some reason, Hibachi absolutely refuses to let anyone hear the name of her ninjutsu school, making heavy use of explosives and, according to her grandpa, unfit for a ninja woman. Turns out that the name of the school is the Chinpou Ryuu (written with the kanji for "Rare Treasure", but still homophone with "penis".
• Walking Wasteland: The Insect Magistrate, and it shows. Each summer she must retire to a remote island inside what looks like an acidic crater lake inside an inactive volcano. Where she dwells, there is absolutely no life around for miles.
• Wham Shot:
  • The giant wasp larvae slain by Jinbe to save Oharu and the kids taken away suddenly molts to release a Bugmen, after they thought that only the Sanada Ten Great Insects fit the bill. It soon reveals that all the bugs are becoming bugmen!
  • After the metamorphosis of the Eternal Bug into his adult Imago form, "Teach" starts addressing all the heroes before suddenly donning the mask of Joushi, the leader of the Servants of the Eternal Spirit, and revealing himself as Oube no Ou, the true mastermind behind the Eternal Bug and the advent of the giant insects. He then proceeds to slaughter the Mushikari and reveal that his other two associates are noneother than Gaikotsu of the Mushikari and Hibachi's ninja grandpa.
• The Worf Effect: Defied in the manga: when we're first introduced to the three Servants of the Eternal Spirit, the already-established as very strong Five Braves of Osaka (one of whom, Sanada Yukimura, was powerful enough to defeat a powered-up Jinbee and Mugai at the same time) are skeptical of them and Gotou Matabei, the largest of the five, tries to attack them to test their skills: at first he's quickly overwhelmed and pummeled into oblivion by a set of vicious attacks, but as soon as the dust falls, it's clear that Matabei is not even fazed by the sudden attack.
• The Worm That Walks: Chousokabe Mourichika's true nature is that of parasiting worms: his entire body is actually made of countless parasite worms so that he can alter, increase and scatter his body as he sees fit. More horrorifically, he can use these parasites to infect others, manipulating them into doing his bidding and even use said parasites to reform his body or copies of it.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Haru is shown to be this trope due to always wearing a kimono and to be truly kind and gentle.
• You Killed My Family: The reason why Koikawa hates the Insect Hunters.
  • This is also the reason why Insect Hunters hate the Insect Magistrate.
• You Shall Not Pass!:
  • The Edo Winter Campaign arc has Mugai, alongside the elites of the various patrols and auxiliary forces lead by the Shogun's advisors fighting like demons to stop the huge armies of the Bugmen, lead by the triumvirate of Sanada Yukimura, Chousokabe Mourichika and Gotou Matabee. They manage to win, only for the intervention of Hinahime of the Imperial Patrol and the death of Yukimura at Genjuuro's hands.
  • The final arc has Mouri Katsunaga, the strongest of the remaining enemy elite, stationing himself on the roof of the Sanadamaru (the garrison gate to Osaka Castle) and sending huge sword beams at attackers.