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split trope
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* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: The liberal politicians and media think it's a war crime to kill armed enemy combatants who are actually shooting at you.
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* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: PoliticalOvercorrectness: The liberal politicians and media think it's a war crime to kill armed enemy combatants who are actually shooting at you.
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* WarIsGlorious: Played completely straight by Audrey. Reilly is more ambivalent, but he too wants to see active combat.
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* WarIsGlorious: Played completely straight by Audrey. Audrey, due to her [[DeliberateValuesDissonance samurai ideals]]. Reilly is more ambivalent, but he too wants to see active combat.combat, even though he knows that active wars are not always all that great.
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* HungryWeapon: Audrey is a heroic example.
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* HungryWeapon: Audrey is a heroic example. Downplayed a little, since she isn't literally soul-eating, but she is very much a BloodKnight who wants to be used to kill people.
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* ArmchairMilitary: The evil general at the end of the story is a villainous example.
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* ArmchairMilitary: The evil general at the end of the story is a villainous example.example, who is far more concerned with politics than with the welfare of his men.
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Now a Useful Note, which cannot be listed as a trope.
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"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman. More precisely, it is about a US Army captain and his [[TalkingWeapon ancient, sentient magical samurai sword]] alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman. More precisely, it is about a US Army captain and his [[TalkingWeapon ancient, sentient magical samurai sword]] alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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* TheWarOnTerror: Most of the story takes place during the Second Gulf War.
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"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his [[TalkingWeapon ancient, sentient magical samurai sword]] alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
to:
"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, Creator/TomKratman. More precisely, it is about a US Army captain and his [[TalkingWeapon ancient, sentient magical samurai sword]] alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his ancient, sentient magical samurai sword alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
to:
"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his [[TalkingWeapon ancient, sentient magical samurai sword sword]] alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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* FlingALightIntoTheFuture: Rather than [[spoiler: destroying Reilly's Medal of Honor citation]] as he was ordered to, the general's aide clandestinely preserves it, trusting that it will be an inspiration to a new generation of officers in happier days to come.
* GoodIsNotNice: Reilly isn't the most sociable of men. He usually manages to get along with his fellow soldiers, and that's about the best that can be said about it.
* GoodIsNotSoft: He doesn't go easy on the enemy, either.
* GratuitousJapanese: Audrey's dialogue contains a number of untranslated Japanese words and phrases. Fortunately, they are rendered quite correctly as far as spelling and grammar goes, with even long vowels properly marked out.
* GoodIsNotNice: Reilly isn't the most sociable of men. He usually manages to get along with his fellow soldiers, and that's about the best that can be said about it.
* GoodIsNotSoft: He doesn't go easy on the enemy, either.
* GratuitousJapanese: Audrey's dialogue contains a number of untranslated Japanese words and phrases. Fortunately, they are rendered quite correctly as far as spelling and grammar goes, with even long vowels properly marked out.
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* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: The way Reilly goes down, sacrificing his own life to save his buddies from the insurgents.]]
* HonorBeforeReason: Audrey thinks modern artillery-based combat is weak and cowardly; real warriors fight the enemy in close combat.
* HungryWeapon: Audrey is a heroic example.
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: Audrey's reaction to the climactic battle scene.
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: The last words that pass between [[spoiler: Reilly and Audrey, as he dies]].
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Even better than modern weapons. Somewhat justified when it's an overtly magical katana.
* KnightInSourArmor: Reilly is cynical and even bitter at the corruption in the Army, but still determined that he, at least, should do his part as a soldier.
* MagicalGirlfriend: Audrey has traits of this, which become more explit toward the end of the story.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Audrey is a BloodKnight example, who urges on Reilly in his desire to see combat.
* MeaningfulName: Audrey has a NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom that is quite descriptive. Reilly's is ironic: it's Celtic, and originally means something roughly like "Son of a Friendly Race," but Reilly himself [[GoodIsNotNice isn't very sociable]].
* MilitariesAreUseless: Reilly thinks the Iraqi Army is pretty much this. It's almost like they're not even ''trying'' to fight the American invasion. Subverted when he finally faces some stay-behinds who have some idea of what they're doing.
* MissionControl: Audrey sort of works like this for Reilly, using magic sword empathy to guide him and give him better situational awareness than he would otherwise have.
* NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom: Audrey's real name is an archaic Japanese phrase that translates as [[MeaningfulName Luminous and Dainty Blood Sipper]].
* NamedWeapons: The sentient, magical Japanese sword Reilly picks up used to be a LegendaryWeapon with an elaborate name, but has been forgotten by the world at that point. Having trouble with its Japanese name, [[ICallItVera he nicknames it "Audrey" instead]].
* OneManArmy: Reilly takes on a whole tank platoon [[spoiler: and wins, though he is mortally wounded by the last enemy standing]].
* OrWasItADream: The ending. Did Reilly [[spoiler: die, become a ''kami'' and meet Audrey's spirit, or did he just die, period, hallucinating that in his last moments]]?
* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: The liberal politicians and media think it's a war crime to kill armed enemy combatants who are actually shooting at you.
* PoliticallyCorrectVillain: The Pentagon general who [[spoiler: covers up Reilly's heroism and destroys his CO's career for bringing attention to it, because this sort of red-blooded action will look bad for the Army with the media]]. Downplayed a little, in that he does not personally care much for the ideology, but he still adheres scrupulously to it because this is what his political masters demands.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Audrey jokes about cutting "the queer-as-a-five-gram-''wadokaichin'' first sergeant" to pieces. Reilly doesn't appear very upset by this, his answer being along the lines of, "Don't tempt me."
* PsychoSupporter: Audrey is even more of a BloodKnight than Reilly, to quite psychotic levels by present-day human, Western world standards.
* ARealManIsAKiller: Audrey thinks most of the modern military does not qualify as real men, since they [[SoldiersAtTheRear operate artillery and such at a distance from the front]] instead of fighting and killing the enemy honorably face to face.
* TheRemnant: There are four fully equipped Iraqi tank teams left in the American zone as a stay-behind group, as well as various other Islamic volunteers and die-hards.
* RockBeatsLaser: Sword beats tanks, in this case.
* SleepLearning: Audrey teaches Reilly to fight with a sword in his dreams, filling them with reminiscences of her ancient battles.
* SoldiersAtTheRear: Reilly has suffered through years of serfdom at Recruiting Command, and does ''not'' want to go back there again.
* SpaceshipGirl: Played with, since Audrey is not a spaceship, but she does have a "human" manifestation that works like one of these.
* StrawCivilian: Reilly thinks the major media personalities and politicians are this. The officers at the Pentagon agree with him.
* TalkingWeapon: Audrey, though only Reilly can hear her.
* WarIsGlorious: Played completely straight by Audrey. Reilly is more ambivalent, but he too wants to see active combat.
* WarIsHell: Acknowledged by Reilly, but [[BloodKnight he still wants to be in it]].
* HonorBeforeReason: Audrey thinks modern artillery-based combat is weak and cowardly; real warriors fight the enemy in close combat.
* HungryWeapon: Audrey is a heroic example.
* InLoveWithYourCarnage: Audrey's reaction to the climactic battle scene.
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: The last words that pass between [[spoiler: Reilly and Audrey, as he dies]].
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Even better than modern weapons. Somewhat justified when it's an overtly magical katana.
* KnightInSourArmor: Reilly is cynical and even bitter at the corruption in the Army, but still determined that he, at least, should do his part as a soldier.
* MagicalGirlfriend: Audrey has traits of this, which become more explit toward the end of the story.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Audrey is a BloodKnight example, who urges on Reilly in his desire to see combat.
* MeaningfulName: Audrey has a NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom that is quite descriptive. Reilly's is ironic: it's Celtic, and originally means something roughly like "Son of a Friendly Race," but Reilly himself [[GoodIsNotNice isn't very sociable]].
* MilitariesAreUseless: Reilly thinks the Iraqi Army is pretty much this. It's almost like they're not even ''trying'' to fight the American invasion. Subverted when he finally faces some stay-behinds who have some idea of what they're doing.
* MissionControl: Audrey sort of works like this for Reilly, using magic sword empathy to guide him and give him better situational awareness than he would otherwise have.
* NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom: Audrey's real name is an archaic Japanese phrase that translates as [[MeaningfulName Luminous and Dainty Blood Sipper]].
* NamedWeapons: The sentient, magical Japanese sword Reilly picks up used to be a LegendaryWeapon with an elaborate name, but has been forgotten by the world at that point. Having trouble with its Japanese name, [[ICallItVera he nicknames it "Audrey" instead]].
* OneManArmy: Reilly takes on a whole tank platoon [[spoiler: and wins, though he is mortally wounded by the last enemy standing]].
* OrWasItADream: The ending. Did Reilly [[spoiler: die, become a ''kami'' and meet Audrey's spirit, or did he just die, period, hallucinating that in his last moments]]?
* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: The liberal politicians and media think it's a war crime to kill armed enemy combatants who are actually shooting at you.
* PoliticallyCorrectVillain: The Pentagon general who [[spoiler: covers up Reilly's heroism and destroys his CO's career for bringing attention to it, because this sort of red-blooded action will look bad for the Army with the media]]. Downplayed a little, in that he does not personally care much for the ideology, but he still adheres scrupulously to it because this is what his political masters demands.
* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Audrey jokes about cutting "the queer-as-a-five-gram-''wadokaichin'' first sergeant" to pieces. Reilly doesn't appear very upset by this, his answer being along the lines of, "Don't tempt me."
* PsychoSupporter: Audrey is even more of a BloodKnight than Reilly, to quite psychotic levels by present-day human, Western world standards.
* ARealManIsAKiller: Audrey thinks most of the modern military does not qualify as real men, since they [[SoldiersAtTheRear operate artillery and such at a distance from the front]] instead of fighting and killing the enemy honorably face to face.
* TheRemnant: There are four fully equipped Iraqi tank teams left in the American zone as a stay-behind group, as well as various other Islamic volunteers and die-hards.
* RockBeatsLaser: Sword beats tanks, in this case.
* SleepLearning: Audrey teaches Reilly to fight with a sword in his dreams, filling them with reminiscences of her ancient battles.
* SoldiersAtTheRear: Reilly has suffered through years of serfdom at Recruiting Command, and does ''not'' want to go back there again.
* SpaceshipGirl: Played with, since Audrey is not a spaceship, but she does have a "human" manifestation that works like one of these.
* StrawCivilian: Reilly thinks the major media personalities and politicians are this. The officers at the Pentagon agree with him.
* TalkingWeapon: Audrey, though only Reilly can hear her.
* WarIsGlorious: Played completely straight by Audrey. Reilly is more ambivalent, but he too wants to see active combat.
* WarIsHell: Acknowledged by Reilly, but [[BloodKnight he still wants to be in it]].
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* EmpatheticWeapon: Audrey claims that all weapons have a sort of spirit in the animistic sense, but few are sentient and articulate--especially with modern weapons, since spirits "grow up" very slowly, so most will be scrapped before they mature. She likens American tanks to dogs: loyal and well-intentioned, but not very bright.
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* EmpatheticWeapon: EmpathicWeapon: Audrey claims that all weapons have a sort of spirit in the animistic sense, but few are sentient and articulate--especially with modern weapons, since spirits "grow up" very slowly, so most will be scrapped before they mature. She likens American tanks to dogs: loyal and well-intentioned, but not very bright.
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"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his ancient, sentient magical samurai sword alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his ancient, sentient magical samurai sword alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave in TheWarOnTerror and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: More justified than in some cases, since Reilly's sword is literally magical.
* ArmchairMilitary: The evil general at the end of the story is a villainous example.
* ArmiesAreEvil: Downplayed. The US Army is shown to have mostly good people in it on the lower levels, but the politicized leadership and military bureaucracy have ruined it from within.
* BeingGoodSucks: It's not easy being an honest, old-school officer in an increasingly corrupt and politically correct army.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Reilly defeated the enemy tanks and saved his friends, but died himself as a result. However, Audrey welcomes his spirit into the sword to share it with her own, so in a sense he will live on. Unless this was just a dying dream]].
* BloodKnight: After years chained to the computers, Reilly is almost desperate to get out in the field and be a real soldier. Even more true of Audrey, who has spent even longer cooped up in an antiques store and is bored to tears.
* ArmchairMilitary: The evil general at the end of the story is a villainous example.
* ArmiesAreEvil: Downplayed. The US Army is shown to have mostly good people in it on the lower levels, but the politicized leadership and military bureaucracy have ruined it from within.
* BeingGoodSucks: It's not easy being an honest, old-school officer in an increasingly corrupt and politically correct army.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Reilly defeated the enemy tanks and saved his friends, but died himself as a result. However, Audrey welcomes his spirit into the sword to share it with her own, so in a sense he will live on. Unless this was just a dying dream]].
* BloodKnight: After years chained to the computers, Reilly is almost desperate to get out in the field and be a real soldier. Even more true of Audrey, who has spent even longer cooped up in an antiques store and is bored to tears.
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* CunningLinguist: Reilly's buddies aren't surprised to hear him speak Japanese (which he learned from the sword). Usually, he comes up with weirder things than that.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Audrey's samurai values about honorable combat don't always translate well to modern battlefields. She is awed by the trench warfare of [[HopelessWar World War I]]--but by the [[WarIsGlorious honorable heroism]] of the millions who perished in no man's land rather than the [[WarIsHell sad waste]] of it. Reilly points out that most of [[RedShirtArmy them]] probably didn't share that perspective, but she replies that it's the deed itself that counts.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Reilly [[spoiler: dies saving his fellows from the stay-behinds, completing his mission but knowing that he will only be vilified for it by the politically correct authorities, or else utterly ignored at best]].
* EmpatheticWeapon: Audrey claims that all weapons have a sort of spirit in the animistic sense, but few are sentient and articulate--especially with modern weapons, since spirits "grow up" very slowly, so most will be scrapped before they mature. She likens American tanks to dogs: loyal and well-intentioned, but not very bright.
* EvilWeapon: According to Audrey, the spirit of a weapon takes on some of the character of its wielder(s). Thus, while American tanks are immature and gung-ho but otherwise rather nice, the enemy tanks Reilly faces are evil, with thoughts filled mostly with [[SissyVillain "bribes and buggery"]] and such things.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Audrey's samurai values about honorable combat don't always translate well to modern battlefields. She is awed by the trench warfare of [[HopelessWar World War I]]--but by the [[WarIsGlorious honorable heroism]] of the millions who perished in no man's land rather than the [[WarIsHell sad waste]] of it. Reilly points out that most of [[RedShirtArmy them]] probably didn't share that perspective, but she replies that it's the deed itself that counts.
* DoomedMoralVictor: Reilly [[spoiler: dies saving his fellows from the stay-behinds, completing his mission but knowing that he will only be vilified for it by the politically correct authorities, or else utterly ignored at best]].
* EmpatheticWeapon: Audrey claims that all weapons have a sort of spirit in the animistic sense, but few are sentient and articulate--especially with modern weapons, since spirits "grow up" very slowly, so most will be scrapped before they mature. She likens American tanks to dogs: loyal and well-intentioned, but not very bright.
* EvilWeapon: According to Audrey, the spirit of a weapon takes on some of the character of its wielder(s). Thus, while American tanks are immature and gung-ho but otherwise rather nice, the enemy tanks Reilly faces are evil, with thoughts filled mostly with [[SissyVillain "bribes and buggery"]] and such things.
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Added DiffLines:
"Okuyyuki" is a short story by MilitaryScienceFiction veteran Creator/TomKratman, about a US Army captain and his ancient, sentient magical samurai sword alone together against the world, taking on the enemies of the land of the free and brave and ending up in trouble with the said land's politically correct senior officer caste for it. Fans of Kratman's other writings will immediately recognize his characteristic themes and style, with traits of applied philosophy and MagicRealism. "Okuyyuki" was first published in the Creator/BaenBooks anthology ''Forged In Blood'' (2017, edited by Creator/MichaelZWilliamson).
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!!"Okuyyuki" uses the following tropes:
* AntiHero: Reilly is the good guy, but with a modern military attitude, it's hard not to be one of these.
* CoolSword: Audrey is not only a genuine medieval katana, but a a sentient, talking magic sword as well.
* GunsVsSwords: Or actually, ''[[CoolVsAwesome T-72 tanks vs katana]]'' in this case. Reilly takes on four of them with only his sword. [[spoiler: He wins, but is mortally wounded in the process]].
* TheWarOnTerror: Most of the story takes place during the Second Gulf War.
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!!"Okuyyuki" uses the following tropes:
* AntiHero: Reilly is the good guy, but with a modern military attitude, it's hard not to be one of these.
* CoolSword: Audrey is not only a genuine medieval katana, but a a sentient, talking magic sword as well.
* GunsVsSwords: Or actually, ''[[CoolVsAwesome T-72 tanks vs katana]]'' in this case. Reilly takes on four of them with only his sword. [[spoiler: He wins, but is mortally wounded in the process]].
* TheWarOnTerror: Most of the story takes place during the Second Gulf War.
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