History Manga / AyashiNoCeres

* {{Expy}}: Tooya inherited the looks, the fighting skills, and initial stoicism of his cousin [[FushigiYuugi Tamahome]].

* CoolBigSis: Suzumi to Yuuhi (although in this case they are sinblings-in-law), and eventually to Aya (not blood related, of course).

* CoolBigSis: Suzumi to Yuuhi (although in this case they are brothers-in-law), and eventually to Aya (not blood related, of course).

* AdultFear: ''Ayashi no Ceres'' might be a dark fantasy drama, but what it all comes down to is a story of [[spoiler: a woman who at first has a kind and endearing husband. After receiving some of her powers on his own request [[IWillProtectHer so he can help her when in trouble]], however, he becomes so obsessed with her that he starts restricting her behavior, like locking her in the house to prevent her from talking to men who aren't him, to beating her, forcing sex on her, and even going so far as to killing one of their children out of fear that she would take her (Ceres) away from him (Mikage). Basically, a story of domestic violence.]]

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's behaviour towards Aya is totally normal and that he is not a pervert. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines, not even when [[spoiler: Aya offers herself to him out of sheer spite]] (although there are times when he gets very damn close). However, in another one, explaining Mikage's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping women was part of the male instinct to preserve the species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* BittersweetEnding: The mostly happy ending is rendered bittersweet by the last minute reveal that [[spoiler: Tooya is going to die soon, leaving Aya and their unborn child behind.]] Not to mention, [[spoiler: Aki cannot be saved, so he ''has'' to die so Mikage will be stopped.]]

* IfICantHaveYou: If Mikage couldn't have Ceres to himself, then nobody could - [[OffingTheOffspring even their own children.]]

''Ayashi no Ceres'' (''Ceres, Celestial Legend'' in English), by YuuWatase, draws on ancient Japanese myth and mixes it with a cynical modern perspective to produce a dark yet compelling tale of a young girl caught up in supernatural events beyond her control or understanding. It starts with twins Aya and Aki Mikage being driven to their grandfather's house on their 16th birthday. On arrival, they are made to view a family relic; the mummified hand of the clan's founder. Wounds appear on Aki; when Aya asks why no-one is helping him, her grandfather orders her death.

During her escape, Aya meets Tooya, a mysterious amnesiac in the hire of her family who helps her. She is then taken in by her friend Yuuhi, his older sister Suzumi and their strange housekeeper Q.

As the series progresses, it is revealed that Aya's family is descended from a "Celestial Maiden" ("Tennyo" in Japanese), Ceres, who was trapped on Earth and forced to marry a mortal. Aya is the vessel of Ceres, who occasionally takes over Aya's body and is willing to take revenge for all the misfortune she went through. Aki is posessed by Mikagi, Ceres' human husband from her former life, (also known as the Mikage "First Ancestor", or "Shiso" in Japanese), who over the years has gone... ''somewhat'' insane. Whilst Aya and Ceres cohabit, Aki is totally taken over by his ancestor, who now is on the hunt for Ceres. The rest of the family, lead by Aya's cousin Kagami, are trying to create their own army of celestial maidens, through various scientific methods.

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's behaviour towards Aya is totally normal and that he is not a pervert. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines, not even when [[spoiler: Aya offers herself to him out of sheer spite]] (although there are times when he gets very damn close). However, in another one, explaining Mikage's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping woman was part of the male instinct to preserve the species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's behaviour towards Aya is totally normal and that he is not a pervert. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines, not even when [[spoiler: Aya offers herself to him out of sheer spite]]. However, in another one, explaining Mikage's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping woman was part of the male instinct to preserve the species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* IfICantHaveYou: If Mikage couldn't have Ceres to himself, than nobody could - [[OffingTheOffspring even their own children.]]

* {{Bishonen}} / {{Bishojo}}: But of course.

* AdultFear: ''Ayashi no Ceres'' might be a dark fantasy drama, but what it all comes down to is a story of [[spoiler: a woman who at first has a kind and endearing husband who, after receiving some of her powers on his own request [[IWillProtectHer so he can help her when in trouble]], becomes so obsessed with her that he starts restricting her behavior, like locking her in the house to prevent her from talking to men who aren't him, to beating her, forcing sex on her, and even going so far as to killing one of their children out of fear that she would take her (Ceres) away from him (Mikage). Basically, a story of domestic violence.]]

** SPECIALLY by Watase's standards. And she seemed to like that side, since she has rarely leave to the other one ever since this manga.

* AdultFear: ''Ayashi no Ceres'' might be a dark fantasy drama, but what it all comes down to is a story of [[spoiler: a woman who at first has a kind and endearing husband who becomes so obsessed with her that he starts restricting her behavior, like locking her in the house to prevent her from talking to men who aren't him, to beating her, forcing sex on her, and even going so far as to killing one of their children out of fear that she would take her (Ceres) away from him (Mikagi). Basically, a story of domestic violence. ]]

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's behaviour towards Aya is totally normal and that he is not a pervert. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines, not even when [[spoiler: Aya offers herself to him out of sheer spite]]. However, in another one, explaining Mikagi's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping woman was part of the male instinct to preserve the species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* BittersweetEnding: The mostly happy ending is rendered bittersweet by the last minute reveal that [[spoiler: Tooya is going to die soon, leaving Aya and their unborn child behind.]]
** Not to mention, [[spoiler: Aki cannot be saved, so he ''has'' to die so Mikagi will be stopped.]]

* CharacterDevelopment: Aya, from OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent to full-blown healthy YamatoNadeshiko.

** UnderstandingBoyfriend: He actually started as this, and then became a CJG [[spoiler: after he and Ceres make the horrible mistake of transferring part of her powers to him.]] [[DeconstructedTrope Kids, this is why you shouldn't do such stuff.]]

* IWillProtectHer: Played straight with Tooya and Aya, and also with Yuuhi and Aya. [[spoiler: Horrifyingly deconstructed in the case of Mikagi and Ceres, as Mikagi's desire to help his DarkMagicalGirl wife and not just be the UnderstandingBoyfriend makes things go worse when he gets power to do so.]]

* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Wei Fei-Li gets one eye ''sliced'' by Tooya's dagger in his ''first appearance''.]] Perhaps even more wince-inducing is [[spoiler:the scene near the end of the manga where, ironically enough, Tooya ''restores'' Wei's
damaged eye.]]

* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Wei Fei-Li gets one eye ''sliced'' by Tooya's dagger in his ''first appearance''.]] Perhaps even more wince-inducing is [[spoiler:the scene near the end of the manga where, ironically enough, Tooya ''restores'' Wei's damaged eye.]]

* {{Shojo}}

* AdultFear: ''Ayashi no Ceres'' might be a dark fantasy drama, but what it all comes down to is a story of a woman who at first has a kind and endearing husband who becomes so obsessed with her that he starts restricting her behavior, like locking her in the house to prevent her from talking to men who aren't him, to beating her, forcing sex on her, and even going so far as to killing one of their children out of fear that she would take her (Ceres) away from him (Mikagi). Basically, a story of domestic violence.

* AdaptationDistillation / AdaptationDecay: The anime cuts WAY TOO MUCH from the manga.

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's behaviour towards Aya is totally normal and that he is not a pervert. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines, not even when [[spoiler: Aya offers herself to him out of sheer spite]]. But in and in another one, explaining Mikagi's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping woman was part of the male instinct to preserve the species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's kinda pervert behaviour toward Aya is totally normal. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines. But in and in another one, explaining Mikagi's actions and [[spoiler: the intent of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfortunateImplications "the desire of raping woman was part of the male instinct to preserve tha species"]]. Make out that what you will.

* AllMenArePerverts: Played with. [[WordOfGod Watase said]] in one of her freetalks that all of Yuuhi's kinda pervert behaviour toward Aya is totally normal. He is a teenager, after all, and at the end of the day he never crosses any moral lines. But in and in another one, explaining Mikagi's and [[spoiler: the one of a group of schoolboys who try to rape Aya]], she said that [[UnfotunateImplications "the desire of raping woman" was part of the male instinct to preserve tha species]]. Make out that what you will.

As the series progresses, it is revealed that Aya's family is descended from a "celestial maiden," Ceres, who was trapped on earth and forced to marry a mortal. Aya is the vessel of Ceres, who occasionally takes over Aya's body and is willing to take revenge for all the misfortune she went through. Aki is posessed by Mikagi, Ceres' human husband from her former life, (also known as the Mikage "First Ancestor"), who over the years has gone... ''somewhat'' insane. Whilst Aya and Ceres cohabit, Aki is totally taken over by his ancestor, who now is on the hunt for Ceres. The rest of the family, lead by Aya's cousin Kagami, are trying to create their own army of celestial maidens, through various scientific methods.

* RaisedAsTheOppositeGender: [[spoiler:Shuro]], because her mother thought that if she knew she was a ten'nyo she'd take the family hagoromo and fly away. According to the tie-in novel about her backstory, she figured out she was a girl when she was about eight, but kept up the charade to please her family.

* IWillProtectHer: Played straight with Tooya and Aya, and also with Yuuhi and Aya. [[spoiler: Horrifyingly deconstructed in the case of Shiso and Ceres, as Shiso's desire to help his DarkMagicalGirl wife and not just be the UnderstandingBoyfriend makes things go worse when he gets power to do so.]]

* AdaptationDistillation / AnimationDecay: The anime cuts WAY TOO MUCH from the manga.

''Ayashi no Ceres'' is very violent, and features several characters with varying form of insanity: the Ancestor; Aya and Aki's mother tries to kill Aya; a girl commits suicide as a part of her plans; there is borderline incest as the ancestor in Aki's body tries to have his way with Ceres in Aya's body ''and'' Aya's cousin Kagami, a MadScientist, threatens to rape her. All in all, not recommended for the easily shocked.

** Not to mention, [[spoiler: Aki cannot be saved, so he ''has'' to die so Shiso will be stopped.]]

* CrazyJealousGuy: Shiso/The Progenitor to Ceres - stalking her across time, [[spoiler: killing one of their own children due to jealousy]].

* ParentalAbandonment: Aya is actually [[OffingTheOffspring set up for death]] by her parents to stop Aya's awakening as a Maiden. Logically, it fails ''big'' time: [[spoiler: the father is killed and the mother is comatose]]. Chidori lost her parents in a bus crash in her backstory. [[spoiler: Miori]] is driven [[{{Yandere}} pretty much insane]] with grief when Ceres kills her mother.
* PowerMakesYourHairGrow and darken.

* ShapeshiftingLover: The myth of the Tennyo has elements of this.

* ShutUpKiss

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: [[spoiler: Shiso Mikage, a NonActionGuy, wanted to not be a burden on his powerful ten'nyo wife Ceres so he asked her to give him some of her powers so he could protect her too. When he had them, he soon went completely MAD and killed one of their kids, which prompted Ceres to go MamaBear and kill him.]]

* {{Yandere}}: [[spoiler:Miori, who goes mad after losing her mom. Shiso mixes this and WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity.]]

As the series progresses, it is revealed that Aya's family is descended from a "celestial maiden," Ceres, who was trapped on earth and forced to marry a mortal. Aya is the vessel of Ceres, who occasionally takes over Aya's body and is willing to take revenge for all the misfortune she went through. Aki is posessed by Ceres' human husband from her former life, Shiso Mikage, who over the years has gone... ''somewhat'' insane. Whilst Aya and Ceres cohabit, Aki is totally taken over by his ancestor, who now is on the hunt for Ceres. The rest of the family are trying to create their own army of celestial maidens, through various scientific methods.

* BirthDeathJuxtaposition: [[spoiler: Aya found out that she was pregnant with Toya's child right when he was about to be shot dead by Mikagi. [[SubvertedTrope Only]] [[IGotBetter he got better]]. [[YourDaysAreNumbered Well,]] [[BittersweetEnding kinda.]]]]