History Manga / IAmAHero

* AmbiguousDisorder:
** Hideo is clearly mentally ill in some way, suffering from delusions and visual hallucinations (that he can tell apart from reality). The exact nature of his illness is never specified, though.
** Hiromi, to a lesser extent. She sometimes reacts to situations in strange and potentially dangerous ways (ex., approaching a disturbed man with a gun in the forest and staying nearby until he wakes up), notes that she's been told that she needs to make eye contact with people, has apparent difficulty in reading the social atmosphere in a room, and struggles with making and keeping friends. She doesn't suffer from delusions but does seem to be naive in a way that isn't age-appropriate.

* AmbiguousDisorder: Hideo is clearly mentally ill in some way, suffering from delusions and visual hallucinations (that he can tell apart from reality). The exact nature of his illness is never specified, though.

* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[spoiler: The HiveMind chooses to represent itself this way to those who end up enveloped within it, but still aware of their existence as individuals. For Hiromi, it looks like a MessageBoard]].
* AlienInvasion: An early guess as to what caused the infection. [[spoiler:Also apparently the correct one. The ZQN is a way to wipe out humanity without destroying infrastructure, and to eventually create alien/human hybrids]].

* AssholeVictim: Inevitably, in a zombie media. For starters, the gangsters pair in a Ferrari who threaten Hideo and Hiromi with a (airsoft) pistol. [[spoiler: After Hideo spots a bite wound on one's arm, he pulls out his shotgun and drives them off. They get chomped down by the infected, which were drawn to the sound their car makes, before they get a chance to turn.]]
** Also the older man [[spoiler:murdered by the group at the Gotemba Outlet Mall]]. He didn't do anything to deserve being killed while there, but he's apparently sincere about having underworld connections and knowing people in the military and police force. He's almost definitely been the villain of someone else's story.

* IgnoredVitalNewsReports: Hideo does this ''twice''. The first time is accidental. The second? [[TooDumbToLive Not so much.]]

* MadnessMantra: The infected keep repeating lines they usually said back when they were humans while attacking. [[spoiler: It makes sense that since they now exist in a HiveMind, they still see their outer world as usual even though they're no longer humans.]]

* MeleeATrois: [[spoiler: between Kurusu, The Naked Emperor and Takashi.]]

* MilitariesAreUseless: The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) seemed to be decapitated during the early days of the zombie apocalypse since none of them were prepared for this scenario. While it's mentioned off-screen, other militaries like the French Armed Forces apparently [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] this to a degree, since they were still able to conduct airstrikes against zombies weeks or months after the initial outbreak.

* OffWithHisHead: [[spoiler:Mitani gets decapitated by the ''landing gear of an airplane'' that's crashing down the street, seconds after experiencing Fingore.]]

%%* ReallyGetsAround: Mi-chan is heavily implied to be this. [[spoiler: After being infected, the only words she keeps mumbling is "Dick" and "Cock".]]

* RunningOnAllFours: Several of the infected do this, but with the belly up, which is a lot creepier than the usual version.

* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Hideo's weapon of choice is an over-under double-barreled shotgun. Not that he has many options, considering how difficult it is to acquire a gun permit in Japan.

* TechnicallyLivingZombie: However, the infection gives them the unnatural resilience more often associated with traditional zombies, and increased strength to boot. After death, these zombies will generally become the undead type if they aren't killed in a way that destroys the brain stem ([[spoiler: damaging the upper part of the brain does not appear to be enough, from what happens with the jumper who takes out the Gotemba Outlet Mall survivors]].
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: We get to see what the world looks like to a few of the Infected, [[spoiler: most dramatically Hiromi and Takashi]]. This provides significant insight into the behavior of the other ZQN.

* TwoLinesNoWaiting: There are actually two parallel plots to the manga. The main one obviously follows Hideo, as he first struggles to survive, then as he becomes more confident, culminating in his resolve to protect both Oda and Hiromi and get them safely to Tokyo. The other plot focuses on another group of survivors, mostly [=NEETs=], who survived the outbreak and have banded together under a deadly man who goes by the moniker Kurusu... And they ''also'' happen to be heading in the direction of the Tokyo area.

** Chapters 144 and 145: Set in France, it's the first look at how the rest of the world is handling the ZombieApocalypse. [[spoiler:Not too well, and the zombies seem to be ''mutating'' too. And apparently, the French Armed Forces have to resort to airstrikes to deal with ''kaijuu-sized zombie conglomerations?]]

* TheAce: Nakata, who has obscenely rich parents, but loves to draw manga for a living. He is unattractive, socially awkward and speaks with a lisp. However, his manga are successful and everyone speaks highly of his talent as well as his personality. Even Hideo has to grudgingly admit that Nakata is a good person and is good at what he does.

* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: [[spoiler:The HiveMind chooses to represent itself this way to those who end up enveloped within it, but still aware of their existence as individuals. For Hiromi, it looks like a MessageBoard]].
* AlienInvasion: An early guess as to what caused the infection. [[spoiler:Also apparently the correct one. The ZQN are a way to wipe out humanity without destroying infrastructure, and to eventually create alien/human hybrids]].

** Hiromi, to a lesser extent. She sometimes reacts to situations in strange and potentially dangerous ways (ex., approaching a disturbed man with a gun in the forest and staying nearby until he wakes up), notes that she's been told that she needs to make eye contact with people, has apparent difficulty in reading the social atmosphere in a room, and struggles with making and keeping friends. She doesn't suffer from delusions, but does seem to be naive in a way that isn't age appropriate.

* ApocalypseHow: Starts out looking like a regional societal disruption. [[spoiler:It rapidly becomes clear, however, that global societal collapse is inevitable]]. Once we find out what eventually happens to [[spoiler:Hiromi and those like her, it starts to look like total annihilation of humanity, or at least ''normal'' humanity, is the most likely outcome]].
* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: The author averts this on every occasion. Hideo religiously follow proper firearm handling procedures. He checks the chambers everytime he gets his hand on his shotgun, and keeps it unloaded when he thinks he is not in danger. He has good trigger discipline. And when he has some time, he cleans the gun and shells. To top it off, when he has to (reluctantly) give the gun to other characters, he makes sure they remember the basic safety precautions.
* AssholeVictim: Inevitably, in a zombie media. For starters, the pair in a Ferrari, who threatens Hideo and Hiromi with a (airsoft) pistol. [[spoiler: After Hideo spots a bite wound on one's arm, he pulls out his shotgun and drives them off. They gets chomped down by the infected, which were drawn to the sound their car makes, before they get a chance to turn.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Humanity survives, but only just, and by the end a lot of the main characters are dead. Hideo's entire mission is revealed to have been doomed from the start, and he fails spectacularly at saving Hiromi, with her joining the hivemind and only allowing him to live because she believes that stranding him on his own in the ruins of Tokyo is a FateWorseThanDeath. However, Hideo is able to adapt to his new environment and even thrive. In the epilogue, he finds that a ZQC tower has given birth to an ordinary human baby girl. The baby girl grows up to greatly resemble Hiromi, he names her Hiiro, and lives his life content raising her as her father.]]

* BoringButPractical: Hideo's shotgun. It's simple but reliable and easy to operate. As an added bonus, [[spoiler: when someone unfamiliar with firearms takes the gun from him, they usually can't reload in time after firing.]] In fact, it's only practical for Hideo because he can reload the gun very quickly.

* BystanderSyndrome: Taken to ridiculous extremes inside the suburban rail. An infected salary man bites a chunk out of a {{Too Dumb to Live}} passenger's head, then attacks another. The second man, while trying to hold down the attacker, calls out to nearby passengers. What are their reaction? They continue sitting and joking, wondering if they should help out in what they believe to be a molestation. Not until after several more deaths do the passengers finally get it that people are getting killed.

* CharacterFilibuster: Suzuki has very strong ideas about the future of manga, and loves to philosophize about them at length. Played for laughs when it's clear nobody asked, and sometimes it's all in his head.

* CoversAlwaysLie: Several of the covers feature scenes that don't happen in that volume. Particularly extreme with Volume 5, with a perfectly healthy Hiromi sitting in her underwear for [[{{fanservice}} no apparent reason]] on the cover. [[spoiler:Throughout the entirety of the volume, she's not only fully dressed but also visibly infected and completely delirious]].
* CPRCleanPrettyReliable: Subverted. After [[spoiler:Hideo gets swallowed then regurgitated by a large infected, he stops breathing. Hiromi and Oda then perform CPR (Hiromi, who has apparently become immune, gives Hideo mouth-to-mouth) and successfully revive him. However, several of his ribs are cracked by Oda compressing his chest, and it takes weeks for him to heal completely.]]
* CreepyChild: All infected children are these. A little boy spotted [[spoiler:gnawing on a woman's remains]], moaning for his mother.

* DeadlyLunge: A frequent followup to EnemyRisingBehind.

* DeathOfAChild: In fact, zombified children are quite troublesome, as they are more difficult to spot and evade, especially in a crowded places. See the gathering of refugees close to Mt. Fuji.
* DistantFinale :The last scene in the final chapter shows [[spoiler:an older Hideo eking out a solitary existence in the ruins of Tokyo.]]

* EliteZombie: Combat types, child zombies, and a pregnant zombie are all seen early on. [[spoiler:Later, FleshGolem Brutes start to be assembled, we learn of the existence of creatures like Kuruso and the Naked Emperor who retain human level intelligence, and most of the regular zombies are eliminated completely to build Hives (enormous Flesh Golems the size of a city block) from their bodies. At least one Horde Master briefly appears in charge of an enormous zombie conglomeration]].
** While it appears in both the manga and movie, the athlete zombie that circles Gotemba Mall is the first direct example in the 2016 film; showing both Smart Zombie and Stalker traits. [[ItCanThink It notices]] [[spoiler: Abe and Hideo conversing on the Mall roof]] and [[StealthBasedMission later uses their location as a target point to jump into the survivor camp]]; ambushing one of their medics with its jaw-mutation. It then goes on to [[spoiler: infect the Gotemba Mall residents while their heavy-hitters are on a supply mission]], making a horde all it's own.

* EroticEating: Mocked with [[spoiler:an infected Mi-chan]] fellating a ''baseball bat''.
* {{Facial Horror}}:
** "Red light, green light, one two THREE!!! (chomps on nearby female passenger)

** The fact that [[spoiler:zombies are migrating to the South]] was mentioned during the Kurusu segment of the story. Oda and Hiromi experience getting stuck in one first-hand, which leads to an OhCrap moment for the two, especially as Hideo was incapacitated at the time. Miraculously the two of them get ignored, though they don't stick around to find out why.

* GoryDiscretionShot: This is an extremely graphic series, so there are very few. Whatever the hell it is that [[spoiler:the infected Hiromi does to the zombie she mistakes for a torn teddy bear while trying to "fix it"]], though, we only ever get to see it ThroughTheEyesOfMadness and through Hideo's horrified reaction.

* HiveMind: Although initially just randomly violent, the zombies eventually form one. [[spoiler:It's pretty basic at first, just leading them all in one direction. As time goes on, though, the zombies begin to make themselves into Flesh Golems and develop "leaders" who are more aware]].

** Chapter 181: [[spoiler:Hitomi and Hideo catch up to the pregnant Oda driving away in a garbage truck before she has a chance to leave. After a heartwarming moment where Hitomi stands in front of truck, and it appears Oda has gave in to their demands of sticking together, a zombified baby appears and bites Oda.]]

* INeedAFreakingDrink: When Hideo points out that Hiromi is too young to drink after the group raids the beer supply near the Fifth Station, she promptly points out that after the day they just had and thinking she might be infected, she couldn't even begin to care less. [[spoiler:It's the last normal, pleasant thing she gets to do for awhile, because unfortunately, she's wrong about being okay]].
* InsaneEqualsViolent: Strongly averted with the protagonist, who is clearly mentally ill, but no more dangerous than anyone else. He has a good ability to tell the difference between his delusions and reality, and is one of the only characters in the series to know how to handle a firearm safely and effectively.

* MadnessMantra: The infected keeps repeating their usual lines while attacking. And it is terrifying... - "Thank you for your patronage"
* {{Mangaka}}: There's a lot of them, always discussing about the future of the industry, as well as the envy it shows within the editorials, or criticism, toward popular genres, and doujinshi.

** Makes another appearance near the end [[spoiler:when Hiromi finally gets absorbed by the HiveMind and sees it as the same message board shown earlier (with some of the same posters, for good measure)]].

** The first type is the TechnicallyLivingZombie phase. These creatures have an increased heart rate that might be fatal to a normal person, are hyper-violent, immune to fear and pain, and possess increased strength. They're also impossible to reason with. When these receive physical damage that would otherwise be fatal to a normal person (like, say, an impacted cranium from from a three-story drop or a gunshot wound to the head), they changed into ...

** [[spoiler: Half-zombie hybrid: Hiromi and Kurusu, as well as several characters are bitten but do not turn into zombies. They retain most of their personality, but are "blessed" with strength rivaling the zombies, and apparently a HealingFactor as well. Zombies do not aggressively attack them, and as a bonus, they don't seem to suffer any ill effects like HorrorHunger. At least, not initially.]]
** [[spoiler: The FleshGolem created from multiple human bodies. It is also unknown what created them. The one assisting Hideo's group's escape at the hot spring seems to be fused together. The one seen in Europe seems to be ''stitched'' together. And also the gigantic blob of flesh resulted from hundreds of zombies fusing together.]]

* PoliceAreUseless: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] for laughs as Suzuki obsessive compulsively keeps mentioning laws long after they have nobody to enforce them.
* PottyEmergency: Oda experienced one while driving with Hideo and Hiromi, complicated by the fact she was handcuffed to Hiromi. Resulted in BringMyBrownPants when Hideo uses a sledgehammer and a chisel from a hardware store to free them.

* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: It's hard to say just how much is necessary for the latter as several of the infected have partially crushed skulls. Just knowing the method isn't an easy ticket for the police to control the outbreak.
* RevenantZombie: The infected have some elements of this; while decidedly unintelligent, they are often seen mindlessly attempting the daily routines they kept in life. And for reasons yet unknown, [[spoiler:they all seem to be heading south]]...
* RunningGag: Hideo keeps refusing to let other characters hold his shotgun, because it is against the law in Japan.

* ShooOutTheClowns: The change in mood [[spoiler:makes Suzuki unable to imagine Yajima any more for awhile.]]
* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler:A common impression of the ending for Hideo's plot line. Hideo ends up relatively content being alone in the post-apocalypse, but that doesn't change the fact that his attempt to get Hiromi to Tokyo and create a vaccine was a conga line of failure doomed from the start by the fact that she was actually an unknowing Horde Master rather than TheImmune. No other main character in Hideo's group survives the severely botched attempt. The story as a whole averts this only because of the parallel plot, and Hideo's only contribution to the BittersweetEnding is his undoing what he did as an inadvertent escort for the BigBad]].
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Hideo's weapon of choice is a over-under double-barreled shotgun. Not that he has many options, considering how difficult it is to acquire a gun permit in Japan.

* SpitTake: Oda breaks the news of [[spoiler: her pregnancy to Hideo]], while he is eating noodle. Cue Hideo coughing and spitting (off screen), and a strand of noodle hangs out of his nostril when he's done.

* TechnicallyLivingZombie: However, the infection gives them the unnatural resilience more often associated with traditional zombies, and increased strength to boot. After death, these zombies will generally become the undead type if they aren't killed in a way that destroys the brain stem ([[spoiler:damaging the upper part of the brain does not appear to be enough, from what happens with the jumper who takes out the Gotemba Outlet Mall survivors]].
* ThroughTheEyesOfMadness: We get to see what the world looks like to a few of the Infected, [[spoiler:most dramatically Hiromi and Takashi]]. This provides significant insight into the behavior of the other ZQN.
* TomatoInTheMirror: Apparently [[spoiler:Iura]]. Although it's obvious enough to the audience and to Oda, he seems to believe he's uninfected because he was never bitten (TheVirus can spread through other means as well, unfortunately for him). Played straighter with [[spoiler:some of the Pisa and Paris "survivors", who believe that they and those around them are unaffected and are seen ThroughTheEyesOfMadness]].
* TooDumbToLive: The [[{{Pun}} bit]] characters, which includes [[SupportingProtagonist our hero]]. Apparently nobody watches the news.
** On a commuter train, rather than running as fast as humanly possible, an angry youth continues to yell at a staff member staring through the window on the other side of the car even while it's clear blood is seeping from the staff man's eyes, nose and mouth, is constantly spouting {{Madness Mantra}}s ("Thank You For Your Patronage"), and has tainted veins sprouting all over his face. Once it gets through, it takes a nice bite out of the youth's head, who stares disbelievingly at the mush of brain falling out before passing away.
* TranshumanTreachery: [[spoiler:Hiromi]]. When asked what she wants the others to do if she turns completely, she says that she wants to be left that way because she feels painfully alone as a human after experiencing the HiveMind. [[spoiler:She does eventually turn again, although what she becomes is too dangerous for her earlier wishes to be relevant]].
* TwoLinesNoWaiting: There are actually two parallel plots to the manga. The main one obviously follows Hideo, as he first struggles to survive, then as he becomes more confident, culminating in his resolve to protect both Oda and Hiromi and get them safely to Tokyo. The other plot focuses on another group of survivors, mostly [=NEETs=], who survived the outbreak, and have banded together under a deadly man who goes by the moniker Kurusu... And they ''also'' happen to be heading in the direction of the Tokyo area.

* UndeadChild: Several appear throughout the series, from infants that crawl like monkeys to children who chew on their dead loved ones.

** Chapter 144 and 145: Set in France, it's the first look at how the rest of the world is handling the ZombieApocalypse. [[spoiler:Not too well, and the zombies seem to be ''mutating'' too. And apparently the French armed forces have to resort to airstrikes to deal with ''kaijuu-sized zombie conglomerations?]]
** Chapter 179: [[spoiler:Oda finds out that she's pregnant, likely from an encounter before the outbreak. By the end of the chapter, she leaves the Hideo and Hiromi to search for a clinic, not wanting to slow them down.]]

*** Ditto for the Hiromi's former friend (whom it's implied got killed after Hiromi left the house to go on a stroll in the woods at night) who appears to offer her a shoe.
** [[spoiler: Hiromi herself is infected after being bitten by a zombified baby. She is still able to maintain some of her mental faculties and so far has not tried to attack or eat the main character, Hideo (she even tries to protect him when watching him get chased by a zombie). However, she often experiences periods of dissociation where, after tearing off the aformentioned zombie's jaw, she experiences herself in her room washing dishes when she is actually using the the ripped jaw to rub the zombie's now jawless face. She then mutilates the unfortunate zombie, thinking she is performing surgery on her stuffed toy. Her behavior may explain the zombies' erratic violent behavior and tendency to spout {{Madness Mantra}}s.]]
** [[spoiler: Takashi also maintains most of his mental faculties after being infected, and his interactions with another infected imply that they still maintain some self-awareness after turning, though he briefly succumbs to their violent behaviour once he realizes Kurusu killed a member of the group he had a crush on. He even goes on to become the leader of the group of survivors he was part of. It's also implied that Kurusu had actually been infected for quite some time before Takashi joined his group, which would explain most of his PsychopathicManchild personality.]]
* WorldOfPun: Boob Morning! (Oppai-yo Gozaimasu!), done by appropriately busty models and actresses acting as hosts for a morning variety show. Played for dark laughs since the host keeps saying it despite the program having turned rather somber due to the apocalypse starting outside.

* ZombieInfectee: Subverted. After the initial outbreak wiped out a large chunk of the population, the remaining survivor enclaves immediately wise up to the threat. After each encounter, they check each other for bites. The "suspicious" ones are isolated for hours to ensure they don't have the symptoms.
** Played straighter with [[spoiler:Hiromi]], although she doesn't hide her bite and neither she nor anyone else believes that it broke the skin (since it came from an infant). When she does turn [[spoiler:She thankfully doesn't kill anyone, and is still mostly harmless]].

** "Yesterday all my troubles seem so far away!!"

[[WidgetSeries A uniquely weird]] {{Seinen}} series. Features realistic artwork that switches from funny faces to grotesque ones with outstanding impact.

A 2009 comedy/horror manga by Kengo Hanazawa.

* DaylightHorror: Most of the depicted zombie attacks are during the day.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Mentioned several times, also see GroinAttack below.

* WorldOfPun: Boob Morning! (Oppai-yo Gozaimasu!), done by appropriately busty models and actresses acting as hosts for a morning variety show.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Humanity survives, but only just, and by the end a lot of the main characters are dead. Hideo's entire mission is revealed to have been doomed from the start, and he fails spectacularly at saving Hiromi, with her joining the hivemind and only allowing him to live because she believes that stranding him on his own in the ruins of Tokyo is a FateWorseThanDeath. However, Hideo is able to adapt to his new environment and ultimately becomes content with his new survivalist lifestyle.]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Mentioned several times, also see GroinAttack below.

* {{Madness Mantra}}: The infected keeps repeating their usual lines while attacking. And it is terrifying... - "Thank you for your patronage"

* {{Our Zombies Are Different}}: Zombies in this series come in several types:

* {{Panty Shot}}: Let's just say that the few instances this happens in the manga is ''not'' played for fanservice.

* {{Potty Emergency}}: Oda experienced one while driving with Hideo and Hiromi, complicated by the fact she was handcuffed to Hiromi. Resulted in {{Bring My Brown Pants}} when Hideo uses a sledgehammer and a chisel from a hardware store to free them.

* ReallyGetsAround: Mi-chan is heavily implied to be this. [[spoiler: After being infected, the only words she keeps mumbling is "Dick" and "Cock". Also see EroticEating above.]]

* AndNowForSomethingCompletelyDifferent: The series regularly shifts focus at the end of major arcs, and spends a few chapters to show what's happening to other parts of the world outside Hideo's sphere of influence. The first one, done at the end of the mall arc, shows an illicit tryst between a manga artist and her editor masquerading as a "research trip" to Taiwan, while another, set in France, shows how continental Europe is faring after the outbreak. The latter is particularly important, as it implies that the situation is no longer ''simply'' a ZombieApocalypse, [[spoiler:what with the appearance of what could only be described as a human centipede zombie, and something that's ''clearly kaijuu-sized'', enough that airstrikes are being conducted against it]].

* CursedWithAwesome: [[spoiler: If the infection doesn't turn a person into a zombie, he/she is given SuperStrength, HealingFactor, while retaining most of the personality.]]

* DistantFinale :The last one in the final chapter shows [[spoiler: Hideo still struggling to survive while living alone few years later in the ruins of Tokyo as evident when his head goes bald ]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler:A common impression of the ending for Hideo's plot line. Hideo ends up relatively content alone in the post-apocalypse, but that doesn't change the fact that his attempt to get Hiromi to Tokyo and create a vaccine was a conga line of failure doomed from the start by the fact that she was actually an unknowing Horde Master rather than TheImmune. No other main character in Hideo's group survives the severely botched attempt. The story as a whole averts this only because of the parallel plot, and Hideo's only contribution to the BittersweetEnding is his undoing what he did as an inadvertent escort for the BigBad]].