History Manga / Kurohime

* AGodAmI: Yashahime already has this complex, but it gets worse in chapter 74:[[spoiler: As an [[RockSteady earth goddess]] and a part of Yamato, she is literally everywhere in the country. And by sealing Yamatohime into Mt. Fuji, which is in Yamato, and destroying every other landmass, Yashahime is now DIRECTLY channelling Yamatohime's power. This bites Yashahime in the ass when Yamatohime sacrifices herself to aid Kurohime, as Yashahime is then cut off from Yamato's power, and split in half with a slash of Kurohime's sword--along with the entire planet.]]

* DefrostingIceQueen: Asura fits into this. At first her only real goal is to free her master Yamatohime, and the other spirits, from the servitude of the gods. Over time she becomes much warmer towards people, starting with Zero, as opposed to her initial disregard of him and other humans. Yuki-onna is [[IncrediblyLamePun a more literal example.]]

* {{Shotacon}}: We already know Hime loves Zero whether she's in the past or not [[spoiler: and he WAS just a soul at that point]] but [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-51194-16/kurohime/chapter-63.html this]] is just weird.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: There's a few: [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the mountain god's death]], [[{{Determinator}} Zero]] [[AcidPool dissolving in a river of acid blood]], [[CuteMonsterGirl Saiyuki's]] death via [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impalement]], [[{{Badass}} Dan]] [[RasputinianDeath who dies from a combination of dismemberment]] and FlechetteStorm, [[spoiler: [[KilledOffForReal real!Zero]] has [[DeathOfAThousandCuts his soul chopped into pieces by the DeathAngels]], Hime is impaled and dismembered by Yashahime ([[RetGone but that fight didn't count]]) and later [[DiedInYourArmsTonight she dissolves in that same river of blood that claimed Zero's life the first time]].]]

* PapaWolf: In the sidestory "Aohime," Dan. Takes {{Badass}} and {{Determinator}} to new levels. [[TearJerker Sniffle.]]

* HimeCut: Ponytail aside, Yashahime seems to have one. Asura as well.

* WhatTheHellHero: In chapter 77, Zero calls Himeko on [[StopHelpingMe her various attempts to save his life.]]

* KilledOffForReal: [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Maya and her friends]], [[DarkIsEvil Darkray]], [[spoiler: [[AbsurdlyYouthfulMother Zero and Rei's mother]] and [[TomatoSurprise real!Zero]].]]

** Rei's outfit is similar to Creator/BruceLee's in ''Film/EnterTheDragon'' (or [[KillBill The Bride's]]).

** Rei's outfit is similar to BruceLee's in ''EnterTheDragon'' (or [[KillBill The Bride's]]).

* FiveManBand:
** Post Zero's Death:
*** TheHeroine: Hime.
*** TheLancer: Asura.
*** TheSmartGuy: Tsucchi.
*** TheBigGuy(s):Yukio and O-yuki.
*** TheChick: Kazuma.
** During the end of the world:
*** TheHeroine: Hime.
*** TheLancer: [[DarkIsNotEvil Sword.]]
*** TheSmartGuy: Onimaru.
*** TheBigGuy(s):[[HeroicSacrifice Asura, Kazuma]] and Ouka.
*** TheChick: Yuka.
*** SixthRanger:[[spoiler:Raida.]]

* ThouShaltNotKill: Like a certain [[FullmetalAlchemist fire alchemist]] no one argued the fact that Doc deserves to die but if Rei killed him in revenge he would be consumed by the darkness in his soul

* [[spoiler:[[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half The Woman She Used To Be:]] Yashahime is the first victim of the Ultimate Sword at the end of chapt. 72. [[WhyWontYouDie Yashahime being Yashahime, it didn't stick.]]]]

** [[WhyWontYouDie Yashahime.]]

** Chapter 74: [[spoiler:[[PlanetEater Gods used to be planets?]] What do you mean, YASHAHIME [[WhyWontYouDie IS STILL RUNNING AROUND?!??!?]]]]

* WhyWontYouDie: Yashahime. Better explained in Chapter 74:[[spoiler: As an [[RockSteady earth goddess]] and a part of Yamato, she is literally everywhere in the country. And by sealing Yamatohime into Mt. Fuji, which is in Yamato, and destroying every other landmass, Yashahime is now DIRECTLY channelling Yamatohime's power.]]
** [[spoiler: This however came back to bite her in the ass when Yamatohime sacrifices herself to aid Kurohime. With nothing to gain power from, shes ''finally'' vulnerable for Kurohime to finish her off.]]
* WishfulProjection: Zero's image of Kurohime isn't a particularly good match for reality.

** In "Aohime," Dan, a member of the Bullet Blade Brigade turned father. [[spoiler: He took on his former comrades after they came after him and his "daughter." [[OneManArmy Cuts through waves of Mooks]] with only two swords and after they manage to [[HandicappedBadass cut off his arm,]] he takes out a few more by [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome stealing a tank.]] Only died because of [[DidntSeeThatComing an opponent he knew nothing about.]]]]
* [[spoiler:BackFromTheDead: Himeko has done this twice; first, she was revived as a side effect of the TimeTravel scheme that Asura pulled to make the Ultimate Sword. In chapter 79, she appears as a crude facsimile that looks like the Black God Tree; this is less than ten pages after committing suicide in Zero's arms.]]

** Rei's not much of a charmer either, having been treated as punching-bag his whole life and now [[spoiler: being possessed by a Shinigami]] isn't helping. Still, despite kicking her in the shins, calling her a hag and ''almost shooting her in the face'', he grew on [[strike: Kuro]]Himeko.

* JerkassGods: Pretty much the main reason the series events are happening in the first place. Not all of them are so unfeeling, but a majority of them pretty much have no regard for [[strike:human]] life. Kurohime will have [[KillEmAll NONE of this]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Maya and her friends]], [[DarkIsEvil Darkray]], [[spoiler: [[HotMom Zero and Rei's mother]] and [[TomatoSurprise real!Zero]].]]

* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Kurohime will do anything to achieve peace. [++ [[NobleDemon A]] [[JerkassFacade NY]] [[RageAgainstTheHeavens TH]] [[KillEmAll ING.]] ++]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: '''[[spoiler:GOD EATS THE SUN.]]'''

This series provides examples of:

* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl: Kurohime/Shirohime, Yashahime.

* ItGotWorse: Starting from Chapter 67.

* LightIsNotGood: The goddess of nature, Yashahime, has white (or at least light-colored) clothes, beautiful hair ornaments, and white Holy Wood. She is also [[InLoveWithYourCarnage deeply infatuated]] with the GrimReaper (in both incarnations), and is [[AxCrazy completely]] [[CompleteMonster fucking]] [[CuteAndPsycho NUTS]]. The all-white ensemble underscores just how very deadly she is, since white means death in Japan.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: All of the Spirit Kings put Himeko through this. [[spoiler: Kairyuu AKA [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Seiryuu]]]] even lampshades it; they all agree, himself included, that [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold she's a bit of a bitch but generally worth putting up with.]] (Of course, you'd want the person wielding your [[OurSoulsAreDifferent soul]] like a sword to ''NOT'' be a [[PsychoForHire psychotic maniac.]] Or [[CompleteMonster Yashahime.]])

** Chapter 74: [[spoiler:[[PlanetEater Gods used to be planets?]] What do you mean, [[CompleteMonster YASHAHIME]] [[WhyWontYouDie IS STILL RUNNING AROUND?!??!?]]]]

* CutShort: {{VizMedia}}'s releases stop at volume 14, perhaps because of low sales or the license extended only up to the chapters published in the magazine and not the online ones.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: There's [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel a few]]: [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the mountain god's death]], [[{{Determinator}} Zero]] [[AcidPool dissolving in a river of acid blood]], [[CuteMonsterGirl Saiyuki's]] death via [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impalement]], [[{{Badass}} Dan]] [[RasputinianDeath who dies from a combination of dismemberment]] and FlechetteStorm, [[spoiler: [[KilledOffForReal real!Zero]] has [[DeathOfAThousandCuts his soul chopped into pieces by the DeathAngels]], Hime is impaled and dismembered by Yashahime ([[RetGone but that fight didn't count]]) and later [[DiedInYourArmsTonight she dissolves in that same river of blood that claimed Zero's life the first time]].]]

* {{BFS}}: The Sword of Vengeance, the Kokushinbokuto (Black God Wood Tree Sword), and the Yamato Senryuutou are the most prominent examples.

* {{Bishoujo}}: Kurohime, Asura, the Death Angels, and Yuki-onna. Yashahime is beautiful as well, [[CuteAndPsycho if only to conceal]] [[OneWingedAngel the monster within.]]

* BadassNormal: Zero, who can fire [[BeyondTheImpossible four]] guns with ImprobableAimingSkills, Kazuma, who can cut pretty much anything with his [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], and Rider, who wields a gun-hammer and was the single most effective fighter in the Wolf Brigade.

** A mysterious [[http://www.onemanga.com/Kurohime/58/15/ shinigami]] looks a lot like, well, [[DeathNote a mysterious Shinigami]].

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kurohime_01.jpg

[[redirect:Manga/{{Kurohime}}]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kurohime_01.jpg
When a young child known only as Zero is saved from certain death by a [[ActionGirl powerful, beautiful witch-gunslinger known as Kurohime,]] he dedicates himself to justice in her name, and begins training to become a gunman himself. Ten years later, still in search of a now-missing Kurohime, Zero stumbles across a young girl calling herself Himeko, running away from the nefarious bandit Onimaru. As it turns out, Himeko, despite appearances, is much more than she seems--as evidenced by the legendary gun in her possession, Senryuu (lit., Tornado Dragon), she is actually the legendary Kurohime, turned into a child by the gods after a failed attempt to defeat them ten years ago.

The only way to completely break the curse is for Himeko to experience true love; mild infatuation only weakens the restrictions temporarily. The only problem is that Himeko is [[BrattyHalfPint not as nice as her cute face would lead one to believe.]] Subsequently, she and Zero embark on a long journey to break the curse, while uncovering the source of Kurohime's enmity with the gods.

Now with a [[Characters/{{Kurohime}} character page.]] In terms of spoilers, if it's been published in the English manga already, it's probably not a spoiler anymore.

----

This series provides examples of:

* AbnormalAmmo: [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27287-15/kurohime/chapter-7.html Giant knives shaped like sharks]] is just the start of it.
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Kokushinbokuto, despite being made of ''wood'' (holy wood, true, but ''wood'' nevertheless), has been shown to cut through almost ANYTHING. The same goes for the blades Yamatohime fashions from the gods' White God Tree.
* [[spoiler:AfterTheEnd]]
* [[spoiler: AllYourPowersCombined: While Kurohime does have her own abilities, her near godlike power level comes from the Black God Tree. Which in turn gets its power from all of the dead souls she's absorbed, who really and truly HATE her.]]
* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Great Gods are pretty much this.
* AmazonBrigade: Who else, but the Death Angels?
* [[spoiler:ApocalypseWow:]] Chapter 67. '''[[MindScrew DAMN.]]'''
** Chapter 80. '''[[CrazyAwesome WOW.]]'''
* ArtEvolution
* AssimilationPlot: A god becomes a Great God [[spoiler:by [[PlanetEater devouring the planet.]]]]
* TheAtoner: Himeko, sort of, in regards to Sword and Ouka.
** [[spoiler: "Zero" AKA Rei.]]
** [[spoiler: Kandata AKA Doc.]]
** The village elder [[spoiler:AKA Asura's ''mother.'']]
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: A good number of the gods Kurohime runs into. Not that it stops her from cutting 'em down.
* AxCrazy: [[CuteAndPsycho Yashahime.]] Good lord, what is '''WRONG''' with that woman?!?
** Even worse since [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt these days,]] she's not even bothering with the [[AffablyEvil facade.]]
* BadassNormal: Zero, who can fire [[BeyondTheImpossible four]] guns with ImprobableAimingSkills, Kazuma, who can cut pretty much anything with his [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]], and Rider, who wields a gun-hammer and was the single most effective fighter in the Wolf Brigade.
** In "Aohime," Dan, a member of the Bullet Blade Brigade turned father. [[spoiler: He took on his former comrades after they came after him and his "daughter." [[OneManArmy Cuts through waves of Mooks]] with only two swords and after they manage to [[HandicappedBadass cut off his arm,]] he takes out a few more by [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome stealing a tank.]] Only died because of [[DidntSeeThatComing an opponent he knew nothing about.]]]]
* [[spoiler:BackFromTheDead: Himeko has done this twice; first, she was revived as a side effect of the TimeTravel scheme that Asura pulled to make the Ultimate Sword. In chapter 79, she appears as a crude facsimile that looks like the Black God Tree; this is less than ten pages after committing suicide in Zero's arms.]]
* BareHandedBladeBlock: The guardian of Princess Yamato's volcano has this as an [[CallingYourAttacks move]].
* BeautifulAllAlong: Yeti isn't so bad-looking after a transformation haircut.
* BecauseDestinySaysSo: [[spoiler: the deaths of Ouka's father and the entirety of Rei and Zero's backstory, including Zero's death and Rei's decade of solitude, are predetermined events. Also Asura was gifted with her powers to become part of the Yamato Senryuutou in place of Yamatohime.]]
** ScrewDestiny: In a way. While the past may be inevitable, you can make small changes about how or why it happens. Not to mention the future is a bit more open-ended. [[spoiler: For instance, Himeko is able to avoid sacrificing Asura to the Yamato Senryuutou, but dies in the process. Ouka, on the other hand, was much less fortunate, as she only changed ''why'' her father died, not the ''fact'' that he died.]]
* {{BFG}}: Senryuu is much bigger than the average handgun, and can fire regular bullets with extreme force.
* {{BFS}}: The Sword of Vengeance, the Kokushinbokuto (Black God Wood Tree Sword), and the Yamato Senryuutou are the most prominent examples.
* BigBad: Yashahime.
* BigDamnHeroes: Himeko is quite fond of these; amongst her many exploits are [[spoiler: saving Sara from Asura in Chapter 68, almost killing Yashahime in Chapter 73, and sort of coming back from the dead in Chapter 79 to save her friends from being killed by Yashahime.]]
** [[spoiler:Asura]] at the end of Chapter 71.
** [[spoiler:[[LifeEnergy Yamato]][[OurSoulsAreDifferent hime]] herself]] in 80.
* BigGood: Kazuma, who becomes the leader of Oedo after his father's death.
* {{Bishoujo}}: Kurohime, Asura, the Death Angels, and Yuki-onna. Yashahime is beautiful as well, [[CuteAndPsycho if only to conceal]] [[OneWingedAngel the monster within.]]
* {{Bishounen}}: Future!Zero, Darkray, Saika, Dark Zero.
* BrokenBird: Kurohime, Asura, Sword, Ouka and O-yuki. Yashahime seems to ''think'' she's this.
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:[[RedStringOfFate Zero's scarf.]]]]
* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: Saika, Kandata, Ouka, [[PunnyName Marco Bolo,]] [[MyHeroZero Zero, Rei]], Raida...there's quite a lot of these people running around.]]
* CheerfulChild: Sara.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Sword and Yashahime, to Darkray. Again, Yashahime stands out here; it was shown that she was extremely hateful of Sword and the rest of Darkray's LivingWeapon AmazonBrigade. The only reason she never killed any of them is they never acted out in front of her. She feels the same hatred towards Himeko because Dark Zero, her current crush/obsession, [[spoiler: still cares about Himeko.]]
* CruelAndUnusualDeath: There's [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel a few]]: [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown the mountain god's death]], [[{{Determinator}} Zero]] [[AcidPool dissolving in a river of acid blood]], [[CuteMonsterGirl Saiyuki's]] death via [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impalement]], [[{{Badass}} Dan]] [[RasputinianDeath who dies from a combination of dismemberment]] and FlechetteStorm, [[spoiler: [[KilledOffForReal real!Zero]] has [[DeathOfAThousandCuts his soul chopped into pieces by the DeathAngels]], Hime is impaled and dismembered by Yashahime ([[RetGone but that fight didn't count]]) and later [[DiedInYourArmsTonight she dissolves in that same river of blood that claimed Zero's life the first time]].]]
* CutShort: {{VizMedia}}'s releases stop at volume 14, perhaps because of low sales or the license extended only up to the chapters published in the magazine and not the online ones.
* DarkIsNotEvil: [[spoiler: The original Kurohime was basically formulating a [[ZeroApprovalGambit Lelouch plot]] to unite humanity.]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: Asura fits into this. At first her only real goal is to free her master Yamatohime, and the other spirits, from the servitude of the gods. Over time she becomes much warmer towards people, starting with Zero, as opposed to her initial disregard of him and other humans. Yuki-onna is [[IncrediblyLamePun a more literal example.]]
* {{Determinator}}: Zero, of course. In the past, Rei fulfills this role in a dark way.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Often. More or less the point of the series.
* [[spoiler:DiedInYourArmsTonight: After combining with Sword one more time and beating Dark Zero, Himeko hugs him, and drags them both into the waters of Hell. After telling him that she's happy simply dying in his arms, she dissolves into a skeleton; Zero, being immune, is left to grasp at her bones.]]
** A {{callback}} to chapter 14 when [[spoiler:Kurohime said [[{{Foreshadowing}} "I don't mind being killed if it's by you, Zero.]]"]]
* DishingOutDirt: Yashahime, Byakko, Spirit King of Earth.
* TheDogBitesBack: Sword, to Darkray, though she hadn't meant to.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: When Kurohime is [[spoiler: absorbing the dead to power up the Black God Tree]], doesn't that scene look a bit like a, well, [[spoiler: gang rape?]]
* [[spoiler:DragonWithAnAgenda: Dark Zero. Aside from destroying humanity and finding out who's on the other end of his RedStringOfFate, he has absolutely no interest in the world.]]
* DudeLooksLikeALady: On more than one occasion, Saika looks like a very pretty girl, albeit a flat one.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Remember that kid who tried to stab Kurohime with a dagger? Yeah, that was [[spoiler: Ouka.]]
** [[spoiler:Rei has been pulling one of these since ''the beginning of the manga.'' See TomatoSurprise below.]]
** [[spoiler: Kairyu. Turns out some of OurDragonsAreDifferent. That is to say, some of them are whales...]]
* [[spoiler:EarthShatteringKaboom: The world ([[PlanetLooters and Yashahime]]) is sliced in [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe half]].]]
* EldritchAbomination: Plenty.
* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: [[spoiler:When it's revealed that humans were created for the sole purpose of destroying the planet, Sword, O-yuki and Yukio all look very uncomfortable, [[YouDidntAsk implying that they knew this from beginning.]]]]
* EnemyMine: After being depowered [[spoiler:by the absorption of souls that died during her fight with the goddess Venus]], past!Kurohime, now in the form of a child, recieves assistance from Sword and Ouka, who were formerly cursed into the forms of a wolf and past!Kurohime's clothing respectively. It takes a good hard fight [[spoiler:[[FusionDance a three-way fusion between them]]]] in order to take the enemy down.
** Sword and Ouka are adhering to this in the current situation against [[spoiler:Dark Zero and Yashahime.]]
* {{Evil God}}s
* EyepatchOfPower: Sword starts wearing one of these when [[SleepModeSize she loses a good foot or two of height in the aftermath of the battle at the River Styx.]] It is also the only thing keeping her vampiric werewolf powers under control.
** [[spoiler: Raida's sporting one when he reappears in Chapter 76.]]
* FanService: And [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27288-36/kurohime/chapter-8.html H]][[http://www.mangareader.net/423-49912-4/kurohime/chapter-62.html O]][[http://www.mangareader.net/423-32434-1/kurohime/chapter-49.html W]]. Special mention [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-16/kurohime/chapter-9.html goes]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-17/kurohime/chapter-9.html goes to]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-24/kurohime/chapter-9.html the]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-25/kurohime/chapter-9.html Shinigami]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-26/kurohime/chapter-9.html Angel]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-27/kurohime/chapter-9.html Brigade]].
* FemmeFatalons: Kurohime has these in a nice black color.
* [[spoiler:FissionMailed: After Himeko's death at the hands of Yashahime, Asura leads the remaining living villagers to the entrance to Mt. Fuji. Shortly after that, Asura convinces the spirits to rewind time so that she can sacrifice herself to the Yamato Senryuutou and turn it into the Ultimate Sword.]]
* FiveManBand:
** Post Zero's Death:
*** TheHeroine: Hime.
*** TheLancer: Asura.
*** TheSmartGuy: Tsucchi.
*** TheBigGuy(s):Yukio and O-yuki.
*** TheChick: Kazuma.
** During the end of the world:
*** TheHeroine: Hime.
*** TheLancer: [[DarkIsNotEvil Sword.]]
*** TheSmartGuy: Onimaru.
*** TheBigGuy(s):[[HeroicSacrifice Asura, Kazuma]] and Ouka.
*** TheChick: Yuka.
*** SixthRanger:[[spoiler:Raida.]]
* TheFourGods: [[ThePhoenix Yamatohime,]] [[TurtlePower Genbu,]] [[PantheraAwesome Byakko]] and [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Seiryuu,]] the Spirit Kings.
* GagBoobs: Given to a pub-full of self-proclaimed badasses thanks to a GenderBender spell, which gave everyone else a hankering for BrainBleach.
* GrandTheftMe: Happens to an innocent girl known as Yuka not once, but twice, thanks in no small part to Kurohime's UnknownRival Barahime. As a result of both possessions, [[TouchedByVorlons Yuka gains the power to make magical bullets.]]
* GrimReaper: During the Time Travel arc, Zero's brother Rei [[spoiler:gets cursed by a Shinigami, which will overtake him if he experiences large amounts of hatred.]]
* TheGunslinger: Excluding the obvious, Zero and Rider.
* HalfIdenticalTwins: Rei and Zero. Rei is older, but his sad lifestyle stunted his growth.
* [[spoiler:[[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half The Woman She Used To Be:]] Yashahime is the first victim of the Ultimate Sword at the end of chapt. 72. [[WhyWontYouDie Yashahime being Yashahime, it didn't stick.]]]]
** [[spoiler: Finally did in Chapter 80 when Kurohime ''slices the entire planet in half'' to beat her.]]
* HarmfulToMinors: Zero did [[ChildSoldiers NOT]] [[YouKilledMyFather have]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge a]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide pleasant]] [[PleaseDontLeaveMe childhood.]] Neither did [[YouKilledMyFather Ouka]] or [[RageAgainstTheHeavens Kurohime.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Hime [[spoiler:when Rei and Zero die.]] And again, when [[spoiler:faced with having to [[ShootTheDog take Asura into Senryuu.]]]]
* HeroicSacrifice: Zero puts an injured Kurohime onto Kandata's boat and pushes towards safe land, being dissolved alive by the waters of Hell. A villainous example would be the Death Angels giving their life-force to ensure Sword's survival.
** [[spoiler:Zero again, for [[TomatoSurprise Rei/"Zero."]]]]
** [[spoiler:Once she's realized that her life has meaning, Asura ensures that Himeko completes the Ultimate Sword by going back in time and letting herself get shot by the Yamato Senryuuhou.]]
* HimeCut: Ponytail aside, Yashahime seems to have one. Asura as well.
* [[spoiler:HistoryRepeats: With a side of GenderFlip, this is how Hime and Zero [[LoveAtFirstSight meet up in their next life]].]]
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Darkray might have survived if he hadn't been so quick to [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown berate his angels]] after impaling them.
* HumanoidAbomination: Yashahime, in her true form. [[spoiler: In Chapter 79, Himeko emerges from the Hell water in a form similar to Yashahime's wooden appearance after her suicide and BigDamnHeroes moment, except that the wood appears to be from the Black God Tree.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: Yashahime. Her exploits include:
** Killing Darkray (whom she claims to be madly in love with) while holding the MacGuffin that would save his life, for no reason other than [[BrokenPedestal seeing his begging soul breaks her cool perception of him.]]
** Stabbing herself to keep her from killing Kurohime, and then claiming the resulting scar is Kurohime's fault.
** Claiming that the [[GrimReaper God of Death]] isn't supposed to be concerned about anything or anyone, and then blushing because he asked if her wounds had healed.
* IHateYouVampireDad: [[spoiler: Asura resents being a HalfHumanHybrid, but more than that, she resents that humans, specifically her mother, will sacrifice her without a thought of her feelings. Making up with her mother finally allows her to regain control of her transformations.]]
* [[spoiler:ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Kurohime on three separate occasions: once by Darkray for [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu killing a god]], next by Yashahime for [[MurderTheHypotenuse existing]], and once again by Dark Zero for being the ''[[LoveHurts worst girlfriend]] [[WhatTheHellHero EVER.]]'']]
* [[ImplacableMan Implacable Woman:]] Goodness, past!Kurohime.
** [[WhyWontYouDie Yashahime.]]
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: Onimaru. He and his gang helped Kurohime ten years ago by building the tower that would allow a human to become a god, only to be betrayed by her at the last moment (and branded with the kanji for 'dog', no less). As a result, he carries a large grudge against Kurohime for most of the manga. After his gang's encounter with the Death Angels (which leaves him as a...miniature snake-man thing) Kurohime's real motives are explained to him by the goddess Shirohime, and he gradually regains the respect he had for Kurohime as she undergoes her own emotional development.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: Kurohime is legendary because she can make witch-bullets that can summon dragon-golems at will. She once turned an ENTIRE castle into one such dragon.
* ItGotWorse: Starting from Chapter 67.
* JerkAss: Himeko/Kurohime, as noted at the top of the page. This isn't entirely her fault, though, as the gods removed her ability to love when they first imprisoned her, by turning her compassion and love into a god that looks exactly like her, Shirohime. And thanks to CharacterDevelopment, she gradually grows out of this, becoming a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
** Rei's not much of a charmer either, having been treated as punching-bag his whole life and now [[spoiler: being possessed by a Shinigami]] isn't helping. Still, despite kicking her in the shins, calling her a hag and ''almost shooting her in the face'', he grew on [[strike: Kuro]]Himeko.
* JerkassFacade: Kurohime is well known for her cruelty and arrogance...[[spoiler: but as it turns out, she purposely earned herself the reputation to give humanity something else to focus on besides the race to become a god.]]
** The village elder is a somewhat crotchety old woman with a stiff upper lip. [[spoiler: That is, until Kurohime dies, whereupon she runs off to make up with Asura, her ''daughter.'' At that point, the world was more or less doomed, and though she sincerely loved Asura, the elder had spent all of her "life" treating Asura like a tool.]]
* JerkassGods: Pretty much the main reason the series events are happening in the first place. Not all of them are so unfeeling, but a majority of them pretty much have no regard for [[strike:human]] life. Kurohime will have [[KillEmAll NONE of this]].
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Darkray was fond of doing this, insulting Hime and Zero for their love and later impaling and killing most of his [[AmazonBrigade loyal weapons.]] His reasoning is that as humans [[OurAngelsAreDifferent and angels]] respectively, they are simply not as awesome as he is, so why ''should'' he care what happens to them?
** Yashahime tries this and fails, not taking into account that [[PluckyGirl Hime may be less emotionally fragile than she thought.]][[spoiler: [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Nearly succeeded the second time though...]]]]
* KilledOffForReal: [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Maya and her friends]], [[DarkIsEvil Darkray]], [[spoiler: [[HotMom Zero and Rei's mother]] and [[TomatoSurprise real!Zero]].]]
* [[spoiler:KnowWhenToFoldEm: Yashahime ultimately succeeds in taking over the world. Realizing that, [[HeroicSacrifice Yamatohime decides to use the last of her life to resurrect Kurohime]], since saving the planet is now a moot point.]]
* LaserBlade:[[spoiler:The Ultimate Sword.]]
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Himeko begins suffering from this during the Yamato arc. As a side effect of Zero's death, Himeko's been re-cursed. By giving up a memory of Zero, she clears part of the mental block that's keeping her from her powers; if she wants to get back into top form, she has to give up every single memory she has of him. At present, she has almost no memories of anything that has occurred since the start of her journey with Zero.
* LaserGuidedKarma: All of the gods do something that COMPLETELY justifies Kurohime killing them.
** With [[WhamEpisode Chapter 74]] out, it turns out, [[JustifiedTrope yes,]] most of them [[PlanetEater HAVE]] done something to justify Kurohime killing them.
** Also seen in Kurohime/Himeko. All of the things she's done for either peace or Zero are quickly catching up with her.
* LightIsNotGood: The goddess of nature, Yashahime, has white (or at least light-colored) clothes, beautiful hair ornaments, and white Holy Wood. She is also [[InLoveWithYourCarnage deeply infatuated]] with the GrimReaper (in both incarnations), and is [[AxCrazy completely]] [[CompleteMonster fucking]] [[CuteAndPsycho NUTS]]. The all-white ensemble underscores just how very deadly she is, since white means death in Japan.
* LiteralSplitPersonality: This is what happens to Kurohime when she challenges the gods ten years before the start of the series; her compassion and love is incarnated as the goddess Shirohime, while her rage and hatred are sent to a prison-dimension as Himeko/Kurohime.
* LoveRedeems: Yuki-onna and Yuki-otoko, and Himeko herself.
** LoveHurts: Zero. [[PleaseDontLeaveMe Oh,]] [[TraumaCongaLine Zero.]]
*** [[spoiler: [[DiedInYourArmsTonight And]] [[HeroicSacrifice yet]][[LoveRedeems ...]]]]
* MakingASplash: Genbu, Spirit King of Water.
* MamaBear: There are very few things Himeko won't do for Zero and Rei.
* [[spoiler:MaybeEverAfter]]
* MeaningfulName: The Death Angels' names match the weapon that they can transform themselves into, and many of the witch-gunslingers or other important characters often have ''-hime'' (princess) as part of their name.
** [[ThemeTwinNaming Zero and Rei]] have names that pun off of each other, as "Rei" can also mean zero. [[spoiler:This is possibly foreshadowing the fact that "Zero" is in fact Rei, having taken on his younger brother's name after the events of the Past Arc.]]
* MindScrew: Most of chapter 67. [[spoiler: [[{{God}} Igudo]] eats the ''SUN'' for starters...]]
* MsFanservice: Most of the women in this setting, especially Kurohime.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: Darkray, Dark Zero and Yashahime.
* MyHeroZero and Rei
* NietzscheWannabe: Dark Zero.
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: After Sword meets up with the rest of the Kurohime Punishment Squad, she makes herself into one of these on purpose, getting bitten by a vampire ''and'' a werewolf. [[UnstoppableRage The results are]] [[TransformationTrauma NOT pretty.]]
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The first [[spoiler:and third]] time that Himeko faced Yashahime.
* OhCrap:[[spoiler:Yashahime after the Ultimate Sword [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bisects her.]]]]
** [[spoiler:Everyone else, when it turns out she's STILL alive.]]
* OneWingedAngel: Yashahime, surprisingly.
** [[spoiler: Rei,]] when he finally awakens the [[spoiler: Shinigami in his body.]]
** [[spoiler:Asura,]] as [[spoiler: the weight of her destiny]] and her own resentment begin to grow.
* [[spoiler: PainfulTransformation, BodyHorror: As revealed by Sword, the Black God Tree that Kurohime uses to block attacks and form the Kokushinbokuto is meant to absorb hatred as its power-up method. Because the tree is actually bonded to Kurohime's body, becoming more powerful effectively means that she has to absorb the spirits of the people she kills. After the souls eat holes in Kurohime's body during the absorption, she has to deal with a rejection that makes her spew up blood and literally shreds her down to what looks like a rotting corpse.]]
* PapaWolf: In the sidestory "Aohime," Dan. Takes {{Badass}} and {{Determinator}} to new levels. [[TearJerker Sniffle.]]
* [[spoiler:PlanetEater: The High Gods get that strong by eating the LifeEnergy of planets. Then they take the [[AssimilationPlot dead planets as host bodies.]]]]
* PlayingWithFire: Asura, and Yamatohime, Spirit Queen of Fire.
* PleaseDontLeaveMe: [[spoiler:Rei]] to [[spoiler:Himeko]], coupled with the fact that both know [[TearJerker they can't stop it from happening.]] [[LaserGuidedKarma Naturally,]] [[spoiler:he]] [[WhatTheHellHero calls]] [[spoiler:Himeko]] on this when [[spoiler:he]] has a chance. [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Violently.]]
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: Occurs twice for Himeko--the first after her battle with the death god Dark Ray and the second following her encounter with Zero once he is reborn as the death god. Each one further boosts her ability, though neither one brings her close to her full power as Kurohime. As of the end of the Past Arc, it happened again, and she displayed the ability [[spoiler: to use at least the Genbu armor without her powers as Kurohime.]]
* PlotTumor: The "Journey To The Past" arc, which initially appeared to be a pointless segue; it actually revealed a large amount of backstory, some bits of which were quite shocking.
* PluckyGirl: Kurohime for the good side. Sword and Kurohime again, for the bad side.
* PoweredByAForsakenChild:[[spoiler: The Black God Tree. Many, many, MANY children. Adults as well.]] The Yamato Senryuutou is also this, but tends to be forgotten since [[spoiler:most of]] those who power it are more bothered by for whom the sword would be used by, and for, rather than what powers it up.
** The High Gods. [[PlanetEater All of them.]]
* PsychoticSmirk: Early on, Himeko will frequently take this expression on whenever she transforms into Kurohime, but the instant she starts EvilGloating, the transformation wears off.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: Ten years before the series starts, Kurohime becomes involved with the battle to become a god to get revenge on the gods for even creating the contest; not only did it send the world into a mass war, but it's implied that she grew up seeing the carnage that it wrought first-hand.
* RedStringOfFate: Once she is able to acknowledge it, Himeko truly believes that she and Zero are made for each other. [[spoiler: Weirdly enough, in spite of everything, [[NietzscheWannabe Dark Zero]] STILL believes in this.]]
* [[spoiler:ResetButton: After [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan getting her mind right,]] Asura sends her consciousness back in time to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong when Himeko refuses to ShootTheDog. As a result, Himeko's death at the hands of Yashahime is undone entirely.]]
* SecretTestOfCharacter: All of the Spirit Kings put Himeko through this. [[spoiler: Kairyuu AKA [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Seiryuu]]]] even lampshades it; they all agree, himself included, that [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold she's a bit of a bitch but generally worth putting up with.]] (Of course, you'd want the person wielding your [[OurSoulsAreDifferent soul]] like a sword to ''NOT'' be a [[PsychoForHire psychotic maniac.]] Or [[CompleteMonster Yashahime.]])
* {{Shotacon}}: We already know Hime loves Zero whether she's in the past or not [[spoiler: and he WAS just a soul at that point]] but [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-51194-16/kurohime/chapter-63.html this]] is just weird.
* ShoutOut:
** Rei's outfit is similar to BruceLee's in ''EnterTheDragon'' (or [[KillBill The Bride's]]).
** A mysterious [[http://www.onemanga.com/Kurohime/58/15/ shinigami]] looks a lot like, well, [[DeathNote a mysterious Shinigami]].
* SlasherSmile: Several villains-of-the-week wear these, but Kurohime herself sports one when we see her pulverising the Mountain God.
* SmallGirlBigGun: Himeko, especially during the first arc.
* StableTimeLoop[=/=]YouCantFightFate: Ouka triggers one of these when she [[spoiler:attempts to kill the past version of Kurohime in order to save her father from dying at Kurohime's hands. However, Ouka's use of witch-gunslinger magic convinces Ouka's father that older!Ouka is an enemy, and attacks her; subsequently, Ouka's witch-beast attacks and kills him right in front of the young!Ouka's eyes.]] Surprisingly, [[spoiler:past!Kurohime takes the blame for it anyway, effectively giving young!Ouka a reason to chase after Kurohime for revenge.]]
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler: Zero has been one of these all along.]]
* {{Stripperiffic}}: The "outfits" of the [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-16/kurohime/chapter-9.html Shinigami]] [[http://www.mangareader.net/423-27289-17/kurohime/chapter-9.html Tenshi-dan]] (the Death Angels). Kurohime [[LampshadeHanging even points it out when she confronts Sword, their leader.]]
* TeamPet: Tsucchi aka Onimaru.
* ThePowerOfLove: Due to the initial curse laid on Kurohime,love is quite literally central to the plot, as it is the only way Kurohime can temporarily/permanently break the curse. It reaches new heights when the River Styx makes its first appearance, though, as Kurohime declares her love for Zero and unleashes a can of whoop-ass onto Dark Ray to protect him and continue her fight against the gods. Additionally, Himeko only agrees to assist Asura's cause on the condition that Yamatohime resurrects Zero.
* ThemeTwinNaming: Zero and Rei.
* ThisIsADrill: When Kurohime manifests Byakko's power in Senryu, she shoots metal drill bullets. [[RuleOfCool Nice.]]
* TimeStandsStill: Kairyu. [[spoiler: Who is, in actuality, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Seiryu,]] Spirit King of [[BlowYouAway Air.]]]]
* TimeTravel: The focus of the Past arc. [[spoiler: Himeko has gone back in time to discover why Zero is "full of darkness", and must make peace with the Kurohime Punishment Squad before she can return to her own time. To make matters even more complicated, Zero must not find out that she is Kurohime (since their first meeting wouldn't have occurred yet, or so it appears at first), [[RetGone or she will cease to exist]].]]
* [[spoiler:TomatoSurprise, with a touch of MindScrew: The Zero that Himeko knows is ''Rei.'' Before the Past arc, Himeko had never met the actual Zero.]]
** Better yet, the cloaked man (Kandata) that saved "Zero" and Kurohime from the River Styx and followed them back to the past? [[spoiler: [[JerkAss He's Doc.]]]]
** And to up the ante: [[spoiler:The Spirit King of Wind, Seiryu? It was the SEA DRAGON THE WHOLE TIME.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: The more we learn about [[HarmfulToMinors Zero's childhood,]] the less surprising it is about the way he [[SuperpoweredEvilSide turned]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds out.]]
* TroubledButCute: Zero, Rei, Rider and Kazuma.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: Kurohime will do anything to achieve peace. [++ [[NobleDemon A]] [[JerkassFacade NY]] [[RageAgainstTheHeavens TH]] [[KillEmAll ING.]] ++]
* WeCanRuleTogether: Yashahime wants to rule the universe with Dark Zero at her side. [[spoiler: He's not interested. At all.]]
* WhamEpisode: Shit gets real after Zero dies.
** Chapter 59 seems to serve as such for the Past arc.
** Chapter 71 more or less begins with [[spoiler:[[CruelAndUnusualDeath Kurohime's death.]]]]
** Chapter 73: HOLY HELL, [[spoiler:[[GrimReaper ZERO'S]] [[DarkIsEvil BACK!!!]]]]
** Chapter 74: [[spoiler:[[PlanetEater Gods used to be planets?]] What do you mean, [[CompleteMonster YASHAHIME]] [[WhyWontYouDie IS STILL RUNNING AROUND?!??!?]]]]
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: '''[[spoiler:GOD EATS THE SUN.]]'''
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After the Past Arc Rider and Tsucchi disappear from the story [[spoiler:until they show up with Kandata with a boat to save the people of Yamato from the acid waters of hell.]]
** And the [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent merfolk]] that kidnapped Kazuma?
** Has anyone seen [[AnIcePerson Yukio and O-yuki?]]
* WhatTheHellHero: In chapter 77, Zero calls Himeko on [[StopHelpingMe her various attempts to save his life.]]
* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl: Kurohime/Shirohime, Yashahime.
* WhyWontYouDie: Yashahime. Better explained in Chapter 74:[[spoiler: As an [[RockSteady earth goddess]] and a part of Yamato, she is literally everywhere in the country. And by sealing Yamatohime into Mt. Fuji, which is in Yamato, and destroying every other landmass, Yashahime is now DIRECTLY channelling Yamatohime's power.]]
** [[spoiler: This however came back to bite her in the ass when Yamatohime sacrifices herself to aid Kurohime. With nothing to gain power from, shes ''finally'' vulnerable for Kurohime to finish her off.]]
* WishfulProjection: Zero's image of Kurohime isn't a particularly good match for reality.
* [[spoiler:WorldHalfFull: The world is literally destroyed but humanity ultimately survives and populates a new planet.]]
* {{Yandere}} / CuteAndPsycho: Lord love a duck, Yashahime.
* YouCantFightFate: Yashahime and Sword are huge believers in this.
* ZeroApprovalGambit: See JerkassFacade.
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