History Manga / TheKurosagiCorpseDeliveryService

* ShoutOut:
** For starters, Numata makes many shout outs to classic shounen titles as a result of reading too much manga.
** Yata also has a few shout outs to ''Franchise/StarWars'', including a Darth Vader cellphone charm.
--->'''Yata''': ''wielding a lightsaber'' [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack You'll find I'm full of surprises!]]
** The one with the otaku-bot features the [[Manga/{{Berserk}} Dragonslayer]], or at least a fragile plastic replica.
** Later on, that same bot is labeled "03", noted in the Disjecta Membra for that volume as a reference to Unit 03 from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
** At one point Numata references, of all things, ComicBook/ChickTracts (specifically the "Here come de judge" line.)

Thus is created the concept of the {{Psychopomp}} For Hire, and so begins a dark, gory, squicky, yet frequently funny exploration of death and dying in Japan, and quite a few horror tropes as well. It's interesting for its episodic style - apart from the characters' back-stories and the arc regarding the origin of Karatsu's powers, each chapter is self-contained. The realistic art style and top-notch translation makes it something definitely worth reading, for those with a strong stomach.

* OffWithHisHead: One chapter in vol. 14 revolves around a form of organic computer created from people's severed heads. [[spoiler:Sakaki narrowly averts having this happen to her; the politician she was working with wasn't so lucky.]]

** Also the gangsters in Volume 14 who impersonate the Kurosagi group but dispose of corpses for people.

* ShipTease: In-story. As the story goes on, Sasaki gradually shows more and more of an interest in Karatsu, leading the others to wonder if there's something going on between them. [[spoiler:The readers learn later on that it's not what it seems--Sasaki suspects a connection between them, and eventually learns that they are half-siblings.]]

* ChronicHeroSyndrome: Karatsu, the medium. Whether he does it out of curiosity, boredom or the goodness of his heart, he just can't seem to abandon a penniless corpse in need. This is a frequent source of exasperation for Sasaki.
** Sasaki comments in the first volume that the reason the restless dead come to him is because he's "a guy that can't say no." For all that he's a cynical wiseass, he's astonishingly compassionate.

* FiveManBand:
** TheHero -- Karatsu (psychic)
** TheLancer -- Sasaki (most commonly the foil to Karatsu. Also the TeamMom)
** TheBigGuy -- Numata (corpse dowser and muscle)
** TheSmartGuy -- Yata/Kereellis (Yata is a nerd and urban legends expert, while Kereellis is good for the occasional alien-babble)
** TheChick -- Makino (embalmer)
** TheSixthRanger -- ([[spoiler:Yaichi, the ghost possessing Karatsu]])
** TheMentor -- Sasayama, somewhat reluctantly

* GenericCuteness: Averted. Realism is the order of the day.

* TheGlassesComeOff: Numata -- who is normally seen wearing SunglassesAtNight -- takes off his glasses once in order to identify himself to his old master.

* HotScientist: A [[PhenotypeStereotype stereotypical blonde American]] entomologist, wearing a bikini, in the fourth volume. Still didn't compensate for the BodyHorror in the same chapter.
** For bonus points, said bimbo scientist is named Reina {{Gorn}}.

* NippleAndDimed: {{Averted|Trope}}, especially with Reina and Sasaki.

--->'''Yata''': (wielding a lightsaber) [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack You'll find I'm full of surprises!]]

** [[spoiler:Kikuchi's introduction arc]] addresses abortion and infanticide.

* WeirdnessMagnet: Sasayama has a reputation for this, especially in his last job. He's able to get away with -- and help the corpse delivery service with -- a lot of unusual things because people know that weird stuff just happens to him.

* ThePsychoRangers: The Shirosagi Corpse Cleaning Service.

* ShowWithinAShow: The anime/manga ''Magical Maid Girl Mumume-tan'', whose lead character Makino sometimes {{cosplay}}s.

'''Sasaski:''' Makino, please don't ever say that again.

* MagicalDefibrillator: One character uses a specialized AED to revive corpses.

* MagicPlasticSurgery: The criminal conspiracy in Volume 12's MMORPG arc specialized in this. Just don't ask them where they get the replacement faces from...

* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Except for his scar being on the lower half of his face, Sasayama's cousin looks exactly like him, down to the galsees, cheapness and using a cane.
* [[spoiler:UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: Shows up in a flashback story in volume 6.]]

* MagicPlasticSurgery: The criminal conspiracy in Volume 12's MMORPG arc specialises in this. Just don't ask them where they get the replacement faces from...

--> '''Makino:''' We still don't have much to go on. What are we supposed to do? Play it by ear?
--> '''Sasaski:''' Makino, please don't ever say that again.

** ''Disjecta Membra'' - the section in each English volume that translates the SFX, and which doubles as UsefulNotes for Japan's writing system, culture and history. The 1st volume's, for instance, covers Aokigahara Forest, ''VideoGame/{{Pac-Man}}'', what's considered an 'old' building in Tokyo and Japan's construction industry, folklore, Buddhist altars, old manga, {{Easter Egg}}s in the story and emergency numbers.

* BlandNameProduct: Yata has a plastic lightsaber with a "[[StarWars Star Peace]]" logo.

* DumbMuscle: Numata is ''dense''. It's frequently noted by the others, especially Makino and Kereelis.

* ValleyGirl: Makino lets bits of the accent slip into her speech but not to the point where it hides that she's actually very intelligent.

* [[spoiler:JackTheRipper: Shows up in a flashback story in volume 6.]]

As Karatsu decides that he doesn't really want to get mixed up with these weirdos, he turns to leave...and finds a corpse has crawled up behind him. His secret's out -- he can talk to the dead and listen to their last wishes. Sometimes, the dead come to him. When the events caused by the dead man's testimonial have all finished, Sasaki gets an idea: There's not much demand for what the group can do amongst the living, but there's ''always'' dead people. Some are bound to be grateful, in the folding-cash way, for what they could do for them.

** At one point Numata references, of all things, ChickTracts (specifically the "Here come de judge" line.)

** At one point Numata references, of all things, ChickTracts (specifically the "Here come de judge" line.)

** In part 4 of Vol. 4, [[spoiler:a fungus causes people to develop massively swollen eyes and a compulsion to climb tall things so their eyes can be pecked out by birds]].

** Numata's mentor used bent coat hangers, and this was the method Numata first learned. [[spoiler:He uses it per his
mentor's request to find his killer.]]

!!''Manga/TheKurosagiCorpseDeliveryService'' contains examples of:

** Seeing how he looks like an Egyptian mummy (or possibly is one), it might also be a reference to ''[[TheEgyptian Sinuhe the Egyptian]]'', a historical novel set in ancient Egypt.

** They all feature pics of the group that follow a theme. For instance, on one cover the pics are digitally blurred. In another all the members are shown as kids. In another, they're all hand puppets just like Kereelis. The one exception is Kuratsu, whose pic never changes.

* CrossOver: With ''{{MPD Psycho}}''. And ''Mail''.

* NoPeriodsPeriod: {{Inverted/Trope}}. One chapter reveals that [[spoiler:when Sasaki is in her cycle, Karatsu can't access his power. The Shirosagi group appear to be wanting to use this for sinister purposes]].