History YMMV / SamuraiDeeperKyo

** Hishigi. Being an EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette AntiVillain who is TheStoic in nearly all situations, [[EyesDoNotBelongThere covered in Devil Eyes]], and harboring a ''terrifying'' [[NotSoStoic vicious streak]] when [[BerserkButton provoked]], he's walking NightmareFuel. Add his [[DarkAndTroubledPast tragic backstory]], {{Determinator}} nature, [[spoiler:RasputinianDeath]], and swordsmanship so impressive that he can one-shot the main character despite [[HandicappedBadass severe deterioration of his body from the Death Disease]], and he's also a walking CMOA.

** Hishigi. Being an EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette AntiVillain who is TheStoic in nearly all situations, [[EyesDoNotBelongThere covered in Devil Eyes]], and harboring a ''terrifying'' [[NotSoStoic vicious streak]] when [[BerserkButton provoked]], he's walking NightmareFuel. Add his [[DarkAndTroubledPast tragic]] [[HandicappedBadass backstory]] and swordsmanship so impressive that he can one-shot the main character, and he's also a walking CMOA.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Ho boy. Simply put the anime adaptation is for the most part InNameOnly. It only shares a very small handful of similarities with the manga, but it is ''very'' different. It might be somewhat justified since the anime was only 26 episodes while the manga had many books, but it doesn't change the fact that many people try to forget that the AnimatedAdaptation exists.

** [[spoiler:By the time Tokito finds her father (Fubuki) after regaining her memories, he is near death. She begs the Former Crimson King to save him. The Former Crimson King attempts to kill her instead -- but Fubuki, who is already dying and likely beyond saving, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath takes the fall.]]]]
** [[spoiler:He manipulates Kyoshiro -- through Chinmei -- into killing Sakuya's brother, and arranges for Sakuya to watch. Made worse since Nozomu was also Yuya's adoptive brother, and his death was her CynicismCatalyst]].

** Shockingly, ''Chinmei's'' story is sad enough to make some SDK fans who hated his guts find him sympathetic.

* AwesomeArt: The manga. Kamijyo's compelling style and visually attractive characters are among its main selling points.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He isn't a main character and doesn't get much spotlight in canon, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and StoicWoobie tendencies, so naturally he's one of these. Being voiced by Creator/ShigeruNakahara in the audio dramas doesn't hurt either.

* MagnificentBastard: The Former Crimson King, certainly. Others may qualify, like Nobunaga and Yukimura.

* TheWoobie: Tons of characters, like [[MrFanservice Yukimura]].
** StoicWoobie: Hishigi, good ''god''. He is in constant, excruciating pain from the Devil Eyes and the Death Disease. He has watched countless friends die horribly while he was helpless to save them. But he keeps fighting for Fubuki, because Fubuki is all he has left. And not once does he [[AngstWhatAngst complain]] about any of this. He even tells Fubuki not to feel sorry for him, because Hishigi chose his own path and Fubuki is not allowed to blame himself.

* HarsherInHindsight: Yuan refers to Hishigi as "an incredibly efficient executioner" when explaining why getting any information out of him is going to be difficult. [[spoiler: We find out later that Hishigi killed Yuan's mother on the orders of the Former Crimson King]].

* ItGetsBetter: The first few volumes read a bit like an attempt at cashing in on the popularity of ''Manga/RurouniKenshin''. The beginning is still enjoyable, especially once SDK finds its own uniquely odd voice, but the narrative isn't anything mindblowing. The real plot with the Mibu hits in Volume 10, and from then on, we have something extraordinary on our hands.

* CompleteMonster: A lot of early villains are incredibly awful people with absolutely no redeeming qualities or remorse for what they are doing.
** One that stands out is Dr. White, a MadScientist that Sasuke encounters on the way into Mibu territory. He creates mutated ArtificialHumans and keeps them imprisoned in his underground lab, vivisecting and otherwise torturing them. Cheering when [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Yukimura bisects him]] [[AssholeVictim is a common response]].
** Two of the four Berserkers (Mekira and Indara) fit as well. Haira would, but he's PlayedForLaughs so doesn't quite qualify.
** And then there's Nobunaga, who is aware of his own heinousness and ''proud'' of being one of these. Kyo respects his strength, but there's never any doubt that he's a monster.

** One that stands out is Dr. White, a MadScientist that Sasuke encounters in Aokigahara. He creates mutated ArtificialHumans and keeps them imprisoned in his underground lab, vivisecting and otherwise torturing them. Cheering when [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Yukimura bisects him]] [[AssholeVictim is a common response]].

** [[spoiler:By the time Tokito finds her father (Fubuki) after regaining her memories, he is dying. She begs the Former Crimson King to save him. The Former Crimson King attempts to kill her instead -- but Fubuki, who is already dying and likely beyond saving, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath takes the fall.]]]]

** One that stands out is Dr. White, a MadScientist that Sasuke encounters in Aokigahara. He creates mutated ArtificialHumans and keeps them imprisoned in his underground lab, vivisecting and otherwise torturing them. [[AssholeVictim Cheering when Sasuke eviscerates him is a common response]].

** And then there's Nobunaga, who is aware of his own heinousness and ''proud'' of being one of these. Kyo used to respect his strength, but there's never any doubt that he's a monster.

** One that stands out is Dr. White, a MadScientist that Sasuke encounters in Aokigahara. He creates mutated ArtificialHumans and keeps them imprisoned in his underground lab, vivisecting and otherwise torturing them. Cheering when Sasuke eviscerates him is a common response.

* TooCoolToLive: Muramasa, Taihaku, [[spoiler: Fubuki and Hishigi]]. One can also make an argument for [[PosthumousCharacter Kyosaburo]], who created the Mumyo Jinpu Ryu and passed it on to Muramasa and therefore, indirectly, Kyo.

* ValuesDissonance: One of the reasons Kyo reads so much like a DesignatedHero[=/=]JerkSue is that he's presented as incredibly admirable despite being a giant dick. But in the context, being a {{Badass}} is an admirable trait in and of itself, so it's a little easier to accept.

** StoicWoobie: ''Hishigi''. He is in constant, excruciating pain from the Devil Eyes and the Death Disease. He has watched countless friends die horribly while he was helpless to save them. But he keeps fighting for Fubuki, because Fubuki is all he has left. And not once does he [[AngstWhatAngst complain]] about any of this. He even tells Fubuki not to feel sorry for him, because Hishigi chose his own path and Fubuki is not allowed to blame himself.

* ItGetsBetter: The first few volumes are pretty slow and read a bit like a ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' clone. Still enjoyable, but not extraordinary. Then the real plot with the Mibu hits, and we have a show on our hands.

** JerkassWoobie: Kyo, Fubuki, frigging ''everyone''.

** [[spoiler:Upon Tokito's reunion with her father, Fubuki, she begs the Former Crimson King to save him. The Former Crimson King attempts to kill her instead -- but Fubuki, who is already dying and likely beyond saving, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath takes the fall.]]]]
** [[spoiler:He orders Kyoshiro -- through Chinmei -- to kill Sakuya's brother, and then arranges for Sakuya to watch. Made worse since Nozomu was also Yuya's adoptive brother]].

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He isn't a main character and doesn't get much spotlight in canon, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and StoicWoobie tendencies, so naturally he's one of these. Being voiced by [[Creator/ShigeruNakahara]] in the audio dramas doesn't hurt either.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Hishigi. He isn't a main character and doesn't get much spotlight in canon, but he is a {{Badass}} [[{{Bishonen}} Biseinen]] AntiVillain, complete with a DarkAndTroubledPast and StoicWoobie tendencies, so naturally he's one of these.

** Hishigi's entire character arc, revealed mostly in flashbacks. Akari cries for him literally.

* MisaimedFandom: [[BigBad The Former Crimson King]], despite his Magnificent Bastardry, [[UncannyValley very dissonant in looks and personalty]] a prime example of NightmareFuel and crossing the MoralEventHorizon several times in the story, is still referred to as Aka-chan by most of the fandom.

** [[spoiler:Upon Tokito's reunion with her father, Fubuki, she begs the Former Crimson King to save him. The Former Crimson King, instead, attempts to kill her, but Fubuki, already half-dead, [[RedemptionEqualsDeath takes the fall.]]]]
** [[spoiler:He orders Kyoshiro--through Chinmei--to kill Sakuya's brother, and then arranges for Sakuya to watch. Made worse since Nozomu was also Yuya's adoptive brother]].

* UncannyValley: While Kyo's Crimson Eyes do look scary, [[spoiler: The Former Crimson King and Kyoshiro's variants]] look very off.
** The fully awakened ones are downright scary.

* DudeNotFunny: InUniverse. In the final chapter, Kyoshiro surprises Yuya at the site of their first meeting (in front of Kyo's wanted poster). [[spoiler: He's holding Tenro and ''has his damn Crimson Eyes activated''. She naturally thinks he's Kyo, who has been missing for three years. She is very much ''not amused'' when she realizes the truth, and retaliates by [[CallBack shooting at Kyoshiro and then tying him up and leaving him hanging upside down in a tree]]]].