Line #6 Manga/Airmaster


1	[[quoteright:291:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/air_master_spin_maki_spin.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:291:The last thing you saw before you blacked out.]]
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4	''Air Master'' is a {{Seinen}} {{manga}} series by Yokusaru Shibata, which was serialized in ''Young Animal'' from 1996 to 2006. It was later made into a 27 episode anime produced by Creator/ToeiAnimation, which aired in 2003. The series is notable for its lead being a [[HugeSchoolgirl extremely tall, muscular redheaded schoolgirl]], and actually animating most of its scuffles, to the point that stuff like story, plot or motivation comes second place to the fighting. The unusual art style borrows a lot from the 70s, which fans might like or dislike depending on their preferences.
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6	The series follows Maki Aikawa, a six-foot tall schoolgirl. She formerly trained with her mother as a competitive gymnast, but due to her size, she could no longer partake in it. In order to gain the same thrill she once had while competing, Maki turns to street-fighting.
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9	!!This series provides examples of:
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11	* AbhorrentAdmirer: Julietta for Maki, and Nagato for Kinjiro; they're both tall, hyper-obsessive, dangerous fighters... and they're both out of their friggin' gourds.
12	%%* ActionGirl: Maki, Sakiyama Kaori and quite a number of minor characters.
13	* AffectionateParody: Due to ''a lot'' of over the top violence, hilariously long-winded speeches about fighting and other exaggerations, many fans view the series as a {{homage}} to other series of the same genre.
14	* AmazonChaser: Sakamoto Julietta and many other male cast members find Maki attractive because of her beauty, fighting ability or often times both.
15	* ArtisticLicenseMartialArts: Maki is capable of NotQuiteFlight by means of throwing out powerful kicks and a whole lot of twisting. Then there's the guy who figured out a way to throw RapidFireFisticuffs by using a jackhammer. And it only gets crazier.
16	* AttemptedRape: Julietta, on Maki; he only gets as far as he does because Maki [[HeroicBSOD is stupefied]] at the idea of Julietta being attracted to her. When she gets her head together, she beats him stupid and runs out screaming ...and then has to come back for her sneakers, still screaming.
17	%%* BalloonBelly: Renge in episodes 3, 24 and 26.
18	* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted, but you could make a case for the prettier characters receiving less damage. Mind you, wannabe model Sakiyama Kaori is frequently beaten into hamburger by Maki.
19	* BloodKnight: Maki, Lucha Master and [[strike: several other characters]] just about every major martial artist. Testing oneself against strong opponents seems to be the sole purpose of entering the Fukamichi Rankings tournament for most of the major contenders.
20	%%* BrattyHalfPint: Renge and, to a lesser extent, Miori.
21	* BuxomBeautyStandard: Mina has a well-endowed figure which gets her a lot of male attention, but it's not always positive since she gets kidnapped by a gang of horny thugs due to her large breasts. She does occasionally benefit from it, though; they're big enough to absorb the impact of falling off a building and she can do the best impression of a Holstein in all of anime.
22	* CantCatchUp: Sakiyama Kaori. While her progress is amazing, the gap between her and Maki always remains roughly the same.
23	%%* CatapultNightmare
24	* CatFight: Sometimes played with, but mostly subverted. Fights between two girls in ''Manga/AirMaster'' tend to be, if anything, ''much more'' brutal and frightening than average, with Maki's battle against Minaguchi Yuki being the prime example.
25	%%* ClingyJealousGirl: Mina.
26	* CombatParkour: Maki; in her past she was a world-class gymnast. Unlike most instances of this trope, however, at least once it definitely loses a fight for her -- after an astonishing spinning, flipping ''thing'' which basically whips her martial artist father, she sticks the landing by reflex. He takes advantage of that moment to get her in a lock and take the victory.
27	* DamselInDistress: Mina. She always seems to be getting kidnapped or in the middle of a very bad situation.
28	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Far too many street fighters seem to become Maki's friends after she beats them up. Bonus points go to [[spoiler:Julietta who received one of the most physically painful "Let's be friends" speeches ever witnessed.]]
29	* {{Determinator}}: Maki is very driven to win, so is Sakiyama. Julietta is a pretty dark example -- he is not only determined to the point he is an ImplacableMan but the reason he is so damn driven us to be Maki's AbhorrentAdmirer.
30	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Kai tries to imitate Maki when Maki jumped off a building and ran off to chase a fighter. Half way down, she realized how stupid it was and managed to scare a passerby and mention she'll never do that again.
31	* DoggedNiceGuy: For a given value of "nice", anyway. No matter how many walls Maki kicks him through, Julietta gets back up and keeps proposing to her.
32	** Later on, [[spoiler:he has every major bone broken in his body]]. Even ''this'' does not stop him.
33	** Played for drama. After a long day, Maki enters a room to find Julietta inside waiting for her. He proceeds to disrobe, pins her to the ground, and rips her clothes off. Maki fearfully struggles against him the whole time, while he shrugs off every blow. [[spoiler:Right before he can complete the act of raping her, she manages to drop him with a [[GroinAttack kick below the belt]].]]
34	* DrunkenMaster: Shinnosuke.
35	* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: Maki. Because every other character, including a couple of girls, seem to be chasing after her.
36	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: Kinjiro.
37	* {{Fanservice}}: Played with. There are some {{Panty Shot}}s but not a gratuitous amount (as is usually found in similar series), and only at logical times.
38	* FightingSeries
39	* FightUnscene
40	* FullNameBasis: You must say Sakiyama Kaori's full name.
41	* GeckoEnding: The anime finished three years before the manga. Last episode much?
42	* GenderBlenderName: Sakamoto Julietta is a man. A [[StalkerWithACrush very clingy,]] [[AbhorrentAdmirer determined man.]]
43	%%* {{Gonk}}: Renge
44	* GratuitousNinja: Maki faces off with a ninja.
45	* HandicappedBadass: [[spoiler:Sakiyama Kaori is revealed to be this, being totally deaf in one ear due to a brutal beating she suffered at the hands of an AlphaBitch when she was younger]].
46	* HeroStageShow: In the "Conquer! Roach Queen" episode, Maki gets dragged onto stage during Sakiyama's part time job in the High Rangers hero show as the villainess Empress Cockroach, and gets a little too much into the role of defeating the heroes.
47	* HugeSchoolgirl: Maki, doubling as the UnusuallyUninterestingSight since no one ever comments on it.
48	** While this is perhaps a case of relative values - Maki's height has been variously given as 5'10" to 6', which is huge for Japan for a girl and mildly tall in European countries - everyone else in the series must be ''really'' short, as most characters are at about eye-level with Maki's chest.
49	* IdiotHero: Maki
50	* ImplacableMan: Julietta's obsession with Maki and his immense toughness makes him a StalkerWithACrush version of this.
51	* IKnowMaddenKombat: Maki's fighting style is pretty much to do gymnastic acrobatics (her titular nickname being because of how much "air time" she manages to squeeze out of a jump) and then land a kick (which is absurdly devastating).
52	* {{Jerkass}}: Yuu causes quite a bit of trouble for her friends -- especially Mina -- for no apparent reason other than seeing them embarrassed.
53	* KickChick: Maki.
54	* LadyOfWar: Maki, again. Subverted actually inside battles yes but outside not so much.
55	* LargeHam: ''"Sakiyama Kaori!"''
56	* LightningBruiser
57	* MaskedLuchador: Lucha Master.
58	** Maki temporarily after filling in for that girl she [[CurbStompBattle Curb Stomped]]
59	* MoralityPet: Sakiyama Kaori does like Renge and calls her "Bambino."
60	** She's more of a pet for Maki, though. [[CooldownHug If not for her]], Maki would have maimed or even killed Sakiyama, when the latter chose a really bad moment to piss Maki off.
61	* NoIndoorVoice:
62	** Renge, the loudest, and smallest of the Maki's school friends.
63	** Inverted by Maki herself who although is the main character seems to be (one of, if not THE) quietest.
64	* OneBookAuthor: Maki Aikawa was Jennifer Goodhue's only English-language anime role.
65	%%* PantyFighter: Downplayed but still noticeable.
66	%%* RapidFireFisticuffs
67	%%* ShrinkingViolet: Mina, though one can hardly blame her with all the embarrassment Yuu puts her through.
68	%%* StalkerWithACrush: [[AbhorrentAdmirer Julietta]] and Nagato both qualify as this.
69	%%* StatuesqueStunner: Maki herself.
70	%%* TournamentArc
71	* UhOhEyes: Maki's motiontrail eyes.
72	%%* UnknownRival: Sakiyama Kaori (you have to say the full name). This is subverted by the end of anime.
73	* UnstoppableRage: Almost. Sakiyama Kaori's battle technique seems to come purely from her frustration at life. [[UnskilledButStrong Despite little training]], this is sufficient to take out most people except for Maki.
74	** She's mentioned she does Tai Chi Quan, though, so there's clearly some training there. She also learns one superhuman technique from a high-ranking martial artist.
75	* WolverineClaws: Sakiyama Kaori and Minaguchi Yuki. Although for the latter long, sharp nails serve to make her arm stabs more deadly, rather than for usual clawing.

Context Manga / Airmaster