Line #70 Manga/HauntedJunction


1	[[quoteright:241:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/haunted_junction_small.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:241:Saitou High's Power Trio. ''Far'' more serious looking than the show is.]]
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4	''Haunted Junction'' is a {{shonen\|Demographic}} manga by Nemu Mukudori, which was published in ''Dengeki Comic Gao!'' by [=MediaWorks=] from 1996 to 2001. The anime, produced by Bandai Visual and Creator/StudioDeen, aired between 2 April 1997 and 25 June 1997.
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6	There's a school built on a [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Hellmouth]]... well, at least something like it, a conflux of mystical energies that makes all sorts of screwball things happen. Like how anyone who jumps in the fourth lane of the swimming pool instantly drowns. How there are horrible monsters here and there in the school. And ghosts. And magic mirrors. And stuff. To keep this all under some semblance of control, Chairman and owner of the school Tatsuyuki Saitou has organized the children of the local clergy into the Holy Student Council.
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8	The main character, Haruto Houjou, is the son of a minister and president of the student council, [[IJustWantToBeNormal a position he desperately wants out of]]. His first appearance onscreen is his first [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption attempt to bow out of the presidency]]. He's fed up with the insanity. He'd like to transfer to a different school. The principal won't let him.
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10	Also on the Holy Student Council is the son (or grandson, if you follow the manga) of a local Buddhist monk, Kazumi Ryudo, who specializes in getting possessed by various spirits, especially animals, and is constantly lusting after the bathroom spirit Toilet Hanako. There is also Mutsuki Asahina, a [[{{Tsundere}} strongwilled]] and redhaired ''miko'' (daughter of a local Shinto priestess) with an extreme case of paedophilia. Neither of them are particularly sympathetic to their president's desire to leave; they think it's cool to have all this weird stuff going on, mainly because they get to cut class and slack off during school hours.
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12	The story quickly heads to a GottaCatchEmAll wherein the trio hunt down... badges? Little round badges that can be used to summon seven spirits (well, one of the spirits is two distinct spirits that work together). These spirits include:
13	* a giant (you only ever see his legs);
14	* a MagicMirror with a young girl in it;
15	* a living statue of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninomiya_Sontoku Ninomiya Sontoku]] who looks like a cute little boy;
16	* a masked boy in red who haunts the ladies' room (and may be a homage to [[Franchise/SailorMoon Tuxedo Mask]]);
17	* Toilet Hanako, the beautiful [[CuteGhostGirl girl ghost]] who haunts the men's room;
18	* a skeleton and anatomical model;
19	* a living [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] portrait that cries TearsOfBlood (manga only)
20	* ... and the chairman himself.
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22	After they've all been caught, the main character ends up using the spirits to try to drive out various supernatural forces that enter the school, from the ghost of a dead cartoonist to some far scarier stuff...
23	----
24	!!This series provides examples of:
25	* AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil: Parodied.
26	* BigOMG: Haruto's CatchPhrase.
27	* BoardingSchool: The manga rendition of the [[spoiler: Red Mantle and Blue Hanten]] episode takes place in an all-boys one.
28	* BuildingOfAdventure: Saitou High School, because of its location, attracts ghosts like whoa and no one except for Haruto seems to bat an eyelid. Once they pass the infamous entrance exam, which involved the ghosts helping the Council to organize and set up the examinations (it's all in the manga), students seem to ''really'' not mind the presence of the ghosts (and some ghosts, like Red Mantle and Hanako, have ''lots'' of fans). Also, ex-students sometimes go back running to it when they have problems, rather than going to shrinks or their families; when asked, the Chairman tells the trio that Saitou high is a haven for kids in trouble, where they can just be heard and feel welcome.
29	* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: Red Mantle and Blue Hanten]]
30	* TheCanKickedHim: at every single Japanese HighSchool.
31	* CaptainErsatz: Art Room Ichiro's "Sailors XO" manga characters are clear imitations of...[[Franchise/SailorMoon guess who.]] Also used to highlight Red Mantle's similarity to another character in the same show...
32	* CatchPhrase: Haruto Houjou: "OH MY GOD!!!"
33	* ComedicShotacon: Creeping on the 11 year old ghost boy is Mutsuki's entire schtick.
34	* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: Haruto.
35	* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Some of the character's eyes match their hair color.
36	* CuteGhostGirl: The girl in the mirror and Toilet Hanako.
37	* DarkIsNotEvil: Sure, the school is haunted but the ghosts are mostly mischievous and they can be summoned to battle evil spirits.
38	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: [[spoiler: Red Mantle]] when unmasked.
39	* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Haruto's blond hair grows longer as time passes. Mutsuki pulls her red hair up in a TomboyishPonytail when in Shinto garbs.
40	* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Haruto won't ever be able to resign.
41	* {{Fetish}}: Lampshaded with scenes that cater to both Kazumi and Mitsuki's tastes.
42	* FourIsDeath: It's said if you jump into lane 4 of the school's pool, you'll drown instantly.
43	* FlungClothing: Mutsuki changes from her uniform to her Shinto robes like this.
44	* GeniusDitz: Haruto's father Minister Hojou is a rather efficient and kindhearted minister... but he is a complete {{CloudcuckooLander}} and, in the anime, fond of dressing up in animal costumes.
45	* GhostlyGoals: A frequent plot device with ghosts that need the Holy Student Council to get them to their rest.
46	* GrandTheftMe: Parodied: Kazumi's psychic powers allow him to be ''repeatedly'' and ''easily'' possessed by ghosts.
47	* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: The Dancing Giant
48	* HonestAxe: The giant scissors
49	* IdenticalGrandson: In the manga, Kazumi looks ''very'' much like his grandfather Taro's younger self. It becomes a plot point in the manga.
50	* IHaveYourWife: Yamiko forces Hanako into a duel by kidnapping others (Haruto, in the anime; Mutsuki and Sontoku, in the manga)
51	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Haruto really wants this in the anime. [[spoiler: Subverted later: when he ''does'' get his wish, he sees that a normal life isn't all he thought it'd be...]] In the manga he's still the StraightMan and most down to Earth of the group, [[TheEveryman but tries to take the deal in stride as much as possible.]]
52	* LetsGetDangerous: For all his complaining and goofy overreactions, Haruto is hypercompetent when he decides to buckle down.
53	* LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality: Explicitly the plot of the series, as per the anime finale. Leads to something of a weird happy ending to the anime, as Haruto is absolutely miserable from the constant torment, and there's no indication that will be changing.
54	* LookBothWays: [[spoiler: Hanako-chan was running away from a bunch of bullies, then she reached the street and was hit by a car...]]
55	* LovableSexManiac: Kazumi
56	* MarshmallowHell: Hanako and Kazumi [[spoiler: She once ''de-brainwashes'' him through this]]
57	* MsFanservice: Hanako and Yamiko
58	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler: After Haruto summons the school spirits in order for them to be exorcised. Comes with a fair bit of WhatTheHellHero from Mutsuki and Kazumi.]]
59	%%* Power Trio: Haruto, Kazumi, Mutsuki
60	* PragmaticAdaptation: The anime erases the more linear plotline from the manga [[spoiler: like the existence of a nebulous evil organization that aims to destroy the bonds between school ghosts and humans]] for the sake of a more comedic storyline easier to fit in only 12 episodes ''and'' cover up for the fact that the manga was still unfinished (and would be for a long time). As a result not only Haruto's CharacterDevelopment [[{{Flanderization}} is all but erased]] and several charas don't appear (like the living Beethoven, Kazumi's grandfather Tarou and [[spoiler: Shingo]], but the plot in itself suffers greatly [[spoiler: until the GrandFinale]].
61	* TheSevenMysteries: The first episode has Haruto, Kazumi and Mutsuki exploring the school's Seven Spots, looking for the Seven Badges that mark them and supposedly will make their deepest wishes come true.
62	* {{Shonen}}
63	* TheStrategist: When Haruto stops whining about wanting a normal life, he shows impressive wits and capacity [[IndyPloy to think and plan things under fire]].
64	* TricksterMentor: The Chairman, to the main characters
65	* {{Tsundere}}: Mutsuki is a Type A.
66	* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Yamiko, to Hanako.
67	* TheVamp: Yamiko
68	* YokoOhNo: [[spoiler: The female ghost Hanako-chan, in episode 3, died because she was running away from her rock star boyfriend's rabid fanbrats and was accidentally hit by a car. They get their asses kicked ''very literally'' by the Giant and the other Saitou Ghosts as punishment.]]
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Context Manga / HauntedJunction