Line #14 Manga/Moyashimon


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/moyashimonlogoum0.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250: ''Moyasimon'' logo and the [[SeriesMascot show's mascot]], ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryzae A. oryzae]]'']]
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4	''Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture'' (also known as just ''Moyashimon'') is a manga series, adapted to anime by Creator/TMSEntertainment and Creator/{{Shirogumi}} in 2007 (with [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-03-22/moyashimon-returns-to-tv-in-new-anime-this-july a second season]] in 2012) and live-action in 2010, which tells the account of Tadayasu Sawaki. The son of a yeast maker and a first-year college student at an agricultural university, Tadayasu has the ability to see, touch and talk with all sorts of micro-organisms and bacteria. These microbes appear to him as bug-sized creatures that come in all sorts of shapes with whom Tadayasu can interact. It concluded in 2014 after ten years of intense work.
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6	* '''Tadayasu Souemon Sawaki''' - The main protagonist of the series. His middle name is usually omitted.
7	* '''Kei Yuuki''' - Tadayasu's childhood friend, the son of a ''sake'' brewer who's secretly in love with Tadayasu.
8	* '''Professor Itsuki''' - Professor at the university. A mysterious old man with a passion for fermentation of all kinds who [[SecretKeeper knows of Sawaki's ability.]]
9	* '''Haruka Hasegawa''' - Postgraduate student and Itsuki's assistant. A short-tempered, no-nonsense and somewhat sadistic woman from a wealthy, over-protective family.
10	* '''Hazuki Oikawa''' - A freshman and a compulsive neat freak who carries disinfectant tissues and antibacterial sprays around with her.
11	* '''Kaoru Misato''' - A sophomore with a mustache and beard who wants to use his knowledge of brewing to earn some easy money.
12	* '''Takuma Kawahama''' - A short, overweight sophomore and Kaoru's buddy. Seems to have a thing for insects and such.
13	* '''Aoi Mutou''' - Itsuki and Hasegawa's assistant; known around campus as "Miss Agriculture", but also know for being [[HardDrinkingPartyGirl a bit of a lush]].
14	* '''Madoka Nishino''' - A quiet, sullen high school senior working part-time on campus late into Sawaki's first year. Allegedly hates sake.
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16	The Department of Agriculture building on the school's campus is a near identical replica of the RealLife University of Coimbra in Portugal (up to and including the school flag being the Portuguese flag).
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18	[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not what would happen if]] [[VideoGame/TalesSeries they made a Tales game about agriculture]]. Or with ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' or ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}''.
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21	----
22	!!This series provides examples of:
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24	* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The microbes and several cars in the anime.
25	* ArtEvolution: The style of the anime turns from fairly realistic and mundane proportions to rounder faces and larger eyes with the second season. Somewhat justified in that this style reflects the original manga more closely than the first season had.
26	* ArtShift: Kawahama and Misato's faces occasionally turn to a high-contrast pride/sarcasm expression reminiscent of the Moon's "face" or the Puchuus from Anime/ExcelSaga.
27	* AmbiguouslyBi:
28	** Aoi Mutou: [[spoiler: she's much closer to being [[AmbiguouslyGay Ambiguously Gay]] really. In the past she allegedly had boyfriend of some kind, but during course of the story she has only shown to display attraction toward her own sex: she hooks up with Oikawa, has no trouble getting intimately physical with other girls ("You're perfect size for a hug body pillow") or complimenting them on how "cute" they are, seems to be mesmerized by Kosaka's legs (to the point of rubbing face against her thighs), later talks the same Kosaka into biting Hasegawa's neck from behind (her reaction to the sight of two cute girls doing technically erotic thing? "thumb up!"), and insists on sleeping in the same bed as Haruka during a stay over, jokingly stating that "even if [Haruka] were to attack [her], it's not in [Aoi's] nature to go against anything pleasurable". Not to mention their very first interaction was Aoi spontaneously kissing Hasegawa's back ("It was just a kiss! Your back [was] so pretty that I did without thinking!"). Besides that, she also seems to prefer the company of women and is shown not to socialize with guys from the lab in her free time very often (in opposition to constant fraternizing with female members).]]
29	** Hazuki Oikawa: [[spoiler:similar case to above, but to a lesser degree. Proclaimed preference toward older men didn't stop her from having sex with Aoi, massaging Kosaka's thighs while excitedly shouting "That's what girls are like these days!", or doing other things that put her self-declared sexuality into question. On the other hand, she didn't seem to think anything of taking a bath with Kaneshiro, and her main reaction to being kissed by Hasegawa appeared to be annoyance.]]
30	** Kei Yuuki: [[spoiler: whatever feelings he may have for Sawaki, he did act visibly flustered while meeting Marie for the first time (shyly commenting on how pretty she is), and was downright shocked/exhausted after being taken to a strip club in New Orleans by her. While the latter might be caused by his classically conservative Japanese upbringing, the former is more ambiguous in nature and left to reader's interpretation (especially considering how much more relaxed in comparison he was around Kaneshiro ).]]
31	%%* BedmateReveal
32	* BerserkButton: Badmouthing sake, making bad sake, or preventing Kei from making sake is a very good way to get on her bad side.
33	* BlessedWithSuck: Tadayasu Sawaki's ability to see microbes, but because for most of his life only a few people even believed that he could, it's caused him more trouble than he thinks it's worth.
34	* BroughtDownToNormal: Tadayasu Sawaki loses his ability to see microbes for a while, which apparently happens on occasion whenever he gets too startled.
35	* BlobMonster: How Sawaki sees the Hiyoshi Liquor Store Owner outside his store, as the microbes apparently love to be with him a lot.
36	* [[CantHoldHisLiquor Can't Hold Her Liquor]]: Hasegawa.
37	* CatchPhrase: The various fungi and bacteria seem to be fond of saying "Kamosu zou!" ("Let's brew!")
38	* CharacterFilibuster: Do ''not'' get Professor Itsuki started on the wonders of fermentation, unless you want to get hit by one of these. In the manga, his explanations [[WallOfText fill entire panels]].
39	* CursedWithAwesome: Eventually, Sawaki accepts that he has this ability and that people are willing to make use of it, and the microbes accept him in turn. [[spoiler: His newfound confidence to be useful also allows him to temporarily let others see microbes like he can]].
40	* ChekhovMIA: The missing student from the first episode. [[spoiler: Turns out it's Hasegawa; she has overprotective parents.]]
41	* ClubPresident: Aoi Mutou; of the UFO Club.
42	* ComedicSociopathy: Hasegawa's tendency to beat the crap out of Misato and Kawahama at the slightest provocation.
43	%%* CoolOldGuy: The professor.
44	* DancingTheme: Dancing microbes in the anime's opening and closing credits.
45	* DayInTheLife: Several chapters often focus on the adventures of microbes hidden in the background, as they sometimes discuss their plots to overthrow humanity, in a cute way.
46	%%* DeusExMachina
47	* DirtForcefield: [[AvertedTrope Averted,]] when Aoi Mutou first shows up, she is dirty, not to mention smelly, as she hasn't bathed in two weeks.
48	* DrivenToSuicide: Years ago, the chief brewer for Kei's family brewery hung himself in shame when his aversion to modernized sanitation for experience led to Hiochi bacterium spoiling years of inventory. The disaster is what motivates Kei towards trying to learn how to eradicate Hiochi entirely.
49	* DudeLooksLikeALady: The author apparently had to remind readers in early chapters of the manga that Kei was the ''son'' of a sake brewer, not the daughter.
50	** Sawaki mentions that Kei often dislikes being called feminine and girl-looking as a kid, though mysteriously anyone that did it back then found their sheds lit aflame [[StringyHairedGhostGirl by a mysterious white-robed woman.]][[spoiler: As it is later revealed, the real perpetrator behind the arsons was Sawaki's brother - Kei was also present, but according to his own words was there trying to put down the fires.]]
51	* EducationalShort: The Bacteria Theatre at the end of each episode.
52	* ElaborateUniversityHigh: It has to be as it is an agricultural/eco-technological based university.
53	* ElegantGothicLolita: - Kei is one ([[WholesomeCrossdresser crossdressing variant]]).
54	** Marie in the second season also goes by this style of dress, except her dresses are mostly white to the former's black.
55	* EngagingConversation: Happens to [[spoiler:Sawaki]] when [[spoiler:Nishino proposes to him so his ability to see microbes can help her family's brewery.]]
56	%%* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Kei's attachment for Sawaki.
57	%%* FatAndSkinny: Misato and Kawahama.
58	* FemmeFatalons: Haruka uses these when she punishes Takuma and Kaoru, drawing blood in the process.
59	* ForeignQueasine: Itsuki-sensei has a fondness for bizarre fermented foods from around the world. Considering his seminars and the series as a whole has a noted focus on fermentation, these come up fairly often.
60	* GargleBlaster: A food version -- ''hongehoe'', fermented stingray sashimi. Tastes fine until the ammonia hits the nasal cavity...
61	%%* GayAesop
62	* GenderBlenderName: Kaoru Misato gets a double dose of this; both his first ''and'' last names can be used as female names.
63	* {{Gonk}}: Takuma Kawahama and Kaoru Misato, though their appearance softens further into the manga.
64	** A lot of the men in the Autonomous dorms also account for this, along with many of the idol fans during the Harvest Festival.
65	* GreenAesop: But averted in some instances. On the one hand, the whole show is about ecology. On the other hand, treating fields with chemicals ''works'' (agricultural science!) and biofuel-powered tractors don't (it's still just an experimental model, and the coal-powered tractors work just fine).
66	* GreenEyedMonster: When Kei overhears that Sawaki had spent time in France with Marie (who was essentially Kei's doppelganger in all white), she unconsciously smacks him in the back of his head. Kei does not understand why that happened.
67	** When Kei finds out Hasegawa took Sawaki and co. with her to [[spoiler:get Marie from the United States]], she decides to tail them under the notion of keeping them concentrated on not ignoring their first time making sake. While this is true, [[RaceForYourLove the others aren't so convinced it's the only reason]].
68	* GroupieBrigade: In the live-action adaptation, the UFO Club is depicted as this for Aoi Mutou.
69	* GuysAreSlobs: A lot of the health hazards presented in the series either came from the Autonomous Dorm, which includes Misato and Kawahama's room and the UFO Clubroom, or inattentive male students (A guy who made curry for orientation without washing his hands). In fact, the UFO Clubroom had been fumigated at least three times before disbandment.
70	* HilarityEnsues: When Tadayasu demonstrates his ability for Itsuki and Haruka.
71	* HypocriticalHumor: Oikawa and Mutou mock Sawaki for making out with [[spoiler: Kei]], a "boy" from their perspective, only for it to be pointed out that ''they'' were caught in flagrante delicto together under the influence of the aphrodisiac.
72	* IdenticalStranger: The first thing Sawaki notices and the audience is told by A. oryzae about Marie is how she looks strikingly similar to [[spoiler: Kei]]. The even both have the same ElegantGothicLolita fashion sense.
73	** Kaneshiro was also like this, looking like a tan [[spoiler:Kei]] without the dress. They are referred to by the main cast as "the doppelgangers".
74	* {{Infodump}}: If the cast is not explaining subjects themselves, some chapters involve a sudden exposition segment by the microbes themselves in order to explain terminology and history.
75	* IntimateHealing: [[spoiler:Sawaki kisses Nishino on the lips in her sleep in order to migrate the bacterium causing her strep throat to him]].
76	* {{Irony}}: Oikawa is a NeatFreak who has an issue with germs in general. Come the end of the second season however, as Sawaki soon finds out, she's apparently a microbe-magnet on the scale of the owner of the Hiyoshi Liquor Store, to the point Sawaki could no longer ''see'' her anymore under the cloud of microbes orbiting around her.
77	* ItTastesLikeFeet: Tadayasu describes ''hongeohoe'' (stingray sashimi pickled in urea) as tasting like toilet paper that's been soaking in a campsite urinal for weeks.
78	* IWillWaitForYou: [[spoiler:Hasegawa tells Misato she will not date anyone for at least two years when he graduates to see what kind of man he can improve into.]]
79	* KissingUnderTheInfluence:
80	** [[spoiler:Hazuki and Aoi (Aphrodisiac), Haruka (Aphrodisiac + Alcohol)]].
81	** In the manga, [[spoiler:Hazuki and Aoi were also incredibly drunk. Judging by the number of empty glasses in front of each, topped off with a ''beer stein'' of shōchū (25% ABV), it's no wonder they hooked up]].
82	* LovePotion: Professor Itsuki's "Sexual" chocolate.
83	* {{Mascot}}: ''A. oryzae'', the microbe pictured above.
84	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Several between Misato and Hasegawa after the France arc. This led to Kawahama spreading rumors and Kaneshiro attempting to shut the door on them to give them privacy.
85	** Several situations between Sawaki and Kei. There's the infamous kiss early on, but particularly notable example is in the final chapters where [[spoiler: Sawaki pulls Kei close to him and declares he will be there for Kei, for forever if needs be. They share a tender moment, with Kei now lying on top of Sawaki, only to be walked in on by Nishino entering the room.]] Frantic "this is not what it looks like!" follows though Madoka says she doesn't mind even it were.
86	* {{Ojou}}: Haruka Hasegawa, but she's [[IceQueen more like an empress]] than a princess-type.
87	* OnlyFriend: Sawaki to Kei, which is why she cherishes their friendship so much.
88	* PaperFanOfDoom: Used as weapons during the spring festival.
89	* PhenotypeStereotype: Marie and her family are blue-eyed, and all have hair in shades of blonde.
90	* PlatonicLifePartners: What [[spoiler:Sawaki professes him and Kei to be forever, so Kei wouldn't be alone]]. That doesn't stop [[spoiler:Nishino from telling Kei to profess her love to Sawaki anyways.]]
91	* PragmaticAdaptation: The live-action series, which starts off the bootlegging sake scene much earlier and Kei appears later on as a student [[spoiler:in his crossdressing guise]], rather than joining the school with Sawaki at the same time.
92	* TheProfessor: Itsuki, who goes to great lengths in the pursuit of agricultural science.
93	* RefugeInAudacity: Sawaki, Misato, and Kawahama avoid an awkward WhatDidIDoLastNight situation by ''making it look even more ridiculous''.
94	* RealMenWearPink: The author sometimes refers to Kei as "a man among men" in jest whenever a chapter exemplifies her femininity.
95	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Every single microbe.
96	* RoboticReveal: [[spoiler:The "Boss" of the spring festival is a robot built by the computer club.]]
97	%%* SayItWithHearts
98	* SchoolFestival: Very unusual in that everyone is locked in for the entire time the festival is on and you have to figure out the rules for this year's event before the rules hit you.
99	** The school has had plenty of other festivals occurring as well, including an emulation of Oktoberfest.
100	* SecretKeeper: Most of the main cast are aware of Sawaki's ability to see microbes, though when Sawaki thought it fair to let Oikawa in on it, [[CassandraTruth she dismisses it entirely]].
101	* SelectiveObliviousness: Aoi's former boyfriend suddenly disappeared from her life without a trace. There was a mysterious piece of paper left behind in his empty apartment with indecipherable runes written on it ([[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial rumours that it's actually a note with the words "I'm in love with someone else" are all filthy filthy lies]]). Obviously, he was kidnapped by aliens, and if you try to insinuate something else she will [[DrowningMySorrows drink herself into a stupor]].
102	* SequelHook: At the end of the second season, with the woman visiting the Hiyoshi Liquor Store with a box labeled Kanou Farms.
103	* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend:
104	** Sawaki with Kei. Interestingly enough, Kei will also deny this thanks to an internalized belief that two men shouldn't be professing love to each other, even when most of the main cast immediately call out that Kei is [[GreenEyedMonster literally the last person]] [[ReunionKiss who should be]] [[RaceForYourLove saying that]].
105	** Hasegawa and Misato will vehemently deny any sort of accusation that either of them have gotten closer to one other.
106	* ShipperOnDeck: The ''A. oryzae'' from Sawaki's household heavily endorse a relationship between Sawaki and any girl that shows interest, this includes [[spoiler:Kei]]. This includes holding up signs that say "True Wife" and "Just go for it!" Everyone else in the main cast just assumes they're together as well.
107	* ShownTheirWork:
108	** If you're willing to accept that the over-enthusiastic Itsuki tends to overstate the importance of microbes from time to time, most of the factual information given on microbes in ''Moyasimon'' is generally correct.
109	** As amazing as it sounds, Itsuki's obsession with microbes Transforming The World is ''itself'' an example of [[ShownTheirWork Showing Its Work]].[[note]]Specifically, it'd appear a lot of stuff Itsuki promotes as possibilities for future terraforming is in fact based on the RealLife science of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioremediation bioremediation]]. And yes, Real Life researchers in terraforming ARE looking at bioremediation as a model for making worlds habitable.[[/note]]
110	** For that matter, other than some of the "human drama" bits, the depiction of the agricultural university IS rather similar to what goes on in RealLife at agricultural research universities (or ag-research colleges of state universities).
111	* TheSnarkKnight: Hasegawa is committed to science; bad science or LogicalFallacies in her presence will trigger a rant.
112	%%* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Tadayasu.
113	* {{Stripperific}}: Haruka Hasegawa's usual clothing under her labcoat.
114	%%* ThoseTwoGuys: Misato and Kawahama.
115	* TrashOfTheTitans:
116	** The student-run dorm, especially Misato and Kawahama's room.
117	** The room for the UFO Club is constantly quarantined whenever Sawaki is forced to be there.
118	* {{Tsundere}}: Haruka Hasegawa (who enforces her tsundere-ness with a bullwhip) and Hazuki Oikawa.
119	* TwelveEpisodeAnime: Well, eleven eps plus three "Microbe Deluxe Theatre" EducationalShort films. The second season meanwhile, is twelve episodes long.
120	* UniversalAdaptorCast: Hazuki Oikawa's character (in design and name) is transplanted in ''Madowanai Hoshi'', an entirely different manga by the author about a ruined Earth, as one of its main protagonists. [[ReusedCharacterDesign Kei's gothic lolita design]] is also used to represent the [[MakesSenseInContext anthropomorphized appearance of Pluto]].
121	* WallOfText: Itsuki-sensei is prone to delivering these in increasingly small font sizes. Sometimes everyone else gets squished between the speech bubbles.
122	* WalkingTheEarth: What happens to [[spoiler:Sawaki's older brother]] after he left the family for a job overseas. [[spoiler:He ends up living out in New Orleans.]]
123	* WebcomicTime: The series itself lasted more than 10 years, but the story concludes at the start of Sawaki's second year. Which means only a year had passed.
124	* WeirdnessMagnet: Tadayasu seems like [[OnlySaneMan the closest to normal]] in his little circle of friends.
125	* WhatDidIDoLastNight: Hasegawa at the end of volume 2.
126	* WhipOfDominance: Hasegawa carries around a whip and doesn't hesitate to use it on people when she's annoyed, which complements her image as a harsh and haughty woman with domineering and sadistic tendencies, not to mention her being DressedLikeADominatrix under her LabcoatOfScienceAndMedicine.
127	* WildTake: Sawaki seems to alternate between being snarky and being weirded out.
128	* TheWormThatWalks: Played for laughs, the ''A. oryzae'' often pile together to form a giant version of themselves or in the shape of a human being in order to cheer Sawaki up.

Context Manga / Moyashimon