Line #77 VisualNovel/SwanSong


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swsg.png]]
2	An {{Utsuge}} VisualNovel by Flying Shine that focuses on the lives of six characters after surviving a massive earthquake. It was originally released in 2005, but wasn't translated into English until 2010. The story focuses on the group's struggle to survive in a world where law is no more and nothing is promised. To make matters worse, the earthquake happened on Christmas during a heavy snowstorm, which is not relenting no matter how long the group waits. Access to the outside world is cut off, and no signs of help are noticed, despite the quake being too large for a country to just ignore. Even after the group manages to successfully secure a stable life with other survivors in spite of the quake and endless snow and cold, many problems and complications arise.
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4	The six characters of the original group are:
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6	* Amako Tsukasa, the main character.
7	* Yasaka Aroe, [[TagalongKid a lovely, autistic girl]].
8	* Tanomura Shin, [[TeamDad an older man acting as the group leader]].
9	* Kuwagata Takuma, an {{otaku}}.
10	* Kawase Hibari, a [[GirlishPigtails nearly stereotypical]] {{tsundere}}.
11	* Sasaki Yuka, the TeamMom.
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13	'''Warning! Due to the nature of the game, the trope page may contain many SPOILERS even after following our usual spoiler policy. If you are the type of reader who is bothered by them, probably you shouldn't look at this page at all before reading the game.'''
14
15	!!This visual novel provides examples of:
16	* AFatherToHisMen: Tanomura to [[spoiler:the Vigilante Corps.]]
17	* AfterTheEnd: The "end of the world" event happens right in the prologue.
18	* AlliterativeTitle
19	* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler:Tanomura, when he fights the Vigilante Corps. after they betray him. While he doesn't outright say it, he apologizes for their wounds and how they won't be able to enjoy their hobbies with them.]]
20	* BandagedFace: [[spoiler:Takuma]] has it after [[spoiler:his face being burned off on his assault of the Daichi]].
21	* BloodKnight: [[spoiler:Takuma, with the Daichi.]]
22	* BrotherSisterIncest: One of the bad endings have this. [[spoiler: Though the character relations are only revealed in the good end.]]
23	* CerebusSyndrome: Despite already being dark, it gets progressively ''darker'' as it continues.
24	* CharacterDevelopment: [[spoiler:Of both the positive ''and'' negative varieties.]]
25	* ChekhovsGun: The key that Tanomura gives to Hibari. The gong that was rung on New Year's.
26	* ChekhovsGunman: The businessman that survived the quake pulls this off in both his appearances. The first time he appears shows that there were other survivors. The second time he appears, [[spoiler:he tells Tsukasa where Tanomura and Hibari went after being exiled.]]
27	* CloudcuckooLander: Aroe. A sadly [[JustifiedTrope justified version]], as she has autism.
28	* CoitusUninterruptus: Tsukasa waves to Takuma when Takuma sees Yuka giving Tsukasa a blowjob.
29	* CrapsackWorld: Although it was a normal world before the earthquake.
30	* {{Crossdresser}}: Tsukasa, for a piano recital after his suit got muddy. Not that Tsukasa knew about (or possibly even cared) the stigma of a boy wearing a dress in the first place.
31	* [[DescriptionPorn Description Gorn]]: Present in place of [=CGs=] when something too disturbing to display otherwise takes place.
32	* DeathOfAChild: The first time a child is shown is when they are trapped in a house and killed in front of the men.
33	* DespairEventHorizon: The pictures that appear when changing a perspective undergo a ''dramatic'' change late enough in the normal end to show this.
34	* DownerEnding: The normal end.
35	* ElegantClassicalMusician: Tsukasa and his father; although, Tsukasa is only truly able to play with his left hand.
36	* ExtremeDoormat: Takuma has extremely low self-esteem and just can't stand up for himself. At one point, Hibari ''literally'' steps on him. [[spoiler:He changes later on--and ''not'' in a good way]].
37	* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Takuma. His desire to get even with the Daichi leads to him becoming a BloodKnight, then a power-hungry warlord, and soon after that a child-killer and a rapist]].
38	* FanDisservice: The rape scenes. They really home in how disgusting and traumatising the act is.
39	* FromNobodyToNightmare: [[spoiler:Takuma. Starts as a [[ExtremeDoormat doormat-like]] ''{{otaku}}'', ends up a bloodthirsty warlord.]]
40	* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Averted. The businessman does not [[spoiler:take sides in the dispute between the Daichi and the school, and mentions avoiding them both to avoid getting caught up]]. Not only that, but he's a rather sane--and [[TalkativeLoon rather talkative]]--person. He even refuses to join other survivors just because he finally obtained the freedom he desired.
41	* GoneHorriblyRight: After Takuma gets drunk and gives a speech about how he'll become a new person and learn to stand up for himself, nobody takes him very seriously. He goes on to prove them wrong [[spoiler:by becoming a brutal warlord whom everyone fears]].
42	* GoryDiscretionShot: When something is gory, it is not really shown in art, just narrated. And when it is ''really'' horrible, it is usually only slightly touched upon.
43	* HappyEnding: The Good ending, at least compared to the Normal ending. More objectively a BittersweetEnding, since a lot of people still die, and the survivors, although they seem to be getting along well, are faced with an uncertain future not least because their food supplies are low.
44	* HeWhoFightsMonsters: [[spoiler:Takuma]] advocates taking a ruthless stance against the criminal band. While this may be justified against men who are ruthless murderers and rapists in a post-apocalyptic world, he later becomes just as bad as they are.
45	* HeelFaceTurn: The policemen. They are revealed to show genuine remorse for their actions, and do their best to help the Daichi.
46	* TheHermit: The businessman. Although he only became a hermit after the earthquake.
47	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Everyone at the Daichi temple who died to give those escaping time.]]
48	* HopeIsScary: [[spoiler:For Yuka.]]
49	* HotSpringsEpisode: One scene has our heroes bathe in gender-segregated hot springs. It turns into a comedy when Hibari leans over the divide to try to bum ''sake'' off of Tanomura, and then into another comedy when Aroe leaves the bath to goad Tsukasa into chasing her (and despite Tanomura's subsequent lewd remarks, there is nothing sexual about this; Aroe just likes being chased as a game and apparently forgot that she and Tsukasa were naked and in towels at the time).
50	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Takuma,]] in the Good ending.
51	* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Takuma]] thinks of himself as dirty, that no one could ever love him, but a girl says she loves him ''because'' he's dirty. [[spoiler:He doesn't appreciate what he has, and gloatingly and mockingly tells the girl near the end that he never loved her at all, causing her to try to shoot him.]]
52	* KnightOfCerebus: [[spoiler:The policemen]] at first, but the mood becomes somewhat more lighthearted after they leave. Then, [[spoiler:the Daichi]] enter the picture and it all goes downhill from there.
53	* LastStand: [[spoiler:Tanomura does that twice in the course of the game. In the first one, he successfully beats his opponents. In the second, they have shotguns and chemicals.]] Also happens [[spoiler:when the Vigilante Corps assault the Daichi.]]
54	* LiteralMinded: Tsukasa.
55	* LongSongShortScene: The entire game mostly uses either depressing or suspenseful tracks, if it uses them at all, leaving the others with little appearance. Fortunately, there's the BGM Player, but that's only unlocked after completing the game.
56	* MartialPacifist: Tanomura doesn't like using force, but he's prepared to do so if there's no other option. And he can kick ass better than anyone else in the novel.
57	* MercyKill: Aroe's sister asks Tsukasa to do this to Aroe, but quickly changes her mind. Also appears often later on.
58	* NecessarilyEvil: [[spoiler:The Vigilante Corps. at first. Then Takuma takes over and rules with an iron fist.]]
59	* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Tsukasa doesn't really seem to care when [[spoiler:Hibari isn't wearing anything below her jacket after having sex with Tanomura.]] He also doesn't understand the distress [[spoiler:Ryugeju]] has when he tries to undress her so she wouldn't freeze from her wet clothes. On top of ''that'', he doesn't seem to care about when Aroe is naked, so long as she doesn't freeze.
60	* NotWithThemForTheMoney: Yuka to Tsukasa. Subverted, as money is now worthless anyway.
61	* {{Otaku}}: Takuma.
62	* PlaceWorseThanDeath: It's mentioned that some survivors consider those who died to be the lucky ones.
63	* PoliceBrutality: [[spoiler:The policemen on the island. Also occurs when Takuma takes over the Vigilante Corps., since he tends to look the other way if one of the members is doing something bad.]]
64	* PoliceState: [[spoiler:The school, after Takuma takes over the Vigilante Corps..]]
65	* ThePollyanna: Tanomura. However, he does acknowledge whenever a situation goes bad, and reacts accordingly. Although he always goes back to Pollyanna mode once the situation ends.
66	* TheQuietOne: Applies to Tsukasa.
67	* RapeAsDrama: Of course, this being an 18+ work, some of it is detailed.
68	* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Ryugeju]] seems to think this is the only way to become redeemed. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverted]], as she doesn't die (and gets accepted) in the good end.]]
69	* SanitySlippage: [[spoiler:Takuma, ''again''.]] His internal monologues reflect this very well, becoming increasingly sociopathic over time.
70	* SenselessSacrifice: Even though [[spoiler:some Daichi followers fought the Vigilante Corps. to buy some time for others to escape, the survivors were going to die of starvation or the cold unless they went to their enemy. Subverted in the good end, since the Daichi survivors are eventually accepted.]] It also happens when [[spoiler:Tanomura fights the Vigilante Corps. at the church, as chances are likely that he would have been fine if he left with everyone else.]]
71	* SexualKarma: The "Tsukasa w/ Yuka" and "Tanomura w/ Hibari" sex scenes are presented in a much better light than the others, which are mostly rape scenes anyway.
72	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Very, very firmly cynical, with it bordering on pitch black as it goes on. [[spoiler:Pitch black in the normal end, but much more idealistic in the good end.]]
73	* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: [[spoiler:Takuma. It's very well done, too: he first becomes a warrior who kills criminals, but then gradually becomes more bloodthirsty and obsessed with power]].
74	* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler:Sasaki Yuka.]]
75	* TheStoic: Tsukasa. Possibly subverted, as it's shown that he only has a partial understanding of emotions.
76	* SuperSenses: Tsukasa's supernatural sense of hearing.
77	* TeamDad: Tanomura, both to the original group of five and [[spoiler:the Vigilante Corps. before they betray him.]]
78	* TitleDrop: Yuka drops it late in the story, as does [[spoiler:Ryugeju]] during her first serious conversation with Tsukasa.
79	* {{Tomboy}}: Hibari.
80	* TookALevelInBadass: Mainly, Takuma. He starts out as a cowardly ''otaku'', but ends up a shotgun-toting leader with a reasonably good grasp of military tactics.
81	* TookALevelInJerkass: Takuma, again. He becomes more and more selfish, manipulative and violent over time.
82	* VagueAge: Tanomura's age is never actually given.
83	* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: [[spoiler:Kuwugata Takuma]] doesn't understand what it is when his girlfriend says that she loves him. He even initially thinks that she's in love with sex, since he's convinced there's no way anyone could possibly love ''him''.
84	* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:The Daichi try this on the Vigilante Corps. when they attack. They succeed holding off the Vigilante Corps. long enough to have everyone escape, but they ultimately lose the battle.]]

Context VisualNovel / SwanSong