Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Webcomic / ABrokenWinter

Go To

1[[quoteright:246:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brokenwinter_small_1865.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:246:From top to bottom: Kokkan Kaneko, Kuroda Tadayoshi, and Reisen Kaneko]]
3->''"No sun. No future. Life beyond Earth is an exercise in tolerance to extremes, and that includes more than the weather."''
4-->-- Official summary for ''A Broken Winter''
5
6A web comic written by Kale Night and illustrated by Archie-the-Red-Cat, ''A Broken Winter'' follows three central characters; Kokkan, a heavily traumatized child who grows up to be a flippant, sarcastic teenager, Kuroda, the soldier who raised Kokkan because the boy reminded him of his own murdered son, and Reisen, a doctor who is accused of terrorism after he uncovers some unsettling truths. The story primarily takes place in Terasu, one of two remaining countries on the planet, [[Literature/BraveNewWorld which uses chemical means to keep its citizens docile]] and [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour is known for brutally enforcing compliance with the government.]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything Sound familiar?]]
7
8There are currently two threads to the story. The first deals with Kokkan and Kuroda and how they met. The second follows Reisen, a free spirit who discovered the government's darkest secret when he learned the mysterious origins of "Moon Sickness" which is also called Tarqila. The two threads are tied together by the fact that Kokkan also happens to be Reisen's biological son.
9
10Most notable for being unflinchingly dark and often times brutal. It also only updates as chapters are completed, with the typical update window being a few months long. It is [=NSFW=] due to graphic images of blood and torture, but it can be read [[http://www.abrokenwinter.com here]].
11
12If you want to know more about the world, the glossary and character page is [[http://www.abrokenwinter.com/glossary.html here]].
13
14Currently there are 11 chapters posted.
15----
16!!'''A Broken Winter''' contains examples of
17
18* AxCrazy: Kuroda's wife, though Seisui also showed signs of being axe-crazy-in-training.
19* BreakTheCutie: The first four chapters are ALL about this. Poor Kokkan.
20* BreadAndCircuses: Interestingly, the two countries of Ibara and Terasu embody different aspects of this. Terasu is the bread -- focused on keeping its people provided for and content. Ibara is the circus -- allowing hedonism and pleasure above all else. Both are effective at keeping their people content and compliant.
21* BloodSplatteredInnocents: The breaking point for Kokkan seems to come when [[spoiler: he is forced to kill a baby left alive after a purge. He then threatens to kill himself.]] He was '''seven''' at the time this happened. This also seems to be the turning point for Kuroda as well, as he finally rescues Kokkan and adopts him.
22* DarkAndTroubledPast: Kuroda.
23* [[DoesNotLikeSpam Does Not Like Meat]]: Kokkan, for extremely justifiable reasons.
24* GoryDiscretionShot: Not a lot of them, but one notable one is the same scene mentioned in BloodSplatteredInnocents above.
25* HearingVoices: Kuroda has an entire conversation with his son, Seisui, who is shown to be nothing more than a ghost/figment of his imagination. We're not sure what to make of that yet.
26* HisStoryRepeatsItself: Kuroda initially takes Kokkan off the execution list because he looks like Kuroda's son, who was murdered a few years earlier. Kuroda couldn't save Seisui, but he could save Kokkan.
27* HumanResources: It's implied by the art that the so-called "brisket" you ordered at the restaurant might not actually be brisket at all.
28* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Even with their extended lifespans, it still only takes about twenty years to reach adulthood, at which point everyone looks fairly young. Reisen, despite being several hundred years old, barely looks older than his seventeen year old son.
29* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Reisen and Kuroda. Mostly Reisen though -- just look at all that pretty red hair.
30* {{Lunacy}}: Tarqila, aka Moon Sickness, is bacteria from the moon that can cause blindness and eventual insanity.
31* MadScientist: Arandano. [[http://abrokenwinter.com/graphic82.html Just look at the page where he's introduced.]]
32* NightmarishFactory: Irihi Slaughterhouse
33* NoMedicationForMe: Kokkan refuses to take medication for his PTSD. He has some... less than safe... coping methods he uses instead.
34* TheOphelia: Apparently, at one point in time, [[spoiler: Reisen]]. At least, according to [[http://www.abrokenwinter.com/page145.html this page]].
35* Really700YearsOld: They're not immortal, but the average lifespan of humans is [[http://www.abrokenwinter.com/page94.html between 582 and 589]].
36* SadisticChoice: Kuroda could either watch Kokkan [[spoiler: commit suicide]] or he could step in and save him. The second option has the risk of resulting in the loss of Kuroda AND Kokkan's lives if it was ever found out by the government that Kuroda saved a so-called criminal on death row.
37* SlaveBrand: Kokkan has one on his shoulder from his time in the special division at Irihi. While he largely ignores it, Kuroda seems to be [[MarkOfShame ashamed by it]].
38* SympatheticMurderer: [[spoiler: Kuroda Tadayoshi]] and to some extent, [[spoiler: Kokkan]], though he didn't have any choice in the matter.
39* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Kokkan claims not to remember what happened during his failed attempt at forming a pact.
40* TroubledButCute: Kokkan, through and through. Because of the trauma he endured as a child, he can't eat meat, he apparently rarely sleeps, and he self medicates by smoking because he refuses to take medicine for his PTSD.
41

Top