Line #70 Webcomic/MSFHigh


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExamples are not allowed and have been commented-out.
4	%%
5	%% Please add context before uncommenting.
6	%%
7	%% "Bob does this" isn't context.
8	%%
9	%%
10
11	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/msfhigh.png]]
12
13	''MSF High'' is a webcomic and more. It is hosted [[http://www.msfhigh.com here]] and created by Joseph "Wraith" Fanning and Allison "Aakashi" Decker. It is a comic that takes place in a rather special High School. People who are in near-death situations, people who have lost everything in life, are taken from all across the galaxy, whisked away in an instant. Here, they are invited to train, and become heroes. Upon graduation, they can go anywhere they wish in the galaxy to fulfill a new life. One of the main rules of MSF High? Every day, all damage and changes to your body is fixed. Even if you die, you wake up good as new!
14
15	Of course, since the school is practically run by Anime Clichés, it is likely that problems will arise. Then again, in a school where Martial Arts and Magic are core classes, and the "Language" course also teaches you to cast spells from scrolls, things are likely to get weird. Oh, and don't forget that the Gym teacher considers flaming dodgeballs good motivational tools!
16
17	The comic focuses on a small set of characters in the larger school, and develops both the school and the universe it resides in. The main character is Donovan Kieran, who arrived at the school as a dark elf, despite being a human beforehand. This is considered normal. His best friend is Rainer Latham, who is a member of a race called "Watchers", three-eyed beings who observe the galaxy. He soon gathers a band of friends such as Nanako the Catgirl, and Urk the Orc-turned-Fairy.
18
19	This leads to another prime characteristic of MSF High. Many people at MSF High can transform students into other forms, and even change people's gender. The two main offenders are Nurse Keiri and Ms. Fenris (the magic teacher). With the amount of danger at this school, however, visits to the nurse are rather common. Rainer, for instance, tends to get quite his share of karma.
20
21	The comic generally concentrates on humor based on the characters, and the rather strange situations they find themselves in. It does however have a good dose of action and romance, with drama in the character's backgrounds as well.
22
23	MSF High takes place in a well-developed cosmology known as Mahou Galaxy, with twelve main races and a large amount of background details. The timeline found in the RPG Book goes back 24,000 years! A unique detail about this setting is the number of Altearths, planets that resemble Earth but may have a different history and such, allowing many varying backgrounds for characters. The ten main races are part of numerous factions, that have rather varying relationships and opinions of each other. Fortunately, most of their opinions are put aside in MSF High, since it is neutral ground and separate from the galaxy at large. In theory. In practice, a few students take their problems with them.
24
25	The webcomic also has a prequel, Webcomic/HighSchoolChangedMe, from before many details were finalized. It was put on hiatus, and has a different cast of main characters. It is still hosted at the main site, however.
26
27	The comic has spawned an RPG and a card game, both of which are sold on the main website. The RPG book includes a gamemaster's section with numerous secrets about the background. It also has a forum-based RPG, run by a series of trusted gamemasters, that provides further ability to explore the world. It also includes the timeline, and profiles of the races in the galaxy. The forum includes a spin-off section, Mahou Galaxy, devoted to adventures in this outside galaxy.
28
29	----
30	!!This series provides examples of:
31
32	%% * AcademyOfAdventure
33	%% * AcmeProducts: Fenris runs one of these. Be very, very careful about the fine print.
34	* AllThereInTheManual: Much of the information about MSF High's setting is in the Rulebook for the RPG, on the playing card flavor text, or in the Questions and Answers section of the forums. It actually helps add to the very detailed setting.
35	%% * AmnesiacDissonance: Students at MSF High can surpress painful memories as part of their 'second chance'. If these memories are discovered, this can occur.
36	%% * ArtEvolution: Marginal.
37	%% ** HSCM, with the first artist: http://hscm.msfhigh.com/
38	%% ** First pages of Aakashi: http://www.msfhigh.com/?date=2005-09-05
39	%% ** Newer page: http://www.msfhigh.com/?date=2010-04-10
40	%% ** Alternate style for one arc: http://www.msfhigh.com/?date=2010-07-31
41	%% * TheAtoner: After causing a giant war and nearly taking over the galaxy, the Legion surrendered, apologized, and became these. Exactly why they suddenly decided to pull a HeelFaceTurn has not yet been explored.
42	* AuthorAppeal: Wraith, Aakashi, and a significant portion of the fanbase like transformations and genderbending. The setting does include justifications for it, and keeps it secondary to the main story.
43	* AuthorAvatar: A odd example. While in the backstory, and the InUniverse author of all of the RPG sourcebooks, Wraith has disappeared by the time the comic takes place.
44	%% * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking:
45	%% ** Any teacher at MSF High has this. Any Legion Queen also has this, with access to all ten Legion 'facets'. Principal Kasumi? Don't even ask.
46	%% ** The trope applies to Keiri as well.
47	%% * BadassTeacher: Some teachers are more obviously befitting this trope, but to keep control of the kind of people who hang out at MSF High, being one of these is pretty much required.
48	%% * BreakTheCutie: Oh Sasha, from her we learn what happens when people don't donate for the comic...
49	* BeePeople: While currently only depicted in the expanded material, Hivers fit this exactly. The Legion also fit in this, as they are a caste system. In a subversion, their caste is more of a meritocracy. People are granted abilities to do what they are good at, and people can have multiple castes. (Princesses and Queens, in fact, have the abilities of all castes.)
50	%% * BodyHorror: The Legion, at least to unwilling targets (read: genocidal {{Knight Templar}}s).
51	* ClingyJealousGirl: Lana who is a {{Yandere}}. And she spends half her time physically attached to Don.
52	%% * ElementalEmbodiment: In ten different flavors, one for each type of magic.
53	* EmergencyTransformation: This is the rationale behind most of the transformations that people attending the nurse's office undergo: They get turned into something that is easier for her to heal. She pretty much invariably also turns them into girls, though, and sometimes the justification for the transformation is really flimsy, like turning a giant troll into a pixie so she can put on a bandage that will fit. [[spoiler: However, the explanation she gives Donovan during the recently-rediscovered [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Naomi]]'s checkup is that she does the GenderBender aspect of her transformations mainly to honor [[AuthorAvatar Wraith's]] memory, who would always invariably end up female whenever he transformed.]] Still doesn't explain why she does everything else.
54	%% * FantasticCasteSystem: The Divine are actually far, far closer to this then the Legion.
55	%% * FasterThanLightTravel: Biowarp engines provide this.
56	* FillerArc: A [[Series/MythBusters 'lorecrackers']] parody arc was done by Wraith and luckybucket.
57	* FirstLawOfGenderBending: Rather enforced by Nurse Keiri - she almost never lets a patient leave her office male, and usually tries to talk the patients out of using the one-time ResetButton; what's more, with nearly all the foreground patients so far, she's succeeded. (While played straight with Keiri, it was later reversed with Lana--see Stalker with a Crush, below--who accidentally hit herself with a "Genderiser Ray" and went from female-to-male.)
58	%% * GenderBender: See especially Rainer.
59	%% * GenreSavvy: People at this school have come to realize it is based on Anime. Leads to lots of {{Invoked Trope}}s.
60	%%* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: The legion are this for the most part, being planty alien chicks.
61	* HalfHumanHybrid: Most demi humans are these on varying human-to-animal ratio's with domestic's being on the human end of the scale and martials being on the animal end.
62	%% * HandsomeLech: Or Rainer may qualify for this.
63	* HiveMind: The Legion, a race of plant-girls, are one of these. Interestingly enough, individual Legion retain a sense of self. The hive mind nature of the Legion, especially during the Legion War, is highlighted with the Saving Sasha arc, where the being that was once Sasha tries to reclaim her rightful body, only for the Donovan to destroy her.
64	%% * HiveQueen: All Legion have a central 'Queen.'
65	%% * HulkSpeak: Orcs, the main Redeemed race, tend to get this. In a subversion, however, in many cases they are just as intelligent as any other race. (See especially their card in the Card Game.)
66	* TheHumphrey: Fenris. She runs quite a bit of businesses, and hates any class where she can't sell things. As for what she sells, well Donovan discovered some interesting characteristics about his sword.
67	%% * ImprobableWeaponUser: Donvovan is forced to be one of these by his sword. Yo-yo, Frying Pan, anything BUT "sword"!
68	* InvokedTrope: Examples include Runners, girls who run through the school with eyes closed and bookbags unzipped, looking for a cute guy who they [[CrashIntoHello will crash into]], and subsequently date.
69	%% * KarmicTransformation: This is Rainer's life.
70	* KlingonPromotion: If you can beat up the hall monitor, you can become the new hall monitor.
71	* LethalChef: There are at least two of these at MSF High, Alouette and Lana. Interestingly, both may have the ability to cook normal, well-done food. (Alouette almost certainly). It's just they sometimes make meals that come alive...and lust for blood.
72	* TheLittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday: Subverted: While Donovan's sword is said to be an ancient artifact wielded by a destined hero bought at one of these, it was revealed to be made by the Magic Teacher, who runs her own company!
73	* LoanShark: Fenris provides this service. You sell people stuff as a salesgirl until the debt is repaid.
74	* LoveMakesYouEvil: Lana again, as it's a component of StalkerWithACrush. In her case, evil means 'beating up any girl who makes eye contact, or says a single word to him'.
75	%% * MrExposition: Rainer. In fact, this and his perversion may be his most significant characteristics.
76	%% * NoblewomansLaugh: Queen Althea, the first Legion, and some of her Princesses.
77	* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: The newest arc has introduced a group of cloaked hooded council members talking about Donovans progress after the Lana arc.
78	%% * OneGenderRace: The Legion. Others include gorgons, succubi, valkyries and harpies.
79	%% * OrganicTechnology: Thanks to their past as terraforming nanobots, the Legion embody this. They're very good at it, too.
80	%% * OurAngelsAreDifferent: Just another race, with a lot of information up in the air. They reincarnate instead of dying.
81	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: For one thing, they're just another race, Demons and devils are two subspecies, they are part of Order versus Chaos...One of the main stars of HSCM is one...(Half demon, half devil), They're called Devilings officially...
82	%% * OurMonstersAreDifferent: Like, for instance, their take on many of the 'evil' races. The Redeemed.
83	* OurSoulsAreDifferent: The soul in MSF High cannot be altered. It is this soul that determines what form a student shall wake up in.
84	%% * PlayByPostGames: The forum RP is in this style. And it is a big part of the community.
85	* ResetButton: Not totally, but at the end of the day, all injuries heal, the dead rise, and transformed students can choose to change back or keep the new form forever.
86	%% * RunningGag: Quite a few.
87	%% * SecondLawOfGenderBending: This is how Keiri keeps people transformed. She makes sure they enjoy it, thus the ResetButton doesn't help.
88	%% * StalkerWithACrush: Lana, who became Donovan's 'girlfriend' for a short time, is pretty much this, full stop.
89	* SuccubiAndIncubi: Succubi are often stereotyped as obsessed with sex. In practice, it's possible for Succubi to be perfectly chaste, and they don't even have to have sex for energy. They do have pheromones, which can be used to manipulate someone. They're really closer to TheVamp.
90	* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Both averted and subverted. During one fight, http://www.msfhigh.com/?date=2009-01-22, there is a complete lack of this, with the author explaining it would be too much. A fun subversion occurs earlier. A person sets a fuse on a bomb to "monologue length"...and then stops talking. http://www.msfhigh.com/?date=2005-09-30
91	%% * TheyKilledKennyAgain: Rainer's running gag. Considering his attitude, he deserves it.
92	%% * TransformationComic: It's almost too obvious to note.
93	* TheVirus: The Legion convert people into loyal drones, but in the comic's present, they retain most of their personalities, and the only targets are willing converts or aggressors. There was a time when they were more aggressive, but [[TheAtoner they'd like to forget about that]].
94	%% * TheWatson: This is Donovan's role. Fortunately, he is also TheHero in training.
95	%% * WeSellEverything: Fenris again.
96	%% * YouWillBeAssimilated: The Legion, once again.

Context Webcomic / MSFHigh