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[[quoteright:282:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Teizokurei_Daydream.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:282:Misaki (right) and Ai (left).]]
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''Ghost Talker's Daydream'' (original title 低俗霊 ''Daydream'', or ''Vulgar Ghost's Daydream'') is a {{Shonen}} horror manga with {{Ecchi}} overtones written by Saki Okuse and illustrated by Sankichi Meguro, which was serialized in ''Shonen Ace'' from 2000 to 2007 and collected into 10 volumes. It was adapted into a four-episode OVA series in 2004. The first six volumes have been released by Creator/DarkHorseComics with more still to come.

Misaki Saiki is a special young woman. Not because of her day jobs, though those are respectively as a columnist for a porn magazine and as a dominatrix for a BDSM club, but because [[ISeeDeadPeople she can see ghosts]]. As such she is covertly employed as an exorcist by a government organization, the Livelihood Preservation Group.

Her liaison with the organization is Souichirou Kadotake, a NonActionGuy type who, despite a surprising proficiency in martial arts, is clearly in the wrong line of work, since he's scared of ghosts. She is also assisted by Mitsuru Fujiwara, a teenager with stalkerish tendencies, and Ai Kunugi, a shy high school girl with budding necromantic abilities of her own.

----
!!This manga provides examples of:

* AbhorrentAdmirer: Misaki is neither flattered nor amused by Mitsuru's attention and has even threatened to call the police. Not that it's done any good, since he continues to stalk her anyway, including [[spoiler:bugging her apartment]] after [[spoiler:stealing all her panties]].
* AccidentalPervert: Kadotake, with both Misaki and Ai.
* ActionGirl: Misaki would rather avoid direct physical confrontations but when she has to, she delivers a beatdown.
* AdaptationalHeroism: The anime paints Mitsuru in a better light by toning down his stalking so all he does is [[{{Paparazzi}} take photos of her]] while she's out in public. Plus, [[PlayedForLaughs it's made humorous]], since he usually catches her in various states on undress, thanks to [[AccidentalPervert Kadotake's clumsiness]]. Aside from that, he's cast as one of Misaki's contacts and even helps save Ai, near the climax of the second episode.
* AllForNothing: Despite all the risks and sacrifices and dog kicking Detective Ganda went through, including [[spoiler:losing Haru to suicide]], ultimately, Ganda is unable to [[spoiler:stop Yuo's plan]]. The same goes for Misaki and her friends, as well, as their own intervention ultimately amounts to nothing as well.
* AllMenArePerverts:
** Kadotake has a one-sided crush on Misaki, but knows that [[StrictlyProfessionalRelationship nothing's ever gonna happen between them]]. Not that it stops him from perving on her every chance he gets.
** [[StalkerWithACrush Mitsuru's been stalking her]] ever since she turned him down as a client, because he was still in high school. He follows her around with his camera, looking for chances to snap candid photos of her.
** In chapter 16, Kobayashi [[ImagineSpot fantasizes]] about [[LipstickLesbian Shizue]], Kinako, and Lisa all becoming his {{Sex Slave}}s, by [[BestHerToBedHer beating them at Mahjong]]. Naturally, [[Funny/GhostTalkersDaydream he loses]].
* AmbiguouslyBi: A very unusual example. For almost the entire series, Misaki was portrayed to be nothing else other than straight. She nearly lost her virginity as a teenage to her first love, who was a boy, and got her first orgasm on her job from a male client [[spoiler:eating her out]], and clearly enjoyed it after the fact. She also primarily works as Dominatrix on male clients, and clearly enjoys it on some level, despite her protestations to the contrary. However, suddenly in the last chapter, she [[spoiler:allows herself to be seduced by Luna, Hiratsuka's daughter, and has a one night stand with her. She even consents to living with the woman afterward.]] She has never shown any interest in women before this, and even seemed somewhat perplexed by her best friend's lesbianism, wondering why she outed herself. In fact, Misaki hasn't been shown to pursue romantic relationships at all throughout the story up to this point. A [[WatsonianVersusDoylist Watsonian]] explanation would look at a statement Misaki made to Kadotake after [[spoiler:Luna's death]], which seems to indicate that she was just looking for some kind of escape from her old life, and may have latched on to [[spoiler:Luna]] for that. A Doylist explanation would be that the story needed a final dramatic conflict, and having Misaki be in a relationship with the final victim would give her a dramatic, personal reason to be involved. And their sex scene added fanservice. The audience is simply left to wonder.
* BackseatChangingRoom: One early scene has Misaki changing in the backseat while Kadotake is driving. When she accuses him of peeking, he [[DriverFacesPassenger turns to face her]] and vehemently denies it, which causes him to almost crash the car since he wasn't watching the road.
* TheBadGuyWins: Ultimately, [[spoiler:Yuo gets everything that he wants in the end, and the main cast are unable to even really hinder his plans at all.]]
* BarbieDollAnatomy: Partially averted, for women AND men. Men's penis's are drawn in some scenes, but never distinct. Women's breasts are drawn in detail, but female genitalia is never drawn, even in scenes where it should clearly be present. The most you see is some pubic hair.
* BarehandedBladeBlock: [[Funny/GhostTalkersDaydream Hilariously averted]] by the Yakuza thug Misaki clocks near the end of chapter 2.
* TheBeard: A tragic nonconsensual example sets up the final storyline. Its revealed that [[spoiler:Luna]] had a boyfriend before she met Misaki named Ryota Yabusaki. However, [[spoiler:Luna]] was just using the man to keep up social appearances and hide her sexuality. The man was unaware of this however, and believed that they were in a real relationship. [[spoiler:Luna]] broke up with the man after several months of dating, revealing the truth to him. The man felt so betrayed and distraught by this, that he lost his ability to trust people. He sought psychiatric treatment, but he only got worse. [[spoiler:Luna]] never apologized or offered recompense to the man, and practically cut all contact with him. The man eventually became so filled with anger towards her regarding the situation that he decided that he had to get back at her no matter what, even if it meant [[spoiler:committing suicide so that he could curse her from beyond the grave with his grudge.]]
* BestHerToBedHer: PlayedForLaughs (and {{fanservice}}) in chapter 16, when Kobayashi [[ImagineSpot fantasizes about]] his co-worker, [[LipstickLesbian Shizue]], her girlfriend, Kinako, and Lisa all throwing themselves at him after beating them at a game of Mahjong. But it's hilariously subverted when he plays his final tile and sees it's a losing hand.
* BirdsOfAFeather: Kadotake and Mitsuru are stalkers-in-arms.
* BlessedWithSuck: This is Misaki's [[IJustWantToBeNormal general attitude toward her abilities as a medium]], since all it's ever done is alienate the people around her. As a child, it made her an outcast. As an adult, the only ones who'll have anything to do with her, aside from her clients at the Roppongi S&M Club, are Kadotake, Ai, and Shizue. Still, if nothing else, [[OnlyInItForTheMoney at least it pays well.]]
* BrotherSisterIncest: Implied by [[spoiler:Mitsuru's]] sister-in-law's spirit in chapter 9.
* ClingyJealousGirl: [[spoiler:Yujima Hijiri]] was so attached to [[spoiler:Mitsuru]] that, after her death, her spirit becomes frighteningly [[{{Yandere}} possessive of him]]. She's almost always near him, and Heaven help ''[[MurderTheHypotenuse anyone]]'' she perceives as trying to come between them, especially if they're trying to exorcise her.
* ClusterFBomb: [[spoiler:Haru]] delivers one when she senses Misaki's presence drawing near, causing her to go off on a tangent about how much [[FemaleMisogynist she hates women]], due to [[spoiler:her own sexual inadequacy, as a {{hermaphrodite}}]].
* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Misaki's dress gets pulled down (by accident) in Episode 1.
* CowardlyLion: Kadotake is utterly terrified of spirits and spends much of his time on assignments trying not to have a heart attack. But, if it's just some hoods trying to pick a fight with him, or if they're trying to harm Misaki... [[LetsGetDangerous that's different]]. That's 'cuz he knows martial arts and can give as good as he gets.
* TheCutie:
** Ai's 2 year old niece, Miku, who is the most precious thing in the story, which makes [[spoiler:her death all the more tragic]].
** Ai counts as this, herself, particularly after the events of the first case, involving the deaths of [[spoiler: her niece]] and her older sister.
* DistractedByTheSexy: It happens to Kadotake, while he's driving, due to trying to sneak peeks at Misaki, [[spoiler:who was stark naked in the backseat and changing into her S&M attire]]. She catches him in the act and calls him on it, but [[BadLiar he denies it]]. She tests him, causing him to sideswipe a parked truck.
* {{Dominatrix}}: It's Misaki's day job at the Roppongi S&M Club, [[OnlyInItForTheMoney though she doesn't enjoy it]]. Despite this, or perhaps ''because of'' her disdain for her profession, she's become very popular with the clientele and is one of their most frequently requested doms. It's also implied multiple times that her clients are into some very rough trade.
* DownerEnding: And a very bitter one at that. To wit: [[spoiler:Misaki and her allies are completely unable to stop Yuo's plans, resulting in the mass suicide he orchestrated succeeding, leading to the deaths of over 30 people. This makes all the sacrifices and effort that she and Gada put in pointless. Ai is saved by Mitsuru's quick thinking, but is unable to stop the ritual from happening, leaving her traumatized as a result. Mitsuru goes through with the ritual, and while he is saved at the last moment, he left horribly burned all over his body, so much so that the audience doesn't even see his appearance after the ritual is over. Even worse, his father is driven to accidentally kill himself by the ghosts of his sister and her friend, effectively leaving Mitsuru alone. Misaki is left emotionally devastated by the incident. So much so that she once again leaves Tokyo to get away from the job like she did when she committed murder for the first time. Ai is thus forced to take up her role as necromancer to compensate, which, to her credit, she appears to be a natural at. Misaki returns to Tokyo to finally get information on her mother from Hiratsuka, only to find out that she's a mental health patient, apparently having mentally broken from her line of work. She can't even see her mother properly because she has an episode, leaving her further shaken. She seeks SexForSolace with Luna, Hiratsuka's daughter, and even seems to be willing to move in with her to escape her past as a necromancer, only for Luna to be killed by a Grudge Transfer Specialist carrying out an act of revenge on behalf a man Luna betrayed. Misaki retakes up her mantle of necromancer to hunt down the Specialist, only to end up accidentally getting him killed when she interferes with his job, finding out too late that he was familiar with her mother. The only possible bright spot in all this is that she may begin a relationship with Kadotake.]] Damn.
* DramaticWind: When Misaki summons ghosts.
* DrivenToSuicide: There are numerous cases throughout the series:
** In chapter 3, one of Misaki's regulars hangs himself [[spoiler:because the manga artist that worked for their company's publishing office suddenly quit his job. In the month that followed, their ratings steadily declined, causing Shimamura to become depressed.]] This was explained in the suicide note he left behind at his office.
** Chapter 6 has a double suicide between Arisa and Naori, whom Shizue had met at a bar in Ikebukuro the night before. This leaves Shizue to [[ItsAllMyFault blame herself for ignoring the warning signs]] that Arisa was troubled about coming to terms with her sexual identity.
** In chapter 8, a cabbie named Shigeura hangs himself out of remorse, after [[spoiler:he picked up a female passenger with the intent to rape her, but couldn't go through with it]]. He called his friend, Muraoka, for advice, but [[spoiler:Muraoka raped her himself in the backseat of Shigeura's cab, and strangled her afterward]]. Shigeura fled the scene in panic and committed suicide, later that night.
** The 9th chapter begins with another double suicide. What's particularly notable about this instance is, one of them was [[spoiler:Mitsuru's mentally ill younger sister-in-law]].
** Chapter 12 features multiple [[spoiler:Yuo]] suicide victims, beginning with Isanami and her friends, who're later found dead in the lake.
** Misaki sensed [[MySignificanceSenseIsTingling the stench of death]] on Koshigaya, before he was also found dead along with Isanami's group.
** A flashback shows that [[spoiler:Gada's]] older brother was also a suicide victim.
** Near the end of chapter 17, Detective Gada arranges for [[spoiler:Haru to meet with Yuo, face-to-face]]. During the meeting, she collapses in mental exhaustion. She recovers soon afterward, but says she feels ill and asks to go to the women's room.... where she [[spoiler:leaps to her death]].
* DudeMagnet: Misaki has three guys crushing on her. She's also one of the most frequently requested doms at the Roppongi S&M Club...not that she cares for any of the attention.
* FanService: Everywhere in this manga. There are multiple nude scenes, and even multiple sex scenes, particularly lesbian sex scenes, and the main character is constantly shown in lingerie style dominatrix outfits. For a shounen series, it is surprisingly graphic.
* FootFocus: Misaki is frequently barefoot, especially whe she's lounging around her apartment. At one point, she causes Kadotake [[DistractedByTheSexy to nearly swerve off the road]] by extending her bare foot past his face and flexing it.
* ForcedOrgasm: Considering Misaki's [[{{Dominatrix}} line of work]] it was inevitable. Mr. Shimamura takes her by surprise and goes down on her. She's shown visibly struggling and begging him to stop, only to end up with her back arched and screaming in pleasure moments later. She even thanks [[spoiler: his ghost]] for it at the end of the chapter!
* FuroScene: Episodes 3 and 4 of the anime features Misaki visiting different onsens and hotsprings that're rumored to stimulate hair growth "down there". The manga essentially covers the same story in chapter 11.
* GayBestFriend: Misaki's closest friend is her co-worker, Shizue, who's [[StraightGay a lesbian]]. The subject only comes up once, in chapter 5, when Misaki asks her why she went public with it but changes her mind and drops it before Shizue can answer her.
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Invoked by Shizue in chapter 5 when she arranges to do a photo shoot for a lesbian magazine, featuring herself and Misaki doing S&M play. [[AllMenArePerverts The photographers]] were snapping so many shots that they were running out of film.
* GoingCommando: Invoked when Misaki had to honor her agreement to give her panties to a magazine editor as the first place prize for one of their contests, leaving her in nothing but her jean skirt.
%%* HarmfulToMinors: This applies to Ai and [[spoiler:Mitsuru]]. For details regarding Ai, [[YMMV/GhostTalkersDaydream go here]] and see 'The Woobie'. [[spoiler:Mitsuru's]] is covered under the [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech "Reason You Suck"]] entry on this page.
* {{Hermaphrodite}}: [[spoiler:Haru]] is revealed to be one as part of her backstory, which led to being ridiculed and bullied at school. This also caused problems in her relationship with [[spoiler:Gada]] and eventually caused [[spoiler:Haru]] to develop a deep-seated [[FemaleMisogynist hatred of other women]].
* HiddenEyes: When Misaki channels Ichinose, a deceased murderer, her eyes aren't visible.
* ImmodestOrgasm: Misaki experiences her first one on the job when [[SalaryMan Shimamura]] takes her by surprise by [[spoiler: going down on her]].
* ISeeDeadPeople:
** Misaki has seen spirits since childhood and eventually learned she was a medium[[note]]a spiritual conduit by which the deceased can communicate with the living[[/note]]. As such, spirits have always been drawn to her, when [[ReluctantHero all she wants is for them to leave her alone]].
** Ai begins to see spirits after helping Misaki unravel the events that led to the murder of Ai's older sister [[spoiler:and the accidental death of her niece]]. From then on, Ai begins to look up to Misaki and hopes to become just like her. However, Misaki [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids believes Ai's better off ignoring spirits]]. [[spoiler:During the events of chapter 12, Misaki finally accepts her as her backup.]]
* JailbaitWait: [[spoiler:Misaki]] promises to [[spoiler:[[{{dominatrix}} punish Mitsuru]]]] once he's turned 18.
* {{Jerkass}}: Detective Gada. There's no level he won't stoop to for the sake of his investigation, from [[KickTheDog bullying Ai]] into making her perform a necromancy session against her will, to beating [[spoiler:Mitsuru]] for interrupting the session, and even going as far as to use [[spoiler:Haru]] to lure Misaki into a trap, so he could drug her in an attempt to use her as well.
* KickTheDog: [[spoiler:Detective Gada]] forces Ai to conduct a necromancy session, even though she told him she didn't know how to do it.
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Haru]], shortly after meeting [[spoiler:Yuo]].
* KillTheCutie: [[spoiler:Done unintentionally to Miku, [[TearJerker though it doesn't make it any easier to watch.]] The flashback depicting it [[ViolenceDiscretionShot cuts away just before it happens.]]]]
* KissingCousins: As revealed in a letter given to Kadotake shortly before committing suicide, Totsuka and his lover Kika (who had committed suicide earlier) were cousins in addition to being [[spoiler:half-siblings]].
* KnightInSourArmor: It isn't that Misaki doesn't care about helping the departed move on, she's just tired of being bothered with it, but also realizes they're not gonna leave her alone until she does, [[MagneticMedium because they're naturally drawn to her]]. Thus, the only way she can find a moment's peace is to help them find ''theirs''.
* LegFocus: Misaki's definitely got legs. This is the other reason Kadotake almost had that car accident, since [[AllMenArePerverts he couldn't help]] looking past her foot to admire the rest of it. [[MaleGaze So does the camera.]]
* LipstickLesbian: Shizue doesn't fit either extreme, making her [[StraightGay a straight]] example. Her [[BoyishShortHair hair's short]] and she tends to dress casually, but she's still feminine. Notably, however, this seems to change as the story goes one. After her introductory chapter, she cuts her hair even shorter and starts wearing straight up boyish clothing, seemingly becoming more butch as the story goes on. It maybe that the dramatic events she went through earlier in the story induced a change.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Misaki had already become one for Kadotake, from the story's outset. Mitsuru is also emotionally dependent on her, albeit for different reasons. And by the time of vol.8, he needs Ai as well.
* TheLoinsSleepTonight: Chapter 7 reveals that Misaki nearly lost her virginity at age 16, but her lack of pubic hair reminded him too much of his younger sister, putting an end to their activities.
* LonersAreFreaks: Misaki was shunned by her classmates as a child because her ability to see spirits frightened them, while others thought she was weird.
* MagneticMedium: Misaki is [[TheGift a gifted medium]], due to having been trained since childhood by her grandmother. As such, spirits are naturally drawn to her.
* MaleFrontalNudity: Unlike the ladies, if a male spirit is in the nude, his genitals will be drawn, although not in full detail.
* MaleGaze: Both Misaki and Ai are subjected to this at different points. In some cases, one panel focuses on Ai's legs and the main panel is centered squarely on her thighs and panties.
* ManipulativeBastard: Yuo manipulated dozens of people into committing suicide (often group suicide) and many of them, before or even after their deaths, were helping him with dragging others into this because they saw him as their Messiah.
* MissingMom: All Misaki knows is that her parents split up, though she neither knows what caused the split, or what became of her mother afterwards. [[spoiler:The final chapter reveals that she's in a hospital suffering from some sort of mental illness.]]
* ModestyBedsheet: The anime version uses both this and ModestyTowel to censor certain scenes where Misaki is either [[SleepsInTheNude sleeping in the nude]] or bathing. It gets {{subverted}} in the final scene of the last episode, when her towel comes undone and falls off, exposing her breasts.
* MoodWhiplash: This applies mainly to the manga version, which can be lighthearted and humorous one moment, and downright creepy and unsettling the next, along with copious amounts of both {{fanservice}} and FanDisservice, depending on on how you feel about S&M, [[RapeAsDrama realistic depictions of rape]], and [[spoiler:nude spirits]].
* MsFanservice: Misaki provides the vast majority of the T&A in the series, if not ''all'' of it.
* MurderSuicide: The truth of what really happened to [[spoiler:Yuo's parents]]. In the final chapter, it is revealed that this is also functionally how Grudge Transfer Specialists work. They take a dead person's grudge, generally someone who commits suicide for that very purpose, turn it into a curse, and transfer it over to a specific target so that the target can be killed by the grudge that the previously deceased person created, effectively making it a suicide induced murder from beyond the grave. The specialists don't particularly care whether or not the person holding the grudge has a legitimate grievance or not, though many times they do. They merely carry out their job and curse someone to death. This is what ends up happening to [[spoiler:Luna]].
* MurderTheHypotenuse: [[spoiler:Hijiri's]] ghost refuses to be parted from [[spoiler:Mitsuru]] and was responsible for the deaths of Toudou Satomi and [[spoiler:housing department consultant, Futaba]], for examining her apartment in an attempt to exorcise her. She was also responsible for the death of Kubota Ryouji, and nearly succeeds in [[spoiler:killing Misaki and Mitsuru's father, for also attempting to exorcise her spirit]]. She makes makes another attempt in chapter 15, when Misaki revisits the apartment to exorcise the spirits of [[spoiler:Hijiri]]'s other victims, even going so far as to [[spoiler:turn Kinui against her]].
** A flashback in the following chapter reveals Lisa's boyfriend, Shibasaki, was murdered by her ex out of jealousy, after they broke up.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: [[spoiler:Yuo]] tries to invoke this with Misaki, believing they were the same as both grew up being expected to conform to the norms of society, despite feeling isolated from it (albeit for different reasons). This also leads him to believe she's the only one fit to judge him since, in ''his eyes'', [[AboveGoodAndEvil the morals of the world don't apply to her]]. [[YouKeepTellingYourselfThat Misaki disagrees.]]
* OccultDetective: Misaki is a freelance medium who occasionally works with Kadotake, a liaisons officer from the Livelihood Preservation Group[[note]]a government agency that investigates paranormal activity and performs exorcisms, in the interest of public safety[[/note]].
* OfCorsetsSexy: Misaki almost always wears her S&M attire under her street clothes, which leads to public embarrassment in the first episode, when [[spoiler:Kadotake trips and pulls down her dress, exposing her lingerie for all to see]]. This is also the reason [[StalkerWithACrush Mitsuru]] follows her around.
* OhCrap: Mitsuru [[WideEyesAndShrunkenIrises damn near]] [[TearsOfFear shits himself]] when Misaki finally meets him again in chapter 12. Thankfully, Ai tells Misaki that Mitsuru is no longer stalking her and asks Misaki to forgive him. [[spoiler:Misaki agrees to let it drop and even promises Mitsuru that she'll service him once he's of legal age.]]
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: The reason Misaki works both her jobs, even though she doesn't care for either profession. [[spoiler:Her attitude towards necromancy changes during chapter 12; see the YouCantFightFate entry down below.]]
* OnsenEpisode: Misaki is worried about her lack of pubic hair and visits several onsens that are rumored to remedy the problem.
* OutWithABang: [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ch.3. Misaki is questioned by the police about Shimamura's death and made to describe their session, so she gives them all the lurid details, including how it ended with him giving her oral sex then defecating and ejaculating. She channels his spirit just enough to reveal the location of the suicide note he left, and the chapter concludes with her saying a prayer for his spirit and thanking him for giving her her first on-the-job orgasm.
* ParanormalInvestigation: Misaki and Kadotake investigate murder and suicide cases, to uncover the circumstances that led to the victims' deaths. Afterwards, Misaki exorcises them by helping them find closure so they can move on to the afterlife.
* ParentalAbandonment: Misaki's parents left her to the care of her grandparents so she could develop her paranormal abilities.
* ParentalIncest: [[spoiler:Mitsuru]] finds out his father used to sexually molest his younger sister-in-law, when she lets him see for himself, during the necromancy session in chapter 9. A later chapter reveals that she had a previous step-father, implying that [[spoiler:Mitsuru]]'s father wasn't the molester, but just gets dumped with the unhappiness of her spirit.
* PerpetualFrowner: This is Misaki's default expression for much of the manga. Instances where she's genuinely smiling, or happy, are rare.
* PhoneCallFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Inspector Gada]] overhears a literal phone conversation between [[spoiler:Isanami]] and Koshigaya, after their deaths, while he's in [[spoiler:the realm of the dead]].
* PoliceAreUseless: {{Averted}}, as the series shows the Livelihood Preservation Group and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police working toward solving various suicide and murder cases. Much of vol. 8, in particular, is spent detailing what they've learned over the course of their investigation concerning Yuo and the ''Rock 'n Roll Suicide BBS'' website and also uncovering Yuo's true objective. Vol. 9 shows various precincts canvassing each of the known BBS-heavy prefectures to try determine the location of "The Flame of Lament"[[note]]the reenactment of a protest by a group of Shinto and Buddhist priests who committed suicide at an abandoned temple, by way of immolation[[/note]] to prevent it from taking place.
* ProductPlacement: It crops up here and there in the manga version.
** The first page of chapter 5 shows Misaki playing ''VideoGame/FZero'' on a UsefulNotes/GameboyAdvance. She says she likes it and thinks about getting a link cable for it.
** The same chapter shows Ai eating an Egg [=McMuffin=] from UsefulNotes/McDonalds.
** Chapter 12 shows that Kadotake smokes Malboro Lights brand cigarettes.
* RapeAsDrama:
** In the first episode, Ai is nearly raped by Koga while making a return visit to her sister's abandoned apartment. Fortunately, Misaki had been led there by her sister's spirit, which unnerves Koga, causing him to run off.
** The murder victim in chapter 4, who fell prey to a serial killer who pretended to offer her a ride home. Instead, he took her to a deserted ally where he raped and beat her. What came after [[NightmareFuel/GhostTalkersDaydream can be seen here.]]
** During [[spoiler:Mitsuru's]] backstory, it's implied that he was raped by [[spoiler:Hijiri]], whom he met through the internet. One scene shows them in bed together during the time he was living with her, but makes it unclear whether it was consensual, as he appeared to be unresponsive.
* RapeAndRevenge: As a result of Muraoka raping and killing a female passenger, when his friend Shigeura got cold feet and came to him for advice about what to do with her. Misaki eventually realizes what happened and uses herself as bait to lure Muraoka back to Inbanuma so their deceased spirits could exact karmic justice.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivered to [[spoiler:Mitsuru]] from his sister-in-law's ghost, when she taunts him about whether he [[spoiler:stole the panties off her corpse]] and what he probably did with them, then tells him that [[spoiler:their father was [[ParentalIncest getting the "real thing" from her]]]].
* ReluctantHero: Truth be told, Misaki would really rather not be bothered with spirits, since all it's ever done is cause problems for her. As a kid, other children steered clear of her because her ability to see spirits alienated them, and her adulthood isn't much better in that regard.
* SalaryMan: Mr. Shimamura, who used to work at a manga magazine publishing company and was also one of Misaki's regulars, before [[spoiler: committing suicide]].
* SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud: Done by Ai, when she "yoinks" the cigarette from Kadotake's mouth, at the beginning of chapter 12.
* SceneryPorn: We could easily say the manga in its entirety, due to the painstaking attention to detail in each scene, but two scenes from chapter 12 is where it really shows.
* SelfHarm: Mitsuru cuts his arm to snap himself out of the shock of a CatapultNightmare combined with seeing [[spoiler:Hijiri's ghost lying next to him]].
* SexForSolace: One way to look at Misaki [[spoiler:having sex with Luna in the final chapter, despite having shown no interest in women up to that point,]] is that she was simply looking for some form of physical comfort or emotional support after the disastrous end to the previous chapter.
* ShrinkingViolet: Ai is a quiet, sweet, submissive girl for most of the story, and not really the type to be proactive. She grows out of this by the end of the story.
* SilentConversation: Takes place in chapter 17, when Misaki [[spoiler: finally meets with Yuo]]. To Gada and the others, it appeared they were sitting in silence, when they were conversing within their minds, where [[spoiler:Yuo]] explains the circumstances that led to the eventual suicides of Satomi, Ryouji, [[spoiler:Hijiri]] and [[spoiler:Haru]]
* StalkerWithACrush: PlayedStraight and [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]] with Mitsuru.
** According to Shizue, he became a fan of Misaki's back when she first started publishing her [[{{dominatrix}} "Mistress" column]] and frequently sent her love letters. At one point, he even showed up at the Roppongi Club as a client, but Misaki [[EveryoneHasStandards refused]] because he was only 17.
** Mitsuru has even gone so far as to [[spoiler:bug her apartment]] and stole a drawer full of her panties, but left [[spoiler:$1,000 so she could buy new ones]].
** The guy even has [[spoiler:recordings of her using the bathroom]] and even lets Kadotake have one, as a sign of appreciation for taking him along to [[spoiler:find Misaki]]. [[TearsOfJoy Kadotake is deeply moved.]]
* StockingFiller: Considering [[{{Dominatrix}} Misaki's line of work]], this one's a given and, like her bare feet, you'll be seeing plenty of them, especially when she's pulling them on.
* StrictlyProfessionalRelationship: As much as Kadotake might wish otherwise, that's the long and short of their partnership, as far as Misaki's concerned.
** The last chapter, however, ends on a very ambiguous note, with Misaki finding herself in the exact same situation she was in earlier in the chapter when [[spoiler:Luna came on to her]], except with Misaki in [[spoiler:Luna's position where she was standing over and watching the object of her affection peeing]], with Kadotake now in Misaki's position doing the peeing. The story leaves it ambiguous however if this new situation ends the exact same way as the first situation, with [[spoiler:Misaki coming on to Kadotake the same way Luna came on to her]].
* {{Stripperific}}: Though she dislikes her job as a dominatrix, Misaki tends to dress as one when working as an exorcist (complete with CombatStilettos), even though such clothing is hardly sensible in dangerous situations. It's heavily implied she does it for atmosphere, since the more afraid a medium is, the worse an exorcism tends to go.
* SuicideByCop: How Koga chooses to die, because he couldn't forgive himself for having killed [[spoiler:Miku]]. He entices Misaki to kill him by pretending to have no remorse for what he'd done. She sees through it, but still grants him what he wants.
* TechnicalVirgin: At least, that how Misaki sees it, since she's never "done the deed" with anyone. Still, there was that one time Shimamura [[ImmodestOrgasm got her off pretty good]], by [[spoiler:eating her out]].
** Misaki later brings this up to [[spoiler:Luna when the latter brings the former to a hotel for sex, maybe to dissuade her from penetration]]. The latter's response is to simply tell Misaki that she has other way of making her feel good.
* TemptingFate: The building superintendent asks Kadotake to check Ai's sister's apartment for ghosts. Which he agreed to ''only'' because the superintendent said he hadn't seen any around, leading Kadotake to believe it was safe to go in alone. [[Funny/GhostTalkersDaydream Boy, was he wrong.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: While Misaki is on vacation, Ai is press-ganged into helping with medium work. While she doesn't do as great a job as Misaki, she eventually reaches PluckyGirl status, enough to become a MoralityPet to [[{{Hikkikomori}} Mitsuru]].
* UndyingLoyalty: Ms. Kuraki's guard dog, Meri. If anyone tries to harm her, he'll know... and he'll find you. Even if he has to do it from beyond the grave.
* WardrobeMalfunction: Kadotake trips and grabs Misaki's dress while falling down, causing it to rip off and reveal her sexy lingerie underwear.
* WeaponSpecialization: [[{{Dominatrix}} Naturally]], Misaki has a whip. Its name is "[[ICallItVera Kinui]]"[[note]][[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast "Demon]] [[BilingualBonus Thread"]][[/note]] and it's [[EmpathicWeapon alive]]. It also [[ImAHumanitarian feeds on flesh]], as seen at the end of the first book, when Misaki allows Kinui to eat Koga. [[spoiler:Kinui is eventually revealed to have been made using Misaki's mother's hair. She burns Kinui, but later has a new version made using her own hair.]]
* WillingChanneler: The only way for Misaki to communicate with the deceased is to allow them to temporarily possess her body and speak through her. Ai also begins to develop this ability in the later part of the manga.
* YouCantFightFate: Misaki gets told this while she's on vacation and meets Hiratsuka, who's a retired medium. She tells Misaki that even if she tried to quit being a necromancer, the spirits would still be drawn to her anyway because [[TheGift she's got the gift]] and she's their only hope of tying up any loose ends that're binding them to this world.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Most of the time Misaki looks, acts, and is treated like someone way older than 19. It also overlaps with her being [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Wise Beyond Her Years]]

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