Tatakau Shisho (translated to "Armed Librarians") is a 2005 series of Japanese light novels about a fantasy world in which people turn into stone tablets called "books" after they die. People can read these books to learn of its history. The Armed Librarians is an organisation of superpowered individuals who collect and guard these books in the Library of Bantorra. The series follows the struggle of the Librarians against its nemesis: the Church of Drowning in Gods Grace.
The series consists out of several story arcs which are all more complex than they initially seem. Additionally, all story arcs are interconnected and culminate into a massive Jigsaw Puzzle Plot.
The 2009 anime adaptation, Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra, is a 27-episode anime licensed by Sentai Filmworks and is currently streaming
on HIDIVE.
Tatakau Shisho provides examples of:
- Anyone Can Die: This series has an immense body count.
- Anti-Hero: Several characters, but especially Hamyuts Meseta, who at times may approach Villain Protagonist levels.
- Black-and-Gray Morality
- Brainwashed: Valkan makes off with one of the books in a war machine. Barring a Face–Heel Turn, this seems the most expedient cause.
- Combat Sadomasochist: Hamyuts Meseta was displaying signs of this from the very beginning but what she displayed in the semifinal episode was downright
creepy. Though, to be fair, she was deliberately conditioned to be that way. - Dark Messiah: Shiron Byacornise has the power to save everyone. She does so by selling off a cure to a disease to the highest bidder.
- "Dinner, Bath, or Sex" Offer: Hamyuts Meseta asks if Mallatast (who she considers her "boytoy") wants "dinner, bath, or me?". Mallatast chooses the sex, and Bridal Carries her to their bedroom.
- Disc-One Final Boss: Two major-looking villains turn out to be fake. One gets a Heel–Face Turn, and the other is killed within episode 4.
- Dismantled MacGuffin: A book is shattered into several pieces, showing the life of a girl who was used by the church.
- Hanging by the Fingers: Hamyuts Meseta (anime version, at least) from the side of a train.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Volken, Colio Tonies
- Hot Librarian: Pretty much all of them, since they are fairly attractive.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Meseta, twice. And she enjoyed it.
- Interesting Situation Duel: Hamyuts Meseta fights one of the villains on a moving train.
- I Was Quite a Looker: Irea, which is revealed in the final episode when she shows up in Roruta's soulscape in a younger form.
- Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: As magical sword blocks any oncoming attacks.
- Magical Library: All dead souls become books, so the nation's graveyards are basically this.
- Magic Librarian: Armed Librarians especially.
- Navel-Deep Neckline: Hamyuts Meseta shirt has a plunging neckline. Irea too, when she was younger.
- Razor Floss: While not strictly sharp, Hamyuts Meseta can use a telekinetic thread that can cut about the same way a whip can.
- Scary Librarian: Hamyuts Meseta, including ripping a bomb out of someone's chest with her bare hands and having a power similar to Razor Floss.
- Seers: At least two, one of whom - Shiron - is so powerful she can see into the future even though she's now a book (possibly centuries later).
- Shout-Out: Shulamuffen, the demon sword carried by Shiron and by one of the early villains, looks like something from Witchblade.
- Stripperific: Noloty Malche's outfit◊ qualifies◊.
- Yuri, a relatively minor Armed Librarian from episode 16, definitely qualifies after trading her winter coat for a transparent nighty over a Black Bra and Panties.
- Superpower Lottery: Characters able to absorb the magic rights of the owners of books usually fall straight into this category.
- The Reveal: In the anime, Hamyuts reveals to Volken that the Church of Drowning in Gods Grace was created by the Armed Librarians, making it look like they're at war with each other.
- Tyke-Bomb: Several characters both good and bad.
- Variable-Length Chain Hamyuts Meseta can use a telekinetic thread of variable length.
- White Hair, Black Heart: Ruruta, and sometimes Zatoh depending on whether it's Enlike or the real Zatoh in charge. Curiously, the show plays around with the usual connotations and turns the hair-colour into a plot point.
