History Manga / GambleFish

** Abidani. The kanji in his name and shout of "Avi" are pretty ominous, referring to "Abi-kyoukan": agonizing cries, Pandemonium, or more precisely the Avici Hell, the Eighth Hell in Buddhism and the most painful of them. You could therefore interpret his name as "Valley of agonizing cries," raising a bit of "why the hell didn't his family change names?" Also, "kyoukan" from "Abi-kyoukan" can be read both as "screams," and as "instructor," which is appropriate since he technically is a teacher.

* RushmoreRefacement: Mister Abidani is challenged by the President of the United States to a game of Russian Roulette Poker. If the President Wins, Abidani (or his corpse) is taken into the custody of the US government so [[spoiler:they can study the code-breaking math formulas he tattooed on his skin]]. If Abidani wins, the President adds his face to Mount Rushmore. Abidani wins, and the epilogue of the series show his face on Mount Rushmore along with a blurb about the United States citizens being very upset and confused. The President can only say it was "for the sake of national security."

** The literally larger than life Headmaster, Isamu Shishido also qualifies as a LargeHam of epic proportions. They even speak using epic expressions and speech patterns which this troper had only witnessed in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', all of which would of course normally be unfit for normal Japanese conversation in modern day.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: [[spoiler: King Omaha is UsefulNotes/BarackObama in every sense aside from his name. As well as his cabinet members.]]

** Yoshio Yoizame is a visual one to Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, an ex-guitarist of Music/TheMisfits.

** Yoshio Yoizame is one to Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, an ex-guitarist of Music/TheMisfits.
** King Omaha is one to UsefulNotes/BarackObama.

* ShoutOut: The Con Artist in the Gamble Tournament gets stopped by the group and Mika throwing a high heel shoe at his forehead. His response when he is arrested?

* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Self-inflicted by Tomu to protect himself from Emily's Rainbow Dawn. It's later revealed he faked this, instead destroying his ear drums]]
* {{Fanservice}}: It will be seen, for example, Tsukiyono stripping naked in chapter five. It's everywhere, and so blatant, a blind man couldn't miss it. And as the story goes on, the fanservice gets more and more explicit and exaggerated. Every female character in the series end half naked and in embrassing pose with the peak during the last arc.

* GiveMeASign: [[spoiler: Abidani pretty much goes insane trying to get a sign from God if he should publish his mathematical formula which he believes has the possibility to destroy the world.]]

* IdenticalGranddaughter: Mika could pass as her grandmother's twin when she was the same age. Becomes a plot point [[spoiler: when Tengu mistakes her for her grandmother]].

* InterruptedDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler: Mika attempts to confess her feelings for Tomu before he heads out for the final match against Abidani, but he tells her he had to go and will listen to what she has to say after the match is over. Could double as an AnguishedDeclarationOfLove as Mika knew that the match was one where the loser will die and laments she may never get another chance to tell him]].

* JerkassRealization: [[spoiler: Emily Dawn once Tomu beats her in the rabbit flag game]].
* KissOfDistraction: Tomu first does this on [[spoiler: Mayo Hanasaki when she tried to commit suicide via drinking a vial of poison. He stopped her from swallowing, sucking the poison out and spitting it to the ground]]. He later does this with [[spoiler: Emily Dawn to catch her off guard and win the Flag Capture game, tricking her into thinking he's under the influence of her Rainbow Dawn eye]].

** During the tournament, also [[spoiler: King Omaha]], who acts more like TheMessiah than like a president.

* LooksLikeOrlok: Abidani. He's a vindictive, macabre, sadistic character with a bald head, a very angular face, spindly limbs, a hooked nose, elf ears, a slight hunch and spiky teeth. [[spoiler: This appearance was caused due to Abidani being nearly electrocuted to death by an electric chair as a young man.]]
* MadMathematician: Abandi is revealed to be one of these. In specific, he believes to discover a message from God itself within his mathematics. [[spoiler: He tests whether or not he should share his discovery with anyone by suicidal exploits in hopes of testing whether or not God would protect him, ultimately leading to his StartOfDarkness when he's electrocuted and believes he came BackFromTheDead.]]

* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler: Mika, for Tomu. With a PantyShot!]]

%%* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Gokijima.

** King Omaha, President of the United States, lives and breathes the positive side of this trope. He exudes patriotism and honor in just about every panel he's in. On the other hand, there are those (especially in America) who consider him an obnoxious Type 2 ParodySue, with his admittedly MartyStu-esque actions throughout the story (such as reversing the RapidAging of two young girls by draping them with an American flag to taking on the main villain in RussianRoulette and ''surviving'' the headshot) being satire of Obama's more...''[[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment controversial]]'' aspects and depictions, if not America's in general.

* HeroicSecondWind: Just when President Omaha is about to give into the fear of his Russian Roulette penalty, [[spoiler: [[http://www.mangahere.co/manga/gamble_fish/v15/c131/17.html the spirit of Abraham Lincoln show up.]] Thanks to the 16th POTUS,]] [[http://www.mangahere.co/manga/gamble_fish/v15/c131/20.html Omaha renewed his conviction and pulled the trigger without any hesitation.]]

* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Gokijima.

* NoblewomansLaugh: Mika Shishidou.

* ObviouslyEvil: '''Abidani'''. [[http://i11.mangareader.net/gamble-fish/48/gamble-fish-1492749.jpg Just '''look''' at him.]]
** [[spoiler: Subverted somewhat with King Omaha. While he is based on real life UsefulNotes/BarackObama as a positive political figure, his motive is more than questionable when he's willing to borrow 800 billion USD of taxpayer money on a bet.]]
* OhCrap: You would too if [[http://www.mangareader.net/gamble-fish/76/8 this happened to you]].

** [[spoiler: Mizuhara is revealed to play this online in his free time under the alias Kaiser Mizuhara. [[http://mangafox.me/manga/gamble_fish/v11/c093/10.html It is because of this he is actually a very skilled poker player.]]]]

* WaifFu: Natsumi may look delicate, but she's got a surprisingly strong punch. [[http://www.mangahere.co/manga/gamble_fish/v10/c101/9.html Gokijima learns this the hard way and gets floored after Tomu realized he was disguised as the chef.]]

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/BarackObama... I mean "King Omaha" turns out to be the Surprise Guest at the Gamble Tournament.]]

Now has a [[Characters/GambleFish character page]] that desperately NeedsWikiMagicLove.

* BadassGrandpa:
** Or Badass Great Grandfather, Isamu Shishidou the principle of the Shishihou School. 95 and he looks like [[http://www.mangahere.co/manga/gamble_fish/v10/c082/8.html this]].
** [[spoiler:Tengu, who has to at least be in his 60s-80s for having a relationship with Mika's grandmother at 18]].

* CPRCleanPrettyReliable: Tomu does this on [[spoiler: Jasmine Night after destroying the fishbowl chamber to revive her from drowning. Comically, his harem was upset at the mouth to mouth with another woman]].

* CuteIndignantGirlStance: Natsumi Kimura reacts this way out of jealousy when the other members of Tomu's harem start glomping him. Additionally, her pigtails go up on either side for Ruleof Funny.

** King Omaha, President of the United States, lives and breathes the positive side of this trope. He exudes patriotism and honor in just about every panel he's in. On the other hand, there are those (especially in America) who consider him an obnoxious Type 2 ParodySue, with his admittedly MartyStu-esque actions throughout the story (such as reversing the RapidAging of two young girls by draping them with an American flag to taking on the main villain in RussianRoulette and ''surviving'' the headshot) being satire of Obama's more...''[[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment controversial]]'' aspects and depictions, if not America's in general.

* RefugeInAudacity: Tomu's favorite tactic in battle. When faced with the worst possible situation for him, he'll attempt something so daring that at first glance looks totally crazy, with one of the two following goals in mind : it will give him an absolute edge due to LoopholeAbuse, or it will just MindScrew his opponent out of his brains. To the point this gets lampshaded to him in later arcs. And most of the time he pulls it off and this results in a well deserved CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty:
** Even though Tomu has self-imposed limits on what he will do and not do in a fight, he still outright cheats several times to win. His defense when called upon it by his opponents? "You didn't catch me, you can't prove it, so you suck as a gambler (or whatever game is going on). Also, if I win, I shall have you take back these words." Most of the time though, it's just LoopholeAbuse with the rules, or really sly motions to lure his opponents in thinking he played one move instead of another. It also helps referees in such matches do abide to LiteralGenie interpretations and agree to LoopholeAbuse just for the lulz.
** Not to mention he is able to cheat in a way where if his opponent calls him out on it, they would have to admit they cheated themselves.
** However, he understands this rule both ways. As if someone does this to him, he accepts his set back or defeat as his fault for not catching it.
** Also Abidani applies this into his referring, if he catches them cheating, he will not call out either player on it unless the players themselves catch it. Even if one of the players is someone he hired.

* TheGamblingAddict: Oddly enough there has yet to be a character that shows an addiction to gambling.

** The literally larger than life Headmaster, Isamu Shishido also qualifies as a LargeHam of epic proportions. They even speak using epic expressions and speech patterns which this troper had only witnessed in ''FistOfTheNorthStar'', all of which would of course normally be unfit for normal Japanese conversation in modern day.

* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Pretty much TheSeries. The whole story is about people challenging each other in such games.

* BeyondTheImpossible: [[spoiler: Closely related to BackFromTheDead. How do you otherwise call surviving a Russian Roulette with a fully loaded 10-shot gun? The trick though is still awesome.]]

* CPRCleanPrettyReliable: Tomu does this on [[spoiler: Jasmine Night after destroying the fishbowl chamber to revive her from drowning. Comically, his harem was upset at the mouth to mouth with another woman]].

* DrowningPit: Used in one of the Class Reunion battles.
* {{Eagleland}}: King Omaha, President of the United States, lives and breathes the positive side of this trope.

* {{Expy}}: [[spoiler: King Omaha is UsefulNotes/BarackObama in every sense aside from his name. As well as his cabinet members.]]

* GracefulLoser: Tomu whenever he is the victim of someone else's schemes.
** [[spoiler: Abidani after losing to Tomu in the electric chair blackjack match]].

* LooksLikeOrlok: Abidani.