1001 Knights - Cover of the first manga volume - artist: Yukiru Sugisaki
1001 Knights is a manga series created by Yukiru Sugisaki, which ran in the shoujo magazine Monthly Asuka from 2012 to 2017 (a notable feat, since Sugisaki is known for abandoning her projects).
Naito Fuuga and his twin brother Yuta Fuuga are working together in an investigative agency. Their father isn't living together with them, his monthly payment serves as a proof of him being alright. One day the father disappeared without a trace and so Naito and Yuta are searching for him. Their journey leads them to Dubai where other people just like them work who also have a seal on their body. Said seal grants mysterious powers to the ones who possess it and gives them excess to an unknown world full of adventures.
1001 Knights provides examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: Naito and Yuta are living alone even though they are minors. Their father only sends payments and the uncle isn't helping much either.
- Ambiguous Criminal History: Rubaiyat was sealed away for being "naughty" (causing chaos). It was never revealed what exactly he did wrong.
- And Your Reward Is Infancy: After Naito failed to save Yuta (who turned evil when coming to the Ghost Star, due to his preincarnation) we see at the end that Yuta was turned into a baby to save him. He seems to have a happy childhood with his older brother Naito.
- Benevolent Genie: Rubaiyat doesn't care about other humans but he is willing to follow Naito's wishes.
- Big Brother Attraction: Yuta is attracted to his older twin brother Naito.
- Big Little Brother: Yuta is one head taller than his older twin brother Naito. They are twins but they put always emphasis on how Naito is older than Yuta and his "big brother".
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Enda (Uldan's genie) who is pretty strong but doesn't want to fight and rather wants to enjoy life/drinking.
- Conveniently Timed Distraction: Naito being asked unpleasant questions by Rubaiyat until Shakt comes into the room and (unintentionally) "saves" him.
- Devoted to You: Rubaiyat will do anything for Naito.
- Did You Just Romance Cthulhu?: Rubaiyat, the most powerful genie, is deeply in love with Naito: declaring his love, kissing and clinging to him. In the end Naito develops some sort of feelings for him as well.
- Dual Age Modes: Genies don't have a stable form and therefore their appearance shifts sometimes.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: For most readers Naito might look like a guy. However in the world of 1001 Knights many people are mistaking him for a woman.
- Even the Guys Want Him: Naito attracting guys because he looks very feminine.
- Fanservice Costumes: Enda wearing tight clothes which expose his belly, Alf Layla being shirtless all the time and Rubaiyat only wearing very short pants together with accessories.
- Dying Declaration of Love: Yuta telling Naito that he loves him and should have told him sooner, before dying.
- Flying Carpet: Naito buys a carpet that turns out to be a flying carpet. The carpet is depicted in an anthropomorphic way, saving Naito from falling down and is shown to feel emotion to some extend.
- Forceful Kiss: Rubaiyat kisses Naito even though he didn't want to kiss a guy.
- Healing Hands: Or in this case rather "healing head": Naito is able to heal others while touching them with his forehead no matter if it's a deep cut or poisoning.
- If It's You, It's Okay: Naito says throughout the manga that he's attracted to girls. But at the end the kiss with Rubaiyat was mutual and he tells him that he loves him and will wait until he is done with his task and comes back to him.
- I Owe You My Life: Rubaiyat was sealed away and Alnilam (Naito's preincarnation) freed him. Rubaiyat promised that he will only live for her from now on.
- Kiss Diss: Naito feeling attracted to Rubaiyat for a moment and leaning in to a kiss because he feels the love that his preincarnation princess Alnilam had for Rubaiyat but then runs away saying he is Naito and not Alnilam.
- Magically-Binding Contract: The contracts between genies and their masters. Other example: Bahce/Birch has one dark and one normal eye because of an unfulfilled contract that her father set up for her.
- Now or Never Kiss:: Yuta kisses Naito because he might die.
- Official Kiss: Naito always tries to avoid being kissed by Rubaiyat. As their journey went on they grew closer and they share a kiss scene where both consent to show that their relationship progressed.
- Older Than They Look: Rubaiyat and some other genies are more than 300 years old but look like they are less than 30 years old.
- One True Love: For Rubaiyat Naito's soul is the only thing he loves no matter what Naito will become or who he was.
- Overused Running Gag: No matter where Naito is, there are always people mistaking him for a girl/woman.
- Past-Life Memories: Sometimes Naito remembers scenes from his previous life with Rubaiyat.
- Reincarnation: Naito's preincarnation was princess Alnilam and Yuta was prince Saif before they were reborn.
- Reincarnation Romance: Rubaiyat was in love with the person who Naito was in his past life and keeps on declaring his love for him. in the last volume (10) Naito said that he loves Rubaiyat but doesn't know yet what "kind of love" it is. There was also a mutual kiss.
- Supernaturally Young Parent: Naito's mother who looks younger than her son.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: The food served to Aslut and Zamul is always poisoned (until they found the culprit)
- Three Wishes: "One for yourself, one for another and one for a promise" implies that you have three wishes. Nonetheless it is shown that the genie has to do what the master demands no matter how many things the genie has already done for them.
- Twincest: It is shown at the beginning that Yuta was close to kiss his twin brother Naito but then stopped. later on in the final chapters we see Yuta how he kisses Naito on his lips and telling him that he's in love with him. However it seems like Naito doesn't feel the same way.
- Unwanted Harem: Many guys that come across Naito think of him as beautiful (or mistake him for a girl) and have a crush on him. But some girls seem to like him, too.
- Will Talk for a Price: Birch's father will tell Naito where his brother Yuta is, if he gets something in return.
