History Anime / Kigeki

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Gives the animation an aged and very Gothic feel. It also brings out the more vivid colours, such as the little girl's GreenEyes, and the red of all that blood.

* GreenEyes: The little girl has a particularly vivid pair, emphasized through the overall desaturated background.

* EvilLaugh: It's supposed to be a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming as the last sound you hear is the euphoric laughter of The Black Swordsman, [[spoiler:having finally found the perfect book]], but damn if it doesn't sound more evil than joyous.

* SlidingScaleOfVampireFriendliness: Though certainly not friendly as far as the English army are concerned, the Black Swordsman is shown to be very patient, hospitable and even kind toward the Young Girl when he finds her unconscious in the wilderness and gives her a place to sleep, then lets her tag around after him for a few days. He does make it clear, however, that if she breathes a word about him to anyone he will kill her in the most horrifying way imaginable.

* DarkIsNotEvil

* BadassBookworm: Despite appearing as a refined and scholarly gentlemen who has chosen to live a quiet life dedicated to reading books, the Black Swordsman manages to single-handedly slay 200 soldiers in one night.

* CueTheSun: Following the penultimate battle the sun rises, bringing hope after the gloomy weather in previous scenes.

* NoodlePerson: The Black Swordsman is drawn in this style.

->''"What you saw at the castle on that windy night...and what you saw at the bridge last night...how I smiled...never utter a word to anyone. If you dare speak of it, I will find you wherever you are hiding, and I will kill you. I will rip you apart. I will shatter your bones. I will eat your flesh. I will drink your blood dry. And I will devour you."''

''Kigeki'' (meaning ''Comedy'') is an [[{{Anime}} anime]] short film by Creator/Studio4C, released in 2002 as one of five other ''Sweat Punch'' shorts, that were collected in the anthology ''Deep Imagination''.

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Can cut a man in half lengthways with one swing.
* AllMythsAreTrue: The Young Girl doesn't doubt the Swordsman's existence for a second. But then she's a child.
* ArmorIsUseless: When you're up against a being who can move at the speed of light, at least.

* BarefootPoverty: At the beginning the young peasant girl is barefoot, though it could be that she was in such a hurry that she forgot to put shoes on. Later, it appears that the Swordsman has provided her with some.
* CueTheSun: Following the penultimate battle the sun rises, bringing hope after the gloomy weather in previous scenes.
* DarkIsNotEvil
* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Gives the animation an aged and very Gothic feel. It also brings out the more vivid colours, such as the little girl's GreenEyes, and the red of all that blood.

* EvilLaugh: It's supposed to be a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming as the last sound you hear is the euphoric laughter of The Black Swordsman, [[spoiler:having finally found the perfect book]], but damn if it doesn't sound more evil than joyous.
* FieldOfBlades: Our first shot of the Swordsman shows him standing in one of these...though it's implied that they are all the weapons of people he has killed ''himself''.
* FlashStep: The Black Swordsman can move quicker than the eye can see, so quick, in fact, that he appears as nothing more than a flash of light.
* FlowerMotifs: During the opening narration, we see a cluster of [[GoryDiscretionShot blood-spattered]] white roses, which turn completely red as the shot pans upward. They seem to foreshadow the little girl's loss of innocence.
* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold
* HarmfulToMinors: The Young Girl witnesses the Swordsman brutally slaughter an entire army and [[spoiler:devour the corpses]]. However, she doesn't really seem all that bothered by it at the time.
* HauntedCastle: The Devil's Castle, supposedly.
* IllKillYou: The chilling words that the Swordsman utters in the opening are later revealed to be what he whispers in the young girl's ear after the battle at the bridge.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: The Swordsman's WeaponOfChoice. Despite this being Ireland.
* LivingRelic: The Swordsman, who was born in the time before people were banned from reading books which made them laugh.
* LuminescentBlush: The Young Girl, whenever she's around the Swordsman, possibly hinting at a PrecociousCrush.
* NoNameGiven: Neither of the two main characters are named.

* PeekABangs: The Swordsman, adding to his mysterious, Gothic appearance.
* PetTheDog: His treatment of the Young Girl shows that the Swordsman can be nice when he wants to.

* {{Retraux}}: The scenic shots bring to mind Disney feature animation from the 1930s, such as ''Disney/SnowWhite'' and ''Disney/{{Bambi}}''.
* SceneryPorn: Some of the background art is simply staggering.
* ShesAllGrownUp: In the epilogue, fifteen years later, and apparently coming to terms with her feelings for the Swordsman.

* SittingOnTheRoof: The Black Swordsman is briefly seen sitting on the castle roof, after which he uses a tree bathed in the [[FullMoonSilhouette moonlight]] for an elevated reading position.

* SpotOfTea: As if wearing a suit, living in a castle, and reading avidly didn't make him sophisticated enough, the Swordsman also serves his guests tea.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: The Young Girl (5-years-old) is able to determine the perfect book the Black Swordsman is seeking just through piecing together his personality from the rumors she's heard. She also manages to take the initiative and [[spoiler:save her village and family from imminent destruction]] through a deal with the Swordsman.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Creator/HikaruMidorikawa, who plays the Black Swordsman to perfection (despite his lack of lines).

* TallDarkAndHandsome: Guess who. Would qualify as a BlackAndWhiteBeauty, if only he were female.

->''"What you saw at the castle on that windy night...and what you saw at the bridge last night...how I smiled...never utter a word to anyone. If you dare speak of it, I will find you wherever you are hiding, and I will kill you. I will rip apart your flesh, shatter your bones, and eat you. I will drink your blood dry. And I will eat you."''

->''"What you saw at the castle on that windy night...and what you saw at the bridge last night...how I smiled...never utter a word to anyone. If you dare speak of it, I will find you wherever you are, and I will kill you. I will rip you apart...crush your bones and eat your flesh...I will drink your blood...I will devour you."''

* IllKillYou: And moreover, I'll ''Eat'' You.

* HarmfulToMinors: The Young Girl witnesses the Swordsman brutally slaughter an entire army and [[spoiler:devour the corpses]]. However, she doesn't really seem all that bothered by it.

* RainOfBlood: Holy hell is there [[HighPressureBlood a lot of blood]] when The Black Swordsman cuts down the unsuspecting knight. Looks downright awesome when mixed with the [[SwordLines red, explosive jagged flourishes of his sword.]]

* {{Retraux}}: The scenic shots bring to mind Disney feature animation from the 1930s.

* ShesAllGrownUp: In the epilogue, fifteen years later.

* SpotOfTea: As if wearing a suit, living in a castle and reading avidly didn't make him sophisticated enough, the Swordsman also serves his guests tea.

* FlowerMotifs: After the opening narration, we see a group of [[GoryDiscretionShot blood-spattered]] white roses, which turn completely red and the shot pans upward.

* FlashStep: The Black Swordsman is revealed to move quicker than the eye can see, so quick in fact he appears as nothing more than a flash of light to the viewers.

* BadassCape: The Black Swordsman, during his battle.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Gives the animation an aged and very Gothic feel. It also brings out the more vivid colours, such as the little girl's GreenEyes, and the red of the blood.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: The Black Swordsman.

* FieldOfBlades: Our first shot of the Swordsman shows him standing in one of these... though it is implies that they are the weapons of people he has killed ''himself''.

* BarefootPoverty: At the beginning the young peasant girl is barefoot, though it could be that she was in such a hurry she forgot to put shoes on. Later it appears that the Swordsman has provided her with some.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: The Swordsman's WeaponOfChoice.

* [[spoiler:OurVampiresAreDifferent: Assuming he ''is'' a vampire; it's not explicitly clear. Amongst other things, the Black Swordsman doesn't seem to suffer any negative effects from the sunlight, nor does he have noticeable fangs.]]
* PeekABangs: The Swordsman, adding to his Gothic appearance.
* PetTheDog: The Young Girl serves as a MoralityPet to the Swordsman throughout, showing that he can be nice if he wants to.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: The Young Girl guesses that [[spoiler:the Swordsman was born in the age before censorship, which only the very elderly seem to have even heard of]].

* [[spoiler:SlidingScaleOfVampireFriendliness: Though certainly not friendly as far as the English army are concerned, the Black Swordsman is shown to be very patient, hospitable and even kind toward the Young Girl when he finds her unconscious in the wilderness and gives her a place to sleep, then lets her tag around after him for a few days. He does make it clear, however, that if she breathes a word about him to anyone he will kill her in the most horrifying way imaginable.]]

* WiseBeyondTheirYears: The Young Girl (5 years of age) is able to determine the perfect book the Black Swordsman is seeking just through piecing together his personality from the rumors she's heard. She also manages to take the initiative and [[spoiler:save her village and family from imminent destruction]] through a deal with the Swordsman.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld

->''"What you saw at the castle on that windy night... and what you saw at the bridge last night... how I smiled... never utter a word to anyone. If you dare speak of it, I will find you wherever you are, and I will kill you. I will rip you apart... crush your bones and eat your flesh... I will drink your blood... I will devour you."''

''Kigeki'' (meaning ''Comedy'') is an [[{{Anime}} anime]] short film by [[Studio4C Studio 4°C]], released in 2002 as one of five other ''Sweat Punch'' shorts, that were collected in the anthology ''Deep Imagination''.

* AllMythsAreTrue

* {{Bishonen}}: The Black Swordsman, again.

* TallDarkAndHandsome: Guess who.

[[quoteright:150:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kigeki.jpg]]

''Kigeki'' is a beautiful, gothic fairytale steeped in symbolism and rich in visuals, animation, atmosphere, and music. Clocking in at only 10 minutes, it manages to tell the engrossing story of a young girl's salvation more effectively than most full-length anime series. It is accompanied by two pieces by composer Music/FranzSchubert, the "Ave Maria" and "Erlkönig".

* BadassBookworm: Despite appearing as a refined and scholary gentlemen who has chosen to live a quiet life dedicated to reading books, the Black Swordsman manages to singlehandedly slay 200 soldiers in one night.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: Gives the animation an aged and very gothic feel. It also brings out the more vivid colours, such as the little girl's GreenEyes, and the red of the blood.

* PeekABangs: The Swordsman, adding to his gothic appearance.

''Kigeki'' is a beautiful, gothic fairytale steeped in symbolism and rich in visuals, animation, atmosphere, and music. Clocking in at only 10 minutes, it manages to tell the engrossing story of a young girl's salvation more effectively than most full-length anime series. It is based around two pieces of music by composer Music/FranzSchubert, the "Ave Maria" and "Erlkönig".

Set during the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_war_of_independence Irish War of Independence]], ''Kigeki'' tells the story of a little 5-year-old girl who goes to seek out the Devil's Castle, home of the mysterious Black Swordsman, with whom she needs to strike a deal in order to save her family from the advancing English army. The Black Swordsman is a dark, reclusive individual, and a very skilled warrior, who will only accept advance payments in the form of books. However not just any old book will do...

''Kigeki'' is a beautiful, gothic fairytale steeped in symbolism and rich in visuals, animation, atmosphere, and music. Clocking in at only 10 minutes, it manages to tell an engrossing and immersive story of a young girl's salvation more effectively than most full-length anime series. It is based around two pieces of music by composer Music/FranzSchubert, the "Ave Maria" and "Erlkönig".

''Kigeki'' (meaning ''{{Comedy}}'') is an [[{{Anime}} anime]] short film by [[Studio4C Studio 4°C]], released in 2002 as one of five other ''Sweat Punch'' shorts, that were collected in the anthology ''Deep Imagination''.

''Kigeki'' is a beautiful, gothic fairytale steeped in symbolism and rich in visuals, animation, atmosphere, and music. Clocking in at only 10 minutes, it manages to tell an engrossing and immersive story of a young girl's salvation more effectively than most full-length anime series. It is based around two pieces of music by composer FranzSchubert, the "Ave Maria" and "Erlkönig".

* HeyItsThatVoice: HikaruMidorikawa, who plays the Black Swordsman to perfection (despite his lack of lines).
* [[IllKillYou I'll Kill You]]: Coupled with I'll ''Eat'' You.

->-- '''Opening lines'''

''Kigeki'', meaning '{{Comedy}}', is an [[{{Anime}} anime]] short film by [[Studio4C Studio 4°C]], released in 2002 as one of five other ''Sweat Punch'' shorts, that were collected in the anthology ''Deep Imagination''.

* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl: She's dressed in rags but with the proper outfit she could have also passed for an ElegantGothicLolita, which is appropriate given the atmosphere and art style.