History Anime / MasterOfMartialHearts

* ActionGirl: All the girls in the tournament, though Miko is arguably a FauxActionGirl.
* AndThatsTerrible: You know Female Fighting Tournament Anime is a terrible idea because the loser [[spoiler:is always made a sex slave... for syndicate regulations, apparently]].

* BaitAndSwitchCredits: That opening is so charged with upbeat optimism, and the closing mellow and dreamy. You just know this tournament is going to end in a proud victory!
* BerserkButton: Messing with Haruki or talking bad about him in Aya's presence will get you beaten like a rug in no time. Also, ''never'' try to dissect what makes Aya tick; it's not very conducive to [[KilledOffForReal living]].
* BigBad: [[spoiler:Miko is revealed to have been the mastermind behind everything in the end, with Haruki and Natsume as her CoDragons. It's just as ridiculous as it sounds]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: And boy, do they enjoy rubbing it in Aya's face during TheReveal.

* BrokenAesop: Really, just read the rest of the page.
* BullyHunter: Aya once took on and defeated an entire school of bullies, single-handedly, and in a single battle, presumably for Natsume's well-being. Ironically, this is precisely what makes her easy prey for the "plot" of the series.

* ComplexityAddiction: The entire tournament [[spoiler:done for revenge by Miko, Natsume and Haruki against Aya's ''mother'']], is so complex, long and, in many ways holding itself in inane future predictions; it probably works in fairy dust and BellisariosMaxim to its atomic level.
* ClothingDamage: All women's clothes in this world must be made out of tissue paper when they fight.

* CripplingOverspecialization: Episode 4's main fighter Rin made it to the Semi-finals because of her stress-based tactics. Apparently she had every fight inside of her shop, and was able to use an otaku crowd and their jeers to stress her opponents out so she could over-power them. When Aya over-comes this and turns the tables, we see Rin's physical prowess is much less than many previous villains like the Sisters.

* CycleOfRevenge: [[spoiler:The sole reason why the Martial Hearts Tournament was born and still exists.]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: What less charitable viewers may see. While the work could be seen as a deconstruction of PantyFighter series like ''Manga/IkkiTousen'', the fact that they use [[spoiler:[[AndThatsTerrible sex slaves as punishment]], [[PlotHole handwave registration, law and money]], [[{{Anvilicious}} Take That after Take That]] at the [[StrawLoser fanbase and the rather heavy handed]] DownerEnding]], it can come off as an immature "{{Deconstruction}}" of it. It doesn't help that this all comes at the last minute.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Tries to be one towards the PantyFighter genre. Keyword being "tries".

* EmptyShell: [[spoiler:The losers of the tournament are transformed into mindless sex slaves and are sent into slavery. Every. Single. ONE!]]
* EverybodyDidIt: [[spoiler: Every character except Aya, and apparently her parents (who were already victims of the CycleOfRevenge), is an opponent and/or antagonist.]]
* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Aya's "friends" and love interest]]
* EvilGloating: The "psychic" lady in red in episode 4. Boy oh boy, would she come to regret that.

* FalseFriend: Oooh boy. Poor Aya. None of her childhood friends were legit.

* GambitPileup: {{Infodump}}ed in the last episode: A trio of sisters who helped organize the tournament wanted Aya to join them, but they were being manipulated by a man who looked like Haruki, a boy Aya liked. Except that boy turned out to be a [[spoiler:body double for the real Haruki]] who was working with [[spoiler:Natsume and Miko who were secretly acting as Aya's friends]]. And they were trying to get revenge in the name of Natsume's mother, who lost her vocal cords when she lost the last tournament to Aya's mother, who in turn entered because Natsume's grandfather had started the whole damn thing.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Miko [[spoiler:blaiming Aya for destroying the other contestants' lives and minds after defeating them...when she and the others were the ones who literally {{Mind Rape}}d them to idiocy after they were too weak to defend themselves. And also reconstructed, or simply exploited, said tournament for vengeance in the first place]].

* InfoDump: The last episode is literally just explaining the plot twist.
* InsaneTrollLogic: The explanation of [[spoiler:Miko, Haruki and Natsume]] for the Tournament is so mind-bogglingly stupid it would leave the viewer in the same capacity as [[spoiler:the former contestants]].

* MaleGaze: ''Yes''. The shower scene in episode two, where the camera spends a full minute crawling up Aya's naked body so that she can say one word is possibly the best example.
* {{Meido}}: At a theme cafe, no less.
* {{Miko}}: Miko. No one comments on the unoriginal, MeaningfulName.

* MoodWhiplash: Back and forth and back and ''forth''!

* NotJustATournament: A big time (and convoluted as hell) case of this. [[spoiler:Every girl who loses the tournament is {{Mind Rape}}d into an EmptyShell state before being conditioned into sexual slavery and sold. The entire thing is being conducted as a CycleOfRevenge by the daughters of two sisters who wound up on the losing end of a similar tournament organized by Aya's father, which Aya's mother won. The two cousins want the same thing their mothers got put through to happen to Aya as revenge against both of her parents, and they don't care about what happens to the other contestants.]]

* OffModel: Seriously Studio Arms, pick a breast size and stick with it.
* PantyFighter: Either an example of the genre with a half-assed attempt at {{Deconstruction}} applied on top to justify it, or an Indecisive Deconstruction of the genre, depending on how charitable you're feeling.

* WasItAllALie: [[spoiler:[[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Yes, yes it was.]]]]

-->'''Aya's mother:''' I see. The crystal is not completed yet.

* YouBastard: Begins {{s|arcasmMode}}ubtle, with the depiction of an Otaku audience at a Moe Idol show, [[ThisLoserIsYou watching the Panty Fight]].

* DarkerAndEdgier: What less charitable viewers may see. While the work could be seen as a deconstruction of PantyFighter series like ''Manga/IkkiTousen'', the fact that they use [[spoiler:[[AndThatsTerrible sex slaves as punishment]], [[PlotHoles handwave registration, law and money]], [[{{Anvilicious}} Take That after Take That]] at the [[StrawLoser fanbase and the rather heavy handed]] DownerEnding]], it can come off as an immature "{{Deconstruction}}" of it. It doesn't help that this all comes at the last minute.

* EverybodyDidIt: [[spoiler: Every character except Aya, and apparently her mother, is an opponent and/or antagonist.]]

In short, think of this as a streamlined ''Manga/IkkiTousen'' without the thin veil of a ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' plot behind it.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Tries to be one towards the PantyFighter genre. Keyword being [[IndecisiveDeconstruction "tries".]]

* IndecisiveDeconstruction: When you're going to go after the PantyFighter genre, ''don't'' include '''''more''''' fanservice and nudity than the series you're trying to lambast. It makes you look like a gang of hypocrites.

* PantyFighter: Either an example of the genre with a half-assed attempt at {{Deconstruction}} applied on top to justify it, or an IndecisiveDeconstruction of the genre, depending on how charitable you're feeling.

%%* SexyStewardess

* AndThatsTerrible: You know Female Fighting Tournament Anime is a terrible idea because the loser [[spoiler:is always made a sex slave...for syndicate regulations, apparently]].

* KilledOffForReal: '''Everyone''' that appears in Fight 5, except [[spoiler: Aya]]. Heavily believed to be the case for [[spoiler:Natsume's mother]], given her role in the series.

* RevengeByProxy: [[spoiler: The whole point of the series, e.g. having the main character beaten, mindraped and possibly sold into sexual slavery as a final ''Screw You!'' to her still-living mother and her currently dead father, responsible for having dealt this very same fate to the still-living mother of one of the villains]].

--> '''Aya's mother:''' I see. The crystal is not completed yet.

* BigBad: [[spoiler: Miko is revealed to have been the mastermind behind everything in the end, with Haruki and Natsume as her CoDragons. It's just as ridiculous as it sounds]].

** At one point a girl gets punched in the shoulder and her ''skirt'' explodes.
** At another point, Aya actually punches a girl's in the gut. Her butt actually rips ''through'' her pants as a result.

* CuteMute: Natsume's mother

* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler:Aya's mother.]]

** SuddenDownerEnding

* FairCop
* {{Fanservice}}
** Every flavor represented. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d at a fast food [=McDonalds=] BlandNameProduct named "{{Moe}}".

* {{Gainaxing}}

* HeroicResolve

* HotTeacher
* IdiotBall: Well done [[spoiler:[[NonActionGuy Haruki]]]], go in a fist fight with the near unstoppable Fighter...when you have guns.
** [[spoiler:Not that the guns helped Miko or Natsume who actually tried to use them and died for their trouble.]]

* KimonoFanservice

* KubrickStare[=/=]SlasherSmile
* LoveTriangle: A particularly cruel Type 4 involving Aya (a), Haruki (b) and [[spoiler: Miko (c)]].
* {{Made A|Slave}} SexSlave: [[spoiler: This is what happens to everyone who loses a Martial Hearts tournament.]]
* MamaBear: Aya's mother, [[spoiler:RetiredMonster]] Suzuko Ichisima.

* MisplacedRetribution: The ending.

* NaughtyNurseOutfit

* {{Qipao}}

* SexyStewardess

* StepfordSmiler

* VillainsNeverLie

* WhamEpisode: Battle 5.

* WrenchWench

* WorldOfActionGirls

* [[spoiler:CycleOfRevenge]]: The sole reason why the Martial Hearts Tournament was born and still exists.

* [[spoiler:DeathEqualsRedemption]]: Aya's mother.

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding]]: There's nary a character who is not dead, insane, [[spoiler:in some kind of slavery]], or ''worse''.
** [[spoiler: SuddenDownerEnding]]

* [[spoiler:KillEmAll]]: Woah boy, does it ''ever''.

* KubrickStare / SlasherSmile

* [[spoiler: {{Made A|Slave}} SexSlave: This is what happens to everyone who loses a Martial Hearts tournament.]]
* MamaBear: Aya's Mother, [[spoiler:RetiredMonster]] Suzuko Ichisima

* [[spoiler:WasItAllALie]]: [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Yes, yes it was.]]

---> '''Aya's mother:'''"I see. The crystal is not completed yet."

* {{Hypocrite}}: Miko [[spoiler:blaiming Aya for destroying the other contestants' lives and minds after defeating them...when she and the others were the ones who literally {{Mind Rape}}d them to idiocy after they were too weak to defend themselves. And also reconstructed, or simply exploidted, said tournament for vengeance in the first place]].

* GainaxEnding: Did anyone really see that ending coming?

* {{Hypocrite}}: Miko [[spoiler:blaiming Aya for destroying the other contestants' lives and minds after defeating them...when she and the others were the ones who literally {{Mind Rape}}d them to idiocy after they were too weak to defend themselves. And also reconstructed said tournament for vengeance in the first place]].

* DarkerAndEdgier: What less charitable viewers may see. While the work could be seen as a deconstruction of PantyFighter series like IkkiTousen, the fact that they use [[spoiler:[[AndThatsTerrible sex slaves as punishment]], [[PlotHoles handwave registration, law and money]], [[{{Anvilicious}} Take That after Take That]] at the [[StrawLoser fanbase and the rather heavy handed]] DownerEnding]], it can come off as an immature "{{Deconstruction}}" of it. It doesn't help that this all comes at the last minute.

* PantyFighter

* GambitPileup: {{Infodump}}ed in the last episode: A trio of sisters who helped organize the tournament wanted Aya to join them, but they were being manipulated by a man who looked like Haruki, a boy Aya liked. Except that boy turned out to be a [[spoiler:body double for the real Haruki]] who was working with [[spoiler:Natsume and Miko who were secretly acting as Aya's friends]]. And they were trying to get revenge in the name of Natsume's mother, who lost her vocal chords when she lost the last tournament to Aya's mother, who in turn entered because Natsume's grandfather had started the whole damn thing.

In short, think of this as a streamlined ''IkkiTousen'' without the thin veil of a ''Literature/{{Romance of the Three Kingdoms}}'' plot behind it.

** Near the end it almost feels like the {{Ecchi}}/PantyFighter genre's version of FunnyGames. "Oh, what's that? You like girls fighting each other with lots of {{Fanservice}}? Well how about ''now'', you sicko!?" And much like ''Funny Games'', both people in and out of its target group just shook their heads while performing a FacePalm.

* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: If the entire idea of the series is that PantyFighter anime are bad, then the sheer amount of nudity is probably the wrong way to go.

''Zettai Shougeki ~Platonic Heart~'' (絶対衝激〜プラトニックハート〜), now licensed by {{Funimation}} and retitled ''Master of Martial Hearts'', is a five-episode OVA.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Tries to be one towards the PantyFighter genre. Keyword being [[ IndecisiveDeconstruction "tries".]]

** Near the end it almost feels like the {{Ecchi}}/PantyFighter genre's version of FunnyGames. "Oh, what's that? You like girls fighting each other with lots of {{Fanservice}}? Well how about ''now'', you sicko!?"

* [[spoiler:KillEmAll]]: Holy God does it ever.