History Manga / ShionNoOu

-->'''Satoru:''' Does that mean you would accept other motivations for killing people?

* TragicKeepsake: Shion's pendant, which is early on stated to be [[OrphansPlotTrinket a memento of her mother]]. The same later turns out to be a MementoMacGuffin: [[spoiler: it actually was what Satoru gave to Kazumi in lieu of an engagement ring, and thus proves the connections between several individuals]].

* TeenGenius: Played straight ''and'' subverted; [[spoiler:in the free-for-all shogi tournament, fifth-grader Suo Honma beats a ''9-dan professional kishi'']]. It's subverted because [[spoiler:he used a strategy common among Internet shogi players that his opponent had no knowledge of. If the 9-dan had known about the strategy, he would not have lost. Honma later loses to Shion because of this lack of experience]].

* ShutUpHannibal!: Shion deals this out to the BigBad, without words, in the form of a well-deserved slap in the face.

* WhamShot: When Shion remembers that [[spoiler: the advice she was clinging to as being from her adoptive father and the basis of ''shogi'' actually were the words of the murderer]], shown in a single panel.

* HiddenInPlainSight: This is one of the many reasons why the case took so long to solve. That, and the [[HiddenAgendaVillain apparent lack of motive for the murder.]]

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters had this happen to them at least once, usually taking it UpToEleven. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice when she was '''four'''. [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s father is [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] (he seems to have had a rough childhood in general), has to pay for [[spoiler: his terminally ill mother's medical]] bills alone, and, after [[spoiler: his mother's death and losing in the tournament, is then used by the BigBad to harm his good friend and love interest]]. Finally, there's [[spoiler: Hani Satoru]], whose past is something of a TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:he saw his father die saving him from car accident, was abandoned by his elder brother in an orphanage, and lost his fiancée due to his elder brother's actions]].

* MotiveEqualsConclusiveEvidence: A peculiar inversion: the motive, "[[spoiler:for shogi]]," seems to make no sense to most people.
-->'''Hisatani:''' [[spoiler:You mean he murdered a couple just to play shogi with a kid who was barely four years old? And even manipulated your fiancée for this?]] That’s ridiculous, I can’t accept that.

* MotiveEqualsConclusiveEvidence: A peculiar inversion: the motive, [[spoiler:for shogi]], seems to make no sense to most people.
-->'''Hisatani:'''[[spoiler:You mean he murdered a couple just to play shogi with a kid who was barely four years old? And even manipulated your fiancée for this?]] That’s ridiculous, I can’t accept that.

-->[[spoiler:'''Hisatani:'''You mean he murdered a couple just to play shogi with a kid who was barely five years old? And even manipulated your fiancée for this?]] That’s ridiculous, I can’t accept that.

* TheRival: Played straight to start with Ayumi v. Shion; later subverted [[spoiler:when the two become close friends]].

* HappilyAdopted: Shion, by the Yasuoka couple. The manga even has indications that her birth parents, the Ishiwatari couple, were strict, if not abusive.

* StalkerShrine: A wall plastered with photos of Shion is shown in several of the early episodes.

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters had this happen to them at least once, usually taking it UpToEleven. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice when she was '''four'''. [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s father is [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] (he seems to have had a rough childhood in general), has to pay for [[spoiler: his terminally ill mother's medical]] bills alone, and, after [[spoiler: his mother's death and losing in the tournament, is then used by the BigBad to harm his good friend and love interest]]. Finally, there's [[spoiler: Hani Satoru]], whose past is something of a TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:he saw his father die saving him from car accident, was abandoned by his elder brother in an OrphanageOfFear, and lost his fiancée due to his elder brother's actions]].

* LeaveNoWitnesses: In an interesting and complex variant, the killer threatened Shion into silence (to the extent that she became ''mute'') and intentionally used [[spoiler:Kazumi, who had a very weak heart and died as a result of finding out that she was an accomplice (albeit unintentionally), when Satoru was away]], [[MurderByInaction leaving her to die]] [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident without even needing an alibi]].

* BadBoss: As [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s master, [[spoiler:Hani Makoto]] shows this, largely by being a {{Jerkass}} and frequently [[KickTheDog maltreating]] his apprentice. Later, this turns out to be partially a case of being a convoluted ManipulativeBastard, but it could easily be both since he deliberately choses methods involving [[KickTheDog kicking the dog...]] [[UpToEleven a lot.]]

* {{Foil}}: Yasuoka to Hani Makoto, Hani Makoto to Satoru, Satoru to Shion, Shion to Ayumi, etc.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Hani Satoru's use of the free-for-all shogi tournament as a means to find evidence against his lover's murderer]]. It's slightly more complicated than that, though. If the killer didn't show up the plan would fall flat, however, his suspect's involvement in it was what lead him to use this method.

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters had this happen to them at least once, usually taking it UpToEleven. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice when she was '''four'''. [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s father is [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] (he seems to have had a rough childhood in general), has to pay for [[spoiler: his terminally ill mother's medical]] bills alone, and later on [[spoiler: he drops out of the tournament upon his mother's death and is then used by the BigBad to harm his good friend and love interest]]. Finally, there's [[spoiler: Hani Satoru]], whose past is something of a TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:he saw his father die saving him from car accident, was abandoned by his elder brother in an OrphanageOfFear, and lost his fiancée due to his elder brother's actions]].

* WholesomeCrossdresser: [[spoiler:Ayumi. He does it to get into shogi tournaments earlier than he would have been able to had he not passed himself as female]].

* StepfordSnarker: [[spoiler:Hani Satoru]].
* TalkingWithSigns: the method of communication Shion prefers.

* TroubledButCute: [[spoiler:Saito Ayumi]].

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Ayumi. It's not blue-black, it's jarringly bright blue. Hani-meijin also has obviously ''purple'' hair.

* MeaningfulName: Satoru's name translates to "comprehend, apprehend, or become aware," guess what his role in the story is?
** "Ayumi" means "stages in a progress," "Makoto" translates to "genuine," and so on.

* BadBoss: As [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s master, [[spoiler:Hani Makoto]] shows this, largely by being a {{Jerkass}} and frequently [[KickTheDog maltreating]] his apprentice. Later, this turns out to be partially a case of being a convoluted ManipulativeBastard, but it could easily be both since he deliberately choses methods involving [[KickTheDog kicking the dog]]... a lot.

* {{Bishonen}}: Ayumi-kun qualifies. There are also several examples of {{Biseinen}}: Hani Makoto, Hani Satoru, and Hisatani (possibly even Yasuoka Shinji).

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters had this happen to them at least once. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice. [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s father is [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] (he seems to have had a rough childhood in general), has to pay for [[spoiler: his terminally ill mother's medical]] bills alone, and later on [[spoiler: he drops out of the tournament upon his mother's death and is then used by the BigBad to harm his good friend and love interest]]. Finally, there's [[spoiler: Hani Satoru]], whose past is something of a TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:he saw his father die saving him from car accident, was abandoned by his elder brother in an OrphanageOfFear, and lost his fiancée due to his elder brother's actions]].

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Kamizono 9-dan shouts a lot, speaks very bluntly, looks very intimidating and has a reputation as a merciless ''kishi''... but (almost) any of the scenes between him and Ayumi show that he's far from a bad guy.

* ManipulativeBastard: The motive and ''modus operandi'' of the killer, [[spoiler:Hani Makoto]], really nails this one: [[spoiler: he murdered Shion's parents, played a game with her then and there, threatened her into silence, and later continually separated her from Ayumi (thus isolating her) to develop Shion into a better shogi player (according to his philosophy)]]. Considering how he [[LeaveNoWitnesses ensured there would be no evidence against him]] and a fair few of his subsequent actions, he definitely qualifies as the series [[TheChessmaster chess master]] ([[spoiler:no pun intended]]).

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters had this happen to them at least once. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice. [[spoiler:Ayumi]]'s father is [[AbusiveParents emotionally abusive]] (he seems to have had a rough childhood in general), has to pay for [[spoiler: his terminally ill mother's medical]] bills alone, and later on [[spoiler: he drops out of the tournament upon his mother's death and is then used by the BigBad]]. Finally, there's [[spoiler: Hani Satoru]], whose past is something of a TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:he saw his father die saving him from car accident, was abandoned by his elder brother in an OrphanageOfFear, and lost his fiancée due to his elder brother's actions]].

* BreakTheCutie: All three main characters, at least once. Shion, especially, since the murderer [[HarmfulToMinors intentionally murdered her parents in front of her]] and "sealed off" her voice.

* BatmanGambit: [[spoiler:Hani Satoru's use of the free-for-all shogi tournament as a means to find evidence against his lover's murderer]]. It's slightly more complicated than that, though. If the killer didn't show up the plan would fall flat, only, that would be very unlikely given the circumstances.

* ArtShift: In the anime, whenever Shion recovers a memory of the night when her parents were murdered, the art style becomes sketchy and much DarkerAndEdgier. This is true to a lesser degree in the manga.