History Manga / Translucent

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Okouchi starts to fall in love with Mamoru, but realizes instantly that she has absolutely no chance. [[TriangRelations A type 4 or 6 version of the chart on TriangRelations]], with the 6 version being decidedly in the friendship category. She quickly decides to settle for being a really good friend for the two, and get the two hooked up. [[StrangledByTheRedString Whether they want to be or not.]]]]

* BattleInTheRain: Mamoru and Shizuka's father.

* TheMinnesotaFats: A famous actress -- Shizuka's personal role model -- comes to watch the drama club practice, [[spoiler: and the [[{{Jerkass}} head of the club]] asks Shizuka to hide because although she's the star, she's currently going through a severe bout of translucency (to the point that her shadow is only a thin gray line on the wall). [[{{Angst}} Shizuka is heartbroken]] but hides it from the club, and decides to hide herself completely to avoid any embarrassing questions. Unbeknownst to her, the actress watches her practicing on her own outside, figures it out, and is very impressed with Shizuka's acting ability.]]

''Translucent'' was a surprise hit by the unknown newcomer Kazuhiro Okamoto. It has been frequently discussed as a possible subject for an Anime Adaption, but no such work has occurred as of yet. The first 3 of its 5 volumes were released in English by Creator/DarkHorseComics, but localizations of the last 2 [[ScheduleSlip were initially delayed, then effectively cancelled]] and the series has presumably been abandoned by them.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: The philosophy of Shizuka's idol, the visiting stage actress. She sees Shizuka practicing outside by herself, and figures out that the drama advisor must have asked her to hide because of her translucent syndrome acting up. The end of the chapter is the actress talking during an interview where she says she feels angst is important for a developing actress.

''Translucent'' was a surprise hit by the unknown newcomer Kazuhiro Okamoto. It has been frequently discussed as a possible subject for an Anime Adaption, but no such work has occurred as of yet. The first 3 of its 5 volumes were released in English by Creator/DarkHorseComics, but localizations of the last 2 fell into DevelopmentHell and the series has presumably been abandoned by them.

* ScheduleSlip: A rare non-webcomic version. The translators for this series quit, requiring DarkHorse find new ones. Before they could release Volume 4 and 5 with the new translators, however, the economy and English language manga industry had collapsed to the point that they had to put the series on hiatus. A few sightings have occurred in the meantime (one of the ''Cardcaptor Sakura'' books has an advertisement for volume 4; Amazon has volume 4 for eternal preorder) but it remains unavailable.

''Translucent'' was a surprise hit by the unknown newcomer Kazuhiro Okamoto. It has been frequently discussed as a possible subject for an Anime Adaption, but no such work has occurred as of yet.

* BittersweetEnding: We are led to believe over the last few chapters that [[spoiler: Shizuka's Translucent Syndrome]] has returned, but she is dealing with it with Mamoru's support -- they're shown on a date [[spoiler:(with Shizuka remaining severely affected by Translucent Syndrome the entire time)]], where we see a flashback of Shizuka first contracting Translucent Syndrome. [[spoiler: The last chapter reveals the truth, as Doctor Takazawa points out to Keiko: Shizuka has Fully Transparent Syndrome, meaning that outside of a medical miracle like Keiko, Shizuka is now permanently invisible and her dreams of being an actress are over. However, both Shizuka and Mamoru are fully aware of their (still unspoken) feelings for each other, and are taking their relationship to the next level.]]
* ChivalrousPervert: Dr. Takazawa, who loves teasing Shizuka about sex. [[spoiler: It's later discovered this is because she missed out on keeping her soulmate because she wasn't assertive enough to ask him to stay.]]

* InvisibleAnatomy: When affected by translucent syndrome, Shizuka is pseudo-drawn by either only using screentone and no line art, standard or faded line art with conspicuously missing screentone, or ''white'' line art and ''white'' screen tone. One particuarly pretty scene has Shizuka and Keiko skinny dipping, they are drawn in a variant of this style.

** This is also used for TheReveal of Book 5: [[spoiler: The last few chapters shows Shizuka drawn as a very faint outline, which is how she's been drawn when suffering from full bouts of Translucent Syndrome the entire series. The second to last page involves Dr. Takazawa mentioning off hand to Keiko that Mamoru is the only one who can see Shizuka anymore, and her distinctly ''not'' casting a shadow on the last page of the book reveals the BittersweetEnding -- Shizuka has re-contracted Fully Transparent Syndrome, and the outline was for our benefit.]] Going back through the pages (page 165 of Volume 5, for example) reveals [[spoiler: she wasn't casting a shadow the previous few pages, either -- but her clothing was.]]

* AgeAppropriateAngst / {{Angst}} / {{Wangst}}: Shizuka hovers between Angst and Wangst -- what you view it as basically boils down to how bad you view her situation as. While translucent syndrome is annoying, it's a very minor annoyance (outside of making it hard to receive medical care) with easy to overcome symptoms -- just put on a hat and coat -- and is rhythmic enough ([[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything every 28 days or so]]) that Shizuka can anticipate her breakouts. On the other hand, Shizuka is a fairly talented amateur actress who wishes to become a professional, and her syndrome is a pretty major impediment to that -- who is going to bother hiring an actress that spends 25-50% of her time unable to go on stage? That being said, when she has her freakouts and has to have Mamoru talk/hug/pinch her down, it certainly seems like shes overreacting -- [[AgeAppropriateAngst until you remember she's 14.]]
** Keiko, Shizuka's adult friend who is stuck permanently 100% invisible, has her moments as well -- in a freakout before the comic starts, she breaks off all contact with her fiancée for no reason other than that she doesn't want to depend on him.

Did we mention that Shizuka is a budding stage actress, that going invisible at random kinda screws with that, and [[{{Wangst}} that kinda bums her out?]]

Did I mention that Shizuka is a budding stage actress, that going invisible at random kinda screws with that, and [[{{Wangst}} that kinda bums her out?]]

This manga provides examples of the following tropes:

* OldShame: An in universe example -- Okouchi's poetry. It's not "old" per say[[hottip:*:The segments we see are all sappy poems about how much she admires Shizuka and Mamoru]], but she's willing to beg Shizuka to run around naked and (mostly) invisible just to steal it back.

* TheOjou: Okouchi is a minor version of this. Her parents are rich, she's a good student, she's the StudentCouncilPresident, she's TallDarkAndBishoujo... However, her money, family, or house doesn't really come up in the series (we never even learn her first name!), and she rapidly evolves into a GenkiGirl once she becomes more comfortable with the main characters.

* TallDarkAndBishoujo: Okouchi again, although her hair is only shoulder length, due to the manga being a UrbanFantasy and avoiding overly fantastical hair styles.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Shizuka's cured Fully Transparent Syndrome returns, first as the "pathwork" Translucent Syndrome seen in the pilot, but by the end of the manga it is outright Fully Transparent Syndrome again again. The last half of the 5th and final volume shows her fully translucent in every appearance, and the final page of the series confirms she's completely, permanently invisible (as she casts no shadow, something that even Translucent Syndrome victims at least hint at). Thus, her childhood dreams of being an actress are dead... but her relationship with Mamoru is progressing to the next level; the last thing we see in the series is Mamoru using his own hand to help keep the sun out of her eyes.]]

** One specific rule is that she always at least casts some form of shadow when translucent [[spoiler: which is why when she gains the more advanced Fully Transparent Syndrome in volume 4[[hottip:*:and possibly at the end of the series]], that vanishes too]].

** [[spoiler: Shizuka also gains "Fully Transparent Syndrome" in the upcoming Volume 4, but is cured by ThePowerOfFriendship. It's unclear (and will likely remain so until someone bilingual does some WikiMagic and/or the official translation comes out), but the ending of the series appears to show that this cure was temporary.]]

* GenkiGirl: Mamoru is a rare male version. Okouchi has elements of this too after her character development -- she ''drop kicks'' Mamoru at random.

* {{Pilot}}: Chapter 1 was originally a one shot -- the "rules" of the syndrome change between Chapter 1 and the rest of the series, and events in Chapter 1 are re-done later in the manga. In chapter 1 it is more like patchwork invisibility -- for example, Shizuka's arm, but not her hands, becomes completely invisible, and it supposedly never wears off. In later chapters, it's less "invisible" and more "partially see through", like a ghost, and comes in monthly cycles. Shizuka in chapters 2+ has been Translucent for 3+ years, Shizuka in chapter 1 had contracted it that week. The character's personalities change between the chapters, too -- Mamoru instantly loses 30 IQ points, Shizuka is noticeably less assertive.

** Fully Transparent Syndrome, Translucent Syndrome's bigger and more serious variant. It's 100%, complete invisibility, with no hope of a treatment or a cure. Keiko has this variant of the syndrome, [[spoiler: but is cured by becoming a mother.]] In addition, [[spoiler: Shizuka gains it later on, but is saved by ThePowerOfFriendship, curing not only her Fully Translucent Syndrome, but her Transparent Syndrome as well.]] [[spoiler: The BittersweetEnding involves her re-contracting Fully Transparent Syndrome.]]

* ScheduleSlip: A rare non-webcomic version. The translators for this series quit, requiring DarkHorse find new ones. Before they could release Volume 4 and 5 with the new translators, however, the economy and English language manga industry had collapsed to the point that they had to put the series on hiatus.
** Rejoice: The recent {{omnibus}} of ''CardcaptorSakura'' has an advertisement for Volume 4 in it... but this turned out to be a red herring. Volumes 4 and 5 remain untranslated, although a fan scanlation group or two has expressed interest in picking it up.

* TwiceShy: Everyone ''thinks'' this is what's going on between Shizuka and Mamoru, with Shizuka being too shy to approach Mamoru and Mamoru being both clueless ''and'' shy. They even try to force the issue a few times. [[spoiler: They're actually wrong -- while Shizuka is very timid, she's not ''shy'' -- she's an ''actress'', after all. Meanwhile, Mamoru is actually frighteningly insightful, realizing innately Shizuka's feelings long before any of them are anywhere near up to speed. While he remains a carefree, Gundam and monster-movie obsessed kid, it turns out that's exactly the foil that Shizuka needs.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Shizuka contracts Fully Transparent Syndrome, but is saved by ThePowerOfFriendship. Only it wasn't a permanent fix, and her Translucent Syndrome comes back with a vengeance. By the end of the series it appears that it's Fully Transparent Syndrome, or at the very least Chronic Translucent Syndrome, as she isn't shown (outside a flashback) in any way other than ''severely'' translucent -- so either way, her dream of being an actress is dead. However, Mamoru reveals that he can still sorta see her / remembers how she looks (much like how Koichi could still see Keiko) and their relationship is evolving to the next level.]]

** Fully Transparent Syndrome, Translucent Syndrome's bigger and more serious variant. It's 100%, complete invisibility, with no hope of a treatment or a cure. Keiko has this variant of the syndrome, [[spoiler: but is cured by becoming a mother.]] In addition, [[spoiler: Shizuka gains it later on, but is saved by ThePowerOfFriendship, curing not only her Fully Translucent Syndrome, but her Transparent Syndrome as well.]] [[supersecretspoiler: Or so she thought.]]

** Rejoice: The recent {{omnibus}} of ''CardcaptorSakura'' has an advertisement for Volume 4 in it.