Line #64 Anime/TheSoulTaker


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul_taker_anime_742.jpg]]
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3	->''"LIGHTNING... '''BREAKER!!!"'''''
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5	''The [=SoulTaker=]'' was created by Creator/TatsunokoProduction in 2001, directed by Creator/AkiyukiShinbo, who would later direct the first season of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''. It tells the story of a young boy named Kyōusuke Date who... dies in the very first scene of the anime. Killed by his dying mother who loved him very, very much. For essentially no reason.
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7	... And then he gets dug out of a cemetery by a girl named Maya, and things get crazier from there as he has to confront the forces of the MegaCorp Kirihara Group led by CorruptCorporateExecutive Yui Kirihara as well as the enigmatic mutants of "The Hospital". Backing him up at first is the equally mysteriously-motivated man named Shiro Mibu, and later on the young Hospital nurse Komugi Nakahara who often cosplays. Kyōsuke himself has the power to turn into a demonic creature that the Kirihara Group dubs [[TitleDrop The SoulTaker]] and resolves to find his sister while protecting the "Flickers", fragments of her soul given human bodies.
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9	Like ''Nanoha'', it starts out with a basic plot but kicks into high gear [[WhamEpisode in the sixth episode]], at which point the series starts bordering on MindScrew territory at times which is why many consider it ''Manga/{{Devilman}}'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Meets]] ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. It's still a very good series nonetheless, with a unique aesthetic, [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic a kickass opening]] which was the fourth song Music/JAMProject made, and a stellar voice acting cast on both sides of the Pacific. Definitely worth a look.
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11	''The [=SoulTaker=]'' was [[SpinOff later followed]] by ''Anime/NurseWitchKomugi'', which [[SelfParody parodies this show]].
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13	Not related to the [[Film/{{Soultaker}} western film of the same name]] or to Manga/SoulEater.
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15	----
16	!!''The [=SoulTaker=]'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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18	* AmazingTechnicolorWorld: The color palette rarely resembles [[RealIsBrown reality]], scenes are often tinted with bright contrasting colors.
19	* BarbieDollAnatomy
20	* BadassNormal: Shiro Mibu
21	* BigBad: [[spoiler: Runa, Kyōsuke's sister, is pretty much stringing everyone along]]
22	* BrainInAJar: [[spoiler: The current status of Kyōsuke's grandfather. Doesn't stop him from getting a mutant form known as The Soul Killer.]]
23	* [[DubInducedPlotHole Broadcast-Induced Plot Hole]]: At least in the United States. When Creator/TechTV was broadcasting the series, they removed a few minutes of footage from each episode to make them fit within the timeslot. In some cases this made an episode seemed rushed. In others it made things very confusing. Case in point: near the end of episode 6, [[spoiler:Kyōsuke is falling from a floating castle, and instead of rescuing him, Shiro shoots him with missiles, seemingly blowing him out of the sky.]] But within the last minute, [[spoiler:Kyōsuke is shown to be fine, and he states that Shiro had done it to "wake him up," so that he could transform and stop himself from getting splattered in the fall.]] This last minute was cut from the American broadcast, however, making the beginning of episode 7 seem contradictory and ludicrous.
24	* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler:Runa's backstory.]]
25	* BrotherSisterIncest: [[spoiler:Runa wants to mate with Kyōsuke since they're both essentially aliens. Even worse, its implied that she felt this way ''before'' she found out they're basically aliens. {{Twincest}} {{Squick}}!]]
26	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Yui Kirihara is the head of the villanous Kirihara Group.
27	%%* CrucifiedHeroShot
28	* CruelToBeKind: Kyōsuke's mother stabs him in the beginning. [[spoiler:She did that because his latent mutant powers are awakened by trauma and only a betrayal from a loved one would fully awaken them. Runa suffered the same fate at a young age but [[BreakTheCutie didn't take it nearly so well]].]]
29	%%* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Komugi
30	%%* CuteLittleFangs: Komugi
31	* CuteMonsterGirl: Komugi, more or less. She even got her own short anime series, ''Anime/NurseWitchKomugi''.
32	* EvilPlan: [[spoiler:Runa plays everything out the way they do simply so she can get all the Flickers in one place and provide her a mature body, remove all her enemies, and be reunited with her beloved brother.]]
33	* FinishingMove: The Lightning Breaker. Becomes a victim of the TheWorfBarrage by episode six, however, and has varying effectiveness for the rest of the series.
34	* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:Runa was "killed" by Kyōsuke's real mother years ago to give her the power to defend herself. Poor Runa, who had previously been a perfect daughter, suffered a HeroicBSOD from it and resolved that even her own mother hated her because she really wasn't human.]]
35	* GratuitousEnglish: Don't the Japanese have a word for "alien"? Also, "Hospital". And "Flicker".
36	* HandWave: More than a few plot elements, like Kyōsuke's martial arts training and the fact he subconsciously couldn't step foot in the Kirihara Group's headquarters are glossed over in conversation.
37	%%* HeelFaceTurn: Komugi at the end of episode 3.
38	* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: [[spoiler:Runa's motivation. Kyōsuke succeeds in convincing her otherwise.]]
39	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Things like syringes are favored by the Hospital mutants.
40	* ItWasWithYouAllAlong: [[spoiler: Runa has spent all those countless years masquerading as the alien that Yui takes orders from.]]
41	* LawyerFriendlyCameo: In human form, Kyōsuke wields a [[Franchise/StarWars lightsaber]]... Er, we mean ''high-frequency katana''. The sound effect is even the exact same.
42	* LukeIAmYourFather: Kyōsuke, [[spoiler:Richard Vincent, director of the Hospital]] is your father.
43	* MindScrew: Each episode has a bit of one, but episode six takes the cake.
44	* MundaneUtility: You don't see a high-frequency katana used as a flashlight too often.
45	* OneWingedAngel: Essentially, Kyōsuke's Mutant form is one of these, as is the Soul Crusher's, Soul Anubis's, and Soul Killer's. [[spoiler:Runa also needed one of these so she'd have a mature body.]]
46	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: For one, they're all mutants created by exposure to Beta Applicon in the past.
47	* PlotTriggeringDeath:
48	** Mio's dying actions are to stab Kyōsuke, and much of his personal story involves understanding why. [[spoiler:This is also what awakens his mutant powers]].
49	** Maya's death inspires Kyōsuke to protect the Flickers, which takes up most of the early episodes.
50	* PowerEchoes: An echo can be heard the first time the SoulTaker uses his Lightning Breaker attack in episode 1.
51	* RedEyesTakeWarning
52	* RedOniBlueOni: Kyōsuke is the blue one.
53	* ShockAndAwe: The SoulTaker's Lightning Breaker attack.
54	* ShonenHair: Kyōsuke
55	* SlipperySlopeFallacy: Dr. Kyoya references this in episode 1 when he believes Kyōsuke is lying to him to protect someone.
56	-->"White lies today, armed robbery tomorrow!"
57	* SpinOff: The ridiculously silly ''Anime/NurseWitchKomugi''.
58	* SuperSpeed: Dr. Kyoya (the Hospital mutant who appears in episode 1) is initially thought to be able to teleport, but it turns out this is his special ability. He is fast enough that he is able to pass through solid matter, which he uses to enter tanks and manipulate them to fire at the [=SoulTaker=] during their battle.
59	* VictimOfTheWeek: The first six episodes involve Kyōsuke trying to protect a Flicker.
60	* WhereDoesHeGetAllThoseWonderfulToys: For one guy fighting along against the Kirihara Group and the Hospital, Shiro has a ''lot'' of guns, planes, helicopters, etc. [[spoiler:Later on we find out he's Yui's little brother and presumably has siphoned money out of the company for all this.]]
61	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Runa wants to kill every single human so that she and Kyōsuke can be safe.]]
62	* NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech: While the Soul Anubis is pounding on Kyōsuke, he is apparently unable to respond due to his guilt over causing her death. Eventually, though, he decides taking the beating is pointless because it's accomplishing nothing.
63	-->'''Kyōsuke:''' I wanted to feel the pain Maya suffered, even just for a moment. I felt that I should know that pain. But right now, no matter how many times I'm hit, I'm not able to feel the pain. So now, ''I'm ending it.''
64	* YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler: Shiro wants revenge on Yui because she killed Shiro's girlfriend, who was a Flicker.]]
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Context Anime / TheSoulTaker