Line #39 Manga/CrimsonShell


1	[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Crimson_Shell_5852.jpg]]
2
3	->"''A bracelet, a promise, a future... The things that you gave... These... Are everything to me...''"
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5	''Crimson-Shell'' is a short manga by Creator/JunMochizuki, which was serialized in Creator/SquareEnix's ''Monthly G Fantasy'' magazine from 2005 to 2006 and compiled into a single volume.
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7	Claudia is a girl known as the {{S\|uperiorSpecies}}carlet [[SomethingAboutARose Rose]], a mutation of a mutation created by a [[MadScientist scientist]] who has since disappeared. Claudia is only one of many such creations, and the others are known as Black Roses. The Scarlet Rose, however, is considered the only 'perfect' mutation, creating some [[IrrationalHatred animosity]] between herself and the Black Roses. In order to protect Claudia from the Black Roses, and to capture the remaining Black Roses, the organization [[OddlySmallOrganization Crimson Bullet]] was formed.
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9	The story begins with an invasion of [[OurMonstersAreDifferent Victims]], monsters created by a Black Rose's poison. After Claudia deals with them, she is introduced to a [[ChekhovsGunman boy named Shion]] by Ruskin. Shion is told that Claudia is currently waiting for her [[EveryoneCanSeeIt beloved]] [[MysteriousProtector Xeno]]. Shortly after he returns (In a DramaticEntrance, [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl saving Claudia]]) he tells Claudia that he is on a [[PlotDrivingSecret secret mission]]. Later that night, he is caught on security camera footage stealing, what appears to be sensitive organization information. He is heard on tape declaring that he is finished with "[[CrypticConversation friendship game]]," causing Claudia to become ill. She is soon after confronted, and comforted by [[TokenTrio Robin, Melissa, and Les]], the latter telling her to listen to her heart, because "it will never betray you." Now Claudia is left to decide whether or not she should keep believing in the man who has her heart.
10	----
11
12	!! ''Crimson-Shell'' provides examples of the following tropes:
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14	* AbandonedLaboratory: What the scientist who created the Black Roses left behind. Supposedly contains [[spoiler: a poison that can extract Claudia's Premiere Seed]].
15	* AffectionateNickname: Claudia is referred to as 'Dia' or 'Princess' by a few other characters.
16	* ArmorPiercingQuestion: When [[spoiler: Shion is trying to kill Claudia, and he keeps calling her a failure. Finally, she asks him, 'When you call me a failure -- The one you're really talking about is yourself, isn't it?']]. Their facade shatters at that point.
17	* AsleepForDays: The story ends with Claudia [[DeepSleep deep in slumber]]. It is left unknown when she wakes up, [[BigSleep if at all]].
18	* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Shion, Victoria, and Executive Bathler]] are all revealed to be in league with the Black Roses. In fact, [[spoiler:Shion]] is their leader.
19	* BerserkButton: Shion's is when [[spoiler: Claudia calls him out on being a failure]]. Les's is when [[spoiler: Ruskin is ever in any danger]].
20	%%* BewareTheNiceOnes: [[spoiler: Shion.]]
21	* BitchInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler: Shion]] is revealed to be the main antagonist. Who would have guessed?
22	* BittersweetEnding: Claudia is safe and [[spoiler: Shion]] is dead, but [[spoiler: Xeno]] is left behind to die as well.
23	* BloodLust: [[spoiler: Shion]] is seen licking blood off of [[spoiler: Xeno]]'s wounds after attacking him.
24	%%* BodyguardBetrayal: [[spoiler:Wilhelm]] appears to do this in chapter 2. Also Xeno.
25	%%* BreakThemByTalking: [[spoiler:Claudia]] manages to do this to [[spoiler:Shion]] in the final chapter.%%Do what?
26	%%* BrokenBird: Claudia.
27	* BurnTheWitch: The Black Roses refer to Claudia as the 'Rose Witch', and have a rather strong desire to kill her.
28	* CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem: Claudia is like this with Xeno.
29	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Subverted in that seemingly every child in the story is able to kill at a moment's notice.
30	* ClearTheirName: Xeno is incriminated by surveillance footage of stealing valuable data, leaving it up to Claudia and her friends to find out the truth.
31	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: As innocent and oblivious as Shion seems, in the end you realize that [[spoiler: he can kill you in seconds]].
32	* DangerousWorkplace: Crimson Bullet HQ faces all sorts of threats on a seemingly daily basis.
33	%%* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler: Shion]] appears to have had one of these.
34	%%* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler: Xeno]] considers this to be true.
35	%%* DesignerBabies: The Black Roses (and Claudia) fall under this category.
36	%%* DramaticEntrance: Both Xeno and Robin utilize this in their first appearance.
37	* EasilyOverheardConversation: Subverted in that while Xeno's conversation was caught on tape, not all of it was audible, and that happened to be the most important part.
38	* ElectiveMute: Les is rarely seen speaking a full sentence, if at all. He has only been shown to directly converse with Claudia, Melissa, and Ruskin.
39	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Robin makes his first appearance as dramatic as possible.
40	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Claudia's feelings towards Xeno are so obvious, Shion calls her out on it on the same day they meet, [[spoiler: and later uses it against her.]]
41	* FakeWeakness: [[spoiler: Shion]] states that if he is killed, Claudia will also die. He lied, [[spoiler: giving him ample opportunity to take control of Xeno.]]
42	* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler: Xeno]] is doing this while under the influence of [[spoiler: Shion's poison]].
43	%%* FightingYourFriend: [[spoiler: Claudia vs. Xeno.]]
44	* FlawExploitation: [[spoiler: Claudia]] ends up using [[spoiler: Shion]]'s intense hatred over being called a failure to her advantage.
45	%%* ForScience: The creation of the Black Roses.
46	* GenkiGirl: Melissa is a more mild version of this. Robin, while male, fits this trope as well.
47	* GoodIsNotNice: Claudia is more than a little abrasive towards a multitude of individuals.
48	* GottaKillThemAll: The entire purpose of Crimson Bullet is to capture and eliminate the remaining Black Roses.
49	* HappyFlashback: There is a single happy flashback panel from Shion's memories with [[spoiler: Victoria]].
50	* HarmfulToTouch: A Black Rose's poison will kill anyone that comes in contact with it. But not before the agonizing transformation into a Victim.
51	* HatesBeingTouched: Claudia always reacts in a flustered manner whenever Xeno pats her on the head.
52	%%* HeroSecretService: Crimson Bullet acts as one for Claudia.
53	* HiddenBadass: Les does not outwardly appear to be any sort of fighter, and yet he whipped out a pistol and jumped into a danger zone with no hesitation when [[spoiler: Ruskin was in danger]].
54	* ICanStillFight: Even after Claudia [[spoiler: was shot by the Death Scythe]], she still stands back up like it was [[OnlyAFleshWound nothing]].
55	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: [[spoiler: Claudia]] has this with [[spoiler: Xeno]] when she and Robin discover that [[spoiler: Xeno has become a Victim]]. [[spoiler:It works.]]
56	* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Wilhelm, as the Scarlet Rose's thorn, is effectively immortal as long as Claudia is alive.
57	* ImmortalityInducer: Inverted with the Death Scythe, a special poison that functions to [[spoiler: effectively end Claudia's immortality by extracting her Premiere Seed]].
58	* JustInTime: Xeno's first appearance involves killing a Victim that was seconds away from attacking Claudia.
59	* KillTheOnesYouLove: [[spoiler: Claudia]] is faced with the task of doing this to [[spoiler: Xeno]]. She can't.
60	%%* LeftForDead: [[spoiler: Shion]] and [[spoiler: Xeno]].
61	* MakeSureHesDead: [[spoiler: Shion]] and [[spoiler: Xeno]] are left for dead at the end of the book. HQ sends people to find the bodies a few days later, but the bodies were [[NeverFoundTheBody unable to be found]]. [[NotQuiteDead Makes you wonder...]]
62	* MercyKill: Claudia was supposed to do this to [[spoiler: Xeno]]. She couldn't.
63	* TheMole: [[spoiler:Shion for the Black Roses, who himself is a Jet Rose.]]
64	* MoreThanMindControl: [[spoiler: Shion]] utilizes this to take control of [[spoiler: Xeno]] in order to steal Claudia's Premiere Seed.
65	* MysteriousPast: Almost no one in Crimson Shell has any sort of past mentioned whatsoever. Those that do, however, tend to fall under the more [[DarkAndTroubledPast unfortunate]] category.
66	%%* NeverGotToSayGoodbye: [[spoiler:Claudia and Xeno.]]
67	* NextSundayAD: There's no specified time frame for Crimson Shell, but it appears to be more or less around present day, if not slightly later.
68	* NoNameGiven: Only two of the characters in the series are even shown with full names, Shion Liddell and Robin Wingfield.
69	* NotAMorningPerson: Les is almost always seen half asleep, not even considering what time of day it is.
70	* NotGrowingUpSucks: Because Claudia is the Scarlet Rose, she is immortal. Also [[spoiler: Shion, as the Jet Rose]].
71	* NotSoStoic: Les later shows that he can indeed express emotion when [[spoiler: Ruskin gets taken hostage by Wilhelm]] and he reacts in an unexpectedly violent and angry manner.
72	* NotSoWeak: Les seems very passive, but if you threaten someone he cares about... Also [[spoiler: Shion, when he is revealed to be the Jet Rose]].
73	* OddlySmallOrganization: Crimson Bullet does not appear to have more than a few dozen members.
74	* OlderThanTheyLook: It is revealed that both [[spoiler: Claudia and Wilhelm]] have not aged in the past 5 years. As [[spoiler: Shion]] is apparently older than [[spoiler: Claudia]], their outward appearance suggests that they, too, have not aged, perhaps for even longer.
75	* OnlyMostlyDead: At the end of the book, both [[spoiler: Xeno]] and [[spoiler: Shion]] were left in this state. Their current statuses are unknown.
76	* OurMonstersAreDifferent: Victims are monsters created with a Black Rose's poison, made by a Black Rose infecting a human before they die.
77	* ParentalAbandonment: While none of the children in the series have parents that are ever mentioned, [[spoiler: Shion]] considers the scientist and creator of the Black Roses his father, and takes this trope particularly hard.
78	* PhlebotinumGirl: Claudia.
79	* ThePowerOfHate: [[spoiler: Shion]] is revealed by the end to have an [[IrrationalHatred intense hatred]] towards [[spoiler: Claudia]], which, while misplaced, is more or less the driving force behind the plot.
80	* TheQuietOne: Les is only seen speaking a full sentence twice.
81	* ResentfulGuardian: Wilhelm acts like one of these because he is bound to Claudia, but [[spoiler: it was only a ruse to gain information about the Black Roses]].
82	* SmallSecludedWorld: Claudia keeps herself isolated in the 'warm house' until Xeno drags her out.
83	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Les, Lace, or Less? Wilhelm or William? Shion or Zion? No one can agree.
84	* SuperiorSpecies: The Black Roses consider themselves superior to humans.
85	* TheStoic: Les is seen with a perpetually neutral expression, and has only displayed any semblance of emotion once.
86	* StoppedCaring: Claudia admits that at one point in her life, she had stopped caring about everything.
87	%%* TallDarkAndSnarky: Xeno.
88	* ThereAreNoCoincidences: Shion started his first day at Crimson Bullet on the same day of a massive Victim invasion? How could that possibly be suspicious?
89	* TragicMonster: [[spoiler: Xeno]] is revealed to have been turned into a Victim by [[spoiler: Shion]] at the end of the book.
90	* TheTragicRose: Used literally, the Black Roses are all condemned to a fate of eventually succumbing to a disease known as the Black Spot. [[spoiler: Shion]] apparently dies at the end, fulfilling this trope without the Black Spot.
91	%%* TokenTrio: Robin, Melissa, and Les.
92	* UndyingLoyalty: Claudia refused to give up on Xeno even after it appeared that he had betrayed her.
93	* UsedToBeASweetKid: Judging from one of the few flashbacks in the story, [[spoiler: Shion]] was likely one of these.
94	* WasItAllALie: Claudia wonders this after Xeno's apparent betrayal. [[spoiler: It wasn't.]]
95	%%* WhiteHairBlackHeart: [[spoiler:Shion.]]
96	%%* AWolfInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler: Shion.]]
97	* YourDaysAreNumbered: All of the Black Roses are sentenced to dying from the Black Spot. It is seemingly inevitable, which is why [[spoiler: Shion]] is trying to acquire Claudia's Premiere Seed, in an effort to hold off the disease.

Context Manga / CrimsonShell