Line #96 Manga/Genzo


1	[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Genzo1_2570.jpg]]
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3	''Genzo'', a.k.a. ''Genzou Hitogata Kiwa'' (''Genzo: Tale of the Human-shaped Fiend''), is a short manga consisting of five volumes and written by Yuzo Takada, author of ''Manga/SazanEyes'' and ''Manga/BlueSeed''.
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5	The story begins in the UsefulNotes/SengokuJidai, when UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi is the ruler of the land. The beautiful but {{tomboy}}ish princess Kiku of Kamigawa ask the help of the legendary "Puppet Master" Seibei Tsuchimura, in order stop the plans of her EvilUncle who has poisoned her [[KissingCousins Cousin/future husband]] Tatsumaru. The old Seibei has left the Puppetmastery art long ago, but he offer her the help of his apprentice and son-in-law [[SociopathicHero Genzo Tsuchimura]], who is trying to make a perfect puppet of her deceased and beloved wife Saki. Soon the OddCouple get involved in a series of weird events and secrets plots.
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7	The series doesn't really follow a specific arc, but it's more like a series of short stories, usually in a {{Horror}} fashion with some dark humor, drama and mistery inside. One of the volumes contains a short story titled "Gotsuden" (Tale of the Gotsu Sword) which take place two hundred years later and its about O-shizu, a young girl working for a ''Kawaraban'' (sort of newspaper), a wandering swordmaster looking for a cursed blade and some mysterious gruesome murders.
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9	----
10	!!''Genzo'' provides examples of:
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12	%% * AbsurdlySharpBlade: The Samoji sword in the second volume and the Gotsumaru blade in the special. [[spoiler: The Yamiganemaru blade in the last story]].
13	%% * ActionGirl: Kiku and Otsuru.
14	%% * AloofBigBrother: Koshiro Honebami to Genzo.
15	* AllAmazonsWantHercules: Played with. Kiku says she will only marry a man strong enough to beat her in a swordfight, but she has eyes only for Genzo.
16	%% * AnguishedDeclarationOfLove: Sort of. Kiku's love for Genzo is clear, [[spoiler: but only in the final story she asks him to marry her]].
17	%% * {{Antihero}}: Genzo. He slowly gets better thanks to Kiku and Otsuru.
18	* ArtificialHuman: Genzo's puppets can easly pass as living humans and are often used as decoys for Daimyo.
19	* ArtificialLimbs: At the beginning of the last story, a limping old man asks Genzo to make an artificial leg for him. [[spoiler: It doesn't end well..]]
20	%% * ArrangedMarriage: Kiku with Tatsumaru at first. It was later played for laughs in a Kiku-centered mini arc.
21	%% * AsideGlance: Kiku at the end of the above-mentioned ArrangedMarriage mini-arc. See also LesYay below.
22	* AttackItsWeakPoint: When Genzo is wrapped in Koshirou's flesh doll, he manage to stop it by finding and snapping its ninth "spine segment" in its back. Later Koshiro does a similar trick by ordering his crow to sever Genzo's puppet's threads.
23	%% * AttemptedRape: First Kiku's uncle [[ParentalIncest on her]], and then Denzaemon on Oshizu ''with a [[GroinAttack katana blade.]]'' They both get what they deserve...
24	%% * AxeCrazy: [[spoiler:Yasuke wielding the Yamiganemaru and, for a brief instant, Kiku herself.]]
25	%% * BadAssAdorable: Otsuru.
26	* BadAssNormal: Princess Kiku may lack tricks or otherwordly powers, but she's more than capable to slice through hordes of enemies DualWielding swords!
27	* BarbieDollAnatomy, Averted: Naked women will often appear, and not only their nipples but also their pubes are visible.
28	* BerserkButton: ''Don't'' call Kiku [[ACupAngst flat-chested]], or she'll rip you a new one!
29	* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted. Some pretty ladies get awful-looking scars on their bodies. [[spoiler: Kiku shows the signs of her battle with Yasuke at the end.]]
30	* {{Bifauxnen}}: Prince(ss) Kiku can easily pass as an attractive man when she wears samurai clothes.
31	%% ** [[spoiler:Kiyone does this as well.]]
32	%% * BigBad: Each story has its own, but probably the most blatant and suitable is Maria Kusuru.
33	* BittersweetEnding:[[spoiler:Kiku survives and both Yasuke and Yamiganemaru are no longer a threat, but Genzo, whi survived the fire, has left, but he may be back again.]]
34	* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Otsuru has a [[HooksAndCrooks sickle blade]] instead of her right hand.
35	* BlobMonster: Genzo's and Koshiro's puppets tend to turn into a large [[CombatTentacles tentacled mass]] of flesh when hit, so that they can grab the opponent and hold him still. It was also used to kill Kiku's uncle.
36	%% * BlushSticker: Osato has them.
37	%% * BreakTheCutie: Poor Genzo, who got his wife horribly killed in front of his eyes. Also Otsuru in volumes 1 and 5.
38	* BuriedAlive: [[spoiler:Kahei's wife. Her spirit claims his life for this.]]
39	* ButNotTooForeign: The aforementioned Maria is half Portuguese.
40	%% * ChekhovsGun: Kohayamaru the Wholphin.
41	* CovertPervert: Hideyoshi is hinted to be one, since he left Maria in charge of her clan because of her... [[BuxomBeautyStandard "female charms".]]
42	* CreepyCrows: Koshirou has a huge creepy raven on his shoulder. Apparently, it's also a puppet.
43	%% * CreepyDoll
44	%% * CuteLittleFangs: Otsuru has them.
45	* CuteMonsterGirl: Otsuru again: after some proper healing, a bath, decent clothes and a new [[BladeBelowTheShoulder prosthetic blade ]] she becomes even [[{{Moe}} cuter]].
46	%% * CuteGhostGirl: Kiku helped one once. That specific story also ends with a heartwarming moment.
47	%% * DarkAndTroubledPast: Genzo
48	* DarkIsNotEvil: Genzo uses monstrous puppets and can see ghosts, but at least he's a decent guy.
49	* DeadPersonImpersonation: Many nobles and Daimyo hire Genzo in order to have a functional decoy of a dead person. Also [[spoiler: Hikoichi's son and Chiyomaru/Kiyone]]
50	* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: In one story, Kiku plan to get Genzo drunk so that she can have her way with him while he's unconscious. She missed her chance, though.
51	* DullEyesOfUnhappiness: Genzo's eyes are always like this. In some rare occasions they're lit with a [[SlasherSmile demonic light]].
52	%% * EvilCounterpart: Koshiro to Genzo.
53	* EvilTwin: In an Otsuru-centered miniarc, a man abandons one of his newborn twins in a field. The boy grows up as a stubborn farmer named Kosuke. [[spoiler:He falls in love with Otsuru, asks her to be his wife and gives her a new wooden arm. Then his {{Jerkass}} noble brother pops out and [[KickTheDog kill him for the laughs]]. At least he got slain by Otsuru, too.]]
54	* EvilWeapon:
55	** The Jintsumaru Tenganken is said to have hypnotic powers. True or not, is still a darn creepy, sharp katana.
56	** [[spoiler:The Yamiganemaru contains the wrath of the former owners and always seeks blood and revenge.]]
57	%% * FakingTheDead: Done sometimes, it's one of Genzo's specialties, Including [[spoiler:Osato, Tatsugoro Momose, Kiyone]].
58	* FluffyTamer: [[spoiler:Kiyone and before her Urakami Matazaemon]] managed to make friend with a Wholphin (a sort of Orca)
59	* FullFrontalAssault: When Otsuru was still the "Monster", she was dressed only with a dirty cloak on her back, and nothing else. Unless you count the {{Sarashi}} -like bandages in order to keep the blade still on her wrist.
60	* GagPenis: In the fifth volume, Kiku is ill, and asks to Genzo to build a puppet to use against her suitors. However, when its pants comes off it's revealed that he gave the puppet a... noticeable one.
61	%% * {{Gonk}}: Hideyoshi really looks like a monkey!
62	* GoodScarsEvilScars: [[{{Moe}} Osato]] has a hideous scar across her body. [[spoiler:Kiyone has many singed spots on her skin.]]
63	* {{Hammerspace}}: Averted, Genzo is always seen with a huge wardrobe-sized box on his back which contains his tools and tricks.
64	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Genzo put up a huge one at the climax in order to save his beloved Kiku from the Yamiganemaru's curse. [[UnexplainedRecovery Somehow it seems he survived]].]]
65	%% * [[HotSpringsEpisode Hot Spring Sequence]]. Happens once, with a handful of {{Fanservice}}.
66	%% * {{Hulkspeak}}: Otsuru speak in a similar fashion from volume two onward. She finally speaks normally again in the last story.
67	* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Denzaemon, with O-shizu in the extra. He even comments on her being still a virgin. Averted, since he plans to rip her stomach open in a sort of Dark Ritual.
68	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler: Saki's ghost to Genzo and also to Koshiro.]]
69	* InstantSedation: Genzo's sleeping powder is one of his many tricks.
70	%% * JackTheRipoff: Denzaemon's modus operandi.
71	%% * {{Jerkass}}: Many of them. [[spoiler:Kosuke's twin brother takes the cake.]]
72	%% * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Genzo
73	* KatanasAreJustBetter: Averted in the Samoji sword arc, where the [[CarryABigStick Kanabo wielding]] monk Kyokai easly snaps Kiku's swords with a well aimed swing. Played straight otherwise.
74	%% * KnockoutGas: Used a lot by Genzo, with the gas usually stored in his puppets.
75	%% * LuminescentBlush: Kiku, whenever she daydreams about herself and Genzo.
76	* MadeOfIron: Kurojishi. He survived a point-blank explosion, was slashed twice, fell down a cliff, almost drowned twice and yet survived through all this shit.
77	* MalevolentMaskedMan: Kurojishi, [[spoiler: Maria's]] [[TheDragon right-hand man]], sports a huge demonic black mask.
78	* MomentKiller: Otsuru's presence always thwarts Kiku's chances of sharing a good time with Genzo.
79	* {{Ninja}}: They once met a small gang of young ninja boys.
80	* NotDistractedByTheSexy: A village leader once tried to entice Genzo with two beautiful, curvaceous ladies. His answer? Sending out a frog puppet who called them both "Ugly Hags!"
81	%% * ParentalAbandonment: Genzo was adopted by [[OldMaster Seibei]].
82	%% * PluckyGirl: O-shizu.
83	* ProfaneLastWords: [[TheDragon Kurojishi]] use his last words before exploding to smithereens to curse Genzo. Loudly.
84	* PeoplePuppets: Genzo makes and controls living puppets.
85	* RazorFloss: Averted. Genzo uses a lot of threads, but never as weapons. [[spoiler: During his first battle with Yasuke uses them to bind him in order to get some time, and Koshiro used a similar trick to bind Kiku]].
86	%% * SeeYouInHell: [[spoiler:Maria, after her VillainousBreakdown at the very end. With a little of TakingYouWithMe.]]
87	%% * SlasherSmile:
88	** Genzo has somewhat of this when he gets serious, and he's as creepy as Hell.
89	** Maria has one, too, but not so creepy.
90	%% * StalkerWithACrush: Kiku sometimes behaves as one towards Genzo. Wheter he's aware of this (or if he cares) or not is unknown..
91	%% * ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: For Denzaemon at least, who's smart enough to have a longer, deadlier sword concealed in the cloak. Then he met the nameless samurai....
92	%% * {{Tsundere}}: Kiku.
93	* UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:The first thing Yasuke does after Genzo made him a new leg? Try to chop Genzo to ribbons with his sword.]]
94	* UnusualEars: Hideyoshi has huge ears. Also, some other characters have slightly pointy ears, like Kyokai or Koshiro.
95	* {{Ventriloquism}}: Genzo with his smaller puppets and Koshiro with his pet crow.
96	%% * WifeHusbandry: Gender-flipped with [[spoiler:young Genzo and Saki, courtesy of Koshiro]].
97	* WholesomeCrossdresser: Kiku is always seen dressed as a Samurai. [[spoiler:Also Kiyone disguised herself as Chiyomaru in order to hide her identity to Maria.]]
98	%% * YouCantFightFate: The story of "Decepting the Ghost" in the fifth volume.

Context Manga / Genzo