The Longing of Shiina Ryo is a Light Novel written by Ryuno
, available here and on Baka-Tsuki. It is about a teenager nicknamed Shin-tsu who has spent most of his life fleeing from a series of unusual events that he has deemed "Mystery". The story picks up when Shin-tsu moves to yet another new town, which coincidentally is where Ryo, someone he met online and the only person who he has befriended during his life. Unfortunately, Shin-tsu can only hide for so long before Mystery finds him again...
Tropes:
- Badass Bookworm: When Kouma and Shin-tsu (who tried to punch out Shogushin with their Chinese kung fu movie fighting skills) found themselves in a pinch, Ryo used her frail body to climb the metallic structure of the warehouse like a monkey and drop a heavy spotlight on the monster's head. Right, two experienced martial artists were saved by a wiki editor's knowledge of physics. At least Gravity worked fine at that time.
- Blessed with Suck: Shin-tsu's tendency to literally be lost in thought lets him skip a good portion of trying to figure out how to find Mystery.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Shin-tsu actually talks to the reader about various things, such as whether he's running or only walking briskly.
- Catchphrase: Shin-tsu's "UORYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
- Crazy-Prepared: Kouma's hand purse carries more than enough bandages and medicine to treat a wounded person, amongst many, many other things.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: Ms. Reikoku went to the warehouse after being told to do so by an old man dressed in red.
- Didn't See That Coming: When the slice-of-life turns into supernatural mystery, and once again when the mystery/crime exposition turns into a battle.
- First-Name Basis: Shin-tsu doesn't use honorifics when referring to Ryo, and both Kouma and Ms. Reikoku take note of this.
- Genre Savvy: Shin-tsu begins to joke that he's in a novel, and both Kouma and Ryo try to utilize story structures to make sense of his life.
- Hands-Off Parenting: Shin-tsu is legally emancipated just prior to the start of the story.
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: Kouma to Shin-tsu, in relation to Ryo. She wasn't kidding.
- I Know Karate: When Shin-tsu has to defend himself from Kouma
- Inner Monologue: Shin-tsu literally loses track of his surroundings when he does this.
- Not What It Looks Like: When Shin-tsu has Kouma leave his apartment when Ms. Reikoku showed up one night.
- Occult Detective: Ms. Reikoku seems interested in becoming this. Or getting her students to become this, it's hard to tell.
- Odd Friendship: Kouma Yon (borderline cynic) and Shiina Ryo (insufferable idealist)
- Post Modern: As it gets; the characters seem to think the universe is run by tropes, for Christ's sake.
- Rapid-Fire Typing: Ryo with her cellphone.
- Slow-Motion Fall: Shin-tsu sees Ryo fall in slow-motion the second time, but because he's warping reality.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Shin-tsu makes a lot of these; "I-it's not like I enjoy cross-dressing or anything!"
- Taking the Bullet: Shin-tsu dives to catch Ryo when she falls in the warehouse, getting dinged up in the process.
- Troperiffic: Shin-tsu may have been a troper in another life.
- Umbrella of Togetherness: Ryo shares her parasol with Shin-tsu on the first day they meet face-to-face.
- Unfazed Everyman: Shin-tsu is an Unfazed Everyman that stood around weird things for way too long.
- Unwanted Harem: Shin-tsu notices at couple points possibilities that could lead to a harem situation, and takes actions to avoid provoking such.
