In the world Mimoto City exists in, those with large enough willpower can impose it and those around them and change things to their whims. Mikai Fushimi is not such an individual. For the last ten years she just trudged through life without emotions. Until she is offered a Jõtai, a ring that can grant her the powers to achieve her desires. Mikai refuses, but seeing a friend turn into a Monster by putting it on causes a spark that allows to regain her emotions.
When said friend then starts terrorizing the city, she can't help but jump in. The ring, sensing her new desires, turns into a belt that allows her to become an armored heroine known as a Jõtaider. Naming herself Mimoto she declares to protect the city from all threats to its people, yet unaware that this makes her attract the attention from several factions, those who want to set humans free at all costs, the heads of the corporation that rules the world, monsters hunting in the wilderness outside the city walls, ancient horrors lurking in the shadows beyond this world…
Jõtaider is an ongoing story heavily based on tokusatsu-inspirations, as well as TF/MC-themes. It's being written by ForbiddenArchive and can be read on DeviantArt here
or on Archive of Our Own here. It also features an extensive collection of non-canon side-stories by the author, though it should be noted that some of these include explicit content.
This work contains examples of:
- Action Girl: Various members of the main and extended cast apply, first and foremost the main heroines Mikai and Hiro.
- Badass Bystander: Most of Mikai's many friends, though particularly Agatha, Tsubasa and Yuuki, often shine in that role.
- The Bad Guy Wins: What you should expect in any side story whose names start with "Bad End" and also some that don't.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: When someone is turned into a Pawn their sole purpose becomes to serve whichever Jõtaijin turned them.
- State 7 features Yuuki and Saeko being turned into monsters by Azami's sake and in their rush attacking Mikai and Hiro.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: Obviously those are included with the story's basis in tokusatsu. The heroines even have unique ones.
- Character Title:
- State 22 "Queen Pawn" is notable for being the first of this kind, named after its monster of the week.
- State 24 "Dark Dragon and Luna", named after the name of the armor Mikai dons after falling to despair and Kimiko and Tsukiko, who are revealed to be Lunas.
- State 26 "Hopper", named after Hopper, who makes her dramatic return to the story.
- Charm Person: Those with strong willpower can control and transform the weak-willed in this world. It also generally applies to all Jõtaijin.
- Chess Motifs: Jõtaijin can turn people into pawns, who with their featureless and domed appearance resemble the chess piece with the same name. Later Jõtaijin can promote their pawns into stronger forms based on other chess pieces. As a good counterpart to them, Jõtaider PAWN can also promote into different forms through additional armor, ROOK, KNIGHT and BISHOP.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Early chapters would feature those turned into pawns also retaining some of the changes of that respective Jõtaijin, though it was quickly forgotten about and replaced with Pawn Syndrome instead. The amount of lewder themes covered in chapters also goes down as the story continues and stakes grow more serious.
- Forced Transformation: Usually putting on a Jõtai forcibly transforms the wearer into a monstrous form meant to help them achieve their deepest desire. As Jõtaijin they can also exert their strong wills upon others to turn them into their Pawns.
- Mind Control: Each Jõtaijin usually features the ability to turn others into Pawns and make them obedient to their will.
- Monster of the Week: Strongly follows this story pattern due to its tokusatsu-inspiration, usually by each chapter featuring a new Jõtaijin to fight.
- No Title: Unlike all the other chapters, State 23 does intentionally not feature a title.
- Not Quite Back to Normal: Even after they have been turned back to human, those who choose to become Jõtaijin usually keep some permanent changes and abilities. Those who got turned into Pawns will also have some lingering effects if they aren’t given proper therapy.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: In State 24 Hiro delivers a chain of these to the other assembled "heroes" for how their childish actions unwillingly aided in Mikai's fall to despair, herself included.Hiro: CHILDREN!
Saki: Children..? What are you getting at, Fukano..? What are you-
Hiro: [slaps Saki] You of all people should know exactly what I'm talking about. You wanted to fight us, just because we were other heroines. That's childish! You can't do everything on your own! And why would we even want to be protected by somebody that wants to keep us neutered so she can feel like she matters!?
[turns to Saeko] You're no better. You've been sowing the seeds of discord for Golden Freedom. For what? To feel like you've done something that matters? Is that it, Saeko?
Saeko: To repay Lady D'Or and Bat for raising me! I want to see their ideals come true! I want people to be free from what Atlas Corp has done, and free from danger!
Hiro: Just another child. You don't think about the ramifications of what you're doing. You just blindly try to earn their love. Even though you've had their love from the moment you were in their arms.
[turns to Minami] That thing inside you. That artificial Prime. That childish hunger that claims it. Tame it. Otherwise, you'll be no better than Luna.
[turns to Hayato and punches him into the wall] THAT. Was for Setsuna.
Hayato: Bitch... If I didn't do that, she'd just run amok like any other Monster...
Hiro: Childish view of the world. I hear you met with Yuuki. I'm sure you know by now that Monsters aren't everything that you think they are.
[turns to Ero] And you, you're not any better despite your attitude.
Ero: Mmhm, lemme guess. You're not too happy with how I treat all of this? Somethin' like that?
Hiro: [returns to her initial position then punches herself] And I'm the biggest child of all, because I let my anger get the best of me at the worst times! I drove Mikai away because I couldn't control myself! She thought I couldn't trust her, because of my damn outbursts! - Transformation Sequence: As a staple of the genre they're of course included for the Jõtaiders, often with transformation phrase included.
- Turning Back Human: After their defeat Jõtaijin and their Pawns turn back to humans, well mostly.
- Whole Episode Flashback: "Jõtaider Gekijouban" is a five chapter mini arc set about ten years in the past mainly focusing on Hiro's beginnings at Atlas Corp. and the events that lead to the Luna Descent.
