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She only looks harmless...

"Our sins were staggering. No wonder they had called us war criminals. After all, our hands already were stained with oceans of blood."
Kurokochōhime, Chapter Eight

Rolitania is a Young Adult Slice of Life romance about The Power of Love written by Olivia D. Knight. Published in late 2014, it stars an Unlucky Everydude who can’t seem to get a break in life. Set in a Fictional Country called "Rolitania" that's Americasia placed on an unusually large man-made island.

Samuel Stevens is an “ordinary” student who happens to live in a very strange country. All of the residents are hardcore Otaku of varying interests, who take themselves very seriously. Actually, he’s somewhat normal, considering the fact that everyone around him is just as obsessed with…whatever they’re obsessed with. In this story, ‘otaku’ is used in the original sense of the word, and not just describing fans of anime.

However, Sam himself is a fan of anime and manga, is somewhat Genre Savvy, and the Queen of their country happens to be stalking him.

He may have wished that life were more like anime, but he didn’t mean it in this way! Why she’s doing this is a mystery, but it’s clear to see that he’s not getting away from her any time soon. He isn’t concerned, though, despite everything. Even if she beams memories into his mind.

Despite having an Animesque cover and reading like a Light Novel, it lacks pictures. What it doesn't lack, however, are Shout Outs to several popular series.


The book provides examples of:

  • Action Girl: Kurokochōhime, who manages to scare three teenaged muggers. Well, scare and incapacitate, but still…
  • Affectionate Nickname: “Papa” for Jessie.
  • Ambition Is Evil: Why the other countries are wary of Rolitania and decide to attack them.
  • Animal Motifs: Kuro's is a butterfly: she even has Hair Antennae on the cover. Samuel is a lamb—usually surrounded by wolves.
  • Animesque: The prologue focuses on three girls who cosplay regularly. Anime terms are everywhere. Even the nature of "Reality Breaker" makes everything look like an anime.
  • Attack Pattern Alpha: Also known as 'Void Formation Alpha'.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Sam has been hoping and dreaming for his life to become more exciting.
  • Beware the Nice Ones:
    • Actually, this trope very well applies to Kurokochōhime, who portrays herself as a very sweet, kind girl to her class. However, her dark side bleeds through whenever Sam is threatened.
    • Sam is a very mild boy, but when he is angered — truly angered - Look out.
  • Big Brother Is Watching: Basically what T.A.M.a.R.A. is.
  • Cold-Blooded Torture: What the United States administered to any captured Espers in the original timeline.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Twice Kurokochōhime has had to save Sam. Once from muggers. Once from ‘‘himself’’.
  • Crapsack World: Due to the Espers ravaging the world with war, hardly anyone has survived. Food is scarce, and marauding bands of Espers fight each other into oblivion.
  • Died in Your Arms Tonight: Happens twice, but is averted once.
  • Doppelgänger: Kira for Kurokochōhime. Although, she has to wear contacts and dye her hair to do so.
  • Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Although he doesn’t mind being smacked with a riding crop, Samuel is punished for not ‘trying hard enough’ to lift the blocks with his PK. Doubles as a Shout-Out.
  • Driven to Suicide:
    • Apparently, Samuel was so upset over being manipulated by the school’s most popular meangirl that he tried to kill himself.
    • Kuro. Why she was acting that way is unclear, but evidently Clara had a lot to do with it.
  • Dumb Blonde: One of the few male examples is Samuel. He happens to be quite naiive about the world, despite being so Genre Savvy.
  • Empty Eyes: After speaking with Clara, Kurokochōhime dons these.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Apparently, 8-Track will allow for last goodbyes between lovers. But that doesn’t stop him from being evil.
  • Fictional Country: Rolitania is a man-made Americasia.
  • First Kiss: After having a very uneventful love-life, Sam has his first kiss behind the school in the playground.
  • For the Evulz: Clara’s reason for doing everything.
  • Friendless Background: Samuel, very much so. He hardly interacts with most of his class before meeting Kuro. Earlier, he had been involved with an upperclassman who was just stringing him along.
  • Fun with Acronyms: Threat Assessment Management and Retaliation-Agenda, a.k.a, T.A.M.a.R.A.
  • Genki Girl: Belle is shown to be somewhat genki at times. So much so that it contributes to her only real Esper power. Namely, teleportation.
  • Hologram: Holographic displays and advertisements are nothing special in the cities—except the ‘Special District,’ which has a light pollution policy.
  • Holographic Disguise: Although holograms are the norm, there are no holographic suits. This, however, is contradicted, then justified by Chapter 15, since, Kurokochōhime is the one who invented the technology, after all.
  • I'm Cold... So Cold...: A variation of the trope was used, although it was averted by Kurokochōhime, it was somewhat justified, since it was snowing.
  • Interrupted Suicide: Well, a gas station bathroom isn’t the ‘‘best’’ place to try a suicide, especially if you leave the door unlocked. This has happened twice, if you count the second timeline, and for two different reasons.
  • Joshikousei: Every single school in the country is required to have school uniforms. Every. Single. One.
  • The Lost Lenore: Being a male example, Samuel is this for his entire army. Due to time travel, of course, he’s alive, much to the joy of everyone who knew him.
  • Meaningful Rename: Kurokochōhime. Her name, when translated, means “Black Butterfly Princess.” She doubles as both the Butterfly of Death and Rebirth, and the Butterfly of Doom(for those who were responsible for Sam’s death).
  • The Person: The Guillotine, also known as 8-Track. His title is quite literal. That poor soldier. All he did was ask a simple question.
  • Neet: After he slipped into a slight depression, Samuel:
    quit his "respectable" job at Subday, quit school, locked himself in his room, spent all of his time watching anime or playing games, and occasionally went on forums to complain bitterly about 3D girls.
  • 90% of Your Brain: What the E-23 serum added to America’s drinking water does to part of the population.
  • No Conservation of Energy:
    • What Reality Breaker's nature really is, and, arguably, other Esper Powers as well.
    • Lampshaded by Sam during his Training from Hell
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Happens offscreen to Kurokochōhime, who, despite being an excellent fighter in previous timelines, is bloodied and mangled by the time that Sam shows up.
  • Off with His Head!: A random solider who questions 8-Track is the unfortunate recipient of his blade.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname:
    • Of course, the obvious example is Kurokochōhime, who had a Meaningful Rename. What makes it a little different is that due to Rolitania's laws, she legally changed it to what it is now.
    • In fact, other "Custom Namers" do pretty much the same thing if they have enough money.
    • There is also 8-Track who is more infamously known as 'The Guillotine'.
  • Polar Opposite Twins: Belle and Sam are quite different, despite looking similar. Belle is popular, socially smart, and has an active love-life. Samuel doesn't even come close. Belle is close with the class, while Samuel is usually the Butt-Monkey.
  • Pre-Meeting: The two main characters, Sam and Kuro, both meet in a very…strange way.
  • Psychic Children: Kira and Soul (mentioned briefly) are mentioned as such.
  • Psychic Nosebleed: Samuel when he practices with his powers. Kurokochōhime in the flashback.
  • Psychic Powers: There are several mental powers mentioned in the series. All of them are described as “Psychokinesis” or “PK”. The people who use such powers are called Espers. They are ranked not by level, but by class, and come in several different types. Telekinesis is apparently the ‘standard’ set of powers that you receive when you become an Esper. Not all people are able to move things with their mind, however, and usually develop a second, stronger ability. Psychic Teleportation also comes with the ‘standard set’, but it takes far too much concentration and effort for most to want to master it.
    • Samuel apparently can move things with his mind, but that power is severely limited. His confirmed abilities include: Biopsychokinesis, Teleportation(also limited), acting as a Psychic Link for his army, and creating things from nothing.
    • Kurokochōhime’s powers are limited to Fulgurkinesis, limited Teleportation, and very strong Telekinesis.
    • Kira exhibits some sort of mind control powers upon her first meeting with Sam.
  • Real-Person Cameo: Sam and Kuro were fortunate enough to meet Tobuscus at Comic Con at once point.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Despite the United States being a much bigger, older country with plenty of allies, Rolitania still picks a fight with them. Because, well, trying to kill their Queen and subsequently invade are definitely reasons to make a world power try to crush you. Even if their only two allies look horrified at what Rolitania has done to defend itself, and may choose not to help you against the incoming threats.
  • School Idol: Clara, with her own network of desperate boys who do anything she asks.
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The whole premise is based on the fact that Future!Samuel died. Of course, driven to grief, his army, led by his wife, invents Time Travel in order to go back in time to save him.
  • Show Within a Show : Mrs. Brooke is seen reading a manga called “Hollow Voices”, which is actually the name of the series that the author has written. The first book being about Seiyuu in America.
  • Twin Telepathy: Samuel once joked about having this with his sister Belle, when they were younger.
  • Welcomed to the Masquerade: Samuel is introduced to the world of Espers and time-travelers by none other than the Queen of Rolitania.
  • Yandere: Kuro. She’s so far gone into her obsession that she created an entire country to trap—er, save him.

"I will keep you safe, My Dearest."

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