In 18th century Europe the demons known as Ill can be found in some of the most unlikely of places. Born of the torment of the creators of the objects they inhabit, they seek a new human body to inhabit. Thus why you must never touch something, if you don't know where it's been.
March is a hunter of these monsters known as Ill, a member of the Ciste Vihad, but March has another burden on top of the usual risks. March is already possessed, and in order to keep the demon within from emerging March may never fall in love with anyone. With this fact in mind, March must now travel the countryside, saving what people she can from the Ill, collecting the objects they were born from to send to Rodin, the humble owner of an antique shop.
March is sent on her missions by the fortuneteller, Jake, who demands that she be treated like a princess. She is later joined by another hunter, Belma, whose methods are not to March's liking.
March Story is a manga written by Kim Hyung-min and illustrated by Yang Kyung-il, who would both go on to create Defense Devil. The manga ran in Monthly Sunday Gene-X from 2007 to 2013, and it's available in English from Viz Media under their Viz Sig label.
This show provides examples of:
- Always Chaotic Evil: Played with and subverted:
- The people Heuller kills were planning to kill Rodin, and she was just trying to protect him. Too bad he never found out about her reasons
- The beaver woman was misguided, but she is shown to genuinely care for her (adopted)son.
- The possessed doll in chapter 13 never harms anyone, was only trying to entertain his owner, and killed himself so that the Unlucky Childhood Friend could get lucky and get the girl.
- Anti-Hero:
- Nellon and Linuette are type IVs, murdering the nobles all over town to get revenge for the nobles gouging out Nellon's eyes and cutting off her arms.
- Rodin and Belma seem to be type IIIs, both are willing to Shoot the Dog if it means others will be safe.
- Anti-Villain: The naval captain-turned-skeleton-ghost in chapter 11 was hunting down pirates, just like he did when he was alive. It was only because the ship our heroes was on was having a pirate masquerade at the time that he attacked the ship. He was essentially policing the seas.
- Beauty Equals Goodness:
- Both played and averted. Lets just say the heros are usually much prettier than the bad guys. The big exception to this rule is Jake how is an Expy of the Duchess from Alicein Wonderland dressed in goth lolita fashion.
- Averted with Lady Jajanghee.
- Berserker Tears: They show up quite a lot in this manga
- Body Snatcher: Via Demonic Possession
- Boomerang Bigot: Because the ill that possesses March came about from suffering caused by another ill, it possesses an insatiable thirst for the blood of ills, wanting to rid the world of them.
- CrossDresser: March, but we don't find out till chapter 3.
- Demon Slaying: March's job.
- Fan Disservice: In chapter 4 Lady Janjaghee, the Monster of the Week, is seen nude on panel... covered in blood and surrounded by corpses impaled on hooks while laughing about how the protagonists sister is going to be next.
- Flower Motifs: Because flowers are a common detail placed into artwork, beings that originate from artwork like the ils would often have motifs associated with flowers.
- Because the barbed hook the il that possesses March possesses rose-like thorns, March has powers associated with thorns and rose petals.
- Because Lady Jangjaghee is possessed by the il of a claw covered in marigold patterns, her powers possess a marigold motif to them.
- Gender-Blender Name: March Story is rife with this: March, Belma, Jake, Rodin, and that's just the main characters!
- Horned Humanoid: Humans get them when they are possessed. They're clear at first but turn blood red when the Ill has killed someone.
- Improbable Weapon User: Belma fights demons with a scarecrow.
- Our Demons Are Different: They're called Ill, possess objects, and once they kill someone with your body they will never let you go. This is March's backstory. She got (slightly) better
- Samus Is a Girl: And fairly well endowed as well.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man:Rodin and Belma are like this when they are together.
- Shout-Out: The beginning of chapter 8 is very reminiscent of the beginning of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999).
