"I don't get it! I did everything I was supposed to do! I... tried my hardest, at least... Go to school, get a job, move to the city... So why is my life like this? Why am I like this?"
— J. Helzer
Bad Enders is a shōnen-parody workplace comedy webcomic by artist Beanytuesday.
On an alternate Earth where supernatural threats are commonplace, humanity’s last line of defense are Curse Hunters: specially-trained humans with access to the mysterious “Devil Gene”, which grants them strange and devastating powers. 20-year-old J. Helzer signs up for training at the Institute of Eldritch Studies with one goal in mind: to become the greatest Curse Hunter who ever lived.
Fast forward 5 years, and absolutely none of that happened. Helzer is a 25-year-old burnout who dropped out of college after 2 and a half years. Instead of a Curse Hunter, Helzer works a mundane administrative job at the Center for Curse Control. But even though he’s not yet a Curse Hunter himself, a job at the CCC is anything but boring. Can Helzer grow up, put his personal issues behind him, and achieve his dream? Or is he doomed to a life of depression and mediocrity?
Bad Enders was abruptly cut short after 2 volumes, but the characters share a universe with Beanytuesday’s other work, GUE.
Part one can be downloaded for free here
, and part 2 can be read online (also for free) here.
Tropes in this work include:
- Acid Attack: In his black bile form, Helzer can spit up acidic bile.
- A Degree in Useless: Helzer's academic advisor warns him that studying to unlock his devil genes wouldn't be a very good investment, as the job market for power users is very slim and most students wash out of training.
- All-Loving Hero: Leol Saber, a Curse Hunter for the CCC who's relentlessly upbeat and sees the good in everyone. Goes nicely with his other Stock Shōnen Hero traits.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Helzer battles a deranged power user who thinks he was commenting on his girlfriend’s Instagram in chapter one.
- Clothes Make the Superman: The Faceless Man can't shapeshift without her Sailor Fuku outfit.
- Cut Short: Bad Enders was abandoned after chapter 2, but the characters return in GUE.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Leol's "God Knuckle" attack.
- Deconstructive Parody: Of a number of Shōnen Demographic tropes. Aiming to be the best there ever was sounds nice, but there’s a good chance the effort will leave you a depressed washout. Battling monsters is a lot less black and white when they’re not Always Chaotic Evil. Saying you only care about strength and have no need for friends will get reactions of confusion and pity, not fear or respect.
- The Ditz: Unix Million, Helzer's Curse Hunter coworker.
- Elemental Powers: Variant: Helzer's powers are based on the ancient theory of the Four Humors.
- Embarrassing First Name: Helzer's first name is Juvenihilus, which the Faceless Man mocks.
- Emotional Powers: Helzer's Four Humor transformations are seemingly triggered partially by his emotional state.
- Government Agency of Fiction: The Center for Curse Control, or CCC, deals with smaller-scale supernatural threats and black-market magic items. Also mentioned is the DDF (Demon Defense Force), who are a more traditional shōnen organization dedicated to fighting demons that try to invade Earth.
- Hated by All: The Faceless Man is so irritating to battle that heroes and villians apparently released a joint statement slamming them as "not fun".
- Lovable Sex Maniac: Abel Fink, Helzer's perverted but generally good-natured coworker.
- Magical Girl Genre Deconstruction: The antagonist of chapter 2 used to be a magical girl before becoming a criminal Former Child Star. On top of that, her powers were given by a strange, unknowable entity and the monsters she fought were invisible creatures that drove people to murderous insanity by their very presence.
- The Most Dangerous Video Game: Chapter 2 has "The Island of The Ravenous Axe Man", a horror game that sucks the player in. Abel somehow heard "video game that sucks you in" as "video game that sucks you off".
- To Be a Master: Deconstructed. Helper wanted to be the greatest curse hunter to ever live, but quickly washed out of college and settled into a life of mediocrity. The main drive of the series is if Helzer can even find the will to follow this dream again, and if such a goal is even worth pursuing.
- No-Sell: Helzer's acidic black bile does nothing to Leol.
- Not His Blood: Parodied.
Garma: Jesus, you're covered in blood!
Veronymous: Don't worry, it's not mine.
Garma: Then why is it coming out of your eyes?
- Only Known by Initials: J. Helzer mostly goes by his first initial. You would too if your name was Juvenihilus.
- J's regional director at the CCC is only known as "Mr. M".
- Sailor Fuku: The Faceless Man's magical girl outfit, which is also the source of her powers.
- Samus Is a Girl: The mysterious shapeshifter known as "The Faceless Man" is actually a woman.
- Shapeshifter: The Faceless Man, antagonist of Chapter 2.
- Shock and Awe: Unix Million's power, "Big Battery".
- Stock Shōnen Hero: Leol, a buff and spiky-haired curse hunter. A little dim but very enthusiastic. Notable for being a supporting character instead of the hero.
- Stock Shōnen Rival: Curse Hunter Veronymous Shin, a prideful and cynical Blood Knight. Since this is a parody, no one takes him seriously.
- Straight Gay: Veronymous again, who's openly gay and behaves like an edgy anime character.
- Super Mode: Helzer has 2 super modes, based on the "black bile" and "blood" components of the four humors. He presumably has 2 others for yellow bile and phlegm, but we have yet to see them.
- Super-Toughness: Leol's power, "Titan Body".
- Unlucky Everydude: Helzer is a lonely college dropout working a tedious job. The Faceless Man calls him a "born loser".
- Victory Is Boring: The Faceless Man tells Helzer that having everything you want is like being dead, in that you have nothing less to strive for and no real reason to exist.
- Wolverine Claws: Veronymous's power, "Black Pocket Knife", allows him to project black spikes from anywhere on his body.
