Truancy

"Wherever there is school, there will always be truancy."

Truancy is a trilogy of dystopian novels written by Isamu Fukui. Set in a totalitarian city ruled by its Mayor and Educators, the first book follows a fifteen-year-old student named Tack, and a student rebellion calling itself the Truancy. The story is dedicated "to everyone that has ever suffered in the name of education".

The books in the series are:


 * Truancy Origins (2007)
 * Truancy (2008)
 * Truancy City (2009)

"Gabriel: They think something supernatural is going on, that there's an exact opposite of you floating around the City attacking Truants. Someone even suggested that it's your evil twin."
 * Abusive Parents: Rothenberg to his son, Cross.
 * And the Fandom Rejoiced: On finding that Milady would appear in the last book.
 * Annoying Younger Sibling: Suzie to Tack. He doesn't really mind, since she's the only family member human being he's sure he loves.
 * Author Appeal: The first book was written when the author was fifteen.
 * Author Avatar: Isamu Fukui states that he made Umasi's name mirror his because he was more like Zyid than Umasi.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Zyid, leader of the Truancy, has only ever lost to
 * Badass: Zyid, Tack, Noni, Umasi, Milady and Edward, to name a few.
 * Badass Pacifist: Umasi. Possibly the most skilled fighter in the series, but only actually fights once in the first book (not counting the Training from Hell).
 * Battle Couple: Tack and Noni.
 * Berserk Button: Don't you dare tell Zyid he doesn't care about human lives.
 * Big Screwed-Up Family: The Mayor's family. On one hand we have the Mayor, who rules the city (and students) with an iron fist. On the other hand,  By the side is
 * Blond Guys Are Evil: Edward. Oh so much.
 * Blue Eyes: Noni, Type 2.
 * Bodyguard Crush: Noni towards Zyid at first. Too bad he's a self-proclaimed heartless bastard.
 * Book Dumb: Many students and Truancy members are probably this.
 * Cain and Abel: Zyid and Umasi.
 * Children Are Innocent: Averted hard.
 * Complete Monster: Edward. Arguably, Chief Truancy Officer Rothenberg.
 * Cool Shades: Milady has Umasi wear a pair to limit his vision and improve his hearing.
 * Cool Sword: Incredibly strong ceramic to get past metal detectors.
 * Crowning Moment of Funny: Umasi and Red getting drunk on hard lemonade.
 * Dead Little Sister: The reason Tack joins the Truancy.
 * Defrosting Ice Queen: Noni goes from loathing Tack for replacing her as Zyid's right hand to full-blown Belligerent Sexual Tension.
 * Dystopia: The Education City is not a great place to live.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: To cover up assassinations, the Educators announce fake diseases with names like RAS, Crazy Pig Disease and Bird Cold.
 * Embarrassing First Name: Umasi's name is constantly mispronounced by teachers, while Red complains that his parents "got real lazy... or drunk."
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The Mayor.
 * Evil Twin: Ironically, the Truants think Umasi is Zyid's evil twin.

"Zyid: Her name is Noni. You might call her my assistant. Umasi: I never thought you the type to show off for a girl. Will I be invited to the wedding? Zyid: Oh, now you're trying to make fun of me."
 * Government Conspiracy: A lot of it in the first novel, but Isamu outdoes himself ten times over in the second novel, Truancy Origins where it's revealed
 * Green Eyes: Edward.
 * Growing Up Sucks: Oh so very much.
 * Heartbroken Badass: Umasi manages to this after Milady leaves him, although he's not really sure he loves her anyway.
 * Heroic Albino: Milady, naturally.
 * Improbable Weapon User: Milady wields a chain with a weighted end.
 * Innocent Cohabitation: Umasi and Milady live together in District 19 for awhile.
 * I Owe You My Life: Noni considers Zyid her saviour and would die for him.
 * Kids Versus Adults: And how.
 * Luke, I Am Your Father: Zen and Umasi finding out
 * The Man Behind the Man:
 * Meaningful Rename: Zen to Zyid, and Tack to Takan.
 * The Mole: learns the hard way that selling out the Truancy is synonymous with suicide.
 * Moment Killer: Zyid walking in on Tack and Noni To be fair, there was a huge battle about to go down.
 * Murder by Mistake: Zyid does this twice. The first time, he mistakes for an Enforcer and promptly discovers why you don't kill Umasi's friends. Two years later  is blown up in a Truancy assassination, prompting Tack to join the Truancy and
 * No Name Given: The albino girl, aka Milady.
 * Official Couple:
 * One-Letter Name: Zyid used to call himself Z.
 * Parental Favoritism: It's implied that the Mayor preferred.
 * The Runaway:  He fails.
 * Scarf of Asskicking: Noni wears one to cover her scar.
 * Serious Business: Don't get us started.
 * Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The only reason Umasi agrees to fight Edward.
 * She Is Not My Girlfriend:


 * Shout-Out: Truancy: Origins is told through Umasi's perspective and shows how be came to be such a Badass Pacifist. He has several more than close encounters with Tack before actually meeting him on more than one occasion, causing a lot of readers to go Squee.
 * Stalker with a Crush: Noni has shades of this towards Zyid, although it was more noticeable in Truancy Origins.
 * Stepford Smiler: Edward.
 * Sunglasses at Night: Umasi wears them to enhance his hearing.
 * Sword Fight: The final battle between
 * Take That: This whole series is a massive Take That towards schools.
 * This Is Sparta: "If you want to shoulder my burden... if you can do better at leadership... then come and take it from me!"
 * Throwing Your Sword Always Works: How Tack beats Umasi during Umasi's test.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Noni and Milady respectively.
 * Unresolved Sexual Tension: Umasi and Milady, the furthest they ever got being an innocent peck.
 * Weapon of Choice: Zyid and Tack's swords, Noni's knives and Milady's chain.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: Zyid's motive for overthrowing the government is so that kids won't have to suffer anymore.
 * Wham! Episode: Truancy Origins. The whole of it. It's more like a Wham Flash Back though.
 * What Is This Thing You Call Love?: Partly why Milady left Umasi-in their inexperience, they decided they didn't love each other. Two years later, Tack goes to Umasi for relationship advice.
 * Will They or Won't They?: Tack and Noni. Umasi and Milady,
 * Would Hurt a Child: Nearly every adult.
 * Wrong Guy First: Noni eventually gets over her infatuation with Zyid and she and get together... just before they head out on a life-or-death mission.
 * Woman in White: Milady. It helps that she's an albino.
 * Xanatos Gambit: Zyid's plan to . If it works, than Truancy is better off, and if it doesn't, then the information gained will make the second round a success.