Habibi: Difference between revisions

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* [[Affectionate Nickname]]: Dodola calls Zam "habibi," which roughly means "my beloved" in Arabic.

* [[Anachronism Stew]]: Despite the story taking place in modern times, Dodola is seen reading a chemistry textbook with [[Science Marches On|very outdated information.]] And, none of the sultan's royal guards have guns. They just fight with halberds, swords and knives.

* [[Arranged Marriage]]: This happens to Dodola at age 9. Her husband does teach her how to read and write, though.

* [[Bad Boss]]: The sultan of Wanatolia. What does he do to concubines who grow too old for his liking? Does he send them home to move on with their lives? No, he has them executed.

* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: {{spoiler|Zam ends up a eunuch by his own choice, but him and Dodola still stay together as a couple.}} They even adopt a daughter.

* [[Coming of Age Story]]: For both Dodola and Zam.

* [[Complete Monster]]: The sultan of Wanatolia. He never shows any sign of caring for anyone but himself. After {{spoiler|his and Dodola's son is murdered, she requests that he stop having sex with her during her mourning period. He rapes her while showing no grief over his son's death.}} Also, see the [[Bad Boss]] example above.

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* [[Crapsack World]]: Holy shit, Wanatolia is one depressing country! ~~{{spoiler|~~Its rural areas are filthy slums. Garbage, disease and death are common sights. At one point, a fisherman is seen removing decomposed corpses from the lake he usually fishes from. Also, being kidnapped and sold into slavery is a legal and common occurrence. Some people, including Dodola's parents, sell their children for food and water out of desperation.}} The sultan is a [[Fat Bastard|fat and bastardly]] absolute monarch who happily allows all this to continue while living in a luxurious palace with [[Paid Harem|hundreds of concubines.]]

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* [[Crapsack World]]: Holy shit, Wanatolia is one depressing country! Its rural areas are filthy slums. Garbage, disease and death are common sights. At one point, a fisherman is seen removing decomposed corpses from the lake he usually fishes from. Also, being kidnapped and sold into slavery is a legal and common occurrence. Some people, including {{spoiler|Dodola's parents}}, sell their children for food and water out of desperation. The sultan is a [[Fat Bastard|fat and bastardly]] absolute monarch who happily allows all this to continue while living in a luxurious palace with [[Paid Harem|hundreds of concubines.]]

* [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]]: When Dodola and Zam reunite after 6 years of separation.

* [[Driven to Suicide]]: Almost. {{spoiler|Dodola confesses her romantic feelings for Zam and asks to have a child with him. This is after he already castrated himself. He regrets doing so to the point where he considers jumping off a dam to his death.}} And, that's why you don't make life-changing decisions on a whim!

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* [[Eunuchs Are Evil]]: Averted with all examples except for the Chief Black Eunuch in the sultan's palace.

* [[Fat Bastard]]: Played straight with the sultan. Averted with Zam (as an adult), Hyacinth and Noah the fisherman.

* [[Fragile Speedster]]: Dodola is fast enough to outrun several royal guards but isn't strong enough to stop 1 man from holding her down and raping her.

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* [[Iron Woobie]]: Both Dodola and Zam. Although they're forcibly separated with little hope of ever meeting again, they almost never give up on trying to find each other. The "almost" is because Dodola did give up once after {{spoiler|being held prisoner in the sultan's palace for a few years and [[Child by Rape|having a son with him.]] She quickly regains her determination after that son dies.}}

* [[Ironic Echo]]: Zam goes to a village marketplace to sell clean water, and a poor woman asks him to spare her some for free. His response is, "Well, it ain't free." Later, when {{spoiler|Zam is forced to survive on his own, he meets the same woman and asks her to spare him some food for free. Her response is the same one he gave her earlier, word for word.}}

* [[Kick the Dog]]: Everything the sultan does counts as this.

* [[Official Couple]]: Dodola and Zam. It's even on the book's front, back and side covers!

* [[Opium Den]]: The place where sultan's harem resides is this. It really shows how [[Sarcasm Mode|happy]] they are [[Gilded Cage|there.]]

* [[Parental Substitute]]: Dodola is this for Zam, who is 9 years younger than her. It still doesn't stop them from becoming the [[Official Couple]].

* [[Platonic Life Partners]]: Subverted with Dodola and Zam. The reader expects them to end up like this after Zam {{spoiler| has himself castrated.}} But, no, they still end up as a couple.

* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]: Dodola, although kind and loving, is noticeably short-tempered. Zam starts out the same way but [[Character Development|mellows out as he gets older.]]

* [[Scenery Porn]]: There's no other way to describe the sultan's palace. Also doubles as a [[Gilded Cage]] for {{spoiler|Dodola}} and the other concubines.

* [[Sex Is Evil and I Am Horny]]: Zam feels this way after seeing Dodola get raped. It bothers him enough to make him choose to be {{spoiler|castrated.}} He eventually gets over this mindset.

* [[Teacher-Student Romance]]: The relationship between Dodola and Zam could count as this since she taught him how to read and write.

* [[Wholesome Crossdresser]]: Ghaniyah, the eunuch prostitute who befriends Zam. He's so attractive that he eventually {{spoiler|gets raped.}}