Iris Zero: Difference between revisions

An Iris is a special power in someone's eyes that, basically, allows a person to see an [[Augmented Reality]]. These abilities range from telling a person what's for dinner to [[Reincarnation|identifying someone's past lives]]. 27Twenty-seven years ago around 1% of children were born with this power; 5five years later, that began to skyrocket, so that this time the 1% were the children born without it.

This semi-[[Shounen]] (believe it or not, this is a [[Seinen]] series) fantasy [[Manga]] written by Piro Shiki and Hotaru Takana, '''''Iris Zero''''', tells of Toru's time in high school as he struggles to maintain his low profile while assisting the ever-annoying (well, to him anyway) Koyuki who stands out too much. Rounding out the cast are [[Eyes Always Shut|Hijiri Shinonuka]], Toru's only friend who sees past Toru for being an Iris Zero; [[Fiery Redhead|Asahi Yuki]], Koyuki's friend; [[Emotionless Girl|Nanase Kuga]], who's even more withdrawn than Toru; and [[Stoic Spectacles|Harumi Tokita]], Kuga's [[Childhood Friends|childhood friend]].

* [[Adults Are Useless]]: In two ways: first, in that less than 1% of eligible adults possess an Iris (with those older than 27twenty-seven dropping down to 0% chance), and second in that as of chapter twenty there's only been one significant adult character.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: {{spoiler|Hijiri's knife that he once used to [[Self -Harm|cut himself]]. He tried to prevent Kuga from committing suicide by throwing his knife at her leg when she ran in order to jump off the roof. It also is Kuga's alternative way to commit suicide, good thing Tokita came at the last moment to save her.}}

* [[Crap Saccharine World]]: It's a manga drawn in a [[Moe|cute]] [[Puni Plush|art style]] about a [[Ineffectual Loner|loner boy]] who teams up with his popular, friendly classmate and begins coming out of his shell, set in a world where most young people have magical powers that let them "[[Augmented Reality|see]]" various things. Sounds pretty sweet, right? Only the loner is the way he is due to years of being [[All of the Other Reindeer|viciously bullied]] for not having a power, and he gets teased even worse after making friends with the aforementioned classmate; meanwhile, many of the people who do have powers are troubled by them, to the point where one person tries to erase everybody's magic. That being said, [[Iris Zero]] does emphasize [[The Power of Friendship]] and contains some truly [[Iris Zero/Heartwarming|heartwarming]] moments, but it's nowhere near as lighthearted as it appears.

* [[Generation Xerox]]: Kuga and her mother. {{spoiler|Their respective partners have betrayed them in some way.}} Kuga's mother fears it may also happen in a future.

* [[Headphones Equal Isolation]]: Explicitly invoked by Toru, who regularly hides behind a [[MP 3MP3]] player and a book to help maintain his minimal exposure.

* [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters]]: With the rare exception, Toru's peers have universally shunned him, regularly beat him, and generally made his life hell ever since he was outed as an iris zero. One shudders to think what the world will be like for the other zeroes once the iris-dominated generation comes of age. Meanwhile, the older generation just grumbles about the younger as if it was some new game going around and shrugs off responsibility.

* [[Poisonous Friend]]: Asahi {{spoiler|is the person who outed Toru as a Zero}} in their shared backstory. Also, {{spoiler|Tokita to Kuga}}.