Monochrome Factor: Difference between revisions

'''''Monochrome Factor''''' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaili Sorano. First serialized in Mag Garden's bi-monthly [[Manga]] magazine ''Comic Blade Masamune'' in May 2004. When the magazine ceased publication, the manga began serialization in the new and revamped magazine, ''Comic Blade Avarus'', in September 2007. The series is now completed.

The story follows the exploits of Akira Nikaido, a lazy high school student. His life changes when he meets Shirogane, a man who suddenly appears and tells him that they share a fate, though Akira is understandably skeptical. Later while Akira is helping a friend Aya she is kidnapped by a shadow monster. This event forces Akira to recognize his role in restoring the balance between the human and shadow worlds.

* [[All There in the Manual]]: Though [[Monochrome Factor]] is more or less free of this for the most part, Sorano does from time to time include little character profiles in the manga detailing things that don't generally come up in the main narrative--like their favorite food, favorite video games, favorite TV shows, the creator's impressions of their personality, et cetera.

* [[Art Evolution]]: Kaili Sorano's artwork has evolved steadily in just the short few years Monochrome Factor has been running. For the best examples, just compare [http://www.mangafox.com/manga/monochrome_factor/v01/c001/13.html this scan] from volume 1 and [http://www.mangafox.com/manga/monochrome_factor/v08/c038/11.html this one] from volume 8 (sort-of-spoilers for the second one).

* [[Back Fromfrom the Dead]]: {{spoiler|Uh... hi, Nanaya.}}

* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Aya's grandpa is the ''epitome'' of this.

* [[Berserk Button]]: In Volume 5 of the manga, Kou has a brief run-in with Sawaki, one of Homurabi's Children. Though it's very clear that the two don't like each other, the exchange between them isn't especially hostile. Until Sawaki makes the mistake of {{spoiler|asking Kou to give his regards to "Ryuuko's successor," meaning Akira. Ryuuko is already a painful subject for Kou, and Sawaki was one of the people who betrayed him. Safe to say, just hearing Sawaki ''mention the late King's name'' is enough to send him into a brief rage.}}

* [[Brainwashed and Crazy]]: Pretty much anyone that gets possessed by the kokuchi.

* [[Butt Monkey]]: God, poor Kengo.

** He does, finally, manage to apologize to Aya, and even embraces her, {{spoiler|right before accepting the kingship, which effectively should erase any memories that she, and anyone else in the human world, has of him.}}

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: While the Monochrome Factor universe is split up to a light and dark world, it's stressed that there's no real "good" or "evil" to either side--they both exist in order to preserve balance, and one side can't exist without the other. Slightly subverted in that the "light" side does seem to have a disproportionately high number of "good" characters, but that also may be because we've only encountered a few of them.

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: In the second episode of the anime (which is known for a lot of invented and embellished [[Ho Yay]] subtext), there's a scene where Akira needs to pull a couple of spikes out of Shirogane's back. The camera angles, the characters' expressions, and the fact that both of them are shirtless makes the whole scene look very... ''inappropriate,'' to say the least.

* [[Embarrassing Nickname]]: Lulu has a thing for calling Kou "Pochi."

* [[Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep"]]: Master's real name is Shuichi Wagatsuma, but everyone really just calls him Master.

** [[The Hero]]: Akira

** [[Big Brother Mentor]]: Kou (could also qualify as [[The Lancer]])

* [[Hey, It's That Voice!]]: Daisuke Ono as Akira in the drama CDs and anime adaptation.

* [[Ineffectual Loner]]: Kou . Though he ''is'' very strong, by the time the main story rolls around his power has waned considerably, and any attempts to do anything alone tend not to end well. He gets roughed up so badly while fighting just regular kokuchi that he apparently has to do minor surgery on himself, and his big, climactic battle against {{spoiler|Sawaki}}, um... doesn't go very well.

* [[Kill the Cutie]]: We'd just like to reiterate, {{spoiler|''God,'' poor Kengo.}}

* [[Large Ham]]: Shirogane in the anime, hands down.

** Kou's has been the focus of the past several chapters.

* [[Only One Name]]: Pretty much all of the non-human characters.

* [[Parental Abandonment]]: Aside from Akira commenting that his family's Buddhist to get Shirogane (who he first thinks is a crazy cultist) off his back, we've had absolutely no sign of his parents in over fifty chapters. Given his personality, it's not implausible to assume that they're not very close.

* [[Sequel Hook]]: The Monochrome Factor anime ''really, really'' tried to do this, with {{spoiler|Homurabi and Ryuuko making their first appearances in the last episode as well as Shirogane apparently disappearing.}} Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the show's poor reception means it's unlikely to go any further.

* [[Spared Byby the Adaptation]]: {{spoiler|Nanaya}} is the only main character who dies in the anime. Justified, since the anime was released before the manga had a chance to kill anyone else yet.

* [[Three Amigos]]: Akira, Kengo, and Aya. Surprisingly enough, there's been next to no romantic development between the three of them, unless you count some potential [[Ho Yay]] between Akira and Kengo.

* [[Transformation Sequence]]: Akira, Kengo, Aya, and Kou all have them in the anime.

* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: Surprisingly, subverted on two counts, and during the same general arc: