Book of Bantorra
Armed Librarians (Tatakau Shisho): The Book of Bantorra is a series of Japanese light novels about a fantasy world in which people turn into stone tablets called "books" after they die. People can read these books to learn of its history. The Armed Librarians is an organisation of superpowered individuals who collect and guard these books in the Library of Bantorra. The series follows the struggle of the Librarians against its nemesis: the Church of Drowning in Gods Grace.
The Book of Bantorra consists out of several story arcs which are all more complex than they initially seem. Additionally, all story arcs are interconnected and culminate into a massive Jigsaw Puzzle Plot.
Unfortunately this series is rather obscure. This might be attributed to the screwy and twisty plot. The high pace at which it'll provide background information definitely does not help. While it may not be the most mainstream series, it has many positive points: a creative and rich background to its universe, many clever plot twists, deep characters and detailed and beautiful graphics.
The series has been adapted into a 27-episode anime licensed by Sentai Filmworks.
- Absolute Cleavage: Hamyuts Meseta.
- Anyone Can Die: And How. This series has an immense body count.
- Anti-Hero: Several characters, but especially Hamyuts Meseta, who at times may approach Villain Protagonist levels.
- Grey and Black Morality
- Heroic Sacrifice: Volken, Colio Tonies
- Kill the Cutie: Noloty
- Tyke Bomb: Several characters both good and bad.
- Stripperific: Noloty Malche's outfit.
- Superpower Lottery: characters able to absorb the magic rights of the owners of books usually fall straight into this category.
- The End of the World as We Know It
- White-Haired Pretty Boy Zatoh and Ruruta. Curiously, the show plays around with the usual connotations and turns the hair-colour into a plot point.