Promare
Promare is a 2019 Japanese animation film co-produced by Studio Trigger and X-Flag, released in Japan on May 24 with US release scheduled to screen on theaters on September 20.
The movie takes place in a world where part of humanity underwent a severe mutation, transforming them into flame beings labelled "Burnish". 30 years later, a terrorist group called "Mad Burnish" started riots in order to voice their survival, and it's the job of a squad of firefighters called "Burning Rescue" to stop them.
Tropes used in Promare include:
- Ambiguously Gay: The movie is all about Galo and Lio's developing trust and relationship, with the soundtrack containing romantic lyrics from both sides and official artwork putting them in very compromising positions. Not to mention the Kiss of Life Galo gives Lio. Especially evident with Galo, since he ignores Aina's crush on him in favor of Lio. The only thing keeping it ambiguous is the lack of statements by the creators.
- Angst Nuke: The Burnish were ordinary humans who mutated due to severe stress.
- Ax Crazy: Kray, once he shows his true colors.
- Betty and Veronica: Galo is pretty oblivious to Aina's (Betty) crush on him, focusing instead of his Ho Yay-ridden relationship with Lio (Veronica).
- Beware the Nice Ones: Heris, otherwise a Yamato Nadeshiko, proves to not be trifled with once her beloved sister Aina is in danger. She essentially fucks up Kray's plans when he made it clear he planned to dispose of Aina.
- Big Bad: Lio Fotia, Mad Burnish's leader, is set up as this. Nope! He's actually the Big Good, seeking to free the Burnish from the real Big Bad, Kray Foresight.
- Big Good: Kray Foresight, the executive director of Foresight Foundation and Galo's childhood hero, seems to be this. Hahaha, NO. He's actually the Big Bad, with Lio Fotia as the real Big Good.
- Big Sister Instinct: Heris Ardebit has this toward her little sister Aina, working hard to give her sister a better life. Tragically, it's also the reason why she keeps working for Kray Foresight in his plans to eradicate the Burnish despite her distaste of doing so. Thankfully, she manages to fight back once Kray made it clear her sister was expendable.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Kray Foresight, the seeming symbol of peace for the people and Galo's hero, is actually a psychopathic madman obsessed with eradicating the Burnish, no matter the cost.
- Boomerang Bigot: What makes Kray Foresight all the more despicable is that, for all his attempts to eradicate the Burnish, he's secretly a Burnish himself.
- Broken Bird: Heris. Being forced to participate in her boss' horrific plan against the Burnish in order to provide for her beloved little sister will do that to a person.
- Lio Fotia is a Rare Male Example, using his Trauma Conga Line of a life as a source of determination to free the Burnish. He even briefly dips into Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds mode until Galo snaps him out of it.
- Broken Pedestal: Galo has always admired Kray Foresight ever since he saved him from a fire when he was younger. Needless to say, he doesn't take it well when he learns what Kray has been doing to the Burnish, and even less so when he learns of how much Kray hated his guts to the point of trying to get him murdered. Ouch.
- Dark Is Evil: Mad Burnish personify this trope. Except not, they're actually a case of Dark Is Not Evil.
- Demonic Possession: The Burnish's powers are actually caused by alien lifeforms who react to emotionally stressed humans. Once they awaken the mutation, it gives the users the ability to transform their flames into every weapon they so desire. That said, they can become Heroic Hosts due to their hosts' mindset, which the Mad Burnish actually are.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: As expected of a Studio Trigger production.
- Eyes Always Shut: Kray Foresight. It's actually a case of Red Eyes, Take Warning as he reveals his true personality.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: Kray. And how.
- Fantastic Racism: Humanity is shown to be deeply prejudiced against the Burnish due to their powers.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Galo and Lio start out as enemies, but once the true villain appears and the truth comes out, they team up to save the Burnish, becoming this. It also applies to Burning Rescue and Mad Burnish as a whole.
- Five-Man Band: Burning Rescue.
- The Leader: Ignis Ex
- Rookie Red Ranger: Galo Thymos
- The Smart Guy: Remi Puguna
- The Big Guy: Varys Truss
- The Chick: Aina Ardebit
- Team Pet: Vinny (literal) and Lucia Fex (figurative)
- Girl Next Door: Aina is supposed to be this.
- Good All Along/Evil All Along: What The Reveal amounts to. Promepolis' supposed hero, Kray Foresight, is actually a genocidal maniac and the true Big Bad; while the supposed bad guys, Mad Burnish, are actually trying to save their kind from him.
- Good Colors, Evil Colors: Burning Rescue wear bright colors, while their enemies, Mad Burnish, mostly wear black. It becomes inverted with the reveal the Mad Burnish are Good All Along, and the real Big Bad has a case of Light Is Not Good. Burning Rescue remain heroic, though.
- The Good, the Bad, and The Evil: What the movie's conflict turns out to be. We have Burning Rescue as the Good, Mad Burnish as the anti-heroic Bad, and Foresight Foundation as the Evil. At the end, though, Mad Burnish teams up with Burning Rescue, becoming the Good as well.
- Hate Sink: The Big Bad (Kray Foresight), after showing his true colors, proves to be this, despite his undeniable badassery. Between trying to exterminate the Burnish race (despite being one himself) to serve his own ego, murdering his more morally sound partner to take credit for his inventions, and sending Galo into death missions to get rid of him (despite him considering him to be his hero), it's clear everything he does is to make the audience despise him and root even more for the heroes to kick his ass.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Varys and Lucia, respectively.
- Humongous Mecha: The "Matoi-Tech".
- An Ice Person: Burning Rescue have ice weapons to counter the Burnish's powers.
- Kiss of Life: The Burnish can resurrect themselves this way. Lio tried to save a young girl this way, but it didn't work. In the movie proper, Lio is the one who receives it from Galo, and this time it's successful.
- Noble Male, Roguish Male: Lio and Galo respectively. Especially evident when they team up.
- Not So Different: Galo and Lio, as described in the soundtrack's song NEXUS.
- Obviously Evil: There's no way a blatant Jerkass madman like Vulcan Haestuts could be a good guy.
- Playing with Fire: This is the Burnish's main power. This is thanks to the titular Starfish Aliens.
- Pokemon-Speak: Vinny only ever says his name.
- Red Herring: Meta example. Given Galo is a clear-cut Kamina Expy, many started fearing he would share the same fate as him. Not only does he live throughout the movie, but aside from Deus Prometh and Thyma (who died before the events of the movie), no character ends up dead by the end of the movie.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Galo and Lio, respectively. Also Lio's henchmen, Gueira and Meis.
- Rivals Team Up: Galo and Lio do this in order to stop the Big Bad from wiping out the Burnish.
- Rose-Haired Girl: Aina Ardebit, the team's chick.
- Spanner in the Works: Kray's plan would have gone without a hitch if it wasn't for Galo.
- Terrible Trio: Lio, Gueira and Meis; with Lio being the cool and collected leader to Gueira and Meis' loud henchmen. True to the trope, they aren't villains to begin with.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Lio shouts this at Kray for his numerous crimes against his brethren.
- Trailers Always Spoil: One of the trailers reveal the existence of the true Big Bad and Galo and Lio joining forces.
- True Companions: The Burning Rescue and Mad Burnish teams are shown to be close, to showcase how they're Not So Different.
- Undying Loyalty: Gueira and Meis are staunchingly loyal to Mad Burnish's leader Lio Fotia, seeing him as The Paragon for the Burnish race.
- Uriah Gambit: Galo's recruitment into Burning Rescue turns out to be this, courtesy of Kray.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Subverted. While enslaving the Burnish for fuel and sacrifice most of humanity to save their dimension sounds like this trope, the fact that he never considered more benevolent alternatives, instead ordering genocide on his own kind, make it explicitly clear Kray Foresight is only interested in preserving his personal glory and prestige, with many characters calling him out of it.
- Your Terrorists Are Our Freedom Fighters: For the Burnish, Lio and his gang are the saviors of their kind, but to humanity, they're a terrorist organization wreacking havoc in the city.
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