The Pride of Life

Kedamono: Putting the "Beast" in "Superbeast"

The Pride of Life is an ongoing Furry Webcomic by Rhandi Fisher.

Kedamono is a member of the Vulfpacht tribe, a clan of proud, purple Wolf Men who live in the forests of the Central Continent. Naturally, Keda is the village Butt Monkey. That all changes, though, when after eating the fruit of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, he becomes a superbeast, a being with fantastic powers and a 500-year lifespan. Unfortunately for him, not only are his new superpowers more of a hindrance than a help, it is also rumored that those who become superbeasts are fated to a violent death. And no sooner has Kedamono acquired his new powers, that trouble comes a-knockin' on the Vulfpacht's village door...

With six "episodes" so far and an on-going Ask The Cast segment, The Pride of Life is set to make a name for itself in the world of online comics (but it needs your votes!). The story draws on the classic action, drama, and comedy tropes of shonen manga, with some pretty explicit Shout Outs to One Piece in particular. Everything's in color, too! The comic updates weekly, with periodic updates to ATC (though the talented Miss Fisher has hinted at a move to twice-weekly updates).

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Tropes used in The Pride of Life include:

• A Load of Bull: Gaur is a minotaur. According to the author, "Minotaur" is a catch-all term for sentient bovids. A bit of a Genius Bonus when you consider that a) Gaur is the name of an Indian bison and b) Bisons are bovids.
• Animal Stereotypes: Played for laughs in the Ask the Cast segment, where Gaur is sleeping standing up, and Kedamono's favourite hobby is "Gaur Tipping".
• Animal Superheroes - Kedamono probably fits this trope, what with having super powers and being the main protagonist and all...
• Anachronism Stew - The story looks like it takes place in fuedal Japan or some alternate universe equivalent. But then you have the Zapatos Gang who are basically The Mafia with wings and beaks.
• Applied Phlebotinum: The fruit of the World Tree, Yggdrasil.
• Bishonen: Chieftain Hyde.
• Badass: Gaur. May also qualify as a Papa Wolf.
• Beast Man: Dakangs.
• Big Bad Wannabe - Partial subversion in Adolfo, who IS a very dangerous threat to normal people. Lives up to the trope during his fight with Gaur in Episode 02. Seems he doesn't fare too well with people who can actually fight back...
• Blessed with Suck/Cursed with Awesome - Superbeasts who have become so due to eating Yggdrasil's fruit, in that they'll die violently when their alloted life span is up. Arguably extending to all superbeasts, thanks to a society where they are considered less than animals. Subversion of the latter in that most are superbeasts because they desired to be.
• Calling Your Attacks - Averted completely. When an official attack involving a superbeast's power (referred to in-comic as 'talents'), a caption with the attack's name appears. Done mainly to reduce cheesiness and also for reader convenience.
• The Cartel/The Mafia - The Zapatos Gang of Sasamel.
• Complete Monster - Daddy Valdez is rapidly approaching this status, from pillaging and destroying a village, to killing an innocent puppy to snapping his own son's neck for calling him an old man.
  • Even though Daddy Valdez has done some very despicable things, it might still be too soon to consider him this trope. Considering how Kedamono sends him and his goons flying he might be just a Big Bad Wannabe, until we find out more about him in future comics or about his past, we won't know for sure. To be honest, this troper thinks that Othello might fit this trope more.
• Cool Shades: Youngsilver.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Kedamono (and how!)
• Crowning Moment of Funny - Several!
  • In Episode 01, shortly after Kedamono consumes the World Tree's fruit, he proceeds to challenge and attack Adolfo, only to be informed by Gaur that he won't have super powers until the fruit is digested, in a full eight hours. Cue sad tuba.
  • In Episode 03, after failing to be recognized by his fellow villages as himself in his new superbeast form, Kedamono tries to sneak past the guards by donning some camouflage. Unfortunately for him, it is severely lacking.
  • In Episode 04, a captured Kedamono is discovered by the Familiars during the Zapatos Gang's assault on Hunds Village. He is so afraid that he urinates on Familiar #1, complete with 'piddle' sound effect.
  • Possibly the biggest moment of all is in Episode 05, when Kedamono escapes from "Daddy" Valdez's den during a brief managerial dispute. How does he pull this off? By substituting a life-sized, cardboard cut-out of himself. Lampshaded by Nickles, who wonders where he was hiding such a thing.
• Doomed Hometown - Hunds village
• Draco in Leather Pants - Nickles is becoming this to certain fans. This slightly NSFW commission features Nickles receiving a Kinniku Buster in a non-canonical wrestling match. It's probably the most fanservicy and non-threatening we ever see of the normally sadistic and evil Boisterous Bruiser.
• The Dragon - Adolfo to Othello, Nickles to "Daddy" Valdez.
• Fantastic Racism - Brought to light by Nickles beating and humiliating the half-breed gryphon, Familiar #2, with the idea that being a half-breed (and therefore lacking gryphon super-strength) somehow made him less than his peers.
• FeatheredFiends - The Zapatos Gang
• Fourth Wall Mail Slot - The comic occasionally runs an Ask the Cast segment, where characters read emails addressed to them. Sometimes the author joins in.
• Furry Comic
• Furry Confusion - Dogs owning birds? Birds owning dogs?
• Interspecies Romance - Mussol and Josephine.
• It Got Worse - Episode 04 in its entirety.
• Kick Them While They Are Down - Played straight by Nickles in Episodes 04 and 06.
• Mix-and-Match Critters - Several species of non-anthropomorphic animals in this comic appear with added horns, fangs/tusks, etc. (Ex: Carapace hounds, which are exactly how they sound). Adolfo, Kedamono, and Vulfpachts in general may also qualify.
• Our Vampires Are Different - Othello in particular enjoys sunny days and garlic,though he has a diurnal form to be able to do the former.
• Shout-Out: Notice anything familiar about.. *ahem* Familiar #1 and #2's hairstyles? There's only One Piece of fiction we could have seen them before...
• Theme Naming - The Zapatos Gang night managers are all named for metals, though Nickles is technically for a denomination of currency.
  • The saga continues with Nickles having a younger sister named Penny.
  • Othello's superbeasts are named for European dictators: Adolfo (Adolf Hitler), Mussol (Benito Mussolini), and Josephine (Joseph Stalin).
• Toothy Bird - Several of the gryphons shown have rows of pointed teeth.
• Transformation Comic
• The Voiceless - Rin Tin Dennis.