TV TROPES MEME
Instructions: Go here, and collect all tropes related to your character.
Hard Mode: Add examples for every trope, instead of just listing them.
All a Part of The Job Shouta loves his job, because he's completely convinced it's necessary and the right thing to do. As much as he tends to piss people off on purpose and by accident, he would never quit, despite the people who piss HIM off, and the horrid workhours (which is something he does to himself, too, more than half the time). He's fully convinced that one day he'll die on the job, and that'll be that.
All of the Other Reindeer Applies to all Tokkei, really. The stamp "heartless/emotionless doll" is something they may never be able to shake, they're constantly under attack in several ways for the job they're doing.
All Work Vs All Play ...what is a social life? Shouta's only link to LIFE apart from work is his friend Tama. And since they both have hideously busy work schedules, how much do you figure they actually do together?
...yeah, just about.
Always Someone Better Shouta to his predecessor. Otherwise subverted, given that Shouta has been the best of the best for five years now and shows no signs of slowing down or getting worse, despite the best efforts of the people after his position.
Also seen in the newer chapters (I think) but I'll get back to that when I've actually sat down and translated them, or whenever someone else does where I can see.
Attention Whore Subverted. He doesn't so much look to get attention as he just gets the attention, and knows how to deal with it.
Bad Dreams Yes. Mostly concerning Sakurazawa, his predecessor, and a fire he was in when he was a child. (If only we knew what that was about, but see above trope in that regard.)
Badass Decay He pretty much destroys the perfect badass image in the first scene of the manga. And then recovers. It's a constant up and down more than a steady decay, really.
Beneath The Mask ONE mask to be the perfect and infallible Head Captain of the Tokkei in public. ANOTHER mask to deal with Tama and the off-the-job normal people world. And even if those don't apply, don't expect him to talk to you about things of actual importance, or his mental issues, or whatever he's currently brooding about.
Being Personal Isn't Professional Subverted and played straight. Dealing with very official things will of course need a professional approach, but Shouta still yawns during briefings, flies off the handle at coworkers, and acts familiar with his superiors if it's not something the public will know. And they usually won't. He's more open and personal and honest in a number of ways when he's at work and in uniform.
Berserk Button ...don't bring up Sakurazawa. As much as he flies off the handle already anyway, doing that will assure he means it. Also, don't ever threaten Tama (or any of his coworkers, but mostly Tama). Shouta's reactions are fairly tame for berserk buttons, and considering he believes in killing people if the reason is good enough, but that does not make pushing any of them a good idea.
Beware The Honest Ones In case you would like some evidence. He trolls people so often it's sometimes hard to tell when he's being serious or honest (which is surprisingly often).
He's very idealistic, very unpredictable, and at one point flat out asks one of his superior officers why, given all his antics, he hasn't been demoted or fired yet.
Birds of a Feather Shouta finds that Usaki's behaviour and attitude reminds him of himself at the start of is career. ...he's since been working on fixing that.
Blood Brothers The other Tokkei to him, particularly the top three brigades. (Subverted for Tama, who he'd do ANYTHING to protect, but would never tell just what it is he can do. Or that he can do anything at all.)
Blood Knight ...subverted, in the way that it's something he is afraid he'll one day turn into. While he does enjoy fighting, he's seen what happens when someone lets go of their cause and just fights to fight and kills to kill.
Bookworm headcanon. Because on the very few images we have of him as a child, he looks like a well-raised nerd. These days, he doesn't have much time to read, nor any real desire to look at paper anymore when he's done with all the files and reports that work entails. ...he doesn't really feel his life needs any more suspense than it currently has, either.
Break the Haughty Shouta generally isn't on the recieving end of this trope. But he dishes it out well.
Broken Ace Type 2: Graduated at the top of the class, had a flawless record, knew all the rules and had all the skills perfected. ...after finally thawing him into something more human, his commanding officer completely snapped and started killing people indiscriminately, with Shouta being the only one capable of putting him down. ...he's still guilting himself over it, and quietly wonders if he'll reach his own breaking point one day, and who'll be there to take him down when that happens.
Can't Hold His Liquor Just don't try to get him to drink. While he might actually hold his liquor better than some asians, once he starts, he pretty much doesn't stop. While it can end in a variety of ways, he probably won't remember anything past the second glass in the morning. ...or want to.
The Chains of Commanding Shouta actually likes the responsibility that comes with his position, and wouldn't want to live without it. It's not much of an angst-inducing issue for him.
Character Alignment ...tricky. As much as he believes that Law is Good, and you do Good by upholding the Law, Shouta is a troll and is frequently shown deliberately pissing off people of higher rank than him just because. He's got too big a sense of justice to be truly chaotic, but he despises authority (that isn't his own) too much to be lawful.
So Neutral Good, maybe, in the Good Is Not Nice sort of way.
Character Calculus
Anti-Hero (Type I) or Heroic Archetype depending on the perspective.
Supporting Protagonist; Mentor
Main Characters group
Badass
Character Depth rounded, dynamic.
Hidden Depths: No one really expected him to have killed his own teammate, much less his own CO. In a similar vein, Tama refuses to have any idea about Shouta's work. And initially, his colleagues at the Ministry of Justice couldn't imagine Shouta of all people having a social connection to someone outside of work. ("IS THIS REAL LIFE" etc etc)
Hidden Badass: ...subverted, in that the series focuses on his badass side during work, which as much of a dork as he can be is never really forgotten, but as soon as he's got his Clark Kent glasses on for the outside world, no one needs to know.
Character Development Particularly clear once we see his 19 year old self at work with Sakurazawa. He's come a long way since.
Chekhov's Skill "Look, you can't expect yourself to suddenly dual-weild desert eagles."
... It's been five years now, and he's a damn good shot, and more ambidextrous than he used to be. They were originally his predecessor's weapons, and by this point are almost iconic of the captain of the first brigade of the Tokkei.
Chronic Hero Syndrome ...comes with the job description, sort of. Mind, Shouta will probably bitch all the way to each quest, but he will still get the job done. And he will absolutely not lose a team member on the way there.
Consummate Professional Subverted, but still played straight. Throughout canon, Shouta is often accused of not being professional enough. The truth is, the casual air is an act. He's horribly professional, has faith in his cause to his very core, and respects others who are the same way. It's almost as if he makes an effort to not look the part.
Dark and Troubled Past ...token example. We know next to nothing about his past canonically, though they keep dropping it in bits and pieces, and it's all pretty heartbreaking or heartbreak-promising thus far.
Determined Expression Yep. Shoulders squared, jaw set, brows furrowed, and probably a gun in each hand. (You are so dead, you won't even have time to realize it.)
Dirty Business Basically the point of the whole series, really. It's somewhat subverted for Shouta though, as he doesn't think he's doing something wrong. Something not nice, but then, see the alignment trope: good isn't nice. He's getting his hands dirty, but the people he kills have got themselves to blame for the crimes they committed and were convicted for: their lives are forfeit and they're technically already dead. He's just passing along the memo and taking out society's trash.
Divided We Fall Well, almost. In one particular case, in which the three top brigades worked together, the third brigade captain Kamijou got so excited at the possibility of getting evidence to finally outmatch Shouta and the first brigade that he got himself and both his brigade members captured. They were nearly killed. Shouta wound up rallying the first and second brigades to swoop in and save them, and that was very close indeed.
Doctor Jekyll And Mister Jack Daniels ...one of the reasons you shouldn't get him drunk. He stops making himself care.
Don't You Dare Pity Me He suffers a shot to the chest. He nearly dies. As soon as he's released from the hospital he's back on the job, now doing the work of three people all on his own and taking all the responsibility his legendary predecessor had. In his first year on the job.
Don't you DARE tell him to take it easy.
Double Consciousness Compare "Captain Mikoshiba" and "SHOU-CHAAAN!!!" and you'll be hard pressed to find similarities. (They're called "Clark Kent glasses" for a reason.)
Driven to Suicide Very nearly. If he hadn't decided to try meeting Tama again, he might have just knowingly driven himself further than anything he could have survived, working himself to death the hard way.
Embarrassing Nickname Not so much on the recieving end of this one either, but he dishes them out pretty often. Like how after the first mission together it was decided that Usaki Toudou, the new colleague, would henceforth be called "Usagi," "bunny".
Establishing Character Moment See for yourself.
Eye Take Raaaaaaaaaaaaarely. Either because "these people are crazy" or "you can not be serious". Often followed by a scowl and a scoff.
Face of the Band First brigade captain. Best of the best. Considered legendary by the newer recruits. Yeah, he's got the spotlight.
Famed in Story He knows he already is. But then, he also knows that Sakurazawa is, too, and how that turned out.
Flaw Exploitation A constant back and forth in the series. People try to one-up the Tokkei, or pull a number on each other, or the Tokkei are the one doing the number-pulling. There's always someone who's got something up their sleeve. Or several.
Forgets To Eat Luckily, there is Tama, who cooks and/or otherwise pesters him into eating. (He is theoretically capable of taking care of himself, but why bother if someone is already doing that for you?) So really, he's prone to living off of gunsmoke and caffeine.
Friendship Moment Happened with Seiju, happened with Usaki, even happened with Kamijou, though they all tend to be more angsty than really sappy.
The Glasses Come Off ...I've mentioned the Clark Kent glasses enough times, yeah? He doesn't wear them while on the job.
Good Is Not Nice ...Hi, we're the Tokkei and we execute criminals on the run because it's the right thing to do.
Guilt Complex ...yes. See also "Broken Ace". He's been getting better throughout canon (from what we can see) but I don't think it'll ever really go away.
Gut Feeling Shouta does this a lot, though only for categories 1 and 2, never 3, but then, people usually aren't really okay in his canon. It's all part gut feeling/intuition and a good portion experience, but don't expect Shouta to pick these things apart for you. Eventually, working together with him, people learn to trust his judgement.
Hero Harasses Helpers Shouta really, really, really hates the Intel Department. Or so he says. ...nicely illustrated by his exchanging punches with the head of said department the first time they're seen meeting in canon.
...subverted in the way he actually has a lot of respect for them, making it no more than bickering, really, but everyone needs to have someone to bitch at, right?
Heterosexual Life Partners Hi, Tama.
Hidden Heart of Gold Shouta is actually a decent guy, especially considering that Tokkei are often considered "heartless dolls"... see also two tropes up, as he often flies off the handle or acts bratty at people without really being angry at them.
I Can Still Fight ...you mean being shot in the chest is a reason to stay home? Pshaw.
Jerkass Facade Happens a number of times, usually while on the job. It's his trollface. He pokes right at Aikawa's trigger topics, points out chinks in Usaki's armor of cold dead logic (and occasionally creates those himself) and generally makes himself look like an obnoxious, entitled ass. He always has a reason and a purpose to it, at least. It is, in essence, a facade he clings to to make himself more human.
Knight in Sour Armor Because doing the right thing really isn't pleasant. Not only will you be called a heartless doll, people are after your life whenever you leave for a mission, and you have colleagues who are really just after your post, you also aren't so sure you can do this job forever without going completely insane.
Just great.
Conversely he isn't actually jaded though. He just knows what's out there, and will throw his sarcasm (and bitching) at whoever's in the vicinity when he's in a mood. Played straight in the way that yes, he lives in a pretty fucked up world, and yes, he does realize this, and no, he doesn't think crime is a thing that can be defeated. BUT that doesn't mean he'll stop fighting, because it's the right thing to do, and because nobody else could, really.
Living Legend "...the legendary first brigade" is apparently what the trainees call them now.
Mangst Guilt over some past misdeed AND guilt over not preventing someone else's past misdeed apply here. (Oh boy oh boy!)
Mathematician's Answer Captain Sakurazawa asks 19 year old Shouta what he thinks justice is. 19 year old Shouta replies with the definition according to aristotle he learned at school. Can we get a slowclap?
Menacing Stroll Yes. It's all in the shoulders. And the uniform.
Miles To Go Before I Sleep "I made one last bet to see if there was any merit in continuing my life. It turned out alright. I still believe in beauty. I am still alive. There are still things that I need to do."
(direct quote from the fantranslation.)
Misery Builds Character He got a lot better over the years, and he sees a lot of misery. Same goes for Seiju and Usaki, too.
Mood Swinger Shouta shows plenty of emotions, and he really doesn't hold back expressing them.
Not So Stoic He misses an important meeting for a really important mission, because someone drubbed him in the trigger issue. (There's also the part where he lifted that person to eyelevel first off, but mostly I'm talking what happened after he put the guy down and walked off.)
OoC is Serious Business You see Shouta flying off the handle. You see Shouta trollfacing. You see Shouta amused, and sad, and pretty much every emotion all the way up to bloodthirsty, and all that's fair but... when you see him completely emotionless, then something is really wrong, and someone is in really deep shit.
Phony Psychic ... hopefully. Shouta has been told that one day, Tama would kill him. Not that he believes it.
Shoot the Dog Might as well be the job description for the Tokkei at large.
Standardized Leader Averted very successfully. He's neither serious nor emotionally balanced (though he can fake both pretty well) and has the full weight of ambiguity same as every other Tokkei in the series, despite being a good leader.
Stopped Caring Subverted! Just about averted, even. You'd think he'd stop giving a damn of dealing with society's worst of the worst for so long, but he hasn't. He still gets angry at injustice, he still loses sleep about the people he knows are on the lose out there.
There Are No Coincidences Tokkei do a lot of investigating. If Shouta believed in coincidence, he'd have died a long time ago.
To Be Lawful or Good A choice Shouta was faced with, and feels every Tokkei is faced with: you can follow all the rules, all the time. Or you can do what the right thing is. He teaches Usaki this lesson in a not particularly nice way.
We Do The Impossible OH SO THERE'S THIS MISSION NOBODY ELSE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE, GUESS IT'S GOING TO THE FIRST BRIGADE NOW.
Weapon of Choice Twin guns, which are not the guns Tokkei are supposed to use, but as head captain he gets to take certain liberties about things.
Who Needs Enemies? Hi, Kamijou.
Wildcard In a sense. Shouta makes a science out of keeping himself unpredictable, or at least difficult to predict. It's a way to catch someone off guard, which is one of his most common tactics. You think he's storming out of the room throwing a hissy fit? Nope, he's going to greet the ambush he knows is waiting outside. Think he's stuck on hideously boring bodyguard duty? Actually, he'll be on an undercover invastigation while you're busy hunting the decoys.
Windows To The Soul His former captain said that his eyes turn red when he kills. ...go figure.
With Friends Like These Hi, Igaguri. ...also, hi Squalo.
Work Hard Play Hard That's my assumption, anyway. If anyone got him to losen up enough to actually play to begin with.
You Are What You Hate Played in a non (whatever)-ism way, for a change.
"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us."
Usaki. Seiju. Sakurazawa. ...Squalo, Dante, Agon.
Hard Mode: Add examples for every trope, instead of just listing them.
All a Part of The Job Shouta loves his job, because he's completely convinced it's necessary and the right thing to do. As much as he tends to piss people off on purpose and by accident, he would never quit, despite the people who piss HIM off, and the horrid workhours (which is something he does to himself, too, more than half the time). He's fully convinced that one day he'll die on the job, and that'll be that.
All of the Other Reindeer Applies to all Tokkei, really. The stamp "heartless/emotionless doll" is something they may never be able to shake, they're constantly under attack in several ways for the job they're doing.
All Work Vs All Play ...what is a social life? Shouta's only link to LIFE apart from work is his friend Tama. And since they both have hideously busy work schedules, how much do you figure they actually do together?
...yeah, just about.
Always Someone Better Shouta to his predecessor. Otherwise subverted, given that Shouta has been the best of the best for five years now and shows no signs of slowing down or getting worse, despite the best efforts of the people after his position.
Also seen in the newer chapters (I think) but I'll get back to that when I've actually sat down and translated them, or whenever someone else does where I can see.
Attention Whore Subverted. He doesn't so much look to get attention as he just gets the attention, and knows how to deal with it.
Bad Dreams Yes. Mostly concerning Sakurazawa, his predecessor, and a fire he was in when he was a child. (If only we knew what that was about, but see above trope in that regard.)
Badass Decay He pretty much destroys the perfect badass image in the first scene of the manga. And then recovers. It's a constant up and down more than a steady decay, really.
Beneath The Mask ONE mask to be the perfect and infallible Head Captain of the Tokkei in public. ANOTHER mask to deal with Tama and the off-the-job normal people world. And even if those don't apply, don't expect him to talk to you about things of actual importance, or his mental issues, or whatever he's currently brooding about.
Being Personal Isn't Professional Subverted and played straight. Dealing with very official things will of course need a professional approach, but Shouta still yawns during briefings, flies off the handle at coworkers, and acts familiar with his superiors if it's not something the public will know. And they usually won't. He's more open and personal and honest in a number of ways when he's at work and in uniform.
Berserk Button ...don't bring up Sakurazawa. As much as he flies off the handle already anyway, doing that will assure he means it. Also, don't ever threaten Tama (or any of his coworkers, but mostly Tama). Shouta's reactions are fairly tame for berserk buttons, and considering he believes in killing people if the reason is good enough, but that does not make pushing any of them a good idea.
Beware The Honest Ones In case you would like some evidence. He trolls people so often it's sometimes hard to tell when he's being serious or honest (which is surprisingly often).
He's very idealistic, very unpredictable, and at one point flat out asks one of his superior officers why, given all his antics, he hasn't been demoted or fired yet.
Birds of a Feather Shouta finds that Usaki's behaviour and attitude reminds him of himself at the start of is career. ...he's since been working on fixing that.
Blood Brothers The other Tokkei to him, particularly the top three brigades. (Subverted for Tama, who he'd do ANYTHING to protect, but would never tell just what it is he can do. Or that he can do anything at all.)
Blood Knight ...subverted, in the way that it's something he is afraid he'll one day turn into. While he does enjoy fighting, he's seen what happens when someone lets go of their cause and just fights to fight and kills to kill.
Bookworm headcanon. Because on the very few images we have of him as a child, he looks like a well-raised nerd. These days, he doesn't have much time to read, nor any real desire to look at paper anymore when he's done with all the files and reports that work entails. ...he doesn't really feel his life needs any more suspense than it currently has, either.
Break the Haughty Shouta generally isn't on the recieving end of this trope. But he dishes it out well.
Broken Ace Type 2: Graduated at the top of the class, had a flawless record, knew all the rules and had all the skills perfected. ...after finally thawing him into something more human, his commanding officer completely snapped and started killing people indiscriminately, with Shouta being the only one capable of putting him down. ...he's still guilting himself over it, and quietly wonders if he'll reach his own breaking point one day, and who'll be there to take him down when that happens.
Can't Hold His Liquor Just don't try to get him to drink. While he might actually hold his liquor better than some asians, once he starts, he pretty much doesn't stop. While it can end in a variety of ways, he probably won't remember anything past the second glass in the morning. ...or want to.
The Chains of Commanding Shouta actually likes the responsibility that comes with his position, and wouldn't want to live without it. It's not much of an angst-inducing issue for him.
Character Alignment ...tricky. As much as he believes that Law is Good, and you do Good by upholding the Law, Shouta is a troll and is frequently shown deliberately pissing off people of higher rank than him just because. He's got too big a sense of justice to be truly chaotic, but he despises authority (that isn't his own) too much to be lawful.
So Neutral Good, maybe, in the Good Is Not Nice sort of way.
Character Calculus
Anti-Hero (Type I) or Heroic Archetype depending on the perspective.
Supporting Protagonist; Mentor
Main Characters group
Badass
Character Depth rounded, dynamic.
Hidden Depths: No one really expected him to have killed his own teammate, much less his own CO. In a similar vein, Tama refuses to have any idea about Shouta's work. And initially, his colleagues at the Ministry of Justice couldn't imagine Shouta of all people having a social connection to someone outside of work. ("IS THIS REAL LIFE" etc etc)
Hidden Badass: ...subverted, in that the series focuses on his badass side during work, which as much of a dork as he can be is never really forgotten, but as soon as he's got his Clark Kent glasses on for the outside world, no one needs to know.
Character Development Particularly clear once we see his 19 year old self at work with Sakurazawa. He's come a long way since.
Chekhov's Skill "Look, you can't expect yourself to suddenly dual-weild desert eagles."
... It's been five years now, and he's a damn good shot, and more ambidextrous than he used to be. They were originally his predecessor's weapons, and by this point are almost iconic of the captain of the first brigade of the Tokkei.
Chronic Hero Syndrome ...comes with the job description, sort of. Mind, Shouta will probably bitch all the way to each quest, but he will still get the job done. And he will absolutely not lose a team member on the way there.
Consummate Professional Subverted, but still played straight. Throughout canon, Shouta is often accused of not being professional enough. The truth is, the casual air is an act. He's horribly professional, has faith in his cause to his very core, and respects others who are the same way. It's almost as if he makes an effort to not look the part.
Dark and Troubled Past ...token example. We know next to nothing about his past canonically, though they keep dropping it in bits and pieces, and it's all pretty heartbreaking or heartbreak-promising thus far.
Determined Expression Yep. Shoulders squared, jaw set, brows furrowed, and probably a gun in each hand. (You are so dead, you won't even have time to realize it.)
Dirty Business Basically the point of the whole series, really. It's somewhat subverted for Shouta though, as he doesn't think he's doing something wrong. Something not nice, but then, see the alignment trope: good isn't nice. He's getting his hands dirty, but the people he kills have got themselves to blame for the crimes they committed and were convicted for: their lives are forfeit and they're technically already dead. He's just passing along the memo and taking out society's trash.
Divided We Fall Well, almost. In one particular case, in which the three top brigades worked together, the third brigade captain Kamijou got so excited at the possibility of getting evidence to finally outmatch Shouta and the first brigade that he got himself and both his brigade members captured. They were nearly killed. Shouta wound up rallying the first and second brigades to swoop in and save them, and that was very close indeed.
Doctor Jekyll And Mister Jack Daniels ...one of the reasons you shouldn't get him drunk. He stops making himself care.
Don't You Dare Pity Me He suffers a shot to the chest. He nearly dies. As soon as he's released from the hospital he's back on the job, now doing the work of three people all on his own and taking all the responsibility his legendary predecessor had. In his first year on the job.
Don't you DARE tell him to take it easy.
Double Consciousness Compare "Captain Mikoshiba" and "SHOU-CHAAAN!!!" and you'll be hard pressed to find similarities. (They're called "Clark Kent glasses" for a reason.)
Driven to Suicide Very nearly. If he hadn't decided to try meeting Tama again, he might have just knowingly driven himself further than anything he could have survived, working himself to death the hard way.
Embarrassing Nickname Not so much on the recieving end of this one either, but he dishes them out pretty often. Like how after the first mission together it was decided that Usaki Toudou, the new colleague, would henceforth be called "Usagi," "bunny".
Establishing Character Moment See for yourself.
Eye Take Raaaaaaaaaaaaarely. Either because "these people are crazy" or "you can not be serious". Often followed by a scowl and a scoff.
Face of the Band First brigade captain. Best of the best. Considered legendary by the newer recruits. Yeah, he's got the spotlight.
Famed in Story He knows he already is. But then, he also knows that Sakurazawa is, too, and how that turned out.
Flaw Exploitation A constant back and forth in the series. People try to one-up the Tokkei, or pull a number on each other, or the Tokkei are the one doing the number-pulling. There's always someone who's got something up their sleeve. Or several.
Forgets To Eat Luckily, there is Tama, who cooks and/or otherwise pesters him into eating. (He is theoretically capable of taking care of himself, but why bother if someone is already doing that for you?) So really, he's prone to living off of gunsmoke and caffeine.
Friendship Moment Happened with Seiju, happened with Usaki, even happened with Kamijou, though they all tend to be more angsty than really sappy.
The Glasses Come Off ...I've mentioned the Clark Kent glasses enough times, yeah? He doesn't wear them while on the job.
Good Is Not Nice ...Hi, we're the Tokkei and we execute criminals on the run because it's the right thing to do.
Guilt Complex ...yes. See also "Broken Ace". He's been getting better throughout canon (from what we can see) but I don't think it'll ever really go away.
Gut Feeling Shouta does this a lot, though only for categories 1 and 2, never 3, but then, people usually aren't really okay in his canon. It's all part gut feeling/intuition and a good portion experience, but don't expect Shouta to pick these things apart for you. Eventually, working together with him, people learn to trust his judgement.
Hero Harasses Helpers Shouta really, really, really hates the Intel Department. Or so he says. ...nicely illustrated by his exchanging punches with the head of said department the first time they're seen meeting in canon.
...subverted in the way he actually has a lot of respect for them, making it no more than bickering, really, but everyone needs to have someone to bitch at, right?
Heterosexual Life Partners Hi, Tama.
Hidden Heart of Gold Shouta is actually a decent guy, especially considering that Tokkei are often considered "heartless dolls"... see also two tropes up, as he often flies off the handle or acts bratty at people without really being angry at them.
I Can Still Fight ...you mean being shot in the chest is a reason to stay home? Pshaw.
Jerkass Facade Happens a number of times, usually while on the job. It's his trollface. He pokes right at Aikawa's trigger topics, points out chinks in Usaki's armor of cold dead logic (and occasionally creates those himself) and generally makes himself look like an obnoxious, entitled ass. He always has a reason and a purpose to it, at least. It is, in essence, a facade he clings to to make himself more human.
Knight in Sour Armor Because doing the right thing really isn't pleasant. Not only will you be called a heartless doll, people are after your life whenever you leave for a mission, and you have colleagues who are really just after your post, you also aren't so sure you can do this job forever without going completely insane.
Just great.
Conversely he isn't actually jaded though. He just knows what's out there, and will throw his sarcasm (and bitching) at whoever's in the vicinity when he's in a mood. Played straight in the way that yes, he lives in a pretty fucked up world, and yes, he does realize this, and no, he doesn't think crime is a thing that can be defeated. BUT that doesn't mean he'll stop fighting, because it's the right thing to do, and because nobody else could, really.
Living Legend "...the legendary first brigade" is apparently what the trainees call them now.
Mangst Guilt over some past misdeed AND guilt over not preventing someone else's past misdeed apply here. (Oh boy oh boy!)
Mathematician's Answer Captain Sakurazawa asks 19 year old Shouta what he thinks justice is. 19 year old Shouta replies with the definition according to aristotle he learned at school. Can we get a slowclap?
Menacing Stroll Yes. It's all in the shoulders. And the uniform.
Miles To Go Before I Sleep "I made one last bet to see if there was any merit in continuing my life. It turned out alright. I still believe in beauty. I am still alive. There are still things that I need to do."
(direct quote from the fantranslation.)
Misery Builds Character He got a lot better over the years, and he sees a lot of misery. Same goes for Seiju and Usaki, too.
Mood Swinger Shouta shows plenty of emotions, and he really doesn't hold back expressing them.
Not So Stoic He misses an important meeting for a really important mission, because someone drubbed him in the trigger issue. (There's also the part where he lifted that person to eyelevel first off, but mostly I'm talking what happened after he put the guy down and walked off.)
OoC is Serious Business You see Shouta flying off the handle. You see Shouta trollfacing. You see Shouta amused, and sad, and pretty much every emotion all the way up to bloodthirsty, and all that's fair but... when you see him completely emotionless, then something is really wrong, and someone is in really deep shit.
Phony Psychic ... hopefully. Shouta has been told that one day, Tama would kill him. Not that he believes it.
Shoot the Dog Might as well be the job description for the Tokkei at large.
Standardized Leader Averted very successfully. He's neither serious nor emotionally balanced (though he can fake both pretty well) and has the full weight of ambiguity same as every other Tokkei in the series, despite being a good leader.
Stopped Caring Subverted! Just about averted, even. You'd think he'd stop giving a damn of dealing with society's worst of the worst for so long, but he hasn't. He still gets angry at injustice, he still loses sleep about the people he knows are on the lose out there.
There Are No Coincidences Tokkei do a lot of investigating. If Shouta believed in coincidence, he'd have died a long time ago.
To Be Lawful or Good A choice Shouta was faced with, and feels every Tokkei is faced with: you can follow all the rules, all the time. Or you can do what the right thing is. He teaches Usaki this lesson in a not particularly nice way.
We Do The Impossible OH SO THERE'S THIS MISSION NOBODY ELSE WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE, GUESS IT'S GOING TO THE FIRST BRIGADE NOW.
Weapon of Choice Twin guns, which are not the guns Tokkei are supposed to use, but as head captain he gets to take certain liberties about things.
Who Needs Enemies? Hi, Kamijou.
Wildcard In a sense. Shouta makes a science out of keeping himself unpredictable, or at least difficult to predict. It's a way to catch someone off guard, which is one of his most common tactics. You think he's storming out of the room throwing a hissy fit? Nope, he's going to greet the ambush he knows is waiting outside. Think he's stuck on hideously boring bodyguard duty? Actually, he'll be on an undercover invastigation while you're busy hunting the decoys.
Windows To The Soul His former captain said that his eyes turn red when he kills. ...go figure.
With Friends Like These Hi, Igaguri. ...also, hi Squalo.
Work Hard Play Hard That's my assumption, anyway. If anyone got him to losen up enough to actually play to begin with.
You Are What You Hate Played in a non (whatever)-ism way, for a change.
"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us."
Usaki. Seiju. Sakurazawa. ...Squalo, Dante, Agon.