Kasei Yakyoku

"If I ever failed to overcome social norms like class... I could never call myself a new woman!" —-- Akiko Hashou

Kasei Yakyoku (華星夜曲 — Nightsong of Splendor according to the fansub group Technogirls, also known as Starlight Nocturne or Nightsong of Starlight) is a 9-volume Josei manga by Makiko Hirata, which ran in the May magazine from Shounen Gahosha from 1984 to 1988. There was also a 4-part OAV series, released in 1989 and directed by none other than the legendary Osamu Dezaki.

The story is set in the Tokyo of 1923, a growing mega-city for the extreme rich and the extreme poor with all the consequences it brings. Four persons of VERY different social stratuses are the ones that lead this story:

• Takao "Taka" Itou, a handsome man who is (not very willingly) associated with the Yakuza and tries to keep himself, his sworn brother Saburou and his best friend Junichirou alive in such a violent environment;
• Akiko Hashou, a very rich Ojou who, influenced by the ideas of the then-very new Japanese feminism, wants to be able to decide what to do with her life.
• Sara Uchida, Akiko's maid from childhood and the closest to a best friend she has, who also desires to have a better and more successful life despite her lowborn origins. The aforementuioned Junichirou also happens to be her younger brother, and she has slight feelings for. . .
• Kiyokuni Saionji, the heir to a major banking clan and Akiko's fiancé via an arrangement coming from their families. A kind but duty-bound man who is willing to sacrifice his happiness to carry on with his duties.

One day, Akiko's car breaks down and both she and Sara are stuck in the middle of Tokyo, but then Taka saves them from thieves that try attacking them. Akiko pretty much falls in love with him at first sight, fascinated by how this "dangerous" stranger brings a sort-of fresh breath of air into her routine; she decides to seek Taka out and latch on him as a chance to break off her and Kiyokuni's compromise. Even "better", Sara and Kiyokuni are in cordial terms and she seems to like him, so Akiko wonders if pairing them up would be a good idea. But Taka and Sara interact more and hit it off (even after she didn't really like him at first), then things get VERY turbulent around the four, and then a VERY tragic day in Japanese history makes everything even worse for the four protagonists and their loved ones. . .

This page is under heavy construction!

Tropes used in Kasei Yakyoku include:

• All Girls Want Bad Boys: Akiko.
• Always Someone Better: Kiyokuni, to Taka
• Arranged Marriage: Discussed by Kiyokuni and Akiko at the beginning. Kiyokuni believes one shall marry for the honor and benefit of their family, but Akiko equals such things to "human trafficking".
• Big Fancy House: The Western mansion of the Hashou family, plus the Aoba boss's traditional Japanese house. The first one is destroyed in the Kanto Earthquake. The second stays on, but the boss dies in the 'quake itself.
• Break the Cutie: And HOW. Sara is a particularly "good" example, considering the shit that happens to her (like being near forced into prostitution, then being near raped by Yakuza, having her mother AND her acquintance Saburo die on her)...
• Crapsaccharine World: The Tokyo from The Roaring Twenties fits here to a T.
• Eye Scream: Taka falls victim to this in the Earthquake
• Lady in Waiting: Sara is more or less this to Akiko.
• Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Sara Uchida and Akiko Hashou. On one hand, Sara is the Light: she's a kind, quiet, lovely maid who dreams of a better future and tends to wear kimonos. On the other, Akiko is the Dark: she's straightforward, kind of The Tease, determined to have control of her own life as a "new woman", and she mostly dresses in Western style.
• Lonely Together — Maybe Ever After: Sara and Kiyokuni
• Love Hurts: For everyone in the main cast.
• Pastel-Chalked Freeze-Frame : As a Dezaki-directed series, the anime is chock-full of this. One of the best examples takes place at the end of the third episode, when the Great Kanto Earthquake begins.
• Rebellious Princess: Akiko wants to be this. It's not as easy as she believes.
• Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: For Taka, there's Akiko (Rich) and Sara (Poor)
  • Akiko has Taka (Poor) and Kiyokuni (Rich)
• Rape Is Ok When It Is Female On Male: No, it's NOT. A young Taka was almost raped by an older woman (his boss' wife), and it was depicted as a TERRIBLE thing. (And it got her KILLED).
• Shipper with an Agenda: Akiko wants to be with Taka, is aware that Sara has a bit of a crush on her prospective Unwanted Spouse Kiyokuni, and wants the last two to hook up so she can be free to go with the first.
• Shipper on Deck: Mrs. Uchida really, really wants Sara to be with Taka. This is because Sara has dedicated herself to live for others's sakes, and the lady wants her to follow her heart.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Sara and Junichirou resemble one another and their mother.
• Weddings in Japan: In the third episode, Akiko and Kiyokuni marry following Shinto rites despite their very Western lifestyles. But true to this trope, in the after-party they show up in Western wedding clothes.
• Yakuza: Taka, Junichiro and Saburo are members of a brutal clan named the Aoba group.
• Yakuza Princess: Nami, the Aoba boss' Cute Bruiser of a daughter. And apparently, the only person that the Boss genuinely cares for.
• Undying Loyalty: Saburou has this for Taka