"Ren is probably the nicest boy you'll ever encounter. It's a shame he's going to Hell."
— Author description for Chapter 1.
The Boy Who Fell (formerly known as Hell Kitchen) is a Webcomic by starfleetrambo (also known as Demitasse-Lover). Starfleetrambo is also the creator of another webcomic, Death Brigade.
Atsushi Ren has just transferred to a new school a couple weeks ago and already he's dead. In an accident that involves him falling from the school roof, Ren wakes up in Hell in the presence of the Lord Devil himself. Lord Devil tells Ren that if Ren wins in a fighting tournament, Lord Devil will grant his wish to go home. With a mystical backpack that allows him to use items connected to Hell Kitchen - a vault of unimaginable power that's awarded to the victor of Hell Tournament - strapped to his back, Ren sets off on his quest.
The series also sports a number of Spin-Off webcomics:
- The Forest, a prequel focusing on how Saffron and Quartz first met.
- Springtime of Yuuth!
, a slice of life romcom about an AU where Ren lives out his middle school days bloodlessly and Endou Yuu having a crush on him. Webtoon link here. - Falltime of Ren, a complete canon crossover with the above AU where SOY Endou Yuu is tasked by a shadowy figure with looking after a summoned TBWF Ren for his birthday...As well as making sure Never the Selves Shall Meet or else. Webtoon link here.
- Mapmaker, a canon storyline following the journey of Harley; a young "storm farmer", who previously met the last human during an intermission. Also on indefinite hiatus since 2022. Webtoon link here.
The comic is on indefinite hiatus since June 2024, with no new pages since February 2023. The website is expired as of August 2024, though the comic itself is reasonably well preserved by the Internet Archive.
The Boy Who Fell provides examples of:
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A-M
- Action Girl: Pafhelo Sorian in spades, with her very first appearance taking down an utterly enormous monster and wins most of her fights with ease. Her big sister Celas is an bigger badass as shown with her brief appearance when she recues Sorian and kills the hoard of monsters that she was struggling against.
- Affectionate Parody: 2018's April Fools' Day prank "The Boy Who Fell in Love" is one towards Shōjo Demographic romances.
- All There in the Manual: The creator's tumblr provides additional information about the characters and other things.
- Arc Symbol: Circles, Hell's Kitchen is represented by one with a smaller disc below, which appears on Ren's apron and circles appear on Saffron's robes and Ibias visor and his replacement Six's helmet.
- Art Evolution: Later pages are slightly different compared to the style of earlier pages. As of Chapter 29, all pages are in full colour.
- Asleep in Class: Before the story started Ren apparently found the teacher's voice so boring it sent him to sleep. He get's sent of the class for this, which kickstarts the plot.
- Ax-Crazy: Unsurprisingly being set in Hell. There's numerous demons that are violently unstable.
- The Demon assassin that Lord Devil sets on Ren is positively releveling in how he's going slowly torture the poor boy.
- Quartz gleefully kills a group who've been tailing Ren, and watches Saffron's and Sorian's fight with a big grin.
- Badass Family: If Sorian and her sister (who easily defeats an opponent Sorian was struggling against, albeit with a broken arm and no Seel) are anything to go by, it's more than likely that the Pafhelo Clan live up to their reputation as this.
- Bag of Holding: The Hell Kitchen backpack can hold a lot of things that're bigger than it, and usually has things that Ren needs for a given situation.
- Barbarian Hero: The last human abducted before Ren, a century before Ren's arrival, became something like this, a warrior in a wasteland inhabited by demons who survived by steel alone. Ends up being a Deconstructed Trope as Sorian reveals he ultimately perished against a blood demon, steel being not enough against demon magic. Sorian invokes him as a cautionary tale to Ren on what happens to humans in Lower Hell.
- The Beastmaster:
- Gato, one of the tournament fighters who's tactic is send increasing waves of varied trained monsters to fight in her stead.
- Firenze combines this with his terrifying skills of gardening. He can use some of his seedbank armoury to create Plant Mooks and Planimal's to fight alongside him.
- Beleaguered Assistant: Lord Devil is competent and a great planner, but his servant Ramia has to deal with his slightly off-the-wall decisions and him not being where he's supposed to be because he wants to talk to Ren.
- Berserk Button:
- Being ignored seems to be one for Quartz. He reacts violently when one demon ignores him in favour of threatening Nero.
- Do not call Saffron "Saf" if your not his friend, he will react violently.
- Harming her little "brother" rapidly becomes one to Sorian.
- Bloody Murder: Saffron's ability, of the prehensile sort, by virtue of being a blood demon.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Ren starts yelling this at Quartz when Quartz is taunting him.
- Calling Your Attacks: Sorian likes to do this. The the point even the author has stated that they're running out of uncreative Sorian attack names."Sorian bomb!"
"Sorian slam!" - Cathartic Crying:
- Having home turn to a fading memory due to all fighting he's been forced into. Ren is reduced to silent tears when Frienze, with no ulterior motive gifts him a stone that allows him to see his house again.
- In Chapter 58, Ren goes to confess to Quartz and Saffron's parents that he killed Quartz and Lord Devil had replaced him with a copy to negotiate with Saff. However, as he confesses, the rock demons reveal they knew already knew and explain they forgive Ren, as they were aware of the nature of the tournament and had accepted that their sons might not return. They then point out Ren is just as much a victim of Lord Devil's schemes and Saff's mom gives the boy a hug, causing him to burst into tears.
- Cheerful Child: Though we're not entirely sure how old Saffron is (
Word of God it's 11), he's the youngest looking of the cast and has a cheery and upbeat personality. Even getting lost and separated from his partner doesn't seem to phase him too much. It takes the loss of his brother to make a dent in his cheerfulness and he manages to recover from even that. - Cool Airship: Seems to be a mode of public transportation.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Ibias is often made to look like either a bumbling fool or an ineffectual Beleaguered Bureaucrat. He's also unfailingly polite and amiable. When a tram gets attacked by merfolk, and their mermatron shows up (a giant merfolk that could gobble up one of their trams whole), Ibias calmly takes off his helmet and obliterates the creature with one enormous Eye Beam, leaving everyone else speechless and slightly terrified.
- Later, when he confronts Spinne about being a rogue, he starts out being as civil and non-threatening as he can be given the circumstances (certainly far more so than anyone else would have been), but when the other party responds by killing the nearby guards even though they posed no threat, Ibias starts crackling with rage, marches right up to him — effortlessly dodging all of his threads along the way — Neck Lifts him, and makes the following Badass Boast:Ibias: Surrender. Don't underestimate me, contestant Spinne. You're not the first rogue I've hunted down.
- Later, when he confronts Spinne about being a rogue, he starts out being as civil and non-threatening as he can be given the circumstances (certainly far more so than anyone else would have been), but when the other party responds by
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Quartz absolutely slaughters the group that was tailing Ren.
- Saffron's and Sorian's duel starts off as one, with Saffron getting thrown up and down the ring. At least, until Saffron activates his blood demon powers.
- Death Glare:
- Sorian's great at looking intimidating when she wants to.
- As his heart hardens and he gains an increasingly willingness to use lethal force. Ren/Nero gains the ability pull some truly unnerving glares.
- Disappeared Dad: Implied by Ren in the first chapter, and stated by the creator on Tumblr, that Ren's dad is dead.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Quartz can create earth spikes and terraform and is responsible for shifting the Forest of Spires by virtue of being a rock demon.
- Dragged Off to Hell: How Ren's story starts, being dragged down to Lower Hell by Lord Devil to fight for the rulers entertainment. It's also later revealed that human abduction for consumption by demons used to be common until it was banned.
- Enter Eponymous: Chapter 4 "Enter, Sorian!"
- Foil:
- Ren is the soft-hearted Nice Guy who before entering Hell, had never been in any fights, let alone killed people, and aside from a few martial arts classes, never really knew how to fight. Contrast with his partner, Sorian, a Blood Knight and Proud Warrior Race Girl who's lived her entire life in Hell, and is quickly famed for how quickly she can kill tournament monsters in a matter of minutes.
- Lord Devil is a polite and cheerful demon, who nevertheless acknowledges he has no conscience to speak of, and manipulates Ren and sends challenges on his way for, aside from fulfilling the Hell's Kitchen's requests, little more than for entertainment. Compare to his servant, Ramia, a strict, harsh demon, who's much more responsible and concerned about her precarious situation than her master is, and is legitimately concerned for Ren's well being even if she'll never admit to it.
- Several other characters have this dynamic too, e.g. Saffron and Quartz.
- Gory Discretion Shot: We're not shown what exactly Hell Kitchen does to the assassin, but it causes a Rain of Blood and when Ren opens his eyes, the assassin's not there anymore.
- The audience is thankfully spared from seeing Quartz's being decapitated and his post-mortem neck wound. Only seeing the aftermath with the damaged blocked from view and a pool of blood. Ren on the otherhand...
- Hell: Specifically, the story takes place in Lower Hell. Upper Hell is the dark and scary place where humans go when they die. Lower Hell is the product of the souls fed through Upper Hell.
- Hime Cut: Ramia.
- Horned Humanoid: First class demons have horns, which vary based on the type.
- I'm a Humanitarian: It's implied that, before human abduction was outlawed, the people of Lower Hell ate humans like a sort of delicacy. In chapter 38 the contestants are given human meat as a special meal on the way to Puantacca. Ren, understandably, spends the rest of the chapter puking it back up when he eats it before realising what it is.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: One guy falls victim to Quartz's giant earth spikes.
- Improbable Weapon User: Ren temporarily has to use swords made of salt to combat giant snails.
- In-Series Nickname: Ren has to be called Nero because names are extensions of the soul. Giving your real name to a demon gives them power over you and using your name in Hell enough times binds your soul to Hell.
- He also gets called the Forfeit King after Chapter 21 for obvious reasons.
- Red Baron: Sorian eventually gets the nickname of Sorian the Ripper due to how ruthless she is in the tournament.
- I Think You Broke Him: This is Ramia's reaction to Ren's slow uptake in Chapter 2 he's being offered a way to get back home from Lower Hell by winning the Hell Tournament. In fairness he's also still processing the fact he's been Dragged Off to Hell in the first place and falsely told he's dead.Lord Devil: Was it to much..?
Ramia: Apparently [pokes Ren's unresponsive head] I think you broke his brain. - Kid Hero: Most of the main character's (barring Lord Devil) are frightening dangerous monster and demons despite not being old enough to drink. Starting from Ramia (10), Saffron (11), Ren/Nero (13), Sorian (14) to Frienze at 17.
- Ki Manipulation: Seel is what allows people to function and generate thought, and it can be manipulated to form attacks. Sorian's clan, the Pafhelo Clan, pride themselves in mastering this technique.
- Lecherous Licking: The assassin licks Ren's cheek while threatening to torture him.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Ren and Sorian's dynamic, Sorian being the aggressive, boisterous go-getter, while Ren being the meek and timid Nice Guy.
N-Z
- Off with His Head!: How Hell Kitchen deals with the assassin.
- In Chapter 32: "A Long Delayed Truth" this is how Quartz is despatched, courtesy of Nero getting the drop on him.
- One-Way Visor: Ibias wears one that looks electronic, and it can display different things depending on his mood (like an exclamation point when he's surprise).
- Our Demons Are Different: Demons come in two flavours, First class and Second class. First class are born directly from Hell and are usually characterized by horns and Pointy Ears. Second class demons are born from events, like wars and disasters, in the Human Fold, and therefore look more human. The greater the event's damage, the stronger the demon.
- Pass the Popcorn: Lord Devil is shown to be munching on actual popcorn whilst watching the Puanttaca "mini contest" (specifically Ren's progress) through his Sinister Surveillance during Chapter 40.
- Pointy Ears: Both First and Second class demons have these. There also a few Nondemon's who have these such as beasts.
- Psychic Link: Ren has one with Hell Kitchen, which Hell Kitchen uses to speak to Ren to help or instruct him.
- Rain of Blood: A result of Hell Kitchen taking care of the assassin.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Sorian thinks Ren is not actually dead but here because he was kidnapped, considering Lower Hell's history of human abduction for food. Sorian is right, but he's actually been brought here for Lord Devil's entertainment and Hell's Kitchen's request.
- Run or Die: Ren has never been in a fight in his life before entering Hell, and doesn't really have access to the magical abilities available to most demons. As such, in contrast to Sorian, who's able to One-Hit Kill most of her opponents, Ren spends his first match running around the arena and avoiding his opponent's attacks, and wins by the skin of his teeth.
- Sarashi: Sorian, from her midriff up to her chest, and her arms, legs and neck. Her sister also wears the same, but in a lighter colour.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Ren's first reaction to finding out he's in Lord Devil's domain is to run away screaming, Lord Devil's not fussed as Ren can't escape his fate without him.
- A demon who was attacking Ren and Quartz tries to cut and run when the ambush falls foul. Quartz isn't letting him get away.
- Shy Finger-Twiddling: Saffron pulls one of these in his Chapter 27 debut when talking about his hobby of collecting blood samples to Sorian. It helps establish his innocent shyness... Until he starts talking about human blood with a Psychotic Smirk.
- Sibling Team:
- Sorian and Ren pretend to be this when they sign up for a monster fight, and continue this into the Hell Tournament as Pafhelo Team. Several characters comment on their "sibling quarrel" during one of their arguments.
- Saffron and Quartz count as this too, as although Saffron is adopted he and Quartz consider each other brothers.
- Sitting on the Roof: Yuu invites Ren up to the roof to hang out and see the view. It would turn out to be the last thing Ren would do on Earth.
- Standing in the Hall: The story starts when Ren is forced to stand outside the classroom at his school for falling asleep in the lesson, then a delinquent named Endou Yuu is also forced into the hall and invites Ren to the school's rooftop, which leads to him getting sent to Hell.
- Surprisingly Sudden Death: As it turns out, the last human that was stuck in Hell became a famed warrior in his struggles as he was constantly hunted by many demons. Unlike Ren though, he didn't have aid from the Hell's Kitchen, and never really mastered Seel according to Sorian. And according to Sorian, he ultimately died in a fight against a blood demon hunting him, because swords and skills just couldn't measure up to blood magic.
- Tentacle Rope:
- Saffron uses his prehensile blood to bind Sorian and pin her to the ground during their match.
- Ren is pulled into Hell from his school's roof by one that wraps around his neck.
- Thanatos Gambit: After Ibias succumbs to the enemy's mind control (or rather body control), and learns what his controller is after, he immediately destroys himself. This both deprives his controller of a useful asset (his controller had just admitted he was too valuable to kill), and alerts the Neutral Council that something deeply nefarious is afoot. (It's soon revealed that he also sent an encrypted signal to the Neutral Council shortly before he died, but it's not clear if he needed to die to accomplish that.)
- This Isn't Heaven: Ren believed after he died, he would end up meeting his father in a better place, Lord Devil "kindly" helps correct that notion.
- Token Human: Ren/Nero is one of the few living human in the Lower Hell (normally humans go to the upper "traditional" hell). If he wants the living part to continue Ren has to make sure that no other demon finds out his true species.
- Tournament Arc: The entire plot centres around the Hell Tournament, where fighters can win Hell's Kitchen, "a vault containing unimaginable power" which could potentially allow Ren to return to Earth. The story's pacing is split between travel to the arena's dotted around the Lower Hell, training for fights and the matches between competitors.
- Turn the Other Cheek:
- Ultimately Saffron bears no grudge against Ren for decapitating his brother, as Saffron believes no one is really "evil" and Ren just wanted to live.
- When Ren finally meets Saffron and Quartz's parents and apologizes for killing the real Quartz (and lying to the world about him not being dead), it turns out they already knew, and not only do they instantly forgive him, they actually feel sorry for him and try to ease his guilt, pointing out that he is merely a victim of Lord Devil's machinations, and that Quartz willingly entered the tournament knowing the risks (and they let him). Feldspar even gives him a hug and lets him cry into her chest over his pent-up guilt.
- Wham Line:
- Two from Chapter 0 which end any chance the story being set in mundane school.
- When accompanying Yuu up to the school roof, Ren's narration drops this line which heralds just how fast things are going to go sideways.
Ren: Had I know what would happen next.. I'd have said no. But I guess, In the end.. It wouldn't have made much difference anyway..- The final nail in the coffin is when a sleeping Ren has a Mysterious Disembodied Voice deliver a simple but terrifying line. It becomes a double whammy later when's it revealed just who is speaking.
- Two from Chapter 0 which end any chance the story being set in mundane school.
- Wham Shot:
- Ren normal day at school ending when he's grabbed by a mysterious shadowy mass and dragged off the school roof.