Clannad (visual novel): Difference between revisions

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''We start to walk up... the long... long... uphill climb.'' }}

 

Then one day, while walking to school, he bumps into Nagisa Furukawa, a [[Shrinking Violet|shy girl]] whose only friends at the school have already graduated. Whenever Tomoya sees her around school, she's alone; her classmates scarcely notice she exists, and no one has any interest in befriending her.

 

 

 

The original [[Visual Novel]] ''CLANNAD'' was made by [[Key Visual Arts]] and released in 2004. The [[Manga]] adaptation, illustrated by Juri Misaki, was published by Jive between November 2005 and March 2009; Drama CDs were released in 2007. In September 2007, [[Toei Animation]] released [[The Movie]], directed by Osamu Dezaki. The television series, by [[Kyoto Animation]], aired between October 2007 and March 2008. The [[Visual Novel]] and the [[Anime]] television series are each divided into two parts, the high school portion, which takes place during the first few weeks of Tomoya's senior year, and the ''After Story'', which takes place later. Two special OVA episodes were made for this series by [[Kyoto Animation]]. The first is the [[Omake|bonus episode]] 24 in the first season, [[Alternate Universe|''Another World: Tomoyo Arc'']], and the second the [[Omake|bonus episode]] on the final Clannad DVD, [[Alternate Universe|''Another World: Kyou Arc'']].

 

 

Both seasons and the movie are licensed by Sentai Filmworks, the employees of the once-prosperous [[ADV Films]]. The first two episodes are available online for free.

 

 

 

* [[Absurdly Youthful Mother]]: Lots of examples but most apparent is Sanae. Just (majorly spoileriffic link!) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckH-mSrme6k compare] her to {{spoiler|Nagisa's}} midwife, who was Sanae's classmate in high school.

* [[Adult Fear]]: This show takes a shot at fathers. {{spoiler|Imagine if your wife died giving birth, and you'd raised your child for years, only to have her die in your arms, her last words were that she loved you and didn't know why it was getting so dark. Tomoya broke down and cried, dying and crying out for someone to help him save his daughter.}}

* [[After the End]]: Tomoya envisions a future with all the trappings of such series, with Fūko as the hero's sealed superweapon ("Starfish Manipulator!").

* [[All There in the Manual]]: Fūko's reappearances in the anime are based on a mode in the [[Visual Novel]] where, if you obtain the ''Fūko Master'' and ''Fūko Ninja'' statuses, when replaying Tomoyo's route, Fūko will pop up at random times.

** Also, within the [[Anime]]'s canon storyline, an [[Alternate Universe]] is the result of the Ichinoses' research, as continued by Kotomi after she graduates. Becomes a focal plot point for the [[Grand Finale]].

* [[Arc Words]]: "Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, you." Said several times by Kotomi to Tomoya. Also [[Arc Words]] (appearing essentially unchanged six times) [[Shout-Out|in its source]], Robert F. Young's [[Time Travel]] love story, ''[[The Dandelion Girl]]''.

** Many of Nagisa's quotes are good examples, especially "Would you like me to take you... to a place in this city where wishes come true?" as well as her very first lines, quoted at the top.

** Nagisa is pretty much the queen of this trope as far as Clannad is concerned. Ironically, she is probably the one who would be most surprised to find out how much meaning her own quotes have.

* [[Aside Glance]]: Kyou and Tomoyo each tend to give the audience an [[Aside Glance]] whenever they tease resident [[Butt Monkey]] Sunohara into another of his stupid outbursts.

* [[Author Appeal]]: Everything [[Key Visual Arts]] usually likes to put in their games comes in here.

** Not quite everything, considering Key's [[H-game|background]]

* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: When he first meets Tomoya, Nagisa's dad decides that his name is too wimpy and proceeds to try to think of a better one. Something big and imposing, like "Galaxy Cosmos"...

* [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]: A [[Subverted Trope]], when [[Teen Genius|Kotomi]] plays baseball: at the plate, she starts a thought stream about angles, velocities, and so forth, while fancy schematics and statistics flash by in the background. But when the pitcher actually pitches, Kotomi chickens out, and the ball winds up bouncing off the bat's handle simply by accident.

* [[Badass Adorable]]: Tomoyo and Kyou. The adorable part is fairly obvious, and the [[Badass]] part is typically demonstrated on [[Butt Monkey]] Sunohara. (Sometimes they get a [[Jerkass|worthier target]].)

* [[Baseball Episode]]

** Not surprising since Kyou is the first girl besides [[Forgotten Childhood Friend|Kotomi]] to fall for Tomoya.

* [[Belligerent Sexual Tension]]: Between Kyou and Tomoya, both in Kyou's route in the [[Visual Novel]] and in the [[Alternate Universe]] OVA ''Another World: Kyou Arc''.

* [[Big Damn Heroes]]: {{spoiler|Sunohara, of all people}}, in Episode 4 of the second season.

* [[Big Sleep]]: {{spoiler|Both Nagisa and Ushio}}.

** Tomoya's dad in his younger days, before hardships took its toll on one's body. Who did you think Tomoya got his drop dead gorgeous looks from?

* [[Bishoujo]]: Design aesthetic used for just about every female character in the cast.

* [[Blue with Shock]]: Kotomi and Tomoya after receiving a bad fortune. Nagisa and her mother also do this separately in dramatic fashion, with identical lightning strikes in the background.

* [[Blunt Metaphors Trauma]]: Ah, Kotomi and your continued abuse of Japanese wordplay. Half the time she doesn't get the joke being made and the other half she's made a [[Incredibly Lame Pun|horribly obvious one]], often leading into a...

* [[Break the Cutie]]: Tomoya is a male example.

** {{spoiler|Poor Kyou and Ryou.}}

* [[Broken Glass Penalty]]: This happens twice whilst playing baseball. It's Akio's fault both times.

** Tomoya had one in the later part of After. Like father-in-law, like son-in-law?

* [[Bromantic Foil]]: Sunohara.

* [[Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl]]: Tomoya and Nagisa

* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]: Tomoya [[Imagine Spot|imagines]] this when Mei talks to him about setting up a relationship.

*** Except when it involves Tomoya's pranks. Even though you can tell that Tomoya is true friend when push comes to shove, he's also a jerkass of a friend too. Though, I guess abuse is okay when its anyone on Sunohara.

* [[Call Back]]: The "Okazaki SAIKOU!" scene in After Story references Fuuko's dream in Ep. 6 where Okazaki says the same line and is wearing (nothing but) those same black tights.

* [[Can't Hold His Liquor]] - Nagisa becomes fully-flushed drunk the ''second'' she downs her cup and turns into a [[Clingy Jealous Girl]].

* [[Catch Phrase]]: Nagisa's "Ehehe" in the game. Subtler in the series.

* [[Cat Smile]] - Sunohara. Unexpectedly, Tomoya does one, too, at one point.

** In the anime, Tomoya and Nagisa start going out, start holding hands, and then get married. As a married couple, every image of them in bed together shows both of them fully clothed and about 3 feet apart. But then, we discover that Nagisa is pregnant. (In fact she announces how it happened: "We have sex and sex makes babies!".) So they ''aren't'' actually chaste, but they certainly appear that way onscreen.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]] - The significance of the {{spoiler|Light Orbs}}.

* [[Cherry Blossoms]] - ''CLANNAD'' being Key's "spring" work, cherry blossoms are blowing in the wind almost all the time. The first scene of the [[Anime]] series -- the scene in which [[Boy Meets Girl]] -- is almost clogged with them.

* [[Chick Magnet]] - Tomoya.

* [[Class Representative]] - Both Ryou and Kyou (in separate classes). [[Shrinking Violet]] Ryou, however, was assigned the job via lottery. Her more outgoing sister [[Tsundere|Kyou]] is in at least her second year as [[Class Representative]].

* [[Closeup on Head]] - With Sunohara and Tomoya. First, a shot of Sunohara (including his shoulders) commenting on something happening in the baseball field. Then, a closeup of Tomoya asking what's going on. A third shot reveals that after Sunohara's closeup, Tomoya somehow ended up sitting on Sunohara's shoulders. Sunohara doesn't realize/react to this until after he answers Tomoya.

** A quote from Tomoya "These stupid girls... ARE... EVERYWHERE!"

*** He was referring to Nagisa and Fuko in this particular case but the quote can be applied to many of the characters. He even says the entire town is filled with these stupid people shortly after this quote.

* [[Color Coded for Your Convenience]] - The color of the shield of the Hikarizaka school uniform tells you what year the student is... blue for senior, red for junior and green for freshman.

* [[Combos]] - Tomoyo has a rapid fire sequence of kicks that juggles her opponent in the air, and a combo meter actually appears on screen every time she uses it (on Sunohara). At one point, she and Tomoya do a chain combo. In the Visual Novel, she chain combos with almost everyone on the cast.

* [[Cooking Duel]] - Sunohara and Fūko, except with carving.

* [[Cool Big Sis]] - Misae.

* [[Cry Cute]] - Ushio, you just want to give her a big hug when she does.

* [[Curtains Match the Window]] - Almost everyone.

* [[Cute Little Fangs]]: Pop up now and then, when a [[Tsundere]]-type gets really angry. Also, Misae-san.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Tomoya.

* [[Death by Despair]]: {{spoiler|Tomoya collapses in the snow shortly after Ushio's death, pleading for Nagisa -- for anyone -- to save her.}}

** In addition, the [[Anime]] series occasionally employs briefer [[Deliberately Monochrome]] sequences in order to imply a sense of unreality -- for example, when Youhei is in a fog after first waking up.

* [[Delinquents]]: Tomoya and Sunohara are known as this. Tomoyo used to be one but is trying to change.

* [[Demoted to Extra]] - Let's just say that ''After Story'' is one hell of a [[Demoted to Extra|Demotion To Extra]] for any heroines not named "Nagisa." Justified since After Story is the continuation of her route.

** A better example would be Yukine, who was originally intended to be one of the "main heroines" and her route was supposed to be longer but Jun Maeda was unsatisfied with her route. She still ends up with Tomoya but her route is noticeably shorter and lacking in impact compare to the main heroines (Nagisa, Tomoyo, Kyou, Kotomi, Fuko). All of the heroines take a back seat to Nagisa but it was always intended to be that way.

** Also, {{spoiler|Nagisa goes into an early labor on the night where it just so happens to be snowing too hard to get her proper medical care.}}

* [[Did I Just Say That Out Loud?]]: In season one, Episode 20:

'''Akio''': ''* cigarette falls out of his mouth* '' Damn it! So she is in love with him! }}

** Akio again, when he finds Nagisa and Tomoya digging through the shed:

* [[Disney Acid Sequence]] : Tomoya's seriously stuffed-up dream-sequence in Episode 11 of season one.

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: In the [[Alternate Universe]] ''Tomoyo Arc'' [[Omake]] episode. Tomoya and Tomoyo are sitting next to each other on a park bench when a distraught Tomoya spills ice cream on his knee. Tomoyo's hand reaches out of frame as she reaches down to wipe the ice cream off his knee. {{spoiler|It's just then that Tomoya announces he's breaking up with her. The visual suggestiveness of the scene only increases the scene's emotional punch.}}

** In the same episode, the moment when the railroad crossing gate first rises has a faint hint of [[Something Else Also Rises]].

** [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]] combined with [[Dude, She's Like, in a Coma|Dude, She's Like In A Coma]]: Sometimes when Fūko falls into one of her [[Cloudcuckoolander]] traces, [[Trickster Archetype|Tomoya attempts to "help" her back to reality]] by sticking a drinking straw up her nose.

* [[Doorstopper]] - With so many arcs, the Clannad visual novel takes a very long time to complete.

** Especially since you HAVE to complete ALL of the routes to play and complete the ''After Story'' arc, widely considered to be by far the best part of the entire story/game.

** Basketball match of episode 16 of season 1. Your average stuff of winning by one point included.

** Baseball match in episode 1 of ''After Story'', pretty much the same thing.

** She may just be woefully out of practice; her violin playing is a lot less ... oppressive in the [[Flash Back|flashbacks]] to her childhood.

* [[Dream Sequence]]

* [[Dude, She's Like, in a Coma|Dude, He's Like in a Coma]] - Kyou considers this while catching Tomoya taking a nap in the One Year Before episode. Sunohara catches her at it, and calls her out on it. [[Hilarity Ensues]]

* [[Early-Bird Cameo]] - Ushio. In the first season's [[Spoiler Opening|opening credits]], no less.

** Also applies in-universe. Tomoya had to go through all those hardships for him to {{spoiler|be reborn as the Garbage Doll in the Illusionary World. He gets his happy ending when Ushio sends him back in time, this time prepared to prevent Nagisa's death}}.

* [[Efficient Displacement]]: Sunohara makes his shape in a wall that way thanks to the help of Tomoyo right near the beginning of ''After Story''.

* [[Even the Girls Want Her]]: Kyou has a group of fangirls in the basketball match.

** In-universe it's "Only the Girls Want Her," much to Kyou's dismay.

* [[Everyone Can See It]]: The viewer can tell Tomoya and Nagisa are the [[Official Couple]] by the opening credits of the first episode. Most other characters come to this conclusion quickly, too... except that Kyou and Ryou discover this the hard way. But even after a naval battle's worth of [[Ship Sinking]], Tomoya and Nagisa just can't see themselves as a couple. {{spoiler|Until the [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] final scene of the final (non-[[Omake]]) episode of season one.}}

* [[Evolving Credits]] - When Tomoya's grandmother is introduced in episode 18 of ''After Story'', she shows up in the ending credits as well. At the end of the next episode, Tomoya's father is added to the parade as well. In the final episode, Fūko and Ushio lead the line.

*** Similarly, in the anime, the scene where they state the episode number and title changed over time, adding orbs of light after major events that roughly correspond to when they are obtained in the game. In the first season, orbs are added at the beginning of episodes {{spoiler|7, 10, 13, 15, 19 and 22.}} In After Story, orbs are added in episodes {{spoiler|1, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 21.}} After episode 22 in ''After Story'', the Girl from the Illusionary World is now seen lying in the grass under the tree.

* [[Eyes Always Shut]]: Naoyuki Okazaki Aka. Tomoyas father is pretty always seen like this. He rarely opens his eyes for more than a second or two.

* [[Face Fault]] - Repeatedly. The most amusing one is when Tomoya imagines Fūko announcing over the school intercom that the wooden stars she's been handing out are in fact starfish, with the entire class simultaneously facefaulting in response.

*** Interestingly, there is ''nothing'' of this sort in the [[Visual Novel]]. Not one piece of perverse imagery. The closest thing to Fanservice in the V.N. are a couple of misleading conversations that clarify themselves immediately after for comic effect - most notably, the situation Tomoya and Sunohara engineer wherein {{spoiler|Ryou thinks Nagisa is trying to confess to her. She's actually trying to ask for advice on forming the drama club.}}

*** Another is when Tomoya seems to be about to have {{spoiler|sex with Tomoyo, when he is putting his hand on her breast while she's lying down on a desk. A teacher walks in and Tomoya threatens her to avoid punishment and embarrassment for Tomoyo. Many fans were not pleased with the interruption.}} It is hinted to have actually happened in a bad end of the route, though, a few days later.

* [[First Girl Wins]] - Depends on whether you count by order of introduction to the audience or to Tomoya.

** By contrast, Kotomi is the "First Girl", chronologically speaking, and in the [[Visual Novel]] she can surpass Nagisa to become the [[Victorious Childhood Friend]].

*** "Surpass" is an iffy term since Nagisa was never a romantic prospect in Kotomi's route, she was just Kotomi's first female friend.

** Later in the [[Anime]], in an ''[[Bonus Material|omake]]'' episode set during the summer of Tomoya's senior year, Mei ''finally'' succeeds in getting Nagisa to call Tomoya by his first name. Note that the two have already been going steady for several weeks by this time.

** In the [[Visual Novel]], Ryou and Tomoya switch to first name basis, as well, in her and Kyou's route in the game. It's the final scene in the Ryou end.

** The same goes for Yukine in her route.

** Kyou calls everyone by their first names.

* [[Flash Back]] - We sure have a lot of them.

* [[Flashback Nightmare]] - Tomoya starts to have these as he gets closer to Kotomi, complete with [[Freeze-Frame Bonus|a seemingly random]] [[Arc Words|rabbit and deer.]]

* [[Foreshadowing]] - When Sunohara asks Yukine to be his fake girlfriend, a mishap happens which foreshadows Yukine's story arc.

** Additionally, when the topic of the possibilities of multiple worlds and timelines was mentioned in episode 16 of After Story, Tomoya suddenly remembers Nagisa's play, which is a rough description of ''The World that Ended''

* [[Genius Loci]] - The entire city, in certain characters' opinion.

* [[Genre Busting]] - It's like a slice-of-life romance drama with a side-order of the supernatural.

* [[Glowing Eyes of Doom]]: Kyou.

* [[Go Into the Light]] - Parodied on more than one occasion by Nagisa's very theatrical parents.

** In Tomoyo's extra episode, she present a speech broadcast on television in very broken English, that makes little sense if you actually speak the language (Her speech in the dub is completely different, thankfully). Naturally, when watching it, Sunohara asks what language she's speaking.

** There's a lot of [[Gratuitous English]] in the series. Also in the songs, especially "[[Crowning Music of Awesome|Ana]]", the lyrics of which are almost entirely awkwardly translated English.

* [[Happily Married]]: Akio and Sanae. Later, {{spoiler|Tomoya and Nagisa}}. Possibly Yuusuke and Kouko, although we don't see them together that much. And, leaving aside very minor characters and [[Flash Back|flashbacks]], that's [[All Love Is Unrequited|pretty much it for the requited relationships]] in the [[Anime]] series.

** There is a very good reason why we don't get to see Yuusuke and Kouko together much. In the game, ''After Story'' strictly follows Nagisa's route and Nagisa's route only, meaning that there was no Fuuko story and Yuusuke and Kouko never got married. In the anime, Nagisa's route incorporated everyone's else route but since the original source material never had those two married in ''After Story'', anything deeply related to their marriage just kinda got pushed aside.

* [[Headbutt Thermometer]]: In the [[Visual Novel]], Tomoyo checks Tomoya's temperature this way after he claims to have a cold, oblivious to how intimate it might look to others.

* [[Her Heart Will Go On]] - The [[Gaiden Game]] eroge sequel to Tomoyo's route ''Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life'' and the manga based on that (''Tomoyo After: Dear Shining Memories'').

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Tomoya {{spoiler|after Nagisa dies}}. On a far smaller scale, Kotomi's [[Freak-Out]], when she thinks that Ryou was involved in the bus accident.

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: Rie Nishina and Sugisaka (two members from the Choir Club) are implied to be this in the epilogue.

* [[Hidden Eyes]] - Many characters have moments when they have eyes hidden, particularly Tomoya when he's not feeling well.

** Tomoya also becomes rather uncomfortable with Kappei because of this, though it eventually dies down when he stops thinking of Kappei as being so girly.

* [[Hospital Hottie]] - You'll literally say [[Hello, Nurse!]] {{spoiler|Ryou}} in After Story.

* [[Hot Shounen Mom]] - Nagisa's mother, Sanae, who is frequently mistaken for her ''sister''. In the second season, she pretends to be Sunohara's girlfriend; her disguises make Tomoya blush, which in turn makes Nagisa nervous.

** {{spoiler|Nagisa becomes one herself in the movie, the anime and the canonical endings to the game, effectively making Sanae a rare non- [[Tenchi Muyo!]] Hot Shounen ''Grandma.''}}

'''Tomoya''': What are you saying all of a sudden? }}

*** The implications are much more dangerous in the game (fortunately not that dangerous). Tomoya states that the biggest reason for his attraction to her is that she possess many of the traits that made him fell in love with Nagisa, particularly their tendency to sacrifice their own interest and give their all for the sake of others.

** Again, in the visual novel Kyou points out that Tomoya and Ryou have an indirect kiss, when the latter feeds Tomoya with her chopsticks, then using it eat.

** You can also say Miyazawa and Ryou picking off a grain of rice from his lips and eating it counts.

* [[Innocent Cohabitation]] - Tomoya temporarily moves in with Nagisa and her family due to issues with his dad. Sunohara is shocked when he finds out and rather annoyed when Tomoya continues to insist that [[She Is Not My Girlfriend|they aren't a couple]].

** [[Playing with a Trope|Played with]] in the [[Visual Novel]]. Akio outright admits he wants Tomoya to have sex with Nagisa, and Nagisa herself wants to but isn't forward about it.

* [[Intertwined Fingers]] - Ryou and Nagisa.

* [[Ironic Hell]]: Discussed in parody during Kotomi's tsukkomi training, when Kyou describes the different worlds awaiting a tsukkomi, including the hell of all tsukkomis, the hell of lame jokes that cause people to [[Face Fault]], and the one that really frightens Kyou and Tomoya, the hell with no punchlines...

** A [[Subverted Trope]] after Kotomi's arc, when the girls switch to the summer uniforms from ''[[Continuity Nod|Tomoyo After]]''.

* [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]]: A variant whereby Kyou supports her sister Ryou's attempts to get with Tomoya, despite liking him herself. More thoroughly explored in the Kyou Another World OVA.

* [[Large Ham]] - Yoshino Yuusuke, who after hitting a ball in a baseball match, proceeds to give out a hammy speech about "Intangible Memories"... and gets balled out. (He remembers to call for a time-out the second time he tries it.)

** And Akio. Not surprising since {{spoiler|he was the unofficial king of the drama club when he was in high school, and he even embarked on a career as an actor -- before a near-tragedy with young Nagisa closed off that path.}}

* [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]]: Frequent, usually combined with with [[Self-Deprecation]] both toward the character in question and the show itself. Near the beginning of the first season, Tomoya chides Nagisa for being unable to decide if her play is intended to make viewers laugh or cry. Her flustered answers to his questions might almost be a CLANNAD fan flailing in an attempt to explain to a skeptic the appeal of the franchise. In another conversation between Tomoya and Nagisa, this time near the end of the first season, he tells her that her beloved odango song was a bathetic (if not outright pathetic) ending for the emotionally wrenching play she performed. Yes, that's the same song used as the Ending Theme throughout the first season.

* [[Leitmotif]]:

** The "arc-happy-ending" leitmotif in the first season is rearranged into the second season's opening theme.

* [[Loser Protagonist]] - Sunohara. Tomoya would seem much less impressive without him as a reference point.

* [[Love Dodecahedron]] - Tomoya has [[Chick Magnet|quite a few admirers]], but is really only interested in Nagisa.

* [[Magic Skirt]] - Skirts always cover everything, despite all the kicking that Kyou and Tomoyo do.

** For the audience, that is. Sunohara gets a glance of Kyou's light-blue ''pantsu''. Kyou is not amused.

** There is also the interesting camera angles used when Ryou and Kotomi are stretching together in one scene, that constantly features one of the pairs' [[Incredibly Lame Pun|pair.]]

* [[Meaningful Name]]: The name of the city in which the story takes place is implied to be Hikarizaka (光坂), meaning roughly "light-hill," referring to two important motifs in the story.

* [[Medium Awareness]]: In the [[Visual Novel]], Tomoyo, Tomoya, and Sunohara hold a brief conversation with Sunohara's upside-down sprite suspended in front of the screen (he had just been kicked in the air), ending with Tomoya telling him "Hurry up and fall, this screen looks unnatural."

* [[Men Can't Keep House]]: Mei visits Sunohara's dorm room to find it's like this. Nagisa notes that it's [[Damned By Faint Praise|'a very boyish room']].

* [[Mind Screw]] - See [[Gainax Ending]] above.

** Tomoya also tricks Nagisa into believing that Sunohara is gay.

** After misunderstanding something Mei says about playing Cupid, Tomoya has an [[Imagine Spot]] in which he and Youhei are lovers.

* [[Mood Dissonance]]: The second season Episode 16 ends with {{spoiler|Nagisa dying after giving birth, a [[Flash Back]] over Tomoya's happy moments with her, and Tomoya wishing he had never gotten involved with her so that she might still be alive. With the words "I should have never met her"}}, the screen fades to white, aaaaaaaand ... cue the cheerful, bouncing ending theme ({{spoiler|which showcases the whole cast, ending with Tomoya and Nagisa}})!

* [[Moon Rabbit]] - Mentioned in the first ending song.

* [[Name's the Same]] - May not ''completely'' fit the trope, it's a bit startling that in [[Fall In Love Like A Comic]]!, male-lead Tomoya has a close friend named Sunohara.

* [[Never Got to Say Goodbye]] - Kotomi. {{spoiler|Her last words to her parents were how she hated them, because they were going to miss her birthday to go to a conference. Their plane crashed}}.

* [[Nonstandard Game Over]] - The so called "Ryou's ending" and the ending to Fuko's route should you had already chosen to be with Nagisa earlier in the game. They are in most ways ''Good Ends'' but are technically ''Bad Ends,'' especially the one in Fuko's route since the events of the normal end still takes place in-universe, you just don't get to see it.

* [[Not So Weak]] - Nagisa. She even defends ''Sunohara'' but refuses to believe she could be even slightly cute or that she isn't a burden.

* [[Obstructive Bureaucrat|Obstructive Bureaucracy]]: The student council is ridiculously obstructive to Nagisa's attempts to reestablish the theater club. Until Tomoyo gets elected president, that is.

* [[Official Couple]] - Nagisa and Tomoya. After all, Nagisa is the "[[First Girl Wins|First Girl]]," Tomoya spends the majority of the show with her, and her theme song (also the season one ending theme) refers to a "mischievous" blue dango and a "kind" pink dango as a couple. The opening scene, where Tomoya describes their long path up to school, could be considered a description of their developing relationship.

* [[Older Than They Look]]: Sanae and Akio, who look to be in their early to mid twenties yet have a daughter (Nagisa) who is presumably eighteen or nineteen in season one. In addition, Fūko, who looks (and [[Bratty Half-Pint|acts]]) about ten, is the same age as Tomoya, Kotomi, Ryou, and Kyou.

* [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]] - A [[Subverted Trope]]. [[The Ditz|For some reason,]] Sunohara adamantly believes that he and Tomoyo share this dynamic, but he's quickly proven wrong with a kick into the sky and nothing else, not even a passing glance from her. Ouch. Also a [[Crowning Moment of Funny]].

** He's "quickly proven wrong" to the viewer, but he clings to this notion for about a dozen more episodes and perhaps twice that many thorough and humiliating thrashings.

* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]] - Akio disguises himself as a rapper at one point. His daughter won't recognize him.

* [[Parental Abandonment]] - Tomoya's father neglects him to forget the pain of losing his wife {{spoiler|unfortunately, like father like son.}}

* [[Playing Cyrano]]: Kyou, to Ryou. In the [[Visual Novel]], this leads to various different results, usually via [[Matchmaker Crush]].

* [[Poor Communication Kills]] and its subtropes - Vital on some of Tomoya's pranks to succeed.

* [[Pose of Supplication]] - Fūko's fan club, after she rejects them.

* [[Practice Kiss]]: In the OVA "Another World: Kyou chapter", Kyou offers a practice kiss to Tomoya, who she is secretly in love with, but who at that time is dating her twin sister Ryou. She pulls back at the last second before they actually kiss, but not before they are seen by some of their classmates.

* [[Punched Across the Room]]: This tends to happen to Youhei. (A lot.) Sometimes down the hall, out the window, and into the top of a nearby tree. [[Crowning Moment of Funny|And down a garbage chute]]

* [[Pungeon Master]] - Nagisa's father Akio.

** Several characters after ep 14 {{spoiler|Tomoyo, Mai, Yukine, The Choir Club Girls}} and ep 16 {{spoiler|Sunohara, Kotomi, Ryo}} of the second season.

* [[Really Dead Montage]] - In the anime, you could almost hope {{spoiler|Nagisa, and later Ushio,}} just fell asleep or something, were it not for all the flashbacks.

* [[Recap Episode]] - In one extra episode of the anime, Tomoya talks about what happened in the events of the first season and ''After Story''.

* [[Red Eyes, Take Warning]] - Kyou has a couple of these.

* [[Relationship Voice Actor]] - Quite a few:

*** For ''Higurashi'', we can add [[Satsuki Yukino]] (Misae) who voiced [[Fan Nickname|Shmion]] Sonozaki.

*** Coincidentally, [[Yuuichi Nakamura]] (Tomoya) voiced Vice in ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS|StrikerS]]'', and there is some minor [[Ship Tease]] between Vice and Teana (at least until the [[Les Yay]] quotient was upped between Teana and Subaru).

** [[Mai Nakahara]] and [[Ryoko Shiraishi]] (Kappei) also play roles in ''[[Saki (manga)|Saki]]''.

** Recently there is an upgrade, where [[Yuuichi Nakamura]] (Tomoya) and [[Houko Kuwashima]] (Tomoyo) will be voicing both the previously unvoiced [[Super Robot Wars Destiny|Joshua Radcliff and Cliana Rimskaya]] in their appearance in [[Super Robot Wars Original Generation|2nd Super Robot Wars Original Generations]].

* [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]]

** Botan, Kyou's pet piglet, who seems to be following in the spiritual footsteps of [[AIR|Potato]] and [[Kanon|Piro]].

* [[Room Full of Crazy]] - A room covered with certain newspaper articles.

* [[Running Gag]] - Any events where someone says Sanae's bread tastes like trash, especially if it's Akio who says it

'''Akio''': ''* stuffs said bread into his mouth and chases after her* "I LOVE IIIITTT!!!"'' }}

** Also, Kotomi introducing herself by saying, without fail, "Hello, Tomoya-kun." Tomoya even [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] the [[Running Gag]].

** Another from Kotomi: "''[[Shrinking Violet|Ijimekko]]''?" ([[Shrinking Violet|"Is she a bully?"]])

** Periodically after the close of her arc in the anime, Fuko will come back (with a [[Magical Girl]]-esque entrance) to help the protagonists with some dilemma. However, something always comes up to keep her from being able to actually help.

* [[Say My Name]]: Numerous names get dramatically shouted over the series. Especially Nagisa's name.

* [[Scare Chord]]: Invoked [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpKmNUdXsys&feature=related hilariously here.]

* [[Scenery Porn]]: Everything looks ''incredible''.

* [[Serial Escalation]]: Just how much more tear-jerking can the series be?

** In the extra episode "The Event from One Year Before", Sunohara comes up with the idea to play a prank on the incoming freshmen using a banner ball with a pull cord tag reading "Pull me. It'll be fun!" The freshmen are all too aware of the obvious trap that's in store, but {{spoiler|''Nagisa'', bless her naïve little heart, pulls the string...and gets a konk on the head from a big metal pan for her trouble.}}

** [[Discussed Trope|Discussed]] in episode 20 of ''After Story'' when Tomoya gets a visit. It's about pressing red button if it says "don't press".

* [[Self-Deprecation]]: The show frequently pokes fun at itself while [[Leaning on the Fourth Wall]] (see above).

** As for the characters, both Nagisa and Tomoya often think of themselves as undeserving to be happy due to their flaws.

* [[She Is Not My Girlfriend]]: Tomoya and Nagisa, with gradually increasing frequency, as people see them interacting and come to the natural conclusion. It becomes very evident to every single girl at the end of episode 18.

** [[Playing with a Trope|Played with]] in an episode in which [[The Gadfly|Tomoya]] tricks Nagisa into thinking [[Plucky Comic Relief|Youhei]] is [[Boys Love|in love with him]] and being a [[Stalker with a Crush]]. In an attempt to protect Tomoya, Nagisa "lies" to Youhei, claiming she and Tomoya are dating. Immediately afterward, she apologizes to Tomoya. (Of course, they kinda ''are'' [[Official Couple|dating by that point,]] even if they don't admit it to themselves.)

*** In the game they were actually dating, they just hadn't told anybody about it yet.

** Even in the visual novel, all of the other heroines still fall far behind Nagisa; at least its something though.

** In the main [[Anime]], few of the Tomoya X not-Nagisa shippers really had their hopes up. It was blatantly obvious from the beginning who the [[Official Couple|official main couple]] was. (See [[First Girl Wins]] and [[Deliberately Monochrome]].)

** What makes this ironic is that in the visual novel there are several variation of this scene and, if anything, Nagisa's and Tomoyo's are far more suggestive. The real kicker is that they are all part of ''Yukine's'' route!

*** Even better in that it's entirely possible to get locked in the storage room with {{spoiler|Akio!}}

* [[Sibling Yin-Yang]]: Kyou and Ryou.

* [[Sibling Triangle]]: Kyou and Ryou, with Tomoya.

* [[Sleep Cute]]: The end of Fūko's arc has Tomoya and Nagisa sitting on the floor of a classroom during the evening, with Fūko in-between, only to have the two end up leaning against each other sound asleep by the next morning.

** And, in Fūko's storyline in the [[Visual Novel]], Tomoya and Fūko wind up like this. Although come morning, it's just Tomoya {{spoiler|until Koumura reminds Tomoya of Fūko's existence, and it turns out she's been invisible and following him around since he woke up.}}

* [[Sleeping Single]] - Tomoya and Nagisa. In 2009. However, it's due to living in a tiny apartment and poor as all hell, they're not going to spend money on a double futon that probably wont fit in the wardrobe. They probably just brought their old ones from home to save money.

** You must also take their personalities into account. Nagisa's always been shy, and Tomoya is actually quite chaste, having shown very little interest in sex throughout the story, both in the anime and visual novel. He also doesn't want to pressure Nagisa, and it's very obvious that the prospect of sex makes him just as nervous as her, if not moreso. The two just happen to have naturally old-fashioned and ridiculously chaste personalities, and it's clear that they eventually get over it.

* [[Smoking Is Cool]]: Akio always has a cigarette sticking out of his mouth, even when he plays baseball in heavy downpours.

** And subverted, hard, with Tomoya who takes up smoking {{spoiler|after Nagisa's death}}. Where scenes with Akio smoking help play up the fun side of his character, the scenes with Tomoya smoking, complete with close-ups of cigarette butt filled ashtrays, are meant to showcase just how far he has fallen.

* [[Snow Means Death]]: '''''...AND HOW!!!'''''

* [[Something Else Also Rises]]: See [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]], above.

* [[Spam Attack]]: Tomoyo's signature rapid kicks

* [[Spoiler Opening]]: See [[Bait and Switch Credits]] above.

* [[Standing Between the Enemies]]: Yukine stopped two gangs from fighting {{spoiler|by revealing that her brother was [[Dead All Along]] }}

* [[Staying with Friends]]

* [[Stock Footage]] - Fūko's reappearances.

* [[Student Council President]] - Tomoyo Sakagami and her spiritual predecessor, Misae Sagara.

* [[Stupid Sexy Flanders]] - Tomoya initially goes through this with Hiiragi Kappei in his arc in the visual novel due to Kappei's androgynous appearance.

* [[Team Mom]]: Yukine is the [[Team Mom]] for both the city's rival gangs. (This includes acting as the resident "nurse" and provider of sanctuary.)

* [[Tempting Fate]]: In the first episode of the first season, Tomoya hopes that Nagisa's father is sane. {{spoiler|It took years after Nagisa's [[Death by Childbirth]] to find out the complete reason on his actions.}}

* [[Theme Twin Naming]]: Kyou and Ryou.

** On of the odd things about the Sentai dub/sub is that this character trait is not only missing from the dub, but the sub of the first season as well, but it's there in Fuko's appearances in the second season sub. Necessary, since Kouko calls it out in the Grand Finale.

* [[Those Two Guys]] - Misae's two friends Saki and Yuki. Saki even [[Lampshade Hanging|comments on their background status]]

** Background characters to someone who is a background character to start with.

* [[Through His Stomach]]: When Tomoyo, The Fujibayashi sisters and Kotomi all individually cook breakfast for Tomoya to cheer him up for getting suspended, things get tense as they show up one by one to deliver three full course meals. [[Hilarity Ensues|Then Fuko shows up too]].

* [[Throw the Dog a Bone]] - Sunohara actually manages to secure some dignity for himself in Kyou's route and also shows himself to actually be a fairly decent guy. Even though he claims in the same route he would be going for a harem end to solve Tomoya's dilemna. Then again, the fact that just having a little dignity is ''that'' rare for him sort of cancels it out.

* [[Thunder Shock]] - Experienced by both Nagisa and her theatrical mother, Sanae. In Nagisa's case, her antennae-hair is temporarily withered as a result.

* [[Tomboy and Girly Girl]]: Nagisa and Tomoyo, although they don't interact much. Nagisa is timid and physically weak, while Tomoyo is confident and physically strong. In addition, Nagisa speaks politely to everyone, even Tomoya, while Tomoyo almost always speaks informally. Interestingly, both Nagisa and Tomoyo seek to invert this relationship; Nagisa wants to become stronger and more confident, while Tomoyo wants to become calmer and more feminine.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]] - Sunohara. And too comic relief-y to die. [[Butt Monkey|Yeah.]]

* [[Training Montage]] - Tomoya preparing for Ushio's school sports day.

* [[Trickster Archetype]]: Tomoya.

* [[Unwanted Harem]]: Nagisa is one half of the [[Official Couple]], but if you combine all the routes (like the anime does), Tomoya's other ardent admirers include Kyou, Ryou, Tomoyo, Yukine, Kotomi, Fuko, Misae and (depending on how you look at it) Sanae.

** In Nagisa's route, just Kyou, Ryou, and Tomoyo and Kotomi.

* [[Watching the Sunset]]: After Nagisa and Tomoya get married, there's a scene of them meeting on a hilltop path, the sun setting behind them. Because of the angle at which we see them, and the way Nagisa's holding her bag, it looks for a moment as if Nagisa's pregnant. Borders on [[Against the Setting Sun]], except no words are actually spoken.

* [[Wham! Episode]]: Perhaps most notably {{spoiler|Nagisa's death; Ushio's death}}; the [[Grand Finale]]; the [[Recap Episode]] (for some). But in a way, each episode starting around when {{spoiler|Nagisa gets sick again and has to drop out of her senior year for the second time}} is a [[Wham! Episode]] unto itself, with the whams growing more and more intense and [[Tear Jerker|more and more heart-wrenching]].

* [[What Happened to the Mouse?]] - It seems that KEY doesn't like best friends hanging around when the protagonist is facing huge problems in his life, Sunohara was not seen in the later years of After Story, while the other girls obviously shouldn't have much importance as Tomoya already consumated with his choice, some of them actually get expanded appearances in the anime, whereas Sunohara does not in any way, the only information about him is given when the story is next to it's closure, said information is only about what's his current job and that's it, even his sister got to appear more than him.

* [[Where Are They Now? Epilogue]] - The montage at the end of the [[Grand Finale]] (while "Chiisana Tenohira" plays).

* [[White Void Room]]: In the end of episode 16 of ''After Story''.

* [[Wistful Amnesia]] - Both subverted and played straight in the anime {{spoiler|after Fūko disappears}}.

* [[Woman in White]]

* [[The Wonka]] - Whatever you may say about her odder traits, Kotomi is ''still'' the most successful student in the school. Why carry scissors around everywhere? To cut paper of course!

** He also applies [[Dude Looks Like a Lady]] to Tomoyo, thinking that no girl could be so strong - she must be a guy!

* [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair]] - Kotomi, Tomoya and the Fujibayashi sisters.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Anime Network]]

[[Category:Toei Animation]]

[[Category:Seinen]]