Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Translation: The Secret of Haruka Nogizaka

Ordinary High School Student Ayase Yuuto happens to be in the same class as Nogizaka Haruka, an Ojou with lots of high class qualities: athletic, smart, graceful, a black-belt in many martial arts, and an award-winning piano virtuoso. Not to mention she's so cute Even the Girls Want Her, with a tally of refused suitors said to be in the triple digits.

She's so perfect in so many departments... except she has a terrible secret -- one Yuuto will find out the moment he bumps into her at the school library: she's a closet anime and manga Otaku for years. Haruka's terrified people will reject her when they find out (because her junior high school classmates did, forcing her to switch schools come tenth-grade), but Yuuto accepts her and promises to keep her secret, lack of knowledge of the otaku culture notwithstanding. As the series progresses, the two grow closer and Yuuto learns more about Haruka, her past, and her family -- as well as the Otaku world and lifestyle.

The show's light in romance, with plenty of comedy throughout. It's also one of the few series to highlight the actuality that diehard anime Otaku are mostly scorned in reality.

Based on a series of light novels by Igarashi Yuusaku. The first season aired in the summer of 2008. A second season, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu Purezza, aired in the fall of 2009. A third season, to tie in with the final volume of the light novels, has been announced.

Both seasons were streamed by Crunchyroll, but their license expired at the end of 2011.

Tropes used in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu include:
  • The Abridged Series - By this guy
  • Accidental Pervert - Yuuto with Shiina more times than should be possible. Also that little incident with Hazuki at the hot springs.
  • The Ace - Haruka is good at everything... except drawing.
  • Actor Allusion - Episode 11 of Purezza, where Gentou goes back to his days of wearing Scary Shiny Glasses and commanding biomechanical robots in an underground base.
  • A Day in the Limelight - Shiina gets one in episode 7 of Season 2 (Purezza).
    • Mika gets two, episode 8 of both seasons.
    • Touka's is episode 3 of Purezza.
  • Adorkable - Perfections aside, Haruka fits this perfectly.
  • Almost Kiss - The master of this trope, especially Purezza.
  • And Knowing Is Half the Battle - Each "On the Next..." in Purezza features a pair of characters letting the viewers learn a new piece of otaku terminology related to the next episode
  • Art Shift - The first anime ending sequence (by Naoto Hosoda as "Shirou Tagami") is noticeably different to the rest of the show.
  • Badass Adorable - Haruka dosen't have a personal team of maids as much as she has a personal squad of very skilled (and cute) bodyguards, including the Token Loli.
  • Badass Family - The Nogizaka Family.
  • Beware the Nice Ones - Akiho (Haruka and Mika's mother) tends to cow her husband Gentou into submission with either threats or direct violence; it helps that she has a Battle Aura.
  • Big Damn Heroes - Akiho's preferred type of entrance. Gentou himself gets one during Episode 11 of Season 2.
  • Big Screwed-Up Family - According to Nanami, the Tennouji Household (who shares what seems a friendly rivalry with the Nogizaka Household) is undergoing an inheritance crisis ever since Tenzen, the family patriarch, passed away recently. It doesn't help that his granddaughter Touka is at the heart of it all, being left with the opulent family mansion for which "rotten relatives" would do anything to claim. Yuuto (then working part-time as her butler to earn money to buy a Christmas gift for Haruka) wonders if this is the reason Touka is such a Rich Bitch.
  • Bird Run - Briefly used by Hazuki when she's about to leap across roofs.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing - Kayahara Yayoi, the idol-singer agent.
  • Black Comedy Rape - End of Purezza's episode two. Poor, poor Shiina.
  • Blade on a Stick - In the light novels, Shiina's a naginata enthusiast.
  • Brand X - PDS (Portable Dream Station), which looks like a possible lovechild of the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.
  • Brick Joke - who would have thought that standing in for Touka's lizard would come in handy at an anime recording session?
  • Bridal Carry - Yuuto does this for Haruka at least once.
  • Bunny Ears Lawyer - Haruka sees herself as this, and tries very hard to hide the ears.
  • Butt Monkey - Gento's overly strict Knight Templar Parent tendencies seems to bring him nothing but hilariously Amusing Injuries, courtesy of Akiho. This also happens to Shiina, and to a much lesser extent, Yuuto.
    • A particularly hilarious incident occurs in Purezza Episode 12, during the mountain ski trip. Shiina goes into Yuuto's room and declares her love for him, resigned to the fact that he only has eyes for Haruka. Turns out the guy she was talking to and hugged was Gentou, which shocks both of them. Akiho then shows up, believing Gentou to be cheating, and beats him up, while Yuuto comes back and wonders what's going on.
  • Catch Phrase - "Ara ara!" for both Akiho and Nanami.
  • Cat Smile - Yukari and Mika display one from time to time.
  • Celebrity Paradox - Nanami distracts Nobunaga in episode 4 by telling him she saw Kana Ueda not far from where they were. Take a wild guess who voices Nanami.
    • In the first episode of Purezza, it's heavily implied that Yuuto and Haruka see Mamiko Noto at a special anime event.
    • Everything comes full circle in Purezza: N's, the idol group formed from the shows' five main voice actresses, appear as themselves, recording a scene from Nocturne. Nobunaga also informs Yuuto to keep an eye out for Reiko Takagi, who voices the former.
  • Chainsaw Good - Hazuki, who literally pulls it out of nowhere.
  • The Chew Toy - Shiina, who has a tendency to clumsily stumble into Fanservicey Panty Shots and unfortunate situations that are played for laughs at her expense.
  • Christmas Cake - Judging by Hazuki's teenage appearance in Haruka's flashbacks as a toddler, Hazuki would probably be around this age bracket by now, but likely under 30. In any case, she is still as beautiful as a girl 10 years younger than her.
  • Clasp Your Hands If You Deceive - Gentou of course, complete with Scary Shiny Glasses and mini NERV base.
  • Clingy Jealous Girl - Mika, of all people. She gets mad at Yuuto when he compliments Shiina's yukata, and drags him away. Also, in Purezza Episode 8, she gets a bit jealous when her three friends all sit on his lap, prompting her to sit in the only spot still open to her... between his legs.
    • Mika jokingly flirts with Yuuto in episode 3 of the first season, in an attempt to get Haruka to come out of her room after the latter had been in there for 3 days straight. It works, but not the way she'd hoped, and causes Haruka to hide in her room again after she came out to tell Mika not to steal him away.
  • Closet Geek - Haruka with her secret hobby.
  • Color Failure - Happens to Gentou in episode 9 of season 1 after Akiho slaps him. He's still knocked out a few moments later.
  • Concert Climax - Type B variation, and it's spread across two events: Milan's concert and Haruka's audition. The first features Suspiciously Apropos Music, while the second has Gentou buying out Three Piece Productions to save his daughter.
  • Cool Old Guy - Yuuto meets one on the beach during Episode 11. Turns out it's Ouki Nogizaka, Haruka's grandfather.
  • Cool Shades - Nanami and Gentou both sport them. Haruka had this on episode 9 of Purezza, while impersonating Gentou.
  • Crash Into Hello - Once an Episode (or more) for the first few episodes, mostly between Yuuto and Shiina. Seems to be Yuuto's default way of bumping into Milan too.
  • Cross-Popping Veins - On occasion, usually with Yuuto.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Haruka isn't attracted to Yuuto for no reason. In Episode 7 he stands up to Gentou who wants his daughter back -- a rare feat in the face of an intimidating billionaire like him. Purezza Episode 5 has him defending Alice against Shute. His defense and words for Alice and the maids/butlers in general inspire the other guests around him to give Shute his comeuppance.
  • Crystal Ball Scheduling -- Somehow, Nocture Girls' School Lacrosse Club knows what's going on with Haruka and Yuuto.
  • Cute Little Fangs -- Most of the female cast exhibit one, usually on the right side of the mouth. The only exceptions are Haruka, Akiho and the Maid Team. Becomes quite prominent whenever a character contemplates mischief.
  • Cute Mute - Alice, another one of the Nogizaka family maids. Doubles as a Cute Bruiser, packing enough strength to crack open the ground armed with a pair of brass knuckles. In Purezza Episode 5, it is revealed she's a German who has trouble speaking in Japanese.
  • Dancing Theme - The ending theme "Hitosashiyubi Quiet!", which features a Meido dance party. Purezza also includes more dancing, but it's done in a Super-Deformed style.
  • Death Glare -- Given mostly to Yuuto (and sometimes Haruka), by anyone who's too enamored at Haruka and jealous at the notion of them being together. Even old men... and a cat...
  • Does This Remind You of Anything? -- The anime staple of surprisingly thick, sticky milk makes an appearance in Purezza episode three (all over Touka, with the added bonus of somehow also making her clothes partially transparent).
  • Dojikko -- Haruka's a bit of an airhead. Also, the titular character in the Show Within a Show.
  • Drop the Hammer -- Nanami, who also pulls it out of nowhere.
  • Drunken Master -- Ruko and Yukari, on booze, can do things thought impossible by the Nogizaka maids.
  • Early-Bird Cameo -- Shiina bumps into Yuuto in episode 2 of Season 1. When she's first seen, we're not given any indication (aside from the opening/closing credits) that she's going to be a main character, and instead she seems like a random stranger Yuuto just happened to bump into.
    • And then bumps into her again in episode 4, this time at a mall.
      • Shiina finally joins the cast in episode 5.
  • Event Flag -- Invoked by Shiina

"my switch might have been turned on..."

  • Fan Service
  • Festival Episode - Set on New Year's.
  • First Girl Wins - Haruka, through and through. However hard the other members of Yuuto's Unwanted Harem (especially Shiina) may try to chip in, Haruka is way ahead. In fact, this goes way back to when they were kids, when Yuuto cheered up a crying Haruka by giving her a copy of Innocent Smile Nobunaga gave him.
  • First Kiss - Apparently done in the finale, but the view's blocked during the event by a sizable eel in a tank placed conveniently in the room. Done in the same way on Purezza finale... with the logo.
  • Forgotten First Meeting - It eventually turns out that Yuuto was the one who got Haruka into anime and manga in the first place when, as a kid, he found her crying in a playground on his way home from a shopping-trip with an Otaku friend, and gave her a manga magazine. The incident didn't leave a huge impression on him, but it essentially changed her life - arguably for the better. (Though her Overprotective Dad might disagree...)
  • Gainaxing - The Purezza OP being a prime source.
  • The Girl Wearing The Princess Mask -- The reason why Haruka hides her hobby. Granted, she doesn't suffer too much personally, as she's good at everything... except drawing.
  • Gratuitous English - Shute Sutherland.
  • Gratuitous Russian - In Episode 2, Haruka's able to converse with some Russian tourists in their own language. It's grammatically correct, but pronounced with absurdly thick Japanese accents.
  • Groin Attack - Poor Gentou, courtesy of Alice-chan in Episode 12 of Purezza.
  • Hard-Drinking Party Girl - Ruko, Yuuto's elder sister, but his homeroom teacher Yukari is no better, just like another well-known Yukari.
  • Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight - Milan's a younger than usual example; bossy, quick to anger, inconsiderate and clearly disillusioned with the idol singer industry she's gotten herself into, though at this point, it's implied that her Manipulative Bitch of an agent Yayoi Kayahara may have had something to do with it, most likely by destroying a past relationship for Milan's career, like she's now doing to Yuuto and Haruka's.
  • Headbutt Thermometer - Haruka to Yuuto in Purezza episode 4, following Mika's expert medical advice.
  • Henpecked Husband - Not even the fearsome Gentou can stand up to his disturbingly calm and beautiful wife Akiho
  • Heroic BSOD - Haruka suffers one after a student bumps into her, causing her to drop her bookbag with an anime catalog in it. Yuuto takes the blame, and excitedly yells that she had found the catalog he lost, which the other students immediately fall for. But it causes her to skip school for a few days, fearing that Yuuto was now going to be ostracized like she was in middle school when they discovered she was a closet Otaku.
  • High-Pressure Emotion - So, so much. A prime example is in Episode 2, when Haruka saw a Yaoi doujin for the first time. Yuuto has to half-carry her out of the store to the next one. Sometimes happens to both Yuuto and Haruka at the same time - usually when they're caught doing something affectionate.
  • Hotblooded Sideburns - Gentou
  • Hopeless Suitor - Poor Shiina. She never really gets a chance to be with Yuuto, since he's more or less already with Haruka by the time she shows up regularly on the show. He does at least spend one episode largely with her in Purezza.
  • Hot Mom - Akiho, whom to her delight was mistaken for Haruka's older sister by Yuuto.
  • Hot Springs Episode - The first episode of Purezza, with Censor Steam so abundant it's quite a distraction. Fortunately subverted in the DVD releases.
    • And then there's the Purezza Episode 12, for the first and the last 10 minutes.
  • Humiliation Conga - What happens to Shute Sutherland as revealed in Purezza -- after becoming an embarrassment to his family by insulting the Nogizakas and unwittingly, Haruka's grandfather Ouki at the end of the previous season, he (and his Boy Posse) was forced to live as a butler. That did little to change his ways -- in an annual maids/butlers meet currently hosted by the Nogizakas, not only did he trample on a frog doll Alice won in a lottery, but also forced Yuuto to kneel before him. Then Yuuto makes a comeback with a Rousing Speech about the value of maids and butlers, inspiring the other Nogizaka maids (and subsequently the rest of the guests) to give him a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
  • Guy-On-Guy Is Hot - One of Mika's girl's school classmates has funny ideas about mixed-sex education.
  • I Didn't Mean to Turn You On - Yuuto's massages apparently brings people to the throes of sexual ecstasy... or something to its equivalent...
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming - Every episode's a quote from Haruka or another relevant character, though for some reason or other, Purezza's loaded with a lot more innuendo.
    • A lot more, you say? Try listing them in order: that's NOT innuendo, my friend...
  • Idol Singer - Milan Himemiya, a star in the background of the show, appears in person in episode six of Purezza
  • Imagine Spot - Yuuto tends to have a lot of these.
  • The Ingenue - Haruka is too innocent to know what "3P" means.
  • Innocent Innuendo:
    • Mika, whose mind's questionably dirty for her age, listens in on Yuuto and Haruka behind a closed door and assumes something else entirely when they were making pancakes.
    • Then there's the Doujinshi drawing scene in Purezza's second episode.
  • Instant Fanclub - Haruka, of course, even though she's oblivious.
  • I Always Wanted to Say That - Haruka when she gets to impersonate Shana.
  • I Was Quite a Looker - Gentou during his younger years... quite a looker, really.
  • The Jeeves - Yuuto shows shades of this -- in recognition for his stint serving Touka Tennouji, he was officially listed as a butler and was thus invited to an annual maids and butlers meet currently hosted by the Nogizakas.
  • Jerkass - Shute's a by-the-book Jerkass. Ruko (and to a lesser extent, Yukari) skirts on this trope, considering for most of the time, they're drunk and make Yuuto do every chore in the household. At one point, just because she's hungry, she indirectly makes Yuuto's hard work in the Tennoujis only worth... a buck.
  • Kirk Summation - Yuuto's very fond of this. He delivers it to both Gentou in the first season, and later Shute in Purezza. As for the latter, it doubles as a Rousing Speech about the preciousness of maids and butlers, enough to inspire the attending guests to give the brat his comeuppance.
  • Knight Templar Parent - Even when he stops enforcing his views on Haruka's hobbies, Gentou remains endearingly over-protective, but was unhappy enough to try and chop Yuto with his katana when he thought the boy tried to take Haruka's chastity. Then again by this time it should be very obvious to everyone (on both sides of the fourth wall) that they're already almost like a married couple.
  • Les Yay - Ruko and Yukari
  • Let Her Grow Up, Dear - Even if the fearsome Gentou wants his little girl Haruka to stay "pure" forever, his oh so "convincing" wife Akiho isn't going to have any of that, oh no...
  • Love Triangle - Type 6, with Shiina in the "A" spot, being forced to choose between Yuuto and Haruka -- both of whom are clearly in love with each other -- in the "B" and "C" spots, respectively.
  • Luminescent Blush - Haruka blushes more than most anime characters in recent memory.
  • Manipulative Bitch - Yayoi, the idol singer agent; the most malicious character in the franchise, so far; heck, even Shute would look like a laughable buffoon in comparison.
  • Meido - The Nogizakas have a large contingent of maids, but only a select few take the spotlight. Hazuki, Nanami and Alice are the most prominent, but Purezza introduces the top ten maids. The seventh-placer is a group of triplets, but the second-placer is curiously absent, for reasons nobody wants to go into. To wit:

01: Hazuki Sakurazaka, White-Haired Pretty Girl and Haruka's Cool Big Sis figure; wields a chainsaw
02: (Unknown) (Though hinted in the anime to be none other than Akiho Nogizaka)
03: Nanami Nanashiro, Mika's partner-in-crime and the sisters' chauffeur; wields a hammer
04: Minamo Kusumoto, finance, legal and public relations liaison, as well as Hazuki's second-in-command and backup
05: Maria Yukinohara, in charge of general work, though more of The Medic
06: Koayu Nagikawa, extremely shy house chef
07: Ayame, Sara and Juri Rokujou, triplets and head chauffeurs, driving the family's business jet, jump jet and plane, respectively
08: Alice Rein, youngest of the bunch, security/sabotage expert, and probably the most Badass Adorable amongst the squadron; wields a spiked baseball bat
09: Rio Munakata, resident Mad Scientist
10: Iwai Hinasaki, events organizer and a real Miko; also Tall, Dark and Bishoujo (complete with Youko Hikasa as seiyuu)

"I wish there is a sequel to MariMite and Index!"

"Without us noticing, Hazuki-san had appeared in our common blind spot. As usual, we didn't feel her presence, nor did we hear her footsteps or the sound of the door opening..."

  • The Stoic - Hazuki, even when she's falling-down drunk.
    • Not So Stoic: In Chapter 15 of the manga, Gento says something to Haruka that makes her fall to her knees in tears, prompting a murderous glare from Hazuki.
  • Suggestive Collision - Yuuto pushes Shiina out of the way of a falling sign, they wind up in a lewd position with an Accidental Kiss on top of it -- just in time for Haruka to walk through the door.
    • Touka winds up sat on his face.
    • Haruka falls on top of him half naked while re-tying her kimono. Surprisingly they are not discovered like this; their kiss is interrupted by a falling rake.
  • Sunglasses at Night - Nanami. And in the hot springs bath, at that.
  • Super-Deformed - Haruka frequently shifts into this style.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial - Happens once in episode 11 of Season 1, after Yukari claims that Haruka needs CPR from Yuuto to revive her. The maids and Mika all agree as well, then jokingly deny that they were trying to see the couple's first kiss.
    • Happens again in episode 12, when practically everyone, even Haruka's parents, listen in on Yuuto and Haruka from outside her room, and crash into the door. They claim that they weren't listening in on them from the other side, although Mika jokingly calls out her grandfather, who's also standing right behind them, as well as her parents.
  • Tall, Dark and Bishoujo - Iwai Shiwazaki, tenth-ranking Meido of the Nogizaka household and in charge of special activites (such as, in her introductory episode, an annual maids and butlers meet currently hosted by the Nogizakas), as well as a real Miko... complete with Youko Hikasa voicing her.
  • Tears of Blood - Played for laughs at the end of Season 2 when Gentou catches Haruka and Yuuto just as things are about to get interesting between them in a snowed-in cabin.
  • Terrible Artist - For all her many talents, Haruka has the drawing skills of a six-year-old. Not that most of her classmates would actually expect her to draw well, anyway.
  • Theme Tune Cameo - In episode 7, while cooking breakfast, Haruka hums the show's ending theme.
    • Not to mention several other shows Theme Tunes making appearances, most notably the one to Shakugan no Shana - twice.
  • Third Person Person - Haruka and Yuuto both seem to do this when referring to each other.
  • Tsundere - Gento, towards his daughters.
  • Twelve-Episode Anime - Both seasons, even.
  • Unwanted Harem - Yuuto has a small one forming around him. Haruka is already a given (and is probably the only one whose affections he will ever reciprocate); Shiina is attracted to him, but can't decide between him and Haruka; Yukari is hitting on him (to no avail); matchmakers Hazuki and Nanami are developing crushes on him; Alice treats him as her "onii-chan"; Mika apparently has the hots for him; and then there's Touka.
  • Uptown Girl: Haruka hails from a ridiculously wealthy and powerful family; lower-middle-class Yuuto becomes her confidant when he accidentally discovers her Otaku side. They initially enter into a Type-1 relationship, but as Yuuto realizes HOW wealthy her family is, and what kind of people she usually rubs elbows with (not to mention what kind of men are vying for her hand in marriage), he slips into Type-3 as he starts to feel 'unworthy' of her. Gento agrees; Akiho thinks otherwise, as do Mika, Hazuki, Nanami and Alice.
  • Verbal Tic - Not as overused as a certain Rozen Maiden, but Nanami does occasionally follow up Mika's sentences with desu
  • Violently Protective Girlfriend - After Yuuto helped snap Haruka out of her Heroic BSOD, a random student starts mocking him as they walk to school the next day. He tells Haruka that she should hang out with him instead of Yuuto, and mocks him some more. Haruka responds by throwing him into the nearest tree, and then telling him that the anime catalog was in fact hers.
  • What Does She See in Him? - Many of their classmates wonder why Haruka is so close to the seemingly unimpressive Yuuto.
  • When It All Began - Yuuto remembers that he is responsible for Haruka's Otaku passion when, as children, he gave her a volume of Innocent Smile Nobunaga gave to him after he sees her crying in the park.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl - Hazuki
  • Yamato Nadeshiko - Namely Akiho, but Haruka definitely inherits some of her mother's traits
  • Yandere - Seems to be the focus of episode seven. Shiina might be one to swing this way
  • You Are Not Alone - Yuuto tells this to Haruka after learning about her middle school past and how being outed as an Otaku caused her severe grief/loneliness, and didn't want Yuuto to go through the same trouble.
  • You Would Make a Great Model - Two female acting managers approach Haruka on the street and convince her to be a background contestant in an idol pageant. Unknown to her or the male protagonist, the managers intended for her to actually win the pageant so they could earn big bucks.
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