History Anime / AiYoriAoshi

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AiYoriAoshi.jpg

[[UnluckyEverydude Kaoru]] [[{{Everyman}} Hanabishi]], [[NiceGuy an]] [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent ordinary]] [[TheSmartGuy college]] [[ChickMagnet student]], [[MeetCute runs into a beautiful young woman]] dressed in an old-fashioned kimono, lost and flustered in the complicated Tokyo subway system. [[LaserGuidedKarma After taking great pains to escort the woman to her destination]], he [[TheReveal discovers]] that she is really his [[PuppyLove childhood]] friend, [[YamatoNadeshiko A]][[MeaningfulName oi Sakura]][[YamatoNadeshiko ba]], whom he had [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise promised to marry]] almost [[SheIsAllGrownUp two decades earlier]]...

Except that the engagement had been annulled by the Sakuraba clan when Kaoru left the Hanabishi clan, after years of [[TheWoobie abuse]] from his [[AbusiveParents grandfather]]. Aoi -- [[DoggedNiceGuy who had loved him since childhood and dreamed of marrying him]] -- is [[PluckyGirl unable to accept the annulment and tracks down]] Kaoru to find out ''why'' he doesn’t want to marry her. After they meet up again as adults, and he [[OfficialCouple properly falls in love with her]], [[OfficialCouple they decide to reaffirm the engagement]] but are forced into an unusual situation: in order not to shame the Sakuraba family, they must keep their relationship a secret even as they move into a Sakuraba mansion with the help of Aoi's guardian, Miyabi Kagurazaki.

[[RuleOfDrama Sure]] [[RuleOfFunny enough]], almost immediately a [[TheUnwantedHarem group of college girls]] move into the mansion, one by one -- and [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan all of them fall in love with Kaoru]]. (Except in that some were already in love with him long before the beginning of the series.) HilarityEnsues, as Kaoru and Aoi (who pose as tenant and [[TheKanrinin landlady]]) try to keep their relationship a secret.

Ran from 1998 to 2005, with an anime adaptation in 2002 (and a follow-up, ''Enishi'', in 2003). See also ''UmiNoMisaki'', the creator's subsequent (ongoing) series, also a harem-based romantic comedy but with very different relationship dynamics.

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!!Examples of:
* AbusiveParents: In this case, an abusive grandfather.
* AccidentalPervert: What's a Kaoru to do, with all these clumsy, often-half-dressed girls chasing after him every which where? Something of an inversion in that it's nearly always the fault of the girl in question. Also arguably subverted, in that everyone knows and admits that it's not Kaoru's fault.
** A couple of them [[spoiler: -- Chika and Tina --]] even attempt to use the situation to their advantage in their pursuit of Kaoru. One fairly innocently, the other ... considerably less so.
*** "Fairly innocently"? [[spoiler:Chika ''planted herself crotch-first in Kaoru's face'', how the hell is that innocent?!]]
* AcheyScars: Kaoru's, courtesy of his ol' mean grandpa.
* AdaptationDistillation: At least as far as the anime covers, it resequences certain events, yet maintains a coherent story flow.
* AllJustADream: Subverted on two occasions in the ChristmasEpisode. The second subversion (and indeed the entire episode) may also be an example of OrWasItADream?
* AlmostKiss: Several instances of interruption by others when Kaoru and Aoi are about to kiss.
* AlphaBitch: Mayu Miyuki may or may not fit this trope. Or she could be a {{deconstruction}}. Unlike a typical Alpha Bitch, she's not very popular; she's [[TheSmartGuy way too smart]] to be a normal AlphaBitch; and she's not a [[AllGuysWantCheerleaders cheerleader]]. But she seems [[GenreSavvy to act out this trope in a deliberate manner]], especially in her attempts to bully not just her peers but even her elders -- Tina in particular. Luckily, Mayu's not very good at said bullying, probably because she's more of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold than a true JerkAss.
* {{Anime Anatomy}}: In the manga, avoided. The girls' nipples are always visible when they are topless (and sometimes visible through their blouses / swimsuits). On the ''cover'' of [[strike:one]] two manga volumes, including [[http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/853/aiyoriaoshivol1.jpg the first]], Aoi's nipples visibly bulge the fabric of her [[http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/8526/aiyoriaoshivol7.jpg (under)kimono]].
** Partially averted - there's not much to see down below.
** But in the anime version, everyone has AnimeAnatomy. Except Tina (very briefly) in the episode where she and Kaoru get stuck in town and have to spend a night together at a "[[LoveHotels love hotel]]." The episode is also unusual in that the usual closing credits song is replaced with one sung by Tina -- as if even the episode itself is under the temporary misapprehension that Tina is the romantic lead of the series.
* ArtificialRiverbank: Tina's favorite place.
* ArtShift: Frequent in {{Imagine Spot}}s. Also when any character is embarrassed or, sometimes, just witnessing someone else being embarrassed.
* BakersDozen: Thirteen episodes in "[[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]]" if you count the ChristmasEpisode. Arguably more of an {{Omake}}.
* BareYourMidriff: Tina, as often as not. Has to live up to her job as MissFanservice.
* BedmateReveal: Kaoru wakes up more than once to find someone else sleeping next to him. See also: [[DudeShesLikeInAComa Dudette, He's Like In a Coma]], below.
* BigFancyHouse: Lots of them.
* BitingTheHandkerchief: Tina does this in Mayu's ImagineSpot when Mayu envisions making a perfect lunch for Kaoru.
* BittersweetEnding: [[SandInMyEyes Yeah...]]
** [[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]]? Or the first season? Or the manga? Enishi definitely has a BittersweetEnding. [[CutShort To the extent it even has an ending.]]
** The manga as well. [[spoiler: Sure Aoi and Kaoru are together like they wanted. But they have both been expelled from their families.]]
*** [[spoiler: As if they cared about that (i.e. the money, wealth, politics, etc). All that mattered to them was that they're together, and that their meddlesome families finally let them be.]]
*** [[spoiler: On the one hand, Aoi says she and Kaoru are happy. She also says that she doesn't get to see him as much as she might like because he works long hours to support them. There is also the big fact that the TrueCompanions have been split up, although Aoi says they do get to see each other sometimes. Maybe call it a Happy Ending with bittersweet caveats.]]
* BodyguardCrush: [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Debatable.]] But Miyabi is exceptionally protective of Aoi, and she has always been [[LesYay jealous]] of Aoi's [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise feel]][[OfficialCouple ings]] for Kaoru.
* BottleFairy: Tina, and to a lesser extent Taeko. Not ''much'' lesser, though.
** Tina is an interesting case. She's clearly a BottleFairy, yet she's also clearly the [[FanPreferredCouple runner]]-[[TearJerker up]], the closest thing the series has to an UnluckyChildhoodFriend. (They were about seventeen or so when they met, so Tina's more literally an Unlucky Teenhood Friend.)
* BrattyHalfpint: Mayu. Not always the youngest, but always the brattiest.
* ButNotTooForeign: Tina.
* CannotSpitItOut: With the notable exceptions of Mayu and [[ChildrenAreInnocent Chika]], pretty much all the girls, in their feelings toward Kaoru. Especially [[TearJerker Tina]], who's loved Kaoru for years.
** Also, for a different reason, Kaoru and Aoi are unable to reveal their relationship to the other characters. HilarityEnsues, especially for [[TearJerker Tina]].
** In "Moonlight" and the preceding episode(s), Tina's inability to admit she's leaving Japan to return to her family home in America -- or even, when the time comes, to say goodbye
*** This is in character for Tina according to the various bits of backstory revealed earlier in the series; most notably when it's revealed that Tina's abrupt disappearance on her year-long around-the-world backpacking trip was the result of her inability to deal with her feelings for Kaoru. She also claims later [[spoiler:to have seen something between Aoi and Kaoru right away]] as a major reason why she ''still'' couldn't spit out her feelings to Kaoru even after coming back.
* CantHoldHerLiquor: Aoi, who is near-unconcious after 3 beers. Kaoru as well, unless that GargleBlaster Tina brought back was a unique case. Taeko, on the other hand, tosses it back with no trouble.
** Might be that whole [[GagBoobs "body mass"]] thing.
* CatGirl: Aoi, in Kaoru's ImagineSpot. Mostly due to her HyperspaceEars.
** Also Tina during her introduction, when she notices Taeko's '[[GagBoobs Assets]]' for a split second she got very "catty".
* CatSmile: Tina.
* CheerfulChild: Chika may be slightly old for this, but she's within the extended parameters of the trope.
* CherryBlossoms: A recurring theme, visually almost omnipresent but also occasionally referenced in the dialogue. See also MeaningfulName.
* TheChewToy: Taeko. Which is not to say Taeko is never TheWoobie; [[TearJerker sometimes she is]], especially in regard to her [[TragicDream hopeless]] love for Kaoru. But as a combination of TheDitz and the CuteClumsyGirl, Taeko brings a lot of "[[HilarityEnsues hilarity]]" down upon her own head (often [[{{dojikko}} literally]]), and this is nearly always played for laughs.
* ChickMagnet: Kaoru, although [[SelectiveObliviousness he never seems to]] [[ObliviousToLove pick up on]] [[TheUnwantedHarem it]].
* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: The key plot point: they want to ''keep'' it.
** Mix in TheUnwantedHarem who aren't aware of this key plot point, HilarityEnsues.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Chika acts (and [[TokenLoli looks]]) more like a nine-year-old than like a junior high student (or, in [[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]], a high school student).
* ChristmasCake: Miyabi, seemingly. Given her devotion to Aoi and to the Sakuraba family business, it's not clear when she'd ever have time to date. On the other hand, given [[LesYay the intensity of her devotion to Aoi]], it's not entirely clear she'd even want to.
* ChristmasEpisode: Doubled as a ShoutOut to AhMyGoddess.
** Was also an {{Omake}} and a literal BakersDozen in that there are twelve other episodes in the season.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Mayu Miyuki. Tina shows this a bit too when Mayu gets a little too friendly with Kaoru.
* CordonBleughChef: Taeko.
* CovertPervert: Most of the cast. But no more than TruthInTelevision level.
** In Tina's case, not especially covert.
* CrossPoppingVeins: Miyabi gets a whole flock of them around her during a montage of Taeko clutziness.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Fairly tame example, but [[{{Dojikko}} Tae]][[TheDitz ko]], of all people, is the one to lead the charge to take down the {{Obake}} haunting the mansion. [[spoiler: Although it turns out to be just [[WeaselMascot Tina's ferret Uzume]]]].
* CuteClumsyGirl: Taeko is an extreme enough case to also qualify as the {{dojikko}}. Combined with her role as TheDitz, this can lead Taeko into TheChewToy territory.
** Chika's friend Chizuru is also a CuteClumsyGirl, but seemingly a milder example than Taeko.
* CuteLittleFangs: Tina.
** Miyabi, in a worried Aoi's ImagineSpot in an Enishi episode.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Miyabi.
* DisappearedDad: Kaoru's died when he was five.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Kaoru with "Santaoi" in the special episode "Miyuki".
* TheDitz: Oh, Taeko. (Especially in the early episodes, when she's the model in the photography club -- a case of ''reverse'' {{flanderization}}.) This, along with her role as the CuteClumsyGirl, can result in her being TheChewToy.
* [[DoggedNiceGuy Dogged Nice Girl]]: Tina gives it her best. Except, you know, actually admitting anything. [[spoiler: Until "[[{{Tearjerker}} Moonlight]]."]] Arguably Taeko, who, one episodes suggests, may have been a [[DoggedNiceGuy Dogged Nice Girl]] toward Kaoru for [[IdenticalGrandfather several generations]].
** Aoi, before the series begins, when she learns that her engagement to Kaoru has been broken. Played straight in the sense that Aoi gets her man. Mild subversion in that it wasn't Kaoru but rather her family who broke the engagement, so in a way she was pursuing a love interest she had already won.
* {{Dojikko}}: Taeko. The poor girl tries hard, but things just seem to happen.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Taeko treats driving an actual car like doing it in an arcade. The maneuvers we are shown are actually quite skillful, but scare the bejesus out of her passengers.
* [[DudeShesLikeInAComa Dudette, He's Like In a Coma]]: Tina and Kaoru are forced to spend a night in a love hotel (chaste, since they're [[JustFriends only friends]]), on account of rain and having missed the homebound trains. While Kaoru is asleep, Tina silently debates with herself about kissing him. Judging from her thoughts the next day, she went through with it several times -- and seemed alternately happy and regretful about taking advantage of him. Kaoru didn't notice.
** Tina and Aoi have each kissed a sleeping Kaoru on several occasions, starting [[PuppyLove when Aoi and Kaoru were toddlers]]. Aoi usually told Kaoru about it afterward. Tina, [[CannotSpitItOut for whatever reason]], didn't.
** Also, those {{Bedmate Reveal}}s indicate that [[TheUnwantedHarem the girls living in]] [[BigFancyHouse the manor]] have no qualms about entering Kaoru's room, climbing into his bed, and cuddling up with him -- all while he's fast asleep.
* DumbBlonde: Tina, at least in Mayu's estimation. Really Tina is quite smart, but she's a bit wacky.
* {{Eagleland}} (type 2): Kinda. Tina, the only major character from America, is rather brazen, especially by Japanese standards.
** Although technically Japanese, Mayu has spent a considerable portion of her life in Britain and the U.S. Naturally she's the brattiest character in the series.
* Ecchi: Sky-rockets to this level in a chapter of the manga, [[spoiler: when Kaoru and Aoi have sex]]
* {{Everyman}}: Kaoru.
* ExtremeDoormat: Taeko. Later, Chizuru.
** Saionji might be an even ''more'' extreme example -- he doesn't even seem to have opinions of his own -- but it's difficult to know for certain, since he's [[TheOjou Mayu]]'s butler / chauffeur and we never see him off duty. He seems not to resent it at all when she says, "Have I ever told you why I ''hate'' Japanese men? They're rude, filthy, and simple-minded." Shortly afterward, he asks Kaoru to "please be a friend to Mayu-sama."
*** At least one fic tries to fix this, by giving him HiddenDepths (and pairing him with Miyabi).
* FaceFault
* {{Fanservice}}: Oh yeah.
* FirstGirlWins: See also VictoriousChildhoodFriend, below.
* FollowTheLeader / XMeetsY: A lower-key, less fantastical LoveHina variant.
* ForeignFanservice: Tina, who's already MissFanservice in a {{Fanservice}}-heavy show.
* FreudianExcuse: Kaoru's abusive grandfather turned him into a recluse. Mayu's workaholic parents never paid her attention except when she accomplished something, so she's constantly craving attention, especially from Kaoru. ([[{{Squick}} Does that make Kaoru her father-substitute?]])
* GargleBlaster: Tina's mysterious purple liquor [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of doom]] [=KOs=] Kaoru and Miyabi in one shot. In the anime, it's ''multicolored'' and ''glows in the dark''.
* GagBoobs: Taeko's. They don't look all ''that'' different from, say, Tina's, at least to the audience. But nearly ''everyone'' within the show comments on them. Repeatedly.
* {{Gainaxing}}: Taeko has that extra "bounce". But just a little. Really.
* {{Genki Girl}}: Tina Foster and Chika. Later, Natsuki.
* GirlishPigtails: Chika's normal style.
* GirlsLoveStuffedAnimals
* TheGlomp: Mayu, Tina, and Chika. Each of them, toward Kaoru.
** The one with which Tina introduces herself was particularly spectacular, with a flying leap from a bench.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: Kaoru has "good" ones, after all he went through thanks to his grandpa.
* GratuitousEnglish: Tina and Mayu have both spent a lot of time in English-speaking countries, yet neither speak it very well. Mild {{Lampshade Hanging}} when people keep asking Tina if she is really American.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] more obviously when Tina and Mayu first meet; and Tina momentarily forgets how to speak English.
* GreenEyedMonster: Mayu Miyuki. The other members of the UnwantedHarem evoke jealousy, envy, and resentment in her heart, and she inspires similar feelings in some of them -- especially [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Tina]]. Of course, Mayu's all-around [[AlphaBitch nastiness toward Tina]] doesn't help matters.
** Otherwise ... rather [[FridgeLogic bizarrely averted]] in the series. Even though most of the females are in love with Kaoru, none of them seems particularly resentful toward the rest of the UnwantedHarem. And Aoi, [[OfficialCouple who has the most legitimate]] [[PerfectlyArrangedMarriage reason for]] [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise resentment]], seems to feel it ''[[TheMessiah least of all]]''.
*** On the other hand, [[OfficeLady Miyabi]] [[BodyguardCrush feels]] [[LesYay resentment]] toward Kaoru for hogging Aoi's attention all these years, and she flat-out tells him so. She also feels jealousy ''on Aoi's behalf'' whenever she sees him with the other girls.
*** Aoi feels jealousy much more readily over time in the manga, especially once the harem reaches critical mass with the addition of Chika. She doesn't show it as much given the pronounced pressure from her family to keep a lid on the relationship. She finally admits it to Kaoru later on, and the pressure of having to keep the relationship a secret while watching other women be so openly affectionate puts a great strain on her.
* HadakaApron: Aoi, but only in Kaoru's {{Imagine Spot}}s.
* HairOfGold: Tina has no other option for haircolor, since she's from [[{{Eagleland}} America]]. Interestingly, her hair is a bit darker in flashbacks to her childhood, whereas in real life children have lighter hair than adults. This could indicate bleaching, but the more likely meaning is that [[DumbBlonde blonde]] is being associated with behavior that is outgoing and wacky.
* HappyHolidaysDress / SexySantaDress: Aoi-Santa (Santaoi?) wears one in the ChristmasEpisode.
* HaremNanny: Miyabi
* HelloNurse: Aoi, although she tries not to be. After watching the first few episodes, you might think it was going to be [[TheDitz Taeko]], the model for the photography club. Or you might think it was going to be [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Tina]], the BottleFairy / LovableSexManiac / ForeignFanService with HairOfGold and an [[BareYourMidriff exposed belly]]. But it's actually [[LoveInterest Aoi]] who draws all sorts of unwanted attention whenever she shows up on campus, not in spite of her extremely conservative attire but rather [[YamatoNadeshiko because of it]].
* [[ShesNotMyGirlfriend He's Not My Boyfriend]]: Inverted by Chika. At first she encourages her [[ThoseTwoGuys Those Two Girls]] friends Natsuki and Chizuru to leap to the wrong conclusions about the nature of her relationship with Kaoru. Later, when they call him her boyfriend, she corrects them and says he isn't -- but wistfully. She'd love to be able to tell them he is.
** Aoi also has an atypical relationship with this trope: whenever any member of TheUnwantedHarem inquires about her feelings for Kaoru, she gets flustered and denies them. The initial reason is to keep their betrothal secret so as not to create scandal for the Sakurabas, but as the series progresses it feels more and more like an outright IdiotPlot. (YourMilageMayVary.)
* HotShounenMom: Miyabi's more of a mother ''figure'', but otherwise qualifies.
* HotSpringsEpisode: Multiple instances.
* IdenticalGrandfather: An old photograph reveals that [[spoiler: some presumed-ancestor of Taeko, who looks identical to our Taeko even down to the glasses and maid outfit, had an unrequited crush on some presumed-ancestor of Kaoru, who looks identical to our Kaoru]].
* InnocentInnuendo: When Kaoru is spending the night at Mayu's BigFancyHouse they have some very suggestive dialogue which turns out to be about a card game.
** And in chapter 41 of the manga, when Kaoru and Tina are forced by heavy rain to spend the night in a love hotel, there is suggestive dialogue which turns out to be about a video game they are playing.
* InstantIllness: When Kaoru walks through the rain to get Aoi, who's gotten lost on the Tokyo train system ''again'', which leads to...
* IntimateHealing: By Aoi to Kaoru, both when he gets a fever and her general impact on his psyche.
* JerkAss: Of the main characters, Mayu Miyuki comes closest.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Mayu Miyuki.
** Arguably Tina. The heart of gold is definite; the "jerk" part comes from [[ValuesDissonance what you make]] of her "[[RapeIsLove loving]]" [[RapeAsComedy sex]][[LovableSexManiac ual]] [[SkinshipGrope antics]].
* {{Joshikousei}}: Chika and her classmates.
* JustFriends: Sure you are, Tina. Keep telling yourself that.
* TheKlutz: Taeko.
** Arguably Chizuru. (She certainly swims like a [[TheKlutz klutz]], especially for someone on the school swimteam. If you can even call what she does swimming.)
* LandLord: Aoi's "disguise".
** But really the LandLord for the series is Miyabi, whose personality traits fit better with the trope than Aoi's. In fact, [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend unlucky teenhood friend]] [[MissFanservice Tina]] calls Miyabi "[[LandLord Kanrinin]]-san."
** Technically Kanrinin means 'manager' or 'caretaker'. 'Oya-san' which Tina uses to refer to Aoi means 'landlord/lady'.
* [[HoYay Les Yay]]: Tina likes groping other women's (and girls') breasts. But she's [[NoBisexuals really]] in love with Kaoru. Also, there's her threat to go kiss Aoi and Miyabi if Kaoru won't kiss her.
** Miyabi's life revolves around Aoi, and she admits feeling jealousy toward Kaoru.
** Played with when ''Tina'' discovers Aoi's habit of hugging people or objects in her sleep. She tells Aoi the next morning, "I thought I was going to have to switch teams just to survive," and there's an ImagineSpot of a wide-awake, seductively smiling Aoi fondling her. Meanwhile, the real Aoi is going into spasms of embarrassment, complete with LuminescentBlush and BigNo.
* LethalChef: Taeko (at first), and Mayu.
** Taeko may be more of a CordonBleughChef, or perhaps a combination of the tropes. (I don't recall which Mayu is.)
* LonelyRichKid: Mayu's FreudianExcuse is her ''extreme'' case of ParentalAbandonment.
** Played straight to the trope, yet subverted in that Mayu is not left as a flat character with LonelyRichKid as her only defining characteristic.
* LoserProtagonist: Averted or possibly subverted. It's expected than an UnwantedHarem comedy will feature a LoserProtagonist as the unlikely central love interest, but although Kaoru [[TheWoobie had a difficult childhood]] and passed through a phase as a ShrinkingViolet, he's otherwise mostly [[TheSmartGuy gotten his act together]] even before [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Aoi]] bounds [[PluckyGirl back into his life]] and [[MagicalGirlfriend completes]] [[IntimateHealing the process]].
* LovableSexManiac: Tina, considering she's groped every female in the cast [[strike:except Mayu]], as well as practically assaulting Kaoru on a couple of occasions.
** Undeniably true. And yet, at least in the anime, Tina is strongly implied to be a virgin, at least in the original series, and possibly still in [[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]], by which point she is graduating college, and her cohort and former classmate Kaoru is already in grad school. In the U.S. at least, an outgoing beautiful blonde BottleFairy [[LoveableSexManiac sex maniac]] who is still a virgin at age twenty-two or so would be somewhat odd.
*** Justified, perhaps, both by her inner ShrinkingViolet and by her unrequited love for Kaoru.
*** Confirmed as a virgin in the manga: while she and Kaoru spend the night at a love hotel (see below), she thinks, "I-if it's with Kaoru ... if my first was Kaoru..." and then adds, "Papa ... Mama ... I'm sorry... Your daughter's a bad person."
* LoveHotels: Tina and Kaoru have to stay in one overnight when they get stuck in the city.
* LoveYouAndEverybody: In one episode, Chika inverts this trope by cornering each of the girls and badgering them to find out if they "love" Kaoru, only to end the episode with the gleeful proclamation that ''everyone'' loves Kaoru. Since ChildrenAreInnocent, to her that counts as a happy resolution to the issue.
* LuminescentBlush: Lots of 'em.
* MagicalGirlfriend: Aoi sometimes borders on this. Except in the ChristmasEpisode, in which she really ''is'' this.
* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Mostly averted. Although definitely a dream girl, and arguably pixie-ish, Aoi is decidely ''not'' manic, or overtly quirky, or even [[GenkiGirl all that chipper]] except when basking in her love for Kaoru. And if ManicPixieDreamGirl-wannabee Tina ever had any chance at a beyond-platonic relationship with Kaoru, her abrupt disappearance for a year -- ironically, in part to try to get her act together for Kaoru -- completely sabotaged it.
* {{Marshmallow Hell}}: Kaoru is sandwiched between Tina's and Taeko's considerable chests in chapter 36 of the manga.
** He also gets a dose from Aoi, thanks to her more-prodigious-than-advertised assets and her tendency to grab things in her sleep.
* MeaningfulName:
** Aoi's surname (桜庭 Sakuraba) means "[[CherryBlossoms cherry-blossom]] garden" -- she informs Kaoru that her family is named after a grove of cherry trees they've owned for centuries -- and the name Aoi can mean "hollyhock flower" (which is the kanji she uses to spell her name, 葵) as well as "blue."
*** Aoi can also mean "pale," "green," "unripe," or "[[NatureAdoresAVirgin inexperienced]]."
** Mayu's family name is Miyuki, which means something like "[[AlphaBitch beautiful]] [[AnIcePerson snow]]." Fitting, given her [[SpoiledBrat haughty personality]].
** And to round out the flower-themed naming, (花菱 Hanabishi) is a flower shaped family crest and Kaoru spells his name with the kanji for "fragrant," 薫
* MeetCute: So very, very cute. Both in the first episode (when Kaoru and Aoi meet as adults) and in the flashbacks (when they first meet as toddlers).
* {{Meganekko}}: Taeko.
* {{Meido}}: Taeko. Chika and Mayu get into the act, too.
* TheMessiah: Aoi loves ''everyone'', and ''everyone'' loves Aoi. Pretty much every female member of the cast aspires to be like Aoi.
** Ironically, Aoi seems a bit oblivious to the depths of devotion of her own mentor, Miyabi.
* MissFanservice: At first, Taeko, as the fetish model for the photography club. Later, when that arc gets dropped, Tina.
** Or, you know, pretty much the entire female cast.
* MissingMom: The Hanabishi clan took Kaoru from her, at age five, when his father died. A few years later, she too died. Not just that, but his grandfather destroyed all her photographs and belongings. All of them, that is, except [[spoiler: a jewelry-box key young Kaoru gave young Aoi as a [[{{Tearjerker}} Very Special Present]].]]
* [[MoeMoe Moe]]: Wouldn't really be an UnwantedHarem show without tons of it, right?
* MoodWhiplash: YourMilageMayVary, but the show bounces bizarrely between lighthearted (if not outright filler) {{fanservice}} and [[{{tearjerker}} poignant]] romance. In the first season and much of the second, most of the poignancy comes from the backstory of Aoi and Kaoru. During the [[OddlyNamedSequel sequel Enishi]] -- by which point most of the reasons for Aoi and Kaoru to worry for their future, and to keep their romance a secret, have been resolved -- the poignancy tips increasingly toward [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Tina]].
** Is that the same episode where Tina and Kaoru wind up overnight in a [[LoveHotels love hotel]]? If so, that's arguably a CrowningMomentOfFunny: [[WrongGenreSavvy poor delusional Tina thinks she's the female romantic lead of the show]] and [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend going to win Kaoru]], and the show obliges her -- for just that one episode. (By odd [[MissFanservice coincidence]], that's also the only episode -- in either season -- that violates (however briefly) the AnimeAnatomy rule.)
* NiceGuy: Kaoru, once he [[ShrinkingViolet comes out of his]] [[TheWoobie shell]]. From a certain perspective, his tolerance of TheUnwantedHarem is cruel both to Aoi and to the duped girls in question, but it's mostly his own kindness that keeps him from driving them off. That, and also they eventually become TrueCompanions.
* TheNicknamer: No one person in particular, but Aoi and Kaoru each have an appellation specific to the character speaking. For example:
** Kaoru calls Aoi "Aoi-chan."
*** Aoi calls Kaoru "Kaoru-sama."
** Miyabi calls Aoi "Aoi-sama."
*** Miyabi calls Kaoru "Kaoru-dono."
** Tina calls Aoi "[[LandLord Ooyasan]]."
*** Tina calls Kaoru plain old "Kaoru" with no honorific.
** Taeko calls Kaoru "Kaoru-[[SempaiKohai sempai]]."
*** Taeko calls Aoi "Aoi-[[SempaiKohai sempai]]."
* NightmareFetishist: Taeko ''likes'' the idea of ghosts and poltergeists. Everyone else wants nothing to do with it.
* NoblewomansLaugh: Mayu.
* NobodyPoops: Averted once in the manga. Chizuru, trying to calm herself down and get over her fear of swimming, is shown sitting on a toilet with her swimsuit actually pulled down, implying that if she's not pooping, she's at least peeing.
* NoEnding / CutShort: The anime cuts off before the Kaoru/Aoi storyline is resolved. You'll have to read the last few issues of the manga to get a ''real'' ending.
** It also [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot does nothing]] with Tina's learning about Kaoru and Aoi's OfficialCouple status, though one could say that the conversation Tina and Aoi have on the roof implies to the viewer that Tina's [[GracefulLoser cool with it]].
* [[NotThisOneThatOne Not This One, That One]]: Kaoru initially thinks he'll get to live in the [[BigFancyHouse mansion]], but in fact, he gets relegated to a much smaller house.
* NotWhatItLooksLike: Subverted, as Kaoru gets into improper situations, but the girls actually ''listen'' to his explanations and realize it's not his fault. Sometimes even realize that it's not his fault even without explanations.
** Aoi ''always'' gives him the benefit of the doubt.
*** Then again, [[TheMessiah Aoi always gives everyone the benefit of the doubt.]]
*** Miyabi's first appearance didn't even give Kaoru ''time'' to explain before she [[MamaBear gave him a beatdown]].
* {{Obake}}: One haunts the [[BigFancyHouse mansion]], terrorizing the girls (especially Tina) while they try to sleep. Well, except that [[spoiler: it turns out to be just Tina's ferret Uzume.]]
* ObliviousToLove: The [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation more charitable interpretation]] of Kaoru toward the PrettyFreeloaders -- especially Tina -- in his UnwantedHarem.
** [[LesYay Ar]][[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation guably]] Aoi, toward Miyabi.
* OcularGushers
* OddlyNamedSequel: ''Enishi''.
** Likely comes from a chapter of the manga where Aoi tells Chika that as a group, they're all tied together by a karmic relationship called "enishi." Something that would have similar connotations to calling the sequel "TrueCompanions" instead.
* OfficeLady: Miyabi.
* OfficialCouple: Kaoru and Aoi..
* {{Ojou}}: Mayu.
** Also Aoi.
*** Miyabi calls her "Ojou-sama", but she doesn't act the part.
* OlderThanTheyLook: [[TokenLoli Chika]] and [[{{Ojou}} Mayu]]. In [[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]], also Natsuki.
* {{Omake}}: One in each of the two seasons. [[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi's]] was also a ChristmasEpisode and a ShoutOut to AhMyGoddess.
* OnsenEpisode
* [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Ordinary College Student]]: Kaoru. Or so it seems, until TheReveal that he's the (self-renounced) heir to the powerful Hanabishi clan.
* OrWasItADream: The ChristmasEpisode.
* {{Pantyshot}}: A frequent source of {{Fanservice}}. Chapter 73 of the manga features a {{Pantyshot}} on almost every page - the cast goes to play tennis and all the girls are wearing short tennis skirts.
* ParentalAbandonment: Kaoru's are dead. What's everyone else's excuse?
** Mayu's parents are the president of the family business and a famous fashion designer, and thus always traveling.
** Tina's parents live in the States, and she goes to college in Japan by choice.
** Taeko's father is dead, and her mother raised her as a single parent, and might also be deceased, as Taeko refers to her in the past tense.
* PerfectlyArrangedMarriage
* PhenotypeStereotype: Tina is American, so of course she's tall, blonde, and blue-eyed.
* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Mayu does this to Kaoru when he attempts to leave her mansion to go home.
* PluckyGirl: Most of the girls in the cast are plucky (to varying degrees, of course) -- but it's Aoi's willingness to stand up to her family (and her [[TrueCompanions friends]] in TheUnwantedHarem) that prevents her from slipping into ExtremeDoormat status. (Even so, YourMilageMayVary.)
* PrettyFreeloaders: Most of the female cast.
** [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Or perhaps not]]. While they're definitely pretty, they're not freeloaders; each pays rent and / or [[{{Meido}} helps out around the house]]. Moreover, they don't fit the parameters of the trope because what they're really after is ''Kaoru himself'', not what they can get out of him (i.e. room and board -- which, as mentioned, they're not getting anyway free, anyway). When first introduced, [[BottleFairy Tina Foster]] ''[[SubvertedTrope appears]]'' to fit this trope, but that's only [[CannotSpitItOut because she hides]] her [[UnluckyChildhoodFriend true motivations]].
* PuniPlush: Only on occasion. Usually it's when a character has been humiliated in some way. Often accompanied by a FaceFault or similar slapstick.
* PuppyLove: When Kaoru and Aoi meet and fall in love as toddlers. In this case, after many a setback, [[OfficialCouple the ship]] did eventually set sail.
* TheRashomon: Tina [[http://mangahut.com/manga/m=3dXr/ai_yori_aoshi/013/pg12 exaggerates]]. Just a little.
* RapeAsComedy: Not rape, but Tina frequently engages in sexual harassment of the other girls (and, on occasion, Kaoru), most famously her {{Skin Ship Grope}}s. It's nearly always dismissed as harmless, and when [[ThoseTwoGuys Those Two Girls]] Natsuki and Chizuru respond in horror (at first, before they get used to her), Tina -- and by extension the show -- [[ValuesDissonance takes it as if they're simply overreacting]], and Tina feels put-upon and misunderstood.
** Bizarrely, the show actually manages to provide a justification for Tina's outrageous behaviour.
* RebelPrince
* RedStringOfFate: Shown in second season OP, and mentioned a few times.
* RunningGag: Subtle, but Suzuki sure [[RailEnthusiast likes trains]].
* SayMyName
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Taeko gets them in ep 4 of ''Enishi''.
* ScreamingWarrior: Miyabi in "Phantoms" (''Enishi'' ep 4) definitely evokes this when she attacks Mayu by mistake. She might be a woman, but ScreamingWoman was not being used here (that was earlier).
* SecretRelationship
* SelectiveObliviousness: See ObliviousToLove, above.
** Conversely: it really should have been obvious to everyone that there was more going on between "Kaoru-sama" and "Aoi-chan" than just a tenant-landlady relationship. Leaving aside her odd deference toward him and his odd familiarity toward her ... how many words can Aoi go without mentioning Kaoru?
*** A possible RetCon, but late in the manga Tina [[spoiler:reveals she had known from the instant she first saw Kaoru and Aoi together that something was up between them, which contributed heavily to her most recent bout of CannotSpitItOut with regards to Kaoru.]]
* SempaiKohai: Whenever addressing her elders, Taeko uses "sempai" either as a designation or as an [[JapaneseHonorifics honorific]] suffix. That includes Kaoru, even though in her TragicDream the two of them are destined to fall in love. It even includes Aoi, who, according to back-of-the-envelope calculations, [[FridgeLogic ought to be younger than Taeko]]. But Aoi is of much higher caste than Taeko, and is also both her [[LandLord landlady]] and her [[{{Meido}} boss]], so in this case, "sempai" may nothing more than a sign of respect and esteem. See also TheNickNamer.
* ShipTease: Now and then, but surprisingly little for an UnwantedHarem comedy. Unless you count one-sided ships, which aren't known for their smooth sailing.
** What about the night Kaoru and Tina spent the night together [[LoveHotels in a room at a love hotel]]? Classic, if (mostly) innocent, ShipTease.
* ShoutOut: To AhMyGoddess, in the ChristmasEpisode.
** Also, some of the in-universe video games, and the in-universe movie "Pretty Horse." See also TakeThat, below.
* ShrinkingViolet: Several characters -- especially Tina and Kaoru -- are implied to have been this until soon before the series begins. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation One explanation]] of Tina's bizarre LoveableSexManiac antics is that she's still trying too hard to overcome her inner ShrinkingViolet.
** Chizuru might still be something of a ShrinkingViolet.
* SignificantBirthDate: Aoi was born on the day of {{Tanabata}}, which celebrates the once-a-year meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair) across the Milky Way. It's the Japanese equivalent to Valentine's Day.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Nearly every female in the cast, toward Kaoru -- at least three of them (Aoi, Tina, Mayu) from years before the opening of the series.
** Miyabi is the notable exception. [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Probably.]]
*** A Valentine's Day chapter of the manga had the girls providing Kaoru with chocolate. ''Lots'' of chocolate; so much, it made him queasy. But Miyabi surely wouldn't want to give him chocolate. She gave him cocoa. "...I guess that's Miyabi-san's way of caring about me."
* {{Skinship Grope}}: Tina is very fond of doing this to the other girls.
* SmugSnake: [[spoiler:Kaoru's half-brother, who outright abducts Aoi and manages to arrange for the manor to be closed down in an effort to make her marry him in place of Kaoru, so he can inherit.]]
* SpoiledBrat: Mayu Miyuki.
* SproutingEars: Aoi. Tina also did this in ep5 (see Cat Girl above).
* {{Squee}}: Tina in manga chapter 39, "Azure".
* SugarAndIcePersonality: Miyabi.
* SupportingHarem: Made clear by the fact that the lead girl has already won within the first few episodes. (Just the rest of the Harem doesn't know, and for various reasons they feel they need to keep it a secret).
* SweatDrop
* TakeThat: Some of the in-universe video games seem to be light-hearted jabs at real-life video games. These may be more examples of [[ShoutOut shoutouts]]. A rare nasty example would be the in-universe movie "Pretty Horse," which seems to simultaneously a parody of movies about young girls and their love for horses -- and also a pointed jab at JuliaRoberts.
* {{Tanabata}}: Aoi's birthday. Also occasionally pops up as a plot point.
* TeamPet: Tina's ferret [[WeaselMascot Uzume]].
* ThanksForTheMammary: [[AccidentalPervert Kaoru]]. Not from collisions, though, but because he tends to [[BedmateReveal wake up and find this girl or that one has joined him in his bed]] while he was sleeping, [[SelectiveObliviousness for some inexplicable reason]].
* ThemeTuneCameo: In one episode, Kaoru of all people sings karaoke to the end theme. A different song (sung by Tina) plays over that episode's credits, perhaps indicating some kind of theme conservation law. Also, episode 15 starts with Aoi humming the opening theme.
* TheThingThatGoesDoink: At the BigFancyHouse where Aoi's parents live. And it really does go "doink."
* ThirdPersonPerson: Mayu. Aoi and Chika in the manga.
* ThoseTwoGuys: Suzuki and Sato.
** In "[[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]]," Natsuki and Chizuru are [[ThoseTwoGuys Those Two Girls]]. Also a case of TomboyAndGirlyGirl.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Most clearly paired off are [[ThoseTwoGuys Those Two Girls]] Natsuki (tomboy) and her bff Chizuru (girly girl). The other examples are somewhat more mix-and-match. As the two youngest recurring characters in the original anime series, [[CheerfulChild Chika]] (tomboy) and [[{{Ojou}} Mayu]] (girly girl) could be paired off. One could make a case for [[FanPreferredCouple Tina]] and [[OfficialCouple Aoi]]. That would leave [[OfficeLady Miyabi]] (tomboy) and [[ExtremeDoormat Taeko]] (girly girl), although pairing them off is odd in that the two of them don't interact much.
** Another way to divvy them up would be [[TheKanrinin Miyabi]] (tomboy), [[BodyGuardCrush who looks after]] [[YamatoNadeshiko Aoi]] (girly girl); and Aoi's would-be rivals [[LovableSexManiac Tina]] (tomboy) and [[{{Dojikko}} Taeko]] (girly girl).
*** Worth noting: Tina is herself a mix of TomboyAndGirlyGirl. On the one hand she likes groping girls and playing video games and drinking too much. On the other hand, she adores animals and has long, flowing hair and wears sexy (if casual) clothes.
* TigerVersusDragon: Mayu and Tina when trying on swimsuits
* TokenLoli: Chika
* TragicDream: Everyone except Aoi who hopes to marry Kaoru.
** Kaoru also has tragic ''dreams'', namely about losing his mother over and over again.
* TrueCompanions
* {{Tsundere}}: Miyabi, especially at the beginning.
* TwelveEpisodeAnime: The sequel, "[[OddlyNamedSequel Enishi]]."
* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Tina. Except she probably didn't meet Kaoru until they were about seventeen, so more literally an Unlucky Teenhood Friend. Other than that, [[{{Tearjerker}} fits the trope perfectly]].
* UnluckyEverydude: Kaoru. Mostly in the past by the time the series begins. But [[TheWoobie he]] [[BreakTheCutie had a]] [[DisappearedDad really]] [[MissingMom tough]] [[AbusiveParents childhood]].
* TheUnwantedHarem: A given, since it's "harem comedy." Except that all the members of TheUnwantedHarem morph into TrueCompanions and thus are no longer [=UNwanted=] -- ([[TheMessiah even by Aoi, who by rights ought to regard them as wannabee rivals]]) -- except in the romantic sense.
** Which presumably makes them the Half-Wanted Harem.
* VictoriousChildhoodFriend: Not only does the [[FirstGirlWins First Girl Win]], she was the only one with a shot of winning, even from the first episode.
* VitriolicBestBuds: In the manga, Chika's assessment of the relationship between Mayu and Tina. Mayu loudly expresses outrage: "Just so we're clear, she will state it outright: Mayu absolutely hates Tina-san!" [[http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/9752/badfriends.jpg But then...]]
* WeaselMascot: Tina's ferret [[TeamPet Uzume]].
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Miyabi is physically capable of throwing Kaoru across a room -- but the sight of [[TeamPet Uzume]] bringing her a large dead bug makes her climb onto his back and wail, "'''''[[BigNo NOO]]!'''''" And Uzume, like a cat, brings her '''lots''' of bugs as a token of love.
** Tina has a phobia of thunderstorms.
* WitchSpecies: "Sataoi" from ''Miyuki'' is just one of many "Santas" that bring the gift of pleasent dreams on Christmas.
* YamatoNadeshiko: Aoi wanted to be Kaoru's since childhood. She's got the skill set and general attitude of a YamatoNadeshiko, but her whole situation with Kaoru would be entirely different if she weren't assertive enough to defy her family's authority. She makes it abundantly clear that her ultimate devotion is to love, not a particularly traditionalist viewpoint.
** Taeko expresses her desire to be a YamatoNadeshiko, in part to be "worthy" of Kaoru's love. But she's really more of an ExtremeDoormat crossed with a {{Dojikko}}. [[YourMilageMayVary Adorable]] but rather hopeless.
* {{Yandere}}: Mayu Miyuki.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Aoi, Miyabi, and Mayu each have different shades of purplish hair. Kaoru has brown hair that would be perfectly realistic were he not Japanese. Tina Foster has HairOfGold, but that's almost a given since she's [[{{Eagleland}} American]].
* ZigzagPaperTassel: Taeko carries one when she tries to play [[{{Obake}} Ghostbuster]].
----

[[UnluckyEverydude Kaoru]] [[{{Everyman}} Hanabishi]], [[NiceGuy an]] [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent ordinary]] [[TheSmartGuy college]] [[ChickMagnet student]], [[MeetCute runs into a beautiful young woman]] dressed in an old-fashioned kimono, lost and flustered in the complicated Tokyo subway system. [[LaserGuidedKarma After taking great pains to escort the woman to her destination]], he [[TheReveal discovers]] that she is really his [[ToyShip childhood]] friend, [[YamatoNadeshiko A]][[MeaningfulName oi Sakura]][[YamatoNadeshiko ba]], whom he had [[ChildhoodMarriagePromise promised to marry]] almost [[SheIsAllGrownUp two decades earlier]]...

** Tina and Aoi have each kissed a sleeping Kaoru on several occasions, starting [[ToyShip when Aoi and Kaoru were toddlers]]. Aoi usually told Kaoru about it afterward. Tina, [[CannotSpitItOut for whatever reason]], didn't.

* SproutingEars: Aoi.

*** [[spoiler: On the one hand, Aoi says she and Kaoru are happy. She also says that she doesn't get to see him as much as she might like because he works long hours to support them. There is also the big fact that the Nakama has been split up, although Aoi says they do get to see each other sometimes. Maybe call it a Happy Ending with bittersweet caveats.]]

* {{Nakama}}

* NiceGuy: Kaoru, once he [[ShrinkingViolet comes out of his]] [[TheWoobie shell]]. From a certain perspective, his tolerance of TheUnwantedHarem is cruel both to Aoi and to the duped girls in question, but it's mostly his own kindness that keeps him from driving them off. That, and also they eventually become a {{Nakama}}.

** Likely comes from a chapter of the manga where Aoi tells Chika that as a group, they're all tied together by a karmic relationship called "enishi." Something that would have similar connotations to calling the sequel "{{Nakama}}" instead.

* PluckyGirl: Most of the girls in the cast are plucky (to varying degrees, of course) -- but it's Aoi's willingness to stand up to her family (and her [[{{Nakama}} friends]] in TheUnwantedHarem) that prevents her from slipping into ExtremeDoormat status. (Even so, YourMilageMayVary.)

* TheUnwantedHarem: A given, since it's "harem comedy." Except that all the members of TheUnwantedHarem morph into a {{Nakama}} and thus are no longer [=UNwanted=] -- ([[TheMessiah even by Aoi, who by rights ought to regard them as wannabee rivals]]) -- except in the romantic sense.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Aoi wanted to be Kaoru's since childhood.
** Aoi might be a partial [[SubvertedTrope subversion]]. She's got the skill set and general attitude of a YamatoNadeshiko, but her whole situation with Kaoru would be entirely different if she weren't assertive enough to defy her family's authority. She makes it abundantly clear that her ultimate devotion is to love, not a particularly traditionalist viewpoint.

* LoserGuy: Averted or possibly subverted. It's expected than an UnwantedHarem comedy will feature a LoserGuy as the unlikely central love interest, but although Kaoru [[TheWoobie had a difficult childhood]] and passed through a phase as a ShrinkingViolet, he's otherwise mostly [[TheSmartGuy gotten his act together]] even before [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Aoi]] bounds [[PluckyGirl back into his life]] and [[MagicalGirlfriend completes]] [[IntimateHealing the process]].