History Main / LateForSchool

[[quoteright:200:[[OtomeWaBokuNiKoishiteru http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cit_Otome_wa_Boku_ni_Koishiteru_-_late_for_school.jpg]]]]

* Shio does it in the first episode of ''Anime/Nobunagun''. Similarly to the ''Anime/BlackRockShooter'' example, she has trouble keeping the toast in her mouth and it eventually breaks.

* Ranma and Akane are Late For School several times in the first season of ''RanmaOneHalf'', starting with the second episode.

* In the first episode of ''MahouSenseiNegima'', Kagurazaka Asuna is running late on the way to class and bumps into the title character.

* Kurusegawa Himeko wakes up late and has to hurry to get to school on time in the first episode of ''{{Kannazuki no Miko}}''.

* Two of the main characters in ''ManabiStraight'' meet this way. The threat of their tardiness results in one breaking out her Hoverboard that was apparently stolen from the ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' set, and they practically have the same music playing.

* Ichigo of ''TokyoMewMew'' seems to have to run everywhere she goes, from school to work to dates and everything in between. Even with her {{catgirl}} powers, she never arrives normally, always panting and flopping over with a second to spare.

* A variation in ''YoureUnderArrest'': Natsumi is frequently late for work, enough to become a running gag, especially when she makes up more and more outlandish excuses.

* This was actually the point of a scene--Ryoko plays a little joke on Sasami so she can see this in the ''TenchiMuyo'' manga.

* Nozomi in ''YesPrettyCure5'', on multiple occasions (including in the opening credits). Seems to be related to her [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny nonexistent attention span]].
** Miyuki pulls this off in the first episode of ''SmilePrettyCure'' and is how the CallToAdventure meets her. Takes her awhile to accept the call, though.

* Usagi from ''SailorMoon'' was running to school when she saw a bunch of kids teasing Luna. She saves the cat and soon is told that she's SailorMoon by her...
** It's not just the first episode, either--Usagi being late is a RunningGag.
*** ''Literally.''

* Tammy[[http://cat-nine.net/comic/oh-miss-tardy/]] from ''CatNine'' the first time the human characters met. Also Keith[[http://cat-nine.net/comic/fus-ro-dah/]] the next day.

In {{manga}} and {{anime}}, this is associated with the {{shoujo}} (girl's) genre, where the original intent was to establish the protagonist as [[{{Dojikko}} cute but clumsy]], or give her a minor flaw. Overused to the point of becoming a DiscreditedTrope; current Japanese "How to Become a Shoujo Manga-ka" books specifically advise ''against'' using this trope, and more recent manga even lampshade how much of a cliche it is. It is often paired with CrashIntoHello.

** The toast is spoofed in the ''Anime/PetitEva'' 4-koma manga, where one of the Reis has whole loaves of bread labelled "breakfast", "lunch" and "dinner".

* Shio does it in the first episode of ''Anime/Nobunagun''. Similarly to the ''BlackRockShooter'' example, she has trouble keeping the toast in her mouth and it eventually breaks.

* Anime/YuGiOhGX opens with Judai/Jaden late for his entrance exam to get into Duel Academy. He crashes into Yugi, who gives him Winged Kuriboh.

In {{manga}} and {{anime}}, this is associated with the {{shoujo}} (girl's) genre, where the original intent was to establish the protagonist as [[{{Dojikko}} cute but clumsy]], or give her a minor flaw. Overused to the point of becoming a DiscreditedTrope; current Japanese "How to Become a Shoujo Manga-ka" books specifically advise ''against'' using this trope, and more recent manga even lampshade how much of a cliche it is.

* Ranma and Akane are LateForSchool several times in the first season of ''RanmaOneHalf'', starting with the second episode.

* During his AlternateUniverse experience in the last episode of ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji and Asuka quite literally run into Rei, who is running wildly with a piece of toast in her mouth, trying not to be LateForSchool.

* Himeno Awayuki from ''{{Pretear}}'' is LateForSchool at the beginning of the series, and attemps to [[ShortCutsMakeLongDelays take a shortcut]]. Depending on which adaptation you are following, she either wanders close to [[MagicalLand Leafenia]] and meets Shin, or has a [[CrashIntoHello rather violent encounter]] with Hayate; in both cases, this eventually leads to her being recruited as the titular MagicalGirl.

* Lampshaded in ''{{Durarara}}''. Mikado is telling his friend Kida about rescuing a girl, and Kida responds by noting [[ThisIsReality how much that is an anime cliche]], and then cites a list of anime cliches, including this one: "This could only make more sense if you were also LateForSchool...Oh! And if she was also a NewTransferStudent. Also if she turned out to be a queen and your [[ForgottenChildhoodFriend childhood friend]]! That would be awesome. [[DontExplainTheJoke Are you getting how I'm being sarcastic here]]?"

* Played straight (by Cookie, who is LateForSchool in the "normal" manner) and subverted (by Ned and Moze) in ''NedsDeclassified'' "Guide to: The Bus".

* Lilo from ''LiloAndStitch'', although it wasn't because of sleeping late.

* The opening scene of ''KimPossible'''s pilot episode opens with Kim dashing into school in a hurry to deliver a history essay, establishing the formula of [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld finding school more trouble than international heroism]].
* Max makes it on time to school in ''AGoofyMovie'' (barely), but only because he gets into LateForSchool mode with enough time to fix it.

** One fan parody even jokingly pointed out that Madoka eats the toast, noting that "Wow, we are going to be one subversive show."

* Common with several Archie Comic characters.

* In the original ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' movie, Buffy starts to be late for school often when she starts being the Slayer.

** Also mentioned in the {{ending theme}} ("Aoi Haru" by {{angela}}), which has a part that approximately translates to: "With toast, at a street corner, [[CrashIntoHello crash!]] I fall in love[[hottip:*:this phrase is in English]] / [[WrongGenreSavvy I'm watching too much anime, aren't I?]]"

* Two of the main characters in ''ManabiStraight'' meet this way. The threat of their tardiness results in one breaking out her Hoverboard that was apparently stolen from the ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' set, and they practically have the same music playing.
** Speaking of, in said movie, Marty skateboarding to school while late showed how cool he was.

* During his AlternateUniverse experience in the last episode of ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji and Asuka quite literally run into Rei, who is running wildly with a piece of toast in her mouth, trying not to be LateForSchool.

* Ahiru of ''PrincessTutu'' wakes up in the first episode, hears the bell, and runs to school, convinced she's late. Turns out she's woken up ''early'', and this bell was for a different class.