History VisualNovel / SlowDamage

** The player, especially in their first playthrough, will not have an easy time figuring out how to complete an Interrogation without getting a NonstandardGameOver at least once. The game itself is even aware of this and will offer the player the option to lower the difficulty after they have bungled an Interrogation at least three times. However, once the player has completed the entirety of the game and decides to start a second playthrough and opts to replay the Interrogations instead of skipping them, they are now shown which dialogue option will increase/decrease the character's Euphoria and Madness levels and which Clue is the correct one needed to conclude the Interrogation.
** Upon replaying a chapter that was already completed once, the player is given the option to skip the Exploration and the Interrogation segments entirely. And should the player skip the Explorations but not the Interrogations, the game makes it that all the Inspirations that can be acquired by then are present in the palette; thus all Inspirations are available as dialogue options during Interrogations.

* BluntNo: When Ikuina asks Towa if he could be a model for his paintings, Towa doesn't even take a second to think it over before declining Ikuina's request.

* DarkerAndEdgier: While still overall colorful, ''Slow Damage'' uses much darker colors compared to ''VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder'', takes place in a city ruled by crime, and is completely front-and-center with its themes of mental trauma, bodily harm and sadomasochism.

* DoctorsDisgracefulDemotion: After Taku [[spoiler: is tried and convicted for his association with Toono, both he and Towa expect that he may never be able to resume his job as a doctor again]]. However, the ''After Story'' drama CD subverts this; in spite of what happened, [[spoiler: the public is still looking forward to having him reopen his clinic. Taku is then left ruminating for a while on whether he really should go through with it given all the crimes he had committed, even though said crimes were done under duress. But in the end, he decides to officially reopen the clinic.]]]]

** In Taku's route, [[spoiler: when Towa and Taku's escape attempt gets impeded by Toono and his men, [[spoiler: Lisa wounds said men with some scalpels that she managed to get from Taku's workroom beforehand. Toono then shoots her before she could attack him next]], though the gunshot wound luckily proved to be non-fatal.

* WhatIf:
** If Taku's route is taken, Fujieda ends up working for Toono instead of Sakaki, whereas he still works for the latter in the other three routes. And in Madarame's route, he decides to return to the mainland for the time being. None of these small but discernible changes are ever given an explanation.
** Whether or not Towa [[spoiler:lets the unnamed vampire drink his blood to his heart's content]] is crucial in establishing how the plot of the game ''officially'' starts in the following month of November, which will consequently determine whether [[spoiler:he will receive the mysterious package containing relics of his past or not]]. If he doesn't receive the package, [[spoiler:the plot will progress to "Chapter 1: Fraise"; otherwise, the plot will jump straight to "The Last Chapter: Equal"]].

** Mizuno's [[spoiler: real family name is Kirihara]], but it's only in the credits where [[spoiler: his first name is revealed to be Nozomu]]. The player will also be informed of [[spoiler: his full name]] in Fujieda's route.

** In their "euphoric session", [[spoiler: Asakura cuts up Towa's back to sew a pair of white metal rods welded together to resemble angelic wings onto the latter's flesh]].
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Taku and Fujieda have opposing viewpoints about whether [[spoiler: Towa should learn more about his past or not]]. Taku argues that [[spoiler: Towa is better off not knowing about his childhood since what he went through then was nothing short of traumatic, and Towa's mind may not be able to recover once he remembers everything]]. Fujieda counters that [[spoiler: Towa still has a right to know and he's the one who chose to look into his past, his memories are potentially the key to a hidden truth that has been haunting Shinkoumi for a long time, and that even though what Towa could discover may be distressing, it could still provide him the closure that he had unconsciously (yet sorely) needed]]. Neither is in the wrong with their arguments.

** All the previous Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] protagonists either have no memory of their parents (Akira), lost their parents when they were still young (Konoe and Youji) or were only adopted by people who then left some time afterwards (Aoba). Towa would fit into the former two criteria... [[spoiler: but there's also the additional part about how said parent was nothing but abusive to him and also serves as the GreaterScopeVillain of the story, making ''Slow Damage'' the first visual novel in the franchise to have one of the protagonist's parents play the role of the villain (even if a posthumous one) in the narrative]].

* TheButlerDidIt: In Fujieda's route, the one who has been [[spoiler: sending the mysterious packages to Towa ''and'' killing all of his leads]] is none other than [[spoiler: Sakaki]]. He qualifies as the "butler" in the trope [[spoiler: because he is also revealed to be Maya's right-hand man, and all of his actions in the final route are his attempts at fulfilling Maya's LastRequest]].
* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: This trope is utilized in Taku's Madness ending. Although it's nothing more than [[spoiler:a hallucination, the butterflies (and various other winged insects) that Towa and Taku see in their drug-induced haze]] symbolize the tragic juxtaposition between their shared illusion and the reality around them. [[spoiler: At the moment, they feel nothing but bliss, yet their mind and body are slowly rotting away as they descend further and further into insanity.]]

** The bunny plushie that Towa keeps in his room, which Rei lampshades as something that someone like Towa would usually not keep around, and Towa himself even questions why he felt like buying it. It's hinted that [[spoiler: it subconsciously reminds him of Mei's bunny doll]], which he [[spoiler: receives in a package in Fujieda's route. Said toy would then play a key role in Towa's investigation of his past]].
** There's a literal example of the trope in Taku's route. Near the climax, Towa knocks one of the Takasato goons unconscious before taking his gun. It eventually comes in handy later when he uses it to shoot [[spoiler: the gun off of Toono's hands before the latter could land a fatal shot on Taku]].

* CompanyCrossReferences: A lot of Nitro+ references are littered throughout ''Slow Damage''

* DeadPersonImpersonation: In the climax of Fujieda's route, Towa pretends to be [[spoiler: Maya in order to distract Sakaki from killing Fujieda]]. It's by that point that the player will have to make critical choices that will [[spoiler:net them either the Euphoria or the Madness ending, both of which shows what happens whether or not Towa becomes too absorbed in his performance that he "turns into" Maya for real]].

* DraggedIntoDrag: A sinister example of the trope happens in Taku's route when [[spoiler: Toono has some of his favorite hostesses doll up Towa, with his intention being to intimidate Taku into completing his task out of the fear that Toono will lay his hands on Towa otherwise]].

** In connection with the above example, the trope is taken to a disturbing conclusion in [[spoiler: Taku's Madness ending, where he drugs Towa and keeps him in a basement in a twisted attempt to protect him. While locked up, Towa is administered with psychedelics to the extent that his mind becomes completely addled and he starts to see things that aren't there, namely insects]].

* {{Facepalm}}: After having to help Towa [[spoiler: relieve his forced arousal (with Towa also helping pleasure him throughout the act)]], Taku is frustrated, shocked, embarrassed and disoriented from the experience that he ends up burying his face in both his hands while trying to not panic any further.

* FisticuffProvokingComment: When Towa confronts Rei's father and asks if [[spoiler: he knows what his son's been doing to pay off his debt]], the older man's response shows how unsympathetic he is to his son's plight even though it was brought about by his own screw-ups. When he tries to deflect the blame once again, Towa is irritated enough to deck him in the face mid-sentence.

* ForWantOfANail:
** If Taku's route is taken, Fujieda ends up working for Toono instead of Sakaki, whereas he still works for the latter in the other three routes. And in Madarame's route, he decides to return to the mainland for the time being. None of these small but discernible changes are ever given an explanation.
** Whether or not Towa [[spoiler:lets the unnamed vampire drink his blood to his heart's content]] is crucial in establishing how the plot of the game ''officially'' starts in the following month of November, which will consequently determine whether [[spoiler:he will receive the mysterious package containing relics of his past or not]]. If he doesn't receive the package, [[spoiler:the plot will progress to "Chapter 1: Fraise"; otherwise, the plot will jump straight to "The Last Chapter: Equal"]].
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Between Towa's models, Ikuina is the Sanguine, Asakura is the Leukine, Mizuno is the Choleric, and the unnamed vampire in the prologue is the Melancholic.

* GenreShift: The last four Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] games take place in either [[VisualNovel/LamentoBeyondTheVoid a fantasy world]] or a setting that is similar to real life on the surface but is [[VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder heavily cyberpunk-themed]], [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi already suffering from the aftermath of a fictional world war]], or [[VisualNovel/SweetPool has supernatural religious beings hiding within the shadows of human society]]. On the other hand, the existence of a fictional city aside, ''Slow Damage's'' setting is far more contemporary and realistic.

** It's a staple that in route-specific circumstances, and mainly in the bad endings, that the protagonists of any Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] visual novel will [[spoiler: be subjected to rape]]. But ''Slow Damage'' is the first to feature such a topic in the main character's ''backstory''.
* BreatherEpisode: Downplayed. Rei's route tackles plenty of serious themes and wouldn't be considered a lighthearted plot by any stretch. But even when taking into account [[spoiler: the part where Rei is forced to risk his life in Moneymatches to pay off his father's debt]], the stakes in his storyline are nowhere near as high as that of Towa's other love interests. Also, majority of the drama in Rei's story comes from [[spoiler: either his father or his inner conflict regarding his identity]], rather than from any disagreement between him and Towa, the latter of which there is a great deal of in the other routes.

* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: This trope is utilized in Taku's Madness ending. Although it's nothing more than [[spoiler: a hallucination, the butterflies (and various other winged insects) that Towa and Taku see in their drug-induced haze]] symbolize the tragic juxtaposition between their shared illusion and the reality around them. [[spoiler: At the moment, they feel nothing but bliss, yet their mind and body are slowly rotting away as they descend further and further into insanity.]]

** The one and only time Towa got to stand up to [[spoiler: his mother was shortly after he learned that Mei had died and that Maya had something to do with it]]... though the outcome of that confrontation [[spoiler: nearly became the last straw for Towa's sanity had his mind decided to not suppress the memory]].

* DenOfIniquity: On the outside, [[spoiler: Euphoria looks just like any other luxurious nightclub]]. In secret, [[spoiler: it was a place where the most privileged customers (and those they invite) could fulfill their deepest and darkest desires, no matter what kind of desire that was. In doing so, they get to have their way with the people held captive there, [[HarmfulToMinors and children weren't an exception]]]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: It's rather easy to liken [[spoiler: Maya and the establishment she runs to a cult]].

* DroneOfDread: This is heard throughout the entirety of "[[https://youtu.be/7-uS3FBynT8 Control]]", which is fitting since the track only plays [[spoiler: in the scenes featuring [[GreaterScopeVillain Maya]]]].

* EasterEgg:
** If the player listens closely, they can hear some background tracks from Nitro+[=CHiRAL=]'s previous works playing in certain areas of the game.
*** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpTe7lv7mfM Togainu no Chi]]'': At the diner where Towa, Taku and Rei would often hang out and eat.
*** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPxO54UvQYo Lamento - beyond the void -]]'': At Krishna, the restaurant where Mizuno works at.
*** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyvKxFOSj7E sweet pool]]'': At an unnamed bar (besides Roost) where Towa would occasionally drop by for some drinks.
*** ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTnxE3w0opI DRAMAtical Murder]]'': At the warehouse where the climax of "Chapter 2: Brother" takes place.
** In Kouou Street, one of the electric billboards features an image of Youji Sakiyama from one of ''VisualNovel/SweetPool'''s [[https://static.zerochan.net/Sakiyama.Youji.full.1663238.jpg promotional posters]].
** The [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FoDlP8EaQAERv08?format=jpg&name=large poster on the building]] that towers over the Deathmatch area [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/da7f839d-1561-4ee2-b46e-d1f6962f6e8d/d3423fi-738c80b6-0eb6-4c1f-95f1-254c179d61d3.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2RhN2Y4MzlkLTE1NjEtNGVlMi1iNDZlLWQxZjY5NjJmNmU4ZFwvZDM0MjNmaS03MzhjODBiNi0wZWI2LTRjMWYtOTVmMS0yNTRjMTc5ZDYxZDMuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.Pct2qydA6aS14uEAna-R0ZbH01ajfKLyqfbw2cJrYvs shows an official artwork]] of [[VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi Akira]].
** Mayu's room features merchandise of various Nitroplus' heroines such as [[VisualNovel/SayaNoUta Saya]], [[VisualNovel/KikokugaiTheCyberSlayer Petrushka]], Franco il Nero, [[VisualNovel/YouAndMeAndHer Miyuki and Aoi]]. There are Toys/{{Nendoroid}} boxes for [[VisualNovel/DramaticalMurder Clear and Mink]] as well.

* HarmfulToMinors: Right as the player starts the game, they're warned that ''Slow Damage'' features child abuse. [[spoiler: Rei suffered physical and emotional abuse from his father when he was in middle school after his sexuality was exposed. Fujieda and Mei were horribly treated by their parents (especially their mother), with the scars on Fujieda's body as proof of the torture they inflicted. However, it's Towa who gets the lion's share of the trope, as his mother would allow all kinds of people to torment and rape him to their hearts' content and showed no remorse when she had his OnlyFriend killed because said friend inspired him to run away.]]

** Even before the final route gets unlocked, [[spoiler: the dreams that Towa gets in the other routes]] aren't that subtle in hinting to the player that [[spoiler: Towa's relationship with his mother is anything but a positive one]]. As a result, [[spoiler: all the player is left with to guess are the details which explain exactly how and why]].
** It eventually becomes obvious that [[spoiler: Mei Yuzuki isn't really Towa's younger sister when Taku confirms that Towa's real name is Haruto ''Sakuragi'']]. One can also figure out that [[spoiler: she's actually Fujieda's younger sister when Fujieda has a breakdown at the park after learning that she's truly gone]]. However, Towa doesn't pick up on either fact until some time later.

** Ikuina's "euphoric session" has him and Towa [[spoiler: slice each other up and get aroused at the sight of the other's wounds, although they never actually do the deed and simply have fun with the cuts on the other's body]].
** [[spoiler: Kirihara]]'s "euphoric session" has him engage in a bloody and brutal brawl with Towa. With each punch they deliver and receive, they find themselves more and more excited that they get a hard-on, even though they never technically engage in sex.

* IWillWaitForYou: In Taku's Euphoria ending, [[spoiler: Towa vows to wait for Taku and true to his word, he did nothing but paint and draw portrait after portrait of Taku until the day he's finally released from prison]].

* KillingInSelfDefense: [[spoiler: Towa's murder of Maya was completely accidental: she was chasing him with every intent of murdering him, and in the midst of a violent struggle, Towa managed to push her off. However, they were at the edge of the staircase at the time, which led Maya to fall and tumble down the steps. The fall didn't kill her, at least not instantly.]]

* LastRequest: Before she died, Maya [[spoiler: asked Sakaki to see to it that Towa would succeed her and she meant this in a very literal sense as she wanted Towa to follow in her footsteps and take over her in more ways than one]].

** Near the end of Taku's route, Towa comments in amusement over how he'd have never expected Taku to [[spoiler: be so possessive to the point that he'd prefer to kill Towa than let any other man have him]]. This mirrors most of the players' surprise to Taku [[spoiler: being the resident {{Yandere}}]] of ''Slow Damage's'' lineup of love interests, as they expected that the role would go to Rei.

* LimitedAnimation: ''Slow Damage'' is a visual novel, so it makes use of still body sprites; although unlike Nitro+[=CHiRAL=]'s previous works, ''Slow Damage'' has the characters' sprites blink on occasion, and their mouths move whenever they talk.

** In Taku's route, his first sex scene has him help get Towa off in the first floor of the clinic; though he does lampshade that they were in a rush as [[spoiler: Towa was insanely in heat]], and once Towa has calmed down enough, they continue where they left off in Towa's studio. The second time around, they consummate their relationship on the floor even though there's a bed nearby. There's also the fact that they're having sex even though [[spoiler: they're still under captivity and thus are risking getting caught by Toono; though this thankfully doesn't happen]].
** Averted in Rei's route, where both of his sexual encounters with Towa happen in their bedrooms. While they make out in the open in their second sex scene, they do stop themselves before things get too risque and only continue where they left off once they return to Rei's bedroom.

*** "Nostalgia": Towa and Taku have known each other since the former's childhood. Consequently, Taku is the one who would always check on Towa whenever the latter gets sick or injured. As their relationship develops further, Towa reflects on how every time Taku examines him and worries about him, it would remind him of the past and of how Taku's presence would always make him feel safe. [[spoiler: The word also encapsulates how plenty of Taku's fears are a result of a dark time of his past, which he projects onto Towa by being protective of him, oftentimes ''too'' protective.]]
*** "Contradiction": Rei has struggled with his identity, since [[spoiler: despite his interest in men and his effeminate looks and manner of speech, he doesn't truly feel like a "woman" like many mock him to be, and it was that same mocking which led him to think that he might be born with the wrong body]].

*** Madness: Taku feels that no matter how hard he tries, he will never be able to save anyone, so he decides to focus on protecting only the people he holds dear and disregard all other scruples. [[spoiler: He then keeps his end of the bargain with Toono before trapping Towa in the basement of his clinic, drugging him on a regular basis to ensure he wouldn't be able to escape, with the drugs causing Towa to get addicted and start seeing grisly hallucinations.]]
*** Euphoria: Taku comes to terms with [[spoiler: his guilt from failing to save his mother]], and he and Towa open up about their burgeoning feelings for each other. Afterwards, [[spoiler: they plot to disrupt Toono's plans, and succeed with Eiji and Lisa's assistance. After Toono's arrest, Taku turns himself in to atone for what he had done under duress. But because of his circumstances and his cooperation with the authorities, he's given a light sentence and is even let out a year early due to good behavior]], and the route ends with him and Towa reuniting.

*** Madness: Unable to find a resolution on who he really is, Rei [[spoiler: pays his father's debt and cuts ties with him afterwards, but continues to participate in Moneymatches. He uses the prize money to pay for a lavish apartment where he keeps Towa as a prized doll of sorts, performing all kinds of body modifications on him]]. Towa consigns himself to his fate, [[spoiler: not minding being treated like a plaything]].

*** Madness: Towa is still unable to [[spoiler: comprehend the kind of person Madarame is, much to the latter's disappointment. While their plan to assassinate both Toono and Sakaki ends in success, Madarame unexpectedly takes over the syndicate and rules over Shinkoumi with an iron fist. Towa stays by Madarame's side as his right-hand man and lead enforcer]]. Both Towa and Madarame are still entangled in a brutal and sadomasochistic relationship, and Towa [[spoiler: wishes to kill Madarame even if he can never go through with it, and Madarame looks forward to the day when Towa does take his life]].
*** Euphoria: Towa finally understands that [[spoiler: Madarame harbors no secrets or deep-seated issues, so there's no need to look deep into his character]]. The next day, they [[spoiler: ambush the Takasato-gumi and Madarame shoots Toono dead while Sakaki is KilledOffscreen]]. Towa decides that [[spoiler: he can never return to his old life and cuts ties with Taku and Rei for good before leaving Shinkoumi with Madarame to travel to foreign lands, with the two living a free and unbridled life together]].

*** Madness: [[spoiler: To stop Sakaki from killing Fujieda, Towa pretends to be Maya, but he gets too carried away with the impersonation and Maya's influence eventually takes over his mind. Sakaki is killed shortly after, while Fujieda loses consciousness. Fujieda is rescued by Taku and Rei, but they found no signs of Towa anywhere]]. A week later, Fujieda returns to [[spoiler: the Euphoria mansion and encounters Towa, before realizing that Towa is technically alive but no longer himself, having become Maya in everything but form]]. Even then, Fujieda [[spoiler: can't bring himself to abandon Towa and resolves to keep Towa close and watch over him]].

* OhCrap: Taku, Junko and Honami are justifiably horrified when they realize [[spoiler: just how much Rei (or rather, his father) owes the Takasato-gumi]].

* OnceMoreWithClarity: When Towa confronts Fujieda about [[spoiler: the bunny doll that he stole]], Fujieda counters that [[spoiler: the toy doesn't belong to Towa as the owner's name is clearly written on it]], but Towa denies seeing anything. [[spoiler: It turns out that Towa's repressed trauma was blocking out the name from his sight, and once he fully remembers Mei, he recalls his memory of holding the bunny doll; but this time, it's engraved with her name.]]

** In Rei's case, it's downplayed. The first time Towa offers to help Rei relieve some stress through sex, Rei gets flustered and quickly turns down Towa's suggestion, something the latter accepts. [[spoiler: Later on, Towa again offers to help Rei "ease off". Despite Rei's embarrassment, he doesn't outwardly reject the offer and even goes up to Towa's room when the latter invites him. Rei also doesn't make much of an effort to resist when Towa makes his move]], and Towa even notes that he would have backed off had Rei really attempted to push him away.
** In Taku's route, [[spoiler: Towa gets drugged with something that also happens to have strong aphrodisiac effects. Towa then comes onto Taku and demands that he satisfies him, or else he'll go outside and ask others to help him out]], which causes Taku to reluctantly concede.
** Zigzagged in Fujieda's case. When [[spoiler: he assaults Towa in a fit of rage and grief, he clearly intends to ''rape'' Towa in an attempt to traumatize him. However, Towa had already been long accustomed to being treated in such a manner]], so he ends up enjoying the experience instead.
* RageAgainstTheReflection: In Fujieda's route, Towa lashes out at the sight of his own face and smashes his head against the mirror when he begins to [[spoiler: remember more and more details about his mother]]. Naturally, both times end with him getting bad cuts across his face.
* {{Railroading}}: After Towa [[spoiler: feels that he can no longer return to his old life and decides to return to Madarame]], the player then has to direct Towa to [[spoiler: Madarame's hideout]] via an Exploration. If they try to pick any location that strays from the path heading to District A, Towa will stay where he is, remarking that it's a waste of time. Consequently, each wrong option will disappear from the menu until only one destination remains.

* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Every time Towa suffers a nightmare, his dreamscape always takes place in a scarlet background with undertones of black. [[spoiler: This is because he spent his harrowing childhood in a room that was scarlet from the ceiling to the floor.]]

* ReflectiveEyes: In the scene where [[spoiler: Towa remembers how Maya really died]], one CG is shown of [[spoiler: Maya]]'s eyes [[spoiler: reflecting her son's shocked and horrified visage right as she falls down]].

** Because of [[spoiler: his debt to Toono]], Taku is forced to [[spoiler: create a dangerous drug that Toono intends to distribute around Shinkoumi]]. In Taku's route, [[spoiler: Toono decides to get better assurance of the man's compliance by drugging Towa and eventually holding him hostage]].

* ScrewDestiny: [[spoiler: Maya planned for Towa to succeed her, and made it her LastRequest to have Towa fulfill what she believed is his fate as her replacement. In Fujieda's route, Sakaki concocts a convoluted plan in his attempt to make this a reality]]. In the Euphoria ending, Towa refuses to let [[spoiler: his mother define his life and his identity]], and tells [[spoiler: Sakaki (and by extension, Maya)]] that they can go shove it.

** While it's also likely to be a coincidence, ''Slow Damage'' isn't the first work that [[spoiler: had two people surnamed Sakuragi and Sakaki, respectively, [[Literature/{{Another}} meet their deaths after falling down the stairs]]]]. Of course, there's no [[spoiler: cosmic curse]] involved in ''Slow Damage'', but still.

** The most notorious side effect of the drugs [[spoiler: Taku has been forced to make]], which is hallucinating the sensation of bugs crawling beneath or on one's skin, may seem outlandish even to those who are aware that most drugs -- be it the overdose or the withdrawal thereof -- can make one act out of control in unpredictable ways. But some may be surprised to learn that the symptom, which is also known as formication, ''is'' a common side effect brought about by several kinds of drugs (from methamphetamine to steroids) in RealLife.

** The player, especially in their first playthrough, will not have an easy time figuring out how to complete an Interrogation without getting a NonStandardGameOver at least once. The game itself is even aware of this and will offer the player the option to lower the difficulty after they have bungled an Interrogation at least three times. However, once the player has completed the entirety of the game and decides to start a second playthrough and opts to replay the Interrogations instead of skipping them, they are now shown which dialogue option will increase/decrease the character's Euphoria and Madness levels and which Clue is the correct one needed to conclude the Interrogation.

* EarnYourBadEnding: The tricky nature of the visual novel's choice system makes it that while it's hard enough to get the Euphoria ending, it's even harder to achieve the Madness ending since one has to make sure -- on top of monitoring the character's Madness level -- that their Euphoria also does not drop too low lest they get a NonStandardGameOver.

* {{Facepalm}}: After having to help Towa [[spoiler: relieve his forced arousal (with Towa also helping pleasure him throughout the act)]], Taku is frustrated, shocked, embarrassed and disoriented from the experience that he ends up burying his face while trying to not panic any further.

[[quoteright:600:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_cover.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:600:''[[{{Tagline}} A torn wound and a desire.]]'' \\

You're now damaging slowly\\
Damaging slowly''

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Inverted. ''Slow Damage'' takes place ''years'' after the 2020s, although everything about the setting is very much just like the early 2020s in RealLife.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: When Towa asks Sakaki about Madarame in Fujieda's route, Sakaki declines to answer because he no longer sees the point in beating a dead horse. In Madarame's route, the player finally gets to know more about Towa's history with the Takasato-gumi and with Madarame -- both of which play an important role in the route's plot. In Fujieda's route, however, that's no longer the case and both plot points are instead put on the back burner. This, in turn, reflects Madarame's diminished role in said route, as Madarame himself shows up for only one scene and is only mentioned a few times before and after his appearance.

* LastNameBasis: In contrast to Taku and Rei, Madarame and Fujieda are addressed with their last names by both Towa and the narration.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sd_cover_3.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''[[{{Tagline}} A torn wound and a desire.]]'' \\

* MeaningfulName: The chapters focusing on the love interest's stories are named as such for a reason:
** "Nostalgia": Towa and Taku have known each other since the former's childhood. Consequently, Taku is the one who would always check on Towa whenever the latter gets sick or injured. As their relationship develops further, Towa reflects on how every time Taku examines him and worries about him, it would remind him of the past and of how Taku's presence would always make him feel safe. [[spoiler: The word also encapsulates how plenty of Taku's fears are a result of a dark time of his past, which he projects onto Towa by being protective of him, oftentimes ''too'' protective.]]
** "Contradiction": Rei has struggled with his identity, since [[spoiler: despite his interest in men and his effeminate looks and manner of speech, he doesn't truly feel like a "woman" like many mock him to be, and it was that same mocking which led him to think that he might be born with the wrong body]].
** "Immutable": The word is essentially Madarame's entire character in a nutshell. He is a WildCard who follows no one else's rules but his own. As the word also means "unchangeable", it also reflects how between the years Towa last saw him and now, the man has not changed one bit. [[spoiler: It also represents how Madarame, in spite of his statement about wishing to live in the present rather than the past, wants Towa to be exactly like how he last remembered him from years ago.]]
** "Equal": This describes Towa and Fujieda's relationship. At first glance, they look like they have nothing in common. But later on, [[spoiler:they realize that there's more than meets the eye as they both carry physical and mental scars that are surprisingly similar to the other's own. This allows them to eventually come to an understanding that allows them to bond and engage in a relationship of mutual support and affection]].

* FirstPersonPerspective: The English release of ''Slow Damage'' is narrated in first-person, although the original Japanese release made use of third-person narration.

** Upon replaying a chapter that was already completed once, the player is given the option to skip the Exploration and the Interrogation segments entirely. And should the player skip the Explorations but not the Interrogations, the game makes it that all the Inspirations that can be acquired by then are present in the palette, and thus are available as dialogue options during Interrogations.

** Family ''is'' important. However, it's an undeniable truth that while every child deserves a parent, not every parent deserves a child, and there are just some AbusiveParents out there who aren't worthy of forgiveness whatsoever. Should a parent greatly wrong their child, said child has every right to despise and renounce their parent/s as much as they have the right to give them a second chance.

* CommonalityConnection: In Fujieda's route, both he and Towa believe that they're like fire and ice and there's no way that they would ever get along. However, as they get to know each other more, they come to realize that they're more alike than they first thought. This causes their relationship to improve and allow them to grow closer.
--> ''From the moment I first laid eyes on Fujieda, I was sure that we'd be incompatible. But as it turned out, we had more in common than I ever would have imagined.''

*** Both Toono and Sakaki have tattoos on their backs. While Uiro Yamada never drew how the tattoos would look, she confirmed that Sakaki's tattoo is the image of the [[https://www.onmarkproductions.com/assets/images/kokuzo-restored-painting.jpg Akasagarbha Bodhisattva]], while Toono's tattoo is the image of the [[https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ad/70/b4/ad70b4a88b7c2c44e583d713cfcb34c1.jpg Kongōyasha Myōō]].

** Family ''is'' important. However, there are just some AbusiveParents out there who aren't worthy of forgiveness whatsoever. Should a parent greatly wrong their child, said child has every right to despise and renounce their parent/s as much as they have the right to give them a second chance.

* TheBadGuyWins: Zigzagged. Even in death, [[spoiler: Maya gets exactly what she wanted in Fujieda's Madness ending, where Towa's mind breaks and her influence takes over, causing him to become another version of her]]. What the player is certain of is that [[spoiler:"Towa" now has Fujieda under his thrall]], but what his presence spells for Shinkoumi is left ambiguous. Additionally, [[spoiler: after he becomes insane, besides pushing Sakaki to his death, until Fujieda finds him again, all he did was loiter in his mother's mansion, with no indications of him having any interest in ruling over Shinkoumi like Maya did]].

* BreakingOldTrends: All the previous Nitro+[=CHiRAL=] protagonists either have no memory of their parents (Akira), lost their parents when they were still young (Konoe and Youji) or were only adopted by people who then left some time afterwards (Aoba). Towa would fit into the former two criteria... [[spoiler: but there's also the additional part about how said parent was nothing but abusive to him and also serves as the GreaterScopeVillain of the story, making ''Slow Damage'' the first visual novel in the franchise to have one of the protagonist's parents play the role of the villain (even if a posthumous one) in the narrative]].

** A life of abuse can only excuse so much, but under no circumstances will it ever excuse you trying to [[[TheChainOfHarm make everyone else go through that same life]], whatever your motives (or lack thereof) may be.

** While the localization has plenty of the characters swear quite often, anyone with a passing knowledge of the profane words in the Japanese language would know that said characters actually swear rarely, if at all.