Line #22 VisualNovel/PrincessWaltz


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_homecharabg9_7521.jpg]]
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3	''Princess Waltz'' is a Visual Novel by Pulltop, notable in its time for being easily the most graphically intensive and text heavy example of the genre then published in the West. Localized by publisher Peach Princess, a subdivision of Creator/{{JAST}}.
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5	It is a tale of a land called Eldhiland, where for years the [[GratuitousPrincess six princesses of the land]] have competed in the titular tournament in order to win the hand of the Prince of the Imperial Family. Now it is time for the ladies to compete for the hand of Prince Chris, these six beautiful girls showing off their graceful dancing skills as they discover the values of friendship, love and embroidery...
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7	Oh, it's not that kind of story? Ok, strike that, it seems the Princess Waltz is less about dancing, and more about said six princesses [[RatedMForManly beating the unholy crap out of each other with a selection of improbably huge and unconventional weapons]]. With Eldhiland choosing to hold the tournament on present day Earth, main character and good natured jock [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Arata]] is drawn into events when he accidentally befriends the local [[NewTransferStudent Enigmatic Transfer Student]] and discovers that said transfer student is the much coveted Prince Chris himself. For unknown reasons Chris has joined the Waltz in disguise as the mysterious '''Princess Iris''', and after much HoYay, Arata decides to aid him in his battle to beat the other five and win the tournament himself.
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9	Not getting by simply on the strength of its high production values [[CastOfSnowflakes (Even the minor characters get unique paperdolls.)]] Princess Waltz combines its characters with a tone that shifts seamlessly between comedy and drama with equal attention and skill paid to both. The plot isn't anything new but it's well told, and even if it occasionally veers towards thin excuses for everyone to punch each other the fights are so damn good it doesn't matter. So good indeed that at times you ache for them to be animated, excellent sound effects and clever use of paper dolls combining with strong writing to produce some truly badass stuff.
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11	Not to be confused with ''VisualNovel/PrincessEvangile''.
12	----
13	!!Provides examples of:
14	* AccidentalKiss: Between Arata and [[spoiler:Liliana. Made funny by her lampshading it beforehand]].
15	* AdaptiveAbility: The Guardeners. They start in a few basic forms--wolf, giant bug, etc--but regenerate into a new, more powerful form after defeat. The only way to prevent this is to destroy them completely.
16	* AmbidextrousSprite: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] to a somewhat overlooked degree. Iris has ''one'' sprite of her injured, with several facial expressions for it. All of which involve her holding a wounded arm. This becomes noteworthy during a scene in which it's mentioned that said injured arm is her good one and that the opposite good one was broken and useless.
17	* AppliedPhlebotinum: Alma, the substance that provides all the characters their powers.
18	* AwesomeButImpractical:
19	** The skills in the game during the card battles. Sure they can deal way more damage than the usual damage but there's a catch. To give you an example: 1st phase throw a Feint: you get initiative. Fair enough. 2nd phase throw an Overdrive. Oh look, the enemy has a card and is using it to block using Parry. Too bad try again '''the next day.''' Skills are one shot only and they can only be refilled the day after.
20	** Fortunately, the enemies have very specific criteria for them to use their skills, one of which includes you throwing out four cards in the right phase. They also visibly bring out the skill card whenever you fulfill the requirement, allowing you a chance to decide whether to bring out more guns, let it use the skill, or put the card which triggered it back (which also causes the enemy to withdraw their skill).
21	* BadassCrew: By the end of the game, [[spoiler:BadassNormal Arata ''leads'' one, consisting of the Princesses]].
22	* BadassNormal: While the nobility of Eldhiland are stated to have super-human physical abilities, some characters without them still manage to hold their own:
23	** OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Arata manages to do some pretty badass things, though he often has to suffer afterwards. He never tires of going after monsters who could kill him with a look, armed with some ImprovisedWeapon. [[spoiler: Of course, with TheReveal that he's actually a prince himself, this is subverted, despite him not having many superhuman feats to his name.]]
24	** Liesel isn't actually a real princess, as her homeland is a republic without a nobility. For that matter, [[spoiler:she's not the official competitor either. The girl originally intended to fight in the Waltz was disqualified for taking the celebration of her selection too far, and getting pregnant. Liesel, who made her dress, was the only one who could have mastered it in the remaining time... And she did, wiping the floor with two arguably strongest princesses in the Waltz, only getting eliminated first after losing to a Love Power-up.]]
25	* BatmanGambit: At the end of the game, it's ''still'' not clear what the hell April was up to, so there's really no way to know which of these apply. [[spoiler:Maybe she was just following orders, or maybe she was just doing it ForTheEvulz. Except she might be the Goddess of Wings and the whole thing was a plot to get rid of Shichiou forever.]]
26	* BattleBallgown
27	* BerserkButton:
28	** Suzushiro has quite a few, including touching her or pointing out that her ProperLady facade is looking a bit shaky.
29	** Chris, [[spoiler:if anyone so much as hints at her "feminine qualities".]]
30	** Shizuka, [[spoiler:if anyone tries to harm Arata. That's why even her "beast princess" form is protective of him.]]
31	* BetterThanABareBulb
32	* BewareTheNiceOnes:
33	** The contrast between Suzushiro's normal personality and her personality in battle is... dramatic, to say the least.
34	** Also [[spoiler:Liesel]]'s battle persona vs. their secret identity.
35	* {{BFS}}: Iris's FinishingMove. Angela and Liesel's weapons are also ludicrously huge.
36	* {{Bifauxnen}}: Chris, who makes all the girls {{Squee}}. Even Arata feels like a moron after the reveal. It's THAT obvious. On the official English site, [[spoiler:Chris]] is referred to as "she". This is strange, because it also mentions that Iris always appears when Chris is in danger, but is never around him. The reason is heavily implied in the first chapter. Just turn off Male voices, and [[spoiler:Chris]] still talks.
37	* BigBad: [[spoiler:Shichiou, the demon version of the hero and first Emperor of the land.]]
38	* BigOlEyebrows: Liliana actually refers to Suzushiro as 'eyebrows girl'.
39	* BloodlessCarnage:
40	** Despite the characters clearly being described as being covered in blood this is rarely evident in any of the CG's, where they sometimes don't even seem ''bruised''.
41	** Most after-fight CG subverts it, oh-so-blatant ClothingDamage, numerous visible bruise, and LITTLE blood for that much damage... of course!
42	* BrotherSisterIncest: Arata and ...
43	** [[spoiler:his adopted sister Shizuka]]. Erm, {{discussed}} and {{lampshaded}} in a sense in their Hentai scene.
44	** [[spoiler:Chris, his half-sister, cousin, and second-cousin]]. Not mentioned or noticed in (or after) their Hentai scene.
45	* ButtMonkey:
46	** Poor Chris proves to be a PrincelyYoungMan for about ten seconds before the whole world gathers together to make his life hell.
47	** Princess Angela's advisor Glen: back in their country, he was a powerful dragon lord. His appearance in this world is as a miniature flying dragon, whom nobody takes seriously. Children call him a chicken, and chase him to get him as a toy or pet. His attempts at badassery go embarrassingly wrong.
48	* CallingYourAttacks: This is a given, considering the genre.
49	* CaptainErsatz: Fans have noted a large number of similarities between Iris [[spoiler:and, thusly, Chris]] and [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Saber]], and Shichiou with [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Gilgamesh]].
50	* CardGames: Hybridized with a traditional RPG battle engine for fights against enemies, and done amazingly well.
51	* CastFromHitPoints: [[spoiler:Final Blitz, Liliana's FinishingMove.]]
52	* CastOfSnowflakes: Even minor background characters who barely do anything each have individual sprites, unusual in visual novels where background classmates are usually referred to as "Classmate A" or some such. [[spoiler:This helps set up the reveal that Riko Tanada, a minor background character, is Princess Liesel in disguise.]]
53	* CelibateHero:
54	** All the Princesses, mostly because 'Love Is A Distraction'. (Seems to be a requirement for participation is being a PluckyGirl). Liliana has three married sisters and falls into 'Love is Beneath Me'. She frowns on their lack of ambition and won't settle for anything less than a Prince.
55	** It's a requirement to participate; this '''is''' a tournament to decide the Emperor's wife after all... Reference: [[spoiler:Nanae.]]
56	** Subverted. But then, it's an H-game, so how could it not be?
57	* ChekhovsGunman:
58	** Remember [[spoiler:Kanada Riko]]? No? She's [[spoiler:the tall girl in Arata's class. The one with glasses that swoons a lot and has a tendency to be a bit of a covert pervert]]? Yeah, that's [[spoiler:the real Liesel]].
59	** April
60	** [[spoiler:Shizuka]], aka [[spoiler:the Beast Princess]].
61	*** [[ItMakesSenseInContext Winged Maid...]]
62	* {{Chessmaster}}: [[spoiler:Kije]] [[UnwittingPawn tries and fails]] as one of these. [[spoiler:April and Shichiou]] are both genuine examples.
63	* ChromaticRockPaperScissors: The game's combat system generally consists of three sets of colored, numbered cards that can outmatch the enemy's hand based on the color used, with Green overpowering Red, Red overpowering Blue, and Blue overpowering Green.
64	* ClothingDamage: Pretty much everyone by the end of a fight.
65	* CombatPragmatist: Liesel. This pisses off the other Princesses, who lecture her about using dirty tricks instead of fighting with her heart. Liesel bitterly retorts that their "honor" is just arrogance and vainglory on the part of those who're already strong and don't have to work hard like she does.
66	* CombatReferee: Princess Waltz has two, Pigeon and Crow, Pigeon being a blue-haired boy wearing white and Crow being a pink-haired girl wearing black, Pigeon being the older of the two. [[spoiler:Crow is completely on the level, but Pigeon betrays everyone because unlike Crow, Pigeon is [[ReallySevenhundredYearsOld old enough to be commanded by Shichiou's magical contract]]. However, it turns out Pigeon was looking for a way to sneakily get around Shichiou, and gives Crow vital information that helps our heroes win a crucial battle. But even that tiny betrayal of Shichiou almost kills him]].
67	* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Toyed with in the battle engine. Any card that you don't play one turn gets held onto for the next turn ''and'' increases its value by 2.
68	* CoolVsAwesome: Both the company that translated it to the USA, and the gamers who have [[DoubleEntendre tried]] this game have ALWAYS compared it with VisualNovel/FateStayNight. It has even IMPRESSED some fans of the actual VisualNovel/FateStayNight. So, it should be no surprise that this game has a HIGH JustForFun/HolyShitQuotient.
69	* CouldSayItBut: This is how [[spoiler:Pigeon explains to Crow that Crow needs to free all the princesses so they can't be used to power the devices that are causing the Super Elder Guardener's health to infinitely regenerate. To paraphrase, "Oh, do I hear a little mouse? I guess it's fine if I talk about this, since a cute little mouse couldn't do anything about it. It would be such a shame if I told anybody since I have to serve Shichiou or I'll die, but it's fine if it's just a mouse." Obviously he knows it's Crow who's listening and not a mouse, but this doesn't completely work as even this tiny betrayal ''almost'' kills Pigeon anyway]].
70	* CovertPervert: Suzushiro and Shizuka are the standout examples. Suzushiro tries to be proper but her sex scene is the kinkiest in the game. Shizuka styles herself Arata's bodyguard/maid, but she... comforts herself daily [[spoiler:while thinking of Arata]].
71	-->'''Arata:''' What? DAILY?
72	-->'''Shizuka:''' Ah...ah, no. [[BlatantLies That was a slip of the tongue.]] [[DiggingYourselfDeeper I meant to say weekly]].
73	* CrashIntoHello: How Arata and Chris first meet.
74	* CrazyPrepared:
75	** Liesel [[spoiler:has everything in her dress from a jetpack, to missiles, to a frickin shield!]]
76	** Liliana [[spoiler:has her water gun, which can shoot water bullets...and can change ammo so it can fire lightning or ice instead...''and'' if it runs out of ammo it can shoot water whips or set up webs to trap the opponent...and if ''that'' doesn't work it can use Liliana's Blood Meridian to set up the Absolute Zero technique. Liliana almost beat Angela by sheer diversity of tactics, always one more just up her sleeve, losing only because Angela managed to beat Liliana's Absolute Zero technique, the strongest one she had. To be specific, Angela only beat Liliana because she had seen and therefore copied Iris' LimitBreak attack from a previous battle. If Liliana had fought Angela before Iris, Liliana would have won hands down, by Angela's own admission.]]
77	* DefeatMeansFriendship: Angela's quote from below, [[spoiler:plus the whole second half of the game]].
78	* {{Determinator}} and {{Plucky Girl}}: Everyone. Arata actually notes that more than anything else the Waltz seems to be a test of just how stupid and stubborn you are.
79	* DeliberateInjuryGambit: Arata beats [[spoiler:Suzushiro]] this way. He allows her to punch him (breaking two of his ribs) before tacklehugging her, binding her with power neutralizing bandages and at the same time breaking her [[CelibateHero Can't Touch Men]] promise. Still, he feels bad about doing it, and she was the one who picked a fight with him.]]
80	* DeusSexMachina: Expected of an H-game. [[spoiler:The key to beating the BigBad is for Arata to have sex with Chris, and then the "chosen" princess that teams up with him in the second half of the game.]]
81	* DiabolusExMachina: How [[spoiler:Shichiou beats Angela in his first appearance. We suddenly learn that Angela's clan's deity, the King of Dragons, contracted with Shichiou so all dragons must obey him, and Angela had received his blessing, leaving her helpless before him. Instead of fighting Angela fair and square, Shichiou uses the magical contract to command Angela not to move, and then he just keeps stomping on her and grinding his heel into her while she lays down helplessly on the ground, screaming in frustration]].
82	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Halfway through the game]], it tells you that you got the bad ending. It's just BaitAndSwitchCredits, but a very mean one that almost makes the player cry.
83	* DumpStat: Agility is what wins initiative in the first phase, which determines if you are attacking or defending. Weapon and Armor add to the former and the latter. All three card types are important. This means that, if you can reliably win initiative, Armor doesn’t matter. To add insult to injury, Overkill translates directly into XP, with swift victory also offering a bonus, so an Armor focused playstyle isn’t just suboptimal; it actively hobbles advancement.
84	* ElephantInTheLivingRoom: Chris and Arata [[spoiler:are 3/4 siblings, having the same father and mothers who were sisters]]. This is never brought up, even though [[spoiler:Arata does seem to have some issues about having sex with his [[NotBloodSiblings adoptive sister]]. Granted, incestual marriages between royals aren't unheard of, but one of the two involved here was raised as a modern-day Japanese teenager.]]
85	* TheFaceless: The [[OracularUrchin very creepy]] Kije.
86	* FakeDefector: [[spoiler:Pigeon]]. It technically starts off as real, since [[spoiler:Shichiou is able to command him and not Crow since Pigeon is old enough to be bound by the Emperor's contract]], but [[spoiler:Pigeon gives Crow an opportunity to escape upon Pigeon's initial betrayal, and then Pigeon talks about how to beat the Super Elder Guardener while Crow is within earshot so that Crow can free the Princesses and take away the Super Elder Guardener's source of infinitely-regenerating health]].
87	* FightLikeACardPlayer: As well implemented as the CardGame system is, the story never actually explains how it ties in. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption In some cases, winning the card game doesn't even mean you'll win the battle, just that you get to see the rest of your defeat]].
88	* FinishingMove: Everyone gets one, given an appropriately awesome CG.
89	* FissionMailed: There's a fake "bad end" halfway through the game.
90	* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: The non-human members of the cast do this. In Glen's case it's involuntary (he's forced to take on a tiny cartoon dragon form), Pidgeon and Crow do it deliberately, with Pidgeon apparently matching Crow's appearance for aesthetic appeal. [[spoiler:April may very well be doing this as well, given her AmbiguouslyHuman status.]]
91	* FusionDance / GenderBender / SharingABody: [[spoiler:The Iris form]] is a combination of [[spoiler:Arata and Chris]]. Later on, [[spoiler:when Chris is PutOnABus, Arata can combine with the other Princesses to fight]].
92	* GameBreakingBug: There's an issue with fonts that can cause the game to crash when displaying a specific dialogue box.
93	* GenreSavvy:
94	** If you look at some of the dialogue of the characters, especially Lun Lun and the BigBad, they seem to be VERY aware of the H-Game and RPG tropes the game runs on. Angela also has a few moments where she does a very snarky LampshadeHanging on how poorly the ChekhovsGunman trope was hidden. In fact, Nodoka even notices the clichedness of the stock excuse that is given for Arata knowing all the girls, but Nanae convinces her to follow the MST3KMantra. Hell, it approaches LeaningOnTheFourthWall levels when [[spoiler:April speaks with Pigeon about how the Elder Guardener has infinite HP!]]
95	** The BigBad is an interesting mix of GenreSavvy and ContractualGenreBlindness. He's aware he's a villain and is often one step ahead of the good guys, but he fulfills pretty much every stock villain cliche simultaneously. He even hangs lampshades on some of it.
96	* TheGlassesComeOff: To OminousLatinChanting no less. [[spoiler:Go Liesel!]]
97	* GodsHandsAreTied: [[spoiler:The three gods of Eldhiland and their servants]] are bound by magical oaths of loyalty [[spoiler:to Shichiou. As such they have to obey him, regardless of their feelings on the matter, leaving his defeat in the hands of Arata and the Princesses.]]
98	* GoodMorningCrono: In the grand DatingSim and RPG tradition, the game begins with Arata waking up in the morning and discovering that he's overslept and is late for school.
99	* GracefulLoser: After [[spoiler:Shichiou gets one-shot by the Arata/Chris/6 Princess-powered Eldhi Arc sword]] he acknowledges that the heroes are stronger than him and [[spoiler:Iris has won their millennium-long game. The two then make-up, with Iris admitting she always loved him, and the two gently fade away to the afterlife to watch over their descendants]].
100	* GrandTheftMe: Shichiou [[spoiler:takes over Chris' body, so that he can seal the blessing that kept him bound.]]
101	* GratuitousPrincess: Since the country Palmied is a republic run by a merchant oligarchy rather than a monarchy, "princess" is simply the designation for whichever girl is selected to participate in the Waltz, rather than an actual noble title...though it's hinted that the princess is usually upper-class, since [[spoiler:Riko was only a lowly engineer, but the only one qualified to use the Dress after the original girl [[SurprisePregnancy was disqualified]]]]. This also fits with the overall sentiment that the nobility in Eldhiland have superhuman physical abilities; it's not inconceivable that the upper-crust in Palmied have something similar.
102	* HalfwayPlotSwitch: A pretty epic one, too. The game looks like a TournamentArc with a {{Chessmaster}} working behind the scenes, but then halfway through [[spoiler:The apparent BigBad is killed through a tertiary character stabbing her in the back, Chris crosses the DespairEventHorizon and commits SuicideByCop via Arata, and following BaitAndSwitchCredits, a new BigBad shows up requiring everyone to work together to save the world.]]
103	* HealingFactor: The Prince's Blessing.
104	* TheHeartless: The Guardeners. Also a MeaningfulName as they ''guard'' the ''garden''.
105	* HonorBeforeReason: Angela, Arata, Chris, and the BigBad shamelessly adhere to this trope a LOT.
106	* HeroBall:
107	** Arata repeatedly charges into battle against monsters that totally outclass him. It tends to work out for the best, but, as the other characters point out, it's extremely foolish.
108	** Given how any and all of the Princesses tend to be a lot more heroic around him ([[spoiler:his BackToBackBadasses moment with Angela, Lun-Lun's resolve to fight returning simply from remembering something he said to her days before, Liesel's badass return to action in order to protect him, and the fact that they can join with him to become Iris]]), let's face it: Arata '''''is''''' the HeroBall.
109	* HiddenHeartOfGold:
110	** [[spoiler:Princess Liesel, the ice-cold CombatPragmatist of the group. It turns out that the HugeSchoolgirl Kanada who's willing to run into a damaged building to save a classmate is her true personality.]]
111	** [[spoiler:Pigeon, too. He comes across as a humongous jerkass during the moment where he betrays Crow in favor of Shichiou, and he almost kills Crow twice! ''But'', turns out he did want to foil Shichiou's schemes after all, and was just looking for an opportunity to try to do so without being killed by disobeying the Emperor.]]
112	* HoYay: InUniverse example; Chris and Arata, something commented on repeatedly by the other characters. [[spoiler:{{Subverted}}: Chris is a girl. The American [[SpoilerCover DVD cover spoils this]] by referring to Chris as a girl, and (let's face it) Chris looks like a girl.]]
113	* IAmNotLeftHanded: Liesel seems weak at first, very powerful but slow and clumsy. [[spoiler:Then she reveals she can fly. And has missiles. And a backup weapon. And revolving spheres of death. And a giant fucking shield...]]
114	* IdiotHair: One of Arata's unnamed classmates, a girl with an ahoge who displays the amount of intellect you'd expect.
115	* IntimateHealing: [[spoiler:Chris]] has to do this to save [[spoiler:Arata]] from their wounds.
116	* {{Irony}}: Wait a minute... [[spoiler:It's considered ''foolish'' for the Emperor to assist in the tournament that decides his wife? [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Where does this balance of power come from?]] Are you sure the [[HenpeckedHusband Emperor's the one running the country?]]]]
117	* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: [[spoiler:Whichever girl you choose in the second half]] lets Arata get back together with [[spoiler:Chris]] after you rescue her.
118	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Angela is only a BloodKnight when she's got an opponent in front of her. She's still haughty and supremely confident at other times, but often does so while [[PetTheDog Petting The Dog]].
119	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:April, remaining as mysterious as when she begun.]]
120	* KillItWithFire: Both of Angela's finishing moves are perfect incarnations of this trope.
121	* {{Kiai}}: [[spoiler:Used with Shizuka & Arata's finisher, an overhead swing, the most basic move in kendo.]]
122	* KillItWithWater: Liliana's water pistol allows her to do all sorts of tricks with water.
123	* KissingCousins: [[spoiler:Arata's mother and Chris's mother were sisters. This is nothing new for Japanese media... except that Chris was born from an affair between her mother and Arata's mother's husband, making them ''siblings'' as well...]]
124	* LevelUpAtIntimacy5: However, the mechanic is a bit different than other visual novels. Instead making a girl stronger and making her affection rise with "correct choices", it's mostly determined by [[spoiler:picking a princess for Arata to fuse with. If he fuses with the same girl three times during the mansion segment, he'll get that girl's ending. If he fuses with a different girl every time, he gets Shizuka's ending]].
125	* LightningGlare: Suzushiro and Lun-Lun have enough of these to power the entire East Coast for a few days.
126	* LiteralCliffhanger: When Arata visits Chris's mansion, a Guardener appears leaving a gigantic hole in the ground. Chris is left hanging from Arata's hand.
127	* LoveDodecahedron: By the end of the game, all the available girls like Arata to an extent from low with Suzushiro to outright love like most of the rest. Though Chris and Arata are the main pairing, each of their endings apart from the last implies a three way solution to deal with the situation.
128	* MacrossMissileMassacre: One of Liesel's attacks.
129	* MarryThemAll: There are endings for each princess, though they vary so little in detail that you might as well consider them the same thing. However, each ending carries a level of ThreesomeSubtext apart from the final one, which implies more of a {{Marry Them\|all}} ''[[MarryThemAll All]]'' ending. Dialogue, plot implications, and practical reasons imply this, to wit:
130	%%
131	%% This was a pragmatic merging of two entries of the same trope. It could use cleanup.
132	%%
133	** Dialogue: ALL of the girls (especially in the true ending), wind up liking Arata to some greater or lesser degree, ranging anywhere from profound respect to outright love.
134	** Plot Implications: We are given very broad reason to believe that not only is the world the Princesses have come from very relaxed standards wise (they aren't as hung up over illegitimate kids), but the BrotherSisterIncest implications in the plot are not regarded as {{Squick}} by the other girls. In fact, they SUPPORT Arata/Chris (with the broad implication on both sides that they wouldn't mind being haremettes or in a polygamous relationship, which is actually not uncommon for royalty)
135	** Practical Reasons: Due to the events of the game plot having caused major political uncertainty, polygamy would be a great idea for political expediency (with the added bonus the prince and princesses would actually be pretty okay with it), and considering the whole plot was an UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny to determine the continuance of the political balance, polygamy benefits all sides.
136	** The above said, the plot begs for an extended epilogue FanFic.
137	** And at the very least, the game pretty much says flat out that although Chris is the more important, Arata also gets together with at least the princess he merged with at the end.
138	* MegaManning:
139	** [[spoiler:Angela manages to defeat Liliana by using Iris's FinishingMove on her, having observed it in a previous fight.]]
140	** Angela also notes [[spoiler:that if Liliana had the chance to observe this FinishingMove beforehand she would end up with a powerup of her own: and she seems to do just that during the final battle, if chosen.]]
141	* NinjaMaid: April is this for Chris, [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass much more powerful than she looks.]]
142	* TheNoseless: A classmate who resembles a hulking brute (but seems friendlier).
143	* NotBloodSiblings: [[spoiler:Arata and Shizuka]]
144	* NotSoDifferentRemark: The BigBad claims that Arata will eventually come to the same conclusions he did, which will lead to the exact same thing happening again. Iris retorts that if it does, then the current generation will have to deal with it.
145	-->'''Iris:''' Our time is done. It is time for us to go.
146	* NotTheIntendedUse: The Overdrive skill is intended to provide a huge damage boost, balanced by a penalty the turn after it's deployed. But instead using it as a FinishingMove on a badly-damaged foe rewards the player with a huge XP bonus on top of avoiding said penalty handily.
147	* ObfuscatingStupidity: If you think that "Lun-Lun" is nothing more than an anime-obsessed GenkiGirl [[TheDitz Ditz]], then you haven't gotten to the scene where she points out that her family is in charge of the most powerful naval force in their world, and are responsible for constantly battling pirates. As a result, she has at least as much combat experience as ''ANGELA''.
148	* OhCrap:
149	** [[spoiler:Liesel]] instantaneously goes from being about to deliver the finishing blow to completely screwed in a ''single move'' from [[spoiler:Suzushiro. The look on her face is a picture]]. [[PreAssKickingOneLiner "I have brought down the bird in the sky."]]
150	** [[spoiler:Liliana's reaction is the same when Angela manages to burn her way out of Absolute Zero, her most powerful technique she had to use the Blood Meridian to charge, just because one of Angela's fingers wasn't frozen. Liliana then uses a much-less powerful version of it to try to just break Angela's tiara for a technical victory, and has another Oh Crap when ''that'' doesn't work ''either'']].
151	* TheOjou: All the Princesses really, though it's Suzushiro who really embodies the trope.
152	* OmniscientMoralityLicense: [[spoiler:APRIL]].
153	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Poor Glen, having become a chicken dragon instead of a stern leader.
154	* OutOfTheInferno: [[spoiler:If you go with Angela for the 2nd chapter, the battle with the Super Elder Guardener not only involves their Iris form doing this, but turning on their rival and '''''[[FlamingSword REDUCING]] [[FinishingMove IT]] [[KillItWithFire TO]] [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill ASHES.]]''''']]
155	* PaperThinDisguise:
156	** No one connects Iris and Chris, despite the fact they even have the same hairdo, and look alike. [[spoiler:This may have something to do with Identical Grandparents. The real Iris and Cecilia (Chris' mother) look a lot like Chris as well. It might not be too surprising to people that every female that comes out of Soldia looks like Iris. Shichiou actually comments upon Iris's appearance and reveals that Arata resembles her more than Chris does.]]
157	** Even if you don't wind up teaming with the sixth princess, the game does a very terrible job of disguising who she really is.
158	* PhantomZone: The Garden, a dimension reflecting the real world but empty of inhabitants other than mindless monsters, allowing the Princesses to fight without collateral damage.
159	* PlayingWithFire: Angela's FinishingMove has her cloaked in huge dragon made of fire. [[spoiler:Also, as Liliana learned the hard way, if you leave something as small as her fingertip sticking out of the ice block you've imprisoned her in, she can burn herself out.]]
160	** Made especially impressive in that said FinishingMove was [[spoiler:thought of right on the spot, based solely on observing Iris' Eldhi Arc technique ''once'', and figuring out exactly how it was powered perfectly just from that.]]
161	* PornWithPlot: Very, very plot heavy, more like Plot with Porn. While unskippable, the porn is brief and rather tasteful. It comprises at most about 3-5% of the game content.
162	* PreEndingCredits: A little less than halfway through the game, [[spoiler:one of the main characters dies, "BAD END" is displayed]], and the credits roll. This is especially odd because [[spoiler:there were literally no choices up to that point; [[ButThouMust so it's completely unavoidable]]]]. But once players reached the title screen, "Chapter Two" appears, and players can continue the game.
163	* PsychoticSmirk: Angela rarely wears anything else. Suzushiro also pulls one occasionally when she's in a bitchy mood.
164	* RedEyesTakeWarning: Liesel. Not evil as such, but certainly not a very nice person. [[spoiler:Becomes outright inverted after you figure out that Riko and Liesel are the same person. She was putting up a {{Jerkass}} front.]]
165	* RedOniBlueOni: Angela vs Liliana. It had to happen sometime. Also: first battle of Iris and Angela.
166	* ReverseShrapnel: Liesel uses this trick with high-tech ''cannonballs''.
167	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Glen, Sacchi and above all the poruns.
168	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: The Princesses who beat the living daylights out of each other.
169	* RunningGag: Chris and Arata being forced to hold hands, and the reactions of ''everyone'' around them.
170	* SealedEvilInACan: Eldin/Shichiou. [[spoiler:It turns out the whole Princess Waltz was just to keep him trapped.]]
171	* SecretIdentity: [[spoiler:The other princesses do not know that Chris is Iris and that Liesel is gathering data in the form of Riko, Arata's HugeSchoolGirl classmate.]]
172	* SexyMentor: April of course! [[EccentricMentor At least as far as she's concerned.]] [[spoiler:Oh and as that previous trope hints, she's not [[TreacherousAdvisor quite as harmless as she seems.]]]]
173	* ShoutOut:
174	** Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Suzushiro's BigOlEyebrows combined with her WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer power set puts one in mind of a certain [[Franchise/{{Naruto}} Ninja.]]
175	** Liesel's blue hair, red eyes and cold personality is a [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion more obvious]] shout out.
176	** Let's see: [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight royalty in a blue & white battle dress]], wielding a {{BFS}} who is stuck with a not so OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: sounds familiar, doesn't it?
177	* {{Squee}}: Everyone's reaction when Chris first arrives at school. The girls routinely shriek, "Kyaaaaaaa!"
178	* SurpriseIncest: [[spoiler:Arata and Chris don't learn they're cousins and half-siblings, until long after April all but forces them to have sex with each other, and by then they're magically addicted to having sex with each other.]]
179	* SurprisePregnancy: Twice in the backstory, disqualifying the princesses in question from participating in the Waltz. In the current Waltz, it resulted in [[spoiler:Riko becoming Palmied's "Princess Liesel"]]. In the last one, [[spoiler:Nanae dropped out after becoming pregnant with Shizuka]].
180	* TemptingFate: As Chris and Arata are about to leave the Guarden for the first time through a big door:
181	-->'''Arata:''' If this were a horror movie, this moment of relief would be when the monster would come crashing throw a window or something--
182	* ThemeMusicPowerUp: When the Techno OminousLatinChanting starts up, someone is about to do something awesome.
183	* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: ''Highly'' encouraged in this game, in fact, as damage past an opponent's last Hit Point translates into an Experience Point boost. Managing to drop an opponent to 1 HP and then unleashing everything you've got on them is an excellent means to level up faster.
184	* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: It's rather convenient that the only real "special technique" that [[spoiler:Suzushiro]] has, besides her extreme fighting skills and strength of course, is a [[spoiler:''gravity-manipulation'' technique. Convenient that Suzushiro's single technique is somehow ''perfectly matched'' against an opponent, Liesel, that has been beating her so far by flying]].
185	* TotallyRadical: Courtesy of Nodoka, early in the game: "What the hoppin' heezy are you doing!"
186	* {{Tsundere}}: Chris and Angela, neither of whom fit the standard mold:
187	** Chris keeps a princely mask up at all times, but underneath is a Type A {{Tsundere}}.
188	** Angela is mostly Type A, but switches to Type B for her PetTheDog moments. Even those are pretty harsh, though, and are more like "Don't screw up too bad" rather than true ''deredere'' moments. The only exception is her sex scene.
189	* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Poor Nodoka doesn't even get a second glance. And given the nature of the game, her lack of a nude scene and H-scene is very telling. [[spoiler:The "true ending" you get after completing all the others implies that she follows Arata to Eldhiland and is determined to become a princess herself.]]
190	* WeaponBasedCharacterization:
191	** Iris (and Chris) use a [[{{BFS}} sword]], as expected of TheHero.
192	** Liesel uses a freaking huge hammer, obviously in reference to her being a blacksmith. Arata actually notes that it looks rather odd wielded by the [[EmotionlessGirl emotionless]] and small framed girl.
193	** Suzushiro [[spoiler:is a BareFistedMonk, her personality a equal mix of cocky and disciplined.]]
194	** Angela uses a lance, counter to her BloodKnight personality. [[spoiler:Though, she later becomes TheLancer to Arata.]]
195	** Liliana uses guns [[spoiler:and whips]], and seems to think she's TheGunslinger.
196	** The [[SixthRanger Sixth Princess]], [[spoiler:Shizuka]], uses a Halberd. [[spoiler:Appropriately enough, there is some antagonism between her and Angela, due to their personalities being stark opposites.]]
197	* WhamEpisode: Chapters 12-13 : Those that Fall. The big status quo shift that sets the tone for the rest of the story.
198	* TheWorfEffect: Shichiou proves his credentials [[spoiler:by effortlessly beating Angela in his first appearance. Also a KickTheDog, as he makes an effort to humiliate and degrade her at the same time. Although the ''only'' reason he effortlessly beats Angela is that Angela's ancestors' deity, the King of Dragons, signed a contract before she was born that all dragons must obey Shichiou. That allows Shichiou to magically command Angela and Glen not to move and then beat the tar out of the magically-paralyzed Angela]].
199	* WorthyOpponent: Angela does this for everyone, [[SayMyName screaming out their names,]] [[SpiritedCompetitor encouraging them to fight harder]], showing mercy when they lose... she even mentions after the fight against [[spoiler:Liliana]] that she would have called the woman a friend. [[spoiler:The reasoning behind her later alliance with Arata is that she feels the {{Chessmaster}}s are dishonouring the pride of the fallen Princesses and the honour of the Waltz by using both as pawns.]]
200	* YaoiFangirl: All the schoolgirls except Nodoka, and at least one Princess, are ''very'' intrigued by Arata's suspiciously-close friendship with Chris, even before [[spoiler: Arata knows the "Prince" is [[SweetPollyOliver actually a woman]]]].

Context VisualNovel / PrincessWaltz