* NightmareFuel: The constant references to the danger of the [=INKlings=] carries a foreboding tone considering the danger of the underground areas with pits, falls, and other obstacles wherein an unfortunate person could get lost and caught in the dark. The fact that they lurk around, come in large numbers, and sometimes carry away sewer workers doesn't help.
* {{Tearjerker}}: The scene where the Dreamreader and his shadow part with the Dreamreader choosing to remain in the Town
* {{Woolseyism}}:
** In "Hard-Boiled Wonderland", the narrator uses the more formal pronoun "watashi", and in End of the World, uses the more intimate "boku" to refer to himself. This doesn't really work in English as much, however, the translator managed to get the point across by having the "End of the World" narrative occur in present-tense, whereas the "Hard boiled wonderland" narrative occurs in past-tense.
** While this is somewhat LostInTranslation to digital versions, the English translations also did something ''very'' interesting with the titles inside the book. Similar to most books, the title is written on the top, but if you look at the top in this book, you'll notice that they are a little different. During the ''Hard-boiled Wonderland'' chapters, only "Hard-Boiled Wonderland" is on the top of the pages and is on the ''left'' side, whereas in the "The End of the World" chapters, only "The End of the World" is there and is written on the top ''right'' side of the pages.