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[[caption-width-right:350:It's a whole new world... Ours.[[note]]Pictured: [[TheAce SORO]], [[TheProtagonist Itsuki]], [[StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi]], [[MysteriousWaif Aika]], [[LargeHam Koa]], [[{{Troll}} Musashi]], [[TheQuietOne Silva]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Kid]], [[KatanasAreJustBetter Last Samurai]], [[TheStraightAndArrowPath Yumiko]][[/note]]]]
Developed as the 8th project as part of the [[MilestoneCelebration 15th anniversary celebration of the original]] ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', '''''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation''''' is an original SliceOfLife[=/=]ScienceFiction anime [[TheAnimeOfTheGame based on]] the popular MMORPG ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
Japan, 2027 AD. The spreading of the Ethernet across the world has provided the youth of today with a revolutionary means of communication. In Japan, the PC operating system "ESC-A"[[note]]Pronounced "es-ka"[[/note]] has provided Japanese students across the country with access to a new realm of virtual freedom in the form of an MMORPG, ''Phantasy Star Online 2'', which has since spread like wildfire into a national phenomenon. When Seiga Academy threatens to ban ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' in fear of it interfering with the wellbeing of its students, OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Itsuki Tachibana and NewTransferStudent Aika Suzuki are recruited by StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi on a mission to protect the freedoms of the students she represents by proving to her superiors that ''[=PSO2=]'' is not a threat to the education of Seiga's students.
The anime premiered in Japan on January 7th, 2016 and elsewhere on January 9th, 2016 through Crunchyroll as part of the Winter2016Anime season. It has been licensed for an English release by Creator/SentaiFilmworks ([[NoExportForYou much to the dismay of those still waiting for the game]]).
Now has [[Characters/PhantasyStarOnline2TheAnimation a character sheet]] in progress.
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!!''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation'' provides examples of:
* ACupAngst: The Episode 5 outro card shows Tiea as having this toward her bustier twin, Patty.
* ActionPrologue: The very beginning of Episode 1 kicks off with Itsuki and a multiparty mowing down waves of Darkers set to a mix of the Mining Base Defense theme, culminating in a battle between Itsuki and Dark Vibrace.
* AllThereInTheManual:
** No one [[CallingYourAttacks calls their attacks]] throughout the show. However, they ''are'' using real attacks from the game, but since no one ever mentions them, the viewer has to have at least a little knowledge of the existing Photon Arts to know what attacks are what.
** Rina's explanation of ESC-A in Episode 2 is critical {{Foreshadowing}} for [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2 the game]]]], as its logo appears [[spoiler:on the weak points of Phantoms.]] You wouldn't directly know this if you weren't following [[spoiler:the game and the anime simultaneously.]]
* AnimationBump: Quna is more fluidly animated than either Itsuki or SORO at the end of Episode 2. It helps that it's a recreation of an existing event for the real game.
* AnimeHair: Almost completely averted for everyone in the real world. Aika sports two unusually long braided ponytails, but even then that isn't completely impossible. Played straight in ''[=PSO2=]'', [[TruthInTelevision as in the real game.]] Just ''try'' properly replicating Matoi's hair.
* TheAnimeOfTheGame: Of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
* AnimeThemeSong: ''Unmatched Stargate'' for the opening, and ''Rare Drop KOI Koi! One More!'' for the ending, performed by Creator/HalkoMomoi.
* AsHimself: Marika Kouno, Riko Kohara, and Yurika Takagi, collectively known as the "Dark Falz Girls"[[note]]A group of voice actors who formerly participated in the "ARKS Cadet" segment of the [=PSO2=] Live Broadcasts[[/note]], all guest star as anime counterparts of themselves who go by FirstNameBasis.
* AttackItsWeakpoint: In Episode 1, SORO suggests this to Itsuki to take out a pesky Breeahda. He attempts to do so, but the Breeahda gets up too quickly and forces Itsuki to take a hit while charging his Photon Art.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The Council of Six, who are the highest-ranking members of the ARKS and among the most powerful.
* BackToBackBadasses:
** Itsuki and SORO are shown doing this in a flashback in Episode 2.
** Last Samurai and Kid get in on the action in Episode 3 while under fire from Dragonkin.
* BattleCouple: Last Samurai and Yumiko are married in real life, but in ''[=PSO2=]'', they're a badass action duo.
* BearsAreBadNews: Rockbear, a bear-like miniboss that fights with GoodOldFisticuffs. One traps SORO in a corner during Episode 2, but thankfully, [[BigDamnHeroes Itsuki appears right on cue to bail him out.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Amusingly, SEGA does this to ''themselves''; in Episode 6, the name "SEGO" can be seen on a chalkboard.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The "insectoid" type of Darker. This includes the [[TheGoomba Dagans]], the weapon-wielding Goldrahdas, and even the big bad Dark Vibrace.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** In Episode 1, SORO comes from behind to rescue a low-level Itsuki from an El Dagan with a conveniently-timed Impact Slider.
** Itsuki later returns the favor in Episode 2 when SORO is captured by a Fungi and is unable to break himself out.
* BoomHeadshot: Rangers and Shot Mode Gunslashes can use this as a weak point. Itsuki takes out a Breeahda this way by firing an Aiming Shot in its face.
* CallBack: In Episode 1, a boy and a girl are seen playing ''[=PSO2=]'' on handhelds, the boy having just killed a Vol Dragon. In Episode 5, the same two children are seen again on the bus, the girl having just killed a Guar Zigmorde.
* CallForward:
** Three people are shown in the intro with a different uniform to Seiga Academy. [[spoiler: They're attendees of Tensei Academy, where you arrive in EPISODE 4.]]
** The strange news reports in Episode 1 about a train and a car going out of control [[spoiler:reference the Phantoms, an enemy type on ''[=PSO2's=]'' Tokyo field]].
** The spire that appears in Rina's explanation about the Ethernet is the same spire [[spoiler:seen in the distance on the Tokyo Free Field.]]
** In Episode 5, Patty and Tiea note the unusual rise in the number of ARKS, and Patty even refers to Itsuki as a "mysterious ARKS", [[spoiler:echoing concerns Ulc mentions in ''[=PSO2=]: EPISODE 4'' about a rise in a number of "unusual" ARKS.]]
* TheCameo: Hitsugi and Kōri from the main game also appear at the end of the opening animation.
* CanonWelding: The animation initially seems to be that ''[=PSO2=]'' is just a game that practically everyone in Seiga Academy is playing. [[spoiler:Except for those really odd news reports of incidents that sound strangely similar to Phantoms...]]
* CharacterClassSystem: ''[=PSO2=]'' has one, consisting of nine classes: [[FighterMageThief Hunter, Ranger, Force]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Fighter]], [[GunsAkimbo Gunner]], [[MagicKnight Techer]], [[BowAndSwordInAccord Braver]], [[MagicKnight Bouncer]], and [[SummonMagic Summoner]]. Each player is able to switch classes freely at the Class Counter, which SORO does to level alongside Itsuki.
* ContrivedCoincidence: When Itsuki uses the Randomizer in the Character Creator, the result it produces looks ''exactly'' like Itsuki, despite the fact that the chance of this actually happening is virtually none. He makes nothing of this and moves along.
** Rina admits that [[spoiler:in the creation of RINA, she also hit the Randomizer and ''also'' got a character that looked exactly like her.]]
* {{Cosplay}}: Many ''[=PSO2=]'' fans go to ARKS Fan Festa dressed as their characters. When Aika figures this out, she changes into an exact replica of her avatar to "blend in" a little. [[spoiler:However, unlike the cosplayers, Aika can manifest Photon weaponry.]]
* CutscenePowerToTheMax:
** Egregious in Episode 2, where Dagans start firing projectiles at SORO. They cannot do this in-game.
** A lot of Photon Arts do things they can't do in gameplay. For example, in Episode 3, Fudou Kuchinashi manages to freeze enemies ''in midair''. While it does have an AreaOfEffect, it can't normally ignore basic physics.
** In Episode 5, Aika leaps into the air to save a Lillipan who has been caught in an explosion from a malfunctioning robot enemy. The preceeding event is a real emergency trial that can occur in-game, but in-game, as soon as the robot explodes, the trial is failed, and the Lillipan simply disappears (though with an implication that it somehow survived despite your failure).
* DeathFromAbove: In the ActionPrologue, Kid uses Meteor Fist on a group of Goldrahdas trapped by a Zondeel.
* {{Deconstruction}}:
** Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in real life.
** The entirety of Aika's role is a deconstruction of [[spoiler:"what would happen if a video game character was in the real world".]]
* DeepImmersionGaming: Most events that take place in-game are depicted as real interactions between the characters in-game as if they were the characters themselves. [[spoiler:Considering that they are actual, living entities, they might be.]]
** Itsuki, Rina and Aika all use avatars that resemble themselves. [[spoiler: When Aika 'cosplays' as her [=PSO2=] self, it's revealed as not an accident...]]
* DistractedByTheSexy: In the preview for Episode 6, Tiea tells Patty that they're not going to be in the HotSpringsEpisode, at which point Patty spoils her plan to use her sexy body to extract information from people.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Itsuki's voice actor sings the opening song.
* DoesNotLikeMen: Riko, Marika, and Yurika are very vocal about their distaste of men, especially Itsuki, who they perceive as taking advantage of Aika.
* DramaticIrony:
** In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.]]
** Also used in-universe. In Episode 6, Masaya declares his intent on meeting up with his online friend, [=OrgaCats=], in real life. After he leaves, Itsuki realizes that he was talking about ''the'' [=OrgaCats=], who he found out was a male laborer in Episode 2, and chuckles awkwardly at the realization.
* EarlyBirdCameo:
** Meta-wise, ''The Animation'' debuted the new logo to be used for the game come Episode 4, before Episode 4 had launched.
** Quna appears as part of an in-game concert event at the end of Episode 2, although she does not make her official debut.
* ElaborateUniversityHigh: Seiga Academy is pretty decked out. Not only is it gigantic, as shown via an overview of the school, it's also pretty advanced.
* EldritchAbomination: The Darkers, beings of unknown quantity and substance that spread across the universe with the intent to destroy and can only be eliminated by the ARKS, who wield Photon weaponry capable of permanently defeating Darkers. They also essentially serve as [[HijackedByGanon Dark Falz's]] ground troops.
* EvolvingCredits: After Episode 5, [[spoiler:the shot of SORO meeting with Itsuki in the opening replaces SORO with RINA, and the footage of the ActionPrologue is replaced with entirely new footage showcasing all of the ''[=PSO2=]'' characters.]]
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: Itsuki meets some of his in-game friends in the real world at a [=PSO2=] fan convention. He is quite surprised to find that Last Samurai and Yumiko are actually a married couple, the [[TheStoic quiet and stoic]] Silva is actually their young and hyperactive daughter; and the HotBlooded Kid is actually their kindly old butler.
* FanDisservice: In-universe. In Episode 6, Rina asks if Koa is in the Team Room, to which he replies "yes". He suddenly gets the idea that she'll change into a bath towel outfit, and jumps for joy at the thought. [[spoiler:She arrives as SORO instead. Koa is completely unamused.]]
* FreezeFrameBonus:
** It goes by too fast to notice normally, but the third pattern of [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] that appears in the opening clearly belongs to [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice Gia]].
** Blink and you'nill miss it, but the opening shows Aika wielding a [[SummonMagic Baton]].
** In Episode 1, if you're a quick enough eye, you may notice that the character on-screen in the Character Creator before Itsuki used the All Random function is the [=HUmar=] from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline''.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The anime often includes {{Fandom Nod}}s towards typical playerbase behavior as these, such as one player performing a "Dance" Lobby Action in Episode 1, or [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY02dbpUMAETGUx.png a player standing behind a monitor over a teleporter in Episode 2]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The show often drops hints about [[spoiler:it being a StealthPrequel to ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4''.]]
** At the end of Episode 4, Aika is seen [[spoiler:eliminating a Dagan that appeared in a warehouse behind the convention center where the ARKS Fan Festa 2027 was being held]].
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: [[spoiler:Rina and Itsuki first met as children when Itsuki found her hiding under a playground slide when she was forgotten in a game of hide-and-seek. Itsuki doesn't remember this, but Rina does.]]
* {{GIRL}}:
** Inverted: the big and boisterous SORO is played by Rina Izumi.
** [=OrgaCats=] and Master Nezumi are played by men in real life. The look on Itsuki's face when he discovers this fact is absolutely priceless.
* GreenHillZone: Forest, a lush grassy area of Naberius where many Natives dwell. It's often the first stop for a starting player.
* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Rather coincidentally, most of the male ''[=PSO2=]'' characters except Musashi and SORO all use physical weapons; Koa uses Twin Daggers, Kid uses Knuckles, etc. Likewise, most of the female characters except Aika, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi use ranged weapons; Silva uses Assault Rifles and [[spoiler:RINA]] uses Twin Machineguns. However, SORO, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi are unusual cases because their players are of the opposite gender. Itsuki plays with this, since Gunslashes are a Strike/Range hybrid.
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: Itsuki has a minor one where he [[SeriousBusiness stops submitting his [=PSO2=] reports]] after being lectured by SORO in Episode 2. He gets better once he pulls a BigDamnHeroes on SORO in Forest (Hard).]]
* HighSchool: The majority of real-world scenes revolve around Seiga Academy, the school Itsuki and his friends attend. They are sister schools with the neighboring Tensei Academy, where Hitsugi and her friends can be found.
* HoYay: InUniverse; the outro card for Episode 3 shows Marika, Riko, and Yurika imagining Itsuki and Yutaka hooking up in classic shoujo manga fashion. Neither of them are amused.
* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 6 involves the Seiga student council taking a field trip to an ''onsen''. One which is, coincidentally, owned by Yumiko and Last Samurai. As it turns out, this field trip was arranged to get Itsuki away from ''[=PSO2=]'', since his increasing play time has also started decreasing his grades. Surprisingly, little {{Fanservice}} is involved except for Aika, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl who doesn't care anyways.]]
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Episodes are known as "Quests".
* ImageSong: ''Try to take me again'' and ''Star Quality Twins'', character songs for Zeno and Patty/Tea respectively, are used as background tracks in Episode 4.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: PlayedForLaughs. During the preview for Episode 2, Itsuki is talking to Rina about SORO, who despite him seeing them as helpful, thinks that SORO is also a little overbearing and a pain, eventually mentioning the player of SORO is probably a busybody as well. Itsuki then sees Rina (who plays SORO) getting irritated and asks what's wrong, prompting her to yell at him.
** Played more seriously in Episode 3, when Itsuki deduces out loud in-game that the notorious troll Musashi is actually his classmate Yutaka Sasaki. Yutaka's panicked reaction and logging out causes other players to start believing Itsuki to be a troll.
** Once again in Episode 5, with Rina saying they should be thankful to the Darkers for bringing people together. Aika proceeds to get angry and seethes about how the Darkers have harmed and killed so many before catching herself.
* InsertSong:
** ''Our Fighting'' is performed by Quna (Creator/EriKitamura) in Episode 2 when Itsuki and SORO attend a Live Concert.
** An IdolSinger performs ''Neverending Story'' offscreen in Episode 4 when Itsuki and Rina go to an ARKS Fan Festa. Several other songs can also be heard periodically, such as ''Star Quality Twins''.
* InterdimensionalTravelDevice: [[spoiler:''Phantasy Star Online 2''.]]
* ItWasHereISwear: In Episode 6, [[spoiler:when Last Samurai sneaks out to play ''[=PSO2=]'', Darker particles start coming out of his handheld console, and a loud scream is heard; when Yumiko, Itsuki, and Rina check on him, his handheld console has a big crack in the center, and he claims Darkers attacked him -- but he also had beer with him, which leads everyone to believe he was just hitting the sauce. Scene cut to Aika blowing up said Darkers in an adjacent forest.]]
* KillItWithFire: In Episode 2, Itsuki sets a Rockbear ablaze with a Thrillsplosion.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Woe to those who played Episode 4 of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' as soon as possible, where the first chapter casually reveals that [[spoiler:the avatars of ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' players manifest as real beings in another dimension]].
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: PSVita-like consoles are often seen in the hands of ''[=PSO2=]'' players, albeit with distinct design changes, and using stock footage of the game itself, to avoid invoking a ConsoleCameo.
* LethalLavaLand: Volcanoes, a rocky, [[CaptainObvious volcanic]] region of Amduscia populated by the Hi clan of Dragonkin. Many players can expect ConvectionSmonvection and hostile, weapon-wielding Dragonkin.
* LighterAndSofter: Probably the lightest and softest work to bear the ''Phantasy Star'' name. [[spoiler:It still takes place in the same [[CrapsackWorld crapsack universe]] that the game takes place in, however.]]
* MaleGaze: [[spoiler:RINA's]] introduction has rather gratuitous butt and breast shots.
* MistakenForRomance: Thanks to Aika's insistence on [[StalkerWithoutACrush stalking Itsuki]], rumors have started circulating that, among other things, Itsuki and Aika are dating.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: Itsuki's WeaponOfChoice is Gunslashes, combination swords and handguns.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: During the part of Episode 1 where Itsuki is giving his internal monologue about how normal he is, his voice is talking over a group of girls discussing news reports of unusual overnight vehicle incidents, [[spoiler:hinting towards the existence of the Phantoms the ARKS come into contact with in 2028]].
* MediumBlending: The show largely utilizes traditional animation for real-world segments, but shifts to anime-styled CGI when inside ''[=PSO2=]'' to give off that effect of looking at a video game. On occasion, actual game footage is used, such as in Episode 6, when Mika is seen running Black Territory Exploration.
* MookMaker: Breeahdas, who can spawn El Dagans by conjuring seeds from Darker particles. One particular Breeahda gives Itsuki a world of trouble in Episode 1 when he's still fresh and doesn't quite know how to play.
* {{Multishot}}: Yumiko uses Master Shot in the ActionPrologue, which fires five Bullet Bow arrows concentrated on a single target.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: When Kouta is about to put his hand on Aika's shoulder in Episode 2, she notices and quickly begins punching Kouta until he guards, at which point she stops right in front of his arms. This is accompanied by a brief, high-intensity background track and ''a visible shockwave'' that generates a generous amount of wind.
* MythologyGag: Patty and Tiea claim they have a "contract" with someone as far as distributing information goes, that person likely being [[spoiler:the PlayerCharacter.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Yumiko sorta looks like a classic Japanese SpacePirate. Averted for Last Samurai, who cuts out the SpacePirate bit.
* OffModel: [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] is rather disproportionately drawn in the opening compared to her in-game counterpart.
* OneHitPolykill: In Episode 3, Silva nails two Dragonkin at once with a single Penetrating Bullet.
* [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Only Known By Their Online Handle]]: Anyone that isn't part of the main cast is only referred to by their character name from ''[=PSO2=]'', such as Last Samurai and Kid. It's a wonder why no one asks for their real names.
* OriginalGeneration: 95% of the primary cast, especially the real world characters.
* OverratedAndUnderleveled: SORO. Justified, as he had just switched classes in order to show Itsuki the ropes.
* PlayerCharacter: Many characters in the series have a DigitalAvatar that they use to play with the main character, Itsuki, in some way, shape, or form. [[spoiler:Also, the ''real'' PlayerCharacter, as in, the one controlled by ''you'', is referred to often by [=NPCs=], and at the time of the plot is currently undergoing a TimeSkip via [[HumanPopsicle Cold Sleep]].]]
* PokemonSpeak: Lillipans speak in "Li!"s. It's ''technically'' possible to [[SpeaksFluentAnimal learn it]], as demonstrated by one particular NPC [=RAcaseal=].
* POVSequel: [[spoiler:The anime focuses on the ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' story from the Earthlings' point of view, during a TimeSkip where TheProtagonist, the PlayerCharacter, is recovering from his/her battle with the Profound Darkness.]]
* ProductPlacement:
** It can be seen that some of the computers are Alienware branded. In real life, Alienware sponsors ''Phantasy Star'' live events.
** While the operating system "ESC-A" is fictional, its design is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchers can be seen in several episodes.
* PunnyName: "Seiga" Academy sounds a lot like {{Creator/SEGA}}.
* RainOfArrows: Yumiko, being a Bullet Bow wielder, uses Torrential Arrow on a group of Dragonkin in Episode 3.
* RandomNumberGod: [[SarcasmMode Everyone's favorite attendant,]] Dudu, who handles Grinding and Affixing at the Item Lab. These mechanics are based entirely on chance, which, considering how often he screws up, [[TheScrappy makes him the target of many players' frustrations.]] The InfoDump on the Item Lab [[AscendedMeme references this hate.]]
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Darkers sport this color scheme.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Darkers, naturally. Lots of them appear in the opening, signified by a myriad of glowing red eyes. [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] in particular has ''tons'' all on its own.
* RedHerring: In Episode 4, Kouta wanders into the middle of a dark warehouse. A strange ringing sound is heard, and Kouta experiences a sharp pain, then suddenly vanishes, only leaving his phone behind... [[spoiler:because of a stomachache. Aika gave him a Monomate drink earlier, but it didn't react well with him, causing a fit of sudden bowel movement to force him to abandon his phone for the restroom. However, there ''was'' something there, it simply didn't involve Kouta.]]
* RedIsHeroic: Zeno and Echo sport it with their Cry Savior and Magia Savior outfits, respectively. Matoi also wears some red to blend with her white.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Rappies, the local MascotMook. Lillipans are also pretty darn cute, especially the one that appears in Episode 5.
* RobotGirl: Silva, a Caseal[[note]]Female CAST[[/note]].
* RunawayTrain: In Episode 1, a background character mentions a news report of an unmanned train suddenly going out of control in the middle of the night without witnesses or human incident. [[spoiler:A rather eerie CallForward to the train-type Phantom enemy, Train Ghidoran]].
* SceneryGorn: The City Area in ''[=PSO2=]'', which has been devastated by Darker attacks.
** Notably, while this happened for a few missions in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'', there is no mission in the actual game that is set in the ''[=ARKS=]'' Colony area.
* SeriousBusiness: ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' is so widespread, one of Seiga Academy's student council's primary functions is to submit reports relating to it. This is to help the academy formulate an idea about the students' social environs and thus figure out the most viable way of interacting with its population. In fact, playing ''[=PSO2=]'' is literally the student council vice president's ''only job.''
** This stems from Rina's belief that ''[=PSO2=]'' stands at the forefront of a communication technology revolution, being ubiquitous in modern culture thanks to its being pre-loaded on all new computers using an advance version of the internet. She also seeks to keep the Seiga Academy staff from banning ''[=PSO2=]'' from campus, believing that the game does not negatively affect student performance and that such a ban would constitute a grave violation of privacy.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Itsuki and Rina pull this off when meeting their [=PSO2=] friends at the [=ARKS=] Fan Festa. No one is convinced.
** Again in Episode 5, between Aika and Itsuki. Itsuki once again fails to convince anyone about the truth.
* ShoutOut: Each episode has at least one to a SEGA property.
** The fountain at the center of Seiga Academy is in the shape of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog's head, which is also the logo of Sonic Team, the developers behind many ''Phantasy Star'' titles.
** A statue of VideoGame/AlexKidd is the centerpiece of Seiga Academy's indoor hot spring.
** Yutaka's room has posters of the [[Anime/HiScooolSeHaGirls Sega Hard Girls]] on his wall. A later shot in the same episode also shows large posters of ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''[[VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead House of the Dead III]]'' on another wall.
** Marika, Riko, and Yurika give Aika the nickname of [[VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall "Aiai"]].
** In Episode 4, one quick shot has a booth labelled [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams "NiGHTS Entertainment"]] with [=NiGHTS'=] silhouette backing the banner.
** When Rina is at a shooting gallery to get dolls of [=MAGs=], two of the available dolls on display include Sonic the Hedgehog and [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Carbuncle]]. This is also a reference to there being collaboration events in ''[=PSO2=]'' that feature such SEGA characters.
** Plush dolls of [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams Reala]] are shown in a UFO Catcher that Aika plays to win a Lillipan doll.
** Yutaka has an image of Miles "Tails" Prower on the back of his smartphone. Later in the same episode, a UFO Catcher is seen with plushies of Sonic and numerous Puyo inside.
* SoundEffectBleep: In the preview for Episode 4, Yutaka cheerfully lists off all the swear words that he has used in the past as Musashi, all of which are censored out with the anime's Assault Rifle shot sound effect. [[BreakingTheFourthWall Itsuki checks to make sure they're censored.]]
* SpaceElves: Newmans, natch.
* StealthPrequel: Although not advertised as such, [[spoiler:it chronologically precedes ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4'' by seven months.]]
* SuckingInLines: Aiming Shot does this for its charge animation.
* SuperDeformed: Characters appear this way in the next-episode previews.
* TeamShot: The ''[=PSO2=]'' counterparts of the cast appear this way at the end of the opening. Notably, there are 12 characters in the shot, [[MythologyGag the same number of players required for a full multiparty.]]
* TearsOfBlood: Rina is shown ''crying blood'' in the opening, though its significance is unknown.
* TheThingThatGoesDoink: Kouta is shown having a miniature one in his dorm room in Episode 2. It makes its signature "doink" during a moment of awkward silence.
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Explicitly averted. All prerelease information gave out ''zero'' plot details and only pulled footage from the first three episodes. The actual story behind the show beyond "a kid plays ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''" wasn't even ''known'' until the end of the second episode.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** Some of the Photon Arts, compared to the game. In the game, Aiming Shot is a stock PA for Gunslashes that just fires a big energy bullet. In the anime, it essentially becomes a ''[[FrickinLaserBeams gigantic laser blast]]'' with enough recoil to knock Itsuki off his feet.
** Gunslashes themselves get this treatment: in the real game, Gunslashes are considered a [[SkillGateCharacters Skill Gate Weapon]] that are rather mediocre later on, lacking the usefulness and power of other striking and ranged weapons. You wouldn't know it just from seeing Itsuki using them, though.
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The show takes place in the year 2027, [[spoiler:seven months before the ARKS discover the planet Earth]]. Notably, there aren't that many technical advancements, causing it to largely resemble the present day.
* UncannyValley: In-universe, [[spoiler:this is what the ARKS perceive the video game players as, although they do not know that the "mysterious ARKS" are video game players from another dimension.]]
* UndergroundLevel: Tunnels, a vast network of underground ruins beneath the surface of Lillipa. Mechs are a fairly common encounter, as well as Lillipans, the local alien race.
* VirtualTrainingSimulation: Extreme Quests, which reportedly take place in a environment that simulates battle by recreating enemy data. Aika claims to have cleared all four of them.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Just like AnimeHair, practically averted for pretty much everyone in the real world. The closest anyone gets to it is a nameless classmate of Itsuki's with magenta-reddish hair, and even that isn't too unnatural. Played completely straight in the ''[=PSO2=]'' scenes, which is completely par for the course as [[TruthInTelevision it's everywhere in the actual game.]] Except for Itsuki, whose character [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidentally]] looks identical to him after using the randomizer.
* WhamShot:
** The end of Episode 4. [[spoiler:Aika's costume change isn't just for show; she has all the same powers her ''[=PSO2=]'' character does, and she uses it to exterminate Darkers that appeared on Earth.]]
** Towards the end of Episode 6, [[spoiler:Darker particles start spewing from a handheld device, revealing that ARKS aren't the only ones that can travel to Earth via ''[=PSO2=]''...]]
* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: Mundane variant; in Episode 5, Aika pushes the "stop" button on a bus before knowing what it does. When she asks, Itsuki immediately explains it and tells the bus driver to dismiss the button.
* WhatTheHellHero: SORO, Koa, everyone in the same block as him, and even Rina give Itsuki flak for accidentally exposing Musashi's real identity.
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[[caption-width-right:350:It's a whole new world... Ours.[[note]]Pictured: [[TheAce SORO]], [[TheProtagonist Itsuki]], [[StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi]], [[MysteriousWaif Aika]], [[LargeHam Koa]], [[{{Troll}} Musashi]], [[TheQuietOne Silva]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Kid]], [[KatanasAreJustBetter Last Samurai]], [[TheStraightAndArrowPath Yumiko]][[/note]]]]
Developed as the 8th project as part of the [[MilestoneCelebration 15th anniversary celebration of the original]] ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', '''''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation''''' is an original SliceOfLife[=/=]ScienceFiction anime [[TheAnimeOfTheGame based on]] the popular MMORPG ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
Japan, 2027 AD. The spreading of the Ethernet across the world has provided the youth of today with a revolutionary means of communication. In Japan, the PC operating system "ESC-A"[[note]]Pronounced "es-ka"[[/note]] has provided Japanese students across the country with access to a new realm of virtual freedom in the form of an MMORPG, ''Phantasy Star Online 2'', which has since spread like wildfire into a national phenomenon. When Seiga Academy threatens to ban ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' in fear of it interfering with the wellbeing of its students, OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Itsuki Tachibana and NewTransferStudent Aika Suzuki are recruited by StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi on a mission to protect the freedoms of the students she represents by proving to her superiors that ''[=PSO2=]'' is not a threat to the education of Seiga's students.
The anime premiered in Japan on January 7th, 2016 and elsewhere on January 9th, 2016 through Crunchyroll as part of the Winter2016Anime season. It has been licensed for an English release by Creator/SentaiFilmworks ([[NoExportForYou much to the dismay of those still waiting for the game]]).
Now has [[Characters/PhantasyStarOnline2TheAnimation a character sheet]] in progress.
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!!''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation'' provides examples of:
* ACupAngst: The Episode 5 outro card shows Tiea as having this toward her bustier twin, Patty.
* ActionPrologue: The very beginning of Episode 1 kicks off with Itsuki and a multiparty mowing down waves of Darkers set to a mix of the Mining Base Defense theme, culminating in a battle between Itsuki and Dark Vibrace.
* AllThereInTheManual:
** No one [[CallingYourAttacks calls their attacks]] throughout the show. However, they ''are'' using real attacks from the game, but since no one ever mentions them, the viewer has to have at least a little knowledge of the existing Photon Arts to know what attacks are what.
** Rina's explanation of ESC-A in Episode 2 is critical {{Foreshadowing}} for [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2 the game]]]], as its logo appears [[spoiler:on the weak points of Phantoms.]] You wouldn't directly know this if you weren't following [[spoiler:the game and the anime simultaneously.]]
* AnimationBump: Quna is more fluidly animated than either Itsuki or SORO at the end of Episode 2. It helps that it's a recreation of an existing event for the real game.
* AnimeHair: Almost completely averted for everyone in the real world. Aika sports two unusually long braided ponytails, but even then that isn't completely impossible. Played straight in ''[=PSO2=]'', [[TruthInTelevision as in the real game.]] Just ''try'' properly replicating Matoi's hair.
* TheAnimeOfTheGame: Of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
* AnimeThemeSong: ''Unmatched Stargate'' for the opening, and ''Rare Drop KOI Koi! One More!'' for the ending, performed by Creator/HalkoMomoi.
* AsHimself: Marika Kouno, Riko Kohara, and Yurika Takagi, collectively known as the "Dark Falz Girls"[[note]]A group of voice actors who formerly participated in the "ARKS Cadet" segment of the [=PSO2=] Live Broadcasts[[/note]], all guest star as anime counterparts of themselves who go by FirstNameBasis.
* AttackItsWeakpoint: In Episode 1, SORO suggests this to Itsuki to take out a pesky Breeahda. He attempts to do so, but the Breeahda gets up too quickly and forces Itsuki to take a hit while charging his Photon Art.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The Council of Six, who are the highest-ranking members of the ARKS and among the most powerful.
* BackToBackBadasses:
** Itsuki and SORO are shown doing this in a flashback in Episode 2.
** Last Samurai and Kid get in on the action in Episode 3 while under fire from Dragonkin.
* BattleCouple: Last Samurai and Yumiko are married in real life, but in ''[=PSO2=]'', they're a badass action duo.
* BearsAreBadNews: Rockbear, a bear-like miniboss that fights with GoodOldFisticuffs. One traps SORO in a corner during Episode 2, but thankfully, [[BigDamnHeroes Itsuki appears right on cue to bail him out.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Amusingly, SEGA does this to ''themselves''; in Episode 6, the name "SEGO" can be seen on a chalkboard.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The "insectoid" type of Darker. This includes the [[TheGoomba Dagans]], the weapon-wielding Goldrahdas, and even the big bad Dark Vibrace.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** In Episode 1, SORO comes from behind to rescue a low-level Itsuki from an El Dagan with a conveniently-timed Impact Slider.
** Itsuki later returns the favor in Episode 2 when SORO is captured by a Fungi and is unable to break himself out.
* BoomHeadshot: Rangers and Shot Mode Gunslashes can use this as a weak point. Itsuki takes out a Breeahda this way by firing an Aiming Shot in its face.
* CallBack: In Episode 1, a boy and a girl are seen playing ''[=PSO2=]'' on handhelds, the boy having just killed a Vol Dragon. In Episode 5, the same two children are seen again on the bus, the girl having just killed a Guar Zigmorde.
* CallForward:
** Three people are shown in the intro with a different uniform to Seiga Academy. [[spoiler: They're attendees of Tensei Academy, where you arrive in EPISODE 4.]]
** The strange news reports in Episode 1 about a train and a car going out of control [[spoiler:reference the Phantoms, an enemy type on ''[=PSO2's=]'' Tokyo field]].
** The spire that appears in Rina's explanation about the Ethernet is the same spire [[spoiler:seen in the distance on the Tokyo Free Field.]]
** In Episode 5, Patty and Tiea note the unusual rise in the number of ARKS, and Patty even refers to Itsuki as a "mysterious ARKS", [[spoiler:echoing concerns Ulc mentions in ''[=PSO2=]: EPISODE 4'' about a rise in a number of "unusual" ARKS.]]
* TheCameo: Hitsugi and Kōri from the main game also appear at the end of the opening animation.
* CanonWelding: The animation initially seems to be that ''[=PSO2=]'' is just a game that practically everyone in Seiga Academy is playing. [[spoiler:Except for those really odd news reports of incidents that sound strangely similar to Phantoms...]]
* CharacterClassSystem: ''[=PSO2=]'' has one, consisting of nine classes: [[FighterMageThief Hunter, Ranger, Force]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Fighter]], [[GunsAkimbo Gunner]], [[MagicKnight Techer]], [[BowAndSwordInAccord Braver]], [[MagicKnight Bouncer]], and [[SummonMagic Summoner]]. Each player is able to switch classes freely at the Class Counter, which SORO does to level alongside Itsuki.
* ContrivedCoincidence: When Itsuki uses the Randomizer in the Character Creator, the result it produces looks ''exactly'' like Itsuki, despite the fact that the chance of this actually happening is virtually none. He makes nothing of this and moves along.
** Rina admits that [[spoiler:in the creation of RINA, she also hit the Randomizer and ''also'' got a character that looked exactly like her.]]
* {{Cosplay}}: Many ''[=PSO2=]'' fans go to ARKS Fan Festa dressed as their characters. When Aika figures this out, she changes into an exact replica of her avatar to "blend in" a little. [[spoiler:However, unlike the cosplayers, Aika can manifest Photon weaponry.]]
* CutscenePowerToTheMax:
** Egregious in Episode 2, where Dagans start firing projectiles at SORO. They cannot do this in-game.
** A lot of Photon Arts do things they can't do in gameplay. For example, in Episode 3, Fudou Kuchinashi manages to freeze enemies ''in midair''. While it does have an AreaOfEffect, it can't normally ignore basic physics.
** In Episode 5, Aika leaps into the air to save a Lillipan who has been caught in an explosion from a malfunctioning robot enemy. The preceeding event is a real emergency trial that can occur in-game, but in-game, as soon as the robot explodes, the trial is failed, and the Lillipan simply disappears (though with an implication that it somehow survived despite your failure).
* DeathFromAbove: In the ActionPrologue, Kid uses Meteor Fist on a group of Goldrahdas trapped by a Zondeel.
* {{Deconstruction}}:
** Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in real life.
** The entirety of Aika's role is a deconstruction of [[spoiler:"what would happen if a video game character was in the real world".]]
* DeepImmersionGaming: Most events that take place in-game are depicted as real interactions between the characters in-game as if they were the characters themselves. [[spoiler:Considering that they are actual, living entities, they might be.]]
** Itsuki, Rina and Aika all use avatars that resemble themselves. [[spoiler: When Aika 'cosplays' as her [=PSO2=] self, it's revealed as not an accident...]]
* DistractedByTheSexy: In the preview for Episode 6, Tiea tells Patty that they're not going to be in the HotSpringsEpisode, at which point Patty spoils her plan to use her sexy body to extract information from people.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Itsuki's voice actor sings the opening song.
* DoesNotLikeMen: Riko, Marika, and Yurika are very vocal about their distaste of men, especially Itsuki, who they perceive as taking advantage of Aika.
* DramaticIrony:
** In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.]]
** Also used in-universe. In Episode 6, Masaya declares his intent on meeting up with his online friend, [=OrgaCats=], in real life. After he leaves, Itsuki realizes that he was talking about ''the'' [=OrgaCats=], who he found out was a male laborer in Episode 2, and chuckles awkwardly at the realization.
* EarlyBirdCameo:
** Meta-wise, ''The Animation'' debuted the new logo to be used for the game come Episode 4, before Episode 4 had launched.
** Quna appears as part of an in-game concert event at the end of Episode 2, although she does not make her official debut.
* ElaborateUniversityHigh: Seiga Academy is pretty decked out. Not only is it gigantic, as shown via an overview of the school, it's also pretty advanced.
* EldritchAbomination: The Darkers, beings of unknown quantity and substance that spread across the universe with the intent to destroy and can only be eliminated by the ARKS, who wield Photon weaponry capable of permanently defeating Darkers. They also essentially serve as [[HijackedByGanon Dark Falz's]] ground troops.
* EvolvingCredits: After Episode 5, [[spoiler:the shot of SORO meeting with Itsuki in the opening replaces SORO with RINA, and the footage of the ActionPrologue is replaced with entirely new footage showcasing all of the ''[=PSO2=]'' characters.]]
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: Itsuki meets some of his in-game friends in the real world at a [=PSO2=] fan convention. He is quite surprised to find that Last Samurai and Yumiko are actually a married couple, the [[TheStoic quiet and stoic]] Silva is actually their young and hyperactive daughter; and the HotBlooded Kid is actually their kindly old butler.
* FanDisservice: In-universe. In Episode 6, Rina asks if Koa is in the Team Room, to which he replies "yes". He suddenly gets the idea that she'll change into a bath towel outfit, and jumps for joy at the thought. [[spoiler:She arrives as SORO instead. Koa is completely unamused.]]
* FreezeFrameBonus:
** It goes by too fast to notice normally, but the third pattern of [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] that appears in the opening clearly belongs to [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice Gia]].
** Blink and you'nill miss it, but the opening shows Aika wielding a [[SummonMagic Baton]].
** In Episode 1, if you're a quick enough eye, you may notice that the character on-screen in the Character Creator before Itsuki used the All Random function is the [=HUmar=] from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline''.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The anime often includes {{Fandom Nod}}s towards typical playerbase behavior as these, such as one player performing a "Dance" Lobby Action in Episode 1, or [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY02dbpUMAETGUx.png a player standing behind a monitor over a teleporter in Episode 2]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The show often drops hints about [[spoiler:it being a StealthPrequel to ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4''.]]
** At the end of Episode 4, Aika is seen [[spoiler:eliminating a Dagan that appeared in a warehouse behind the convention center where the ARKS Fan Festa 2027 was being held]].
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: [[spoiler:Rina and Itsuki first met as children when Itsuki found her hiding under a playground slide when she was forgotten in a game of hide-and-seek. Itsuki doesn't remember this, but Rina does.]]
* {{GIRL}}:
** Inverted: the big and boisterous SORO is played by Rina Izumi.
** [=OrgaCats=] and Master Nezumi are played by men in real life. The look on Itsuki's face when he discovers this fact is absolutely priceless.
* GreenHillZone: Forest, a lush grassy area of Naberius where many Natives dwell. It's often the first stop for a starting player.
* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Rather coincidentally, most of the male ''[=PSO2=]'' characters except Musashi and SORO all use physical weapons; Koa uses Twin Daggers, Kid uses Knuckles, etc. Likewise, most of the female characters except Aika, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi use ranged weapons; Silva uses Assault Rifles and [[spoiler:RINA]] uses Twin Machineguns. However, SORO, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi are unusual cases because their players are of the opposite gender. Itsuki plays with this, since Gunslashes are a Strike/Range hybrid.
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: Itsuki has a minor one where he [[SeriousBusiness stops submitting his [=PSO2=] reports]] after being lectured by SORO in Episode 2. He gets better once he pulls a BigDamnHeroes on SORO in Forest (Hard).]]
* HighSchool: The majority of real-world scenes revolve around Seiga Academy, the school Itsuki and his friends attend. They are sister schools with the neighboring Tensei Academy, where Hitsugi and her friends can be found.
* HoYay: InUniverse; the outro card for Episode 3 shows Marika, Riko, and Yurika imagining Itsuki and Yutaka hooking up in classic shoujo manga fashion. Neither of them are amused.
* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 6 involves the Seiga student council taking a field trip to an ''onsen''. One which is, coincidentally, owned by Yumiko and Last Samurai. As it turns out, this field trip was arranged to get Itsuki away from ''[=PSO2=]'', since his increasing play time has also started decreasing his grades. Surprisingly, little {{Fanservice}} is involved except for Aika, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl who doesn't care anyways.]]
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Episodes are known as "Quests".
* ImageSong: ''Try to take me again'' and ''Star Quality Twins'', character songs for Zeno and Patty/Tea respectively, are used as background tracks in Episode 4.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: PlayedForLaughs. During the preview for Episode 2, Itsuki is talking to Rina about SORO, who despite him seeing them as helpful, thinks that SORO is also a little overbearing and a pain, eventually mentioning the player of SORO is probably a busybody as well. Itsuki then sees Rina (who plays SORO) getting irritated and asks what's wrong, prompting her to yell at him.
** Played more seriously in Episode 3, when Itsuki deduces out loud in-game that the notorious troll Musashi is actually his classmate Yutaka Sasaki. Yutaka's panicked reaction and logging out causes other players to start believing Itsuki to be a troll.
** Once again in Episode 5, with Rina saying they should be thankful to the Darkers for bringing people together. Aika proceeds to get angry and seethes about how the Darkers have harmed and killed so many before catching herself.
* InsertSong:
** ''Our Fighting'' is performed by Quna (Creator/EriKitamura) in Episode 2 when Itsuki and SORO attend a Live Concert.
** An IdolSinger performs ''Neverending Story'' offscreen in Episode 4 when Itsuki and Rina go to an ARKS Fan Festa. Several other songs can also be heard periodically, such as ''Star Quality Twins''.
* InterdimensionalTravelDevice: [[spoiler:''Phantasy Star Online 2''.]]
* ItWasHereISwear: In Episode 6, [[spoiler:when Last Samurai sneaks out to play ''[=PSO2=]'', Darker particles start coming out of his handheld console, and a loud scream is heard; when Yumiko, Itsuki, and Rina check on him, his handheld console has a big crack in the center, and he claims Darkers attacked him -- but he also had beer with him, which leads everyone to believe he was just hitting the sauce. Scene cut to Aika blowing up said Darkers in an adjacent forest.]]
* KillItWithFire: In Episode 2, Itsuki sets a Rockbear ablaze with a Thrillsplosion.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Woe to those who played Episode 4 of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' as soon as possible, where the first chapter casually reveals that [[spoiler:the avatars of ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' players manifest as real beings in another dimension]].
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: PSVita-like consoles are often seen in the hands of ''[=PSO2=]'' players, albeit with distinct design changes, and using stock footage of the game itself, to avoid invoking a ConsoleCameo.
* LethalLavaLand: Volcanoes, a rocky, [[CaptainObvious volcanic]] region of Amduscia populated by the Hi clan of Dragonkin. Many players can expect ConvectionSmonvection and hostile, weapon-wielding Dragonkin.
* LighterAndSofter: Probably the lightest and softest work to bear the ''Phantasy Star'' name. [[spoiler:It still takes place in the same [[CrapsackWorld crapsack universe]] that the game takes place in, however.]]
* MaleGaze: [[spoiler:RINA's]] introduction has rather gratuitous butt and breast shots.
* MistakenForRomance: Thanks to Aika's insistence on [[StalkerWithoutACrush stalking Itsuki]], rumors have started circulating that, among other things, Itsuki and Aika are dating.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: Itsuki's WeaponOfChoice is Gunslashes, combination swords and handguns.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: During the part of Episode 1 where Itsuki is giving his internal monologue about how normal he is, his voice is talking over a group of girls discussing news reports of unusual overnight vehicle incidents, [[spoiler:hinting towards the existence of the Phantoms the ARKS come into contact with in 2028]].
* MediumBlending: The show largely utilizes traditional animation for real-world segments, but shifts to anime-styled CGI when inside ''[=PSO2=]'' to give off that effect of looking at a video game. On occasion, actual game footage is used, such as in Episode 6, when Mika is seen running Black Territory Exploration.
* MookMaker: Breeahdas, who can spawn El Dagans by conjuring seeds from Darker particles. One particular Breeahda gives Itsuki a world of trouble in Episode 1 when he's still fresh and doesn't quite know how to play.
* {{Multishot}}: Yumiko uses Master Shot in the ActionPrologue, which fires five Bullet Bow arrows concentrated on a single target.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: When Kouta is about to put his hand on Aika's shoulder in Episode 2, she notices and quickly begins punching Kouta until he guards, at which point she stops right in front of his arms. This is accompanied by a brief, high-intensity background track and ''a visible shockwave'' that generates a generous amount of wind.
* MythologyGag: Patty and Tiea claim they have a "contract" with someone as far as distributing information goes, that person likely being [[spoiler:the PlayerCharacter.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Yumiko sorta looks like a classic Japanese SpacePirate. Averted for Last Samurai, who cuts out the SpacePirate bit.
* OffModel: [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] is rather disproportionately drawn in the opening compared to her in-game counterpart.
* OneHitPolykill: In Episode 3, Silva nails two Dragonkin at once with a single Penetrating Bullet.
* [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Only Known By Their Online Handle]]: Anyone that isn't part of the main cast is only referred to by their character name from ''[=PSO2=]'', such as Last Samurai and Kid. It's a wonder why no one asks for their real names.
* OriginalGeneration: 95% of the primary cast, especially the real world characters.
* OverratedAndUnderleveled: SORO. Justified, as he had just switched classes in order to show Itsuki the ropes.
* PlayerCharacter: Many characters in the series have a DigitalAvatar that they use to play with the main character, Itsuki, in some way, shape, or form. [[spoiler:Also, the ''real'' PlayerCharacter, as in, the one controlled by ''you'', is referred to often by [=NPCs=], and at the time of the plot is currently undergoing a TimeSkip via [[HumanPopsicle Cold Sleep]].]]
* PokemonSpeak: Lillipans speak in "Li!"s. It's ''technically'' possible to [[SpeaksFluentAnimal learn it]], as demonstrated by one particular NPC [=RAcaseal=].
* POVSequel: [[spoiler:The anime focuses on the ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' story from the Earthlings' point of view, during a TimeSkip where TheProtagonist, the PlayerCharacter, is recovering from his/her battle with the Profound Darkness.]]
* ProductPlacement:
** It can be seen that some of the computers are Alienware branded. In real life, Alienware sponsors ''Phantasy Star'' live events.
** While the operating system "ESC-A" is fictional, its design is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchers can be seen in several episodes.
* PunnyName: "Seiga" Academy sounds a lot like {{Creator/SEGA}}.
* RainOfArrows: Yumiko, being a Bullet Bow wielder, uses Torrential Arrow on a group of Dragonkin in Episode 3.
* RandomNumberGod: [[SarcasmMode Everyone's favorite attendant,]] Dudu, who handles Grinding and Affixing at the Item Lab. These mechanics are based entirely on chance, which, considering how often he screws up, [[TheScrappy makes him the target of many players' frustrations.]] The InfoDump on the Item Lab [[AscendedMeme references this hate.]]
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Darkers sport this color scheme.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Darkers, naturally. Lots of them appear in the opening, signified by a myriad of glowing red eyes. [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] in particular has ''tons'' all on its own.
* RedHerring: In Episode 4, Kouta wanders into the middle of a dark warehouse. A strange ringing sound is heard, and Kouta experiences a sharp pain, then suddenly vanishes, only leaving his phone behind... [[spoiler:because of a stomachache. Aika gave him a Monomate drink earlier, but it didn't react well with him, causing a fit of sudden bowel movement to force him to abandon his phone for the restroom. However, there ''was'' something there, it simply didn't involve Kouta.]]
* RedIsHeroic: Zeno and Echo sport it with their Cry Savior and Magia Savior outfits, respectively. Matoi also wears some red to blend with her white.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Rappies, the local MascotMook. Lillipans are also pretty darn cute, especially the one that appears in Episode 5.
* RobotGirl: Silva, a Caseal[[note]]Female CAST[[/note]].
* RunawayTrain: In Episode 1, a background character mentions a news report of an unmanned train suddenly going out of control in the middle of the night without witnesses or human incident. [[spoiler:A rather eerie CallForward to the train-type Phantom enemy, Train Ghidoran]].
* SceneryGorn: The City Area in ''[=PSO2=]'', which has been devastated by Darker attacks.
** Notably, while this happened for a few missions in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'', there is no mission in the actual game that is set in the ''[=ARKS=]'' Colony area.
* SeriousBusiness: ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' is so widespread, one of Seiga Academy's student council's primary functions is to submit reports relating to it. This is to help the academy formulate an idea about the students' social environs and thus figure out the most viable way of interacting with its population. In fact, playing ''[=PSO2=]'' is literally the student council vice president's ''only job.''
** This stems from Rina's belief that ''[=PSO2=]'' stands at the forefront of a communication technology revolution, being ubiquitous in modern culture thanks to its being pre-loaded on all new computers using an advance version of the internet. She also seeks to keep the Seiga Academy staff from banning ''[=PSO2=]'' from campus, believing that the game does not negatively affect student performance and that such a ban would constitute a grave violation of privacy.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Itsuki and Rina pull this off when meeting their [=PSO2=] friends at the [=ARKS=] Fan Festa. No one is convinced.
** Again in Episode 5, between Aika and Itsuki. Itsuki once again fails to convince anyone about the truth.
* ShoutOut: Each episode has at least one to a SEGA property.
** The fountain at the center of Seiga Academy is in the shape of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog's head, which is also the logo of Sonic Team, the developers behind many ''Phantasy Star'' titles.
** A statue of VideoGame/AlexKidd is the centerpiece of Seiga Academy's indoor hot spring.
** Yutaka's room has posters of the [[Anime/HiScooolSeHaGirls Sega Hard Girls]] on his wall. A later shot in the same episode also shows large posters of ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''[[VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead House of the Dead III]]'' on another wall.
** Marika, Riko, and Yurika give Aika the nickname of [[VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall "Aiai"]].
** In Episode 4, one quick shot has a booth labelled [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams "NiGHTS Entertainment"]] with [=NiGHTS'=] silhouette backing the banner.
** When Rina is at a shooting gallery to get dolls of [=MAGs=], two of the available dolls on display include Sonic the Hedgehog and [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Carbuncle]]. This is also a reference to there being collaboration events in ''[=PSO2=]'' that feature such SEGA characters.
** Plush dolls of [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams Reala]] are shown in a UFO Catcher that Aika plays to win a Lillipan doll.
** Yutaka has an image of Miles "Tails" Prower on the back of his smartphone. Later in the same episode, a UFO Catcher is seen with plushies of Sonic and numerous Puyo inside.
* SoundEffectBleep: In the preview for Episode 4, Yutaka cheerfully lists off all the swear words that he has used in the past as Musashi, all of which are censored out with the anime's Assault Rifle shot sound effect. [[BreakingTheFourthWall Itsuki checks to make sure they're censored.]]
* SpaceElves: Newmans, natch.
* StealthPrequel: Although not advertised as such, [[spoiler:it chronologically precedes ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4'' by seven months.]]
* SuckingInLines: Aiming Shot does this for its charge animation.
* SuperDeformed: Characters appear this way in the next-episode previews.
* TeamShot: The ''[=PSO2=]'' counterparts of the cast appear this way at the end of the opening. Notably, there are 12 characters in the shot, [[MythologyGag the same number of players required for a full multiparty.]]
* TearsOfBlood: Rina is shown ''crying blood'' in the opening, though its significance is unknown.
* TheThingThatGoesDoink: Kouta is shown having a miniature one in his dorm room in Episode 2. It makes its signature "doink" during a moment of awkward silence.
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Explicitly averted. All prerelease information gave out ''zero'' plot details and only pulled footage from the first three episodes. The actual story behind the show beyond "a kid plays ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''" wasn't even ''known'' until the end of the second episode.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** Some of the Photon Arts, compared to the game. In the game, Aiming Shot is a stock PA for Gunslashes that just fires a big energy bullet. In the anime, it essentially becomes a ''[[FrickinLaserBeams gigantic laser blast]]'' with enough recoil to knock Itsuki off his feet.
** Gunslashes themselves get this treatment: in the real game, Gunslashes are considered a [[SkillGateCharacters Skill Gate Weapon]] that are rather mediocre later on, lacking the usefulness and power of other striking and ranged weapons. You wouldn't know it just from seeing Itsuki using them, though.
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The show takes place in the year 2027, [[spoiler:seven months before the ARKS discover the planet Earth]]. Notably, there aren't that many technical advancements, causing it to largely resemble the present day.
* UncannyValley: In-universe, [[spoiler:this is what the ARKS perceive the video game players as, although they do not know that the "mysterious ARKS" are video game players from another dimension.]]
* UndergroundLevel: Tunnels, a vast network of underground ruins beneath the surface of Lillipa. Mechs are a fairly common encounter, as well as Lillipans, the local alien race.
* VirtualTrainingSimulation: Extreme Quests, which reportedly take place in a environment that simulates battle by recreating enemy data. Aika claims to have cleared all four of them.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Just like AnimeHair, practically averted for pretty much everyone in the real world. The closest anyone gets to it is a nameless classmate of Itsuki's with magenta-reddish hair, and even that isn't too unnatural. Played completely straight in the ''[=PSO2=]'' scenes, which is completely par for the course as [[TruthInTelevision it's everywhere in the actual game.]] Except for Itsuki, whose character [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidentally]] looks identical to him after using the randomizer.
* WhamShot:
** The end of Episode 4. [[spoiler:Aika's costume change isn't just for show; she has all the same powers her ''[=PSO2=]'' character does, and she uses it to exterminate Darkers that appeared on Earth.]]
** Towards the end of Episode 6, [[spoiler:Darker particles start spewing from a handheld device, revealing that ARKS aren't the only ones that can travel to Earth via ''[=PSO2=]''...]]
* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: Mundane variant; in Episode 5, Aika pushes the "stop" button on a bus before knowing what it does. When she asks, Itsuki immediately explains it and tells the bus driver to dismiss the button.
* WhatTheHellHero: SORO, Koa, everyone in the same block as him, and even Rina give Itsuki flak for accidentally exposing Musashi's real identity.
----
to:
[[caption-width-right:350:It's a whole new world... Ours.[[note]]Pictured: [[TheAce SORO]], [[TheProtagonist Itsuki]], [[StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi]], [[MysteriousWaif Aika]], [[LargeHam Koa]], [[{{Troll}} Musashi]], [[TheQuietOne Silva]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Kid]], [[KatanasAreJustBetter Last Samurai]], [[TheStraightAndArrowPath Yumiko]][[/note]]]]
Developed as the 8th project as part of the [[MilestoneCelebration 15th anniversary celebration of the original]] ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'', '''''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation''''' is an original SliceOfLife[=/=]ScienceFiction anime [[TheAnimeOfTheGame based on]] the popular MMORPG ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
Japan, 2027 AD. The spreading of the Ethernet across the world has provided the youth of today with a revolutionary means of communication. In Japan, the PC operating system "ESC-A"[[note]]Pronounced "es-ka"[[/note]] has provided Japanese students across the country with access to a new realm of virtual freedom in the form of an MMORPG, ''Phantasy Star Online 2'', which has since spread like wildfire into a national phenomenon. When Seiga Academy threatens to ban ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' in fear of it interfering with the wellbeing of its students, OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Itsuki Tachibana and NewTransferStudent Aika Suzuki are recruited by StudentCouncilPresident Rina Izumi on a mission to protect the freedoms of the students she represents by proving to her superiors that ''[=PSO2=]'' is not a threat to the education of Seiga's students.
The anime premiered in Japan on January 7th, 2016 and elsewhere on January 9th, 2016 through Crunchyroll as part of the Winter2016Anime season. It has been licensed for an English release by Creator/SentaiFilmworks ([[NoExportForYou much to the dismay of those still waiting for the game]]).
Now has [[Characters/PhantasyStarOnline2TheAnimation a character sheet]] in progress.
----
!!''Phantasy Star Online 2: The Animation'' provides examples of:
* ACupAngst: The Episode 5 outro card shows Tiea as having this toward her bustier twin, Patty.
* ActionPrologue: The very beginning of Episode 1 kicks off with Itsuki and a multiparty mowing down waves of Darkers set to a mix of the Mining Base Defense theme, culminating in a battle between Itsuki and Dark Vibrace.
* AllThereInTheManual:
** No one [[CallingYourAttacks calls their attacks]] throughout the show. However, they ''are'' using real attacks from the game, but since no one ever mentions them, the viewer has to have at least a little knowledge of the existing Photon Arts to know what attacks are what.
** Rina's explanation of ESC-A in Episode 2 is critical {{Foreshadowing}} for [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2 the game]]]], as its logo appears [[spoiler:on the weak points of Phantoms.]] You wouldn't directly know this if you weren't following [[spoiler:the game and the anime simultaneously.]]
* AnimationBump: Quna is more fluidly animated than either Itsuki or SORO at the end of Episode 2. It helps that it's a recreation of an existing event for the real game.
* AnimeHair: Almost completely averted for everyone in the real world. Aika sports two unusually long braided ponytails, but even then that isn't completely impossible. Played straight in ''[=PSO2=]'', [[TruthInTelevision as in the real game.]] Just ''try'' properly replicating Matoi's hair.
* TheAnimeOfTheGame: Of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''.
* AnimeThemeSong: ''Unmatched Stargate'' for the opening, and ''Rare Drop KOI Koi! One More!'' for the ending, performed by Creator/HalkoMomoi.
* AsHimself: Marika Kouno, Riko Kohara, and Yurika Takagi, collectively known as the "Dark Falz Girls"[[note]]A group of voice actors who formerly participated in the "ARKS Cadet" segment of the [=PSO2=] Live Broadcasts[[/note]], all guest star as anime counterparts of themselves who go by FirstNameBasis.
* AttackItsWeakpoint: In Episode 1, SORO suggests this to Itsuki to take out a pesky Breeahda. He attempts to do so, but the Breeahda gets up too quickly and forces Itsuki to take a hit while charging his Photon Art.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The Council of Six, who are the highest-ranking members of the ARKS and among the most powerful.
* BackToBackBadasses:
** Itsuki and SORO are shown doing this in a flashback in Episode 2.
** Last Samurai and Kid get in on the action in Episode 3 while under fire from Dragonkin.
* BattleCouple: Last Samurai and Yumiko are married in real life, but in ''[=PSO2=]'', they're a badass action duo.
* BearsAreBadNews: Rockbear, a bear-like miniboss that fights with GoodOldFisticuffs. One traps SORO in a corner during Episode 2, but thankfully, [[BigDamnHeroes Itsuki appears right on cue to bail him out.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Amusingly, SEGA does this to ''themselves''; in Episode 6, the name "SEGO" can be seen on a chalkboard.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: The "insectoid" type of Darker. This includes the [[TheGoomba Dagans]], the weapon-wielding Goldrahdas, and even the big bad Dark Vibrace.
* BigDamnHeroes:
** In Episode 1, SORO comes from behind to rescue a low-level Itsuki from an El Dagan with a conveniently-timed Impact Slider.
** Itsuki later returns the favor in Episode 2 when SORO is captured by a Fungi and is unable to break himself out.
* BoomHeadshot: Rangers and Shot Mode Gunslashes can use this as a weak point. Itsuki takes out a Breeahda this way by firing an Aiming Shot in its face.
* CallBack: In Episode 1, a boy and a girl are seen playing ''[=PSO2=]'' on handhelds, the boy having just killed a Vol Dragon. In Episode 5, the same two children are seen again on the bus, the girl having just killed a Guar Zigmorde.
* CallForward:
** Three people are shown in the intro with a different uniform to Seiga Academy. [[spoiler: They're attendees of Tensei Academy, where you arrive in EPISODE 4.]]
** The strange news reports in Episode 1 about a train and a car going out of control [[spoiler:reference the Phantoms, an enemy type on ''[=PSO2's=]'' Tokyo field]].
** The spire that appears in Rina's explanation about the Ethernet is the same spire [[spoiler:seen in the distance on the Tokyo Free Field.]]
** In Episode 5, Patty and Tiea note the unusual rise in the number of ARKS, and Patty even refers to Itsuki as a "mysterious ARKS", [[spoiler:echoing concerns Ulc mentions in ''[=PSO2=]: EPISODE 4'' about a rise in a number of "unusual" ARKS.]]
* TheCameo: Hitsugi and Kōri from the main game also appear at the end of the opening animation.
* CanonWelding: The animation initially seems to be that ''[=PSO2=]'' is just a game that practically everyone in Seiga Academy is playing. [[spoiler:Except for those really odd news reports of incidents that sound strangely similar to Phantoms...]]
* CharacterClassSystem: ''[=PSO2=]'' has one, consisting of nine classes: [[FighterMageThief Hunter, Ranger, Force]], [[CloseRangeCombatant Fighter]], [[GunsAkimbo Gunner]], [[MagicKnight Techer]], [[BowAndSwordInAccord Braver]], [[MagicKnight Bouncer]], and [[SummonMagic Summoner]]. Each player is able to switch classes freely at the Class Counter, which SORO does to level alongside Itsuki.
* ContrivedCoincidence: When Itsuki uses the Randomizer in the Character Creator, the result it produces looks ''exactly'' like Itsuki, despite the fact that the chance of this actually happening is virtually none. He makes nothing of this and moves along.
** Rina admits that [[spoiler:in the creation of RINA, she also hit the Randomizer and ''also'' got a character that looked exactly like her.]]
* {{Cosplay}}: Many ''[=PSO2=]'' fans go to ARKS Fan Festa dressed as their characters. When Aika figures this out, she changes into an exact replica of her avatar to "blend in" a little. [[spoiler:However, unlike the cosplayers, Aika can manifest Photon weaponry.]]
* CutscenePowerToTheMax:
** Egregious in Episode 2, where Dagans start firing projectiles at SORO. They cannot do this in-game.
** A lot of Photon Arts do things they can't do in gameplay. For example, in Episode 3, Fudou Kuchinashi manages to freeze enemies ''in midair''. While it does have an AreaOfEffect, it can't normally ignore basic physics.
** In Episode 5, Aika leaps into the air to save a Lillipan who has been caught in an explosion from a malfunctioning robot enemy. The preceeding event is a real emergency trial that can occur in-game, but in-game, as soon as the robot explodes, the trial is failed, and the Lillipan simply disappears (though with an implication that it somehow survived despite your failure).
* DeathFromAbove: In the ActionPrologue, Kid uses Meteor Fist on a group of Goldrahdas trapped by a Zondeel.
* {{Deconstruction}}:
** Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in real life.
** The entirety of Aika's role is a deconstruction of [[spoiler:"what would happen if a video game character was in the real world".]]
* DeepImmersionGaming: Most events that take place in-game are depicted as real interactions between the characters in-game as if they were the characters themselves. [[spoiler:Considering that they are actual, living entities, they might be.]]
** Itsuki, Rina and Aika all use avatars that resemble themselves. [[spoiler: When Aika 'cosplays' as her [=PSO2=] self, it's revealed as not an accident...]]
* DistractedByTheSexy: In the preview for Episode 6, Tiea tells Patty that they're not going to be in the HotSpringsEpisode, at which point Patty spoils her plan to use her sexy body to extract information from people.
* DoItYourselfThemeTune: Itsuki's voice actor sings the opening song.
* DoesNotLikeMen: Riko, Marika, and Yurika are very vocal about their distaste of men, especially Itsuki, who they perceive as taking advantage of Aika.
* DramaticIrony:
** In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.]]
** Also used in-universe. In Episode 6, Masaya declares his intent on meeting up with his online friend, [=OrgaCats=], in real life. After he leaves, Itsuki realizes that he was talking about ''the'' [=OrgaCats=], who he found out was a male laborer in Episode 2, and chuckles awkwardly at the realization.
* EarlyBirdCameo:
** Meta-wise, ''The Animation'' debuted the new logo to be used for the game come Episode 4, before Episode 4 had launched.
** Quna appears as part of an in-game concert event at the end of Episode 2, although she does not make her official debut.
* ElaborateUniversityHigh: Seiga Academy is pretty decked out. Not only is it gigantic, as shown via an overview of the school, it's also pretty advanced.
* EldritchAbomination: The Darkers, beings of unknown quantity and substance that spread across the universe with the intent to destroy and can only be eliminated by the ARKS, who wield Photon weaponry capable of permanently defeating Darkers. They also essentially serve as [[HijackedByGanon Dark Falz's]] ground troops.
* EvolvingCredits: After Episode 5, [[spoiler:the shot of SORO meeting with Itsuki in the opening replaces SORO with RINA, and the footage of the ActionPrologue is replaced with entirely new footage showcasing all of the ''[=PSO2=]'' characters.]]
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: Itsuki meets some of his in-game friends in the real world at a [=PSO2=] fan convention. He is quite surprised to find that Last Samurai and Yumiko are actually a married couple, the [[TheStoic quiet and stoic]] Silva is actually their young and hyperactive daughter; and the HotBlooded Kid is actually their kindly old butler.
* FanDisservice: In-universe. In Episode 6, Rina asks if Koa is in the Team Room, to which he replies "yes". He suddenly gets the idea that she'll change into a bath towel outfit, and jumps for joy at the thought. [[spoiler:She arrives as SORO instead. Koa is completely unamused.]]
* FreezeFrameBonus:
** It goes by too fast to notice normally, but the third pattern of [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] that appears in the opening clearly belongs to [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice Gia]].
** Blink and you'nill miss it, but the opening shows Aika wielding a [[SummonMagic Baton]].
** In Episode 1, if you're a quick enough eye, you may notice that the character on-screen in the Character Creator before Itsuki used the All Random function is the [=HUmar=] from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline''.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The anime often includes {{Fandom Nod}}s towards typical playerbase behavior as these, such as one player performing a "Dance" Lobby Action in Episode 1, or [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY02dbpUMAETGUx.png a player standing behind a monitor over a teleporter in Episode 2]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The show often drops hints about [[spoiler:it being a StealthPrequel to ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4''.]]
** At the end of Episode 4, Aika is seen [[spoiler:eliminating a Dagan that appeared in a warehouse behind the convention center where the ARKS Fan Festa 2027 was being held]].
* ForgottenFirstMeeting: [[spoiler:Rina and Itsuki first met as children when Itsuki found her hiding under a playground slide when she was forgotten in a game of hide-and-seek. Itsuki doesn't remember this, but Rina does.]]
* {{GIRL}}:
** Inverted: the big and boisterous SORO is played by Rina Izumi.
** [=OrgaCats=] and Master Nezumi are played by men in real life. The look on Itsuki's face when he discovers this fact is absolutely priceless.
* GreenHillZone: Forest, a lush grassy area of Naberius where many Natives dwell. It's often the first stop for a starting player.
* GuysSmashGirlsShoot: Rather coincidentally, most of the male ''[=PSO2=]'' characters except Musashi and SORO all use physical weapons; Koa uses Twin Daggers, Kid uses Knuckles, etc. Likewise, most of the female characters except Aika, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi use ranged weapons; Silva uses Assault Rifles and [[spoiler:RINA]] uses Twin Machineguns. However, SORO, [=OrgaCats=], and Master Nezumi are unusual cases because their players are of the opposite gender. Itsuki plays with this, since Gunslashes are a Strike/Range hybrid.
* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler: Itsuki has a minor one where he [[SeriousBusiness stops submitting his [=PSO2=] reports]] after being lectured by SORO in Episode 2. He gets better once he pulls a BigDamnHeroes on SORO in Forest (Hard).]]
* HighSchool: The majority of real-world scenes revolve around Seiga Academy, the school Itsuki and his friends attend. They are sister schools with the neighboring Tensei Academy, where Hitsugi and her friends can be found.
* HoYay: InUniverse; the outro card for Episode 3 shows Marika, Riko, and Yurika imagining Itsuki and Yutaka hooking up in classic shoujo manga fashion. Neither of them are amused.
* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 6 involves the Seiga student council taking a field trip to an ''onsen''. One which is, coincidentally, owned by Yumiko and Last Samurai. As it turns out, this field trip was arranged to get Itsuki away from ''[=PSO2=]'', since his increasing play time has also started decreasing his grades. Surprisingly, little {{Fanservice}} is involved except for Aika, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl who doesn't care anyways.]]
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Episodes are known as "Quests".
* ImageSong: ''Try to take me again'' and ''Star Quality Twins'', character songs for Zeno and Patty/Tea respectively, are used as background tracks in Episode 4.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: PlayedForLaughs. During the preview for Episode 2, Itsuki is talking to Rina about SORO, who despite him seeing them as helpful, thinks that SORO is also a little overbearing and a pain, eventually mentioning the player of SORO is probably a busybody as well. Itsuki then sees Rina (who plays SORO) getting irritated and asks what's wrong, prompting her to yell at him.
** Played more seriously in Episode 3, when Itsuki deduces out loud in-game that the notorious troll Musashi is actually his classmate Yutaka Sasaki. Yutaka's panicked reaction and logging out causes other players to start believing Itsuki to be a troll.
** Once again in Episode 5, with Rina saying they should be thankful to the Darkers for bringing people together. Aika proceeds to get angry and seethes about how the Darkers have harmed and killed so many before catching herself.
* InsertSong:
** ''Our Fighting'' is performed by Quna (Creator/EriKitamura) in Episode 2 when Itsuki and SORO attend a Live Concert.
** An IdolSinger performs ''Neverending Story'' offscreen in Episode 4 when Itsuki and Rina go to an ARKS Fan Festa. Several other songs can also be heard periodically, such as ''Star Quality Twins''.
* InterdimensionalTravelDevice: [[spoiler:''Phantasy Star Online 2''.]]
* ItWasHereISwear: In Episode 6, [[spoiler:when Last Samurai sneaks out to play ''[=PSO2=]'', Darker particles start coming out of his handheld console, and a loud scream is heard; when Yumiko, Itsuki, and Rina check on him, his handheld console has a big crack in the center, and he claims Darkers attacked him -- but he also had beer with him, which leads everyone to believe he was just hitting the sauce. Scene cut to Aika blowing up said Darkers in an adjacent forest.]]
* KillItWithFire: In Episode 2, Itsuki sets a Rockbear ablaze with a Thrillsplosion.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Woe to those who played Episode 4 of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' as soon as possible, where the first chapter casually reveals that [[spoiler:the avatars of ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' players manifest as real beings in another dimension]].
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: PSVita-like consoles are often seen in the hands of ''[=PSO2=]'' players, albeit with distinct design changes, and using stock footage of the game itself, to avoid invoking a ConsoleCameo.
* LethalLavaLand: Volcanoes, a rocky, [[CaptainObvious volcanic]] region of Amduscia populated by the Hi clan of Dragonkin. Many players can expect ConvectionSmonvection and hostile, weapon-wielding Dragonkin.
* LighterAndSofter: Probably the lightest and softest work to bear the ''Phantasy Star'' name. [[spoiler:It still takes place in the same [[CrapsackWorld crapsack universe]] that the game takes place in, however.]]
* MaleGaze: [[spoiler:RINA's]] introduction has rather gratuitous butt and breast shots.
* MistakenForRomance: Thanks to Aika's insistence on [[StalkerWithoutACrush stalking Itsuki]], rumors have started circulating that, among other things, Itsuki and Aika are dating.
* MixAndMatchWeapon: Itsuki's WeaponOfChoice is Gunslashes, combination swords and handguns.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: During the part of Episode 1 where Itsuki is giving his internal monologue about how normal he is, his voice is talking over a group of girls discussing news reports of unusual overnight vehicle incidents, [[spoiler:hinting towards the existence of the Phantoms the ARKS come into contact with in 2028]].
* MediumBlending: The show largely utilizes traditional animation for real-world segments, but shifts to anime-styled CGI when inside ''[=PSO2=]'' to give off that effect of looking at a video game. On occasion, actual game footage is used, such as in Episode 6, when Mika is seen running Black Territory Exploration.
* MookMaker: Breeahdas, who can spawn El Dagans by conjuring seeds from Darker particles. One particular Breeahda gives Itsuki a world of trouble in Episode 1 when he's still fresh and doesn't quite know how to play.
* {{Multishot}}: Yumiko uses Master Shot in the ActionPrologue, which fires five Bullet Bow arrows concentrated on a single target.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: When Kouta is about to put his hand on Aika's shoulder in Episode 2, she notices and quickly begins punching Kouta until he guards, at which point she stops right in front of his arms. This is accompanied by a brief, high-intensity background track and ''a visible shockwave'' that generates a generous amount of wind.
* MythologyGag: Patty and Tiea claim they have a "contract" with someone as far as distributing information goes, that person likely being [[spoiler:the PlayerCharacter.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Yumiko sorta looks like a classic Japanese SpacePirate. Averted for Last Samurai, who cuts out the SpacePirate bit.
* OffModel: [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] is rather disproportionately drawn in the opening compared to her in-game counterpart.
* OneHitPolykill: In Episode 3, Silva nails two Dragonkin at once with a single Penetrating Bullet.
* [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Only Known By Their Online Handle]]: Anyone that isn't part of the main cast is only referred to by their character name from ''[=PSO2=]'', such as Last Samurai and Kid. It's a wonder why no one asks for their real names.
* OriginalGeneration: 95% of the primary cast, especially the real world characters.
* OverratedAndUnderleveled: SORO. Justified, as he had just switched classes in order to show Itsuki the ropes.
* PlayerCharacter: Many characters in the series have a DigitalAvatar that they use to play with the main character, Itsuki, in some way, shape, or form. [[spoiler:Also, the ''real'' PlayerCharacter, as in, the one controlled by ''you'', is referred to often by [=NPCs=], and at the time of the plot is currently undergoing a TimeSkip via [[HumanPopsicle Cold Sleep]].]]
* PokemonSpeak: Lillipans speak in "Li!"s. It's ''technically'' possible to [[SpeaksFluentAnimal learn it]], as demonstrated by one particular NPC [=RAcaseal=].
* POVSequel: [[spoiler:The anime focuses on the ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' story from the Earthlings' point of view, during a TimeSkip where TheProtagonist, the PlayerCharacter, is recovering from his/her battle with the Profound Darkness.]]
* ProductPlacement:
** It can be seen that some of the computers are Alienware branded. In real life, Alienware sponsors ''Phantasy Star'' live events.
** While the operating system "ESC-A" is fictional, its design is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchers can be seen in several episodes.
* PunnyName: "Seiga" Academy sounds a lot like {{Creator/SEGA}}.
* RainOfArrows: Yumiko, being a Bullet Bow wielder, uses Torrential Arrow on a group of Dragonkin in Episode 3.
* RandomNumberGod: [[SarcasmMode Everyone's favorite attendant,]] Dudu, who handles Grinding and Affixing at the Item Lab. These mechanics are based entirely on chance, which, considering how often he screws up, [[TheScrappy makes him the target of many players' frustrations.]] The InfoDump on the Item Lab [[AscendedMeme references this hate.]]
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Darkers sport this color scheme.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Darkers, naturally. Lots of them appear in the opening, signified by a myriad of glowing red eyes. [[spoiler:Dark Falz Apprentice]] in particular has ''tons'' all on its own.
* RedHerring: In Episode 4, Kouta wanders into the middle of a dark warehouse. A strange ringing sound is heard, and Kouta experiences a sharp pain, then suddenly vanishes, only leaving his phone behind... [[spoiler:because of a stomachache. Aika gave him a Monomate drink earlier, but it didn't react well with him, causing a fit of sudden bowel movement to force him to abandon his phone for the restroom. However, there ''was'' something there, it simply didn't involve Kouta.]]
* RedIsHeroic: Zeno and Echo sport it with their Cry Savior and Magia Savior outfits, respectively. Matoi also wears some red to blend with her white.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Rappies, the local MascotMook. Lillipans are also pretty darn cute, especially the one that appears in Episode 5.
* RobotGirl: Silva, a Caseal[[note]]Female CAST[[/note]].
* RunawayTrain: In Episode 1, a background character mentions a news report of an unmanned train suddenly going out of control in the middle of the night without witnesses or human incident. [[spoiler:A rather eerie CallForward to the train-type Phantom enemy, Train Ghidoran]].
* SceneryGorn: The City Area in ''[=PSO2=]'', which has been devastated by Darker attacks.
** Notably, while this happened for a few missions in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'', there is no mission in the actual game that is set in the ''[=ARKS=]'' Colony area.
* SeriousBusiness: ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' is so widespread, one of Seiga Academy's student council's primary functions is to submit reports relating to it. This is to help the academy formulate an idea about the students' social environs and thus figure out the most viable way of interacting with its population. In fact, playing ''[=PSO2=]'' is literally the student council vice president's ''only job.''
** This stems from Rina's belief that ''[=PSO2=]'' stands at the forefront of a communication technology revolution, being ubiquitous in modern culture thanks to its being pre-loaded on all new computers using an advance version of the internet. She also seeks to keep the Seiga Academy staff from banning ''[=PSO2=]'' from campus, believing that the game does not negatively affect student performance and that such a ban would constitute a grave violation of privacy.
* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Itsuki and Rina pull this off when meeting their [=PSO2=] friends at the [=ARKS=] Fan Festa. No one is convinced.
** Again in Episode 5, between Aika and Itsuki. Itsuki once again fails to convince anyone about the truth.
* ShoutOut: Each episode has at least one to a SEGA property.
** The fountain at the center of Seiga Academy is in the shape of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog's head, which is also the logo of Sonic Team, the developers behind many ''Phantasy Star'' titles.
** A statue of VideoGame/AlexKidd is the centerpiece of Seiga Academy's indoor hot spring.
** Yutaka's room has posters of the [[Anime/HiScooolSeHaGirls Sega Hard Girls]] on his wall. A later shot in the same episode also shows large posters of ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''[[VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead House of the Dead III]]'' on another wall.
** Marika, Riko, and Yurika give Aika the nickname of [[VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall "Aiai"]].
** In Episode 4, one quick shot has a booth labelled [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams "NiGHTS Entertainment"]] with [=NiGHTS'=] silhouette backing the banner.
** When Rina is at a shooting gallery to get dolls of [=MAGs=], two of the available dolls on display include Sonic the Hedgehog and [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Carbuncle]]. This is also a reference to there being collaboration events in ''[=PSO2=]'' that feature such SEGA characters.
** Plush dolls of [[VideoGame/NiGHTSIntoDreams Reala]] are shown in a UFO Catcher that Aika plays to win a Lillipan doll.
** Yutaka has an image of Miles "Tails" Prower on the back of his smartphone. Later in the same episode, a UFO Catcher is seen with plushies of Sonic and numerous Puyo inside.
* SoundEffectBleep: In the preview for Episode 4, Yutaka cheerfully lists off all the swear words that he has used in the past as Musashi, all of which are censored out with the anime's Assault Rifle shot sound effect. [[BreakingTheFourthWall Itsuki checks to make sure they're censored.]]
* SpaceElves: Newmans, natch.
* StealthPrequel: Although not advertised as such, [[spoiler:it chronologically precedes ''Phantasy Star Online 2: EPISODE 4'' by seven months.]]
* SuckingInLines: Aiming Shot does this for its charge animation.
* SuperDeformed: Characters appear this way in the next-episode previews.
* TeamShot: The ''[=PSO2=]'' counterparts of the cast appear this way at the end of the opening. Notably, there are 12 characters in the shot, [[MythologyGag the same number of players required for a full multiparty.]]
* TearsOfBlood: Rina is shown ''crying blood'' in the opening, though its significance is unknown.
* TheThingThatGoesDoink: Kouta is shown having a miniature one in his dorm room in Episode 2. It makes its signature "doink" during a moment of awkward silence.
* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Explicitly averted. All prerelease information gave out ''zero'' plot details and only pulled footage from the first three episodes. The actual story behind the show beyond "a kid plays ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2''" wasn't even ''known'' until the end of the second episode.
* TookALevelInBadass:
** Some of the Photon Arts, compared to the game. In the game, Aiming Shot is a stock PA for Gunslashes that just fires a big energy bullet. In the anime, it essentially becomes a ''[[FrickinLaserBeams gigantic laser blast]]'' with enough recoil to knock Itsuki off his feet.
** Gunslashes themselves get this treatment: in the real game, Gunslashes are considered a [[SkillGateCharacters Skill Gate Weapon]] that are rather mediocre later on, lacking the usefulness and power of other striking and ranged weapons. You wouldn't know it just from seeing Itsuki using them, though.
* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The show takes place in the year 2027, [[spoiler:seven months before the ARKS discover the planet Earth]]. Notably, there aren't that many technical advancements, causing it to largely resemble the present day.
* UncannyValley: In-universe, [[spoiler:this is what the ARKS perceive the video game players as, although they do not know that the "mysterious ARKS" are video game players from another dimension.]]
* UndergroundLevel: Tunnels, a vast network of underground ruins beneath the surface of Lillipa. Mechs are a fairly common encounter, as well as Lillipans, the local alien race.
* VirtualTrainingSimulation: Extreme Quests, which reportedly take place in a environment that simulates battle by recreating enemy data. Aika claims to have cleared all four of them.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Just like AnimeHair, practically averted for pretty much everyone in the real world. The closest anyone gets to it is a nameless classmate of Itsuki's with magenta-reddish hair, and even that isn't too unnatural. Played completely straight in the ''[=PSO2=]'' scenes, which is completely par for the course as [[TruthInTelevision it's everywhere in the actual game.]] Except for Itsuki, whose character [[ContrivedCoincidence coincidentally]] looks identical to him after using the randomizer.
* WhamShot:
** The end of Episode 4. [[spoiler:Aika's costume change isn't just for show; she has all the same powers her ''[=PSO2=]'' character does, and she uses it to exterminate Darkers that appeared on Earth.]]
** Towards the end of Episode 6, [[spoiler:Darker particles start spewing from a handheld device, revealing that ARKS aren't the only ones that can travel to Earth via ''[=PSO2=]''...]]
* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: Mundane variant; in Episode 5, Aika pushes the "stop" button on a bus before knowing what it does. When she asks, Itsuki immediately explains it and tells the bus driver to dismiss the button.
* WhatTheHellHero: SORO, Koa, everyone in the same block as him, and even Rina give Itsuki flak for accidentally exposing Musashi's real identity.
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* RandomNumberGod: [[SarcasmMode Everyone's favorite attendant,]] Dudu, who handles Grinding and Affixing at the Item Lab. These mechanics are based entirely on chance, which, considering how often he screws up, [[TheScrappy makes him the target of many players' frustrations.]] The InfoDump on the Item Lab [[AscendedMeme references this hate.]]
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* DramaticIrony: In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.]]
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* DramaticIrony: DramaticIrony:
** In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.]]]]
** Also used in-universe. In Episode 6, Masaya declares his intent on meeting up with his online friend, [=OrgaCats=], in real life. After he leaves, Itsuki realizes that he was talking about ''the'' [=OrgaCats=], who he found out was a male laborer in Episode 2, and chuckles awkwardly at the realization.
** In a cross-media sense. In Episode 5, Itsuki notes how lifelike the [=NPCs=] are in ''[=PSO2=]'', which Rina attributes to the game's advanced programming, [[spoiler:although it wouldn't come to her that ''[=PSO2=]'' is linked to another dimension.
** Also used in-universe. In Episode 6, Masaya declares his intent on meeting up with his online friend, [=OrgaCats=], in real life. After he leaves, Itsuki realizes that he was talking about ''the'' [=OrgaCats=], who he found out was a male laborer in Episode 2, and chuckles awkwardly at the realization.
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* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 6 involves the Seiga student council taking a field trip to an ''onsen''. One which is, coincidentally, owned by Yumiko and Last Samurai. As it turns out, this field trip was arranged to get Itsuki away from ''[=PSO2=]'', since his increasing play time has also started decreasing his grades.
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* HotSpringsEpisode: Episode 6 involves the Seiga student council taking a field trip to an ''onsen''. One which is, coincidentally, owned by Yumiko and Last Samurai. As it turns out, this field trip was arranged to get Itsuki away from ''[=PSO2=]'', since his increasing play time has also started decreasing his grades. Surprisingly, little {{Fanservice}} is involved except for Aika, [[ShamelessFanserviceGirl who doesn't care anyways.]]
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* TheThingThatGoesDoink: Kouta is shown having a miniature one in his dorm room in Episode 2. It makes its signature "doink" during a moment of awkward silence.
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Trivia! ... Should go there!
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* {{Defictionalization}}: Aika's summon, which isn't one of the standard Summoner pets was revealed in the Deluxe Package for [=PSO2=] Episode 4.
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* {{Defictionalization}}: Aika's summon, which isn't one of the standard Summoner pets was revealed in the Deluxe Package for [=PSO2=] Episode 4.
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** In at least one instance, it can be seen that some of the computers are Alienware branded.
** While the operating system most computers run is fictionally branded, the design of said fictional operating system is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchers are seen in the background in Episode 4 and 5.
** While the operating system most computers run is fictionally branded, the design of said fictional operating system is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchers are seen in the background in Episode 4 and 5.
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** In at least one instance, it It can be seen that some of the computers are Alienware branded.
branded. In real life, Alienware sponsors ''Phantasy Star'' live events.
** While the operating systemmost computers run "ESC-A" is fictionally branded, the fictional, its design of said fictional operating system is almost identical to Windows 10.
** Several UFO Catchersare can be seen in the background in Episode 4 and 5.several episodes.
** While the operating system
** Several UFO Catchers
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* [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname Only Known By Their Online Handle]]: Anyone that isn't part of the main cast is only referred to by their character name from ''[=PSO2=]'', such as Last Samurai and Kid. It's a wonder why no one asks for their real names.
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* {{Deconstruction}}: Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in real life.
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* {{Deconstruction}}: {{Deconstruction}}:
** Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in reallife.life.
** The entirety of Aika's role is a deconstruction of [[spoiler:"what would happen if a video game character was in the real world".]]
** Episode 3 deconstructs the concept behind internet {{Troll}}s by presenting one as an ExtremeDoormat who acted tough online because he felt like he couldn't act that way in real
** The entirety of Aika's role is a deconstruction of [[spoiler:"what would happen if a video game character was in the real world".]]
