aka: Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chicken na Ore to (The Wavering Butler and Me, the Chicken)Kinjiro "Jiro" Sakamachi fears women, to the point of nosebleeding whenever he is touched by women. It doesn't help that his younger sister, Kureha, wakes him up with excruciatingly painful wrestling moves — a trait inherited from their mother, herself a former champion wrestler. His only escape is high school.All that comes to a screeching halt the moment he finds Subaru Konoe — butler of the school's Onee-sama, Kanade Suzutsuki, and a ridiculously handsomeChick Magnet — in the men's comfort room... and gropes his way into discovering that "he" IS a she!After being knocked unconscious by Subaru, Jiro wakes up with all his limbs save his left arm chained to a clinic bed. He discovers the sadistic side of Kanade, who then blackmails him into keeping Subaru's gender a secret — and with good reason. Subaru was the exception to her family's centuries-old prohibition against allowing females to serve as butlers for the Suzutsuki family, due to being the only child, provided she keep her gender secret from the rest of her classmates at Rouran Academy throughout her tenure. He agrees to keep it so, after Kanade also promised to help cure his gynophobia.Looks like Jiro will be safe from girls no more, wherever he goes.Originally a Light Novel by Hajime Asano, it has an ongoing manga and an anime which started airing in the Summer 2011 Anime season. Now also has a spinoff, Mayo Mayo!, which follows the life of another Ordinary High School Student, female freshman Mayoi Hinata, whom Kanade pressures into becoming one of her household's maids after becoming the second person outside her household to discover Subaru's secret.
This show provides examples of:
Above the Influence: Several times in the anime, but most evident during episode 12 when Jiro is sharing a hotel room alone with Subaru. Kanade even says over the phone that they could be doing things as well, which is definitely on his mind. Subaru even seems willing to go along with it since its him, but he tells her that while he wouldn't mind it, he wants to share the experience with someone he loves. Cue Subaru then getting out of her futon, and climbing into his anyway...but just to sleep next to him.
The next day, her father accuses him of doing naughty things, but when she says she had a very stressful night, he calms down.
Accidental Pervert: Always knock when entering a toilet stall. Jiro found this out the hard way.
Happens to Mayoi as well. Maybe Subaru should try getting a padlock whenever she needs to go.
Except when it comes to cooking. Or nursing someone. She's got the right heart, but goes way overboard.
A-Cup Angst: Subaru has a pretty decent bust size, but she definitely got upset when Mayoi called her flat-chested while the latter is in denial mode regarding "his" true gender. Kureha is a full-blown Pettanko, and is apparently self-conscious about it — she apparently reads Jiro's thoughts when he was thinking this about her in the pool episode.
After she gets drunk in the light novel, Subaru admits to drinking milk every day in to be, in her words, "like Kana-chan."
Usami on occasion as well. Hey, that's what's you get when you hang out with Nakuru.
Both Usami and Kureha get a bit jealous when a clothing lady is measuring Nakuru's bust size and comments on how big they are in episode 13.
And then there's Nakuru's older sister Shuredeiga. Despite being in her last year of high school, she looks she should be in elementary school.
Adaptation Induced Plot Hole: So, why didn't Subaru use that big bag of weapons carried just in case of an emergency like Kanade's kidnapping? In the light novel, the kidnapper already knows about the bag and specifically orders her not to bring it. It also serves as a bit of Foreshadowing that something's up with the whole situation.
All of the Other Reindeer: Usami really is lonely. Until she befriended Jiro, she was unable to trust anyone. The fact that she lived by herself after her family broke up probably didn't help either.
Allergic to Love: Jiro gets a nosebleed anytime a woman touches him.
Alliterative Name: One of the two Subaru fangirl camps bears the name "Shooting Star Subaru-Sama". Lampshaded as they refer to themselves as "S4".
All Men Are Perverts: Many girls seem to automatically think Jiro is this, despite his gynophobia. On one example, Kanade climbed on the table and tried to kiss a clearly terrified Jiro. Subaru then comes in, and asks if he was trying to kiss Kanade. Particularly bad because Subaru, being Kanade's butler, should know better than anyone how naughty and teasing Kanade is...
Subaru is associated with sheep, because sheep (hitsuji) and butler (shitsuji) sound similar.
Usami has a rabbit (usagi) motif for the same reason, and for some reason styles her hair in a way that vaguely resembles rabbit ears despite supposedly hating that conflation.
Amusing Injuries: In episode 5, when Jiro first runs into Usami, after a brief conversation she jumps onto his chest, which knocks him out. A few hours later, he awakens in the nurse's room at school, and has two boot prints on his chest after he lifts his shirt up.
Artificial Riverbank: In Episode 4 Kanade introduces Jiro to Nagare (sans his wolf-mask), who camped out in one such riverbank, after increasing tensions between him and his daughter Subaru (ever since Kanade's staged kidnapping and its unforeseen consequences) irritated Kanade's father such that he kicked them out of his mansion until they reconcile.
Bad Liar: Subaru is terrible at lying when she's embarrassed.
She does a poor job of concealing that she's hungry after her stomach growls from not having eaten for a day.
In the novel and episode 4 of the anime, she offers to do the laundry for Jirou while staying over at his place, after sparring. He catches her sniffing his recently used sweaty towel, after which all she manages to say is this:
Base Breaker: In-Universe, Jiro has unwittingly become this to Subaru's fangirls, on account of his (alleged) gay romance with Subaru. In fact, fangirls who approve of their relationship (implied to constitute roughly half of Subaru's entire fanbase), led by Nakuru, formed their own club, "Let's Warmly Protect Subaru-Sama Committee" (Mimamorugai), leaving the original club, "Shooting Star Subaru-Sama" (S4), entirely to the other half — the ones who vehemently object to such a relationship.
Batman Gambit: In Episode 3 Kanade was kidnapped by a knife-wielding man in a wolf-mask. Turns out she planned it all along, and her "kidnapper" is Subaru's father, Nagare. She intended to help Subaru overcome her fear of knives, though things spun a bit out of control because Jiro fought Nagare, resulting in some friction between father and daughter.
Bears Are Bad News: Kureha encountered one while wandering around during her club camp outing. She beat it, but not before she broke an arm and got sent home early.
Beautiful All Along: While Nakuru isn't THAT bad looking with her glasses on, when she loses it temporarily, even Jiro is awestruck momentarily by her beauty.
Because You Were Nice to Me: Usami is won over and begins to open up more because despite her antics and lies in episodes 5 and 6, he still regarded her as a friend.
Bed Mate Reveal: Happens to Jiro in the first episode after waking up in the nurse's office. For some reason Kanade had a sheet completely over her.
Happens again in episode 7 in a hotel at the beach.
Best Her to Bed Her: Kureha fell in love with Subaru after "he" defeated her while she was forcing Jiro back from "him".
Big Breasts, Big Deal: Nakuru's something of a light Type1/Type2, in that she doesn't really make a big deal about them, but episode 13 shows she's got a few issues regarding them locked away.
Birthday Episode: Kureha has a dedicated Birthday Episode to add more flavor to the protagonist's character. Not to mention, the episode was complete with a female cast birthday song with some Gratuitous English.
Bishie Sparkle: Happens at least twice in episode 13. First to Nakuru when Jiro is looking at her without her glasses on, then later to Jiro when Nakuru looks at him and is wondering why he suddenly seems cooler.
Bi the Way: Kanade says that Subaru was her first love and she kisses Jiro.
Blackmail: Poor Jiro just can't catch a break, can he?
In the very first episode alone, Kanade blackmails him into keeping Subaru's secret by exploiting his nosebleed reflex.
In Episode 5, Usami of the S4 blackmails him into becoming her "boyfriend" during the School Festival with a picture of him and Subaru wearing Rouran's female uniform on their mock date back in Episode 2, as a gambit to defeat Mimamorugai.
Both girls, however, also made promises that could prove beneficial to Jiro in the long run: Kanade will help cure his gynophobia; and Usami will negotiate with her higher-ups to leave him alone.
Some bottles of "Jin Be" (Jim Beam) can be seen in the cafe in episode 13.
And many more, including anomate, PlayStationary5, Mitsubusu, Codomo...
Blatant Lies: Several examples, largely to keep unaware characters from suspecting Subaru is a girl.
One happens when Kanade tells Kureha that she's dating Jiro in episode 3.
In episode 7 Kanade says that Subaru in a bikini is actually "his" cousin, Punyuru. Kureha falls for both lies.
The whole school falls for it in episode 12, despite them transferring in and out at the same time. This is lampshaded by Usami.
In episode 7 Subaru's father Nagare nearly blows her cover, but both Kanade and Subaru come up with some lies to make it seem like he's a pervert. It works rather well.
Jiro's public Love Confession to Kanade in episode 6, and her sudden rejection, in order to prevent the S4 girls from attacking him. Surprisingly it works, and Kanade later tells him she loves him, to get back at his fake one earlier.
Narumi Shuredeiga, Nakuru's older sister does this to Usami in volume six of the light novels. She then presented the girl to Jiro, thinking that Tsundere girls were his type, in order to get his help in patching things up with his sister.
Bowdlerization: After her lie is found out, Usami almost commits suicide before Jirou saves her in the manga and light novel. In the anime, she was instead about to withdraw from school.
Nagare falls into this trope occasionally as well when Subaru is involved.
Buxom Is Better: Nakuru much to Kureha and Usami's irritation. This trope is why a random boy confessed to her in episode 13, and she forces to Jiro help her see if its true.
Cameo: In episode 9, Mirai Suenaga, mascot of Danny Choo, shows up at the Butler Cafe Subaru gets strong-armed into working at part-time.
She's at the comic market in episode 13, as well as the school festival in episode 6.
Can't Hold Her Liquor: Subaru has negative alcohol tolerance, getting drunk on less alcohol than is humanly possible. She gets drunk (and eventually passes out) after eating a single piece of food with a small amount of cream sauce - made with a fairly small amount of white wine that would have had at least part of the alcohol cooked out.
In episode 8, Usami claims that Nakuru got "drunk" off a carbonated drink. Considering how she acts and looks, Usami probably wasn't too far off the mark.
Kanade does this as well in Episode 12. She was that close to confessing her true feelings to him, but decided to back out at the last moment. She's clearly holding back for Subaru's sake.
Subaru cosplays as one at the beginning of episode 4.
Cat Smile: Kureha and Nakuru display one from time to time.
Shuredeiga is even stronger than both of them.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Subaru and Kureha are superhumanly strong. Jiro can get hit by a scooter (and in the manga, a semi) at high speed without a scratch.
Clingy Jealous Girl: Subaru, particularly whenever Jiro is forced to spend too much time with Usami.
Kureha seems this way towards Jiro. She always seems a bit too interested in why Subaru is hanging out with Jiro all the time, or why there's female underwear in their house such as in episode 4.
Usami isn't immune to this either, and gets jealous whenever Jiro isn't paying enough attention to her, especially when Kanade is around.
Color Failure: Happens to Jiro occasionally, such as when Kureha pinches him really hard when she's trying to impress Subaru.
Comically Missing the Point: Kureha sees Subaru dressed in the female school uniform. She concludes that "he" is a crossdressing pervert.
Conservation of Ninjutsu: Blatantly enforced in episode 12 when Jiro goes to the area the S4 girls hang out in. None of them can lay a hand on him, and he even manages to block two attacks at the same time.
Continuity Nod: At the end of the sixth novel, Jiro and Kureha lose their house in a fire. Kanade offers to let them stay at her house, provided they need to earn their keep. Part of her reasoning is that she recently employed a girl in a similar position, and it wouldn't be fair to said girl — Mayoi Hinata — if she just let them freeload.
Covert Pervert: Kanade, though it's less covert around the people who know her true self.
Mayoi, full stop. Her mind is constantly wandering down thoughts highly unsuitable for a high school freshman.
Subaru accidentally lets out a Freudian Slip when Usami comments on Jiro's half-naked avatar in an indie fighting game. It suggests that she likes imagining him in a birthday suit.
When Nagare questions Jiro about finding Subaru's panties in the bathhouse in episode 8, Subaru wonders why he would know what type she wears.
Crash into Hello: How Jiro meets Nakuru (in the hallway) and Usami (on a scooter).
Crowbar Combatant: Ichigo whips out her trusty crowbar on anyone who she thinks disrespects her beloved Kanade.
Cry Cute: Subaru in Episode 3, after Jiro risked his life saving Kanade from what ultimately turns out to be a staged kidnapping meant to help Subaru overcome her fear of knives.
At the end of Chapter 12 of the manga, Usami cries when she realizes she doesn't want to die yet after Jiro manages to inspire her to live on, even as she's dangling onto Jiro's hand for dear life.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Subaru knocks out the usually strong Kureha with one kick in episode 2 after the latter thinks that the former is trying to trick her brother into a perverted relationship.
Nagare absolutely stomps Jiro in episode 3. The one punch that Jiro manages to land doesn't even faze him.
While its mentioned that Nagare is much stronger than Subaru, he never seems to actually be able to beat her, although it may be due to him holding back for her sake, such as the fight in episode 3, or her launching a surprise counterattack on him in episode 8.
Cuteness Overload: Kanade asks Subaru (as "Punyuru") to call her "Kana onee-chan". She complies... and Kanade falls to her knees.
Kanade: "I think I've created a monster."
She then turns around and has "Punyuru" call Jiro "Jiro onii-chan" in the manga and light novel. He also falls to the ground.
Dead Guy Junior: Played with — Jiro took his nickname from the full name of his (and Kureha's) late father.
Defeat Means Friendship: Kureha despised Subaru at first, until she easily defeated her. Now Kureha is in love with Subaru, though is unaware that he is a she.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Subaru's a very mild case, or at least a very quick one. She goes from trying to beat Jirou senseless to having a lovey-dovey date with him and taking his first kissvery quickly, especially for this genre.
Usami. She's very cold towards Jiro at first, but eventually starts warming up to him.
Disproportionate Retribution: While Jiro understandably gets beaten up when he first discovers Subaru's secret, some of the other stuff that happens to him fits this trope rather well.
Subaru punches him after he claims he's dating Usami in episode 5 and has to break off his plan to spend the day with her. She does it again when he tells her where he was and what he was doing in the beginning of episode 7.
Kureha uses wrestling moves on him to wake him up, or whenever she's mad at him, or even when she's happy with him. If he's not available, she beats up her teddy bear instead.
Nagare's first fight with him in episode 3. He claims he was holding back, but Jiro doesn't think he was. Later in episode 8, he nearly dropkicks Jiro in the bathhouse, until Subaru counters him.
The S4 girls try to attack him several times, and the other group even joins in during episode 12, but he always manages to avoid or block their attacks.
Driven to Suicide: Usami in the manga, due to her inability to trust anyone finally getting too much for her. Fortunately, Jiro is able to stop her, turning this into an Interrupted Suicide.
Early-Bird Cameo: While the opening kind of gives it away, Nakuru is seen early on, but isn't a main member of the cast until several episodes later.
Easy Amnesia: Subaru claims to have an ability to make people forget stuff by beating them up in the first episode. However, we don't get to see this "ability" until episode 8, when she uses on both her father, and then Jiro. Neither one of them can remember what happened the previous night.
Embarrassing Nickname: Jiro's full name (in Japanese order) — Sakamachi Kinjiro — has an unfortunate arrangement such that the last syllable of his surname and the first of his given name can be combined to sound like "chicken", something he really has a major complex with (thus he prefers to be addressed as "Jiro") and called out on by Kanade and later Usami. This is also what gives us part of the series' title.
Usami herself has one, as her name sounds similar to "usagi" ("rabbit"), a fact that gets made fun of a lot. It doesn't help that she's pretty petite and the ribbons that bind her twintails stick out like bunny ears.
Erotic Eating: In episode 4, during a maid vs butler contest, Kanade puts an apple slice in her mouth, then proceeds to provocatively feed Jiro this way. Subaru then takes a slice, and starts chewing on it rather vigorously, with the implication that she was going to kiss him to feed him.
Fangirl: Usami, a member of S4 (the camp objecting to Jiro's alleged gay romance with Subaru).
Also, Nakuru, leader of Mimamorugai (the other Subaru fangirl camp, which approves of "his" alleged gay romance with Jiro).
Fetish: Nakuru and boys in glasses, which explains why her BLdoujinshi features Jiro and Subaru in glasses. She doesn't seem to recognize Jiro without his glasses either, and would gladly give him a pair (because regardless, he fits her definition of "hunk").
False Start: The end of Episode 8 makes it appear that Subaru is about to confess to Jiro, but then tells him to forget about it. Next episode she tells him she was really asking him to be her best friend, but the look on her face as she walks away suggests otherwise.
Funny Background Event: In Episode 6, during Jiro and Usami's "date", Subaru can be seen in the background eying a booth of "Lost Sheep" paraphernalia.
In the same episode, while Usami and Jiro are having a serious discussion, Kurose (in a nurse outfit) is dancing with another guy, and is trying to kiss him.
Throughout Kureha's birthday party at Usami's home in Episode 10, the ghosts haunting her apartment randomly pop up in the scene in ways that creep out Kureha.
Subaru has a fondness for Gratuitous English names, like "Butler Knuckle" or "End of Earth", and gives Jiro the nickname "Silver Killer" when confronting him in the manga and Light Novel. Jiro points out how ridiculous these names are to Subaru's embarrassment.
In episode 3, after Subaru accidentally sees her half naked, Kureha asks Jiro if Subaru mentioned her underwear. He says no.
Kureha: No reaction? Boy's Love.
Jiro in episode 4.
Jiro: Welcome, my Golden Week!
Kanade in episode 4 as well.
Kanade: Mouth to mouth (said during a "contest" between her and Subaru in regards to feeding him)
Nakuru in episode 8 as well, after jumping out a window to save a Boys Love manga Subaru threw out.
Nakuru: I can fly!
In the light novels, Jiro is a big offender, partially because the story's written from his point of view, but that's no excuse for most of it.
Hartman Hips: Kureha, although the school uniform tends to emphasize everyone's hips. Subaru's got surprisingly wide hips despite being a bifauxnen.
Hopeless Suitor: In the anime at least, practically anyone not named Subaru Konoe. It's not certain if Kanade was just teasing him or if she did have feelings for him, and while Usami seems to clearly like him, it seems she doesn't have much of a chance. Nakuru meanwhile seems to have some hints of liking him in episode 13, but she seems more interested in Shipping Jiro with Subaru, who she doesn't realize is a girl.
Subaru has a look on her face that seems to invoke this trope shortly after Jiro publicly confesses his love to Kanade in episode 6. Luckily for her, Kanade turns him down publicly as well and then later explains to Subaru they did that to avoid the S4 girls thinking he had the hots for Subaru and beating him up as a result.
Hot Mom: Jiro and Kureha's mother, Yakemi, herself a former champion wrestler.
Innocent Cohabitation: In Episode 4 Subaru temporarily moves in with Jiro after she and Nagare had a falling-out after Kanade's "kidnapping" last episode ended with a surprise, forcing Kanade's father to kick them out until they reconcile. She visits regularly before and after for the ostensible purpose of making sure he keeps her secret.
Insecure Love Interest: Due to the nature of her situation, Subaru is constantly worried that she either isn't good enough for Jiro, or that he's either dating, or likes someone else. Despite that, Jiro always tries to reassure her.
In-Series Nickname: "Jiro" for Kinjiro. And he prefers to be called as such, thanks to the embarrassing nature of his real name.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Kanade is this towards Subaru and Jiro at the end of episode 12, especially after Jiro mentions wanting to be strong enough to protect someone.
In the light novel, after worrying about her own feelings, even after she promised Subaru she'd help her properly convey her feelings to Jiro, Kanade decides, with a bit of push from Jiro, albeit unwittingly, to step up her teasing of him. When he warns her that if she did that, in time he'd probably begin to hate her. Her response?
It's fine if you hate me. But I will keep my promise.
Subaru tries to invoke this trope in episode 7 when she thinks that Jiro is dating Usami. But its obvious that she wouldn't be happy with that situation, which fortunately for her turns out to be false.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Kanade may be a perverted sadist, but she genuinely cares for Subaru, and even encourages Jiro to be her friend since she can't find one on her own.
Kanade also keeps her word in helping Jiro cure his gynophobia, though in ways which fluster and/or humiliate him.
After learning that she is orphaned, Kanade tells Mayoi that she wants her to be more like a family member instead of a mere servant.
Lethal Chef: Subaru. When she tries cooking something with Jiro in the light novel, he mentions that he repeatedly had to stop her from accidentally setting fire to the house multiple times.
Loners Are Freaks: Usami initially. Her intro in episode 5 even emphasizes it as she does things by herself in contrast to other girls who are talking and having fun with each other.
Love Epiphany: Subaru experiences a subtle one in episode 7 after Jiro clears up the misunderstanding with when he went to Usami's apartment earlier.
Seems to happen to Nakuru as well at the end of episode 13 after looking at a sparkling, much cooler looking for some reason, Jiro. She responds by running away and leaving her food for Jiro to pick up.
Kanade seems to have one in episode 11 while a "drunk" Subaru tries to kiss and get really friendly with Jiro before passing out. Kanade doesn't say anything, but the look Jiro sees on her face hints that she's not happy seeing them together like that.
Made of Iron: Jiro, thanks to Yakemi and Kureha's "training".
In Episode 5 he managed to land perfectly on both feet and stand up like nothing happened even after he got blown away by Usami's scooter, whereas Usami was knocked cold for a while.
In the manga's Sick Episode, he even got to stand up and walk to Subaru even after he got ran over by a truck to tell her that he's not going to die before collapsing. He's fine after a few days' rest.
Manipulative Bitch: Kanade, who qualifies under multiple subtypes listed on that trope's page.
Meaningful Name: Jirou's name means "stand by me", according to his father. Which now pretty much defines his relationship to Subaru.
Subaru's surname, Konoe, means "Imperial Guard", which matches quite well with her family's profession.
Incidentally, the Kin in Kinjirou and the Kon in Konoe are both the same character (近), meaning close or nearby, which may or may not have any significance.
Martial Arts and Crafts: It's not exactly this, but the Handcrafting Club is extremely hardcore. You know Kureha? She's in third place in regards to strength. And there's the "training camps." In the manga one of them had the club members sneak aboard a ship in the dead of night and sailing to an abandoned island.
Measuring Day: Subaru goes to the boys' measuring station to keep the facade, and Jiro offers to do it for her.
Megaton Punch: Jiro is on the receiving end of these a lot.
Meido: As expected of an Ojou, Kanade has a few around her mansion. At one time she also dresses up as one to compete with Subaru over who can best serve Jiro and Kureha.
Mayoi was also forced into becoming one for the Suzutsuki household (besides her other job in a Maid Cafe — the same one Usami works in, and where Kureha and Nakuru also did part-time) in order to keep her mum about Subaru's secret.
Missing Mom: Subaru's mother passed away when she was five. This fuels her enthusiasm to tend to the sick Jiro during her stint as his butler.
Mistaken for Gay: Jiro, due to the covert nature of Subaru's crossdressing.
Mood Whiplash: At the end of episode 7, Nagare interrupts the little gathering at the beach, saying he needs to bring Subaru and Kanade back, complete with Scary Shiny Glasses. Both girls react in the correct manner... and then Kanade asks who he is. Worse still, Subaru (as "Punyuru") pretended she doesn't even know him and even threatened to call the cops. Though it didn't help that he was constantly blowing her cover in front of her friends.
One Dialogue, Two Conversations: This trope happens too many times to count, especially in the Light Novel and, to a lesser extent, the manga. Some noteworthy examples:
Twice in Episode 5. First, after Jiro got run over by Usami, his glasses somehow got stuck under her skirt. It doesn't help that he used rather vague language to explain the situation.
The second was when he was consulting Subaru about his First Kiss.
There's another just in the light novel. Kureha asked what Subaru and Jirou were doing all day while she was away at camp. What they actually did was spar in the Sakamachi house's dojo. What Subaru said, though:
Subaru: "We spent all day working up a sweat. I thought a full day of moving our bodies like that was too long, but leave it to Jirou to say he couldn't stop because he was getting so fired up."
Especially the Beach Episode, where Subaru was wondering if he likes them big. Jiro, thinking she is referring to the water melon the girl has he agrees. Even added they are taster that way much to Subaru's shock.
Only Sane Man: It's common in these types of series to have some thinly veiled manzai routines as conversations, but these seem to comprise half of Jiro's conversations in the Light Novel—Subaru and Kureha are particularly big offenders when it comes to saying ridiculous things. The anime adaptation has much less of it in favor of sight gags and Gratuitous English, though.
Overprotective Dad: Subaru's dad, Nagare. He definitely means well; too bad he's blind to the fact that his little girl is already turning into a young lady who needs support outside familial ties.
This trope is likely why Kanade knocks out Jiro during the paintball Battle Royale. She probably knew Nagare would lose it had any guy, especially Jiro, won. Considering he was ready to do a mega dropkick on Jiro earlier in the episode for merely taking a bath in the same water as Subaru, and Nagare breathing a sigh of relief when Kanade wins the kiss from Subaru (who conveniently won the yukata contest earlier), she probably saved him some unnecessary wrath from the dad.
Paper-Thin Disguise: Oddly enough, nobody seems to recognize Jiro without his glasses. Kureha and Nakuru were convinced by Kanade that Subaru in a bikini and glasses is "his" female cousin, "Punyuru Takanashi". Usami, meanwhile, thinks "he" makes for a crossdresser so god-level it makes people question their sexuality.
Panty Shot: Jiro gets one from Usami as she kicks him on their first meeting, but the audience doesn't see it (in the broadcast anime version at least) He manages to say "pink" while falling.
Parental Abandonment: Jiro and Kureha's dad died of an illness, and their mom Yakemi, already at the top of the Japanese women's wrestling world, decided to travel around the world (currently in India fighting tigers) to find new challenges.
Subaru's mother died of an illness when she was five, thus she can relate to Kureha's Primal Fear of losing Jiro to an illness.
Mayoi's parents died in an accident a year before the story starts.
Perpetual Poverty: Usami always seems to have money problems, whether its buying food, taking the train, or fixing her motor scooter. Averted with the other characters, who don't seem to have any financial difficulties, especially Kanade.
Punny Name: Jiro's full name — Sakamachi Kinjiro — has the misfortune of having the last syllable of his surname and the first of his given name sound like "chicken". He literally panics when Kanade realized and points it out.
Kanade: "Chicken-kun?"
Usami: "Sakama Chicken Jiro!"
In the Light Novel, Kanade suggests he marry someone with the surname "Okamachi" and adopt her surname, so his new name, "Okamachi Kinjiro", can be read as "Okama Chicken Jiro" — "Gay Chicken Jiro".
Which is kind of ironic, seeing as how she beats him up almost every day and sees absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Qipao: Subaru when being a "waitress" for her class' crossdressing cafe during the school festival, complete with Odango.
Rapunzel Hair: Kanade, Yakemi and Subaru (with her hair down).
Recursive Crossdressing: Subaru as "Punyuru Takanashi", "his" female cousin, for whenever Kanade feels the need to get Subaru to embrace her feminine side without blowing her cover before her schoolmates (except Jiro and Mayoi, of course).
Actually, only Jiro and Usami really thinks of her this way, which is justified because of all the "torture" she seems to enjoy putting them in. No one else seems to really care about her status, nor does she really flaunt herself as being "better" than other people.
Schmuck Bait: Kanade likes to do this to Jiro. One example is in the first episode, shortly after he wakes up in the nurse's office, Kanade tells him the surgery was successful and that he's now a cyborg and can transform. So he says "Transform!" completely straight-faced, only to have her laugh at him a moment later.
Another example is in episode 7 when she makes Usami beg to stay in their hotel room. Usami wonders why she was the only one who had to do it, despite Kureha and Nakuru being there as well.
Seamless Spontaneous Lie: Kanade is really good at this as seen in the Blatant Lies trope above. She's less effective on Usami however, who sees right through Kanade's lie about being on the beach with Jiro in episode 7.
Second Year Protagonist: Jiro, Subaru, Usami, and Kanade. Kureha, Nakuru and Mayoi are in their first.
Secret Keeper: Jiro and Mayoi, concerning Subaru's true gender. Both are being forced to do so by Kanade — Jiro through exploiting his nosebleed reflex, and Mayoi through pressuring her into becoming a Meido for the Suzutsukis.
Subaru asks Kanade to keep their real reason for the trip to the beach a secret from Jiro in episode 7. He gets upset with them because he felt they were ruining his summer vacation, to which Subaru counters that he's keeping his own secrets from them (from when she smelled meat and potatoes on him, as well as a girly smell at the beginning of the episode). He does find out later why Kanade brought them there, with the lie she made up so that Subaru could visit her mother's grave on the anniversary of her death, which she wouldn't of been able to if Kanade went overseas with her parents.
Serious Business: Fangirling over "Subaru-sama" and the issue of what to make of Jiro's alleged gay romance with Subaru. The latter is what divided "his" fangirls between the objecting S4 and the supportive Mimamorugai, escalating into a full-fledged war come the School Festival.
Kanade's hiccups in Episode 11. Turns out she was trolling again.
She Is Not My Girlfriend: Jiro gets questioned on Subaru's relationship with him by her father while they're in the public bath in episode 8. Jiro vehemently denies being anything more than just classmates and friends. Which causes Subaru, who's hiding right behind him, to let off an annoyed grunt. She also seems rather unhappy in the next scene, which then prompts her False Start comment at the end of the episode.
Towards the end of episode 7, he is forced to tell Subaru about what he did at Usami's apartment, and reassure her that they weren't dating.
Not to mention that in the very same episode the game Kanade gave Usami is a reference that would be more immediately obvious to the show's original Japanese audience, but is a bit of a Genius Bonus to international audiences: Ryuunosuke Akutagawa's short story "The Spider's Thread".
Still in episode 10, Yui Ogura and Kaori Ishihara voiced two waitresses who look suspiciously similar to Ako and Riko. It's no coincidence, as both seiyuus sang said show's ending theme, "Our Steady Boy". Why the studio did not bother to get Ayana Taketatsu and Yuiko Tatsumi to have voice roles is a mystery.
Episode 10 also reveals that Toshio and Sadako haunt Usami's apartment.
Again, the same episode: last year on Kureha's birthday Jirou went to a "TKG48" concert.
In Episode 13:
Kureha and Usami disguise themselves as Natsuru and Aria
The Eye Catch looks suspiciously like the famous pose for the Ore No Imouto light novels.
Nakuru is reading a manga that's cover is very similar to Kimi ni Todoke.
Sick Episode: Jiro gets sick around the second half of episode 4, which worries Kanade and Kureha, but especially Subaru, who feared he really would die.
"Silly Me" Gesture: Kanade does this to Jiro in episode 7 after he finds out he's been forced to go to a hotel resort with her, along with her cover up story that they're lovers who ran away because of their parent's refusal to recognize their relationship.
Skewed Priorities: Nakuru's fetishes. Where she jumped out of a second story building to grab her yaoi comic. And later in the manga, when her $10 glasses where thrown over the edge of a skyscraper, she destroys her camera gear worth in the thousands when she tosses it aside and jumped off to get them.
Spit Take: In episode 7, Jiro does this twice in one scene. The first is when Subaru calls him on his cellphone while he's hanging out with Kureha, Usami, and Nakuru, who don't realize Subaru is a girl. She's wondering why he's taking so long buying drinks, and decides to come over to the shop, causing him to spit the water. He warns them not to come into the shop, but then Subaru informs him that they're already there, causing him to spit out some more water, and forcing him to come up with a Paper-Thin Disguise for her.
Squee: The schoolgirls often do this whenever Subaru is around.
Usami does this very briefly after eating an octopus ball at the school festival in episode 6
Stealth Hi/Bye: Kanade seems to be a master of this. It usually surprises the other characters when she does show up.
Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl: Usami has one, and a few other ghosts living in her apartment, freaking Kureha out.
Strong Family Resemblance: Jiro and Kureha are nearly identical to their father and mother, respectively.
The Tease: Kanade big time towards Jiro. Particularly hilarious in episode 7 while on the beach. She asks Jiro to put some sunscreen on her, then makes some really suggestive sounds and lines, which causes a lot of embarrassment for him, and causes Subaru to ask if he wants to play Smashing Watermelons, or get buried in the sand. Cue Jiro's shock when he sees Subaru wielding a really large spiked club, and having dug a very deep pit in the sand.
An even milder case is Subaru herself, though she have been defrosted quickly towards Jiro.
Kanade pulls a tsundere act towards the computer club, possibly as a reward for her request to make a game.
Unprovoked Pervert Payback: Kinjirou has gynophobia or fear of GIRLS, yet other characters are quick to forget this. Even then, there's one instance that stands out: the very naughty, perverted and dominant Kanade is on top of the table and leaning on top of a sitting down Kinjirou, trying to kiss him as he tries to avoid her lips, when her female Battle Butler Subaru walks into the room and yells at Kinjirou "What are you doing at Mistress Kanade?", even though it was impossible to think anything but that Kanade was the one being a pervert here, as it was extremely obvious! And yes, Subaru is fully aware of Kanade being pervy and Kinjirou scared of women, so it seems someone slipped one Idiot Ball into her pocket before that scene. Or twelve.
Unwanted Harem: Pretty much all the main girls to Jiro. Kanade in particular likes to tease him a lot. Although she claims to be doing it under the pretext of curing him of his gynophobia, she seems to like watching him suffer when other girls are around him as well, especially with Subaru.
Violently Protective Girlfriend: While Subaru likes to hit Jiro whenever she suspects he's too interested in other girls, when other girls try to attack him, she can suddenly invoke this trope. Such as with Kureha in episode 2, and later Usami in episode 6. And she also protects him from her dad in a couple of episodes.
Wounded Gazelle Gambit: In episode 13, Nakuru pays a visit to Jiro's house. When he sees her at the door, he immediately tries to close it, then threatens to call the police because he doesn't want "that weirdo" in his house. So she resorts to yelling out for help and that she was being kidnapped, which forces him to let her in, lest someone really does come and thinks he's trying to kidnap her...
Wrestler in All of Us: How Kureha wakes up Jiro. Also, Yakemi is supposedly strong enough to beat a tiger with her bare hands.
Writer's Block: Nakuru gets one in Episode 13 concerning her BL doujins. She asks Jiro for help.
Younger Than They Look: Nagare has to be in his mid-30s, but Jiro just can't see him as looking older than 25. Subaru was also described as young-looking in the Light Novel despite being his age.
Zettai Ryouiki: Most of the girls while in the school uniform are sporting this. Usami manages to do it with thigh high boots.
0 reviews 