Literature / Golden Time

The heroine and the main character, Kouko Kaga and Banri Tada.

Banri Tada has just been admitted to Fukurai University, a prestigious private law school in Tokyo, hoping to start anew after a fall off a bridge the day after his high school graduation rendered him amnesiac. Being a country boy from Shizuoka Prefecture, who has just entered Tokyo for the first time, he naturally loses his way, in the process meeting Mitsuo Yanagisawa, himself another lost newcomer, and both young men immediately got off to a good start.

As luck would have it, however, just as they reach Fukurai, Banri and Mitsuo run into a beautiful girl about their age, carrying a bouquet of roses... who proceeds to repeatedly whack Mitsuo in the face with said bouquet before wishing him well in his studies and leaving.

As Mitsuo explains to Banri, that beautiful girl is Kouko Kaga, a young heiress to a hospital magnate, who forced a marriage promise from him back in their grade-school days. Fed up with her aggressive behavior towards him, Mitsuo secretly took Fukurai's entrance exams to escape her and, like Banri, start anew. Unfortunately for him, it seems that Kouko has tailed him, and is now sharing the same classroom as both boys, claiming she is not giving up on Mitsuo, to the point of having Banri help her keep in touch with him.

Add to the mix Nana "Linda" Hayashida, a second-year member of the Festival Club, Takaya Sato, an otaku freshman, Chinami Oka, another first-year who looks too young for her age, and Nana, an aloof third-year, and Banri, Kouko and Mitsuo may just have the time of their lives.

Golden Time is a light novel series written by Yuyuko Takemiya, author of Toradora!, and illustrated by Eiji Komatsu (of Maburaho fame), which published by ASCII Media Works under its Dengeki Bunko brand from 2010 to 2014 for 11 volumes. It also has an manga adaptation illustrated by Umechazuke, which was also serialized in ASCII's Dengeki Daioh manga anthology from 2011 to 2016; it's been licensed by Seven Seas Entertainment for English-language release starting in late 2015. It also received a 24-episode anime adaptation starting Fall 2013, directed by Chiaki Kon and produced by J.C. Staff (which also adapted Toradora!), deliberately scheduled to end its run at almost the same time as the novels themselves. Sentai Filmworks released the anime on video in North America (subtitled only in 2014-15, rereleased with an English dub in 2019).

Crunchyroll is streaming the anime, and can be viewed here for people living in the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Netherlands, Turkey, Central and South America.

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Tropes in Golden Time include:

• The Abridged Series: One of just the first episode by Faulerro.
• Accidental Misnaming: Banri calls Linda "Barbara" in episode 3.
• Aerith and Bob: Everyone has a traditional Japanese name. However, Nana, AKA Linda, uses a noticeably American nickname. Then there's also the quaintly-named "2-D-kun".
• Amnesiac Hero: Banri. In episode 3 he tells Kouko about it, having lost his memory about a day after his high school graduation after falling off a bridge in his hometown. He's also not sure if he'd want his memories to come back, feeling they belonged to the "old" Banri, and the "new" one would be lost if they did come back.
• Anguished Declaration of Love:
  • Oka gives one in episode 21, to Banri, oddly enough. However, she was telling him that she was in love with Mitsuo, and only realized it after he started showing interest in Linda. She was hoping to be okay with that, but secretly wanted him to get dumped so she could snag him on the rebound.
  • Linda gives one to Banri indirectly in episode 22, wishing she could go back to "that day", when he was waiting for her at the bridge. She admits that she knows it's too late for her, but says it anyway.
• Armor-Piercing Question:
  • Mitsuo starts to learn about Banri's amnesia around episode 17. He tries to ask several characters, but they either give him a runaround, such as Linda and Kouko, or they explain what they know from their perspective, such as Takaya with the cult, which doesn't give him a satisfying answer.
  • Mitsuo confronts Banri personally about it in episode 19, and Banri is seriously considering telling him everything. However, before the latter can say anything after his internal monologue, Mitsuo drops the question and hopes he wasn't being too awkward by asking it. Linda also later tells Banri it's okay to reveal their past to him.
• Artistic License – Medicine: The trope is subverted in that, while Banri appears to have an unusually smooth recovery from his severe head trauma (other than amnesia), by the end of the series it's clear that he's had significant and progressively worsening brain damage. Some of the symptoms are fairly realistic, though his doctors are very lax about his treatment.
• Attractive Bent-Gender: Banri as a maid in episode 12.
• Attractiveness Isolation: Kouko gets this. Because she's beautiful, stylish, and wealthy, everyone seems intimidated by her and the guys think they have no chance with her.
• Beach Episode: Episode 15, although it's initially ruined by a series of misfortunes, such as heavy traffic and rain. Nevertheless, the characters make the most out of the situation.
• Berserk Button: If you're female, don't try to get close to Mitsuo when Kouko is around.
• Bishie Sparkle: Kouko uses it in episode 7. It engulfs Banri as well, as both are quite happy to see each other since their Relationship Upgrade.
• Blank Slate: A subverted trope; Banri was apparently one after losing his memories, but after spending a year in rehab he developed a rather vibrant personality by the time the series starts. It also seems that he underwent a significant personality shift in the process. It may also have been deconstructed—after spending so much time coping with his lack of a past, he seems to be very good at covering things up via acting.
• Blank White Eyes:
  • Kouko and Mitsuo display some in episode 6.
  • Chinami has some in episode 16 after being reminded she has to work when she suggests visiting Kouko.
• Blue with Shock: Kouko in episode 20 after Banri asks her about "the exorcist" thing she did in episode 18 while he was visiting home.
• Book Ends: At one point, Banri takes a particular fascination in Linda's shoes and she sees this, telling him those are her running sneakers. He becomes even more fascinated by the fact her pretty feet fill them. Later, when all his memories return in full, he rushes off in indoor sandals to go confess his feelings to Kaga. However, Banri stumbles in the sandals because they weren't meant to be worn on hard terrain. Linda catches up to him and gives him her trusty sneakers, and now his feet get to fill them and the shoes carry him all the way to his beloved Kaga.
• Break the Cutie: Kouko when she gets dumped by Mitsuo.
• Brutal Honesty:
  • Used by Mitsuo in episode 4, and Banri in episode 6. Both were towards Kouko. In Mitsuo's case, he was extremely angry at her Clingy Jealous Girl tirade towards Chinami earlier in the week. In Banri's, he was sick and tired of just being friends with her, while she was still clinging onto Mitsuo after the latter had clearly explained to her that he didn't like her.
  • Used by Banri's male clubmates in episode 11 when he asks them for advice regarding the beach. When he admits to not having a drivers license or much money, they tease him about it.
  • The second opening itself is rife with some very unpleasant but undeniable lyrics that life is fleeting, and strikes a sour chord with respect to the turmoil Kaga is going through with Banri about their budding romance.
• The Cameo: Miss Monochrome does a quick walk-through at the party Banri and Mitsuo work at. (She's a creation of Yui Horie, the voice of Kouko.)
• Cannot Spit It Out: Averted with Kouko, who's not afraid to admit her feelings. Played straight with Linda, who even after Banri gives a semi-Love Confession to her, still can't seem to bring herself to admitting her feelings to him. Which causes a lot of problems for them during the show.
• Character Focus: Chinami gets a lot more screentime and character development in episode 14. Up until this point she was largely relegated as a side character.
• Chekhov's Gun: Banri's broken mirror.
• Childhood Friends: Mitsuo and Kouko, as well as Banri and Nana.
• Childhood Marriage Promise: Kouko pretty much forced one on Mitsuo, and they spent practically all of their childhood together. And he doesn't seem to want any part of it, hence why he always tries to avoid her at college.
• Cliffhanger: One is used at the end of episode 15. After spending a day at the beach, Kouko volunteers to drive after Takaya says he's feeling really beat. Unfortunately, everyone else starts to doze off too, including both Banri and Kouko. "Old" Banri seems to have a My God, What Have I Done? moment when he realizes that the situation they're currently in could kill everyone in the van, and manages to jolt Banri awake in time to slam on the brakes as the car hits a guardrail...followed shortly by the credits...
• Clingy Jealous Girl:
  • Kouko, like you wouldn't believe. She snaps crazily at Chinami when the latter seems too friendly with Mitsuo in episode 4, and later in episode 11. She does it again in episode 10 towards Banri, but claims she was just teasing him and Linda. However, Mitsuo calls her out on it, and even Linda says she seemed rather serious about it.
  • Although subtle, Chinami makes use of this too in episode 15, by acting a little standoffish towards Mitsuo when he asks her about her predicament of having to find an apartment. She's a little upset at him after seeing him with Linda in the previous episode. And by episode 21, she admits to Banri that she still loves Mitsuo, and hoped things wouldn't work out with Linda so that she could get with him.
• Crash-Into Hello: Takaya does this to Banri to stop him from running away in episode 21 after Mitsuo calls him for help stopping their friend. However, he performs it by jumping off a ledge and hitting Banri in the face with his knee, causing him to suffer a nose bleed.
• Crazy Jealous Guy: Interestingly enough, Banri feels this way in episode 11 towards Linda when their club president seems to be able to talk to her so casually. However, he suppresses it because he hasn't told anyone that his memories have returned, and also because he's dating Kouko at the time, so he really has no right to be angry about who Linda is with.
• Credits Running Sequence: Kouko does one in the second opening.
• Cult: Kouko, Banri, and Takaya, along with some other students, nearly get inducted into one in episode 3. They also all realize almost right away that they're being forced to join as well. Also counts as a Scam Religion, since they manipulate members to buy expensive items and run Pyramid Schemes.
• Disguised in Drag: Banri dresses up like a maid in episode 11 at a part time job.
• Distracted by the Sexy: The female film club member who attempts to get into Mitsuo's apartment in episode 8. She is wearing a rather revealing top, and constantly makes sure it's in his view, causing him to be a little uncomfortable until Banri saves him.
• "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: Yui Horie, Kouko's voice actress, sings all four opening and ending themes used for the anime.
• Dragged Off to Hell: Played for laughs. In episode 2, the Tea Club literally drag Banri into their party as his friends watch in horror before the door slams shut, making it look like the gates of hell behind him. He even considered their party to be Hell itself. This is because the Tea Club girls are...
• The Dreaded: The Tea Club are a group of unabashed girls who are party animals; basically every character that encounters them recoils in fear, making them a Running Gag in the series.
• Dull Eyes of Unhappiness:
  • Mitsuo has some in episode 8 after he tells Chinami not to see him anymore due to her rejecting him at the party, then seeing Kouko sitting at a nearby table, and overhearing rumors that Chinami rejected him on the spot at the party.
  • In episode 17, Hosshi, one of the former club members that Banri, Linda, and Kouko are in, shows up at their party. They assumed that he must have found a job, because he told them he'd only come if he found one, and as they congratulate him, he displays these eyes, and then clarifies he came here for a change of pace from the job searching.
• Dysfunction Junction
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Kouko has to really work on this to get Banri back. Fortunately their friends help out in whatever way they can, such as Takaya sending Kouko emails under Banri's name.
• Entitled to Have You: Kouko has a massive case of this for Mitsuo. Since they were practically family since elementary school, she thinks that they are destined for each other and refuses to acknowledge any reluctance he might have.
• Exotic Eye Designs: Kouko has some hearts in her eyes during the opening sequence when she first bumps into Banri in it. She also shows off some other ones as well.
• Expy: Nana-senpai...just Nana-senpai. She looks and acts exactly like Nana Osaki. She even lives with another girl named Nana!
• Flash Back:
  • Banri has one in episode 5 of when he first met Linda after the accident outside the hospital he was recovering from. She tells him that a friend of hers is in the hospital, and then tells him he should go to Tokyo when he says he wants to leave all his past behind him.
  • More of his past with Linda is revealed in episode 6. He gave her a Love Confession the night of their high school graduation, and asking if she loved him. She asked him to give her one day for a reply. Unfortunately, she arrived at the bridge after he had already been hit by someone and knocked off, but from the dialogue later in the episode, her answer appears to have been "yes"
  • And in episode 9, more of Banri's past with Linda is revealed, when his past self explores their interactions with her older brother, whose fiance was cheating on him. Linda felt conflicted about the situation, since she didn't want to hurt her brother, but didn't want to live a lie by not exposing the woman's cheating to him either. The memories of the old Banri regret not giving her a Love Confession during that time.
• Forgotten First Meeting: Banri in episode 4. He sees pictures of himself when he was younger with Linda, the girl he "first met" at college. He didn't remember it however, because of his amnesia.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: In episode 1 of the anime, at the start of the club recruitment scene Miss Monochrome is visible in the crowd for roughly half a second, foreshadowing the more obvious appearance in a later episode.
• Freudian Slip: In episode 8, while talking to Linda privately at night, Banri falls asleep for a moment, and yells that he wants to go back to that place with her. After he wakes up, he wonders what he just said. After a moment, his old self says he's still in love with Linda, and if possible, wants to stay with her, rather than Kouko.
• Friendly Tickle Torture: Chinami pretends to be asleep in episode 17 after Kouko tries to ask her something, but then does this when the latter pokes the former's face, and then when Chinami giggles a little bit, Kouko tickles her.
• Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Nana slaps Banri in episode 21 when he starts freaking out towards Linda. She says that's what you do to someone who's losing it. It helps briefly, but then Banri runs away.
• Gilligan Cut: In episode 17, Kouko is at Chinami's new apartment helping her to unpack. The latter asks if the former will stay overnight with her. Kouko vehemently refuses, but during the next scene, both of them are sleeping in Chinami's bed.
• The Glomp: Kouko tries to do one to Banri in episode 19 after he returns from his hometown. But she's interrupted by Mitsuo, Chinami, and Takaya getting to him first.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Takaya towards Banri in episode 7 briefly after the latter tells him he's dating Kouko.
• Guile Hero: Banri is very quick thinking and good at finding ways to compensate for a bad situation. At the beginning of the series, he saves face for Mitsuo after he was assaulted by Kouko with flowers in public by quickly distributing the flowers she left behind as welcoming gifts for passersby. Later, he manipulates a cult into letting his student group go free with only a well placed anecdote and some feigned passion, a tactic he devised with barely a minute of planning.
• Gratuitous English:
  • Kouko says "my boyfriend" in episode 7, after her father apologizes to Banri for her inconveniencing him by escorting her to the police station, and he asks Banri to keep being her "friend". Both of the men are shocked by her correction. She also says "I love you" later on in the episode as well.
  • Banri hilariously says this as well in episode 8 to save Mitsuo from a very persistent female film club member attempting to get into Mitsuo's apartment.
• Ham-to-Ham Combat:
  • Kouko and Mitsuo engage in these from time to time.
  • She engages in one with Takaya in episode 24.
• Hard-Drinking Party Girl: The two girls from the tea club who try to recruit Banri in the first two episodes. Hilariously, they drag him from the film club's welcoming party in the other room, and it's treated by the film club as if he's being dragged into hell. Which isn't far from the truth when every guy in that tea club seems scared to death of the girls. Let's just say that them girls are not in the club for the tea...
• Happily Married: Not yet, but Koko and Banri got engaged in the final episode.
• Hate at First Sight: Kouko has an irrational hatred of Chinami from the moment they first meet, when the former spots her with Mitsuo. Although she suppresses her hatred of the girl a little bit, it flares up again in episode 11, particularly after Chinami suggests Banri work at her job when he inquires about looking for part time work. She does eventually start warming up to Chinami in episode 14, after they spot Mitsuo with Linda.
• Heel Realization: Kouko in episode 4 towards Mitsuo. She tries to come up with various reasons why they're fated to be together, but he tells her that everything she did was her attempts to project her feelings onto him, and that she never bothered to ask what made him happy. Unlike previous times, she finally starts to realize why he doesn't like her, especially because of her harsh treatment of Chinami earlier in the week.
• Heroic BSoD:
  • Both Kouko and Mitsuo suffer a brief one in episode 6 after the latter confesses to Chinami, and she rejects him. Kouko went through shock because he actually went through with his threat to confess.
  • Chinami suffers through one in episode 8 after the incident from episode 6 caused Mitsuo to tell her to stop hanging out around him. Kouko helps her snap out of it by suffocating her with the bags of noodles Chinami brought to the amusement park. It works for the most part.
  • Kouko goes through another one in episode 16, after she fell asleep at the wheel and nearly killed everyone in the van with her.
• Hero Stole My Bike: Kouko does this to someone's bike at the end of episode 6 to chase after Banri when he tries to run away from her. In a rare example of averting Karma Houdini, she gets arrested for it at the beginning of episode 7.
• Hopeless Suitor: A few examples:
  • Linda already seems to be afflicted by this by episode 2. Although she seems interested in Banri, he seems to be focused on how lonely Kouko seems to be, and during one scene, has a rather unhappy look on her face. She then immediately glosses over it by asking if Kouko is his girlfriend. He vehemently denies it.
    • Episode 4 indicates that they are Childhood Friends instead.
  • Kouko towards Mitsuo. He constantly tells her he doesn't like her, but she refuses to believe it...until episode 4, anyway.
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: All of the anime episodes' original names are in phonetically spelled English.
• Insane Troll Logic: Chinami's reasoning for wanting chocolate in episode 20 equating the sweet to her paying taxes. Kouko goes with it in order for them to get some rare chocolate together. Actually she wants the chocolate to help her get through her work shift which will help pay her taxes.
• Insecure Love Interest: Kouko at first towards Mitsuo, although it's understandable due to it being one sided on her part. After she starts dating Banri though, in episode 9, she seems rather insecure about her relationship with him, and Banri is understandably confused as to what may have happened. It's very likely Kouko overheard his Freudian Slip to Linda, and the end of episode 11 confirms that she did in fact take the picture of himself with Linda from back in high school, hence why he couldn't find the picture, and why she acted the way she did after the party.
• Interrupted Suicide: although Banri's admitted goal was to regain his memories, this is what it feels like for Kouko and the audience when she prevents him from jumping off the bridge of his first accident.
• It's All My Fault:
  • Both Banri and Kouko try to blame themselves for getting the other involved in the mess they find themselves in during episode 3, when they both realize the "club getaway" they were attending was actually a cult trying to recruit new members.
  • Everyone in the van feels in episode 16, after the accident. They all explain why they felt at least partly responsible, such as Takaya saying he knew Kouko was just as tired but had her drive.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy:
  • In episode 8, Banri asks Linda privately what her answer to him was when he was waiting for her on the bridge. She says that her answer was no, and that they should just be friends. Although he seems to buy it, judging from all her previous interactions with him, it's pretty obvious she did like him. She also tells him that she should have talked to him right away like they were doing now. Since he's dating Kouko now, she probably didn't want to get in the way of his new relationship. And as if to bury this notion once and for all, he flat out tells Linda Let's Just Be Friends after Kouko thought he was cheating on her with Linda. Although she seems heartbroken as he says it, she ultimately seems to agree to it.
  • Chinami towards Mitsuo after the latter starts showing interest in Linda. She's unaware of Banri's past with the latter, so gets a bit angry at him when she sees him chatting with Linda too comfortably, and pulls a What the Hell, Hero? on him.
• Karma Houdini:
  • As far as we know, the unnamed man that Linda's brother's fiancee cheated with never had to pay for his actions.
  • Assuming the person on the motorbike who struck Banri wasn't the man Linda's brother's fiancee cheated with, this particular individual apparently didn't have to face any legal consequences for a hit-and-run either.
• Kick the Dog: Kouko bullying Chinami out of jealousy in Ep 4 is what makes Mitsuo feel she's finally crossed the line.
• Kissing Under the Influence: In Episode 2, at the party, one drunken girl goes beyond kissing and plants her face into another's crotch. Both girls are quite happy with this.
• Large Ham: Kouko towards Banri and Mitsuo in episode 5.
• Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Nana Osaki gives Kouko a ticket to her performance in episode 4 of the anime. And promptly throws her out when she tries to climb on the stage.
• Let's Just Be Friends:
  • In episode 5, Kouko gives Banri a matching mirror and constantly mentions how good of a "friend" he is to her. He doesn't seem to take it too well, but he doesn't want to say anything either due to her just getting rejected by Mitsuo two days earlier. In episode 6, he also gives Kouko a Brutal Honesty speech about not being comfortable around her while she's still wooing over Mitsuo, and tells her he doesn't want to hang around her anymore.
  • In episode 8's Flash Back at the beginning, Banri overhears Linda mention He Is Not My Boyfriend when several girls tease her about how the two are practically dating already due to the amount of time they spend together. He then begins avoiding her for the next several days until he sees her waiting for him outside in the rain, without an umbrella. She apologizes to him for saying that.
  • In episode 12, this discussion takes place between Banri and Linda. While his old self still has feelings for her, he tries to be faithful to Kouko and attempts to sever any romantic notions between him and Linda. While Linda seems heartbroken upon hearing his words, she seems to relent to them, suggesting that her feelings for him weren't romantic. However, she may have just been going with the flow, as she didn't want to cause strife between him and Kouko.
  • In the final arc, when Kouko breaks up with Banri, she lets him know that she's emotionally incapable of handling the tremendous ordeal of him gradually losing himself while she's still his girlfriend, arguing that in that case, he'd go towards Linda (especially considering that he has absolutely no mental control over the memory loss). Still, she tells him that if he doesn't forget her, he has to promise that he will look for her. Banri does end up forgetting Kouko and moving back to Fukuoka, though 2D-kun forces Kouko to go after Banri, making him remember Kouko by her being present.
• Licensed Game: A character in a licensed game, anyway: Kouko is an assist character in the mashup fighting game Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax. Her weapon? A bouquet of roses, of course.
  • The series got its own full game in the form of Golden Time ~Vivid Memories~ , a Visual Novel game for the Play Station Vita.
• Living Emotional Crutch: Kouko says her life revolves around Mitsuo and that without him, she would have no reason to survive.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Only Kouko is aware of Banri's past with Linda, and only because she happened to see a picture of them together. Neither one of them revealed their past prior to that, in Banri's case, because he really forgot, and in Linda's, due to guilt by indirectly causing his amnesia. Hence why in later episodes when Mitsuo and Chinami wonder about their relationship, they wonder if the two have a deeper bond that they're not telling anyone.
• Lonely Rich Kid: In episode 2, Banri wonders if Kouko isn't this. He overhears some girls talking about how high class her clothing is, and guys comment that she's very good looking, so therefore out of their league. Kouko even laments that zero people have tried recruiting her at all, and she only looked at a flyer because someone left it on the bench she was sitting at. Contrast that to Banri, who's had people repeatedly jumping on him to have him join their club.
• Losing a Shoe in the Struggle:
  • In the manga, Kaga is wearing dressy high-heeled sandals when she flees from the cult with Banri, which are ill-suited for running. She has to discard them and runs away barefoot. When they have a chance to catch their breath Banri sees Kaga's bare feet, which are now sullied and scratched by the forest floor, and rather gallantly slips off his shoes, allowing her to wear them. The anime notably averts this, as both of them changed into indoor slippers and escaped in slippers rather than wearing their street shoes into the cult's meeting place.
  • Used in the second opening when Kaga trips on her heels and falls to the ground. As soon as she gets off, she flings them off and chases after the fleeing light of the future she wants barefooted and shedding tears, desperate to catch up to it.
• Love Confession: Several are given by various characters, but it's largely one-sided.
• Love Dodecahedron: Mitsuo likes Chinami. Kouko likes Mitsuo. Banri likes Kouko. Nana used to hang together with Banri before his amnesia. And the old Banri was deeply in love with Nana/Linda, although his current self doesn't realize it. Then things are further complicated when Mitsuo and Chinami go through an Unrequited Love Switcheroo, after which Mitsuo develops feelings for Linda.
  • Love Triangle: That said, the show largely focuses on the Kouko-Banri-Linda romantic aspects. Old Banri is in love with Linda, Linda still seems to be in love with him but for whatever reason Cannot Spit It Out to him, and new Banri is dating Kouko halfway through the season. And then Banri regains his memories...
• Love Hurts: Several characters go through this:
  • Kouko doesn't like seeing Mitsuo hanging out with other girls, and takes a strong disliking to Chinami because of this.
  • Although she's more subtle about it, Linda doesn't seem happy seeing Banri with Kouko. However, she suppresses her feelings about it and tries to keep up her cheerful disposition around them.
    • On the same note, Banri doesn't seem to like how close Linda seems with their club's president.
  • Chinami, despite having turned down Mitsuo, seems unhappy when she sees him walking into a restaurant with Linda.
• Maybe Ever After: Linda smiles and blushes at Mitsuo in the final episode, implying that she returns his feelings.
• Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
  • Once Banri's alternate personality promises to make the new Banri's life a living hell, he goes through series of misfortunes which include a cancelled club trip, rain at the beach, other people becoming insecure when around the "ghost" of the alternate personality, and everyone in Banri's van (including the driver) falling asleep while driving. While the alternate personality was more obviously affecting Banri's state of mind and putting him in a bad mood, he also seems to be taking responsibility for the impressive streak of bad luck. So while it's clear Ghost Banri is able to affect some things in the new Banri's life, it's not entirely clear if he's that powerful as to affect the forces of nature like causing rain at the aforementioned beach trip.
  • Oddly enough, new Banri can see old Banri in episode 24 and even has an argument with him. More strangely, Linda sees him as well, but delivers her answer to him, "yes", on the bridge to help him move on. Old Banri seems happy with that, and wanders off into the distance.
• Mistaken for Cheating: Kouko catches Banri posing in an erotic position with Linda at a club they were working at in episode 12. She hurls a drink to his face, followed by a slap.
• Mistaken for Gay: Both Banri and Mitsuo put on this act to scare off an aggressive female film club member who was trying a bit too hard to get into Mitsuo's apartment. They manage to trick her.
• Moment Killer: A hilarious one happens in episode 19. Kouko wants to go further in her relationship with Banri, and starts to take her clothes off. He then puts her on her back, and she throws up a little twice. Then when it seems she's okay, they bump into the table, knocking over the clay Eiffel Tower she made for him, which lands point first on her forehead.
• Mood Whiplash:
  • One occurs in episode 14, when Chinami takes Banri, Kouko, and Takaya to a restaurant the film club frequents. They seem cheerful while heading there, then they spot Mitsuo going in there with Linda. The mood suddenly sours, and Chinami decides it's best not to get in their way.
  • Another one occurs at the end of episode 15. After managing to have some fun at the beach despite the earlier traffic and rain, Kouko volunteers to drive them home, but then everyone gradually dozes off, including her while driving.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Nana says this towards Banri in episode 22 after she realizes how much several people trusted her with private information about their lives, but was largely cold and uncaring to their plights. She then tells Banri that she'll do whatever she can to help him out.
  • "Old" Banri has this realization in episode 15 when his attempts to curse and inconvenience "new" Banri ultimately result in Kouko falling asleep behind the wheel.
• Never My Fault: Played straight with Kouko regarding Mitsuo in episode 3. She feels it's his fault for making her follow him rather than attend the same college they were expected to go to, and subsequently smacking him with the bouquet of roses. She does admit however that she might be a big part of him trying to get away from his old town, and meant to congratulate him with the roses before her emotions kicked in after seeing how happy he was talking to Banri.
  • When Banri tells her the reason why Mitsuo doesn't like her is probably because she keeps doing stuff to upset him like beating him flowers, she denies it at first before realizing he's right.
  • Later, she lies and blames Takaya for them spying on Chinami's house to look for Mitsuo, only to be told by the latter that she hasn't seen him since summer break started. While he did suggest Mitsuo may have a girlfriend, Kouko was the one that decided to spy on them, thanks to her experience in stalking.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In episode 3, while stuck in a cult induction, Banri tries to figure a way to get Kouko out of there. Then some of the other students begin protesting being there, and he uses this opportunity to try and get everyone out in place of him staying behind. It works, but then Kouko decides to stay behind too, ruining his intentions.
• No Guy Wants to Be Chased: Mitsuo's reason for escaping Kouko and entering Fukurai.
• No Indoor Voice: Banri and Mitsuo in the classroom during the first episode. They talk so loudly at times that they interrupt the orientation.
• Noodle Incident: In-universe example towards Banri in episode 20. Nana-senpai mentions Kouko doing something called "the exorcist", which was the silly crab walk thing she did in episode 18. Banri is unaware of it, so Nana tells him to ask Kouko himself. When he does, Kouko becomes Blue with Shock, and immediately tries to change the subject a couple of times. He never finds out as a result.
• Not Blood Siblings: The preview for episode 19 has Banri asking Linda about her brother. She mentions that they're not blood related...only for episode 19 to not talk about it at all.
• Not What It Looks Like: Banri and Kouko's club in episode 17 assumes they broke up, due to the Kouko not answering any calls or texts due to the accident from the previous episode, and Banri giving vague answers to them. This caused the club president to assume they broke up and were trying to cheer both of them up until Banri clears up the misunderstanding.
• Oh, Crap!: Mitsuo when he sees that Kouko followed him to university.
  • This may be the reaction of some viewers to the end of episode 09.
  • Banri and Linda have this look after they see Kouko in episode 12 while posing for some erotic pictures together at the club.
• Passing Notes in Class: A variation of this occurs in episode 4, when Takaya, Banri, and Mitsuo write in the latter's notebook during class to discuss Chinami and Kouko. Turns out that Mitsuo likes Chinami and is hoping to date her, but Banri still wants him to be with Kouko.
• Please, Don't Leave Me: Kouko towards Banri in episode 16.
• P.O.V. Boy, Poster Girl: Banri's the POV character, but Kouko is much more prominent in the promotional material. She's also the only character shown in the animation for the first ending and second opening themes.
• The Power of Acting: See Guile Hero for Banri. On many occasions he manipulates, pretends, or flat-out lies through his teeth to cover for other people.
• Real-Place Background: The bridge from which Banri fell actually exists.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Mitsuo gives one about Kouko to Banri in the first episode, stating things like how she's always been with him throughout their school years, and planned everything for him and her. As a result, he feels trapped by her, and went to a different university in the hopes of getting away from her. Unfortunately for him, she ended up applying for the same school he did...
  • And he gives her another one directly in Ep 4. Harsh, but well-deserved.
  • Banri tries to cheer up Kouko in episode 16 after the latter locks herself in her room. He then starts telling her if she's just going to abandon her past and act as if nothing bad ever happened. It causes her to lash out at him for his hypocrisy, and she starts arguing about him abandoning his past self, including having left his past love, Linda, behind. Banri then yells at her, telling her that she was the one who told him to abandon said past. However, they start to make up after Kouko accidentally reveals she's terribly afraid he'll do the same to her.
• Relationship Upgrade: Kouko wants to do this with Mitsuo, but he absolutely refuses to. Banri persists on this with her, and eventually succeeds at the end of episode 6.
• The Reveal: Banri tells several people who were unaware about his past with Linda in episode 22.
• Rich Bitch: Or at least Kouko's facade goes. Banri begins to suspect she may actually just be a Lonely Rich Kid. She does employ the Rich Bitch behavior later, though, toward Chinami in episode 4. She employs this again in episode 11, refusing to let Banri work under the pretense of not being able to spend enough time with him if he's working, never mind his argument that he should have money to take her places. When Chinami talks to them briefly, she goes into Clingy Jealous Girl mode and absolutely refuses to let him work with the former at her cafe job.
• Right Behind Me:
  • In episode 1, when Mitsuo is complaining to Banri about Kouko's antics, a slight view can be seen of the student behind them. Mitsuo does an Oh, Crap! look when he realizes she's behind them, having heard his entire rant.
  • Kouko's father does this in episode 16 while Kouko gives a heartwarming speech to Banri. She only realizes it after hearing her bell on her cat's collar nearby.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Kouko finds out what university Mitsuo is going to because her family donated a bunch of money to the school.
• Secret Test: In episode 18, Kouko is waiting in Nana's room when someone angrily pounds on the door. Kouko sees a guy with bandages and a knife embedded in his stomach. He bursts inside and tries to find her, causing her to freak out and do her crazy spider walk again. She then smacks the guy in the face with her purse while he's distracted by her weird walking. Turns out the knife was fake, the guy is a member of Nana's band, and Nana was just testing Kouko's reaction to see if the stunt was worth using during a concert.
• She Is Not My Girlfriend:
  • Mitsuo does this regarding Kouko.
  • Banri also utilizes this in episode 2 after Linda teases him about dating Kouko. She jokingly asks him about it again in episode 6. However, this time it's much more serious, because firstly, Kouko rejected him, and he didn't want to spend any more time around her while she was still wooing over Mitsuo. He also saw a picture of himself and Linda from a couple of years back, and hated how she seemed to act like they didn't know each other from before.
  • Inverted with Linda regarding Banri in a Flash Back during episode 8. She claims to several girls that despite them being close, there wasn't anything going on with them. Unfortunately for her, he was waiting for her outside the room, and overheard it. This causes him to avoid her for several days.
• Shipper on Deck:
  • Interestingly, "old" Banri tries to do this for "new" Banri with Linda. Unfortunately the latter has fallen in love with Kouko, and doesn't seem to want to do what his old self was steering him towards, so "old" Banri decides to stick around and curse his life as much as possible.
  • In an unusual case, this happens with Chinami. After she sees Linda and Banri talking to each other, she gets rather angry with him due to the fact that he's friendly with the girl Mitsuo likes. But in episode 21, after being largely standoffish towards him for a while, Chinami admits that when she saw Linda and Banri getting along, she was secretly hoping they would get together so that she could snag Mitsuo for herself, and regrets cutting her hair, as well as missing her chance with him before, way back in episode 6 when he first confessed to her.
• Sick Episode:
  • Kouko gets sick shortly after leaving Banri's party in episode 9, and spends a few days in her room. When she did come to school for one day, she still seemed sick, and the relapsed into illness the next day.
  • Banri himself has a fever in episode 10. He ends up going to a hospital with Nana's help.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts: Kouko towards Banri in episode 7. She does it partly because she's now in love with him, and later when Mitsuo is around, to try and make him a little jealous.
  • Both 2D-kun and Mitsuo express their annoyance with this in next-episode previews.
• Spit Take: Banri does it in episode 7 when Kouko asks if something happened between him and Linda.
• Split Personality: Banri has an odd variation linked to his amnesia. There is a personality retaining his lost memories sitting the in the back of his mind, awake, aware, and occasionally commenting on events as they happen. The dominant personality is the amnesiac we know, who is looking for the lost memories and is totally unaware of the other personality. Later, the dormant personality starts fighting to resurface.
• Spoiler Opening: The first opening portrays Kouko and Banri as a couple, even though their coupling doesn't happen until several episodes in.
• Stalker with a Crush: Kouko is completely obsessed with Mitsuo and is always following him around. He tries to escape her, but she follows him to his university. She also has a bunch of pictures of him, most of which are candid photos.
• Suicide, Not Accident: since they were all asleep when the accident happened, the passengers of the car can not help but suspect Kouko or Banri of just that.
  • And since it all happened as a result of Banri falling asleep and failing at keeping Kouko awake, caused by Freudian slips orchestrated by his former personality, they are not too far off the mark.
  • After Banri considers jumping off the same bridge to regain his memories, the question of how the first accident really happened becomes quite haunting.
• Sympathetic P.O.V.: Generally with romantic stories involving an amnesiac protagonist and two love interests from before and after the accident that caused the amnesia, the love interest from before the point of amnesia is considered as the "right" person for the protagonist, while the one from afterward is portrayed as the Romantic False Lead. However, by virtue of Koko being the deuteragonist and receiving more screen time in turn, that dynamic is reversed, making Linda out to be the intended obstacle for the narrative instead, audience preference not withstanding.
• Tempting Fate:
  • In episode 6, Kouko dares Mitsuo to confess his love to Chinami. Since he was getting agitated from talking to her, he actually does it. Unfortunately for him, she seems to reject him. Mitsuo goes into shock at her rejection, while Kouko goes into shock because he actually did confess.
  • In episode 20, everything seems to be going swimmingly for Banri. Then his memories of his old self pop back up.
• That Man Is Dead: Banri, who says the person he was before his amnesia no longer exists. This comes back to haunt him later as the old personality is still lingering around, silently watching him and hoping he goes after Linda instead of Kouko.
• Title Drop: Golden Time is the name of the establishment where the university clubs go to party, shown as early as in episode 2 of the anime.
• Tsundere:
  • Kouko puts up this act from time to time, particularly in episode 8.
  • Banri jokingly claims Nana is doing this after she helps him to the hospital.
• Those Two Girls: Sao-chan and Shi-chan of the tea club.
• Unfinished Business: Implied to be reason that the ghost of Old Banri is still around, since he never got closure on whether Linda returned his feelings. He disappears for good in the final episode, after Linda finally admits her feelings for him. That said, it's left unclear whether Old Banri was even real or just an expression of Banri's identity crisis.
• Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Between Chinami and Mitsuo. She initially turned him down when he confessed his feelings to her during a film club party, but later realizes that she has feelings for him after he becomes interested in Linda.
  • It's also zigzagged with Banri and Linda. He was in love with her in high school, while she denied having feelings for him. However, it turns out that she was going to tell him that she loved him too the day after their graduation, but then he got into his accident and lost his memories. Then, soon after they reconnect at university, he falls in love with Kouko, so she lies about what her answer was going to be. It's not played entirely straight because Linda seems to have always returned Banri's feelings, but just didn't admit it until it was too late.
• The Unsolved Mystery: While the series ends on a happy note, the mystery of who ran Banri over with the motorbike and caused him to lose his memories remains unsolved. It's highly possible that it was the unnamed man that had an affair with Linda's brother's fiancee, especially considering in his final scene, he glared at Banri with a dirty look. And it would certainly fit with the MO of the motorbike driver who hit Banri without a second thought and didn't bother to check to see if Banri was okay. However, this is never addressed again and the person responsible for Banri's hit-and-run is never revealed.
• Wardrobe Malfunction: The bikini top Kouko shows off to Chinami in the latter's apartment during episode 14 falls off while she's complaining about Banri.
• We Need a Distraction: Banri "sacrfices" Kouko and Mitsuo to the tea club next door in episode 6 after both go into shock. See Tempting Fate for further details. Hilariously, Kouko tries to hold onto the door while being pulled into the room, but Banri lifts her fingers off, and in the end they both suffer the same way he and Takaya did in episode 2.
• Wham Episode:
  • Episode 4 has two shocking revelations. First, Mitsuo spells out in no uncertain terms that he's not interested in Kouko, and that she forced her feelings onto him. The second is when Banri goes back home, looks through his high school yearbook, and finds photos of himself and Linda—who he thought he first met at college not long ago—from when they were younger.
  • In episode 6, Banri gets tired of being Kouko's "friend", so he tells her he doesn't want to be friends anymore. At the end of the episode, while trying to run away from Kouko, he stops by a bridge and contemplates jumping off in the hopes of "starting over" again, but is stopped by her crashing her bike into him, and then giving him a Love Confession.
  • In episode 9, Banri's memories start to return at the end, and he utters Linda's name.
  • During the ending of episode 11, it turns out that Banri's missing picture of himself and Linda when they were in high school that he appeared to have misplaced earlier was in fact taken by Kouko, hence why she was so unsure about Banri's loyalties to her.
  • In episode 20, Banri's memories of his past pop up again, this time while he's in the middle of a dance during a festival. He freaks out and runs off, and his voice is audibly changed from confidence to one of worry.
  • In episode 22, Banri is left confused after Kouko breaks up with him. Made much more harsh for him by how nonchalant it's spoken to him.
• Wham Line:
  • Kouko calls Banri at the end of episode 7 telling him that Mitsuo may be in trouble.
  • At the end of episode 18, after failing to save old Banri from the bridge accident, he loses his mirror that Kouko gave him. It's been shattered upon opening it again, and as he looks at it, he wonders if his memories are returning.
  • Kouko delivers another one at the end of episode 21. As Banri makes his resolve to stay true to Kouko and be with her as long as possible, he also plans to give her the ring his mother gave him a few episodes earlier. However, Kouko says she can't accept it, and that her goal of coming to the university was to be with Mitsuo, and breaks up with him.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Kouko gets called on this in episode 4, after her Clingy Jealous Girl rant towards Chinami regarding Mitsuo. To be fair, even Kouko realized she went too far after the fact, but Mitsuo still uses this opportunity to sever any connections she thought they had later that week so that they both can move on with their lives.
  • She gets called on this again in episode 8, this time by Chinami. The latter was suffering through a Heroic BSoD after Mitsuo told her not to go near him again. Chinami then tells Kouko that she has nothing to do with the former's relationship with Mitsuo. Kouko breaks up the increasingly sour scene by suffocating Chinami with the bags of noodles the latter brought.
  • Interestingly, "old" Banri decides to make life hell for "new" Banri when the latter attempts to sever all ties with Linda in episode 12. The former thought that he would eventually get with Linda with his lingering feelings for her, but the latter instead attempts to remain faithful to Kouko. So the former curses him, by making his life as miserable as possible, such as the club trip being canceled, Mitsuo canceling his plans to hang out, and just making the weather bad in general.
  • Happens to Banri twice in episode 19. The first is with Linda, when she gets upset at him for not revealing Mitsuo would be coming to their club to film them, and later by Chinami, who warns him not to get too friendly with Linda, the girl Mitsuo is interested in.
  • Banri ends up asking Chinami why she suddenly Took a Level in Jerkass towards him in episode 21. She tells him that she was still in love with Mitsuo, but only realized that after he started showing interest in Linda. She was really upset at herself, but for some reason decided to take it out on him instead.
  • Kouko gets quite upset with Takaya after finding out he was sending emails to Banri under her name. He justifies it by stating that he abandoned Banri once at the cult house, and promises not to do it again this time, then calls Kouko out for not doing the same.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Kouko thinks that Mitsuo is just a tsundere who will eventually come around if she keeps following him.
• You Are Not Alone: Linda feels this way in episode 9 during a Flash Back. The old Banri promises her that he'd be with her, although he stops short of giving her a Love Confession, which he seems to regret. Which also makes all of their interactions during the present day harsher for Linda due to her still remembering all of those things, and the current Banri being totally clueless to it due to his amnesia. At least until his memories return at the very end of the episode...

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