This anime is like a geek test. Indeed, a blog was specifically set up to catalogue most of the references found per episode. Some of the more obvious Shout Outs in the series can be seen below. It even makes sense in-canon, since the premise revolves around Aliens Steal Cable.
Nyaruani
- In several episodes, portraits of H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth can be seen on the living room walls.
- In Episode 1 of Nyaruani, Nyarko channels Setsuna F. Seiei as she declares "I am...we are...Cthulhu!"
- Episode 9 of the first Nyaruani has Nyarko say that in space kindergarten, she went around looking for kids playing make-believe and beat them up, with the Catchphrase "I'll shatter that pretend game of yours!" This earned her the nickname "Slacker Breaker"note . In case you missed the reference, they just go ahead and throw up a title card that reads "A Certain Slacker-Breaking Nyarko", with a silhouette of Touma behind it.
- Cuuko's story about why she fell for Nyarko involves her being forced to play the bad guy in a pretend Saint Seiya game; one of the other games Nyarko mentions busting up is "Federation vs. Principality", with censored-out Bright Noah and Garma Zabi (and Nyarko in Sayla Mass's uniform).
- Episode 11 of Remember My Love(craft-sensei) has Nyarko assure Mahiro that everything would be alright as they would erase everyone's memories once they were done. Then she takes out the neuralyzer. Mahiro responds that something about that object seems familiar and gets a mental image of Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K.
- On top of that, Mahiro's mental image of K is saying "There's coffee", referring to Jones appearing in a series of ads for UCC Coffee in Japan (in which, ironically, he plays an alien who's trying to understand human culture).
- In episode 12 of Remember My Love(craft-sensei), Nyarko's description of Space Comiket includes an image of the Gaijin 4koma Reaction Guys.
- In one episode, Cuuko quotes the line "swans look calm but are actually kicking furiously under the water" while a Fender bass guitar floats on the background, a reference to K-On!'s first season ED song lyrics.
Haiyore! Nyarko-san (Season 1):
- The series loves to reference other (yes, there are more) "Moe Mythos" series. In Episode 1, a little figurine on the anime store is the version of Nyarlathotep from the manga Igyou tachi ni yoru to sekai ha.... The cover of the "recalled eroge" is from Maumi Shoujo R'lyeh ruru light novels. And two girls in Mahiro's class are characters from R'lyeh High School, which shares the same illustrator with this series, Koin. The mech Demonbane make brief cameo in episode 11.
- "SAN" is an attribute in the classic Tabletop RPG Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium. You can even see a glimpse of a character sheet and the trademark percentile dice of the Chaosium RPG systems in the first episode, and a Storyteller screen in the ED. The roll shown is accurate as well, illustrating either a legitimate failed SAN roll (with the amount of lost sanity not shown), or the roll for said amount. Incidentally, a d100 like the one shown would be appropriate for seeing Nyarlathotep in one of its monstrous forms.
- In addition, the title cards in Nyarko-San W show Nyarko standing on top of a Cthulhu Dice d12 made by Steve Jackson Games. Also, the lyrics of W's opening theme include the often repeated line "SAN chi pinchi" "SAN level critical"
- You could make a subpage just to cover this series' references to Kamen Rider, since there's at least one per episode. In fact, Kamen Rider is the very first pop culture reference they make in the 2012 series, with Nyarko performing Takeshi Hongo (Rider #1)'s transformation pose when she introduces herself to Mahiro (and she makes Hayato Ichimonji (Rider #2)'s pose when she surprises him in the bathtub at the end of that episode). A few more:
- Per Word of God, Nyarko's "Full Force Form" is a direct homage to Knight Blazer from Wild ARMs 2; however, other aspects are nods to Kamen Rider, with the name probably being a reference to Kamen Rider Kabuto, which had an insert song named "Full Force". The helmet of the form is also a reference to "Haunter of the Dark", an avatar of Nyarlathotep with bat-like wings and three-lobed burning eye, further cemented when Mahiro summons Nyarko with the Shining Trapezohedron like what happens in the titular story where it first appeared in.
- Her Full Force Form's stated abilities include forced transformation of others (with the phrase "This may tickle a bit. Heck, it'll only hurt for a moment"), Clock Up, a dimension-warping mechanical sword, and an orange rocket module that appears over the right arm. On top of that, Shanta-kun's Cool Bike form is said to have a Slider Mode.
- The individual series with the most Shout outs is Kamen Rider Double; in fact, Nyarko-san W is specifically named after it. Ironically, that series contains more references to Kamen Rider Wizard, because Nyarko-san W aired alongside episodes 30-40 of Wizard.
- Even Aisora-sensei got into it himself; in the author's notes for the second novel, he remarks that it's getting harder to adapt Cthulhu Mythos elements into the story, and jokes that in Volume 10, Nyarko will have to destroy and re-create the universe just so everything makes sense again.
- One easily missed and subtle reference comes from the design of the school uniforms: the double white stripes down the sleeves are inspired by Rider #1's costume, and were actually one of the ways fans could distinguish between him and the very similar Rider #2 (whose suit only had one stripe).
- Per Word of God, Nyarko's "Full Force Form" is a direct homage to Knight Blazer from Wild ARMs 2; however, other aspects are nods to Kamen Rider, with the name probably being a reference to Kamen Rider Kabuto, which had an insert song named "Full Force". The helmet of the form is also a reference to "Haunter of the Dark", an avatar of Nyarlathotep with bat-like wings and three-lobed burning eye, further cemented when Mahiro summons Nyarko with the Shining Trapezohedron like what happens in the titular story where it first appeared in.
- One Running Gag has Nyarko make Shout Outs when she yelps in pain from Mahiro's punches, forks, or whatever:
- In the first episode, she yells the names of Gundam mecha; the first episode of Nyarko-San W repeats this, but specifically uses machines that appear in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn.
- In the second, she yells the names of Buff Clan heavy mecha.
- The third episode exclamations (Pazuzu, Nalagiri and Tezcatlipoca) are from Shin Megami Tensei (Nyarlathotep is a character there, too).
- Fourth episode has only one yelp (Eroba!), this one from Fist of the North Star
- Fifth episode has another single yelp, this time from Kinnikuman (Hell Missionaries)
- Nyarko-san W has an episode where Nyarko's yelps are the names of Kamen Rider OOO's alternate forms; the villain of the later episode "High School of the Heat" continues this reference by shouting "Sagohzou!" when defeated.
- Several of the Next Episode previews end with Nyarko trying to call out a famous Combining Mecha's Catchphrase and getting cut off by Mahiro; this list includes "Let's combine!" and "Change Getter!". In episode 9, when Nyarko is in Mahiro's body, she revives the gag by shouting "Pilder On!"
- Episode 1: "Like a Close Encounter of the Third Kind"
- At the sight of Nyarko giving a brutal beatdown on a Nightgaunt, Mahiro looks away, crouches and covers his ears while repeatedly telling himself "I hear nothing...", in the same way as Mio Akiyama.
- When Nyarko sends out Shantak-kun's Pokéball, she copies Ash Ketchum, minus the hat spinning.
- Nyarko's reaction to the store full of anime goods is "Earth, what a terrifying child you are!", straight from Glass Mask.
- Nyarko introduces herself to the class by paraphrasing the Opening Narration of Braiger (with music from the Monster Hunter videogames in the background).
- Nyarko recreates the famous "Beergasm" from Neon Genesis Evangelion, only with a bowl of miso soup in place of beer.
- The subtitle of the then-current season of Iron Striver is Star Vampire Crusaders, combining Star Vampires (a type of monster from the Cthulhu Mythos) with Stardust Crusaders (the third and best-known story arc of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure).
- One poster from the memorabilia store is for No-Rin
- Episode 2: "Sayonara, Nyarko-san", referencing "Sayonara, Doraemon" (from the sixth volume)
- Nyarko pulls off an Exterminating Last Bullet.
- The sequence where Mahiro and Nyarko sail to R'lyeh is a long set of Shout Outs to One Piece, with Nyarko repeatedly referencing the manga's plot (and getting shut down by Mahiro) as well as the sail bearing a version of the Straw Hats' skull-and-crossbones emblem with Nyarko's trademark Ahoge.
- Do you remember our love?. Also, a "superdimensional circus" is better known in this wiki as the Macross Missile Massacre.
- Cuuko says "Grandfather said this: 'A Cthugha may love a Nyarlathotep. That's what it means to live free.'" Nyarko responds by asking if the old man was a negotiator in the city of amnesia.
- Nyarko tells Cuko "There's only one reason for your defeat. One simple answer. It's because... you pissed me off.", followed with "MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA" and ended with "Yare yare da ze". For those who don't know the first one, that's what Jotaro said when he defeats Dio. Somewhat weird though as she used Jotaro's iconic line and Catchphrase but MUDAMUDA is Dio's Kiai - Jotaro's is ORAORAORAORA which she used earlier in the fight.
- The "MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA" is also shared with her brother in the next episode.
- Crunchyroll's subtitles makes a subtle shout out to one of the earliest localization subtitles to the anime of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure; when Nyarko yells "MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA", all is written is single "Useless".
- R'lyeh Land has a "Arkham Haunted House". Arkham House was the publishing company operated by Derleth and Donald Wandrei, founded to print Lovecraft's anthologies.
- A blasphemous hand grenade?.
- This one is made even more blatant in the light novels, where Nyarko defends the use of the grenade by saying "King Arthur used one in the battle of Antioch" and Mahiro replies "That was Monty Python!"
- The description Nodens gives for the Boys' Love show he wanted Mahiro to star in ("It's a sparkly love-hate drama about a pretty boy bought by a young businessman.") sounds a lot like Okane ga Nai.
- Nodens sends Nyarko and Cuuko to battle in Another Dimension; this is a nod to the Space Sheriff sub-series of Metal Heroes (including Gavan, Sharivan, and Shaider), where each series' villains had their own dimension that made their monsters stronger and the hero weaker.
- R'lyehland's mascot, Insmouthboy, looks a lot like another fish-boy, Ponyo
- The light novels dip into Does This Remind You of Anything? territory when Nyarko says that the Cthulhu Corporation fought tooth and nail to maintain their trademark on Insmouthboy until they eventually got passed a law specifically to keep him out of the public domain, making him an obvious play on Mickey Mouse.
- Episode 3: "Mahiro Yasaka Wants to Live in Peace", referring to "Yoshikage Kira Wants to Live in Peace" (the 37th volume of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
- Cuuko has a 10th anniversary cake from the space bakery DK-do, operated by a man named D. Endo. The cake even looks like the Decadriver.
- When Nyarko asks for some of Cuuko's DK-do cake, Cuuko responds by quoting the First Law of Equivalent Exchange.
- After killing a bunch of Ghouls and Nightgaunts with a chainsaw, Nyarko says, "Once again, I have cut a useless object."
- An anti-ship chainsaw, no less.
- Nyarko asks Mahiro if he wants her to call him "Nii-nii". That term is frequently used by Miya Tachibana, who, like Nyarko, is voiced by Kana Asumi.
- Nyarko goes on to make a gununu face when confronted with the DK-do cake. Also from Strawberry Marshmallow, Cuuko's face-plant is a trademark of that series resident twintails, Miu.
- "Trapezohedrons are Unbreakable", the subtitle for the newest Iron Striver series, is a combined reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure ("Diamonds are unbreakable") and the Cthulhu Mythos (the Shining Trapezohedron from Lovecraft's The Haunter in the Dark).
- Episode 4: "Mothers Attack!"; the chapter of the novel upon which this episode was based was called "Mother's Counterattack"
- The dog chasing Hasta looks like Marron from To Love Ru, which, like this series, is produced by XEBEC.
- Luhy makes the Ikari Gendo pose right down to the Scary Shiny Glasses.
- She also drives a flying Delorean.
- Yoriko's introduction as a Deity Hunter makes multiple references to Monster Hunter. The music in the background, Yokiro's hunting outfit and the artwork of the monster in a cover of a book (called "Deity Hunter Frontier") takes clear inspiration from the series.
- Episode 5: "Great Conspiracy X", referring to "Great C", a 1990 short story by Brian Lumley.
- Nyarko follows the Ran Mori school of thinking: karate kicks can solve anything!
- The Nephren-car can negotiate even Red Canyon and Fire Field! Good thing if you're playing F-Zero.
- It also packs a Super Robot Wars-style MAP attack (specifically, an Ideon-style Macross Missile Massacre).
- When Mahiro learns that Hasta had to perform CPR on him and thus has stolen his first kiss, he mutters "No count, no count!" in Gratuitous English, just like Kaoru did in Amagami when she accidentally kissed Junichi. That would make it the second Kaoru reference in the series, if you count Nyarko using her belly-exposing stance in episode three.
- When Hasta says he wants to "combine" with Mahiro. At the end of the preview for the next episode, Mahiro asks why Nyarko hasn't made a "combine" robot joke this time: Nyarko answers that "it was a little too adult". Of course, there's a Humongous Mecha series where mecha "combining" has a Does This Remind You of Anything? quality, Genesis of Aquarion. Hasta also has an unusually sharp sense of smell, just like Aquarion's Apollo, and he makes an absurdly long-reach love promise with Mahiro, too.
- It should be noted that gattai can mean just that.
- In a later episode he goes full circle calling it Final Fusion instead.
- Hasta's father is president of CCE - Carcosa Computer Entertainment. Carcosa is the city associated with Hastur in The King in Yellow, the company full name is Shout-Out to SCE - Sony Computer Entertainment.
- Episode 6: "War in the Market"
- After giving a panty shot to Mahiro (and only him) Nyarko turns and does Machiko's catchphrase "how shameless" and pose (but fully clothed) from Miss Machiko.
- Mahiro's mom breaks out her Musou attacks in episode 6. She also quotes two different Kamen Riders named "Ryu": Den-O Gun Form and Accel.
- Also in episode 6, Cuuko falls from the sky while wrapped in a futon.
- Episode 7: "Blue Coral Reef", a play on the Japanese title for The Blue Lagoon.
- Nyarko makes a direct reference to Daitarn 3, then after Mahiro bluntly tells her he doesn't like her, she goes totally pale, then the following Eye Catch shows her slumped on a stool, mimicking the famous scene in Tomorrow's Joe where the titular Joe Yabuki is slumped on the spot after his final fight.
- When Yoriko approves of Nyarko making a move on Mahiro, Nyarko jumps in celebration while yelling "Yahoo!". This is a reference to Super Mario Bros. as she jumps in the same pose as Mario and even yells like him. You can even see a ? Block and some Brick Blocks in the background.
- Nyarko's evil expressions while plotting to get into Mahiro's bed are straight out of Higurashi: When They Cry.
- Episode 8: "Nyarko's Dokidoki High School"
- The Trapped in Dating Sim portion opens with Nyarko running into Mahiro in a manner similar to the dream sequence from episode 26 of Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Mahiro and Cuuko's first encounter is from Maria Watches Over Us (except here, it's Azathoth watching over them).
- There are numerous references to Haruhi Suzumiya: Cuuko mentions "Endless Eight"; later she impersonates Ryoko Asakura, sans the cheerful disposition and with a BFS instead of the knife. Immediately after we see Nyarko in a Playboy Bunny getup attempting to play the Lovecraftian version of "God Knows".
- They actually had to tone one of these references down; the Next Episode preview for #9 shows Cuuko's uniform is blue, exactly like those in Haruhi, but in the episode itself the uniform is green.
- The restaurant scene is taken straight from Wagnaria!!, complete with Nyarko in a Poplar-esque ponytail.
- In the same scene, Nyarko calls Cuuko flat-chested. Cuuko responds with Poplar's Catchphrase ("They're not small!"), causing Nyarko to wonder why it feels like someone's stealing her lines.
- In the montage, there's a human cavalry battle where Nyaruko wields 6 katanas and Cuuko wields a forked lance.
- In the fight scene, Nyarko is dressed as Pai Chan, Cuuko as Mai Shiranui, and Hasta as Bridget. The stats given are their actual ones from the Call of Cthulhu RPGnote .
- Before starting the fight, Nyarko quotes the taglines for Kamen Rider 555, Agito, and Ryuki in succession ("Racing instinct! Awaken that soul! Those who don't fight don't survive!")
- After the fight is over, Nyarko raises her fist to the heavens and proclaims "I have no regrets!" before falling down.
- The Gay Option ending from True Love 95 gets brought up as a possible route by Yoriko, who tells her son that even Yoichi, his Bromantic Foil, might confess to having feelings for him, just like how Kazuhiko Miyoshi, the foil in that game, did the same towards the end of the game if the player was unable to choose a girl for Daisuke.
- Nyarko, Hasta and Cuuko strike a pose very similar to Keima from The World God Only Knows, complete with glasses.
- Tamao pretty much duplicates the infamous "locked in a sports equipment shed with a girl" scene from CLANNAD.
- When Yoichi shows the status of each girl, those statuses are lines from J-Pop songs: Nyarko's status was Advancing Love Heart; Hasta's is For twelve thousand years, has wanted to combine with you; Tamao's is Seriously fell in love 555 seconds ago.
- Episode 9: "I am Her and She is Me", a play on a Japanese childrens' story with the same title and similar plot.
- Cuuko's new video game obsession is features Dagomon.
- Tamao (possessed by Isuka) wields a reflex camera like a gun, referencing the Ichigan Buster.
- This one is more of a Mythology Gag, as Lovecraft describes the Yith's weapons as resembling cameras.
- A particularly obscure reference occurs when Isuka mentions being the captain of her dodgeball team; the associated graphic is a modified Super Dodge Ball court.
- Nyarko (in Mahiro's body) sports a Cat Smile and red glowing eyes akin to the infamous Kyubey.
- Mahiro, while inside Nyarko's body, commands Kuuko to take Nyarko (who's inside Mahiro's body) and Hasta to the living room so that they wouldn't bother him. He promises her a contract in which Nyarko will give her body and soul to her in exchange. His movement when "commanding" her is similar to Lelouch from Code Geass, while Kuuko responds with "Yes, your Highness."
- The image of M-Nyarko commanding looks an awful lot like the famous "OBJECTION!" pose.
- The "On the Next" preview for Episode 10 has Nyarko using Mahiro's voice to quote Haman Karn, Kamille Bidan, and Lockon Stratos and "Atashi te honto baka!", a line said by Sayaka Miki, who like Mahiro is played by Eri Kitamura.
- Episode 10: "The Ruler of Super Time-Space"
- During Nyarko's love confession in the cold open, she announces that "not even the 12 Zodiac Temples or the Budokai can scare [her]."
- The Eye Catch sound effect from Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl is used for Kurei's power un-nullifier.
- The Space CQC Jammer and Space CQC Jammer Canceller refer to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and the Neutron Jammer and NJ-Canceller. However, SEED never went to far as to have a Neutron Jammer Canceller Breaker Disruptor etc. etc.
- On top of that, the pose Yithka and Isurugi make when firing off their guns is the "Last Shooting" from Mobile Suit Gundam.
- Squidn't it a fine time to inkvade?
- Isurugi uses the AGE Device to summon his master.
- When Nyarko finally manages to kiss Mahiro on the lips, how does she celebrate? By throwing her arms in the air and shouting "Smooch KITAAAAAAAAAA!" while a space background appears behind her.
- Nyarko names her finishing move in this episode the Rondo Towards Destruction.
- Episode 11: "Lost Girl from the Stars", a play on "Shambler from the Stars" by Robert Bloch
- The episode starts with the alien trio waking Mahiro by playing Mario Kart (apparently 64) in his bedroom.
- After defeating the Shoggoths, Nyaruko hums the Dragon Quest level up fanfare.
- The later part of the episode recalls the second Urusei Yatsura movie, which sees the main cast trapped in a "Groundhog Day" Loop in an empty city, just like Mahiro. There are several shots that are direct Homages to said movie as well.
- Episode 12: "He Waits, Dreaming", a Cthulhu Mythos reference (specifically to the original story "The Call of Cthulhu")
- When Nyarko shows Mahiro the Mirror of Nitocris, she actually quotes Kuso Miso Technique, the manga that originated the "Yaranaika?" meme.
- During the final battle, Nyarko, Cuuko, Hasta, Luhy and Yoriko strike the Go-onger group pose.
- Nyarko turns her crowbar into a giant sword and proclaims "Malign God Roar", just like in Demonbane.
- Major Fogger paraphrases the Major's "I love war" speech, only with the war references change to Hentai games. He even name-drops Key/Visual Arts and Leaf by using the Japanese words for them ("kagi" and "konoha").
- This is accompanied by images of Nyarko dressed as Noumi Kudoryafuka and Amanatsu Purinnote .
- When Mahiro tells Nyarko to kick the villain's ass, she responds with the Dorombo Gang's trademark salute and "Ara, hora, sassa!"
- OVA: "How to Defeat a Kind Enemy", a play on the light novel series "How to Kill a Kind Dragon"
- The episode has all kinds of references, including Hyouka, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball, Accel World, Hunter × Hunter, Men in Black and the whole Magical Girl genre.
- And ''Full Metal Jacket, as Luhy plays Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann as part of Nyarko's training. And orders Nyarko to say "Hanyan" (Sakura Kinomoto's Catchphrase) at the start and end of every sentence.
- In order to train Nyarko, Luhy takes her to Kami's Lookout and the Room of Spirit and Time. For bonus points, the Room resembles the version seen in Budokai 2.
- The sequence we get to see of Iron Striver (Nyarko's favorite Toku show) leans heavily on Kamen Rider Decade, with the protagonist resembling actor Masahiro Inoue (but dressed kind of like Philip), saying "Bring it on! I'll destroy everything!" and transforming in exactly the same fashion as Tsukasa/Decade.
- What does Nyarko say the first time she transforms into a Magical Girl? "I want everybody to smile! So please watch my...HENSHIN!", followed by performing Yusuke's transformation pose.
- The transformation is followed by the line "Keyword, NYA-RU-RA-TO-HO-TE-PU!"
- The episode ends with a preview of the second season, Haiyore! Nyarko-San W; when Mahiro asks "Why W?", Nyarko responds "That's because five young men will fight for the independence of the colonies...".
- The episode has all kinds of references, including Hyouka, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dragon Ball, Accel World, Hunter × Hunter, Men in Black and the whole Magical Girl genre.
Haiyore! Nyarko-san W (Season 2):
- The official PV for Nyarko-San W has a hurricane of references in the flying text, including the entirety of Kamen Rider Fourze's Opening Narration, "Now, let's count up your SAN points!", and "Now Earth, this is Japan's Cthulhu!"
- Episode 1: "Attack on Malign God"
- The opening sequence is a direct parody of Bewitched; the Opening Narration and title My Wife is Nyarlathotep are references to the Japanese dubbed version (which was retitled My Wife is a Witch).
- The trio changes from pajamas to school uniforms using Kamen Rider Wizard's magic circle transformation, followed by Nyarko imitating his Connect Ring to summon her school bag. When Mahiro asks what that was, Nyarko says she wanted to try the "latest version's" transformation before cheering "Isn't it super-great? Isn't it the best?!", referencing the lines said by Wizard's belt when he activates a Finishing Move.
- Immediately afterwards, she says she'll store their belongings in Mirror World until they have time to set up individual bedrooms.
- When Mahiro threatens Nyarko and Co. with the fork, they claim they won't forget its power as it was engraved upon their souls, wait, no, livers.
- While discussing Yamanso.Com, they work in two references to Lucky Star: Cuuko doing Konata's finger point, and Nyarko doing the famous "Darling Darling Please!" pose.
- At one point, Nyarko uses the phrase "My ghost is whispering to me!"
- Also during the Rock-paper-scissors contest. Nyarko mention that the winner can become a center in a sub-group and gets interrupted by Mahiro before she can name drop AKB48. Hasta after losing mentions that he want to tell people, You can hate me, but don't hate Mahiro-Kun. He too is stopped by Mahiro.
- On top of that, the way Nyarko tries to reference AKB48 is by showing Mahiro a set of Gaia Memories from Kamen Rider Double; Double pulled this exact same referece in The Movie, as a nod to the fact that two of its minor characters, Queen and Elizabeth, were played by members of AKB48.
- During the final showdown of the Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament, Nyarko says "The finale!" and Cuuko responds "Let's do this man-to-man." They then attack each other with the Strike Wizard Kick and Rider Rocket Drill Kick respectively.
- Episode 2: "Nyarko-san Ganbaranai"
- Tamao declares to Nyarko "A person's heart being stolen by another person's overwhelming power is without a doubt, love!", playing off of Graham Akre's declaration of "love" to Setsuna F. Seiei and his Gundam Exia.
- This episode gives us Celaeno Library... as well as the library's task force.
- The library's forbidden bookshelves are the Gaia Library; additionally, the search engine Mahiro and Hasta use to try and determine the girls' ages requires the use of three keywords, just like Philip's lookups.
- Cuuko at one point remarks "Our trouble is always darkness."
- When travelling to Myanmar, Nyarko says that no one will be able to see them since she put up a Somebody Else's Problem field. This is a reference to Life, the Universe, and Everything, where if you convince someone that something isn't their problem it turns it functionally invisible.
- At the end of the preview for episode 3, Nyarko exclaims "Biku biku bikurin! Jan-ken-pon!", paraphrasing Cure Peace's In the Name of the Moon speech.
- Episode 3: "Super Malign God Apocalypse", referencing "Super Brave Apocalypse" (episode 7 of King Of Braves Gaogaigar Final)
- When asked by Mahiro if she was a bit too brutal in handling the episode's villains, Nyarko retorts "Aku Soku Zan" with almost as much solemnness as Saitou Hajime himself.
- When Nyarko confronts Zhar and Lloiger, she uses her smartphone like an SP License, then declares "Protecting the Earth is the Plantetary Defense Agency's duty!"
- The reveal of the combined Zhar/Lloiger is a direct copy of Kamen Rider Double's Early-Bird Cameo in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Daishocker.
- The second Eye Catch shows Hasta and his Super Mode doing Shotaro and Philip's transformation pose.
- Episode 3 also features an aloozaru who turns Gold.
- The Eye Catch gives a Shout-Out to L's line about Misa from Death Note right after the scene with the reverse-Death Note.
Mahiro: "This is the first time in my life I've been provoked to hit a woman."- The Next Episode preview starts with Nyarko saying "These three things will happen next time! One!" When she doesn't follow this up, Mahiro asks what happened to them and she responds "The other two are just for decoration. The higher-ups...", referring to the dialog in Mobile Suit Gundam when Char receives the Zeong, asks about its lack of legs, and receives a similar response from the technician.
- Episode 4: "Talent for Love", the title of the ending theme for Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
- When Nyarko talks to Tamao about her attempts to charm Mahiro, she refers to her plans as Operation Yashima, Operation V, and the Black Rebellion; each scene is accompanied by a mental image of Nyarko imitating the anime she's referencing (using a giant sniper rifle, rising from a flatbed, and cackling evilly while dressed as Lelouch/Zero).
- The speech Tamao gives Nyarko about going for quantity over quality ("If once doesn't work, do ten! If ten times don't work, do a hundred!") is a paraphrase from Kamen Rider Double (specifically, Shroud's speech to Ryu Terui about the Trial Memory). Nyarko responds "Until I show Mahiro-san my serious heart and body, I will not rest!"
- Also in episode 4, Kuuko wears a t-shirt with the message "You lose if you work", the same message in Anzu Futaba's shirt, the famous NEET from The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls.
- Yoriko strikes the pose of Cure Moonlight after saving Shantak and Aisora from a huge monster. There's even a crescent moon in the background for viewers who didn't get it the first time. This scene is also another extended Monster Hunter reference, with the characters getting a quest from the guild hall and wearing gear straight out of the game.
- When Nyarko talks to Tamao about her attempts to charm Mahiro, she refers to her plans as Operation Yashima, Operation V, and the Black Rebellion; each scene is accompanied by a mental image of Nyarko imitating the anime she's referencing (using a giant sniper rifle, rising from a flatbed, and cackling evilly while dressed as Lelouch/Zero).
- Episode 5: "Say It Ain't So, Cuko", referring to "Say It Ain't So, Bernie" (episode 5 of Mobile Suit Gundam 0080)
- The infamous Daifugo sequence has Nyarko and Cuko playing cards using Kamen Rider Blade's Rouze Cards, with Nyarko remarking that her existence is like an "eternal trump card" (the title of Blade's final episode); and of course, the repeated shouts of "Cyclone!" "Joker!" refer to Kamen Rider Double's primary form, CycloneJoker.
- Kuune introduces herself with "Omae wa mou shindeiru" and "Welcome to this crazy time."
- Kuune's recording starts with "Testing, testing. Baka test." Mahiro even seems to lampshade it.
- Episode 6: "Try to Act", a play on "Try to be Immersed", a mystery novel by Honobu Yonezawa.
- A jealous Kuune take off an eyepatch revealing a golden eye underneath while saying "Synapse, Break!"
- While tailing Kuuko and Mahiro. She mentions that she's going to their illusions while thrusting her right hand out.
- A jealous Nyarko then wonders if a Death Note-like book exists.
- Kuuko decides to name her and Mahiro's child Kuroko. Now if it's a guy, she gets him to play basketball and if its a girl she send her to Academy City.
- For good measure, Shantak-kun starts to flip out as soon as the name is mentioned.
- "AriAriAriArrivederci!"
- Cuuko describes her crepe as a Carrot Marron Glace Gateau Mocha Chocolate Tiramisu crepe.
- A jealous Kuune take off an eyepatch revealing a golden eye underneath while saying "Synapse, Break!"
- Episode 7: "The Poolside, Dyed with Blood", a reference to "The Atlantic Ocean, Dyed with Blood" (episode 28 of Mobile Suit Gundam)
- Kuuko mentions Kuune being lost inside a Super Dimension Fortress.
- When Mahiro is woken up by Nyarko, Wilson can be seen in the foreground.
- In their last fight, Kuuko and Nyarko paraphrase the lyrics for Mazinger Z and Ore wa Great Mazinger.
- Earlier during said fight, there are two moments where Nyarko and Cuuko paraphrase lines from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, once from the TV series' final battle ("I refuse to acknowledge myself as a supporting character."note ) and once from Endless Waltz ("How many more times do I have to gut-punch you and your damn mobile turrets?!"note )
- When Yoriko shows up to shut down Nyarko and Cuuko's fight, she's wearing forks in bandoliers all over her body like Kamen Rider Eternal and delivers a variation of Kamen Rider Stronger's In the Name of the Moon speech ("The heavens cry out! The earth cries out! Hiro-kun cries out!")
- At the end of the episode, after Yoriko steps in and shuts the pair down, Nyarko's Madness Mantra is directly quoted from the ending of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, said by Kamille after Scirocco Mind Raped him. Cuuko's has her saying "I'm sorry..." over and over.
- Episode 8: "A Little Love Song", the title of a 2001 song by MONGOL 800.
- The narrations done by Satomi Arai (Shantak-kun's seiyuu) sound rather familiar to one of her roles.
- Kuuko uses what appears to be a power level scouter to translate Shantak's speech.
- As she pulls various items out of her Victoria's Secret Compartment during this scene, she hums a discordant version of the "Item get" tune from a well-known video game franchise.
- Nyarko asks Mahiro "Do You Remember Love?", which is another reference to Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
- In the stinger, Kuune crawls out of the place where the character was last seen, in a style not unlike that of The Ring - complete with Slasher Smile at the end.
- Episode 9: "High School of the Heat"
- The title of the episode is, naturally, a send-up of Highschool of the Dead.
- Cuuko's descriptions of Cuune's abilities are a mix of the theme song to Devilman and nods to Wild ARMs and Ultraman. When she says "The coldness of her Aphoom-Zhah is negative one trillion degrees!", Mahiro responds "You can't just ignore the laws of physics like that!"; American fans might recognize that line better as "So much for the laws of physics!"
- Tamao and Takehiko are shown playing a incredibly dramatic card game in a direct spoof of Kaiji (complete with someone holding a towel to the side of their head).
- The title card has Nyarko, Cuuko, and Hasta performing Gavan Type G, Kyoryu Red, and Kamen Rider Wizard's respective poses; together they form a Shout Out to Kamen Rider × Super Sentai × Space Sheriff: Super Hero Taisen Z, which was running in theaters at the same time Nyarko-San W was airing.
- Kuune shows Cuuko on her PSP the game "Dagomon World -Re:Digitize-", a reference to the Digimon Adventure anniversary game that came out January 2013.
- Double-example: As already mentioned on this page, there's a Digimon called Dagomon. And guess what?
- Episode 10: "Yuggoth Attacks!"
- Nyarko defends the silliness of her getting a cold by mentioning how aliens can have all sorts of random weakness (complete with silhouettes in the background): Tomatoes, Moon Stones, Music...
- Nyarko's sneezes tend to be Shout Outs, including "Judecca Gozzo!", "Buch Concern!", and "VF-1!" At one point she says "Foundation!", which may be a reference either to the villain organization from Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue or the more benevolent Kougami Foundation from Kamen Rider OOO.
- Episode 11: "A Certain Camp's Haunted House"
- If Nyarko could spend 1000 years with Mahiro, it would make her "Ultra Happy".
- Nyarko gets a Love Potion-ed Cuuko off of Mahiro with the Rider Rocket Drill Kick and Rider Rocket Punch; if you look closely you can even see faint purple images of the Drill and Rocket Modules around her foot and arm.
- Probably a stretch but Nyarko says "Doki Doki pretty league"
- Episode 12: "Sayonara, Nyarko-san W", repeating the Doraemon reference from episode 2 of the previous series.
- The Dreamlands defense mecha is called the RX-02 Banshin, and is described as having a Full Septuagint Frame.
- At one point Nyarko asks if the Banshin's brain is short-circuiting, quoting a line from "Moonlight Densetsu", Sailor Moon's opening theme.
- OAD: "Goodbye to the W/A Chaotic Love for this Hot Spring", a reference to "Goodbye to the E/A Bouquet of Justice to This City" (the final episode of Kamen Rider Double).
- Nyarko's recap of the finale episode uses a parody of the Attack on Titan opening.
- Luhy and Yoriko strike the poses of every lead Precure except Megumi's when commenting on how effective the Forever 17 hot springs are.
- Which may double as an Actor Allusion, since Kikuko Inoue played Yoriko in the drama CDs.
Haiyore! Nyarko-san F (OVA)
- The F in the season's title is short for Final Countdown, doubling as a reference to Kamen Rider Den-Onote and alluding to the fact that it will conclude the story.
- The official name of the OVA is "Crawling Switch On, Chaos is Here!", a reference to Kamen Rider Fourze's Tag Line "Youth switch on, space is here!".
- The weapons what Nyarko and Mahiro are given to defend themselves against a group of monsters are Kamen Rider Gaim's Daidaimaru and Musou Saber.
- During the intro, one of the posters seen in the store is the cover for Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume 1.
- When being told her mission after being kidnapped, Nyarko does the Gununu face.
- The second part of Nyaruko's "recap" was her, Cuuko, and Hasta saying they'll sing to stop a war.
- There are multiple spider-themed references in regards to the attraction the crew visit like having the logo of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the tickets and having Spider as the guide and Muramasa (who can turn into a mechanical spider) as a maid on the attraction. This is to serve as clever foreshadowing for the fact that Ato-ko is behind the whole thing.
Light Novels:
- The covers of every light novel (sans the first) shows Nyarko doing a different Rider's transformation pose; these poses are used again in the opening sequence of Nyarko-san W. This gets taken a step further with Volume 8, which had two covers, the standard release where Nyarko imitates Kamen Rider BLACK and the limited edition where she imitates Kamen Rider BLACK RX. Combine the two, and you get a nod to Kamen Rider Decade which had Black and RX transform side-by-side for the first time.
- The fact that Mahiro is apparently a Ripple-Effect-Proof Existence may make him a Singularity Point.
- In the seventh novel/episode 8 of season 2, Shantak-kun turns into a little girl with help from Cuuko. Nyarko's reaction is to claim that There's no way my pet can be this young a girl.
- The main antagonist of Light Novel volume 8 is Agent Smith, his full name is Clark Ashton Smith and he's working for cracker group call Digital Beings. He also appears in Episode 9 of the Second Season.
- Later novels mention two alien websites, UchuuTube and its rival Mi-Go Mi-Go Douga.
- An illustration from the novels depicts various forms of Nyarlathotep from Japanese media. (Persona, Demonbane, etc.)
Miscellaneous:
- The official Nyarko-san event scheduled for August 2014 is called "Farewell Nyarko-San: The Final Countdown", a play on the subtitle for the third Kamen Rider Den-O movie.
- The OVA that was announced at said event is named Haiyore! Nyarko-san F, which is said to be short for "Final Countdown", retaining the reference.
- The "Nyaralbum" CDs include a medley of the vocal songs from the second season called "Nyaru-Nyaru Service Medley", a nod to Macross Frontier, which had the "Nyan-Nyan Service Medley" performed over the Final Battle.
- Nyarko's main battle theme, "Nyarko, Sanjou!", is a Suspiciously Similar Song to "Ore, Sanjou!", Momotaros' battle theme from Kamen Rider Den-O, having not only a similar name but beginning with the exact same riff before heading in a more pop-style direction (though later parts of the song do have saxophone, matching the jazzy feel of "Ore, Sanjou!")