Somewhere on the Italian coast lies the island of Regalo, a prosperous trade port with a classical look. Naturally, the port island-city attracts ruffians from across Italy and beyond, and the only people the citizens of Regalo can rely on are the members of "Arcana Famiglia", a vigilante organization whose members are gifted with psychic powers gained through a secret ritual. Sharp-dressed, gentlemanly, and, above all, dangerous, these young men are also popular for their strict code of using nonlethal force in combat.
Into the island-city comes Felicita, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Mondo, leader of Arcana Famiglia. Once she came of age, Mondo invited her into the island to assume leadership of "Serie di Spada", the group's arbitration section. She also hears that she was getting married in two months, and a tournament will be held between the young men of Arcana Famiglia who wanted her hand in marriage.
Not one to simply let fate take its course, Felicita herself joins in the tournament, wanting to prove that she can decide her destiny, as well a competent
Action Girl in her own right. And along the way she interacts with other handsome but eccentric members of the family.
La Storia della Arcana Famiglia is an
Otome Game by HuneX and Comfort Soft, released for the
PlayStation Portable on October 27, 2011. It also received a fandisc,
Arcana Famiglia -Vascello Phantasma no Majutsushi-; a cooking
Gaiden Game,
Arcana Famiglia -Festa Regalo!-; and a sequel is on the works.
JC Staff adapted it into an anime as part of the
Summer 2012 Anime roster.
This series contains the following tropes:
- Accidental Pervert: Worst offender is Liberta. In episode 6 Jolly plays it up by punishing him with a cocktail that allows one to answer with the carnal desires they were feeling at the time they were asked.
- Adaptation Distillation: The anime does a fairly good job at sticking to each characters' background story and circumstances while going down its own original path that narrows down the focus of romance (i.e. Felicita, Nova and Liberta growing as friends while the older men act as the Supporting Harem—until the conclusion comes to a head).
- Amnesia Missed A Spot: Liberta seems to remember his past with Dante pretty well — well enough to tell a story about it — and later enough to remember exactly what the mind wipe was supposed to cover: his abuse from his time at the orphanage.
- Arranged Marriage: Nova was originally engaged to Felicita, but when Nova realizes his parents are only using him to up their status, he breaks it off and subjects his parents to Eternal Sleep.
- As You Know: "This really shouldn't need explaining again, but..."
- Badass Adorable: Felicita
- Bald of Awesome: Dante sports a good one with a tattoo on it.
- Big Eater: Pace. He even eats while sleepwalking.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Liberta, Nova and Felicita.
- But Not Too Foreign: If Sumire's kimono and distinctly Asian apperance are not just for Rule Of Cool style, then Felicita would actually be half-Italian half-Japanese in heritage.
- In the manga, Sumire explicity states that she's Japanese; so yes, Felicita is half-Japanese.
- Butt Monkey: Luca to the whole cast, especially Felicita, whom he babysat not too long ago. In the first episode alone Felicita's maids blame him for their mistress' change in behavior (such as refusing to wear dresses for her father's birthday).
- Blessed with Suck: Felicita is thrown into an organization of attractive men who all have the slightest intention of marrying her. She wants none of it (so far). To top it all, she has received the power to instantly detect her suitors' intents (not a good power, especially if a couple of her suitors are Covert Perverts).
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: With Dante and Jolly being an exception of sorts, as they're clearly in their 30's, but still oh so very hot nevertheless.
- Childhood Friends: Luca, Pace and Debito.
- Demoted to Extra: The anime focuses mainly on Nova, Liberta and Felicita; everyone else has much more less screentime.
- Dirty Mind Reading: Felicita can read surface thoughts at will; unfortunately, in the anime her power also has a habit of activating if she is uncomfortable, stressed, or scared. This means she often sees things she doesn't want to.
- The fun part of the game is that you can read the guys' heart practically whenever you want, and the consequences CAN be perverted.
- Do It Yourself Theme Tune: The ending song, "Pieces of Treasure", by Jun Fukuyama and Tsubasa Yonaga; voices of Liberta and Nova respectively.
- Eyepatch of Power: Debito.
- Family Business: Felicita and possibly her new husband are to succeed her parents' leadership of the Arcana Famiglia.
- Filler: Arguably the whole anime up to episode 9.
- Friend to All Children: Arguably most members of Arcana Famiglia since they have annual event dedicated for children in Regalo, but especially Debito (of all people).
- Gangsta Style: Debito holds his guns this way when in action. With his arms crossed. And it works.
- Harem Genre: That of the reverse harem genre.
- Heroes Want Redheads: Apparently, plenty of these heroes want one particular redhead.
- Hot Mom: Sumire, Felicita's mother.
- Katanas Are Just Better: Nova's Weapon of Choice.
- Kick Chick: Felicita's preferred method of attack shows off her long and beautiful legs to the audience. This is probably the only male-friendly Fanservice we will be getting in this Otome Game adaptation.
- Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Nova, in such stark contrast to his cold and unfeeling persona that Liberta was visibly shocked by the revelation. For Nova's part, he is far too much a hardass to ever admit to possessing this trope.
- Knife Nut: Again, Felicita.
- Literally Falling In Love: A less potent example with Felicita and Liberta. In episode 4 the two take a nasty fall from a rooftop, sans a kiss or an Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other moment. But at least we've still got a Crush Blush from Liberta.
- Love Triangle: Between Felicita, Liberta, and Nova.
- Mafia Princess
- Megaton Kick: Felicita's preferred method of punishing men who think dirty thoughts about her or make passes at her.
- Names to Know in Anime: Tons of the male cast, and some females, too.
- Nice Hat: Luca.
- Not Good with People: Nova.
- Otome Game
- Self-Made Orphan: A downplayed and non lethal version. Nova put his parents in Convenient Coma that might last forever.
- Sharp-Dressed Men
- She's Got Legs: Felicita yet again.
- Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Therefore Felicita is the harem queen.
- Sunglasses at Night: Jolly
- Tarot Motifs/Psychic Powers: Each high-ranking member of the Arcana Famiglia bears powers based on his/her contracted card:
- Thanks for the Mammary: Done by Liberta, naturally followed by a Megaton Kick from Felicita.
- Threesome Subtext: Felicita, Nova, and Liberta are shown to be very close to each other by the end of the anime.
- Troubled, but Cute: Liberta was abused and experimented on as an orphan by the orphanage heads.
- Also applies to Debito, Luca and Pace who were subjects to Jolly's experiments
- Nova's parents were essentially using him and his engagement to Felicita to acquire higher status. So he put them in comas.
- Tsundere: Arguably, Nova.
- Twintails: Felicita sports a pair of long ones.
- Vocal Dissonance: You would expect from her cold-and-tough character design that Mamiko Noto would give Felicita a coarser and deeper voice, like the one she gave hard-boiled-detective Asogi Rin from Mnemosyne; instead, she performs her character with the a sweet, gentle, innocent and adorable voice that is better suited to a Nice Girl like Nogizaka Haruka rather than a that of a tough action girl's.
- The Voiceless: In the game, Felicita doesn't talk.
- Wham Line: "If she were to use Wheel of Fortune, she'll lose her memory again!"
- World of Badass
- Zettai Ryouiki: Felicita is grade A.
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