From left to right: Oumi Sorane, Mishima Miu, Shirakawa Hiyori, Sagisawa Arisu, Houjou Shiina, Hinohara Chiyoko, Tokisaka Nino
"The Cherry That Floats in the Sky"
This majestic tree, sitting in the middle of a clear lake that reflects the sky above, has long been Kagami Island's most iconic landmark. The people of the island take it for granted, yet it remains a popular tourist spot. This all changes, however, with the opening of Kagami Wonderland, a new amusement park run by the famous Sagisawa Conglomerate.
Tokisaka Ichito grew up under the wing of his magician grandfather, though he was never able to learn much magic himself before his grandfather passed away. His only power of note is his ability to see people's true emotions in his magic pocket mirror.
The fourth main entry in the Da Capo franchise, and the first game to completely forgo the familiar setting of Hatsune Island. Also the first one to not use Roman numerals in its title. Much like Da Capo III before it, the game was initially released as an all-ages title in 2019, with an 18+ version titled Da Capo 4 Plus Harmony released in 2021.
Da Capo 4 provides examples of:
- Alternate Universe: The whole game takes place in one, with Arisa having crossed over from what is heavily implied to be the world the first three entries took place in. Shiina is also from yet another alternate universe.
- Amnesiac Hero: Ichito's past remains shrouded in mystery for much of the game. Some of it boils down to him simply not wanting to think about his past trauma, but there are quite a few important details that he has actually forgotten, also.
- Belated Love Epiphany: Of a sort. Hiyori realizing that she's in love with Ichito after she's lost her ability to form a romantic connection to anyone.
- Book Dumb: Chiyoko, who proudly proclaims that she's got the fourth-lowest grades in her year. Doesn't really matter much in D.C.4 itself, but in Fortunate Departures it becomes the main focus of her route, with her grades slipping even further and her risking becoming officially "the dumbest person in her entire year, if not the entire school." And after extensive amounts of studying and hard work, she finally manages to rise up... to fourth-lowest in her year. She is incredibly proud.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Nino. Hey, it's Da Capo. Of course the protagonist's adopted younger sister is one of the love interests. Also doubles as Kissing Cousins.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Happens to Shiina and Chiyoko if the player doesn't pursue them. As they aren't part of Ichito's established friend group, if he doesn't interact with them enough in the common route, they completely disappear from the game after the Valentine's Day event.
- Cosmic Retcon: Ichito failing to pull off one of these as a child was the impetus for the entire story. He and Arisa are able to successfully undo it in the true ending.
- Dimensional Traveler: Arisa's special power.
- Dead Man Writing: Sorane leaves a video message for Ichito shortly before going off to die.
- Downer Ending: Sorane's route... the first time around.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Ichito and Arisa go through a lot to restore the balance between the worlds. This is also what ends up unlocking the Golden Ending to the Sorane route.
- Fairytale Motifs: "Kagami Wonderland," the heroine's name being phonetically identical to Alice without actually being Alice, the presence of a strange cat named Cheshi... The Alice in Wonderland allusions in this work are not subtle. Also, the mystical location Ichito sees in his dreams being called "Kagami no Kuni" or "The Land of Mirrors" is a reference to Through the Looking Glass.
- Foreshadowing: Shiina accidentally calling Chiyoko "Mom" the first time they meet, Sorane suddenly sporting bunny ears in one scene, Ichito remarking that Arisu seems to give off a different vibe than she used to, the fact that Hiyori's matchmaking involves her pointing a gun to her own head... There are a lot of details that either might seem innocuous or that are handwaved away as being something else that suddenly take on a whole different meaning after one has read the full story.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Arisa, who has spent her whole life struggling to live up to the expectations placed on her by her magician family. We only see glimpses of it, but what we see does not paint a pretty picture.
- Imaginary Love Triangle: Hiyori, in her own route, completely fails to notice that Miu isn't in love with Ichito.
- Inconvenient Attraction: Arisa is not happy about having fallen for Ichito, her being on a mission to Save the World and having been taught that love makes a magician's power fade.
- Interface Spoiler: One exclusive to the console re-releases: The Switch and PS4 versions of the game add bonus epilogues to each route. These bonus epilogues are accessed from a separate submenu that unlocks after one clears at least one route. It immediately contains buttons for all eight heroines, including Arisa, from the get-go. Admittedly the ones you haven't unlocked are just shown as silhouettes, but the fact that Arisu's silhouette appears twice immediately hints that either there are two of her or she has two separate endings. Additionally, there is an epilogue for Sorane that doesn't unlock after getting her initial Downer Ending, pretty overtly indicating that there's still more to her route after that.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: Happens to Sorane in her route, with her gradually reverting back to her original animal form. It's a sign that she's dying.
- The Matchmaker: Hiyori, who boasts an absolutely spotless record; Any couple she attempts to bring together will end up together. Turns out to be because of her magic; Love is literally a tangible and quantifiable resource to her, which she can manipulate to ensure that people get together. Shame that she's gradually diminishing her own potential to ever experience love by doing so, though...
- Matchmaker Crush: Hiyori attempts to hook up Ichito and Miu. Predictably, in her own route she ends up falling in love with him herself instead.
- Motifs: Mirrors. They're all over the mysterious world in Ichito's dream, Ichito's magic is channeled through the mirror in his old broken clock, the island's famous "Cherry that Floats in the Sky" is named as such because the lake beneath it reflects the sky above, the island's name is a phonetic match for "Mirror Island," and even the game's logo features a mirror image.
- Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Looking at the key visual for the original game, one could be forgiven for thinking there are only five heroines, considering how Miu and Chiyoko are nowhere to be found. Interestingly does not apply to Walking Spoiler Arisa, who is technically alluded to with Arisu's reflection having golden hair.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Shiina eventually develops this sort of relationship with Suginami. Her entire route in the spinoff Fortunate Departures revolves around trying to defeat him in a video game contest.
- The Power of Love: The game's tagline is "This love changes the world," so obviously this comes into play in some way. More specifically, it's literally the source of Arisu's magic power and what is used to restore the mana balance between the two worlds in Arisu's route.
- Really 700 Years Old: Sorane. While her exact age is never revealed, she has at the very least lived for several centuries.
- Restraining Bolt: The Arisa route reveals that Gen put a magical one on Ichito's magic to prevent his botched Cosmic Retcon from tearing reality itself apart.
- Title Drop: The spell that Ichito used to try and undo his parents' deaths, and that Arisa and Ichito successfully perform at the end of the game to restore the mana balance between the worlds, is called the Da Capo spell.
- Trapped in Another World: Shiina, though she initially believes herself to merely have gone through Accidental Time Travel.
- Twin Switch: Arisa and Arisu. Notably, while this switch happened well before the start of the game, it is only addressed in the two characters' routes.
- Uncanny Family Resemblance: Suginami, who once again both looks, sounds and acts exactly like his predecessors to the point where it's unclear if it isn't literally the same person.
- Troll: Suginami, who as usual seems to have dedicated his whole life to messing with people. Hiyori also has her moments.
- Walking Spoiler: Despite being the main heroine, Sagisawa Arisa very much qualifies, as her existence is only given vague hints and allusions prior to her proper introduction in the canon route... which requires the player to clear the other six heroines' routes first to even unlock.
- Wham Line: Quite a few, but perhaps the most shocking one comes in Shiina's route:Shiina: "Tokisaka-san... I'm your daughter.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Kanata, who consistently dresses feminine but seems to still identify as a man. Literally nobody ever questions it.
