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Visual Novel / Kamigami no Asobi

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Yui Kusanagi is an average high school girl who also works as a miko on her family's shrine. One day, while she's at the shrine's warehouse, she finds a mysterious Cool Sword, Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, that takes her to another world - a garden created by the mighty Zeus for the gods to live in. In the middle of the garden, there's a high school that some of the gods attend. Zeus gives Yui the task to attend the school and teach the gods about love in a time where the worship of gods is slowly receding. Thus, in the school she meets Apollon and Hades from Greek Mythology, Tsukito and Takeru from Japanese Mythology, Loki and Balder from Norse Mythology, and Anubis and Thoth from Egyptian Mythology. However, there's a problem - she doesn't know anything about love, and if she refuses, she'll be punished by Zeus.

A visual novel for the PlayStation Portable released by Nippon Ichi and Broccoli (after the success of the latter with Uta No Prince-sama) with art by Kazuki Yone (of Hakuouki fame) in 2013, it was adapted into an anime by Brains Base in 2014. A sequel to the original game called Kamigami no Asobi Infinite was released on April 21, 2016 for both the PSP and PlayStation Vita.

A translation project of the game is on the making, and can be found here.


This visual novel and its anime adaptation provide examples of:

  • Attempted Rape: A PG version happens in the anime. Two times in episode 7, with Loki planning on doing something to Yui but stops when she believes he is implying that he wants to be friends and becomes happy with him. The second time is at the end of the episode with Balder trying to force a kiss on Yui in an attempt to make her "only see him." Loki prevents Balder that time.
  • Attention Whore: Loki, throughout the series, but especially in episode 10. While the others (Hades, Balder, Apollon, Takeru, and Tsukito) want the prince role in Cinderella because they all like Yui (who they want to play Cinderella), but then Apollon mentions that the Prince is the "star that guides Cinderella to her happy ending". Loki hears the word "Star" and suddenly becomes interested. He then proceeds to derail the play after he gets a small part.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: In the game, both Balder and Apollon on their respective routes, Loki's and Hades', though this is not their fault, as they lose control of their powers for external influences. The anime only portrayed Balder's case.
  • Breather Episode: Episode 10, in which the students perform a School Play of Cinderella after a couple of comparably angst-heavy episodes, followed immediately after by the main conflict of the show.
  • Brought Down to Normal: Zeus does this to all the student Gods so that they'll be forced to stay in the school as humans.
  • Chained Heat: The main plot during Tsukito's route in the game has him chained to Yui via magic rings, thanks to Loki's trickster ways, and are told that they'll only come off if they become a couple and eventually fall for each other. This was adapted, but downplayed, in the anime.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: Balder's route has him being extremely possessive of Yui and dislikes seeing her interact with Loki in a manner he thinks she should only interact with him. In the anime, Loki manifests some shades of this when Balder starts showing interest in Yui.
  • Cross Over Cosmology:
    • The point of the game itself: it is a giant crossover of gods from different mythologies... in high school!
    • In a straighter sense, the video game has an inter-company crossover with Killer and Strawberry for both series' April Fools' Day pranks. Apollo, Hades, and Balder swapped places with the latter game's three leading men.
  • Cruel to Be Kind: Hades pushes others away because his curse brings misery on those who get close to him.
  • Divine Date: All of Yui's love interests are gods from various pantheons.
  • Dysfunctional Family: We have two main examples.
    • The Greek Mythology family, to the surprise of no one. Apollon, Dionysus and Hades get along wonderfully with each other, but as soon as Zeus is added to the mix things get dysfunctional. Hades hates him and Apollon is cold towards him. Zeus can't seem to bond with any of them even if he has their best interests in mind.
    • The Japanese Mythology family issues is the main focus of Tsukito's route in the game. Akira can't get along with Tsukito or Takeru, Tsukito is unable to understand family bonds at all and Takeru just wants to fix their problems.
  • Faceless Masses: The other students aside from Yui and the gods. Justified in that they are dolls created by Zeus, and they do not possess a soul.
  • Fanservice:
    • The guys get Shirtless Scenes such as during the Beach Episode, in which some of their swimsuits are more revealing than others.
    • Several scenes in the ending theme, one of which shows several of the gods with only a sheet over them.
    • Thoth leaves most of his shirt buttons undone.
    • Several of their god forms outfits leave little to the imagination, case in point: the Greek gods and Loki.
  • Green-Eyed Monster:
    • Balder doesn't take it nicely when Yui starts spending time with Loki. In the anime adaptation, Loki gets jealous of Balder's closeness with Yui, as he doesn't consider her important enough to gain their trust or be with Balder. (Among other reasons.)
    • Apollon was jealous after seeing Yui with Balder.
  • Heart Is an Awesome Power: The basic plot of the game is that Yui, a mere mortal, is able to help each god solve their own problems and 'graduate', avoiding their terrible fates, thanks to the sheer power of the love a human heart can provide.
  • I Love You Because I Can't Control You: Balder thinks Yui is special because she sees him as a person and isn't immediately drawn to his light like other people are.
  • Implausible Deniability: Yui repeats some of the things Loki said to her, such as saying they will "make memories together" and that Balder belongs to him. He denies saying them, even after Yui points out that she heard him say them.
  • Incredibly Inconvenient Deity: Yui Kusanagi is summoned by Zeus to "teach the gods about the human heart" for a year, in a school in a magical realm. She ends up getting along with them, but, as Apollo notices, all of the gods were brought there with companions from their respective countries, but Yui was brought there alone. All of them recognize that it was a pretty nasty move on Zeus' part (not that it's out of character for Zeus).
  • Japanese School Club: This is how the game separates the plausible routes. If you choose to join the Student Council you may choose between Apollon, Tsukito and Balder, the members of said council. If you decide to go for the Club Activities route, you get Hades, Takeru or Loki. The clubs each character joins change according to the route pursued.
  • The Klutz: Balder, who falls down just as Yui meets him for the first time.
  • Power Incontinence: Their Power Limiter accessories keep the gods from using their powers voluntarily, but being under emotional distress can cause them to use it uncontrollably and break the accessory, which is clearly against the rules, as Takeru learns the hard way.
  • Power Limiter: Zeus sealed everyone's powers with fashionable accessories that the gods cannot remove.
  • Transformation Sequence: Only in the anime, as shown here. Apollon's is shown in the first episode, and the others also transform in the last episode.
  • The Underworld: Inevitable mentioned, as Hades is a main character. During his love route in the game, Yui has to go to the Underworld to get him back. It's not pretty.
  • Unequal Pairing: Since Cassandra was a human, Apollon gave her some of his power to make their relationship equal. In his main route in the game Anubis seeks a way to make Yui immortal in order to be with her in equal lifespans.
  • Verbal Tic: Apollon likes to repeat words, justified in that he's the god of prophecies, and those being as precious as they are, he picked the habit of repeating them twice to avoid confusion or forgetfulness.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: Zeus transforms into a child to prove his powers to Yui. In the game, he chooses this form in order not to appear too imposing or intimidating to her.

Alternative Title(s): Ludere Deorum

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