History YMMV / LyricalNanoha

* AmericansHateTingle: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult men may be marketable in Japan, but it's a different matter in North America. While the franchise does have a dedicated American fanbase, it's not as big as it is in Japan and Geneon's English release of the first two seasons bombed in terms of sales; it's likely that most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery and run for cover. As a result, nothing else from the franchise has been officially released in North America aside from Creator/DiscotekMedia rescuing the license for the first season in 2023.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: It may seem like a typical MagicalGirl show aimed at young girls on the surface, but its main target audience is adult men; the series' promotional materials and [[ComicBookAdaptation manga adaptations]] are printed in {{seinen}} magazines and it [[BleachedUnderpants began its life]] as a SpinOff of the HGame ''VideoGame/TriangleHeart3SweetSongsForever''. The first season even has some fanservice; the next ones less so. In some countries they removed the fanservice and marketed it as a shonen show, though they still left in all the cases of child abuse by the villains. Even though it's a magical girl series, it's very heavy on the sci-fi and seems more like a ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series at certain points--intentionally, after one of the writers noticed that Nanoha's Barrier Jacket made her look like a moe Gundam. Later installments take away the MagicalGirl elements and put more emphasis on the sci-fi, making it much more obviously aimed at men.

** Tons of fan art of Vita and the Sony UsefulNotes/PSVita got published rapidly. Even her seiyuu twitted about the topic.

* AmericansHateTingle: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult men may be marketable in Japan, but it's a different matter in North America. While the franchise does have a dedicated American fanbase, it's not as big as it is in Japan and the English release of the first two seasons bombed in terms of sales; it's likely that most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery and run for cover. As it stands, the licensors have passed on bringing any more of ''Nanoha'' to American shores...and it looks like it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future. Maybe if they used a different type of cover, it'd be more acceptable considering ''Nanoha'' is less "Magical Girl series" and more "Action packed, mecha series disguised as a cute Magical Girl series".

* AmericansHateTingle: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult men may be marketable in Japan, but it's a different matter in North America. While the franchise does have a dedicated American fanbase, it's not as big as it is in Japan and most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery and run for cover. As it stands, the licensors have passed on bringing any more of ''Nanoha'' to American shores...and it looks like it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future. Maybe if they used a different type of cover, it'd be more acceptable considering ''Nanoha'' is less "Magical Girl series" and more "Action packed, mecha series disguised as a cute Magical Girl series".

* AmericansHateTingle: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult men may be marketable in Japan, but it's a different matter in North America. Most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery and run for cover. As it stands, the licensors have passed on bringing any more of ''Nanoha'' to American shores...and it looks like it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future. Maybe if they used a different type of cover, it'd be more acceptable considering ''Nanoha'' is less "Magical Girl series" and more "Action packed, mecha series disguised as a cute Magical Girl series".

* AmericansHateTingle: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult males. While this unique approach may work in Japan, it's a different matter in North America. Most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery on Nanoha's DVD and run for cover. As it stands, the licensors have passed on bringing any more of Nanoha to American shores...and it looks like it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future. Maybe if they used a different type of cover, it'd be more acceptable considering Nanoha is less "Magical Girl series" and more "Action packed, mecha series disguised as a cute Magical Girl series".

* FriendlyFandoms: Fans of ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' have been noted to enjoy Lyrical Nanoha. The fact that many character designs are {{Shout Out}}s to various Gundam designs and the main characters shot giant laser beams at each other that wouldn't look out of place in said Gundam shows naturally help.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: A MagicalGirl series aimed specifically at young adult males. While this unique approach may work in Japan, it's a different matter in the west. Most adult male anime fans in the U.S. would take one good look at the cutesy imagery on Nanoha's DVD and run for cover. As it stands, the licensors have passed on bringing any more of Nanoha to American shores...and it looks like it'll stay that way for the foreseeable future. Maybe if they used a different type of cover, it'd be more acceptable considering Nanoha is less "Magical Girl series" and more "Action packed, mecha series disguised as a cute Magical Girl series".
** Then the franchise got this trap within themselves when they created the spin-off manga Magical Record Lyrical Nanoha Force. Whoever thought that what the fans of a female-starring franchise famous for its yuri subtext want to read are the adventures of a really uncharismatic male character that is TheChosenOne, gets along with the previous cast seamlessly, nerfs the previous cast, demotes to extra the protagonist of the franchise, and embroils into a heterosexual romance no one really wanted to read about, should be fired. This manga basically alienated all the franchise fans, the combination of uncharismatic lead and the fame of the franchise couldn't attract new readers, and eventually was killed as a result.

** The events near the end of episode 8 of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' are widely known as the "White Devil Incident".

* MemeticMutation[=/=]{{Fanon}}:
** CuteAndPsycho[=/=]MemeticPsychopath: Nanoha's in-story [[BloodKnight enthusiasm]] for magical combat tends to be exaggerated into outright bloodthirstiness by fans. After being called a demon and stating that she may as well be if that's what will work, she has since been known as the "White Devil". All the "White Devil" [[http://web.archive.org/web/20140403062223/http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/4813/nanoha2.jpg fanart]] where Nanoha is drawn as an AxCrazy StepfordSmiler and MemeticMolester of Fate started from that. She is also the TropeNamer of the term "[[CuteAndPsycho yangire]]", despite that she ''isn't'' even a yangire herself.
** Due to her LoveMartyr status and stubborn refusal to hold any kind of ill will towards her abusive mother, Fate is often portrayed as a memetic masochist who loves to be wipped, electrocuted and generally punished. Needless to say, this fits well with the merciless White Devil Flanderization of Nanoha.

** MemeticMolester: Hayate, due to her SkinshipGrope tendencies, revealed only in the Sound Stages.

** Rainbows are straighter than Subaru.

** MemeticMolester: Sein thanks to her SkinshipGrope rampage in chapter 11 of ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid''.

** And then there's ''[[Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce Force]]''. If ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' broke the base, then ''Force'' Starlight Breakered what was left of it. Running concurrently with ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', it went completely the other way, all but ensuring that fans of one series hated the other and vice versa. It dropped most magical girl tropes altogether, introduced a bunch of new characters yet again, including an angsty ''male'' lead, which was the last thing anyone expected. It only keeps getting DarkerAndEdgier - innocent people are dying in bloody ways, antagonists are killing indiscriminately for fun, fan-favourite characters are being {{curb stomp|Battle}}ed left and right with powers that, in taking the previous season's AntiMagic up to eleven, seem more than [[StoryBreakerPower a little broken]] and the [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=503564 weapons]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=473048 and]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=534857 armor]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=465206 designs]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=455604 are]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=442117 now]] approaching ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' levels of batshit insane. People think it's either a natural SequelEscalation of the themes [=StrikerS=] started us off on and thus the most awesome thing ever or a DorkAge that [[FanonDiscontinuity never happened]].

** ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'' was the first installment to shift from anime to manga, and a monthly one at that, so it already had a strike against it before it even started. Then it turned out it was a LighterAndSofter take on the series with [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies plushy devices]], no interdimensional incidents, MagicalGirl tropes ''played straight'' and more lolis and loli fanservice than ever. It actually reads more like a shonen series with magical girls... and no real antagonists. And then it put the breaks on whatever plot it had going to do a lengthy TournamentArc and introduce a bunch more new characters. People who liked the changes in ''[=StrikerS=]'' were disappointed, but in Japan where {{moe}} is the law it's the most successful entry in the franchise yet.

* ValuesDissonance: The TSAB makes ample use of grade-school children as [[strike: soldiers]] police officers. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that ''every single child to ever appear in the series'' is WiseBeyondTheirYears and [[RedShirtArmy the vast majority of the TSAB's mages]] are adults, but it still rubs some people the wrong way.
** Also the children are superpowered. One could argue they need to be given something useful to do, lest they find their own trouble, also that they're not in much danger; alternatively, there's so much danger to entire cities or even planets that you have to use every resource you can. Sound Stage X refers to a planet with 'real' child soldiers with guns, and IIRC that's portrayed as messed up and tragic.
** More dissonance: not only is Chrono a 14-year-old military officer (again, with the powers of Starman), but his mother is his commanding officer.

** And then there's ''[[Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce Force]]''. If ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers'' broke the base, then ''Force'' Starlight Breakered what was left of it. Running concurrently with ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'', it went completely the other way, all but ensuring that fans of one series hated the other and vice versa. It dropped most magical girl tropes altogether, introduced a bunch of new characters yet again, including an angsty ''male'' lead, which was the last thing anyone expected. It only keeps getting DarkerAndEdgier - innocent people are dying in bloody ways, antagonists are killing indiscriminately for fun, fan-favourite characters are being {{curb stomp|Battle}}ed left and right with powers that, in taking the previous season's AntiMagic UpToEleven, seem more than [[StoryBreakerPower a little broken]] and the [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=503564 weapons]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=473048 and]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=534857 armor]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=465206 designs]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=455604 are]] [[http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=442117 now]] approaching ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' levels of batshit insane. People think it's either a natural SequelEscalation of the themes [=StrikerS=] started us off on and thus the most awesome thing ever or a DorkAge that [[FanonDiscontinuity never happened]].

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: It may seem like a typical MagicalGirl show aimed at young girls on the surface, but its promotional materials and [[ComicBookAdaptation manga adaptations]] are printed in {{seinen}} magazines and it [[BleachedUnderpants began its life]] as a SpinOff of the HGame ''VideoGame/TriangleHeart3SweetSongsForever''. The first season even has some fanservice; the next ones less so. In some countries they removed the fanservice and marketed it as a shonen show, though they still left in all the cases of child abuse by the villains. Even though it's a magical girl series, it's very heavy on the sci-fi and seems more like a ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series at certain points--intentionally, after one of the writers noticed that Nanoha's Barrier Jacket made her look like a moe Gundam. Later installments take away the MagicalGirl elements and put more emphasis on the sci-fi, making it much more obviously aimed at men.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForLittleGirls: It may seem like a typical MagicalGirl show aimed at young girls on the surface, but its promotional materials and [[ComicBookAdaptation manga adaptations]] are printed in {{seinen}} magazines and it [[BleachedUnderpants began its life]] as a SpinOff of the HGame ''VideoGame/TriangleHeart3SweetSongsForever''. The first season even has some fanservice; the next ones less so. In some countries they removed the fanservice and marketed it as a shonen show, though they still left in all the cases of child abuse by the villains. Even though it's a magical girl series, it's very heavy on the sci-fi and seems more like a ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series at certain points--intentionally, after one of the writers noticed that Nanoha's Barrier Jacket made her look like a moe Gundam. Later installments take away the MagicalGirl elements making it much more obviously aimed at men.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Despite suffering of ChuckCunninghamSyndrome, Yuuno is pretty popular among some fans, as he often appears in many fanarts and fanworks. In the latest popularity poll of ''[=ViVid=]'', Yuuno managed to get 13th place despite appearing only in a single panel.

* FanPreferredCouple: '''Nanoha/Fate''', big time. This did not go unnoticed by Tsuzuki either.

** ''Anime/SenkiZesshouSymphogear'', since both shows feature {{Magical Girl}}s with insane amounts of badassery and firepower... which begs the question: Which fandom [[DefeatMeansFriendship beat the other up for them to become friends]]?

** ''Audioplay/StrikersSoundStageX'' was basically a continuation of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikers''... with no characters introduced before that season making any appearances. People who were not fans of the new characters did not take it well.

** Due to her LoveMartyr status and stubborn refusal to hold any kind of ill will towards her abusive mother, Fate is often portrayed as a memetic masochist who loves to be wiped, electrocuted and generally punished. Needless to say, this fits well with the merciless White Devil flanderization of Nanoha.