History YMMV / HighSchoolDXD

* BestKnownForTheFanservice: ''High School D×D'' is infamous for its gratuitous {{Fanservice}} (particularly in the anime adaptation) and Issei, a perverted hero who constantly talks about breasts. However, Issei is an AffectionateParody of {{Shonen}}-style protagonists who is [[ChivalrousPervert genuinely heroic and respectful towards women]], and the characters and setting are surprisingly well-developed.

** Also from the fourth volume was Vali bringing up the setting's SuperWeight, speculating that even Sirzechs wouldn't rank among the Top 10. Later, Sirzechs reveals his true form, a human-shaped mass of Power of Destruction, which WordOfGod states ''does'' put him amongst the Top 10.

** Issei living together with Asia and using Dress Break on Riser Phenex's peerage becomes even less funny when his English VA, Creator/ScottFreeman, actually would be convicted for multiple counts of child pornography.

** The series is banned in New Zealand on the counts that it promotes child pornography. Then it was revealed why Creator/ScottFreeman was unavailable for voicing Issei in ''[=BorN=]'', as it came out that he got arrested and convicted for multiple counts of possession of child pornography. It also makes the scene where Issei uses his Dress Break against Riser Phenex's peerage uncomfortable to watch in the English dub. What's even worse is that he was arrested months before ''[=BorN=]'' aired!

** Samael, a fallen angel/dragon hybrid known as the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dragon Eater]], who Azazel states was created from ''[[MadeOfEvil God's hatred]]''. His very existence is lethal to dragons, and just exposure to his blood is enough to kill Issei, debilitate Vali, and even greatly weaken ''Ophis''. He's so dangerous that he was locked away in Cocytus, the deepest part of the Underworld, essentially making him another version of {{Satan}}. Despite being one of the most conceptually terrifying beings introduced in the story, his only appearance so far is when he's raised from his prison by Hades, who completely binds him up and gives him to the Hero Faction, so they can utilize him as a weapon. After the Hero Faction is defeated, Samael is resealed and hasn't even been mentioned since then. What's particularly strange is when [[spoiler:Hades and his Alliance of Hell hypocritically take advantage of two Longinus they fear so much to weaken Issei, but WordOfGod explains that they considered Samael, which had already once killed him, too dangerous to unseal again.]]

** Issei's "death" at the hands of Raynare which set the tone for the story to be much more than a basic {{Harem}} series.

** The first ending credits of the anime. Koneko-chan shaking that has gotten fans attention.

** Doctor Crimson and Canary Maid which is especially prevalent at {{Imageboards}}.[[note]]Sirzechs is drawn with a fabulous mustache with Grayfia acting as his assistant and is noted to be [[PaperThinDisguise Not-Sirzechs]]. Not exactly farfetched considering Sirzechs is a BunnyEarsLawyer.[[/note]]

*** Asia's supporters view her as a sweetheart and TheWoobie who provides vital support to her team. Her detractors complain that she is generic and sickeningly sweet with an annoyingly high-pitched voice, often gets in the way of Issei's moments with Rias (whereas the other girls will compete for Issei's attention, Asia often simply cockblocked him outright), and [[WhatMeasureIsANonBadass has no fighting capabilities whatsoever]].

** Creator/YokoHikasa played Seraphim, a vampire ninja, in ''LightNovel/IsThisAZombie''. Here, she plays Rias Gremory, a devil, who is the master of her servants, particularly the vampire Gasper Vladi.

* AdaptationDisplacement: As with the majority of the novels being adapted into Animation, not that many people actually read the novel before ''and'' after any of the TV Series' began or ended.

** It could be argued that there are Escapist Character tendencies for most of the cast. There are many scenes that may and probably will go beyond suspension of disbelief, but the stylization with which Hirano pulls it off is so awesome that it can be excused on account of RuleOfCool.

* TheScrappy: Issei's "[[WithFriendsLikeThese friends]]" outside of the supernatural, Matsuda and Motohama. The two of them regularly gain the ire of the fans for being just as perverted as Issei but [[FlatCharacter lacking any of his depth]], regularly beating the crap out of Issei and spreading vicious rumors about him out of [[GreenEyedMonster pure jealously]], and just being overall wastes of time whenever they show up. Many wonder why Issei is even friends with them anymore when they do nothing but cause him pain.

** Ophis is particularly well-loved by the audience too.

* AwesomenessWithdrawal: While the novels were ongoing up until it took a hiatus during the sequel ''Literature/ShinHighSchoolDXD'', as a result of AdaptationDisplacement, the anime tends to be what attracts more attention. And while it managed to do so for four seasons, this sentiment has occurred regularly due to gaps in between seasons. While Season 1, ''New'', and ''[=BorN=]'' had manageable gaps of roughly one year, the gap between ''[=BorN=]'' and ''Hero'' was roughly ''three'' years, which wasn't helped by ''[=BorN=]'' suffering AdaptationDistillation and a GeckoEnding, killing the hype the anime had in the meantime. While the release of ''Hero'' did gain some of that hype back, the lack of follow up via a fifth season for nearly ''five'' years with only the vague hints of Season 5 being "in production" all but killed the hype for many viewers.

** Vali is also seen as this by his supporters. Being an [[Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex Accelerator]] {{Expy}} who took almost 10 volumes for Issei to outdo completely certainly helps matters.

* AwesomenessWithdrawal: While the novels were ongoing up until it took a hiatus during the sequel ''LightNovel/ShinHighSchoolDXD'', as a result of AdaptationDisplacement, the anime tends to be what attracts more attention. And while it managed to do so for four seasons, this sentiment has occurred regularly due to gaps in between seasons. While Season 1, ''New'', and ''[=BorN=]'' had manageable gaps of roughly one year, the gap between ''[=BorN=]'' and ''Hero'' was roughly ''three'' years, which wasn't helped by ''[=BorN=]'' suffering AdaptationDistillation and a GeckoEnding, killing the hype the anime had in the meantime. While the release of ''Hero'' did gain some of that hype back, the lack of follow up via a fifth season for nearly ''five'' years with only the vague hints of Season 5 being "in production" all but killed the hype for many viewers.

* FriendlyFandoms: More prominently with ''LightNovel/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'', ''LightNovel/DateALive'', ''Manga/MonsterMusume'', and ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'', but there is also a chance that a ''[=DxD=]'' fan may also be a fan of ''Manga/ToLoveRu'' ([[VitriolicBestBuds even though the respective fandoms are used to some gibes between each other]]).

** Creator/LaurenLanda, who voiced Xenovia in the dub, would later go on to voice another devil by the name of Mio Naruse in ''LightNovel/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'', which was released in North America two years after ''[=BorN=]''.

** Vali is also seen as this by his supporters. Being an [[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex Accelerator]] {{Expy}} who took almost 10 volumes for Issei to outdo completely certainly helps matters.

** [[BirdsOfAFeather Issei/Akeno]] seems to edge out the OfficialCouple Issei/Rias in terms of popularity. This is further enhanced by the fact that Akeno is the first girl in the harem that Issei goes out on a date with (barring Asia).

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** After concerns that the final episodes ''[=BorN=]'' might have jeopardized the anime's continuity, Ichiei Ishibumi and Kadokawa wisely chose to play damage control. Ishibumi wrote ''EX'' and Kadokawa announced in late 2017 that ''Hero'' would adapt volumes 9 to 10; the animation production studio was switched to Passione. Likewise, as a show that they're serious about playing closer to the source material, the season began with an episode full of retcons that stay closer to the source material.
** The hyped up match between [[spoiler:Ddraig and Crom Cruach during the Issei vs Rias match in the Azazel Cup ends up relegated to the background. True Volume 3 begins by actually showing how it went, as the author explains that poor health made him cut corners in the previous volume.]]

** Samael, a fallen angel/dragon hybrid known as the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dragon Eater]], who Azazel states was created from ''[[MadeOfEvil God's hatred]]''. His very existence is lethal to dragons, and just exposure to his blood is enough to kill Issei, debilitate Vali, and even greatly weaken ''Ophis''. He's so dangerous that he was locked away in Cocytus, the deepest part of the Underworld, essentially making him another version of {{Satan}}. Despite being one of the most conceptually terrifying beings introduced in the story, his only appearance so far is when he's raised from his prison by Hades, who completely binds him up and gives him to the Hero Faction, so they can utilize him as a weapon. After the Hero Faction is defeated, Samael is resealed and hasn't even been mentioned since then. It dips into FridgeLogic when [[spoiler:Hades and his Alliance of Hell hypocritically take advantage of two Longinus to weaken Issei instead of using something that had once killed him outright]].