History YMMV / TheCaligulaEffect

* RemadeAndImproved: ''The Caligula Effect: Overdose'', made for current generation consoles at the time and the PC, improves the graphics, including the character design, made field-to-encounter transition instanteous, improves the UI, and add large number of improvements toward the story.

* CaptainObviousReveal: Thorn's real-life identity. When Shogo mentions that [[spoiler:Ichika is deceased and that he was part of a ThreeAmigos group, and Aria stating that people can only be invited to Mobius if they have a soul, made eagle-eyed fans instantly know that Thorn is the then unnamed third friend, Asuka Natsume, taking on Ichika's appearance.]]

* FandomRivalry: With the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series, specifically ''VideoGame/Persona5''. Though considering how obscure Caligula can be, this could be [[UnknownRival considered one-sided.]] Both games came out within the same year for both Japanese (2016) and English (2017) months between each other. Fans from the Persona series would call this game a "knock off" for daring to be a turn-based JRPG that takes place during a high school setting, while fans of this series would affectionately call this game "Anti-Persona" for pretty much being the exact opposite of its contemporary. Little to no high school shenanigans, most of the aforementioned high schoolers actually being [[spoiler: adults or at least college aged]], and no dating mechanics with only ship tease mentioned. It doesn't help that the scenario writer for Caligula is Tadashi Satomi, who also wrote ''VideoGame/Persona1'' and ''[[VideoGame/Persona2 2]]'', which were largely ignored by most of the Persona fanbase at the time.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0xgsiuG0wo Tír na nÓg]], a song filled with the chaotic emotions of &#956 as she pours them all out and [[VillainousBreakdown completely loses it]].

* ToughActToFollow: &#956's performance, courtesy of ''Creator/ReinaUeda'' were one of the most memorable part of the game, to the point that some fans consider her lack of appearance in the sequel disappointing.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0xgsiuG0wo Tír na nÓg]], a song filled with the chaotic emotions of Mu as she pours them all out and [[VillainousBreakdown completely loses it]].

** There's a smaller camp that is disappointed about the relationship between Kuchinashi and Stork. [[spoiler:As their Character Episodes reveal, Stork was a police officer stationed in the same neighborhood Kuchinashi's family was living in. Despite this fact, the two hardly interact with one another, nor do their Character Episodes intersect with each other following these revelations.]]

* BrokenBase: Regarding the anime. One camp believes that it is a terrible adaptation and left out several important details, especially given the large cast the game was known for. Another camp thinks that, while the anime was by no means perfect, it was still fairly decent and gave the protagonist a fairly intriguing backstory.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The story has been met with much praise, but the gameplay and mechanics are considered lackluster at best.

* ScrappyMechanic: The Causality Link. While being able to befriend and recruit 500+ characters sounds very appealing, the characters are very cookie-cutter, and the sidequests you need to do for them to unlock their passive skills for the party range arbitrarily from effortless to near impossible. Most notably, any request that has you fighting either the Moral Fighter, the Nightmare, or the Hallucination, who are all ''way stronger than the final boss!'' Made slightly better in ''Overdose'', as your RelationshipValues go up much faster and each character only has one sidequest now as opposed to two.

* OneSceneWonder: When the Go-Home Club catches up to μ at the Landmark Tower, she is under the misconception that Aria, who helped her build Mobius and couldn't understand why she would want to help people leave Mobius, is actually brainwashed by the protagonist and attempts to eliminate them. What makes this scene so jarring is that, in the Forbidden Musician Route, μ ''knows for a damned fact'' that the protagonist and Lucid are one of the same. This could be chalked up to her being overwhelmed by the accumulated negative emotions at the moment, but still!

* BrokenBase: Regarding the anime. One camp believes that it is a terrible adaptation and left out several important details, especially given the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters the game was known for. Another camp thinks that, while the anime was by no means perfect, it was still fairly decent and gave the protagonist a fairly intriguing backstory.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The story has been met with much praise, but the game play and mechanics are considered lackluster at best.

* EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame: The story is met with much praise, but the game play and mechanics are considered lackluster at best.

* FandomRivalry: With the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series, specifically ''VideoGame/Persona5''. Though considering how obscure Caligula can be, this could be [[UnknownRival considered one-sided.]] Both games came out within the same year for both Japanese (2016) and English (2017) months between each other. Fans from the Persona series would call this game a "knock off" for daring to be a turn-based JRPG that takes place during a high school setting, while fans of this series would affectionately call this game "Anti-Persona" for pretty much being the exact opposite of its contemporary. Little to no high school shenanigans, most of the aforementioned high schoolers actually being [[spoiler: adults or at least college aged]], and no dating mechanics with only ship tease mentioned. It doesn't help that the scenario writer for Caligula is Tadashi Satomi, who also wrote ''VideoGame/Persona1'' and [[VideoGame/Persona2 2]]'', which were largely ignored by most of the Persona fanbase at the time.

* FandomRivalry: With the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' series, specifically ''VideoGame/Persona5''. Though considering how obscure Caligula can be, this could be [[UnknownRival considered one-sided.]] Both games came out within the same year for both Japanese (2016) and English (2017) months between each other. Fans from the Persona series would call this game a "knock off" for daring to be a turn-based JRPG that takes place during a high school setting, while fans of this series would call this game "Anti-Persona" for pretty much being the exact opposite of its contemporary. Little to no high school shenanigans, most of the aforementioned high schoolers actually being [[spoiler: adults or at least college aged]], and no dating mechanics with only ship tease mentioned. It doesn't help that the scenario writer for Caligula is Tadashi Satomi, who also wrote ''VideoGame/Persona1'' and [[VideoGame/Persona2 2]]'', which were largely ignored by most of the ''Persona'' fanbase at the time.

* FandomRivalry: With the Persona series, specifically Persona 5. Though considering how obscure Caligula can be, this could be [[UnknownRival considered one-sided.]] Both games came out within the same year for both Japanese (2016) and English (2017) months between each other. Fans from the Persona series would call this game a "knock off" for daring to be a turn-based rpg that takes place during a high school setting, while fans of this series would call this game "Anti-Persona" for pretty much being the exact opposite of its contemporary. Little to no high school shenanigans, most of the aforementioned high schoolers actually being [[spoiler: adults or at least college aged]], and no dating mechanics with only ship tease mentioned. It doesn't help that the scenario writer for Caligula is Tadashi Satomi, who also wrote Persona 1 and Persona 2, which is largely ignored by most of the Persona fanbase.

* {{Narm}}: Some of the protagonist's responses in the Character Episodes can be rather quirky an odd for someone who sounds so stoic in battle.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGX_PrwFtfw Tír na nÓg]], a song filled with the chaotic emotions of Mu as she pours them all out and [[VillainousBreakdown completely loses it]].

* MagnificentBitch: [[BigBad Thorn]] is the leader of the Ostinato Musicians overseeing Mobius. [[spoiler:Unable to move on from the suicide of her best friend before taking her identity inside Mobius]], Thorn became the right hand of the sentient AI μ after μ denied Thorn her wish. Creating the Ostinato Musicians, a group of emotionally damaged individuals seeking to preserve their ideal lives by composing songs for μ and manipulating them as well, Thorn uses their songs to amass negative energy and [[TheCorrupter slowly corrupt μ]] to grant her own wish. While the Go-Home Club manages to defeat the Musicians, Thorn succeeds in corrupting μ while also taking revenge on her former friend Shogo Satake by triggering his past trauma. Hiding her real intentions from both friend and foe, Thorn was the [[DragonInChief real mastermind behind the current Mobius]], all in her plan to [[OmnicidalManiac ensure the destruction of the real world]].

* MagnificentBitch: [[BigBad Thorn]] is the leader of the Ostinato Musicians overseeing Mobius. [[spoiler: Actually a man unable to move on from the suicide of her best friend before taking her identity inside Mobius]], Thorn became the right hand of the sentient AI μ after μ denied Thorn her wish. Creating the Ostinato Musicians, a group of emotionally damaged individuals seeking to preserve their ideal lives by composing songs for μ and manipulating them as well, Thorn uses their songs to amass negative energy and [[TheCorrupter slowly corrupt μ]] to grant her own wish. While the Go-Home Club manages to defeat the Musicians, Thorn succeeds in corrupting μ while also taking revenge on her former friend Shogo Satake by triggering his past trauma. Hiding her real intentions from both friend and foe, Thorn was the [[DragonInChief real mastermind behind the current Mobius]], all in her plan to [[OmnicidalManiac ensure the destruction of the real world.]]

* MagnificentBastard: Also Magnificent Bitch, but the President of the Go-Home Club, as Lucid, qualifies. During the entirety of the Musician storyline, none of the Go-Home Club ever realizes that they are fighting with their enemies -- the only obstacle standing between them and μ in order to return to the real world. Granted, they do this because they want to understand both sides, but still. [[spoiler:It all comes to ahead in the [[DownerEnding "Heartbreak" Ending]] of the Forbidden Musician Route. The Go-Home Club has μ in their sights. Their only obstacle left is Thorn. Then they watch with confusion, then horror, as their president walks over and stands next to Thorn...[[FaceHeelTurn and reveal themselves as Lucid before delivering the ultimate]] CurbStompBattle and allowing Thorn's goals to destroy reality come to pass.]]

** There's a smaller camp that is disappointed about the relationship between Kuchinashi and Stork. [[spoiler:As their Character Episodes reveal, Stork was a police officer stationed in the same neighborhood Kuchinashi's family was living in. Despite this fact, the two hardly interact with one another, nor do their Character Episodes intersect with each other following these revelations.]]
* WhamShot: Episode 10 of the anime has one at the very end. [[spoiler:We see Ritsu waking up on a couch in what looks like an office, nowhere like any place seen in Mobius... and then there's a second Wham Shot in ''the credits''. Ritsu's name is absent, and Chiharu Sawashiro is instead credited as playing "Shingo Tachibana". Episode 11 then follows up on who Shingo is, as well as who Ritsu ''really'' is.]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Quite a few fans were let down by ''Overdose'''s Musician route simply adding dungeons and character episodes to the regular plot as opposed to it being its own disparate plot route. Its extreme DownerEnding route doesn't help matters, either.