Somewhere on the Italian coast lies the island of Regalo, a prosperous trade port with a classical look. Naturally, the port island-city attracts ruffians from across Italy and beyond, and the only people the citizens of Regalo can rely on are the members of "Arcana Famiglia", a vigilante organization whose members are gifted with psychic powers gained through a secret ritual. Sharp-dressed, gentlemanly, and, above all, dangerous, these young men are also popular for their strict code of using nonlethal force in combat.
Into the island-city comes Felicita, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Mondo, leader of Arcana Famiglia. Once she came of age, Mondo invited her into the island to assume leadership of "Serie di Spada", the group's arbitration section. She also hears that she was getting married in two months, and a tournament will be held between the young men of Arcana Famiglia who wanted her hand in marriage.
Not one to simply let fate take its course, Felicita herself joins in the tournament, wanting to prove that she can decide her destiny, as well a competent Action Girl in her own right. And along the way she interacts with other handsome but eccentric members of the family.
La Storia della Arcana Famiglia is an Otome Game by HuneX and Comfort Soft, released for the PlayStation Portable on October 27, 2011. It also received a fandisc, Arcana Famiglia -Vascello Phantasma no Majutsushi-; a cooking Gaiden Game, Arcana Famiglia -Festa Regalo!-; and a sequel called Arcana Familia 2, as well as a Vita port of the original game subtitled Ancora. J.C. Staff adapted it into an anime in the summer of 2012, as well as an extra OVA. There is also a manga adaptation, titled Arcana Famiglia: Amore Mangiare Cantare!.
This series contains the following tropes:
- Accidental Pervert: Worst offender is Liberta. In episode 6 Jolly plays it up by punishing him with a cocktail that allows one to answer with the carnal desires they were feeling at the time they were asked.
- Adaptation Distillation: The anime does a fairly good job at sticking to each characters' background story and circumstances while going down its own original path that narrows down the focus of romance (i.e. Felicita, Nova and Liberta growing as friends while the older men act as the Supporting Harem—until the conclusion comes to a head).
- Adapted Out: Ash, another bachelor who debuted in the fandisc and later makes it to main character status in the sequel, isn't featured in the anime.
- Amnesia Missed a Spot: Liberta seems to remember his past with Dante pretty well — well enough to tell a story about it — and later enough to remember exactly what the mind wipe was supposed to cover: his abuse from his time at the orphanage.
- Arranged Marriage: Nova was originally engaged to Felicita, but when Nova realizes his parents are only using him to up their status, he breaks it off and subjects his parents to Eternal Sleep.
- Kissing Cousins: Their fathers are brothers.
- Big Eater: Pace. He even eats while sleepwalking.
- Blessed with Suck: Felicita is thrown into an organization of attractive men who all have the slightest intention of marrying her. She wants none of it (so far). To top it all, she has received the power to instantly detect her suitors' intents (not a good power, especially if a couple of her suitors are Covert Perverts).
- But Not Too Foreign: Sumire is Japanese, which makes Felicità half-Italian, half-Japanese.
- Butt-Monkey: Luca to the whole cast, especially Felicita, whom he babysat not too long ago. In the first episode alone Felicita's maids blame him for their mistress' change in behavior (such as refusing to wear dresses for her father's birthday).
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: With Dante and Jolly being an exception of sorts as they're in their forties, but still oh so very hot nevertheless.
- Country Mouse: Felicita lived in a small house in the countryside with Luca and her mother until she turned 16.
- Demoted to Extra: The anime focuses mainly on Nova, Liberta and Felicita; everyone else has much more less screen-time.
- Dirty Mind-Reading: Felicita can read surface thoughts at will; unfortunately, in the anime her power also has a habit of activating if she is uncomfortable, stressed, or scared. This means she often sees things she doesn't want to.
- The fun part of the game is that you can read the guys' heart practically whenever you want, and the consequences CAN be perverted.
- "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: The ending song, "Pieces of Treasure", by Jun Fukuyama and Tsubasa Yonaga; voices of Liberta and Nova respectively.
- In the game, the singer of the ending is the VA whose character's route you've finished.
- Eye Scream: Debito wears an eye-patch to cover the amethyst Dante put instead of his right eye.
- Eyepatch of Power: Debito.
- Family Business: Felicita and possibly her new husband are to succeed her parents' leadership of the Arcana Famiglia.
- Filler: Arguably the whole anime up to episode 9.
- Friend to All Children: Arguably most members of Arcana Famiglia since they have annual event dedicated for children in Regalo, but especially Debito (of all people).
- Gangsta Style: Debito holds his guns this way when in action. With his arms crossed. And it works.
- Girlish Pigtails: Felicita sports a pair of long ones.
- Gratuitous Italian: Everywhere, as expected of a mafia-themed game set in an Italian island.
- Harem Genre: That of the reverse harem genre.
- Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Felicita can be renamed in the game by the player. Her nickname and her owl's name can also be changed.
- Kick Chick: Felicita's preferred method of attack shows off her long and beautiful legs to the audience. This is probably the only male-friendly Fanservice we will be getting in this Otome Game adaptation.
- Kind Hearted Cat Lover: Nova, in such stark contrast to his cold and unfeeling persona that Liberta was visibly shocked by the revelation. For Nova's part, he is far too much a hardass to ever admit to possessing this trope.
- Felicita herself.
- Literally Falling in Love: A less potent example with Felicita and Liberta. In episode 4 the two take a nasty fall from a rooftop, sans a kiss or an Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other moment. But at least we've still got a Crush Blush from Liberta.
- Love Triangle: Between Felicita, Liberta, and Nova - but only in the anime.
- May–December Romance: When the player chooses to pair Felicita with Dante or Jolly.
- Megaton Punch: Felicita's preferred method of punishing men who think dirty thoughts about her or make passes at her.
- Self-Made Orphan: A downplayed and non lethal version. Nova lost control of his power as a kid and put his parents in Convenient Coma that might last forever.
- Sharp-Dressed Men
- She Is All Grown Up: In the normal ending of the game where Felicita wins the Duello without pursuing any of the guys, she becomes the one and only Mamma of the family.
◊ Combined with Navel-Deep Neckline.- In the second game Elmo has become quite a looker during the Time Skip, despite not being available as a love interest. Nova and Liberta, as well, looks older.
- Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Therefore Felicita is the harem queen.
- Supporting Harem: In the anime, the only love interest you are supposed to take seriously for Felicita are Liberta and Nova.
- Tarot Motifs/Psychic Powers: Each high-ranking member of the Arcana Famiglia bears powers based on his/her contracted card:
- Felicita: VI — The Lovers (telepathy) / X — Wheel of Fortune (fate alteration)
- Liberta: 0 — The Fool (mental actualization)
- Nova: XIII — Death (eternal slumber)
- Debito: IX — The Hermit (Invisibility)
- Pace: XI — Strength (super-strength)
- Luca: XIV — Temperance (nullify other Arcana powers)
- Dante: IV — The Emperor (memory deletion and manipulation)
- Jolly: XVIII — The Moon
- Mondo: XXI — The World
- Sumire: XX — Judgment (Healing)
- Elmo: XVI — The Tower
- Ash: I — The Magician
- Thanks for the Mammary: Done by Liberta, naturally followed by a Megaton Kick from Felicita.
- Threesome Subtext: Felicita, Nova, and Liberta are shown to be very close to each other by the end of the anime.
- Troubled, but Cute: Liberta was abused and experimented on as an orphan by the orphanage heads.
- Also applies to Debito, Luca and Pace who were subjects to Jolly's experiments.
- Nova's parents were essentially using him and his engagement to Felicita to usurp Mondo and Sumire as family heads. Unwilling to hurt the extended family who were so kind to him, Nova put his parents in comas with his power.
- Vocal Dissonance: You would expect from her cold-and-tough character design that Mamiko Noto would give Felicita a coarser and deeper voice, like the one she gave hard-boiled-detective Asogi Rin from Mnemosyne; instead, she performs her character with the a sweet, gentle, innocent and adorable voice that is better suited to a Nice Girl like Nogizaka Haruka rather than a that of a tough action girl's.
- She's actually perfectly polite and friendly, unless you give her a reason not to be.
- The Voiceless: In the game, Felicita doesn't talk.
- Wham Line: "If she were to use Wheel of Fortune, she'll lose her memory again!"
