Did you know that every episode title of Haganai NEXT is a reference to an existing anime, manga, or light novel? The entire Haganai series, which is based on a light novel and also has a manga adaptation, is full of otaku in-jokes and references—the characters watch anime, play dating sims and eroge (erotic games), battle each other in RPGs, read manga (even yaoi manga?!), you name it.
How high is your otaku power level? Here are the twelve episode titles for Haganai NEXT—can you name all the anime, manga, or light novels these are based on? TO ENTER: Just reply in the comments section below with your answers, and we’ll choose one person who gets the most right to win a swag bag full of great Haganai prizes!
- My Teen Years SNAFU
- Homo Game Club
- My Little Sisters Are This Cute
- A Man Is Among Them!
- That Kind of Play Is Not Allowed.. and.. My Worldview Is Disturbed When You Are Around
- Unbreakable Strange-Girl
- He’s My Brother, But As Long As There’s Love, It Doesn’t Matter If He Gets More Sisters, Right?
- My Childhood Friend Is Too Much of a Battleground
- Stray Cats Overheat
- The Sad-Case King and the Stone-Cold Story
- Dismay of I, the Chicken
- I ______ Many Friends
ANSWERS:
1. My Teen Years SNAFU
Reference to: My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU
The first episode of Haganai NEXT reintroduces the members of the Neighbors Club, who all have pretty crazy personalities—they’re certainly not like the normal real-lifer high school students. Like the protagonist of SNAFU whose negative outlook on life isn’t exactly normal, Haganai NEXT’s Kodaka must think to himself that his entire adolescence is kind of messed up.
Fun fact: this episode originally simulcast with the name “Yeah, My Youth Is Seriously Wrong” because there was no official English title for SNAFU yet. An alternate translation of the Japanese light novel is “Yeah, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Seriously Wrong.”
2. Homo Game Club
Reference to: Light Novel Club, Oreimo
The Neighbors Club watches an anime called “Homo Game Club,” about a touching story of a club of boys who want to make the best male x male romance game ever. The title is a dual reference—“Homo Game Club,” or “Homogebu” in Japanese, sounds a lot like Light Novel Club, or “Ranobebu,” a manga series (not released in English) about, well, a light novel club. “Homo Game Club” is also the name of a fictional eroge (erotic game) in the series Oreimo– the protagonist’s friend’s sister is obsessed with it. Maybe Haganai NEXT’s Homo Game Club is the anime adaptation of the game in Oreimo? Are the two series are in the same universe? Who knows? Speaking of Oreimo…
3. My Little Sisters Are This Cute
Reference to: Oreimo
Probably one of the easiest references on this list. Oreimo, or Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai!, translates to “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute!” In this Haganai NEXT episode, the young nun Maria shows up at Kodaka’s house to hang out with his little sister Kobato, and the two actually have a pretty good time instead of bickering as is normal for them, so they’re pretty cute.
4. A Man Is Among Them!
Reference to: Nakaimo
Another little sister light novel reference! Nakaimo, or Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru, means “My Little Sister is Among Them!” Who is the man in this episode? You might have a guess, but you’ll have to watch to find out…
5. That Kind of Play Is Not Allowed.. and.. My Worldview Is Disturbed When You Are Around
Reference to: Sonna Asobi wa Ikemasen!
This one’s a little harder, as this light novel series isn’t available in English. The full title translates to “That Kind of Play Is Not Allowed! Public Morals Are Disturbed When You Are Around.” The Neighbors Club plays a dating sim for girls (the sequel to the dating sim for boys from season 1), so that’s the “play” of the title, and this episode’s a bit of a game changer in the relations of the Neighbor’s Club, so worldviews definitely do get disturbed here.
6. Unbreakable Strange-Girl
Reference to: Unbreakable Machine-Doll
Unbreakable Machine-Doll is a fantasy action series set in the early 20th century with magic and living dolls (and is streaming right now on FUNimation!), so it doesn’t really have that much in common with Haganai NEXT, but the reference still works. This episode is fairly Yozora-centric, and as the sarcastic, prickly tsundere who loves to make fun of Sena and often hides her feelings, she’s definitely unbreakable and strange.
7. He’s My Brother, But As Long As There’s Love, It Doesn’t Matter If He Gets More Sisters, Right?
Reference to: OniAi
Another FUNimation title here (and the Blu-ray/DVD Complete Series is available now!). Short for Onii-chan dakedo Ai sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne or “As Long As There’s Love, It Doesn’t Matter If He’s My Brother, Right,” OniAi’s about a girl’s wholesome love for her elder brother. Similarly, Kobato also loves her older brother (not in that way though), so she gets a jealous when their house is invaded (again) by new little sister figures.
8. My Childhood Friend Is Too Much of a Battleground
Reference to: OreShura
OreShura, or Ore no Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, means “My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Are Too Much Of A Battleground” (in other words, they fight too much), and every episode has the “____ Is Too Much Of A Battleground” construction. Kodaka’s childhood friend is Yozora, and she fights with Sena too much—but this battleground takes a turn for the dramatic in this episode.
9. Stray Cats Overheat
Reference to: Mayoi Neko Overrun
This light novel/manga/anime series also isn’t out in English, but Mayoi Neko Overrun translates to “Stray Cats Overrun.” You’ll have to watch the episode, but basically things overheat quite a bit as Haganai NEXT heads towards its climax.
10. The Sad-Case King and the Stone-Cold Story
Reference to: The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat
The construction should give this one away immediately. “King” especially sounds like “Prince” in Japanese. The sad-case king here is, of course, Kodaka, and the stone-cold story is basically his. Things get dramatic in the one!
11. Dismay of I, the Chicken
Reference to: Mayo Chiki
Mayo Chiki is short for Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chikin na Ore to or “The Stray Butler and I, the Chicken.” Yet again, the chicken here is Kodaka. Actually, there’s another Mayo Chiki reference in episode 5 of Haganai NEXT: Rika and Sena discuss a fictional show called Chiki Mayo that, like the real series Mayo Chiki, is about a female butler…except here the Mayo is short for mayonnaise.
12. I ______ Many Friends
Reference to: Haganai
The most obvious one on the list! Haganai, as we’re sure you know, is short for Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai—“I Don’t Have Many Friends.” By the end of the series, does Kodaka ______ many friends? Well… we won’t spoil it for you.
Here’s the lovely prize back you could win! Click here for complete rules. You have until May 1st to enter.
EDIT: Congratulations to Cloudmark27! Our contest winner.
Prize consists of:
– Limited Edition box of Haganai Season One
– 4 Haganai stickers
– 3 alternate Haganai DVD wraps
– Haganai playing cards
– an imported Haganai pencil board from Japan
Check back again later this week as we’ll reveal the winners—and the references, with some interesting facts and trivia!
Be sure to place you pre-orders for Haganai NEXT, available on BD/DVD combo on May 13th! Click here to order.
