Title Drop/Anime and Manga

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • In Alive the Final Evolution, an ancient alien race thought that death was the final stage of evolution and came to earth to die. soon, however, it was realized that being alive as one singular being was 'the final evolution,' hence the title.
  • Happens off-hand a few times in Eensy Weensy Monster.
  • S-Cry-ed originally had nothing to do with its title. The manga attempted a very awkward Title Drop, by making it the "word of evolution" that lets anyone who says it change their Alter into a stronger form.
  • At the end of the Gravitation OVA's, an executive asks Tohma (in English) what Bad Luck's appeal is. Take a wild guess what he says.
  • One Piece is named after the greatest treasure in the series, that also happens to be the ultimate goal of the main character. Obviously, it's referenced its share of times as a result of this, though not quite as often as one might expect.
  • My-HiME has Nagi address Mai as, well, Mai-hime (princess Mai: first meaning). But the meaning of this title is a lot more convoluted. HiME is itself an acronym used inside the series to describe girls with powers similar to Mai's (Mai the HiME: second meaning). And the anime just happens to share title with a famous novel by Mori Ogai called "Maihime" (Dancing Girl: third meaning), which is referenced by Nagi's constant metaphors alluding to dance. Add the fact that "mai" is homonymous with the English word "my" (My princess/My girl with HiME powers: fourth and fifth meanings), where My-HiME seems to be the accepted romanization, and you probably have the ultimate Title Drop. The English-subtitled version uses the "Mai-HiME" romanization until the end of episode 16, where the title is well and truly dropped.
  • Done when Mew Ichigo first names her group of Sentai Magical Girl "Tokyo Mew Mew". Thereafter, they're usually referred to as "the Mew Mews" unless there's something very serious going on where they need to live up to their name.
    • The English dub, Mew Mew Power, refers to the title in Zoey's (Ichigo) In the Name of the Moon line: "Mew Mew style, Mew Mew grace, Mew Mew Power in your face!" (This was something like "The five of us will serve for Earth's future ~ nya!" in the Japanese version.)
  • Futari wa Pretty Cure has a Title Drop in the girls' In the Name of the Moon speech, as do Yes! Pretty Cure 5 and Heartcatch Pretty Cure. Splash* Star does it a little differently: the speech simply uses "futari wa Pretty Cure", but the Eleventh-Hour Superpower is called "Precure Spiral Heart Splash Star".
  • Air Gear has a Title Drop while Kanon discusses Ikki and Ringo's reasons for riding to Rika.
  • In Galaxy Angel: Eternal Lovers, Tact accepts that he has, for better or worse, become The Captain of the Moon Angels, and they're off to save the galaxy again...so they really shouldn't be named after the White Moon anymore. They then adopt the name "Galaxy Angels". However, they're back to "Moon Angels" by Galaxy Angel II. This makes sense, as they're now Older and Wiser and no longer the main heroines. Whether the Rune Angels will do a similar Title Drop in future games is yet to be seen.
  • In Serial Experiments Lain, every episode title is a single word, which invariably gets mentioned in a meaningful context in that same episode, although it doesn't necessarily mean what the viewers thought (for example, "Psyche" is a type of processor Lain installs in her Navi, and "KIDS" is the codename of an experiment conducted by a Mad Scientist years ago).
  • The famous ero-manga Slut Girl (Exactly What It Says on the Tin, folks!) has this little gem in the official English translation:

"Don't be such a slut, girl!"

  • In Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann:
    • The Lagann's most powerful form is called "Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann". It's large enough to throw galaxies.
    • In addition, the title of every episode is also a line spoken by a character in that same episode -- each story arc uses a line from a different character. Naturally, whenever the episode's title is spoken, it's a hugely dramatic moment. (Well, more so than usual.) In fact, one pivotal episode withholds the title until the end because it's a massive spoiler.
    • Translation conventions in the dub not only make some of the previously mentioned episode titles non-title drops, but, since the series is released simply as Gurren Lagann, technically makes the series Title Drop the third episode. This also renders the series Title Drop a half non-sequitur to someone that didn't know the series original name, as they kept it untranslated.
    • And then there's also Simon's "And that's Tengen Toppa! That's Gurren Lagann!" in the final fight.
  • Mahoromatic's second series, Something More Beautiful, drops its title during a climactic battle with The Mole, although not literally.
    • The exact title is dropped in almost the very end of series, before a heartwarming kiss.
    • It was first dropped as early as in first season's Whole-Episode Flashback, which is referenced in aforementioned scene.
  • The series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex sounds like a confusing title, but does make sense in the context of the show. The first part comes from the manga, which dealt with the meaning and nature of the human soul (or "ghost") when artificial intelligences could convincingly simulate human thought and most humans were at least partially cybernetic. The second part refers to the occurrences where several people with cyberbrains come together to perform some action like a flash mob, but there doesn't seem to be a leader or even someone who originally came up with the idea, much less communication between these people beforehand. To add an additional layer, episodes were labeled as either "Stand Alone" or "Complex", depending on whether they related to that season's arc.
  • Higurashi no Naku Koro ni ("When the Cicadas Cry") applies in Tatarigoshi-hen. Keiichi says it when he plans to kill Satoko's uncle. Which is understandable since Higurashi literally means daydarkener so in essence he says: It will be over tonight.
    • A number of Image Songs and OP/EDs for the series also count. "Higurashi ga naku" appears in the first opening (which is named for the series) as well as a few other places, and "Higurashi no naku koro ni" is in a version of "Dear you" as well as in one of Rika's image songs.
  • The recent anime adaptation of Umineko no Naku Koro ni (When the Gulls Cry) has pulled this with Battler in one of its episodes. The original Umineko No Naku Koro Ni visual novel uses this phrase several times; it generally refers to the end of the story, when the storm will subside, causing the seagulls to return to the island, so the people can hear the seagulls cry again.

"...That's right...When the police come...When the seagulls cry, the crime will be solved."
"...Once the typhoon has passed, when the seagulls cry, everything may be resolved."
"I see...We'll definitely be able to understand each other...When the seagulls cry."
"...That's right, when the seagulls cry...I will remain silent until then."
"When the seagulls cry, nobody will be left alive..."
"...When the seagulls cry, everything will end, I guess. Done, done, the end, the end. So refreshing."

  • Spice and Wolf gets its Title Drop from an onlooker at the end of the sixth episode, with Lawrence meeting back up with Horo after requesting the spice pepper as payment from a business arrangement and having a fable about a devil eating a spice merchant related to him. In the English dub, it's a bit more obvious...

"They truly are spice and wolf!"

  • In Kanon, the title comes from Pachelbel's "Canon" ("Kanon D-dur" being its original German name), which is played in the coffee shop. It isn't until the middle of the series that two characters engage a metaphor-laden dialogue referring to it, embodying the themes of the series.
  • An example of the second type: Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun ("My condolences, Ninomiya-kun"), ends with the show's title as the final spoken line by Hosaka as he overlooks another normal, chaotic morning with the many women surrounding Shungo Ninomiya.
  • Gasaraki mentions the "Gasara" quite early on, but "Gasaraki" doesn't get mentioned until halfway through the series. The two are related, though.
  • At the end of the first chapter of Berserk, Puck (who senses the emotions of whoever is nearby) looks on the carnage left behind by Guts's battle with the Snake Baron and whispers in shock, "...berserk..."
  • It's become something of a trend in Gundam to name a series after the Mid-Season Upgrade Gundam rather than the one the protagonist starts out with.
    • This goes back all the way to Zeta Gundam, where the title mech wasn't even built until about twenty episodes in and the main character started out with what basically amounted to a souped-up version of the original Gundam, but the trend has become more pronounced in recent years.
    • G Gundam: The God Gundam doesn't show up until the beginning of the Gundam Fight finals. In the dub, it was renamed "Burning Gundam", which leaves the title unexplained.
      • Burning Gundam?
    • In After War Gundam X, aside from being named for the title mech, each individual episode was taken from a character's dialog that episode.
    • Gundam Seed Destiny: The Destiny Gundam comes along when the series is more than half over.
    • Mobile Suit Gundam 00's eponymous robot didn't even make an appearance until the very last episode of the first season. And even then we had to wait until episode 2 of the second to actually see it in combat. On the other hand, the second episode of the first season dropped the full name of the franchise itself!
    • An odd example occurs in the Gundam Seed side story manga X-Astray, where the main Gundam is orginally called the Dreadnought, but is rechristened the X-Astray after it's equipped with a back-mounted remote weapon system shaped like an X.
    • The title Gundam of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is the one the protagonist starts with. However, a more conventional Title Drop occurs in the movie, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz, where one of the villains describes human history as such.
  • The Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! drops the name, the Toei version a few episodes in while "Duel Monsters" has this in its opening monologue. "Yu-Gi-Oh" means "King of Games".
    • In the English dub, the Pharaoh mentions he was once known as Yu-Gi-Oh when Yugi asks him his name.
  • In volume six of Hayate the Combat Butler, Hayate finally develops a Finishing Move. The name of this move? The "Hayate no Gotoku", however, it's written as "Whimsical Hurricane", and not "Hayate the Combat Butler".
    • That is literally what the title means: Just Like the Wind.
    • In the Image Songs of the second season, each character has exactly one Image Song with "Hayate no Gotoku" in the lyrics.
  • Dennou Coil doesn't even mention the eponymous Dennou Coil phenomenon until the end of episode 14.
  • It's not an episode of Toward the Terra unless there's a Title Drop at least once. Usually at the end of a dramatic speech.
  • Subverted in FLCL: the title of the series, though it comes up frequently, has almost no meaning in the grand scheme of things. Or even in the short-term...

Kamon: Ah, your brother's away, so she sinking her fangs into you, Naota! Fondling around! Fooling around! FOOLY-COOLY!! ...What's fooly-cooly?
Naota: How should I know? I'm still in grade school!

  • Fullmetal Alchemist is the Code Name of Ed, who has a prosthetic arm and leg made entirely out of metal. His brother Al is an animated suit of armor, which causes people who haven't met the duo to think Al is the "Full Metal Alchemist". The Japanese metaphor of the "heart of steel" (Edward being, in Japanese, the "alchemist of steel") also refers to the brothers' dogged determination, which gets a Title Drop in the last page of the manga and scene in the second anime before the credits.
  • Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo wastes no time. It drops its own title at the end of the first episode.
  • The "Reservoir" in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles is explained in chapter 213, six years after the start of the series. It refers to the water reservoir under the Clow Ruins, which is apparently the fulcrum for the Big Bad's Gambit Roulette. The "Tsubasa" part isn't revealed until the very last chapter and in hindsight is at least half glaringly obvious to almost every fan.
  • Briefly in Mahou Sensei Negima, the True Companions (who ultimately became the Ala Alba) after gathering and building their team and many arguments on a name, chose to be called the Negima-club. Evangeline (the club advisor) disliked the name and re-named them the aformented Ala Alba (white wing) after the lead's father's old group, the Ala Rubra (Crimson/Red wing). Outside of Eva's earshot they still prefer calling themself the Negima club.
  • During the first volume of the manga Vagabond, Takezo (soon to become the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi) declares "I left home knowing I'd never go back. From this day on...I'm a Vagabond."
  • Bokurano had one in Chapter 55, although the impact gets Lost in Translation if you read it in any language that doesn't have multiple ways to say "I".
  • The very last words spoken in Welcome to The NHK are..."Welcome to the NHK." That's also the title of the last episode. These words are also spoken in the first episode by an (imaginary) announcer when Sato first comes up with the conspiracy that gives the show its title.
  • In (at least the dub of) Dinosaur King, the title is refers the title Dr. Z plans to bestow on himself one he brings as many dinosaurs into the future as possible in order to build a "dinosaur kingdom".
  • In the finale of Slayers Evolution-R, Xelloss calls Lina and her group by the series title.
  • Paranoia Agent never drops its own title, but every episode has its title appear in some way during the episode proper. The last episode's title appears on a sign that is promptly destroyed by the final form of Shonen Bat.
  • In Ninja Nonsense, when Miyabi first arrives, she tells Shinobu to "Stop this..." and you know the rest.
  • Shakugan no Shana does this in an interesting way: Shana is the female lead, and "shakugan" (burning eyes) is part of her title, "Enpatsu Shakugan no Uchite," but they aren't used together until episode 23, in reference to her dual identity as a person and a Flame Haze.
  • In Descendants of Darkness, Muraki, during one of his Tsuzuki-torture moments, says to him that they are the same in that they are both - you guessed it - "descendants of darkness."
  • After looking quite non-sensical for some time, the Oddly Named Suffixes of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's and StrikerS were eventually title dropped by Fate at the end of the latter's ninth episode, telling the young rookies that they are the titles of two kinds of excellent mages. In case you wondered why "A's" was pronounced like "Ace", that's what it's supposed to mean.
  • Fushigi Yuugi's theme song is entitled "Itooshi Hito no Tame Ni". Its last episode is called "For My Loved One", the English translation of the song's title. To add to that, the title of the anime itself makes up the last two words of the song.
  • Revolutionary Girl Utena does this with its final episode, in which the title of the episode is also the last line of dialog in the series.
  • The protagonist of Shangri La drops the title as the very last word of the series.
  • In almost every manga by Misturu Adachi, every chapter is titled after a phrase that is said within that chapter. This is, however, a chapter title drop and not a series title drop.
  • In Code Geass: Nightmare of Nunnally, After Alice takes on the Mark Nemo and becomes Nunnally's Knight, she becomes known as "Alice the Code Geass, Knightmare of Nunnally." Rolo shouts this title after she uses the Flame of God and escapes with Nunnally.
    • While not quite as overt, in the main series the title is dropped in as Lelouch briefly mentions both of them in a monologue of his. Some people also believe he eventually obtained a Code in addition to his Geass by the end of the show.
  • The title of Project ARMS refers to an experiment in which ARMS are installed in four children. Double meaning in ARMS also (while two of the children recieved their implants in their arms, ARMS is used in the sense of "weapon")
  • While the main lead of Angel Densetsu is the eponymous angel, Leo thinks he's the devil incarnate. And shortly after says to Ikuno that she is an angel (and she even gets an angel cover like Kitano usually does). Could be either spoofed or played straight: this is after both the Heel Face Turn and the Villain Realization of Ikuno, but she's still Ax Crazy like nobody's business.
  • In the FRLG arc of Pokémon Special, Red and Green trade their starters, leaving Red with Charizard and Green with Venusaur. Mewtwo comments on this, thinking, "FireRed and LeafGreen, eh?" Unfortunately, since Green is called Blue in the English releases, it didn't really make any sense for us English readers at least until those titles were released in America.
  • In Pokémon, after deciding to join Ash in his journey, Cilan's brothers bid him farewell with the phrase "Best Wishes", the title of the current series.
    • Also from the anime, the end of the 11th movie Pokémon: Giratina and The Sky Warrior has Dawn dropping one at the end of the movie. (..Oddly enough, it has the movie's Japanese name being said in both versions...)

"It's a...Sky bouquet!"

  • In the first volume of the Read or Die manga, Yomiko faces off against a pyromaniac while trying to rescue Nenene from a crazed fan. With every shred of paper within the vicinity going up in flames, Yomiko had effectively become powerless and rather distraught at the sight of all the burning books until Joker flew in on a helicopter to drop down a briefcase loaded with paper for her to fight with. This prompts him to think out loud, looking over her situation and saying that she now has a choice, which is, as one could guess, to read or die.
  • The Princess Resurrection manga has one that only works in Japanese. The series' real title is Kaibutsu Oujo, meaning "Monster Princess", and Hime is addressed as such by one of the few supernatural beings outside her jurisdiction.
  • Grenadier has both a partial and full Title Drop in the anime. In the tenth episode, Rushuna is bestowed the title of "Grenadier", revealing that it's a title given to Senshi (gun users) who kill other Senshi. In the final episode, she is bestowed the full title of "Grenadier: Hohoemi no Senshi", the anime's full title (translating as "The Smiling Senshi" or "The Senshi of Smiles", referring to Rushuna's "ultimate battle strategy" of eliminating someone's will to fight by smiling at them and embracing them to her breasts).
  • Excel flat-out says "The title [of the anime] is Excel Saga" in the second episode, and even tells us what it means.
  • In Final Fantasy Unlimited, Kaze is frequently referred to as "Unlimited".
  • In the manga Not Simple, a novelist named Jim warns that the story he is writing about the protagonist Ian is, well...not simple. This is also the title of the book he's writing. Additionally, the strange life and Anachronic Order of the story is confounding enough to make this a Justified Title.
  • Sukisho 's full name (Suki na Mono wa Suki Dakara Shouganai) Translates to somthing like "I like what I like so there". Sunao manages to subvert this in the first episode by saying "I hate what I hate, so there."
  • Kannazuki no Miko. Manga, last page, never explained for English-speakers. (In fact, TOKYOPOP doesn't even translate the series title; they just add a subtitle, "Destiny of Shrine Maiden".) For the record, it means "priestesses of the godless month" -- namely October, which according to Shinto is when the gods congregate elsewhere. This is part of the series' heavy Shinto influence, and it's for this reason that Himeko and Chikane's shared birthday is October 1.
  • This happens in Wife and Wife when a young lesbian couple, Kina and Sumi, discuss what to call their relationship after having recently moved in together.

Kina: I got it, Suu-chan. I'm gonna be yer wife after all. An' yer gonna be my wife...So that's it! We're Wife an' Wife!

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