Shout-outs in the game:
- Some of the strip fighting styles are inspired by other manga and games like Old Comic That's Supposed to be Good, Secrets of a Romance Horror Anime and Records of Asuka-Style Ninjutsu.
- A lot of text also shouts out toward many other games (and even a few self-referential ones to XSEED and AQUIRE).
- One of the enemies you can fight at the arena is a group of three girls dressed in red and white School Sport Uniforms named Kongo, Hiei and Haruna.
- After your second training session, one of your responses can be "WOLVERINES!"
- When doing the side missions where you have to defeat a certain number of enemies, the game will tell you "There can be only one." when you have one left.
- One of the side missions is a very obvious reference to Romeo and Juliet. You have to beat up guards from both families, then rescue Lolio so the two can elope.
- Various NPC bystanders that see you in a fight will shout, "You're not some cat drowning in a puddle! Fight! FIIIIIIGHT!", as a reference to the memetic ending scene in Death Note, where Light gives "swimming lessons".
- Upon being defeated, an NPC in the coliseum will remark, "Was it really 'Instant Balls'? Crap, I must have heard wrong.", referring to a mondegreen of Hubert's first Mystic Arte. The move name is translated as "Broadside Waltz", but the dialogue has Hubert call out "Instant Valse".
- The sidequests where you beat up some rebelling idols are called iDOL dIS@STER.
- When your unison gauge is full and your sister is your partner she might say "My Mystic Arte is ready!".
- One sidequest has you facing off with three middle-aged women named Akemi, Kaname and Tomoe.
- Kati yells out "PANZER VOR!" prior to the final battle in Tohko's route.
- The third Magi side mission, available only on Tohko's route, has you tracking down Sadako's Video Card for Magi. The password given to you by the Former Agent in the Side Streets for this quest is "Misato, Rei, Asuka, Shinji." The wrong passwords are also shout-outs in their own right: "Mikasa, Reiner, Armin, Sasha" and "Makoto, Aoi, Akane, Sayaka."
- The characters from the Show Within a Show Striprism are clearly Magical Girl versions of Rin, Kuro, and Mimi from Kodomo no Jikan.
- In one of the Pitter threads, Misery describes Eriko as "super high school level buttmad." *
- The body pillow weapon specifically has Neptune on it. You can also wear a Neptunia shirt. An ad for its anime is also featured in the loading screens.
- An obtainable item is the Cyclone Vacuum Cleaner. It's description states that it's one in a pair, and you can't have Cyclone without Joker.
- Pops sends the protagonist an email with the subject "Hey you guuuuys!"
Shout-outs in the anime:
- Episode 5:
- The cast watches an online video where Matsuko defeats her opponent in a manner similar to Evo Moment #37
. - Arisa spends part of the episode wearing a T. Hawk costume.
- The cast watches an online video where Matsuko defeats her opponent in a manner similar to Evo Moment #37
- Tamotsu's haggard appearance in a magazine article talking about how "fulfilled" he was doing black work is a reference to a similar article in Japan, made infamous for its description of an 150-hour, no vacation work week and the interviewee describing his payment for that as "fulfillment of the self".
- Episode 8:
- Just about every modern wrestling trope possible is on display in this episode. Arisa's master plays up the Dastardly Heel. A ring announcer that Jim Ross would think needs to cool down. A referee made of glass. A Swanton Bomb into the Spanish Announcers' Table. Chops to the chest that would make Ric Flair (and the audience) go Woo. A Clothesline from Hell, Sweet Chin Music and so, so much more complimented with Crowd Chants ranging from "We want tables!" to "This is Awesome!".
- Episode 9 is a giant homage to Yu-Gi-Oh!. Clifford Chapin mentioned doing research on the series, and the dub reflects it by having references to oft-said lines that English speakers would recognize. To top it off, Alejandro Saab and Tyson Rinehart did close impressions of Dan Green as Yugi/Atem and Darren Dunstan as Pegasus respectively for their characters.
- Tamotsu doing a handstand while playing Street Fighter V alludes to Arcade Gamer Fubuki, who gains super gamer powers when she flashes her magic gamer panties.
- Three of the figurines shown during episode 11 were the main characters of Seiyu's Life!.
- When some foreigners come to Akiba, they have a familiar-looking paper cutout mouth movement belonging to Canadians.
- The final scene, which has Arisa and Nikawa interrupting a moment between Tamotsu and Mayo and takes them into the future, is very similar to the ending of the first Back to the Future movie.
