Lea, Selina, Shoji, and Hoshi
Highschool Romance
is a Visual Novel created by independent studio AJTilley (now known as Dharker Studio). Shoji finds himself in a strange situation, when he finds out his parents enrolled him in an all girls school. Since his parents are working far away, Shoji finds himself stranded at this school. The head teacher has just the right solution.
The novel received a spiritual sequel in Highschool Romance Magi Trials, which features a fantasy setting and different story development.
The game provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: The game takes place in Japan. Hoshi and Shoji have Japanese-sounding names, while Selena and Lea have more American-sounding names.
- Ambidextrous Sprite: Though Hoshi is normally on the right side of the screen, Selena on the left, and Lea in the middle.
- Artistic License – University Admissions: When Shoji finds out that the boarding school his mom sent him to is for girls, even though he was listed on the admissions form as a girl, Principal Lea lets him stay at the school anyway. In real life, this would never happen.
- Because I'm Good At It: The reason Hoshi does other people's homework. Also because failing students would lower the class grade average.
- Betty and Veronica: With Selena as Betty and Hoshi as Veronica.
- Big Damn Kiss: A middle-game CG event which shows that you're progressing on the path to romance a certain girl, though the one with Selene's mandatory. Another one in the final CG in Lea's ending as she and Shoji become husband and wife.
- Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: Lea, Hoshi, and Selena, respectively.
- Boy Meets Girl: And then becomes girl.
- But Thou Must!: Several times. Often, when asked a multiple choice question (such as whether to play board games or video games with Hoshi), Shoji will choose automatically, instead of letting the player choose. Other times, when you're given an actual choice between doing something or not, it'll be done regardless of your decision. What's actually affected is the girl in question's Relationship Values.
- Can't Have Sex, Ever: Since Shoji is a secret boy at an all-girl's school... until the successful endings at least...
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Hoshi in the karaoke scene drinks about two beers and becomes completely smashed.
- Cast Full of Pretty Boys: Girls, actually.
- Character Portrait: Pretty much all we ever see of Shoji outside of CGs.
- Class Representative: Hoshi
- Competition Freak: Hoshi does other people's homework so the class grade average won't lower, since her class is in competition with Selena's and a lower grade average would cause her class to lose.
- Covert Pervert: Lea, despite looking like a proper lady and being the principal, looks a little too happy at the prospect of having Shoji crossdress to join her school. Selena's ending implies that she loves having Shoji dressed as a girl for her.
- Curtains Matchthe Window: Shoji and Lea. Selina's and Hoshi's eyes are similar shades to their respective hair colours, though.
- Cut and Paste Environments: There are about four used regularly, with a few extra for events and C Gs.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Shoji has a pretty feminine figure with large hips even in boy mode.
- Dunce Cap: Principal Lea is also the PE teacher, and known for making tardy students do laps in their underwear.
- Eating Lunch Alone: Hoshi, before Shoji joined her.
- Event Flag: With few transitions in between.
- Everybody Knew Already:All three of the girls were aware of Shoji's crossdressing, for different reasons.
- Face of a Thug: Lea tends to look like this.
- Fake Boobs: Invoked and Averted, Lea's tips includes padding for Shoji's bra, though she mentions he could just pass "herself" as flat, and so he does.
- Females Are More Innocent: Shoji wears a skirt even when he doesn't have to to appear more feminine to his classmates.
- Forgets to Eat: Hoshi. Shoji has to remind her to eat during lunch instead of doing homework.
- Gameplay and Story Integration: During Selene's Big Damn Kiss moment, she'll rhetorically asks you if this is your first kiss before stating that she doesn't care. By then, it's possible to have already had your first kiss either with Lea or Hoshi.
- Gender-Bender Friendship: How the game starts with Selene and Hoshi (since Lea already knows).
- Girl Posse: Shoji has a small one.
- Girlish Pigtails: Shoji and Selena. Shoji's are justified, since before he was accepted to the school he wore his hair down, and wears his pigtails to look like a girl.
- Hartman Hips: Shoji, male or not, has some surprisingly shapely hips, even when not in drag. They do help him pass as a girl though.
- Hidden Depths: You get to know more of each girl as you court them.
- Hormone-Addled Teenager: Hoshi and Selena appear to be.
- Happily Married: Lea and Shoji in her ending.
- Hot Teacher: Lea.
- Improbable Age: Lea. It's actually invoked and explained in that her father was the previous headmaster and very rich, so he pretty much left his daughter in charge as soon as she got out of college.
- Incessant Music Madness: The game has about two background tracks.
- Kimono Fanservice: During the School Festival, Lea shows up in a yellow yukata which fails to hide her massive bosom.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Shoji, before his Girlish Pigtails.
- Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: See Can't Have Sex, Ever
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Selena and Shoji
- Meido: A certain event has Lea have Shoji dress up in a sexy maid outfit. To even odds, she dresses as one too. Make out ensues.
- Mistaken for Gay: When Selena is first showing Shoji around the school, she asks him if he's a lesbian because of his boyish looks. In a variation, when she sees him naked in the shower, she revealed that she knew he wasn't a girl but thought he was a transgender person instead.
- Multiple Endings: The game features multiple endings depending on your choices during the game.
- Nerds Are Sexy: Hoshi is class representative, yet has an undressing scene and sleeps in lingerie.
- Oblivious to Love: Shoji. He gets flustered when Hoshi first strips in front of him, but has no comments about her showing up to his room in lingerie, or Selena wanting to sit on his lap to watch the fireworks at the school festival.
- Ordinary High-School Student: Shoji, unless you count his track abilities.
- Pastimes Prove Personality: Selena is a sporty Genki Girl. Hoshi is class president and spends time studying and doing other people's homework.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Lea and Shoji
- Questionable Consent: Lea decides to keep Shoji in an all-girls' school instead of sending him away since he is a boy. He hardly gets a word in.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Hoshi.
- The Rival: At the climax, Selene claims she and Hoshi are rivals competing for Shoji's affection. Much to her frustration, Hoshi is perfectly fine with the situation and refuses to behave stereotypically and fight her for Shoji's love.
- School Festival: One of the event flags
- School Sport Uniform: With shorts.
- Shameless Fanservice Girl: Downplayed with Hoshi, who changes right in front of Shoji to give him some clothes, played straigth by Lea, who's willing to wear sexy lingerie and costumes in front of Shoji.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: For some reason, they way to unlock the first Kiss with both Lea and Hoshi is the same: wear the right type of lingerie (sexy for Lea, black for Hoshi), which will automatically make said girl kiss Shoji.
- Taking a Third Option: In the ending, you have to choose between Selene or Hoshi. However, if your relationship level with Lea is high enough, you can talk to her and unlock her happy ending with Shoji.
- Teacher's Pet: Selena is first seen in the principal's office, but she could just be an office aide.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Picking up a certain choice early on in game causes Lea to take an interest in Shoji. At least, it's initially acknowledged by both parts that it's kinda awkward, and while Lea enjoys kissing Shoji, she's aware that this shouldn't be done. However, if this romance is followed to the end, Shoji and Lea decides to work it out, which eventually leads to the altar.
- The Tease: Selene has moments towards Shoji, but the prize goes to Lea, who has a lot of fun with crossdressing Shoji. Her CG scenes also tend to be more malicious and sexier than those with Selena and Hoshi.
- The High Queen: Lea, the principal. She even has a tiara in her hair!
- The Lad-ette: Downplayed with Selena. She wears the usual school uniform, but is very athletic and competitive. Hoshi is the big drinker of the group.
- The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Apparently not. Poor Shoji.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Shoji for most of the game, though he gets used to it pretty quickly as a daily matter-of-fact. In Selena's ending, Selena has Shoji dress up as a girl, according to Shoji for "private use".
