Malus Code, by the creators of Tokyo School Life, is the story of a student named Will. Researching people that feel more comfortable when exposed to high temperatures, he chooses to study at a Japanese university with many nearby hot springs, and befriends three ladies working at his lab. What follows is a Romance Adventure Kinetic Novel... with horror elements.
Tropes:
- Disguised Horror Story: The story initially appears to be a lighthearted romance set in a school, with the default title having hearts and Sakura flowers. Then the first Sudden Downer Ending occurs and the true title appears.
- Drives Like Crazy: Suzukake, who speeds and drifts while driving Yae and Will to an onsen.
- Dude Looks Like a Lady: Yae is mistaken for a girl before the truth about their gender is revealed.
- Evolving Title Screen: Reaching the end of the first part/"Code" changes the title to be more indicative of the story's true content.
- Horror Hunger: The first Code ends with Yuri, infected by Malus, eating Will.
- Kudzu Plot: Each of the story's Codes are completely disconnected from each other, save for the influence of Malus.
- Potty Emergency: Yae has one early in Episode 3, after getting stuck in the cold storage room with Will due to them not being able to open the door. It nearly escalates to a Potty Failure, but Suzukake saves the day by opening the door from the outside after noticing their absence.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Malus Code is mostly a light-hearted romp not unlike Tokyo School Life, but at the end of each route things become very messed up. You can see the endings for yourself (Spoiler Warning).
- The Virus: The story centers around the Malus Virus.