The Caligula Effect

The Caligula Effect (known as just Caligula in Japan) is a JRPG from former Persona scenario writer, Tadashi Satomi and Furyu. The game was initially released in 2016 for the vita, with an anime and definitive edition (Overdose) released in 2018, and then a sequel game released in 2021.
==Canon Overview==
The protagonist finds themselves in a virtual world, run by a vocaloid (here called "virtuadolls"), μ, whose only interest is to free everyone of their traumatic lives by trapping them in her own world. The protagonist then meets a second virtuadoll, Aria, who gives them the power to fight zombies, brainwashed by μ's music. The protagonist returns to their school and finds others that have become aware their world isn't real and have formed the Go-Home Club. Due to the current president's lack of interest in being president, the protagonist is voted to take his place. The Go-Home Club is informed that the best way to get to μ is through the musicians that write her songs. The musicians are also aware that they're living in a fake world but have their own reasons for wanting to stay.
The definitive edition, Overdose, introduced 4 new characters, a female protagonist, and the "Musician Route". The musician route allowed players to go behind the Go-Home Club's back to help the musicians and learn their secrets. It also meant players had 9 new character routes to play through and get a more in-depth understanding of what the musicians were going through and why they wanted to stay.
Every character was brought to the world due to mental illness or trauma they experienced, that μ set to free them of.
The second game follows a similar scenario and is a direct sequel. The new world is run by Regret and the protagonist's accompanying virtuadoll is χ. Regret is a new virtuadoll, with a stronger understanding of human emotions and χ is μ's "daughter", wanting to stop Regret from repeating her mother's mistakes.
In Regret's world, the people were selected because of something they regret in their life.
Caligula's musicians each have a dedicated vocaloid producer who worked on their music for the game.
===Characters=== 
Go-Home Club (First) 	Ostinato Musicians 	Moebius Virtuadolls
Ritsu Shikishima/Protagonist - The player character	Lucid - Vocaloid composer Utsu-P 	μ
Shogo Satake 	Thorn - Vocaloid composer cosMo@Bousou-P 	Aria
Izuru Minezawa 	Ike-P - Vocaloid composer Asa 	
Kotaro Tomoe 	Shadow Knife - Vocaloid composer 164 	
Kotono Kashiwaba 	Mirei - Vocaloid composer cyoucyo-P 	
Naruko Morita 	Wicked - Vocaloid composer YM 	
Mifue Shinohara 	Sweet-P - Vocaloid composer OSTER project 	
Suzuna Kagura 	Shonen-Doll - Vocaloid composer PolyphonicBranch	
Ayana Amamoto 	Stork - Vocaloid composer DECO*27 	
Eiji Biwasaka 	Kuchinashi - Vocaloid composer Pinocchio-P 	
Kensuke Hibiki - Vocaloid composer 40mP 	 	
Go-Home Club (Second) 	Obbligato Musicians 	Regret Virtuadolls
Protagonist - The player character	Bluffman - Vocaloid composer cosMo@BousouP 	χ
Gin Noto 	MU-kun - Vocaloid composer Police Piccadilly	Regret
Shota Tsurumaki 	Kranke - Vocaloid composer Neru 	
Ryuto Tsukishima 	Doktor - Vocaloid composer nulut 	
Kobato Kazamatsuri 	QP - Vocaloid composer Kairiki bear 	
Kiriko Miyasako 	Pandora - Vocaloid composer Ayase 	
Sasara Amiki 	Machina - Vocaloid composer kemu 	
Niko Komamura 	Kudan - Vocaloid composer TSUMIKI 	
Marie Amabuki 	 	
==Fandom==
While Caligula and Overdose only drew small fandoms in both Japan and English-speaking countries, The Caligula Effect 2 was noticeably more popular. Much of the complexity from Caligula and Overdose was toned down for the second game, and the cast was much more diverse and treated with more delicacy than the characters in the first game.
The Japanese fandom has an active doujin-works scene, creating for a variety of ships. Eiji Biwasaka remains one of the most popular characters among Japanese fans.
===Pairings===
* Moebius Go-Home Club President/Wicked - Most popular as an m/f pairing with Ritsu as presented in the anime, but can be taken with the female protagonist
* Moebius Go-Home Club President/Eiji Biwasaka - A common pairing, regardless of protagonist's gender
* Moebius Go-Home Club President/Ayana Amamoto - Common as an f/f pairing
* Moebius Go-Home Club President/Shogo Satake - More popular as a m/m pairing
* Izuru Minezawa/Ike-P - A comomon m/m pairing
* Kotaro Tomoe/Shadow Knife - A m/m pairing
* Eiji Biwasaka/Shogo Satake - A m/m pairing
* μ/Aria - A f/f pairing
* Regret Go-Home Club President/Gin - A popular pairing regardless of protagonist's gender
* Regret Go-Home Club President/Marie Amabuki - A m/f pairing
* Gin/MU-kun - A m/m pairing
* Kobato Kazamatsuri/Ryuto Tsukishima - a m/m pairing
* Regret/χ - A f/f pairing
==Fanworks==
===Fanart===
File:Sweet P-web.png | source
* 笙＋主(Caligula) by 朧気(おぼろげ)
* スイートPさん by 水無かなた
* カリギュラまとめ by かの湯
* QPちゃん by 卯多
===Doujinshi===
Doujinshi 	Circle 	Date 	Contents
The journey between Koike and Minezawa	透栖 	2018.10.07-2019.10.13	18+ Izuru Minezawa/Ike-P
Alluring Sinner 	CLOWN (BS.KENNEL)	 	18+ Mob/Eiji Biwasaka
Toganin no iibun 	CLOWN (BS.KENNEL)	2019.05.03 	18+ Eiji Biwasaka/Shogo Satake
You are a Poisonous Flower 	bigpig 	 	18+ Moebius Go-Home Club President/Eiji Biwasaka
Hohoemu-kun to, kago no naka 	bigpig 	 	18+ Moebius Go-Home Club President/Shogo Satake
===Cosplay===
* Izuru and Ike-P
===Meta===
* The Caligula Effect FAQ/Information Guide - A primer
===Archives and Collections===
* The Caligula Effect on Ao3
==Resources==
* Extreme Go-Home Club by bkub
* The Caligula Effect Wikia