To LOVE-Ru Darkness

As close encounters of the twisted kind between the residents of the planet Deviluke (represented primarily by the female members of the royal family) and the inhabitants of Earth (represented mainly by one very exhausted Rito Yuuki) continue to escalate, the situation spirals even further out of control. When junior princesses Nana and Momo transferred into Earth School where big sister Lala can (theoretically) keep an eye on them, things SHOULD be smooth sailing. But when Momo decides she'd like to "supplement" Rito's relationship with Lala with a little "sisterly love," you know Lala's not going to waste any time splitting harems. Unfortunately, it's just about that point that Yami, the Golden Darkness, enters the scene with all the subtleness of a supernova, along with an army of possessed high school students! All of which is certain to make Rito's life suck more than a black hole at the family picnic. Unless, of course, a certain semi-demonic princess can apply a little of her Devilukean Whoop Ass to exactly that portion of certain other heavenly bodies!

(Source: Sentai Filmworks)

Deviluke, Momo Belia Main

Toyosaki, Aki Japanese

Konjiki no Yami Main

Fukuen, Misato Japanese

Yuuki, Rito Main

Watanabe, Akeno Japanese

Kurosaki, Mea Main

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Deviluke, Lala Satalin Supporting

Tomatsu, Haruka Japanese

Kotegawa, Yui Supporting

Nazuka, Kaori Japanese

Yuuki, Mikan Supporting

Hanazawa, Kana Japanese

Deviluke, Nana Astar Supporting

Itou, Kanae Japanese

Sairenji, Haruna Supporting

Yahagi, Sayuri Japanese

Nemesis Supporting

Hidaka, Rina Japanese

Ueda, Yasuyuki Producer

Nakayama, Nobuhiro Producer

Chino, Takatoshi Producer

Hattori, Kentarou Producer

Reviews

Dec 21, 2012

Rezurrekt

Recommended

First off, I want to say To LOVE-Ru Darkness is not for everyone.

This show is NOT for people who hate fanservice and/or harems. This show IS for people who love tons of ecchi, harems, and more ecchi. To top it off, To LOVE-Ru Darkness actually has... wait for it... a plot. *Gasp* Really?! Yes, it does. It's not just mindless fanservice (although that's cool too). You should definitely watch this show if ecchi is your thing.

...But you all probably knew that since this is the third season of the To LOVE-Ru series and you've seen the first two seasons (To LOVE-Ru and Motto To LOVE-Ru, ... respectively). If you haven't, then there really is no point in reading this review! Go check out the first two seasons!



Now, there are a few things I want to go over about this show:


1) Story - 7/10

You claim all ecchi shows have no plot? Think again! At first glance, the To LOVE-Ru series might seem that way, but in reality it has many arcs that keeps pointing in one direction. Sure, it's not going to be some mindblowing masterpiece like Death Note, but how can you even compare TLRD to something so different?! We have to realize that the main goal of the show is to make us go crazy over which heroine the male protagonist will choose in the end. So far, it has done that well.

However, like I've said before this show does have a bit of a story. I mean, there are two girls from outerspace trying to accomplish different things with the male protagonist. Conflicting things, if I might add. Then you get to see many girls on earth who show interest in the male protagonist. Well, it doesn't stop there because in TLRD there are even more girls from outerspace trying to accomplish things with...you guessed it: the male protagonist.

Of course, if you are Momo Bella Deviluke such troublesome things look more like a great opportunity. So for an ecchi-harem, To Love-Ru should please many (in more ways than one ;)).

Don't get me wrong -- Yeah it does have a story but it's still considerably weak. It isn't anything compelling but there are moments where it leaves you wanting more. It's enjoyable nonetheless. I'll leave it at that.


2) Art - 10/10

The To LOVE-Ru series has come a long way in terms of artwork. In the first season, the visuals were great for its time. But damn, the second season and third season turned it up a level or two. The scenery, the characters, even the small background objects look amazing. However, I remember reading forum posts and reviews criticizing the second and third season's artwork. You see... when the studio colored the characters, they added this shiny gloss to them to give the illusion of rounded body parts (i.e. the chin, elbows, knees). Not a lot of people liked it but personally I loved it. I think the studio made a good decision keeping the artwork for TLRD the same as the second season.

So overall, I think the show has beautiful art.


3) Sound - 8/10

Since it has been a year or two since the last season finished airing, To LOVE-Ru Darkness may come as a surprise to you in the sound department. Beginning with the OP song, I found it to be very good. It's called "RAKUEN PROJECT" by Ray. It's sort of a mix of electronic/dance music with rock. It threw me off a bit because the first few seconds sounded like the last few seconds of an ED song. I literally said "Damnit, this isn't the real version of the episode!" However a few seconds later you get to the "actual" part of the song. It's a really good song. Kinda stuck in my head now...

About the voice actors - You may find that you dislike the chosen voice actors for some of the characters in the show. I remember when I watched the first episode... I was wondering why the girls sounded so much younger than they looked. I thought for a second maybe they changed voice actors since the last season because I didn't remember them sounding like this. So I did a little research but found out they used the same voice actors as last season. I shrugged and decided to just watch through the first episode and hope that the voices grew on me. Well what do you know? By the end of the episode I wasn't thinking twice about having someone else voice the characters. You might appreciate the voices even more when you get to the "naughty" scenes ;).

The background music was very good too. Subtle, but good. There is usually a ballad playing when it gets to storytelling time and an upbeat soundtrack during the rare intense scenes (fighting, heated dialogues with enememies, etc.). There aren't many sound effects besides the occassional boob/ass grab. Even I found that hilariously good.

I'm not particularly fond with the ED song. It's called "Foul Play ni Kurari" by Kanon Wakeshima. It is a fast-tempo song with a string orchestra. A good song, don't get me wrong but for an ending it's a bit too 'cutesy'. I would have preferred a rock song with a bit of a ballad-edge to it but this song is good, too.

4) Characters - 9/10

One of the first things you will realize in To LOVE-Ru Darkness is the lack of Lala Satalin Deviluke. In the first two seasons, she was the main heroine but she has since dwindled into just another heroine subject to equal competition. Actually, she doesn't even get as much screentime now. I really miss her and I find myself happy just being able to see her even for a second.

Sadly, because of all the new characters the show has pretty much changed from being a harem that ends with a relationship between just two people into a harem that strictly aims to create a harem ending. I have mixed feelings about the change. On the one hand, I want Lala to win but on the other hand I'm starting to see myself change opinions because of the numerous interactions the other characters have with Rito.

Let us begin with the male protagonist. Yuuki Rito. He's a pretty typical character. He's clumsy, thick-headed sometimes, but a good person inside. Many girls like that about him. What makes him stand out though is the fact he's notorious for getting into situations that end with him being on top or under a girl. Sometimes he's naked. Sometimes the girl is naked. Sometimes they're BOTH naked! Top that off with just plain dirty and awkward hand positions like breasts/butt-groping, face-in-crotch/butt/breasts and you have one lucky bastard (minus the fact he usually gets punished for it after).

Then we have Yami the Golden Darkness. Yami for short. Yami is a quiet kuudere/dandere whose mission is to kill Yuuki Rito - although she doesn't really seem to want to do it. In the first two seasons, we didn't get much of her. She was just another character in the story for the most part. However, in this season it focuses on Yami and uncovering her past. This goes back to me saying that this show has a story!

Mea Kurosaki will be the first new character you'll be introduced to in this season. She is an assassin who was sent to earth by a master to monitor Yami's actions. By the way, Yami and Mea are sisters. They both have the ability to transform their hair into weapons and such. Although she appears to be nice (and sometimes curiously perverted) on the outside, she has a dark heart just like Yami. She's like the second best character in the show IMO. I really like her dirty schemes haha. You get to see more of that later on.

Now...Momo Bella Deviluke. Oh my goodness...she is AMAZING.To me, she's the best character in TLRD. I even dare say she is one of the best female characters of 2012. Not many will agree simply because they don't know about the show but those who have watched To LOVE-Ru Darkness will agree. They have to! I mean, c'mon she's what fuels the fire in the season. The perverted tactician would be a suitable title for her. We mostly see the story from her perspective. Her main goal is to be with Yuuki Rito, but she's okay with Yuuki Rito ending up with every girl. Wait. She isn't just okay with it - she WANTS it to happen. She ACTIVELY pursues that goal! That's why she is so entertaining to watch. And just wait until you see her extremely perverted delusions. It's hilarious!

I'd talk about the other characters but there isn't much to say. That is not to say they don't have any character development because they do. Run/Ren Elsie Jewelria is one good example of a character with good development. There are a few more characters that have yet to be introduced but I don't want to spoil it and say what happens so just watch the show!

5) Enjoyment - 10/10

Let me keep it brief: I enjoy this series so much. It is definitely the best ecchi/harem series I have watched in the past two years of my anime life. This show is so damn hilarious and entertaining to watch. I even end up watching it as soon as it comes out despite not having subs! All because I'm impatient and want to watch the show as soon as it comes out.

It's not that bad for me to watch it raw though because I'm up to date with the manga and know a bit of Japanese so I know what's going on. But anyways, 10/10!

6) Overall - 8/10

Overall, I find To LOVE-Ru Darkness to be refreshing. Even though the show does an extremely good job at it, ecchi is not the main reason why this show is good. The main reason why this show is good is because of the story, artwork, and characters. Without those three, the ecchi would lack a lot of substance. I know it's weird saying that because people think those who watch ecchi are pleased with just boobs and butts but NO. We want more! And where do we find it? In To LOVE-Ru!

So go ahead and watch To LOVE-Ru Darkness. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good ecchi show. Perhaps even those who don't watch ecchi that much but have an open-mind. Try it out and see.




Thanks for reading my review. Thank you even more if you read everything I wrote and not just skim through it. Yes, I consider them two different situations. You know it's true. :)

Please hit the 'helpful'' if you find this review helpful.
Even if you didn't find it helpful, I appreciate you checking it out.


- DesolateOne

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Oct 27, 2014

Coolingheaded

Mixed Feelings

I wouldn't usually write a review for an ecchi/hentai/harem/porn/incest/whydon'tyoujustjackoffalready?-anime, but people are being driven crazy by this thing, it's already got a score of 7.99(at least when I wrote this) and the OVA basically is what they don't get to jack off to--I mean watch in the regular To Love Ru Darkness season, I mean, I get it, the show is good at getting your dick hard, good, and it can also make you have some giggles and good fun on the process? Great! But is it really a 10/10 show? No, it isn't.

And if there is anyone who dares to say that is the ... best anime they've ever watched, is because they probably mean it's the best porn they've ever watched, ask them to justify why it is the pinnacle of anime, and you'll see the anwser will be along the lines of "Can't you see how brave this characters are? They dare to have a guy touch them when he is already semi-kind of engaged! Not in this world man", "The art is soooo good! Have you seen the way those watermelons dance?", "I came 3 times that day", "My penis pretty much typed this review". And why? Why is it that all the people making reviews are getting so crazy about it? Well, that's because this is porn, what where they looking for when they watched this? Porn. The simple fact that they are looking at anime as a pure masturbation mean, makes them lose their criticism and can only say wonderfull things about it.

Now, I'm gonna stop being a dick to all those people who are controlled by their sexual lust and are not able to be critical about anime because of this reason.

Story (6): The story is not amazing, in Love-Ru we start off with the usual girl who falls in love with the main character and then they have a problem, and they have to fix it, they are given time, in that time more females are introduced, they all fall in love with the main character eventually, the problem comes back, and with enough -falling on their panties- moments, the problems comes back once again, and then it can either leave and come back later or end the problem and start something new. To Love-Ru is pretty much this, probably the only thing I've enjoyed in this new "lets create a Harem" deal, is the fact that Momo tries to get into Rito's mind and make him into a perverted playboy, wich adds somekind of psychological control, wich is a nice touch and I can appreciate it. I'd also like to add that Darkness probably beats the other To Love-Ru arcs, just for the fact that this might actually go somewhere, the character development is minimum but there is some of it...I think.

Art (9): I don't really care that much about art to be sincere, cause I believe a lot of people tend to ignore other animes just for the fact that the art style is strange or different to their usually anime, so I don't think the art makes the anime, but it can obviously be appreciated mostly in a show where the way characters look is so important. Darkness has a pretty solid art style and has a nice look to it.

Sound (7): I've never really liked the music themes in the To Love-Ru franchise, but I guess there might be someone out there who enjoys them, but is nothing I would consider memorable or outstanding, the sound effects in the show are good in setting the atmosphere, maybe not the greatest, but good.

Character (6): Well, maybe the part where most of the people might disagree with me, a lot of people can only say that the cast of characters is great, that they are all deep and amazing, original and well thought...this is one of those harem shows where the show is trying to make you pick which girl you like the most, there's nothing new to them, you can find them on other harem shows, where they try to introduce as many female personalities as possible (wich I wouldn't say is always bad -Kotegawa best girl) , the shy, the dumb, the responsible, the perverted, the athletic and then there's the one that's in love and the one that just wants some action under the sheets. Despite what must people may say, I think the characters don't have that much to them, they don't really seem to have motives in their lifes, they are always in the same mood until something happens to them, they don't really seem to be troubled with their every day problems, their personality just blends into the situation.

Overall (6): But overall, I enjoy the show, not because of the plot, not because of the music, just because it has some ok comedy and is good at getting my dick hard, I can't deny that. In the ecchi category I could even consider that it stands out from the others, but if I'm really critical about it and look at it as anime as a whole, is not that incredible, the plot is ok, sound and art are nothing life changing, but is enjoyable. An overall 6 in my eyes.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Feb 5, 2021

sedlec

Not Recommended

Well-written

este anime es un asco, se le quita totalmente el protagonismo a lala y haruna al punto de que apenas tendran cameos en su propio anime y cada rara vez, momo dañara completamente la trama volviendose la protagonista y con un plan harem para alargar mas la trama y no decidirse por un final serio, escenas ecchi muy forzadas en casi todos los capitulos y lo que todos llevamos esperando que pase desde la primera temporada de ver a rito y a haruna juntos tampoco pasa, incluso yami que es un personaje secundario terminara con mas protagonismo incluso que haruna, un asco total, arruino todo ... lo que iba bien en to love ru, no lo recomiendo para nada a menos que quieras perder tu tiempo quizas me seria bueno si en el futuro sacaran otra temporada en la que arreglen las cosas y el anime vuelva a ser lo que era, tenga un buen final y envien a momo a la m**

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

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