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
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: To LOVE-Ru Trouble Darkness, To-Love-Ru Darkness, ToLoveRu Darkness
Japanese: To LOVEる -とらぶる- ダークネス
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Oct 6, 2012 to Dec 29, 2012
Premiered:
Fall 2012
Broadcast:
Saturdays at 01:00 (JST)
Licensors:
Sentai Filmworks
Studios:
Xebec
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#22962
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#631
Members:
371,921
Favorites:
2,142
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 37 / 37
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Your Feelings Categories Dec 21, 2012
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, ... Oct 26, 2013
One series can only be considered at the forefront of a particular genre that gives it its own identity or face; that series in question would be To Love Ru. It has had a rough start in adapting to the source material by not providing a coherent narrative to the manga. It has made a name for itself for being one of the top ecchi anime, thanks to the later seasons that are somewhat “reboots” if you want to take it that far. Now comes To Love Ru Darkness, a separate manga that continues the story of To Love Ru to breathe new life into
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Dec 31, 2012
...and the reward for best Ecchi anime of 2012 goes to... To LOVE-Ru Darkness!!!
Those of you who do not like Ecchi/fanservice anime might want to stop reading here. This anime focuses mainly on these two things and will most likely not be for you. Now for those who are in to Ecchi/fanservice, I will tell you why i think To LOVE-Ru Darkness is so great. To LOVE-Ru Darkness is a sequel to the original To LOVE-Ru series. I highly suggest watching To LOVE-Ru, Motto To LOVE-Ru, and all the OVA's before you watch Darkness. For those who have watched and are familiar with the To ... Jul 18, 2013
To love ru darkness, brings up the new hope about how a harem anime which usually have negative comments can make all that comments gone. A common knowledge to all the anime lover that harem anime is usually is lack in the plot and story, since what makes harem anime interesting is fanservice and all beautiful or moe girl. If you have ever seen The World God Only Knows then maybe you have seen a good example how a harem anime can turn into from fun harem into a serious harem anime (in story aspects).
Back to the To Love Ru darkness , if ... Nov 12, 2012
There is action in this 3rd season in 2 kinds of ways ;)
This 3rd season is the alot better than the other seasons were, in that it actually has a story going and that there is action in it. Some parts are intense and some parts are pretty funny I think they might make another season after this, but maybe the OVA will wrap it up. This season is mostly about Momo, Yami, Rito, and new girl Mea (she reason this season is intense) Lala barely as a role at all this season so far. Dec 31, 2012
So I've watched the whole series and I must say if you are a fan of echi/harem stuff then this IS the perfect anime for you.The course of action is quite hilarious as the plot advances and the characters develop around the protagonist. I had hoped for the action to circle around Rito and the three princesses,if you have seen the series you know what I mean,but it still enjoying to watch. I am still hoping to see the day when Rito fulfills his destiny and Momo's dreams come to reality, wouldn't that be quite a scene? All in all To LOVE-Ru is a series
...
Oct 31, 2012
So far To LOVE-Ru Darkness seems just fine to me. But that could be because I love ecchi and harem anime. The story although has become more compelling. Fan-service is huge in this anime, and when I say huge I mean the freaking empire state building. But again I love ecchi so that's a plus for me. Personally I like the sound track to the point where I would actually buy the CD. The characters don't change much from the last season, although you are introduced to some new characters. Rito is again constantly falling on girls in silly ways. But there was something about
...
Oct 27, 2014
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 ... Jul 26, 2013
To Love-Ru Darkness is the third installment in 'To Love-Ru' series and as the previous two it tries to overload the viewer's reward system in the brain by flooding the screen with symmetrical breasts, symmetrical butts... and more breasts. Darkness rises above all other ecchi series so high that it's at the top of the ecchi grading scale. A story about a mushroom that grows up in a humid forest would get 0% whereas Darkness would be the polar opposite with 100% ecchiness present. Let me put it this way, if you put any more ecchi into an anime series the earth would collapse past
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Apr 8, 2015
To love ru darkness is a direct sequel, but unlike it's pequel, it's focus more on the characters and the story.While some might say that the "harem plan" is stupid, it gives rito a chance to develop and give screen time to the girls who didn't get as much as before.
The story start as simple but very quickley we can see that there is a more "mature" tone to darkness than before-it's tries to bring an actual plotline, while focusing mainly about yami and her past, thus creating a very interesting plot. Although the shame is, that rito doesn't really feels like "main character" anymore, ... Feb 5, 2021
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
...
Mar 29, 2021
I would first like to say, I have watched about 90 different anime at this point, and this is the best masterpiece I've ever watched. Simply unrivaled, it has taken it's spot as my #1 all time, and I don't see any that I am planning on watching overtaking it anytime soon.
While this show may not be for everyone, it honestly kinda is. This is for all ages, even kids. It is important to understand that the lack of innocence present in this show is a culture defining element, if you don't like the frequent nudity, you may simply be racist against that Japanese ... Sep 9, 2015
OVA Impressions at the end of this review.
To LOVE-Ru Darkness Wow…. I mean…. Wooooow….. or more like… YESSSSSSS!!!!!! And AHHHHHHHHHH HOLY CRAAAAAP WHHHHAAAAAA!!!! And then OH MY GAOOOOOO OH MY GAAUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!! ………… That’s the best way to explain To LOVE-Ru Darkness; Season 3 of the To LOVE-Ru series, it once again changes the formula and oh man, is it good. After watching LOVE-Ru and Motto, I was rather curious on how Darkness would continue the series; not saying that Motto ends in a way where you can stop (Not at all), but rather, it’d get a little boring seeing Yuuki Rito continue to try and confess ... Mar 5, 2015
While I was disenchanted with the first season since it was just a jumble of events, the past two seasons in the series have been steadily getting better. With Motto running true to the Manga and kind of having some plot flow it still fell a little short in storytelling. Darkness solved those errors and the only reason I gave it a 9 is because I am able to follow the sequence of events throughout this season without asking myself, "Where did this come from?" or "Why is this even included?".
I am a fan of the fanservice and harem genre but I was lost ... Apr 24, 2014
There's no doubt that this one was the best so far in the To Love-Ru series, but I feel extremely conflicted about multiple aspects of this show. There were some awesome things that they did, but also a lot that I really despised.
Story: 7/10 Unlike the first two series which followed a mini-ep format, this one actually does have an extended plot which is developed throughout all 12 episodes. There are some branch-offs here and there, but they actually contribute to plot movement or character development, so there's no wasted episodes here. This time we actually have a central conflict, but the comedic aspect is retained ... Jul 8, 2014
To LOVE-Ru Darkness is another harem/ecchi anime that is of course, not for everyone. It's a sequel to the previous Motto To Love-Ru and To Love-Ru.
- Story: The plot of this sequel is very expected, like most other anime. The author(s) did not focus on trying to create an extraordinary story, but instead focus more on the art. - Art: This is why people mainly watch To Love-Ru Darkness and its prequels, the art and of course, the fan services. As I said in the "Story" section, the author(s) focused on this category. The art was perceived very ... Aug 12, 2014
What seem to start off as just a little series that gave people a laugh turned into something new for the series.
For starters, Rito always seem to be put in situations that aren't entirely his fault and by this point everyone knows what happens. However, this season gives somewhat of a plot and cliffhanger for a new season which will lead further into it. The one I didn't like about the series who Tear who was introduced in episode 10. Now don't get me wrong, it's not that shes a bad character in any way, it's just that you only get to see her ... Dec 6, 2013
While it was better than Motto because of its plot, I must say Darkness still fell far short of the comedic genius of the first season of To LOVE-Ru. In terms of ecchi, it is better than both prior seasons, and most ecchi anime in general. It still has the problems of simply rehashing the same jokes over and over, but this doesn't bother me as much given there is actually a plot to follow. However, therein lies the disappointment. There is no real finale. Not even really a cliffhanger. It gives the feeling of reading a book halfway through and stopping in the middle
...
Jun 6, 2013
To LOVE-ru is not for everyone since this is one of the most ecchi anime in the ecchi world. It consistently have scenes which involves a blob of shadow blocking your view due the censorship.
So the story deserves a 8, since it's pretty good but not very meaningful in terms of actual plot like most other love/romance harems. But who cares, because everybody that watches to LOVE-ru is there for the ecchi scenes. Art is a perfect 10. They improves a lot compared to the first season. The linings of characters and the environment is just overall better than previous to ... Jan 3, 2016
Now let me start off with this to love ru darkness is not everybody's cup of tea it's a ecchi harem anime but even though it is that I enjoyed it and here is my review to let you know why.
The anime may be a ecchi harem but the story is actually pretty good. It may not be perfect but it was enough to entertain me to continue watching it for me to figure out what this darkness it that it mentions in the title. Well as I watched more I figured out why SPOILERS- The reason why is because of Yami's dark past, and ... |