Second, Diabolik Lovers is based off an otome dating game, so that's why this anime is so bad. So don't waste your time watching this sorry excuse of a reverse-harem, let alone an ANIME, and play the game instead unless you want to get a good laugh. The game is actually very good.
Now, the actual review.
A lot of people think that Diabolik Lovers will be very good, mainly because of the art style. I thought so too, and from the comments I read about it on a site, it seemed really good for me.
Oh, how terribly WRONG I was..
Story:
Personally, I really like the story of the game. I think it's really good and well-made. I can see the producers were trying to execute the storyline in the anime, but it came out so HORRIBLE I COULDN'T TAKE IT SERIOUSLY! It looked like as if the producers weren't even TRYING to execute the plot! It was there, but the anime wasn't focusing on it AT ALL. Every time Yui(or the blood bank) found out something about the brothers one of them just appears coincidentally and attempts to suck her blood/abuse her. Yes, each guy had had hard lives, but it somehow doesn't help in FLESHING THEM OUT(except for Subaru). Apparently fanservice(if you call it fanservice) is more important than the actual 'plot' and as long as you have loads of it, this anime is instantaneously good and all the girls will enjoy it!!
REALLY? There was no romance, not even ATTRACTION, in the WHOLE anime. Yeah, I get it. The boys are hot, but they don't get CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT ALL.
And the ending.. WHY THE HECK WOULD YOU WANT TO STAY WITH A BUNCH OF ABUSIVE, MOLESTING VAMPIRES?? Everything is SO unrealistic.
Even as a reverse-harem, this anime sucks so much it's somehow hilarious. Did I mention that the dialogue was awkward? And the whole sucking-blood thing isn't 'attractive' at all?
In all seriousness though, I feel sorry for Yui. She is LITERALLY going through abuse, no matter how you look at it.
Art:
Ah, the art style. The main reason why I had wanted to watch Diabolik Lovers. I'm not gonna lie, the art is really pretty and I really like it, and all the characters surprisingly have nice designs. Yui is undeniably cute while the brothers are quite sexy. PHYSICALLY. The animation wasn't really outstanding, but what do you expect from an anime where 90% of its content is vampires sucking a zombie's blood who has somehow survived TWO SEASONS?
Sound:
The OP was really promising and while it wasn't outstanding either, I really enjoyed it. I never really paid attention to the music, but meh. It was average. The voice actors were really good and portrayed the characters perfectly. However, I'm disappointed in Yui's voice actor tho. Her voice is nice to listen to and I'm very sad to know that Kousuke Toriumi voiced Shuu. I love his voice and he voiced one of my favourite characters ever.
Characters:
The part I dreaded the most. Let's start with Yui.
The biggest problem in most of reverse-harem anime is that most of them are based off otome games, and YOU are the main girl in these games. In other words, her personality is YOUR personality. And as such, Yui has no personality so that you can insert yourself in the anime(which may I mention is stupid). That's why Yui is, in a nutshell, a Stockholm-syndrom weak, stupid human whose blood is very delicious. I'm 100% certain that the producers didn't even TRY to give her a personality.
The Sakamaki brothers are even WORSE.
The only good thing I found in the characters is that they are ruthless, don't care about the girl at all and sadistic, which is exactly what vampires are supposed to be(not like in a certain movie where the vampires are actually fairies in disguise). But aside from that NONE of them have ACTUAL personalities, quirks and all, except for one. Heck you could even say that they are the same with different sadistic and masochism levels and one -JUST ONE- different quirk each. Except for Subaru, he is literally the only average character is the whole. Freaking. Anime. Tell me, how am I supposed to love characters that are just abusive and simply don't give a crap about me? I'm fairly certain if I met a person like that, I wouldn't be happy.
Enjoyment:
This anime is fun.. to make fun off. I couldn't spend five minutes without either making fun of the characters or thinking 'whyyy in the name of everything holy am I watching this?'. I also enjoyed Yui's stupidity. Greatly.
Overall:
Basically, this anime is crap.
If you're the type that enjoys watching stupid films/TV shows/anime just to enlighten yourself with how stupidly humorous it is like I do, this anime is for you. I can't possibly comprehend why would any girl want to be in Yui's place. And I can't believe how it is so popular! I heard that there was going to be a third season..
Like, what the actual heck?!
While I DID get a good laugh, and I enjoy the OP, I lost some of my brain cells. And even MORE when I read the comments on each episode.
I said it in the beginning and I will say it again: play the game instead. The characters are portrayed in a better way, and the story is actually enjoyable. The only reason why I gave it 3 is because the music and art helped a little bit. That's it.
