Overall my verdict on DAL IV up to episode 11 largely hasn't changed too much since episode 3. It is still one of the best spring 2022 animes and the anime corner rankings largely reflect that. If people didn't like DAL IV, why would they vote for it or buy any related merchandise?
I do highly recommend you outright ignore the reviews saying there is no plot, generic harem, skip this. These were clearly made by people who are upset by DAL's ranking on Anime Corner and don't know really anything about the series. DAL IV is definitely NOT overhyped when media outlets are there praising SxF and Kaguya as peak fiction and high art. As someone who has watched a good chunk of the anime this season, there is much more plot going on than other shows with tons of foreshadowing, very clear explanations onto the lore, really hard to get confused at this point, great odes to the prior seasons.
I would say I am docking a score off art since there is way too heavy emphasis on CGI used for the fights, in particular the tohka vs mukuro one. I do hope they sort of dial it back for further seasons. The mecha battles was overall well done and better done than prior seasons.
I largely don't have a problem with some of the skipped contents like the shrine visit or shrinking the fairy tail. I definitely think having a lot of that in an anime can drag it too long. I rather have faster pacing than for them to drag out 1 ln per season like Tensura and be padded with filler, and thus sacrifice any chances of a complete adaptation. Remember Re Zero goes at a similiar pace of 4 lns per season.
There is overall a lot of positive things to look forward to the future for the show. I say DAL IV was pretty much the testing grounds and it has hit pretty much all boxes so far. If you watched enough seasonal anime, you are going to realize DAL IV is underrated for what it offers for your time. You have mecha battles, witty comedy, fights, beautiful character designs, very well unique lore, a nice fantasy episode which is a lot packed for 1 season.
Review for up to Episode 3 so far.
Date A Live anime debuted in 2013 and a lot has changed then. It began as a production mainly from smaller studios that have done not big budget shonens and its imprint Fantasia Bunko mainly did harems but also other genres as well. As the years progress, the amount of newer hit series coming out is astonishing high. With the increased production values of newer shows, it can get harder for people to revisit or got back to older shows. So the question is has the fourth season changed for people to jump in. Answer is resounding yes.
Music (10/10)
Once again we have the heavenly song from sweet arms. Also the classic mix from the prior series. And a banger op. The sound mixes perfectly with the tone and action.
Art, Animation. (9/10)
The first immediate thing people will notice is the drastic art change, that borrows more from the Date A Bullet light novel/anime vs the older 2013/tsunako style. Vibrant coloring nowadays has become more common, but we manage to get a perfect balanced that really fleshes out the characters, background, and action. The background animation is extremely detailed and well composited like the bookshop. The character animation is super smooth and doesn’t have the common blemishes, plus the art with the existing designs are some of the best in the medium. There is a reason Date A Live has done well in the figure market despite Fantasia Bunko not really being a big brand. Just check the images on the official website. The OP easily looks one of the best this season.
CGI tends to stick out like a sore thumb in anime, but thankfully it wasn’t overdone here and not as obvious as other animes. The special effects in episode 3 were also well done and fit well with the overall visuals.
Story, Characters (9.5/10)
Being in the fourth season, not much to explain here. Avoid the common harem story of best girl wins. Also avoid the common trope of excessive nudity. We already have the villain of Wescott and DEM set up from II season. The major spirit introductions from first, and the additional from the third. The story avoids dragging the dates or slice of life parts for too long, and makes sure to switch to the action and build up the main villain as well as his motives and power. There is definitely a ton of surprises along the way. There is definitely appeal to those into more action oriented anime.
Writing is the thing that many shows nowadays fall flat on. Rather than having interesting dialogue and interactions to draw people in, they tend to substitute for excessive animation or action. Or they just drag out the length with pointless dialogue to fit the runtime. Enough to surprise people yet not feel predictable as indicated by the first date. Date A Live IV quickly makes the interaction between the new spirits interesting and not dull. Amazing performances with Shimazaki who captured cosplaying well. Nabatame instantly capturing people’s hearts through her quirks, affection, and mischief. Okiayu well portraying the evil side of Wescott. All of these characters feel unique, stand out, not copy-pasted from other stories. Also knows how to put humour that feels natural to the progression (no one liners) and not forced. When it comes to the overarching conflict and villain, it makes sense, doesn’t confuse the watchers, and feels like a natural progression with proper build up. The first scenes tie into later scenes.
Conclusion (9/10)
Date A Live IV has greatly exceeded the fans expectations providing one of the best looking shows this season. It is amazingly entertaining, funny, lots of memorable moments. In the end of the day, I want to watch anime, enjoy it, be surprised but not always rely on extreme an audio/visual experience. The only reason I haven’t given it a 10 is because there is more to come with the rest of the LNs and I am happy to support the series. Definitely one of the best animes of Spring 2022.
