Anime Review: To Love-Ru (Collection 1: Episodes 1-13)

When Sentai Filmworks first announced that they would be distributing To Love-Ru (also known as Trouble or Toraburu), at first I was indifferent about it. I had heard of the show before, but I never really thought about it being worth my time because it just looked like another typical ecchi series. I couldn’t have been any more wrong about this. Shortly after the license announcement, Scott VonSchilling of The Anime Almanac started to rave about the wonders of To Love-Ru. So, I decided to give the series a try. I’m very glad I did.

The story revolves around Rito, our perverted male lead character. He’s been unable to confess his love to his classmate Haruna, the love of his life. One day while Rito is taking a bath, a completely naked girl appears out of nowhere. It is soon discovered that Lala, the mysterious girl, is actually an alien from outer space. Shortly after, Rito accidentally (and hilariously) enters into a marriage contract with Lala. Yes, in the anime world, people can even get engaged by accident. However, Rito is not interested in Lala, for he wants Haruna, the girl of his dreams. And that’s the plot. Don’t enter into this series expecting a story, or you will be disappointed. Just enjoy it for what it is: an ecchi harem comedy. And a hysterical one at that.

What makes To Love-Ru so good is its ability to be consistently funny. Unlike many ecchi harem shows, the jokes here are frequent and humorous. While the jokes themselves aren’t all that original, the amazing cast of characters and the show’s presentation make it all feel nice and fresh. The show also has great production value. The animation is smooth, and the character designs are excellent. Personality-wise and appearance-wise, To Love-Ru has an amazing cast of characters that really make it enjoyable to watch.

Just like in any ecchi series, there is a healthy portion of fanservice. However, it’s not excessive. Some ecchi shows seem to go by the belief that “the more fanservice, the better!” (I’m looking at you, Rosario+Vampire), but To Love-Ru maintains a nice balance and doesn’t go over the top. That said, if you’re someone who just can’t stand fanservice, I still wouldn’t recommend this show to you. But if you can handle it, this show is definitely an under-appreciated gem that should not be overlooked.

To Love-Ru Collection 1 is currently on sale and is licensed and distributed by Sentai Filmworks. Official series information is available at TheAnimeNetwork.com.

ENJOYMENT – Very highly entertaining

RECOMMENDATION LEVEL – Not for everyone, but would recommend to most

REWATCH VALUE – Good for some laughs you may have missed the first time

Purchase To Love-Ru at RightStuf