The appeal and reviews of "To Love-Ru": A thorough explanation of the masterpiece of romantic comedy

To Love-Ru OVA Review and More Information

Overview

"To Love-Ru" is an OVA based on the popular manga by Yabuki Kentaro and Hasemi Saki. Released on February 4, 2010, the OVA was bundled with the 17th volume of "To Love-Ru" as a limited edition DVD. It was produced by XEBEC and directed by Kato Takao. It is a short but dense 25-minute episode, making it a long-awaited new episode for fans.

■ Story

My fiance is a space princess!? A slightly erotic and exciting romantic comedy!

Rito, an extremely innocent high school student, is unable to express his feelings to his classmate Haruna and is tormented by this. Then suddenly, Lala, the princess of the planet Deviluke, appears! Through a combination of coincidence and misunderstanding, Lala falls in love with Rito and the two become engaged and live together. Rito is at a loss when Lala climbs into his bed naked and hugs him without caring that people are watching. Lala's innocent nature causes a number of slightly erotic "trouble" situations that escalate, involving Rito, Haruna, and the people around them! Will Rito ever find rest?

■Explanation

A love triangle that soars across the galaxy!?

Yuuki Rito, an indecisive and extremely innocent high school student, has a crush on his classmate Sairenji Haruna. Then, a mysterious and beautiful alien named Lala appears in front of Rito. For some reason, Rito is chosen as a potential groom for Lala, the princess of the planet Deviluke. From that day on, various aliens appear around Rito, and his life becomes completely disrupted. Set in everyday life and space, a grand and slightly erotic slapstick romantic comedy begins.

■Cast

• Yuuki Rito: Watanabe Akino
• Lala Satalin Deviluke: Haruka Tomatsu
• Haruna Sairenji: Sayuri Yahagi
• Yuuki Mikan: Hanazawa Kana
• Yui Furukawa: Kaori Nazuka
• Magical Kyoko: Chiemi Chiba
• Mio Sawada: Chiemi Chiba
• Nana Asta Deviluke: Kanae Ito
• Momo Belia Deviluke: Aki Toyosaki
• Golden Darkness: Misato Fukuen
• Peke: Satomi Arai
• Princess Tenjoin: Ayako Kawasumi
• Risa Momioka: Ryoko Yuzuki
• Oshizu: Mamiko Noto
• Celine: Suzuka Yuzuki
• Lun/Ren: Oura Fuuka
• Maron: Hiroyuki Yoshino
• Ryoko Mikado: Masako Shiro
• Rin Kujo: Mai Hashimoto
• Aya Fujisaki: Kaori Mizuhashi
• Akiho Sairenji: Mikako Takahashi
• Monkey Mountain: Hiroyuki Yoshino
• Principal: Kenichi Ogata

■ Main staff

• Original story: Kentaro Yabuki, Saki Hasemi (serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump)
• Director: Takao Kato
• Series Composition: Akira Yamatoya
• Character design and chief animation director: Yuichi Oka
• Prop design: Takuya Matsumura
• Art director: Keito Watanabe
• Color setting: Natsuyo Ban
• Director of photography: Yuki Kudo
• Edited by: Naoki Watanabe
• Music: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
• Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
• Producers: Makoto Oyoshi, Masanori Goto, Nobuhiro Nakayama, Tsuyoshi Tanaka, Hiroyuki Yonemasu, Takatoshi Chino
• Executive Producer: Naoki Watanabe
• Produced by: XEBEC
• Production cooperation: Shueisha, Avex Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment, XEBEC
• Production: To Love-Ru Production Committee

■ Main Characters

• Rito Yuuki: A high school student who is very shy when it comes to love. He likes Haruna, a classmate from middle school, but accidentally confesses to Lala, which is where the "To Love-Ru" began. He has a strong sense of justice, and also has a sensitive side, such as taking care of flowers and plants.
• Lala Satalin Deviluke: First princess of the planet Deviluke, which rules the galaxy. She came to Earth for a certain reason and fell in love with Rito, whom she met there. She has a very cheerful personality and actively approaches Rito every day. She doesn't mind at all when she is naked.
• Haruna Sairenji: A quiet and pure beautiful girl, she is Rito's classmate whom he admires. In fact, she secretly has feelings for Rito...!? With the appearance of Lala, a delicate love triangle develops. Of course, she often encounters "To Love-Ru".
• Peke: A versatile costume robot invented by Lala. It can change into various clothes, but when it runs out of energy, it can't maintain the shape of the clothes... It has emotions and can converse, and usually acts as Lala's straight man.
• Zastin: Captain of the Deviluke Royal Guard. He came to Earth to bring Lala back, but after Lala and Rito got engaged, he ended up staying to keep an eye on them. He has great fighting ability, but is quite airheaded.
• Yuuki Mikan: Rito's younger sister, an elementary school student. She does all the housework and is a reliable person who supports the Yuuki family, even though their parents are rarely around because of work. She is also more mature than her brother, and finds the relationship between Rito, Lala, and Haruna amusing.
• Tenjoin Saki: The daughter of the Tenjoin Group, a beautiful girl who is a year ahead of Rito and his friends and attends Sainan High School. She has a higher sense of pride than most people and is not satisfied unless she is always number one. She is fiercely competitive with Lala, but her efforts tend to be in vain.
• Yui Kotegawa: A member of the discipline committee in the same class as Rito and the others. She has a stronger sense of justice than most, and is extremely strict when it comes to "indecent things." She marks Rito as a person to watch out for.
• Len: An alien (Memorze star) who is Lala's childhood friend. He followed Lala to Earth, believing in a marriage promise that Lala made to him when they were young. Because of this, he has a fierce rivalry with Rito, and pursues manliness to the point of being suffocating. When he sneezes...
• Run: A beautiful girl from the planet Memorze with the ability to change gender, who appears in place of Ren. She falls in love with Rito, and because of that, she has a fierce rivalry with Lala. She has a cute face, but is quite sneaky. When she sneezes, she switches places with Ren.
• Kenichi Saruyama: Rito's classmate. He knows that Rito likes Haruna, but he doesn't support her. He is amused by Rito's shyness. He likes all things erotic, and in a sense, is a typical high school boy.
• Risa Momioka: Haruna's friend in the same class as Rito and the others. Her hobby is groping girls' breasts, including Haruna's.
• Sawada Mio: In the same class as Rito and friends, she often hangs out with Risa and Haruna. She often rubs her breasts together with Risa.
• Kujou Rin: In the same year as Saki, she is always by her side as her caretaker. She is absolutely obedient to Saki's orders, but she can also be quite sarcastic.
• Aya Fujisaki: In the same year as Saki, she follows Saki along with Rin. Of course, when she takes off her glasses, she is a beautiful girl.
• Murasame Shizuka: A ghost who died 400 years ago and lives in the old building of Sainan High School. He was bothered by the aliens who had taken up residence in the old building, but he teaches them tricks and helps them find new employment. He's quite an airhead. No, he's a ghost.
• Principal: The principal of Sainan High School, where Rito and his friends attend. He has a light-hearted attitude that is unusual for a principal, and readily approves Lala's transfer. He is also unusual for a principal in that he is loyal to his desires.
• Golden Darkness: The most dangerous assassin in the universe. He comes to Earth after receiving a request from someone to eliminate Rito. He is a pro among pros who always completes any job he takes on. He has the ability to transform his entire body into a weapon at will.
• Ryoko Mikado: A health teacher at Sainan High School, where Rito and his friends attend, she is extremely popular among the male students. She is actually an alien and a famous doctor whose name resonates throughout the galaxy. Her other job is to treat aliens living on Earth.
• Gido Lucion Deviluke: Lala's father and the king of the planet Deviluke who rules the galaxy. He looks like a human child, but has the overwhelming power to destroy a planet by himself. He sees through Rito's inner turmoil and gives him the difficult task of becoming the greatest man in the universe.
• Nana Asta Deviluke: Lala's younger sister and the second princess of Deviluke. She has a strong personality and is strict with Rito, but deep down she is very innocent. She is self-conscious about her small breasts. She can communicate with animals. She is the twin sister of Momo.
• Momo Belia Deviluke: Lala's younger sister and the third princess of Deviluke. She has a gentle personality and way of speaking, but she is actually quite scheming and devious...? She seems to have a slight (a lot?) crush on Rito. She can communicate with plants.

■Subtitle

・Volume 5/Nana and Momo (2010/02/04)

■ Related works

• To Love-Ru
• To Love-Ru OVA 1-4, 6
• More To Love-Ru
• To Love-Ru Darkness
• To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd
• To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd Special Bonus
• To Love-Ru Darkness OVA
• To Love-Ru Darkness 2nd OVA

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1
  • Go for it! Do you like it?
  • Lyricist: Kiyomi Kumano
  • Composer: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Arrangement: Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Sung by: Lala & Haruna (Haruka Tomatsu & Sayuri Yahagi)
• ED1
  • Apple Panic!?
  • Lyricist: Kiyomi Kumano
  • Composer: Yusuke Shirato
  • Arrangement: Kaoru Okubo
  • Sung by: Lala & Haruna (Haruka Tomatsu & Sayuri Yahagi)

■Review

The OVA of "To Love-Ru" can be said to have brought out the charm of the original work to the fullest. This OVA in particular is an episode in which new characters Nana and Momo appear, bringing fresh surprise and delight to fans. The "To Love-Ru" that unfolds one after another in Rito's daily life is depicted with a tempo and humor that keeps viewers from getting bored.

Rito's character is a very appealing setting, as he is an innocent and indecisive high school student. His worries and conflicts are depicted realistically, and viewers naturally empathize with him. Additionally, Lala's innocent personality and Haruna's purity are also part of the charm, and their presence adds depth to the story.

The production staff for the OVA are also excellent, and the character designs, background art, music, and more are all of a high standard. The character designs in particular faithfully reproduce the images of the original work, while adding movements and expressions unique to anime, resulting in even more appealing visuals. Music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, and the opening and ending songs are memorable masterpieces that viewers will cherish.

This OVA is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for anime beginners. It is especially recommended for those who like romantic comedies and science fiction. The love triangle between Rito, Lala, and Haruna, and the slapstick comedy with the aliens will make you laugh and feel moved at the same time.

■ Recommendation points

• A story that brings out the best of the original
• A fresh surprise with the appearance of new characters Nana and Momo
• I can empathize with Rito's innocent and indecisive character.
• A charming love triangle between Lala's innocence and Haruna's purity.
• High-quality character design and background art
• Memorable OP and ED songs
• A work that perfectly combines romantic comedy and science fiction elements.

■ Summary

The To Love-Ru OVA is a must-see for fans of the original work, and even anime novices can enjoy it. The love triangle between Rito, Lala, and Haruna, as well as the slapstick comedy with the aliens, are depicted with a tempo and humor that keeps viewers entertained. The character designs, background art, and music, all of which were created by a high-level production staff, are also highlights not to be missed. Be sure to give it a watch and experience its charm for yourself.