Anime: To Love-Ru: Trouble - Darkness 2nd

This is essentially the second season of Darkness, which adds just a bit of plot to the franchise and explains what the title "Darkness" actually means. It has literally been seven years since the original To Love-Ru, and despite the original characters much of the show has changed greatly. What began as a show dedicated to a love triangle between Rito, Haruna, and Lala has now grown to an outright harem large enough to match any competing series out there. The show has increasingly had to rely on blatant ecchi to match the competition to the point where this is essentially soft-core hentai. Moreover, the original heroines Lala and Haruna feel all but sidelined as the focus shifts towards Momo, Nana, and a new generation of harem members. Nonetheless, the show retains semblances of its roots, be it ridiculous inventions by Lala or Haruna's inability to confess her feelings. If harem-based ecchi comedies are up your alley, this is a pretty easy recommendation. If you've followed the show up to this point, this is probably one of the better seasons so I wouldn't miss out. That being said, the ecchi is so in-your-face that god rays often cover the entire screen, leaving you clueless as to what ecchi act Rito is actually committing; if the ecchi part is what you're looking for definitely wait for the Blu-rays.

Animation:
The show retains its overall feel from Darkness, though a fair amount of detail has been given to backgrounds and water scenes. The plethora of characters from previous To Love Ru seasons return with the addition of even more characters; I've honestly forgotten some of the more minor characters, and don't expect the show to remind you who they are. As in previous iterations, expect a lot of blushing and skin. I will say though that I have no idea how Nana tucks all that long hair into her tiny twin tails, it must be a gravitational anomaly or something.

The show still has a decent amount of action thanks to former assassins Mea and Yami. I have no idea how the school pays for it but expect tremendous collateral damage repeatedly. As for ecchi, expect it literally everywhere. By now, Rito is the king of accidents and always ends up touching or smelling things that require almost constant god rays. To add to this, Momo literally visits Rito to be groped while he sleeps. It's not just Rito as apparently many of the girls enjoy fondling each other. Indeed, this is among the most shameless shows of the season.

Sound:
The show opens with a relatively light OP with a fair main melody. The ED feels somewhat nostalgic as Mami Kawada's nice piece reminds me of her previous work on Index and Shakugan no Shana. As in previous seasons, the BGM is supportive but not particularly memorable.

The strong VA cast returns for yet another performance heavy in aroused, elated groans. Aki Toyosaki still gives a great performance as Momo though sister Kanae Itou as Nana gives her a run for her money with an emotional performance. Misato Fukuen also does a great job as Yami; her embarrassed voice is particularly good.

Story:
To Love Ru's revival as a somewhat plot-based show continues, and actually improves in this second season. The early episodes are generally mainly episodic, emphasizing either one of Lala's inventions gone wrong or focusing on a particular girl. Surprisingly, a fair amount of minor characters gets center stage including Yui Kotegawa and Rin Kujou. Nana also gets a bit more love to balance out with Momo. The most humorous aspect of it all was that an episode is dedicated to Lala, who finally realizes that she's no longer the center of the world. Despite the episodic feel, the story slowly introduces antagonists and foreshadows events that eventually link the show together. Once you hit the three quarter mark, the show finally decides to get serious and we learn what Darkness really is. To be honest, the first part of the final arc was a bit new but everything after was a tad too predictable. This climax is followed by a likewise predictable and open conclusion. All in all, not too shabby of a run with decent entertainment value throughout, and I don't just mean the ecchi parts.

Character:
I think Momo and Nana's characters are finally starting to sink in and feel more like real heroines rather than fill-ins for Lala and Haruna. They, along with Mea and Yami get a fair amount of development. Momo's harem plan seems to be going well as more and more girls seem to be falling for Rito's "nice" comments, despite him matching every nice comment with a not-so-nice grope. I still don't like the fact that the cast is so spread out but it does mean that whatever fetish you have is guaranteed to be covered to some extent by the show, yes including tentacles. The interactions between the girls are still fun as they fight over the idea of winning over Rito vs. submitting to a harem.

Value:
I feel like this second season of Darkness fixes many of the sour notes that I had from the end of the last season. This revival of sorts of To Love Ru is turning out to be fairly good, albeit ecchi heavy. If you can deal with the massive amount of blurred frames or are able to patiently wait for the blu-rays, this is an entertaining addition to the franchise. Enjoy the Darkness and may it brighten your day.