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REVIEW: To Love Ru Darkness 2 Sub.Blu-Ray


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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2902
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:55 am Reply with quote
as a fanservice series I'd say it's weak point is the bodytypes, most of the times it just feels like loli with boobs and loli wihtut boobs, other body types are there but they are hardly ever used (just a few scenes here and there with lala or the teachers).
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Shiroi Hane
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Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7580
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:19 am Reply with quote
[note: I've not seen this series. We got Darkness streamed in the UK but not this, nor any of the earlier parts.]

Quote:
(A long-standing rumor that one of the manga's creators had a falling out with the real-life model for Haruna might have something to do with this, but that remains speculation.)

I could have sworn the divorce was a confirmed thing and had been mentioned in the news at some point, but I have to confess I can't find it now.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18442
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:32 am Reply with quote
Shiroi Hane wrote:
I could have sworn the divorce was a confirmed thing and had been mentioned in the news at some point, but I have to confess I can't find it now.

I also remember seeing something like that. However, I don't think there's ever been a formal admission that that's why Haruna shows up less at this stage of the story. That part is just fan speculation, AFAIK.

maximilianjenus wrote:
as a fanservice series I'd say it's weak point is the bodytypes, most of the times it just feels like loli with boobs and loli wihtut boobs, other body types are there but they are hardly ever used (just a few scenes here and there with lala or the teachers).

Can't agree with this at all. I think you'd be really stretching to classify more than a couple of girls in this franchise as "lolis." Definitely Nemesis and Mikan (although she's largely kept out of the heavy fan service) and I suppose a case could be argued for Yami, but who else?
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 7580
Location: Wales
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:36 am Reply with quote
For Mikan, coming in at Darkness S1 as I did with little pre-warming (I saw the first episode of the original series years ago fansubbed and dropped it), I was shocked when Mikan turned up later in the episode with a Randsel as I'd no idea she was that young.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:50 am Reply with quote
Yeah, Mikan acts a lot older than she actually is, probably because she has to. (She's the only fully competent person in that family.) That's probably why she is conspicuously absent from the nudity antics in the Darkness series.
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SkerllyF



Joined: 02 Sep 2016
Posts: 244
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:51 am Reply with quote
maximilianjenus wrote:
as a fanservice series I'd say it's weak point is the bodytypes, most of the times it just feels like loli with boobs and loli wihtut boobs, other body types are there but they are hardly ever used (just a few scenes here and there with lala or the teachers).


A thing I like about this frachise is that Yabuki certainly knows how to sexualize teenage girls in their appropiated ages. These bodytypes are the ones you can easily find on real life. After sooooooooo many fanservice series creators think that a sexy girls needs enormous boobs(in Sekirei, a 14 year old girl has the boobs bigger than a watermelon, it´s not realistic at all) or Eiken-like boobs(those ones are lifesavers, and nasty), I appreciate Yabuki´s approach to sexualizing teenagers coming from real world bodies. Not everyone tries that these days(except for Keijo, which has different body types)
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3768
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 12:12 pm Reply with quote
Yeah I have to agree with Key here with regard to most of the cast not being lolis. Aside from the aforementioned, maybe Nana would fit, but I'd say she is more pettanko than loli, by which I mean yeah she is small that department but otherwise she doesn't seem prepubescent. But most of the girls' body types fit into the range of girls in their mid teens, which considering they are seems appropriate. There aren't many characters with more of an adult woman design, but that's because there are few adult women characters in it to begin with.

Edit: Ninja'd Embarassed
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Gemnist



Joined: 10 Feb 2016
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 3:16 pm Reply with quote
If there is a fanservice show that deserves a dub more than any of the others, it's this show.
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CANimeFan88



Joined: 19 Feb 2016
Posts: 346
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 3:41 pm Reply with quote
I really enjoy this series. I love it for its plot, characters, humor, and its beautiful fanservice as only a true artist can make it. I am not however fond of the anime's first series which delved way too far away from the manga. I wish XEBEC would make a new anime version of the original manga to properly adapt the chapters, especially the unused chapters. And have them release episodes of those in-between seasons of Darkness since I doubt the current manga has enough bangaihen chapters to adapt into their OVAs.

I'm especially looking forward to Darkness's third season which should be announced soon since there should be enough unused chapters to support a season. spoiler[ I can't wait to see how the showdown between Gid and Nemesis will be animated. The end of their battle should mark the end of the season's first act.]

P.S.: I don't believe the character of Momo wants Rito all to her herself as she understands how important he is to the other girls around him, especially her older sister Lala.
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GoldenPincers



Joined: 24 Oct 2015
Posts: 65
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 3:52 pm Reply with quote
The To LOVE-Ru franchise is very ecchi, especially Part 2 (Darkness), but like the review says, it manages to keep a decent level of quality characterisation, conflict and development, mainly on the 3 weapon sisters. Yabuki's drawing skills are godlike by now in the manga, and studio XEBEC adapts that very well.

Quote:
I'm especially looking forward to Darkness's third season which should be announced soon since there should be enough unused chapters to support a season.


I sure hope we get Darkness S3, and it'd be surprising if it didn't, considering TLRD is XEBEC's golden franchise. Plus, the two intense fights that happen as well as "that scene" at the end of the 2nd fight would be amazing animated.
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johnnysasaki



Joined: 01 Jun 2014
Posts: 947
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 5:27 pm Reply with quote
Mikan having less fan-service for being too young is something only in the anime,in the manga she is just as fair game as the other girls.
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SkerllyF



Joined: 02 Sep 2016
Posts: 244
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 6:22 pm Reply with quote
CANimeFan88 wrote:
I am not however fond of the anime's first series which delved way too far away from the manga. I wish XEBEC would make a new anime version of the original manga to properly adapt the chapters, especially the unused chapters. And have them release episodes of those in-between seasons of Darkness since I doubt the current manga has enough bangaihen chapters to adapt into their OVAs.


Not every anime series that to be "faithful" to its source material. As long as the studio knows the substance and tries to work with it, fine. Seriously, we need to disconnect from that stupid mentality of "faithfulness" and "make a remake/reboot".

Also, TLR Part 1 was mostly a borderline hentai sitcom, with little concern to be a bit deeper on drama and characters(Darkness is when they finally do this) so the most XEBEC could do with the first season was making it a borderline hentai sitcom. And while the finale was weird and a bit boring, it´s not like any of the chapters they skipped from the manga amounted to anything subtantial
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Kadmos1



Joined: 08 May 2014
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 8:13 pm Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:
If there is a fanservice show that deserves a dub more than any of the others, it's this show.


I agree. I could see Josh Grelle or Austin Tindle as Yuki. I would like to know which Japanese worker (even if it was among the manga-ka creators) gave the nod to have Akeno Watanabe play Yuki. To say I think she gave him too much of an obviously feminine to the point where her performance of him was a miscast is putting nicely.
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4448
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 7:05 am Reply with quote
Gemnist wrote:
If there is a fanservice show that deserves a dub more than any of the others, it's this show.


unfortunately this IS sentai/section 23 were talking about here. considering they didn't even do the english dub version for the remaining three seasons of zero no tsukaima and to ru heart, but have no problem doing one for other harem series like infinite stratos, kyokai senjou no horizon , trinity seven , and samurai bride, its a massive mood point that this series haven't even gotten a discussion on getting a dub. my guess is that this series haven't sold well enough to warrant one.

from what i can see, the only way the whole series will ever get an english dub version is that this season sells well enough to warrant one, or someone who is a big shot from sentai's ranks pulls an escaflone and start a kickstarter program to fund a dub project for the series.

Kadmos1 wrote:


I agree. I could see Josh Grelle or Austin Tindle as Yuki. I would like to know which Japanese worker (even if it was among the manga-ka creators) gave the nod to have Akeno Watanabe play Yuki. To say I think she gave him too much of an obviously feminine to the point where her performance of him was a miscast is putting nicely.


hardly. if it ever gets a dub, they would more or less have grelle as rito. mostly cause his character is kinda the same as with the typical harem male leads. completely girl phobic and kinda dense. sure he's not super oblivious ala ichika orimura (who was also voiced by grelle) or uber girl phobic like the masaki brothers , but he definitely fits that typical male lead to a tee. though tindle voicing yuki i can see happening. as for the girls it would be the typical sentai/ADV cast lineup with monica rial getting chosen to voice the lolicon in the group which happens 90% of the time, and the hot tempered uber violent ones to be voiced by either luci christian or kira saint davis. though its all speculation at this point since its more or less irrelevant unless sentai ACTUALLY decides to green light an english dub version.
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GhostD



Joined: 07 May 2016
Posts: 1038
PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 12:01 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
While I consider High School DxD to be the current standard-setter for harem franchises, To Love Ru: Darkness 2 is a better individual series than DxD's most recent installment on any level.


While I personally enjoy DxD more than TLR Im afraid Im gonna have to agree with Theron on this one. Despite this Im still hoping and waiting for Darkness 3. Hopefully theyll announce it through the OVA

As far as a dub is concerned I personally dont think we'll be seeing one for a good long while. If it does happen then the dub's cast is kinda predictable at this point unless sentai pulls a 180 by casting not-so-well-known VAs. I dont think sales have to do with it otherwise there wouldnt be any new seasons being made. In the end sales matters more than fan criticism and the manga itself is still well received mostly in Japan but Im guessing not so much in the west
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