First Impressions / To LOVE-Ru

「地獄温泉 女宇宙人七色ポロリ」 (Jigoku Onsen. Onna Uchuujin Nanairo Porori)
“Hot Spring from Hell. The Seven Colored Alien Porori”

Episode at a Glance:
After catching a television program about hot springs, Lala decides to dig for one in Rito’s garden. When word of this reaches the others, they invite themselves along in the excavation, so Lala expands her digging machine to accommodate them. In her search for a hot spring source, Lala passes on a buried treasure and even Atlantis itself, before finally discovering an underground chamber with several types of hot springs. While the girls enjoy all their time there, Rito and Saruyama initially get stuffed into a tiny hot spring away from everyone else, but Saruyama soon breaks out and wrecks havoc with his perverted ways. Meanwhile, Lala decides to continue searching for a source that will allow her to create a hot spring in Rito’s garden, but inadvertently triggers an underground magma eruption that ends up wiping out a civilization of moles.

 

Next Episode:
「爆熱少女マジカルキョーコ炎」 (Bakunetsu Shoujo Majikaru Kyooko Fureimu)
“Bursting Fever Magical Kyoko Flame”

Impressions:
As expected of a hot spring episode, there was a lot of fan-service and relatively no plot. In fact, the only plot needed in these situations is usually a reason for everyone to go to a hot spring, and with aliens in To LOVE-Ru, any far fetched reason will do, much like they’ve shown us. I would say that the only thing missing from this episode was a few characters. Namely, Yui, Run, and Saki, the last of which made a brief appearance in this episode but didn’t actually come along. Production-wise, they really went cheap with distant shots this episode, but luckily the close-up ones still looked fairly good.

The next episode looks like it’s about an afro villain and Magical Kyoko, Chiba Chiemi‘s alter-ego from Black Cat, who made a brief appearance back in episode ten. While fans of Black Cat might appreciate this, I’m a bit disappointed that the story has gotten so far off track from the underlying Lala x Rito x Haruna love triangle theme; however, I’m suspecting/hoping that they’ll get back to this near the end of the series. For now though, the writers seem to be trying to fill (waste…?) the other four to five episodes remaining in whatever way they can.

 

Cast:
– Yuuki Rito (結城 梨斗) / Watanabe Akeno (渡辺 明乃)
– Lala Satalin Deviluke (ララ・サタリン・デビルーク) / Tomatsu Haruka (戸松 遥)
– Sairenji Haruna (西連寺 春菜) / Yahagi Sayuri (矢作 紗友里)
– Guinguld (グイングルド) Nakata Jouji (中田 譲治)
– Saruyama (猿山) / Yoshino Hiroyuki (吉野 裕行)
– Momioka Risa (籾岡 里沙) / Yuzuki Ryouka (柚木 涼香)
– Sawada Mio (沢田 未央) / Chiba Chiemi (千葉 千恵巳)
– Konjiki no Yami (金色の闇) / Fukuen Misato (福圓 美里)
– Mikado Ryouko (御門 涼子) / Jou Masako (城 雅子)
– Tenjouin Saki (天条院 沙姫) / Kawasumi Ayako (川澄 綾子)
– Peke (ペケ) / Arai Satomi (新井 里美)
– Reporter B (記者B) / Konno Jun (金野 潤)
– Reporter (レポーター) / Shimeno Junko (〆野 潤子)
– Reporter A (記者A) / Matsuo Daisuke (松尾 大亮)

22 Comments

  8. OMG another anime only episode. I have never seen such utter contempt for the source material(manga) before. It was as if the director thought the manga was too boring and decided to add his own twist and vision of what the manga should have been. However this has been epic fail in that regard as all the anime only have been either unwatchable or stab my eyes out bad. It’s sad too when the manga is so much better than this.

    Jarmel
    Reply

  9. @Divine
    When they stick to the Manga with this character
    https://randomc.net/image/To%20LOVE-Ru/To%20LOVE-Ru%20-%2019%20-%20Large%20Preview%2006.jpg
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Still don’t think that’s great as a final. However I dislike the manga (and the who anyways) recently as it isn’t progressing really but throwing again side story after side story. I like plot development so that sucks. As for fanservice when I want that I play my eroges. Honestly, always the same..

    mutio
    Reply

  15. all i care now to watch this series is the ending. the ending better be awesome not just another bag of shit to entertain us. ppl really care about is the first episode(to know wat it’s all about) then the last episode(if it’s worth buying or will last in the memories of ppl to watch it again in a few months.)

    tranny_guy
    Reply

  17. Man more crap filler. If they wanted a real fan service ep there are atleast 15 chapters from the manga they could of animated “Idiot Typhoon” (chap 14) being the funniest and the most fitting, “The Time of the Animals” (chap 24) cosplay cafe, “Get The Present” (chap 33) “War at Public Bath” (chap 87) or introduce Yuki’s dad (chap 11) or mom (chap 60) any of those would be alot better then this ep.

    But I can bet ya money that they will end the series with chap 48

    Raso
    Reply

  22. Chillpill, ep 13 was a change from the manga umm chapter 6 he just sends a message instead of showing up in person but the results were basicly the same (Instilling fear for Rito)

    Show Spoiler ▼

    would be a good way to end S1

    Raso
    Reply

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