To Love Ru

About To Love Ru

Meet To Love Ru (To LOVEる -とらぶる-), a comedy, ecchi and romance anime by Xebec (2008). Here is the premise in a nutshell. In short: Rito Yuuki is unlucky when it comes to love — no matter how hard he tries to confess to his crush, his efforts end in failure. After another day’s confession goes down the drain, Rito spends his night sulking in his bathtub.

As things develop, when a naked girl with a pointed tail teleports into the tub with him, it seems like Rito’s luck is finally looking up! His fortune doesn’t last long when he comes across himself accidentally engaged to the buxom beauty who is none other than the princess of the planet Deviluke!

With comedy at the core, timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. Rito Yuuki (Akeno Watanabe) and Lala Deviluke (Haruka Tomatsu) are two of the characters you will meet early. Think of it as a pick for viewers who want something light between heavier series. With 26 episodes in total, there is enough room for the story to develop.

Production & Appeal

Animation is handled by Xebec, so the studio's house style defines how To Love Ru looks and moves on screen. Because it leans on comedy, timing, character chemistry and running gags decide whether it lands. Its 6.5/10 score suggests opinions are split, so it suits viewers who already like the genre. On the casting side, Akeno Watanabe voicing Rito Yuuki gives the lead role a recognizable voice. Released in 2008, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.