A plot so riddled with lazy writing and insufferable cliches that the anime becomes the very thing that is parodying. Date A Live, in all of its wisdom, also tries to push a semi-serious 'plot' amidst its comedy. At other times it is just woefully stupid.Īnd that is the problem. It is a show that prides itself in absurdity. Some of the best moments are when Shidou attempts to swoon the girls with cliched eroge lines, only to be met by awkward silence and/or violent threats. It is self-aware and (usually) does not attempt to be anything more than silly fun. How is he meant to achieve this? By studying dating sims, of course.įunnily enough, this ridiculous premise is actually one of Date A Live's few redeeming points.
Kirino- sorry, Kotori, proposes her master plan to Shidou: prevent the Spirits' destruction by making them fall in love with him. Himself waking in the headquarters of an anti-Spirit organization, which (surprise!) is led by his bipolar younger sister. After our protagonist Shidou conveniently encounters two busty ladies fighting one another, he finds It expects the audience to willfully ignore its poor writing, because hey- there are cute girls to gawk at!ĭrawing inspiration from the 2008 manga "Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai", Date A Live presents itself as a pseudo-parody of otaku culture. AIC's "Date A Live" is yet another addition to this tired trend- doing nothing interesting or even particularly well. If there is one that has remained true about the anime industry, it is that cheap entertainment and low-risk adaptations prevail.
Boobs, explosions and cute girls are a time-tested formula.