Disclaimer: This review is fucng horrible I wrote it in 1520 mins but if you read it W ig + This is spoiler free https://imagesext1.discordapp.net/external/ET60Ni13Q6PsaVz8qgjiufWWvYkqf1IT7FAEWaieZs/https/files.yande.re/sample/45410d8b54c030d779af6d8cc277eec5/yande.re25208519602520sample2520cleavage2520datealive2520garter2520gothiclolita2520heterochromia2520itsukashidou2520izayoimiku2520tagme2520takamiyamio2520thighhighs2520tsunako2520yamaikaguya2520yamaiyuzuru.jpg At first glance Date A Live seems like nothing special. The premise is absurd: Kiss a spirit seal their powers? What the actual fu is that? It seems like a series you read because of the boy bait the hot girls the fan service the panty shots because Kurumi makes you hard however its a story that definitely has more to it that meets the eye you just have to give it a chance. Tachibana has stated that the plot of DAL had been planned from the beginning. Now the reason this actually matters is that everything in this series is brilliantly written there is a substantial amount of foreshadowing hinting towards huge plot twists that makes the plot do a complete 180. Events from early on in the story are pieced together culminating into an absolutely shocking number of truths. Its a slow burn Ill admit taking 7 volumes to get a glimpse at what this series can really do however that doesnt make the previous volumes bad by any means. The early volumes of DAL can be rather arduous to push through it takes a little while to pick up theyre solid volumes however there are some rough patches here and there that youll have to put it up with. If you somewhat enjoy the first volume having it rated around a 68/10 then continue to push through this series the first volume in comparison to the latter are completely unidentifiable as the same series think of it as one really good set up arc. Volume 3 is great the iconic Kurumi volume. Volume 4 builds upon the plot and mysteries more and volume 7 is phenomenal proving that the DAL formula can be something really special. Now while Ive talked about the early volumes its important to reiterate that theyre really just build up for the final portion of the story. 15 volumes of build up for everything to come crashing down once you cross that final border. Multiple plot twists explanations to previous events the origins of the MC Everything is revealed in this final stretch and is arguably the most consistent and enjoyable stretch of story Ive ever seen. https://i.ibb.co/DLH2TfZ/image.png The characters of DAL are undeniably the best aspect of the series. One flaw that youll have to put up with is that the MC has little change throughout the series hes still phenomenal and grows on you a lot there are just better developed characters in the series being the spirits. The spirits of DAL are the selling point of the story the premise literally functions off of them. Every volume or two a new spirit is introduced and for the most part they take much perseverance to put up with when they first appear. In most cases the spirit has something that they cant fucking live with: appearances finding men repulsive secluded natures and not being able too open up to anyone which the MC then has to find a way to overcome through the process of dating them :skull: While it sounds horrible at first glance every spirit in the series undergoes amazing character development accepting the flaws within themselves and growing from that. Each character gets a satisfying conclusion that encompasses what their character represents in the series leading into one of the most rewarding conclusions ever. There is a decent amount fan service in Dal however it is heavily overplayed by the reputation the anime adaptation has bought towards the series. Sure there are multiple moments sexualising the characters however it isnt done excessively and it doesnt feel out of place either if you have a problem with it youre just a bitch. I went into Dal looking for something light to read something that would be decent at best I came out with one of my favourite series of all time and a magnitude of depression. This series is not light on the reader especially the last 7 volumes. There hasnt been a character Ive ever sympathised with as much as the antagonist encompassing all tragic elements in literature from the hamartia to the peripeteia leading into one of the most cathartic character conclusions ever and a truly satisfying end to a brilliantly built up character. Dal has it all: slice of life romance tragedy action thriller comedy scifi etc. theres something in this series that anyone could enjoy given you put the investment in and while it is quite the heavy investment by the end youll wish there was more. Also Mio clears everything else in this series. https://i.ibb.co/4s0q4M6/image.png
100 /100
139 out of 161 users liked this review