Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

[ Episode 2: Engagement Canceled?! ]

Rito seems to attract falling objects.

If you don’t like fan-service show, chances are you are not going to like to LOVE-Ru at this point, especially after you hear the subject of this episode. Me, on the other hand, have trouble hating the main character, Lala, because I find her the most adorable female character I have seen in a long time. I think that without Lala or her crew, LOVE-Ru will lack charm, which is the only reason why I don’t degrade it like the other shows in the genre.

Rito is not excited about the fact Lala is part of his life and he is even more worried when Zastin, the flamboyant commander from the previous episode, bursts in Rito’s room and tells him he and Lala are engaged. The most surprising discovery was the engagement was set the moment Rito touched Lala’s boobs, no joke. Rito realizes his life will only go downhill from here, so he manages to scheme out information about recalling the engagement. Rito learns the only way to do so if he touches Lala’s boobs again before tomorrow night. Even though Rito attempts are to no avail, it’s all the more complicated when he finds out that Lala is going to join his class…

If you liked what you read in the last paragraph chances are: A. you love boobs and B. you will watch shows with the stupidest premises. It’s a little ridiculous how a short scene that was mere coincidence for the two lead characters has sprout an entire episode. I expected an episode where the Rito was trying to fend Lala off who wants to touch him, but in the end he is the one who wants to touch her. Lito shows more character this time around as he really wants to save his relationship with Haruno without harming Lala’s feelings. Even if he is a good guy, it’s noteworthy that he is the unluckiest male lead in an anime. First the guy gets teleported naked to the girls locker room with Lala while his love interest is watching, and then gets slapped to the face! He is also the source of physical humor, as this is the second episode in a row a plant has smashed on his head, and now he got hit by a damn car. Last character I saw getting hit by a car was Gintoki in episode 1 of Gintama, and it’s no surprise that he survived, but man for a 16 year old boy, Rito is a beast. He is not the best lead in the genre, but his accidents makes him at least more likable than, say, Kanokon’s Kouta.

Takehito Koyasu made the episode funny in my humble opinion. I know I may sound as his fanboy, but his character, Zastin, showed the most versatile personality. I thought in episode 1 that Zastin is going to be the authority figure who symbolize menace and destruction and he is not a force to be reckoned with. Episode 2 showed us that Zastin is actually a lot goofier than any of the characters in the show. Rito even managed to trick him into telling how to waive the engagement, which shows that despite his demeanor, he is not that bright. Takehito himself voices the character in two different ways, menacing and friendly, similar to what he did in Majin Tanei Nogami Neuro, and while this anime wasn’t up to cut, he at least made this episode of Love-Ru fun.

While I like Zastin, I can’t say the same about Mikan. In anime, and even in American cartoons as well, there is always the little sister or brother that acts 4 times his age in order to feel superior to his elders. Mikan acts that way when she puts down her brother every chance she has. She also the only one who notices Rito’s awkward behavior, which doesn’t necessarily state her intelligence, but the other characters’ ignorance. Little kids should act playful and innocent, not judgemental or know-it-alls, and the mangaka thought it’s okay to make the kid the only character who realizes everything. It is almost as cliched as a good guy who powers up before he dies in order to turn the table on his opponent. ALMOST.

Lala and Zastin are entertaining to watch and the goofy accidents Rito is being pulled off into makes to LOVE-Ru fun. For those who don’t like fanservice shows, please remove 2-3 points from my score. Nothing has changed to dissuade you from thinking it’s just a juvenile vile show for a less sophisticated crowd. Like I said, I agree, it’s pretty stupid. That being said, it’s at least fun enough for me to keep watching it.

7/10