Date A Live II


US Distributor: Funimation
Production Studio: Production IMS
Was this provided by the publisher? Yes
More Info: MyAnimeList


So, Date a Live II. It’s not as bad as Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar, but it’s not much better, either. On the surface, Date a Live seems like a far more interesting series to tackle, as its problems are far less systemic. The rest of the show is basically a boiler-plate “by the numbers” affair when it comes to harem comedies.

That alone should make my job a bit easier this time around.

Date a Live is set in a near future Earth, in the aftermath of a mysterious phenomenon. This event led to the occurrence of “Spatial Quakes” that tear the fabric of space time,  leaving great calamity in their wake.

Shido Itsuka is a high school student who lives with his younger sister Kotori. One day, he ends up in the middle of a spatial quake, only to stumble upon the truth behind the calamitous Spatial Quakes. Contrary to popular belief, the Spatial Quakes are caused by female warriors with special powers called “Spirits”. As such, the government’s elite Anti-Spirit Team (AST) seeks to get rid of these alien aggressors by force. Kotori, Shido’s supposed cinnamon roll of a little sister, is actually the leader of a group that opposes the AST. Her team hopes to find a more peaceful way to rid the world of the Spirits. This is mostly accomplished  enlisting Shido as a pawn, who attempts to get the ladies to to open up emotionally. The ideal outcome in this case, is that the Spirits’ waves of destruction cease, thus saving the world from further destruction.

Date A Live’s first season uses this concept to introduce Tohka and Yoshino, a pair of Spirits who find themselves in the human realm. Itsuka finds himself tasked with getting the two warriors to see that the wanton destruction isn’t necessary. He gains a harem in the process, because of course he does, while juggling his daily life with the involvement of the Spirits.

Date A Live II delivers more of the same, albeit on a more insipid and, at times uninspired level. Season 2 is, for all intents and purposes, an extension of what Season 1 does. And, despite the show’s interesting science fiction premise, the plot doesn’t take time to examine any of the concepts presented in a thoughtful manner. Instead, it focuses on the tried and tired clichés of romantic comedy and well-worn anime harem tropes.

Date A Live II concerns Shido dealing with several Spirits he came across during the first season. In particular, he’s forced to reckon with the twin Yamai Spirits, along with the Spirit/mega-idol Miku Izayoi (also known as “Diva”). While there is some potential to mine, along with a few poignant emotional moments (Miku’s storyline in particular contributes a lot to this), it is undermined by the fact it’s all shallow, devoid of any meaning or purpose. Because of this, I can’t bring myself to really care about their plight.

That’s not to mention the addition of a new government force to counter the Spirits,  which only highlights how inept the AST force really is (See episode 6 of first season for proof of that).  Then there’s Origami, an AST soldier who happens to be a classmate of Itsuka and is totally not a Rei Ayanami expy. She’s also an absolute non-factor in the show.

If Date A Live II has any character that’s actually worth something, it would have to be Kurumi Tokisaki: a Spirit with the code name “Nightmare.” She is the one character that is legitimately interesting. She offers a unique addition to the harem, and works the sci-fi elements of the show well as a genuinely  antagonistic force to those around her. Well, everyone except Itsuka, whom she shares a very complicated relationship with.

The Date A Live II OVA takes place during the Tanabata Star Festival. The episode offers a potential  alternative to what fans are likely used to by this point.  way this show could go-Kurumi, one of the Spirits, provides a much needed dose of emotional resonance, which is simply lacking in the rest of the harem. The episode is appealing, with a few genuinely touching moments, that builds to a bittersweet ending.

The Funimation dub changes in both director and writing team for Date A Live II doesn’t seem to make any difference whatsoever, when comparing to the previous season’s dub. To be fair, Jad Saxton as Diva is a true highlight. Good on them to get someone with musical chops, as Diva does some singing in the show. Otherwise, Alexis Tipton as Kurumi and Josh Grelle as Shido seem to be the only ones making an effort in their performances, despite the sub-par material. Everyone else either comes across as stiff or just going through the motions.  

In short, Date a Live II has the same problems as its predecessor, and manages to be even worse in more than a few ways.  The series has an intriguing central idea, but it’s mired by the moldy tropes and tired clichés of harem shows and rom-coms long of long ago.. This isn’t necessarily unique to the show, though. Many of the e problems linked to this have plagued the Light Novel adaptation blitz that we have been for the past few years . That said, if you are as sick and tired of these Light Novel  adaptations as I am, then it’s best to avoid this one. You are not missing much. Been there, done that, got a crummy shirt for my trouble.

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