Diabolik Lovers

Diabolik Lovers

Diabolik-Lovers-1

Genres: drama, horror, romance, supernatural
Themes: bishounen, ecchi, gore, reverse harem, vampires, yandere
Objectionable content: Intense
Plot Summary: Yui Komori’s father moves abroad, so he sends her to live in a new town with the six Sakamaki brothers. When she arrives at their mansion, she discovers that they are vampires. They abuse her psychologically and physically, often feeding off her. While she optimistically accepts her situation, she unravels mysteries both of their past and her own.
Running time: 15 minutes per episode
Number of episodes: 12
Vintage: 2013-09-16
Opening Theme: “Mr. SADISTIC NIGHT” by Hikaru Midorikawa and Kousuke Toriumi
Ending Theme: “nightmare” by Yuki Hayashi

ANN Info Page
Official Japanese Website

Watch on HIDIVE
Watch on Crunchyroll

Sentai Filmworks Press Release

Diabolik Lovers More, Blood

Diabolik-Lovers-2-More-Blood

Genres: romance, supernatural
Themes: reverse harem, vampires
Running time: 15 minutes per episode
Plot Summary: In addition to the six Sakamaki vampire brothers, four new brothers from the Mukami family: Ruki, Kou, Yūma, and Azusa, enter the daily life of Yui Komori.
Number of Episodes: 12
Vintage: 2015-09-23
Opening Theme: “Kindan no 666” (The Forbidden 666) by Ryohei Kimura & Daisuke Kishio
Ending Theme: “nightmare-2” by Yuuki Hayashi

ANN Info Page
Official Japanese Website

Watch on HIDIVE
Watch on Crunchyroll

Sentai Filmworks Press Release

Episode 1 –

spoiler

Yui’s description of the brothers as “kind of weird” just doesn’t cut it. LOL She soon realizes that they are vampires. And she’s been sent to live with them! They are all very attracted to Yui, but are not allowed to kill her. I like the way some of them “tasted” her. LOL They also refer to her as a “bride”. I wonder who the woman was outside the window that bothered Yui so much. Yui also finds out that her father isn’t really her father. But why would he send her to a nest of vampires? It appears that they are going to feed off her as well. I already like this, and there is plenty of mystery to get me hooked, but my only complaint is that the episode was too short!

Episode 2 –

spoiler

Poor confused Yui! She must adjust to the vampire life and go to night school. If she doesn’t like it, she is free to leave, but if she leaves, she’s dead. Yui must also behave herself in school, or she’ll be whipped! Unfortunately, she’s in the same class as Ayato and Kanato. And Ayato would rather play with Yui than have her attend class.

I think they both have very different ideas of “food prep”! LOL Yui gets her first taste of being sucked by a vampire. And once he gets a taste of her, Ayato can’t get enough. Reiji happens to interrupt them and I’m wondering now just what Ayato considers the “best part”.

Back home, Ayato tosses Yui into the pool and demands that she tell him he’s the best. But Yui can’t swim! Rather than letting his prey drown, Ayato finally rescues Yui. He kisses her under the water, giving her air, but he can’t resist biting her again either. This poor girl is definitely going to need tons of that cranberry juice! LOL

Episode 3 -

spoiler

Ayato is certainly enjoying Yui’s pain as he marks her up. Gee, it was nice of him to give her permission to bathe, as long as it’s a quick one and she comes right back to feed him. Unfortunately, Shu is in the bathtub. He does tell Yui to join him, but I doubt Ayato would like that! LOL However, Shu does end up pulling Yui into the tub with him. They are both clothed, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Steamy!

It’s funny that these vampires are so aggressive and threaten to punish Yui every chance they get, yet they ask her permission to drink her blood. Not that anyone would exactly take no for an answer! Shu has his way with her now and accuses her of getting excited. He leaves her with a warning.

Back in her room, Ayato goes to feed on Yui and sees Shu’s fang marks. Angered, he confronts Shu. A game of darts is proposed and Yui shall be the prize. Shu wins and Yui is his. He feeds on her again and Yui finally realizes that there is no one in this house that she can turn to for help or sympathy.

Sentai picked this one up? I guess I’ll have to check it out. My anime “crew” watched ep 1 and told me that it was horrendous so I forgot about it. Now I’m conflicted…

Just because Sentai picked it up doesn’t mean it’s good.

Also, your crew’s taste may not match your own (and if they do, you may find yourself skipping it anyway)

Episode 4 –

spoiler

Yui comes up against Kanato and Teddy next. I guess Yui didn’t get it when Kanato told her that he was thirsty. Stupid girl – bringing a vampire coffee! He actually prefers sweet things, and it seems he really has a split personality too. Still, he’s just as bad as the others.

Up on the roof, Yui comes across Raito. He punishes her by feeding on her, and her blood affects him oddly. He seems to recognize the taste. She runs from him, but just can’t get away, and Raito is only toying with her, letting Yui think that she’s escaping. And something strange happens when she sees Tougo Sakamaki, who is the boys’ father on a TV screen, leaving Raito to wonder just who Yui is.

Back at the mansion, Yui flees to the chapel, but Raito finds her there. He mocks her for believing in a non-existent God. Raito then pushes her back against the altar and has his way with her, even as Yui tells him that she will never submit to him. Raito also tells Yui that she was offered to them as a sacrifice by the very church that she has so much faith in. Deep in despair, Yui begins to cry as Raito continues his feeding.

There is more mystery surrounding the locked room that Yui had found. A secret room behind a bookcase and a torn, bloodied dress. This anime just teases so much! (in more ways than one)

I gotta find time for this one. Sounds crazy good.

I’ve been hearing pretty mixed things about this one. It seems to be a love it or hate it type of show. Most of my friends that have seen it ended up liking it, so who knows. I will probably stream a few episodes later this month (when I actually have some free time.)

Diabolik Lovers, Ep 1, is live at ANO

Around the 1 minute mark of ep 1 that has to be the worst CG-powered camera pan ever. It looks like stop-motion. There may be a universal law that mandates that all CG in anime be horrible but this went above and beyond the “legal requirement”.

I can’t tell if this is supposed to be actually dark or just a “dark comedy”. I don’t think that it knows either.

A whole stereotypical host (perhaps “conflagration”) of effeminate dudes surrounding an “everywoman”. I’m thinking that it is The Wallflower + Vampire Knight. Perhaps Spike Spencer can make an appearance in this (I’m also thinking that this might have been more of a Funimation title to dub).

Episode 5 –

spoiler

As Yui tries to figure out what Raito had said about her being a sacrifice, Kanato takes her to the graveyard and shows her his mother’s grave. He tells Yui that he killed her and Yui isn’t sure if he’s kidding or not. You can never tell with these guys! Yui tries to leave Kanato alone with his thoughts, but it only angers him.

It’s Kanato’s turn to feed on Yui and her scent reminds him of something. But it doesn’t stop him from feeding. He tries to make Yui feel good, but she just wants this to be over. Yui returns to the house in a daze and doesn’t even see the strange man she passes. Richter says something cryptic to Subaru and disappears.

Walking back to her room, she hears odd noises coming from another room. Yui opens the door to find Reiji. He awakens from his nightmare upon smelling her blood. He is just as cruel as his brothers and a flashback makes me think that he was neglected by his mother. Treating Yui as a lab experiment, Reiji serves her drugged tea. He immediately gives her an antidote, but she cuts her hand on the broken teacup.

The smell of Yui’s blood is too much for Reiji and he licks her hand. He seems to recognize it as well. Ordering her to her feet, he shoves her against the bookcase and bites into her neck. Yui fights him but she’s no match for Reiji. What even made her think she could stop him anyway? Reiji seems to feed on her fear as well as her blood. Another flashback and it seems that he was the one that killed his mother. And now he has no intention of allowing Yui a peaceful death either.

Diabolik Lovers, Ep 2, is live at ANO

If you find out that this show is more than just the 15 minute bursts of “The Wallflower: with vampires, without plot” that it appears to be please let me know so that I might help boost the Sentai streaming numbers.

Episode 6 –

spoiler

Funny that Kanato is singing one of my favorite songs. Never thought to hear that from a vampire! LOL He delights in pointing out Yui’s faults as well. Well, Kanato considers them to be faults. Yui is a compassionate individual and no vampire has need of that. But Yui hasn’t quite learned it yet. Kanato continues to taunt Yui and terrifies her by jumping off the balcony.

She rushes to his aid, but of course he’s fine. Kanato takes Yui to another one of his special places. It’s a room full of wax dolls and they are all beautiful girls, dressed as brides. But I wonder if they are really wax. Kanato tells Yui that she’d make a beautiful corpse and asks her if she’d like to join the dolls. I knew Kanato was plotting something! And of course Yui can’t get away, and even if she could, there’s nowhere to run. And her fear excites Kanato.

As Kanato drinks her blood, he tells Yui the things that he will do to her in order to make her the perfect doll. And of course Yui finds out that the wax dolls were once alive. Kanato calls them “sacrificial brides”. I wonder how long this has been going on. There are so many! Wasn’t Yui told that she was also offered as a sacrifice? Is this how they all ended up? It’s chilling!

Kanato begins to strangle Yui, but is interrupted by Ayato, who sends him off to see Reiji. Yui thanks Ayato for saving her, but she’s very naïve for thinking something like that. Ayato wants to feed on her but relents, saying that he’s too tired. He leaves her to wander back to her room by herself. However, she comes upon Subaru who warns her that she will die if she stays there. Duh! He tells her to go. It’s her chance to run away! I wonder if it has something to do with the moon.

Or is it another game that the vampires are playing? Yui packs her things, but wastes too much time looking at a picture of her father, and saying that she wants to know the truth. Instead of running for her life, the stupid girl returns to talk to Subaru. He tells her that she’s lost her chance – did she ever truly have one? - but she only asks about her father and about being a sacrifice. Subaru claims to know nothing, but again I wonder. When he looks at her, he sees someone else and who could that be?

Subaru gives Yui a silver knife that can kill vampires. But I can’t picture the compassionate Yui stabbing anyone in the heart, even if it is a vampire and her life is on the line. The knife had been given to Subaru by the woman he had seen when he looked at Yui. That person seems to be imprisoned and wanted Subaru to commit a murder. I wonder if he ever did fulfill that woman’s wish.

When Yui returns to her room, Raito is waiting on her bed and scolds her for keeping him waiting. He sees that she’s holding Subaru’s knife and makes her hold it against his heart. But of course, Yui can’t follow through. Raito backs her into the closed door and tells her that her blood wants him. He wants to hear her scream that she wants him as well. He tells her again that there is no God and that she should give in to her desires. Then Raito goes to feed on her, but stops when Yui says that she still believes and always will.

This amuses Raito. He had only wanted her for her blood, but now thinks that there may be more to Yui. The episode ends with another view of that bloodied, torn dress and the blood seems to be fresh this time. There is a white rose on the shoulder of the dress and rich, red blood drips from it to pool on the floor around the dress. Could this have been the dress of another sacrificial bride? I can’t wait to find out!

Diabolik Lovers, Ep 3, is live at ANO

Diabolik Lovers, Ep 4, is live at ANO

Episode 6.5 –

Just a recap episode.

Episode 7 –

spoiler

On a rainy night, the mysterious woman makes another appearance. But this time, Yui faints when she sees her from her bedroom window. The window blows open and next is Yui walking barefoot through the sewer in a daze. When she wakes up, she is in front of the fountain in the courtyard and she’s still in her nightgown. The boys run past her to play and they are much younger versions of the boys she lives with.

The woman appears, looking for Ayato and makes him go back to his studying. All because he is the successor. It looks like Ayato didn’t have a nice childhood and his mother wasn’t much of a mother. But she’s wearing that dress! So the torn and bloodied dress belonged to Ayato’s mother. A tiny piece of the mystery is solved. She is Kanato’s mother as well.

But there is another woman there and she seems to be Shu’s mother. She’s another strict one, reminding Shu that he will be the head of the family and must act accordingly. She is also Reiji’s mother and doesn’t seem to care about him much, although he tries very hard to please her. I think Yui is starting to feel sorry for these guys again.

The scene changes again and little Subaru is staring at a tower of the house. A woman looks down at him through a barred window, before moving away. Subaru drops the knife he’s holding – the one he gave Yui just recently. Is she Subaru’s mother?

Another scene and Richter is sitting with Ayato’s mother. Her name is Cordelia and Richter seems to be her lover. Ayato is watching them as well. Time freezes and the scene turns black and white. But then Cordelia turns her head and stares straight at Yui! Cordelia’s eyes are the only things that have color, besides Yui. It’s a pretty chilling effect. Yui backs away, but feels a pain in her heart and faints again.

Yui awakens in the sewer to Ayato’s voice and doesn’t know how she got there. She asks Ayato about a nearby door, but he tells her that she doesn’t need to know. Yui is disoriented, but was she dreaming? Perhaps not. In the dream, she had cut her finger on a rose’s thorn. Her finger is still cut and bleeding even now. However, she doesn’t remember how she cut it. The image of her picking up a rose suddenly comes back to her.

Raito joins them and suggests they play. Yui’s scent has drawn him and now that he mentions it, Ayato says that he’s smelled it before. Yui panics and tries to run through a gate, but it’s locked. Raito corners her there. Ayato pushes Raito aside and feeds on Yui. He’s tasted that flavor before, and feeds deeper, but stops when Yui’s chest hurts. Ayato seems to know what is happening to her.

Raito has been patiently awaiting his turn, and Ayato allows him to feed on Yui now. But he goes for her thigh and feeds there which seems to shock Ayato a bit. Added to that is the fact that Raito says he loves her. Not to be outdone, Ayato pulls her nightgown down off her shoulder and continues with his feeding.

Ayato soon grows bored and walks away. Raito looks puzzled, but of course that doesn’t stop him from having his fun. Yui just closes her eyes and resigns herself to it. But elsewhere, Ayato looks like he’s thinking about something.

Diabolik Lovers, Ep 5, is live at ANO

Episode 8 –

spoiler

Yui gets up the courage to ask Raito about the woman in her dream. He asks her why she wants to know, and suddenly Ayato and Kanato are in the room as well. When she asks for their mother’s name, each boy looks lost in their own thoughts, but Ayato answers her – “Cordelia”.

In the past Ayato attacked his mother, and once he tasted her blood, he wanted more. Cordelia runs from him as he laughs, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She finds Raito and tells him that Ayato is torturing her, but Raito is very unconcerned. He says that he knew it would happen, and Cordelia commands him to help her. He ignores her. A banging noise has her convinced that Ayato has come to kill her.

A storm is brewing outside and Raito tells her that it is only the wind and not Ayato. He promises to keep her safe. In her room, Cordelia waits for Raito on her balcony. When he comes, she asks if he’s driven Ayato away. He tells her that he has, and asks her if she loves him more than anyone else. Bleeding badly, she says yes and reaches out a blood covered hand to him. Raito says that she never changes and takes her hand as Cordelia tells him that she loves him. Then he pushes her off the balcony. Cordelia screams and lands in a bed of blood red roses. Raito says that she is now his for eternity and walks away.

Kanato comes outside, holding a candelabra, and asks his mother what’s wrong, telling her that there is a hole in her chest. He tells her to wake up and wonders where her heart went. Kanato asks Cordelia to help him look for it. But Cordelia isn’t moving and Kanato asks if she is dead. He touches her and sees that she is cold and wet. Kanato says that he will warm her up and picking up the candelabra, he sets her on fire. He chuckles and asks her if she’s warmer now. Kanato stands in the rain and laughs as the flames blaze up. But if Cordelia burned like that, how does her dress still exist and why does it still drip blood?

Yui is now running through the rose garden and crying, saying that she hates that place. Subaru appears and tells her that she should have run while she had the chance. Yui asks him if he knows what the boys did to their mother, but he only answers her with a question. She asks him why he gave her that knife. Yui reaches out to him, but Subaru tells her to stay away from him and threatens her life. He says that he will break her body and her mind, and ripping off one of the roses, he throws it at her.

Yui remembers the woman in the tower from her dream and the knife falling from Subaru’s hand. She now asks Subaru if that was his mother. Still angry, Subaru grabs her wrist and squeezes it. Yui tells him that it hurts and he asks what she wants from him. Then he pulls her into his arms and holds her against his chest. He gives in to the urge, and gently moving her hair away from her neck, Subaru feeds deeply on her, noting how sweet her blood tastes.

Her tie falls to the ground and Yui objects, but Subaru tells her to shut up as he pulls at her blouse and bites her in the arm. He tells her that he gave her the knife so that she could protect herself from him. Yui protests that she could never stab him, so he tells her to use the knife on herself. He tells her that she can’t deny him her blood and when Yui closes her eyes, Subaru continues to have his way with her. So hot!

Later, Yui lies in her bed and she thinks she’s alone, but feels the bed dip. She turns around to find Ayato lying next to her. He tells her not to look at him as he forces her to lie down again, and then he holds her body against his. Ayato tells her to be quiet and not to disobey him. Then he falls asleep!