History YMMV / DateALive

* MagnificentBitch: [[FromNobodyToNightmare "Nightmare" Kurumi Tokisaki]] was once a normal, human girl. After being turned into a Spirit and lied to by the First Spirit after killing her best friend, Kurumi resolved to undo the First Spirit's existence no matter what it took. Introduced as a mysteriously charming transfer student, Kurumi stays one step ahead of Shido Itsuka and Ratatoskr, ultimately engineering a SadisticChoice where either a spacequake destroys the city or her "City of Devouring Time" consumes Shido's entire school. After being saved from a rampaging "Efreet" by Shido, her next appearance sees her help Shido against Miku and DEM while trying to uncover Nia's location. Helping Origami go back in time to stop her parents' murder, Kurumi learns the horrible truth and uses her time powers to help Shido correct the mistake, including convincing her past self to offer aid. Against the overwhelming might of Mio Takamiya and [[Characters/DateALiveIsaacRayPeramWestcott Isaac Westcott]], Kurumi put a [[CloningGambit clone back in time]] as a contingency to impart critical knowledge to Shido in case she's killed and steals back Nia's Qlipha Crystal from Westcott to even the odds. Brimming with self-confidence to match her enigmatic nature, Kurumi was both a [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor deadly enemy and a pivotal ally]].

* EvilIsSexy:
** Compared to the rest of the spirits, who are chaste and innocent, Kurumi is openly seductive and quite frank and comfortable with her sexuality. She knows the effectiveness of her eroticism on men, and not shy about using it to her advantage.
** Pre-HeelFaceTurn, Miku is a glamorous girl-loving EvilDiva with FetishizedAbuser undertones.
** Ellen Mira Mathers. Between the sensual design of her CR suit and her SexySecretary looks, topped by her insatiable lust for battle, she gets to rival all of the above with unrelenting gusto. Wescott is such a lucky bastard.
** Starting from Volume 12 onwards, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft joined Westcott's rank as his loyal subordinates, complete with a revealing CR suit at par with Ellen's. While Westcott's harem is far less numerous compared to Shidou's, the two member's sensual style certainly makes up for it, as exemplified by this [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/date-a-live/images/2/21/DAL_v13_11.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151019152850 picture]]. [[spoiler:Although it should be noted that she is only evil due to Isaac Westcott's brainwashing. As soon as he's dead she goes back to the way she was before joining D.E.M.]]
** The Astral Dress of Tohka's SuperpoweredEvilSide, is noticeably more revealing than her normal Astral Dress. Seems to be the defining characteristic of Inverse Astral Dresses. WordOfGod says that the more revealing designs invoke SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains.
** Minerva Liddell from the spinoff: [[WouldHurtAChild Very evil]], but [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/3/3c/Minervecnd.png look]] at [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140430212158/villains/images/b/bf/Minerva_Lidell_crop.jpg her]] [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20150202150747/villains/images/b/b1/Minerva_Liddell.png outfit]]!
** Isaac Westcott himself is one of the most attractive male characters of the story and have a huge numbers of people who find him handsome because of his {{Bishonen}} character. Curiously, most of [[HaremGenre Harem]] and Echii Light Novel villains tend to be ugly to make the public show zero sympathy for them in contrast to TheHero that has at least a degree of beauty to be match with their harem. On the other hand, Westcott has a "harem" version of his own; a legion of sexy and loyal Wizards ready to fight and die for him.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The concept of dating powerful supernatural girls to seal their powers was seen as a turn off by most people in the west, who pegged the series as being just another silly WidgetSeries. However, this is slowly starting to change as the introduction of [[AntiVillain Kurumi]] and [[BigBad Westcott]] took the series in a [[DarkerAndEdgier much darker and serious turn]].

* CatharsisFactor: [[spoiler: [[BigGood Elliot's]] offscreen fight with [[BigBad Wescott.]]]] We don't get to see it, but by the time we see [[spoiler: Wescott again, [[KickTheSonOfABitch he's in his base's sick bay.]]]]

** There is a good chance that a ''Date A Live'' fan is also a ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' fan, both being harem light novels with a magic theme, both with a protagonist voiced by Creator/JoshGrelle. It also helps the fact that both series are from the same publisher.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: It's more popular than ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' and the ''[[Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} Fate series]]'' in China, to the point that a mobile phone game is being made there.

* SignatureScene: Shido's first encounter with a Spirit [[spoiler:(or at least the first one he remembers)]] as he's confronted by the then-unnamed Tohka, who assumes that he's come to kill her.

* FanNickname: Moegami for Origami in the new timeline.

* ShockingMoments: Get past the silly ExcusePlot and you'll find a story that deals with apocalyptic beings, as well as [[spoiler:those looking to use their powers for nefarious ends]], so as the series takes a dark turn, expect fans to freak out.

** Origami finding the AwfulTruth about the death of her parents. [[spoiler: The spirit she was looking for who caused their deaths [[TomatoInTheMirror was]] [[YouAreWhatYouHate herself]]. [[SelfMadeOrphan This]] horrible realization [[DespairEventHorizon immediately caused her to]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Inverse]] and afterward she is dead inside. [[RevengeBeforeReason Even with all the problems]] [[FaceHeelTurn she caused]], Origami didn't deserve that fate.]]

* TheUntwist: Kotori's eyes have whitened pupils just like all spirits (sans Kurumi) have, so it's as easy as seeing the first episode or light novel to realize she's also a Spirit.

** Origami. Some dislike her because she constantly pursues Shido, her hatred of Spirits makes his mission more difficult than it already is and being among the weaker characters. That said, a lot of people genuinely like Origami and want her to be with Shido anyway, not to mention [[spoiler:she becomes a Spirit and her story is further expanded.]]
** Kotori was a borderline [[TheScrappy Scrappy]] at first due to the her really annoying {{Dominatrix}} commander mode. Then volume 4 significantly [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved her popularity]] by delving more into her background alongside her being a Spirit, and her bitchiness toward Shido gets toned down in later volumes. Still, some find her too much of a typical {{Tsundere}} or are just put off by Kotori's feelings toward her ([[NotBloodSiblings foster]]) brother.
** Miku was very unlikeable when she was introduced as a self-centered misandrist who treats everyone like slaves with her powers and turns on Shido after losing a bet in which she already cheated, to the point where Shido tells her to her face that he hates her. Though she gets an epic RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap during her HeelFaceTurn, it gets massively overshadowed by her lust toward the other girls afterwards. Whether it is entertaining or annoying depends on the audience's perspective, but the rushed pacing of the anime version doesn't help her case.

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: The series is ''really'' good at doing this. A single volume/episode can cause the fans to go from [[TheScrappy hating a girl]] to loving her. Case in point: Kotori and Miku, both of which started as unlikable, but CharacterDevelopment skyrocketed their popularity back to an acceptable level, if not more, and also Origami following TheReveal about her parents death and the Spirit who killed them.

** Starting from Volume 12 onwards, Artemisia Bell Ashcroft joined Westcott's rank as his loyal subordinates, complete with a revealing CR suit at par with Ellen's. While Westcott's harem is far less numerous compared to Shidou's, the two member's sensual style certainly makes up for it, as exemplified by this [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/date-a-live/images/2/21/DAL_v13_11.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151019152850 picture]]. [[spoiler:Although it should be noted that she is only evil do to Isaac Westcott's brainwashing as soon as he's dead she goes back to the way she was before joining D.E.M.]]

** Season 4's adaptation of Volume 16, in which Shido and Kurumi compete to make each other confess their feelings first, attracted viewers of ''[[Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar Kaguya-sama]]'''s concurrent Season 3, which has a similar competition between the male lead and a black-haired, red-eyed girl as the main plot.

* SignatureScene:
** Shido's first encounter with a Spirit [[spoiler:(or at least the first one he remembers)]] as he's confronted by the then-unnamed Tohka, who assumes that he's come to kill her.
** Shido protecting Miku from [[spoiler:Inverse Tohka]].

** Season 4's adaptation of Volume 16, in which Shido and Kurumi compete to make each other confess their feelings first, attracted viewers of ''[[Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar Kaguya-sama]]'''s concurrent Season 3, which has a similar competition as the main plot.

* MemeticLoser: Nia is the Second Spirit with the GreatBigBookOfEverything as an Angel, but is unfortunately known for [[spoiler:mostly losing it by the time she becomes an ally (though she can still somewhat interfere with its Demon King counterpart), and only gets it back during the FinalBattle after [[BreakoutCharacter Kurumi]] takes the exact same ability from Westcott anyway, in addition to already owning Zafkiel.]] Despite its borderline omniscience and [[RealityWarper future description]] making for a StoryBreakerPower, she's more often ridiculed for her pitiful direct combat abilities. It certainly doesn't help that the Fraxinus EX's AI MARIA is constantly mocking her for these and many other reasons.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Mana. [[spoiler:She lived with the First Spirit and the former incarnation of the protagonist Shido as her older brother. While Shido collecting memories of his past is an important part of the plot, she only gets to recover her memories in Volume 18, which ends with Shido changing that timeline. While she was presumably informed of her past later, there's never really much focus on her relationship with Mio or how she feels about Shido not technically being her brother. Her involvement in the conflicts is also quite sporadic, despite being one of the most skilled Wizards in the world. The anime makes this worse by completely leaving her out of Season 3.]]

%%* WidgetSeries: Humanity is faced with a new kind of natural disaster, caused by the random appearances of Spirits with incredible power. Instead of fighting them (as it doesn't work), the only way to permanently solve the issue is to send a man to ''date'' them using DatingSim mechanics.

** Origami. Some dislike her because she constantly pursues Shido, her hatred of Spirits makes his mission more difficult than it already is and being among the weaker characters. That said, a lot of people genuinely like Origami and want her to be with Shido anyway, not to mention she becomes a Spirit and her story is further expanded.

** Origami. Some dislike her because she constantly pursues Shido, her hatred of Spirits makes his mission more difficult than it already is and being among the weaker characters. That said, a lot of people genuinely like Origami and want her to be with Shido anyway, [[spoiler:not to mention she becomes a Spirit and her story is further expanded.]]
** Kotori was a borderline [[TheScrappy Scrappy]] at first due to the her really annoying {{Dominatrix}} commander mode. Then volume 4 significantly [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved her popularity]] by delving more into her background alongside [[spoiler:her being a Spirit]], and her bitchiness toward Shido gets toned down in later volumes. Still, some find her too much of a typical {{Tsundere}} or are just put off by Kotori's feelings toward her ([[NotBloodSiblings foster]]) brother.

** [[spoiler:Inverse Form Tohka]] is much more dangerous than [[spoiler:her base form]], and has so far displayed the greatest destructive force of all Spirits. It says something when she obliterates the majority of the belligerents and nearly levels the city during Volume 7's climax (end of second season). '''With just one swing'''.
** One upped by Angel, and later her Inverse, Devil. [[spoiler:Who happens to be Origami as a Spirit, and who vaporizes the Fraxinus and half the city before Shido changes the timeline.]]

** [[spoiler:The Astral Dress of Tenka Yatogami, Tohka's SuperpoweredEvilSide, is noticeably more revealing than her normal Astral Dress.]] Seems to be the defining characteristic of Inverse Astral Dresses. WordOfGod says that the more revealing designs invoke SensibleHeroesSkimpyVillains.

* FanNickname: Moegami for [[spoiler:Origami in the new timeline.]]

** Origami [[spoiler:in the new timeline, where she's not traumatized by her parents' deaths at the hands of a Spirit (actually her future self).]]

** Kotori was a borderline [[TheScrappy Scrappy]] at first due to the her really annoying {{Dominatrix}} commander mode (and the fact that people were starting to get tired of {{Shana Clone}}s). Then volume 4 significantly [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved her popularity]] by delving more into her background alongside [[spoiler:her being a Spirit]], and her bitchiness toward Shido gets toned down in later volumes. Still, some find her too much of a typical {{Tsundere}} or are just put off by Kotori's feelings toward her ([[NotBloodSiblings foster]]) brother.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Mukuro is intended to be [[spoiler:an unfortunate orphan just [[IJustWantToBeLoved desperate to secure any loved ones she can get lest she end up alone again]], which Shido empathizes with as an adoptive member of his own family after his mother abandoned him. However, she can come off as unbelievably selfish when she defines her loneliness as her adoptive family and Shido simply interacting with anyone else, and was triggered by such minor events as her adoptive sister Asahi siding with her friends that Mukuro's hair was too long, and later Shido politely refusing to cut off the other Spirits. Furthermore, Mukuro's possessiveness gets as extreme as messing with the world's memories to cut her loved ones off from everyone except her, and even attempting to ''wipe out all life on Earth.'']]

* FriendlyFandoms: There is a good chance that a ''Date A Live'' fan is also a ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'' fan, both being harem light novels with a magic theme, both with a protagonist voiced by Creator/JoshGrelle. It also helps the fact that both series are from the same publisher.
** [[OnlySixFaces And for obvious reasons]], anyone discussing this series is bound to discuss the ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'' series. And to the lesser extent, ''VideoGame/FairyFencerF''.

** Origami finding the AwfulTruth about the death of her parents. [[spoiler: The spirit she was looking for who caused their deaths [[TomatoInTheMirror was]] [[HeWhoFightsMonsters herself]]. [[SelfMadeOrphan This]] [[GoMadWithTheRevelation horrible revelation]] [[DespairEventHorizon immediately caused her to]] [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Inverse]] and [[ThatPersonIsDead afterward she is dead inside]]. [[RevengeBeforeReason Even with all the problems]] [[FaceHeelTurn she caused]], Origami didn't deserve that fate.]]

* SacredCow: '''''Kurumi'''''. She's been showered with critical acclaim from the ''Date A Live'' fandom to the point where saying any criticism about her will cause fans to crucify you.

* CatharsisFactor: [[spoiler: [[BigGood Elliot's]] offscreen fight with [[BigBad Wescott.]]]] We don't get to see it, but by the time we see [[spoiler: Wescott again, he's in his base's sick bay.]]

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* CreepyAwesome: The franchise hold Minerva Liddell, Kurumi Tokisaki, Marina Arusu and Rinne Sonogami.
* DiagnosedByTheAudience: Natsumi all the DSM-V criteria for body dysmorphic disorder, such as perceiving her body as having major flaws that appear minor or unnoticeable to anyone else, and comparing her appearance to others which causes her significant distress in relating to others, due in part to how she perceives others as seeing her. I.E. Very negatively and completely at odds with reality, basically thinking that they're all making fun of her behind her back and really thinking she's ugly while she does everything in her power to hide her percieved flaws. Ironically, she Miku's type (a cute young lady) and gets harrassed by her a lot.

** [[spoiler:Once you catch on to the Spirits' NumericalThemeNaming and learn that humans can become Spirits from Kotori's arc, it's hardly suprising when Origami becomes one too. Splitting the kanji for "zero" between Reine's given name and surname was intended to avoid this.]]

** [[spoiler:Once you catch on to the Spirits' NumericalThemeNaming and learn that humans can become Spirits from Kotori's arc, it's hardly suprising when Origami [[AndThenJohnBecameAZombie becomes one too]]. Splitting the kanji for "zero" between Reine's given name and surname was intended to avoid this.]]

** [[spoiler:Once you catch on to the Spirits' NumericalThemeNaming and learn that humans can become Spirits from Kotori's arc, it's hardly suprising when Origami [[AndThenJohnBecameAZombie becomes one too]]. Splitting the kanji for "zero" between Reine's given name and surname were intended to avoid this.]]

* CaptainObviousReveal: [[spoiler:Beast is Tohka. Everything from her name in the last two volumes, to similar portions of their Astral Dresses, to the focus on Shido still looking for a way for reunite with her, points us into this direction. The only surprise is that she’s Tohka from a parallel world; the Tohka who disappeared at the end of Volume 20 doesn’t reappear until the very end.]]

* IdiotPlot: The first episode of the second season, which [[{{Flanderization}} Flanderizes]] Tohka’s ClingyJealousGirl tendencies from watching a soap opera to the point that Shido has to repeatedly talk her out of a bawling fit whenever he so much as looks at Origami. Fans and anti-fans both disparage the episode due to it having a ridiculous and boring plot.

* AssPull: The final volume suddenly reveals that [[spoiler:Sandalphon and Nahemah have such AbsurdCuttingPower that they can even cut through the fabric of spacetime. Parallel World Tenka claims that Tohka's kindness subconsciously held back her Angel's full power, but there's no excuse for Tenka herself never using this, especially when her counterpart in this world was willing to cut through the entire city just to kill Shido. For that matter, the parallel world itself leaves a lot of details hanging (ex. Mio, Tohka alone going beyond Inversion into Beast when Shido died, the other Spirits (at least Origami and Nia) seemingly unaffected by his death before Beast kills them).]]

* MemeticLoser: Nia is the Second Spirit with the GreatBigBookOfEverything as an Angel, but is unfortunately known for [[spoiler:mostly losing it by the time she becomes an ally (though she can still somewhat interfere with its Demon King counterpart), and only gets it back during the FinalBattle after Kurumi takes the exact same ability from Westcott in addition to already owning Zafkiel.]] Despite its borderline omniscience and [[RealityWarper future description]] making for a StoryBreakerPower, she's more often ridiculed for her pitiful direct combat abilities. It certainly doesn't help that the Fraxinus EX's AI MARIA is constantly mocking her for these and many other reasons.