To LOVE-Ru

Rito Yuki is a painfully shy high schooler who can't bring himself to confess to his longtime crush, Haruna Sairenji. One night, while drowning his sorrows in the bathtub, a naked girl named Lala Satalin Deviluke suddenly appears and announces she's an alien princess from the planet Deviluke. Lala's cheerful, unpredictable presence upends Rito's quiet life, as her advanced gizmos, candid romantic plans, and royal complications attract more extraterrestrial attention and awkward situations. She tells Rito she wants to stay on Earth and even suggests marriage as a way to remain, sparking a string of embarrassing misunderstandings, romantic mishaps, and light sci-fi chaos that drive the series without spoiling later twists.

Premiering in 2008, the TV series adapts the manga written by Saki Hasemi and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki. The animated run captures the original's visual style and slapstick ecchi humor, and the Japanese cast includes Akeno Watanabe as Rito, Haruka Tomatsu as Lala, and Sayuri Yahagi as Haruna.

To LOVE-Ru made a notable mark among late 2000s anime fans for mixing romantic comedy with overt fan service. Lala's bubbly design and memorable poses turned her into a frequent subject of fan art and cosplay, and several scenes and character images have continued to circulate in fandom communities as examples of the genre's aesthetic.

Audience reception leans positive, with an average user score of 8.2/10 from many viewers who enjoy its playful tone and character interactions, while critics often point to the heavy sexualized humor as a drawback. The show balances adolescent romance, awkward misunderstandings, and sci-fi gimmicks, highlighting themes of unspoken attraction, social embarrassment, and how bizarre technology complicates everyday feelings.

The series didn't collect major industry awards, but it established a steady fanbase that supported sequels, OVAs, and merchandise. Its endurance comes more from community enthusiasm and continued interest in the characters than from formal accolades.