[Your opinion on diabolik lovers]

[loves_cookierun]

From what i've seen online it feels like nobody actually played the game they just watched the anime when they were little and now act like its a dumb thing they did. Seriously what do you expect from something with "Diabolik " in its name?
I love diabolik lovers especially for its aesthetic and artstyle ,luckily cool people made and eng patch for the first two games. I dont have a switch i play them on my phone using vita3k, better than nothing!

 

[luvsubaru]

Well, I don't have any problem with Diabolik Lovers but I totally get why people drop it; not everyone is into the LIs being cruel or the protagonist getting mistreated. I mean, some of them should go to jail, LOL

Also, the short-chapter format is something I've always found annoying; I'm not really a fan of it. But at least the endings are easy to get, and the gameplay mechanics are simple, too! For some people, though, that might detract from the overall experience.

Oh, and not every character appeals to everyone. I can't even stand hearing Laito's voice actor in other games without immediately thinking of him and getting annoyed Sorry, Laito fans!

 

[Beannie]

Was I just summoned*?


Aside from the series being an incredible pain in the ass to collect (talking about drama CDs), I found the LIs interesting. At least for me, I view them as hyperbolised showcases of mental disorders, which is intriguing to analyse and observe.

I agree with you; the anime does the game an injustice, and a lot of ppl are judging hard based on it (or just reading about it). Whilst I have played only HDB and MB (and listened to about 50 CDs), I can say the game thrives on the atmosphere and character designs (and VAs!). I am very salty about MB, so I die on the hill that HDB is, character-wise, the canon game.

(*Note: I have posted almost the complete dialovers drama CD collection here, if someone is interested)

 

[Beannie]

Well, I don't have any problem with Diabolik Lovers but I totally get why people drop it; not everyone is into the LIs being cruel or the protagonist getting mistreated. I mean, some of them should go to jail, LOL

Also, the short-chapter format is something I've always found annoying; I'm not really a fan of it. But at least the endings are easy to get, and the gameplay mechanics are simple, too! For some people, though, that might detract from the overall experience.

Oh, and not every character appeals to everyone. I can't even stand hearing Laito's voice actor in other games without immediately thinking of him and getting annoyed Sorry, Laito fans!

As a Laito enjoyer, no harm done ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

 

[nerim-w]

I think the men are hot (except kanato lol) and totally understand why people are into it. I like the thrill of romantic relationships that feel more twisted/dangerous and aren't just fluff or start off with love at first sight. That said, Yui is too hopeless for me to enjoy the game

 

[haiane]

While I aknowledge the aesthetical value of designs and voice acting of LIs (I love them all), I have my limits when it comes to seeing the protagonist being utterly oblivious to the way the LIs treat her. They are all first grade specimens of neglected, traumatized and unhinged individuals and I am simply not enough M to watch their S tantrums. When I finished this, I kept asking myself, "What the heck did I just see?" I started looking for reviews and found this: 4shiki Otome Game Review – Diabolik Wifebeaters. It was worth finishing the whole thing, even if it was only for the purpose of fully appreciating this review. I haven't got such an outburst of laughter in a long time and at the same time I have been able to affirm myself that I'm still mentally OK. Please don't take me wrong, I can (to some extent) understand the allure of this franchise - if it's trying to redeem broken individuals and forge a strong bond with them, trying to hone your psychoanalysis skills... or simply imagining all the torture devices and methods that could be used on the LIs. If you got entertained in any way, the medium fulfilled its purpose. Shuu appreciator here, but out of obligation only.

 

[mitsumitsu]

I also think the anime doesn't do the games justice and the people who "regret watching it" were mostly just looking for some cutesy vampire anime only to get hit with... sadistic vampire boys in a bad anime adaptation lmao.

Dialovers is a niche within a niche, it's not for everyone. It's a drama cd series that got adapted into an otome game with a non-traditional format of advancing the story that can be annoying. Not just that, the boys are genuinely bad people, really putting the diabolic in Diabolik Lovers. I personally had a lot of fun with the game and how the guys are jerks(it sometimes gets comical), they don't suddenly flip 180 degrees and become better people like so-called villains in other games (I only played the first game). Pretty much getting the equivalent of a "good" ending in the game is to match the guy's freak and just accept there's no fixing him. It's aimed primarily towards the Do-M audience and a big part of the experience is enjoying that niche. Anyways I love my abusive vampires.

Outside of the sadism part, it also has some kind of hard-to-stomach themes that add more depth to the characters and explain how they turned out that way(doesnt change the fact that they're cruel though) and delves a bit in the psychological aspect. I didn't really think I'd see something like Laito's backstory in a console otome for instance so it was an interesting surprise. It was then I realized that age ratings can be meme especially for Rejet games hah.

 

[loves_cookierun]

While I aknowledge the aesthetical value of designs and voice acting of LIs (I love them all), I have my limits when it comes to seeing the protagonist being utterly oblivious to the way the LIs treat her. They are all first grade specimens of neglected, traumatized and unhinged individuals and I am simply not enough M to watch their S tantrums. When I finished this, I kept asking myself, "What the heck did I just see?" I started looking for reviews and found this: 4shiki Otome Game Review – Diabolik Wifebeaters. It was worth finishing the whole thing, even if it was only for the purpose of fully appreciating this review. I haven't got such an outburst of laughter in a long time and at the same time I have been able to affirm myself that I'm still mentally OK. Please don't take me wrong, I can (to some extent) understand the allure of this franchise - if it's trying to redeem broken individuals and forge a strong bond with them, trying to hone your psychoanalysis skills... or simply imagining all the torture devices and methods that could be used on the LIs. If you got entertained in any way, the medium fulfilled its purpose. Shuu appreciator here, but out of obligation only.

Was I just summoned*?


Aside from the series being an incredible pain in the ass to collect (talking about drama CDs), I found the LIs interesting. At least for me, I view them as hyperbolised showcases of mental disorders, which is intriguing to analyse and observe.

I agree with you; the anime does the game an injustice, and a lot of ppl are judging hard based on it (or just reading about it). Whilst I have played only HDB and MB (and listened to about 50 CDs), I can say the game thrives on the atmosphere and character designs (and VAs!). I am very salty about MB, so I die on the hill that HDB is, character-wise, the canon game.

(*Note: I have posted almost the complete dialovers drama CD collection here, if someone is interested)

Thanks for the cds ^^
I wish i could check them but i still get the message that i'm not allowed to view the page. I'll have to looke somewhere else for now

 

[lorca]

The Hall of Fame Satoi-sensei's art is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm still a huge fan until this day!

I'm honestly pretty neutral on the series itself. It's not something I particularly love or dislike, but it's definitely not the easiest recommendation because of the subject matter.
I haven't watch anime adaption myself, but love it or hate it though, still its impact on the otome scene is undeniable. It pretty much kicked off the vampire boom and suddenly every other game or drama CD had random bite scenes. lol
Back then it even featured VAs whose agencies generally kept them away from age-restricted titles (or even BL works), so I just jokingly called it an "all-ages loophole" at the time
And it was kind of funny that Sugita Tomokazu, who used to livetweet Diabolik's anime every week, ended up producing his own vampire-themed drama CD about a decade later. Full circle, I guess.

 

[crescentfeather223]

Yooo I love 4shiki game reviews. I also got lots of laughs out of reading the reviews. Funny enough I only found that site while I was researching this game when I was younger, so while this game ultimately ended up not being for me, I do appreciate that it lead me to find that site since I got a lot of enjoyment browsing all the reviews.
As for the game itself, while I love the art style and the setting of this game, I disliked how little power the protagonist had over the overall plot. Most of the boys were too cruel to the protagonist for me to like them as characters and besides like 2 characters, the routes lacked the romance I was looking for.

While I aknowledge the aesthetical value of designs and voice acting of LIs (I love them all), I have my limits when it comes to seeing the protagonist being utterly oblivious to the way the LIs treat her. They are all first grade specimens of neglected, traumatized and unhinged individuals and I am simply not enough M to watch their S tantrums. When I finished this, I kept asking myself, "What the heck did I just see?" I started looking for reviews and found this: 4shiki Otome Game Review – Diabolik Wifebeaters. It was worth finishing the whole thing, even if it was only for the purpose of fully appreciating this review. I haven't got such an outburst of laughter in a long time and at the same time I have been able to affirm myself that I'm still mentally OK. Please don't take me wrong, I can (to some extent) understand the allure of this franchise - if it's trying to redeem broken individuals and forge a strong bond with them, trying to hone your psychoanalysis skills... or simply imagining all the torture devices and methods that could be used on the LIs. If you got entertained in any way, the medium fulfilled its purpose. Shuu appreciator here, but out of obligation only.

 

[Marrychan]

I first discovered the series through the visual novel, and then I watched the anime. I think it was quite successful—especially since there aren't many vampire-focused visual novels out there these days, right? At the very least, Reject's games tend to feature a wide variety of distinct Mls. It didn't bother me when I played it, but the anime made a point of mixing up all the characters' routes, and it ends up looking just like what they did. I like Reject's games, but I can even understand the aversion people might have to their themes.

 

[藍色水珠]

I've played two otome games, Diabolik Lovers and Dance with Devils, each with its own unique features.

Originally an otome CD series, they became so popular that they were adapted into games and anime. In Diabolik Lovers, the male protagonist is a sadist who treats the heroine like food, not a human, and their treatment is rather poor. None of the characters are gentle, and the ending is far from perfect. Dance with Devils is a bit better; although it's a romance between a human and a demon, the script is passable, and the fact that the brother is a half-human is quite unexpected.

The downside of the games is that they unlock one chapter at a time in a fixed order; you can't freely choose chapters, and you have to complete all three parts, which is very time-consuming.

The upside is that the background music is very good, and each character has their own entrance music, which is a plus

我玩過Diabolik Lovers以及Dance with Devils2部乙女遊戲，各有特色。
原本是乙女CD系列，後來大受歡迎而推出遊戲、動畫。Diabolik Lovers男角是虐待狂，把女主角當成食物，而不是人，待遇不太好，每人性格脾氣都不溫柔，結局也很難說完美。Dance with Devils就好一點，雖然人類和惡魔談戀愛，劇本還說得過去，哥哥是混血這點，蠻意外。
遊戲缺點就是一篇一篇開啟，順序固定，不能隨意挑選章節，還要走完3部分，很花時間。
優點是BGM很好聽，每人還有專屬出場音樂，有加分效果

 

[nemaiaish]

From what i've seen online it feels like nobody actually played the game they just watched the anime when they were little and now act like its a dumb thing they did. Seriously what do you expect from something with "Diabolik " in its name?
I love diabolik lovers especially for its aesthetic and artstyle ,luckily cool people made and eng patch for the first two games. I dont have a switch i play them on my phone using vita3k, better than nothing!

you know that nintendo switch emulators for phone exist too yk?

 

[osanajimimi]

Well, I am surprised by the number of fans it has, a certain part being those who have only read the translations on pages. Not long ago I read a mistranslation of Ayato complaining and the person translated that he likes sushi lmao

It's a unique title and not for everyone, sadism is the main theme. A few years ago and I didn't feel comfortable playing it, I still gave it a try because of the emotional value I have for it bc the anime (?)

Tbh it's a quite unique in implementing somewhat twisted ideas and peculiar tastes, that must be why it does not receive localization.

 

[loves_cookierun]

you know that nintendo switch emulators for phone exist too yk?

Mhm i know but i'm not sure if i can make the patch work with the switch version of the games besides my phone isnt that great. Many switch games dont work on it

 

[Akumo]

The main problem with this game is its protagonist. I cannot recall ever encountering such a hopeless and foolish female character. I am certain that if the lead had a more resilient and spirited personality—if she weren't a doormat and could at least stand up for herself against insults—the story and the romantic relationships would have taken on a whole new dimension and improved significantly.

 

[loves_cookierun]

The main problem with this game is its protagonist. I cannot recall ever encountering such a hopeless and foolish female character. I am certain that if the lead had a more resilient and spirited personality—if she weren't a doormat and could at least stand up for herself against insults—the story and the romantic relationships would have taken on a whole new dimension and improved significantly.

Yeah. She absolutely gets on my nerves too, she just sucks up whatever they do to her

 

[Podm953]

I totally agree with you. A lot of people seem to judge Diabolik Lovers just from the anime or memes, without actually experiencing the VNs. The atmosphere, the soundtrack, the voice acting—it's genuinely well-crafted if you go in knowing what it is.

 

[Lynettee]

I usually play DL routes when I play any otome with +40h. I think its short chapter format can be a welcome change of pace, as long as you can tolerate the LIs, of which there are many options. Not all of them are idiots; there's Shuu, Reiji, and Subaru, who, in my opinion, are the most decent, and I play them when I'm short on patience.

Now, about the anime, it's literally a collage of scenes. I don't know how they could have made something like that—a poorly executed collage of routes. And let's not even talk about More Blood, which tried to include parts of Dark Fate only to end up making absolutely no sense.

Besides that, the only thing that bothers me about the franchise is the lack of effort put into creating new sprites. I understand they want to keep Satoi's sprites, but come on, there are seven games, and in all seven, they have the exact same poses, just with different outfits. The backgrounds rarely change. I don't know, when Satoi is no longer involved in the visuals, the art style feels VERY strange to me.

Regarding the characters, as someone who'd seen someone else play BWS, I thought, okay, the Diabolik Lovers guys weren't so bad after all. XD Obviously they're just as crazy, but since the chapters are so short, I think it goes by too fast to really get angry.

 

[satory]

they just watched the anime when they were little and now act like its a dumb thing they did

Well, as this franchise is in no way children-oriented, if someone watched it when they were little, it was indeed a dumb thing. I don't want to sound like a grandma, but it's unsettling how many schoolgirls are into this, and I wish Rejet just slaped 18+ on it (and other works). It wouldn't help anything, but still

 

[moçoroca de abacate]

I LOVE the entire Diabolik Lovers franchise! I know it's not the best game franchise in the world, nor is it perfect, but I absolutely love everything about it: from the characters to the music in the games and anime.

The story might not be the greatest, and the short chapters might not be to everyone's liking, but I love it all anyway. It's my favorite otome franchise! I hold Diabolik Lovers very dear because it was my first otome game, and Reiji was my first husbando and he's the reason I fell in love with men who wear glasses and have serious, cold expressions.

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

I enjoy the game, even though I'm not into all routes! It's a game for a specific niche after all. My one complaint about it would be the chapter-structure, but mostly because it can get tiring if you're playing a route in one sitting (if it had a sort of "auto-next" mode for each segment, it wouldn't bother me as much). I'd like to point out that the music in the game is amazing, and Satoi's art is gorgeous as always!

I actually like Yui as a MC. I think she's very funny (specially in Shuu, Subaru and Ayato's routes lol), and even though she's pretty meek, she chooses her battles ;b I find it fun when she goes along with their antics to avoid trouble. My favorite LIs were Shuu and Subaru, and I enjoyed Yui way more in those routes. Kanato and Ayato also had fun, engaging routes, even though Kanato's ending has a unique type of appeal lol. I didn't like Laito and Reiji, but that's more personal taste than anything, haha

The anime is very infamous because it got translated wayyy before the game, and it's just a promotional thing, as all otoge adaptations. It's not surprising that many people got a bad experience with it. Not only that, but I'd say being a work for teen girls means it would inevitably be treated unfairly

There's plenty of shounen anime with worse relationship dynamics, but you don't hear anyone attacking those... the "problematic" criticism-style popular in social media now is very condescending, specifically towards romance media for teen girls. I think the 15~17+ rating is fine, there's nothing in the game you wouldn't find in YA romance; people are just very eager to pile on in Japanese media for teenage girls imo, be it Kaichou wa Maid-sama, or DiaLovers ;b

 

[RedLipsSourApples]

I haven't played the game but I have a core memory of the anime . When I was like 14 or something it was airing on the tv's anime channel, I think it was either a kissing scene or one of the dudes biting the mc but my mom walked in on that exact moment and she asked me what I was watching with a very disgusted and judgemental face idk why she had such a strong reaction but because of it I got extremely embarassed. That aside I think people tend to overreact? It doesn't seem to be that bad but people outside the community treat it like its the worst thing ever for some reason

 

[lunitawish]

I have a total love-hate relationship with Diabolik Lovers. The visuals and character art are stunning, but the actual plot is a hard pass for me. It's filled with toxic behavior and normalizes serious red flags that you'd see in abusive real-world relationships ＼（〇_ｏ）／

 

[Thegreemgeekergoobin]

I have a total love-hate relationship with Diabolik Lovers. The visuals and character art are stunning, but the actual plot is a hard pass for me. It's filled with toxic behavior and normalizes serious red flags that you'd see in abusive real-world relationships ＼（〇_ｏ）／

I agree! The art is incredible (๑･̑◡･̑๑) and i really love the mc's design but the way they treat the mc is terrible and hard to watch
(￣▽￣;)