17 – Trigger
I’m on the fence about this chapter, but I think I enjoyed it more than I was uncomfortable with it. Yes, uncomfortable. It was weird, and totally unnecessary with what Momo did to Rito in the gym storage room. I am actually surprised the author actually went in that direction, although, I think he had done it before, but not as heavy as this time. The innuendoes are heavy in this chapter too, but for some reason, I found it quite funny and amusing.
The story itself doesn't advance the plot of the series as a whole. I found that the author is drawing Momo more and more like Lala nowadays. They way Momo gets all evil and angry is superficial and something which I thought didn't really fit. It was surprising, and somewhat fitting, to see that Momo isn’t as lustful as she thinks herself to be, which was a nice revelation.
18 – Exchange
The chapter started okay, and a few pages in, when the plot finally revealed itself, I thought, oh man, not this again. Once again, one of Lala’s invention cause some havoc, switching Rito’s and Haruna’s body. For some reason, I felt that this type of plot happened frequently in Darkness. Anyway, it turned out much better than I expected, and it was a fun read. Of course, switching those two bodies, you would have thought they would have plenty of things to think about what they could do with the bodies they’re in…
There are plenty of contrived moments, but it was funny and somehow different (and not as annoying) to see Haruna blundering instead (although, technically, it’s still Rito’s clumsiness). I didn’t like the part where Maron attacked Momo’s tail, that gag worked the first time way back with Nana, but time and time again, we see this happening, and it is simply overdone. I found it amusing to see that at the beginning of the chapter, in a few frames, even Haruna’s face started to look like Lala’s. This is a nice chapter to read.
19 – Nostalgia
I actually quite enjoyed this chapter; it has a sentimental feel to it, like it was trying to get a message across. I think the way the memory from Kotegawa was slowly uncovered, and being pieced together was done well, and created a nice atmosphere. Sure, there were tons of contrived situations for fan service, but the overall feel was nice. The plot point was somewhat stale, using an animal that we had seen before, in a somewhat similar situation. It was amusing to see all the main characters being converted back to their younger ages (especially the Principal).
The chapter furthers the relationship between Kotegawa and Rito in a good and constructive way, although you can guess what happened when, in Kotegawa’s memory, a boy climbed up the tree, it was one of those bittersweet moments. Then, I loved how Rito was saved by Yami while he was falling, and the indifferent look on her face. One of the best chapters in Darkness, it doesn't feel too contrived and I found myself wanting to read more of it. If there are more chapters like this in the future, it’ll be awesome.
20 – Uneasy
Mea’s feelings and uneasiness is shown and explored here, a lot of recycled plot points are used though. What happens is not that interesting, I keep comparing Mea with Yami, and how Yami had been there and done there already. I mean, even when the three alien villains appear it felt the same, in this chapter, Mea doesn’t feel like her own individual character. We can’t talk about a To Love-Ru Darkness without mentioning the ecchi, I was actually expecting some in the beginning with Rito and Tearju, but thankfully, that didn't happen.
The ecchi is the standard to which you would expect, not going too far, but still with a lot of innuendos attached. What the chapter’s missing is a good dose of well constructed clever humour. The best part is probably the ending where Nana finally finds out or gets a hint, about the true nature of Mea. Due to Mea’s portrayal, this is an uninspiring chapter.
Extra – Flower
For some reason, I found that this chapter seemed to flow better, and not as awkward or contrived. There is an abundant of ecchi here, yet, it feels like you expect it, in a good way, and that there was some thought put into it.
The chapter was funnier and better than a few of the more recent chapters, which is a bit shocking, considering this is ‘half chapter’ (Darkness can take itself too seriously sometimes). Overall, this was something that was interesting and more natural.
Extra – The Changing Heart
The chapter started with Nana acting weird, and the chapter itself had a weird feel throughout most of it. I kept expecting Rito was dreaming and that any moment he would wake up. The truth was different, but somehow still on the same level… in that it just found a weak excuse for everything that happened. I guess the thing that gave it away was that Nana was so unlike herself. It was interesting to see that Nana is warming up to Rito more and more, to the point where she related it to Momo.
Overall
The only chapter I truly liked here was Nostalgia, since it had that nice tranquil atmosphere as Yui remembered something in the past (and that Rito and her had already met before). The other chapters weren’t too bad but a lot of forced ecchi in them. There’s a lot more contrived plot points than ever before, and a lot of old inventions popping up again.
