Date A Live is the perfect combination of comedy, science fiction, romance, action and harem. And to fully enjoy the experience, it’s best if you watch these anime in the right order.
Well, the guide to watching Date A Live, which I will explain here, will help you get to know and understand the storyline easily (spoiler-free, yes). You will find this guide perfect for watching Date A Live anime.
1. Date A Live (2013)
| Episodes | 12 |
| Aired | Spring 2013 |
Thirty years before a strange phenomenon called a “spacequake” ravaged the center of Eurasia, claiming the lives of at least 150 million people. Since then, smaller spacequakes have plagued the world on an irregular basis.
Shidou Itsuka, a seemingly ordinary high school student finds a mysterious girl at ground zero of the spacequake and learns from his sister Kotori that she is one of the “Spirits” who are the true cause of the spacequakes that occur when they manifest themselves in the universe.
He also learns that Kotori is the captain of the airship Ratatoskr and recruits her to use her mysterious ability to seal the Spirit’s powers and stop them from becoming a threat to humanity.
However, there was a problem: in order to seal the Spirits, Shidou had to make them fall in love with him.
2. Date A Live: Date to Date (2013)
| Episodes | 1 OVA |
| Aired | 2013 |
While Tohka was experimenting with the new cell phone she got from Kotori, Origami approached Shidou and asked for a date with him. Unable to refuse, Shidou was helped by Fraxinus’ crew to ensure that their date failed miserably but all his attempts to throw it away were in vain.
Some time later, Shidou had a date at the arcade with Tohka and when he asked to take a photo with her, he refused and went into the photo cabin alone, giving her a photo of hers which he claimed was for his eyes only.
3. Date A Live II (2014)
| Episodes | 12 |
| Aired | Spring 2014 |
Second season of Date A Live.
Shido Itsuka, who used to be an ordinary high school student at Raizen High, meets the first Spirit, Tohka, and awakens her power to “seal the Spirit’s power”.
Although they may be feared and hated for their extraordinary strength, Spirits are always alone and only know battle and death.
Shido, the only one in the world who has the power to seal the Spirits’ powers, throws himself into life-threatening dates with beautiful Spirits to save them.
4. Date A Live II: Kurumi Star Festival (2014)
| Episodes | 1 OVA |
| Aired | Spring 2014 |
On the day of the Tanabata festival, Shidou Itsuka happens to run into the scary Kurumi Tokisaki, who starts asking him out. Despite being nervous, Shidou accepted the offer.
The two spend time visiting the planetarium, buying food at festivals, and trying out mock wedding ceremonies. Meanwhile, Shidou’s friends Tohka Yatogami, Yoshino, and Kotori Itsuka are looking for him, while also enjoying the festival itself.
As Shidou spent the day with Kurumi, he began to notice an unexpectedly soft side of her. He knew that Kurumi was known as the “Worst Spirit,” but the girl standing before him was a gentle soul. However, as the day draws near, Shirou finally begins to understand the truth behind it all.
The unaired 11th episode of the TV series bundled with the third volume of Date A Live Encore.
5. Date A Live Movie: Mayuri Judgment (2015)
| Episodes | 1 Movie |
| Aired | Summer 2015 |
Set in the premise after the events of Date a Live II, a mysterious existence named Mayuri begins to appear in Tengu Town.
Shidou set a date to find and find out the spirit’s identity. In order to find out the reason for the interruption of the disturbance, he goes on a date with six spirits who desire themselves for the mysterious creature to appear.
An original story overseen by original light novel writer Koushi Tachibana.
6. Date A Live III (2019)
| Episodes | 12 |
| Aired | Winter 2019 |
Third season of Date A Live.
Itsuka Shidou’s life had been a whirlwind lately. Or rather, a spatial spacequake. Some of them, actually.
A strong “spirit” from another dimension that took the form of a woman accidentally caused this spatial earthquake in the real world. And Shidou is the only one whocan stop them with his unique ability: kiss them!
By making the girls kiss and fall in love with him, the devastating power of their earthquake is sealed. The alternative to marrying them was to have a more militant organization and technology called the AST (Anti-Spirit Team) destroy the Spirits, something Shidou strongly opposed.
So far in the story, six Spirits have fallen in love with Shidou (as well as several others). The girls competed with each other, giving Shidou a headache due to various misfortunes. But a new challenger is approaching.
7. Date A Bullet: Dead or Bullet (2020)
| Episodes | 1 Movie |
| Aired | Summer 2020 |
The first part of the Date A Bullet anime film.
Hibiki Higoromo, better known as, Empty, is an amnesiac young girl. He wakes up in a neighboring world, where he meets Tokisaki Kurumi.
In order to kill the mysterious girl, Kurumi takes Empty to school. Upon arriving at the school, a number of girls known as semi-spirits gather together. Well, a new battle begins.
8. Date A Bullet: Nightmare or Queen (2020)
| Episodes | 1 Movie |
| Aired | Fall 2020 |
The second part of the anime film Date A Bullet.
9. Date A Live IV (2022)
| Episodes | 12 |
| Aired | Spring 2022 |
This fourth season of the Date A Live anime follows the adventures of Shido Itsuka and the Spirits, a supernatural female entity who has fallen in love with him, in sealing more Spirits.
10. Date A Live (2024)
| Episodes | 12 |
| Aired | Spring 2024 |
The fifth season of Date A Live.
Shidou Itsuka faces greater peril than ever due to his continued involvement with Ratatoskr. He has already sealed 10 Spirits, and Isaac Westcott, leader of Deus Ex Machina Industries, has finally decided to kill Shidou and plunder the Spirits’ powers for himself.
To achieve his goal, Isaac declares an all-out war against Ratatoskr, forcing the organization to exhaust its resources to ensure Shidou’s survival. Despite being severely outnumbered and outmatched, a glimmer of hope exists in the form of the Spirit of Time, Kurumi Tokisaki. Shidou must seal and acquire Kurumi’s power to travel to the past and confront the Spirit of Origin—the catalyst that started it all.
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