REVIEW: ‘Love After World Domination,’ Episode 8 – “Everybody Has A Secret Or Two”

Love After World Domination is a romantic comedy anime produced by Project No. 9. With Desumi’s rejection of Diago’s offer for her to join Gelato, you’d think things would be back to normal. But with a mysterious stalker following the happy couple, trouble may be on the horizon in Love After World Domination Episode 8.

As this week’s episode opens, we see Fudo receive a mysterious package. It turns out it has a picture of him and Desumi in it, along with a threatening note. Now, Fudo must meet the individual to learn what he must do to protect Desumi’s privacy. But the mystery stalker’s aims may not be quite what Fudo expects.

The opening half of Love After World Domination Episode 8‘s dealing with Fudo and Desumi’s stalker lands solidly in the just fine category. As expected, there is no real sinister threat or danger to the couple, and the individual’s desire to interfere in their lives is resolved with little real effort. Instead, it plays off the antagonist’s action as simply misplaced, which, while not a great way to treat something like stalking, is par for the course where the show’s overall humor-filled tone is concerned.

The back half of this episode sees Desumi, Fudo, and Haru (Pink Gelato) get together for a cram session before final exams. With Haru struggling hard to prepare for these crucial tests, she looks to her friends for help assimilating the information. But as it turns out, it takes more than knowledge to be a teacher.

This second story delivers charming chuckles as it takes the trio on a bit of a misadventure as they seek to help Haru achieve her educational goals. From smuggling the two Gelato members into Desumi’s room in the Gekko Girl’s Dormitory to the actual attempts to study, this story delivers plenty of the series’ trademark charm and cuteness.

While it is never directly dealt with, I appreciated how this story highlights, in its goofy way, just how much it takes to be a good teacher. Knowing something and being able to share that knowledge in a way another can easily process is not as easy as it sounds, especially with complex formulas that come up with subjects like math and science. As someone who has had to do a bit of teaching in my time and seen plenty of people fail at it, it was nice to see it acknowledged as something of a challenge here.

The animation in Love After World Domination Episode 8 brings all of the goofy antics of this episode to life. From Fudo’s anxious interactions with the stalker and their demands to the bizarre ways the duo tries to help Haru learn, the visuals always keep the show looking as ridiculous as its narrative needs it to.

When all is said and done, Love After World Domination Episode 8 delivers a pair of fairly successful stories this week. While neither manages to land as well as some previous entries, if you are a fan of the show’s humor and style, there is nothing here you won’t enjoy.

Love After World Domination Episode 8 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.