REVIEW: ‘Love After World Domination’ Season 1 Nails the Rom-Com

Love After World Domination Season 1 is a romantic comedy anime produced by Project No. 9. When the world is threatened by the evil agents of Gekko, the Super Sentai heroes of Gelato 5 are there to thwart the group’s diabolical plans. But unbeknownst to anyone, Red Gelato (Fudo) and the Gekko agent Reaper Princess (Desumi) are secretly in love. Can the couple pursue their relationship while keeping those around them in the dark?

If the above description sounds ridiculous to you, then you are right on point for the tone of this series. Throughout the season’s 12 episodes, the show follows Fudo and Desumi as they fight battles and have many firsts in their relationship. While the zany tone and awkward scenarios often provide a lot of charming humor, Love After World Domination Season 1 goes a bit too far in its corny portrayal of the awkward couple and their hyper fixation on taking these romantic steps together. 

If you watch a lot of romantic comedy anime you’ll be familiar with just how far the medium likes to take a couple’s fixation with the steps of romance. Everything from holding hands and a first kiss, to less obvious things like feeding each other fruit can become panic attack-inducing moments that leave the participants hyperventilating. While Love After World Domination Season 1 usually manages not to drag these moments out too much, there are a couple that goes on for far too long. When the show drags out these scenarios, it comes close to being unwatchable for me. 

Outside of these unfortunate instances, the core duo of Fudo and Desumi provide plenty of reasons to enjoy their pursuit of love. They are both likable and the show does a good job of giving both characters opportunities to be the one stumbling through a situation, as well as being the one to save the other. 

While the starring couple holds their own well enough, the show is generally at its best when it is incorporating those around them into their misadventures. Whether it’s Fudo’s fellow heroes in Gelato 5 or Desumi’s allies in Gekko, the supporting cast provides an impressive variety of personalities for the couple to play off of, while also feeling mostly like fully fleshed-out characters, rather than a bunch of walking jokes for the couple to play off of. 

Sprinkled throughout Love After World Domination Season 1’s stories are moments of largely comical battle. The series leans into the classic tropes of the genre it apes with lots of lengthy transformations and flashy super attacks. If you love series like The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and can handle some fun being poked at your childhood, these elements will deliver some genuine smiles and chuckles.

The animation delivers all the off-kilter energy and laughs of the series wonderfully. It leans into every joke and crazy battle fully aware of what it is and what it is striving to accomplish. It’s nothing cutting edge that will wow you, but it would feel wrong if it was.

When all is said and done, Love After World Domination Season 1 delivers its wild, humor-filled journey with only a few hiccups. If you are searching for a humorous rom-com that leans into all it does hard, this might just be the series for you.

Love After World Domination Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.