What’s this? An extreme power fantasy that isn’t an Isekai?! AND IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD?! What world am I living in?!
Initially, I wrote off The Misfit of Demon King Academy as another trash show that I might watch if I wanted to turn my brain off. And it is indeed that! But in all fairness, it actually has a surprising amount of depth and substance! Plus, it is so god damn ridiculous that you can’t help but laugh and yell “HELL YES!!” whenever you’re watching it.
For fuck’s sake, the main character yeets a god damn castle! WITH ONE HAND!! AND HE TWIRLS THE FUCKING THING LIKE A BASKETBALL BEFORE HE DOES IT!! What more do you need?!
Plot: A Two-Month-Old Reclaiming His Thrown
Holy shit, this series is hysterical! It is so god damn ridiculous, so unabashedly insane, that it becomes incredible! Plus, it uses that absurd power fantasy to explore some themes in truly interesting and effective ways! For a genre that’s usually so shallow and stupid, this show is surprisingly intelligent!
2000 years ago, the Demon King Anos Voldigoad gave his life to bring peace to the realms of humans and demons. Now, upon being reincarnated, he discovers that the history he lived through has been twisted and changed. Anos must now prove himself as the true Demon King, overcoming the prejudice and racism that has taken root in his long absence.
At its core, this show is yet another ridiculous power fantasy. Anos is completely invincible and never once in the wrong. He’s always right about everything and he has the power and smarts to prove it. Whenever someone disagrees or lies to him, he’ll just strut on over and prove, matter of factly, how wrong they are.
And as I said before: he has the power to yeet a literal castle. You know how he reacts when someone stops time? He just shrugs and goes “Did you seriously think stopping time would be enough to stop me?” and his response to being killed is, I shit you not, “Did you really think I’d die if I were killed?”
He does this. With a completely straight face. So many goddamn times. It’s hysterical!
And of course, he’s got a harem. One comprised of a whole bunch of cliche female characters. But, to be fair, not all the girls in his fanclub (and I do mean that literally) are your stereotypical ultrathin gorgeous anime girl. They actually have different body types and design quirks! They’re some of the few character designs that are actually unique!
But we’ll get to that.
This story also explores some truly impactful themes of racism and segregation! Sure, the actual racism and segregation part is pretty blatant. But it is the one thing that Anos can’t just blow away by being a supremely powerful fuckboy! He may have the power to yeet a castle, but he can’t change 2000 years worth of cultural division.
He’ll sure as hell try, though.
What’s this? A power fantasy show with actual themes? Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming!
Presentation: Industry Standard
This is the only part of the show that I don’t really care about. In terms of presentation, this show is very standard. The character designs are generic, the music is decent but forgettable (the OP and ED are both pretty sick, though), and the animation won’t ever blow your mind.
The worst part is easily the CGI. It isn’t so bad with the magic runes, because you expect those to look bizarre and magical. But even then, it stands out like a sore thumb. Normally, I’d be a bit more lax in this regard. But with the strides CGI anime has been making in recent years, I feel like I can be a bit more critical.
The character designs are mostly just missed potential. If you showed me out of context screenshots of these characters and asked me which show they were from, I’d have to spend a good ten minutes sifting through similar shows to narrow it down. These kids are supposed to be demons! Why not get a bit more creative and give them some demonic features? It doesn’t have to be anything too drastic! Just something to help them stand apart from all the human characters we get later in the story!
Thankfully, the animation isn’t terrible. Sure, it’s lacking in much sakuga. But it’s never Seven Deadly Sins season 3 levels of bad. It is, at the very least, acceptable. It’s perfectly fine. Not bad, but not exceptional.
Conclusion
I can see why this show stole the spotlight. It’s the perfect blend of stupid and enjoyable. It’s so god damn ridiculous that you can’t help but smile while you’re watching it.
So, surprisingly, I would recommend The Misfit of Demon King Academy. It’s a surprisingly good show that takes an overdone and tired genre and does something unique and fun with it. I’d be absolutely shocked if this didn’t get a season two.
Shit, it better! I need to know how Anos plans on topping his castle-yeeting feet!
I will not get over that as long as I live.
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