Demon King Daimao (Review)
It Sucks Being the Demon King Daimao.
Demon King Daimao starts out seeming like it’s going to be a pretty joyful series that should appeal to audiences of all ages. Pretty quickly though, it takes a dramatic turn after only a few episodes. It doesn’t necessarily get darker, but it does turn into something much weirder. Of course, what I might consider weird is actually probably a staple of Japanese anime as Demon King Daimao became one of the first harem series that I watched all the way through.
Initially, Demon King Daimao is reminiscent of Harry Potter, as it sets up a plot centered around students at a magical school. This is no Hogwarts though, and it soon becomes filled with blood, naked school girls, and even a tentacle or two. While Daimao never fully crosses the line into pornography, it can pretty much be described as gratuitous, but then again, all the good anime usually are. This isn’t necessarily a warning against the series: On the contrary, it’s a good reason to embrace the series, which maintains its direction while throwing out plenty of “what the hell am I seeing?” moments. These help keep the series entertaining enough to drag viewers into the wee hours of the morning, telling themselves, “all right, one more episode.”
Demon King Daimao is about accepting one’s destiny. The protagonist, Akuto Sai (voiced by Chris Patton), wants to grow up to be a high priest and help change the world. Well, the kid gets his wish, though not exactly in the way he expected, when it’s revealed that he’s destined to be the dreaded Demon King. This, of course, doesn’t go over well with his classmates, and he soon finds himself constantly battling anyone out to make a name for himself. Life doesn’t get any easier when he becomes the object of affection of several of the girls, including a sword-wielding hothead (Luci Christian), a flake that turns invisible (Melissa Davis), a buxom manipulator (Shelley Calene-Black) and an android sent to spy on him (Maggie Flecknoe). Needless to say, it ain’t easy being the future Demon King.
While this series doesn’t go quite as far as some of the others I’ve reviewed over the years, it is clear that this one isn’t for small children. That being said, it’s quite an enjoyable little show. Clocking in at 12 episodes, it is a bit on the short side, but defines its characters and the setting of the story early enough to make it a fulfilling show. It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s an enjoyable series, and sometimes, entertainment is just as important as depth. There are enough really heavy and depressing anime out there and its good to lift your spirits every once in a while with a purely popcorn series.
That isn’t to say Demon King Daimao doesn’t have its thematic elements: It has plenty, the most prevalent of which is the idea of being able to define your own fate. Akuto spends the series trying to fight what he will someday become, but it isn’t until he embraces it and redefines it as it suits him that he’s able to rise up and be the hero. After all, the whole concept of “bad” is just a perspective. Akuto decides to use his new-found role and power to his advantage, and so a lot of the Demon King Daimao revolves around him protecting those close to him and growing into a protector instead of a destroyer.
It’s not exactly an action-oriented show, with many of the fight scenes actually being relatively short, but when it does hit throw-down time, it packs a bit of a punch. However, most of the series focuses on the relationship between Akuto and the ladies chasing after him (some quite literally). Of course, some of their relationships evolve over the series, but more often than not this is the more traditional “guy cursed by a bunch of hot girls liking him” thing that we see in anime. It’s not a bad detail, but it also isn’t going to redefine the genre. Demon King Daimao plays it safe, giving fans exactly what they want to see, which is fine. Sometimes you want to be given exactly what you expect.
The style of the series is fairly typical and reminiscent of Angel Beats, but it doesn’t lose itself in its almost generic approach to the design. Director Takashi Watanabe gives Demon King Daimao enough unique characteristics to make it stand out among the other run-of-the-mill anime out there. It might not be perfect, but it’s a fun little series to watch over a lazy weekend.
