Demon Lord, Retry! (Review)
Demon Lord, Retry! Might Want Another Try…
Isekai anime has gotten so far out of control these days that series are becoming self-aware. I could say the same for the number of demon lords that have been popping recently. Demon Lord, Retry! combines both exhausted tropes into one series, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but even that mash-up has been done a few times. While the series might be unremarkable and even flat-out unoriginal, there’s a lurking feeling that it could become a brilliant series once it picks up momentum. However, the 12-episode run time doesn’t give it a chance to find its pace. Still, there’s a pleasant “what-if” to Demon Lord, Retry! that delightfully contradicts the seeming lack of originality. It’s too bad we might never see a second season.
Demon Lord, Retry! is perhaps one of the most meta isekai anime I’ve ever seen as it takes a former game administrator (Akira Ono voiced by Josh Grelle) who achieved “demon lord” status in his own game magically hurls him into a new world as his character, Hakuto Kunai. In other words, a gamer is spontaneously reincarnated in a new world, as his avatar from his favorite game. The twist this time around is that this new world is an entirely different “genre” from the game his character ruled in, which means he has basically now has to start from scratch. Of course, all his stats transferred with him, which immediately grants him the moniker of “demon lord” in this new world since he’s so overpowered. Demon Lord, Retry! hints at potential weakness for the character since his previous game was cyber-punk-crime-empire he has no experience with magic. Then again, the science he brings with him (ie: GUNS), seems to make up for that deficit. At 12 episodes, the anime barely dips its toe into the water before it leaves us hanging with no idea where it might be headed.
As I mentioned, the isekai market is over-saturated to where it’s become increasingly difficult to find anime that offer legitimately original concepts. The best you can hope for are unique twists on concepts we’ve seen done before in series like How Not to Summon a Demon Lord, Overlord, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Demon Lord, Retry! shows potential to stand out in three ways. The first is the mashing of genres at its core. An industrial-punk crime lord in a fantasy world with all the trimmings that come with it. Science vs magic, guns vs swords, modern warfare vs martial arts, there are the makings for some interesting scenarios. There’s also that Hakuto can eventually bring some characters from his previous game into this new one. This allows it to top off the fish-out-of-water element while simultaneously building anticipation to see new trope-fulfilling characters from the other world revealed. Finally, there’s the twist that Akira has access to Hakuto and another character, Zero Kirisame, a colorful brawler with a cartoonish devotion to strength and justice. Akira can switch between these “avatars” which allow him to carry out different missions. The 12-episode run isn’t enough time for these elements to play out, but they intrigued me.
Demon Lord, Retry! is more interesting conceptually than in reality. This is most evident in the tired character designs by Ekachi Epilka Inc. The animation itself is decent enough, but the characters never live up to their engrossing descriptions. There really isn’t any aspect of the series that makes a lasting impression, but it also isn’t especially bland. It could easily resolve this issue with a second season, but as of now, there’s no telling if that is in the cards. If there isn’t one, I’m going to have to call Demon Lord, Retry! a fairly unremarkable series since it essentially amounts to a guy making a modern Japanese bathhouse/spa in a fantasy world. I’m sure the underlying obsession Hakuto has with bathhouse is supposed to be a quirk, but right now it seems like the sole purpose of the series, and that’s kind of weird. Don’t get me wrong, cleanliness is supposedly next to godliness, but I’m not sure I want to watch a series just about a bathhouse. I mean, we get bathhouse episodes in pretty much every anime, anyway.
There are plenty of directions for Demon Lord, Retry! to go after its final episode. I won’t spoil the end for you, but it lays the foundation for a potential second season perfectly. In fact, the whole series feels like it’s all set up for something really big in the future. As of now, Demon Lord, Retry! is just a frustrating tease making promises that will probably never be fulfilled. In between there are plenty of anime cliches tossed in as filler to keep fans on the hook. It must have worked, because I willingly saw this series through to the end. There’s nothing especially bad about Demon Lord, Rety!, but there it does leave you feeling unsatisfied and a bit frustrated. Perhaps that will all change with another season though.
The fact of the matter is that there are other demon lords more deserving of your time than Hakuto. Still, the anime is pleasant enough that I recommend at least adding it to your queue. I found it incredibly easy to watch and managed it leisurely over two nights. While the series has underlying potential for greatness, now it will have to settle for simply being better than average. While Demon Lord, Retry! might not be especially memorable, I don’t discourage you from checking it out if you’re a hardcore anime looking for something light to enjoy. Those new to anime might want something with a little more to offer in order to keep their attention.
