In terms of execution, this show is brilliant. Random action at this point doesn’t really interest me at this point (you can blame Jojo for setting that bar so damn high), so I feared that this series would put the focus too much on them. But this pleasantly surprised me with really good comedy. This show plays with all of the tropes associated with these fight scenes. Amidst fighting for the death the characters are just running back and forth from home to get a special cape, or the main character being annoyed that he’s just playing a minor character. And the delivery just rocks. The creators here really understand comedic timing.
But I still wonder: would this series really have been any different if the main character was the Easter Bunny who for some reason angered a bunch of angels? I mean, on one hand it’s refreshing and all to see an evil overlord just living everyday life and all, but I just don’t get how the same person would have created an army to conquer and slaughter thousands. I miss background on who he was before he came to earth. And for example, what does he need the power to create this barrier for if he’s aiming to destroy stuff?
What I now hope is that the series doesn’t lose this as it goes on. Like, the characters suddenly get more and more serious as the series escalates. Keep the comedy and the chemistry between the characters. That’s what makes this show so good. Being epic is perfectly fine to make things exciting, but put the comedy first, and the epicness third.
Rating: 5.5/8 (Excellent)
I found this episode weaker, the humor was a bit gross but above all, I feared that the wonderful comedy of the previous episodes had just been the eye of the cyclone, and they would now concentrate on stupid maho fights.
However, after having watched episode 06 I am now reassured.
However, as psgels says they didn’t chose a random demon, but the prince of evil and major stratege of a deadly army. Thus bringing back this side of his personality makes the incoherence stronger.
But I suppose the viewers are not meant to worry too much about that. Probably the character doesn’t have the same seriousness in a shinto/buddhist society. It’s just like erotic nuns they are not really nuns for the Japanese (I suppose).
Wow, I actually thought this episode had the best humor yet. I haven’t seen 6 yet, but this episode reassured me that the creators knew what they were doing in the comedy department.
I think we actually got *more* of what made Maoh the conqueror that he was with this episode. I, too, was worried about how much he’d lost his “edge,” and how he was presented certainly didn’t help that at all. However, the scene where he actually dealt with Lucifer shows that yet powerful “overlord” vibe.
“What I now hope is that the series doesn’t lose this as it goes on. Like, the characters suddenly get more and more serious as the series escalates. Keep the comedy and the chemistry between the characters.”
I’m hoping for the opposite. There are plenty of series like Kampfer, Kore wa Zombie, and Chrome Shelled Regios that start with an interesting setting and proceed to screw around in the most boring and least plot-moving way imaginable.
Rather than feeling like a series in danger of becoming a “serious shonen” anime, this feels like a series in danger of “disappearing-plot” syndrome.
So far, I am greatly enjoying the fact that it has an actual plot, but I don’t have much patience if it suddenly devolves into beach or yukata festival arcs.
The problem is, I was enjoying the plot more when it was more of a mystery (why are they there? why did they lose the powers? can they get back?). Now that those things have been more or less explained they are replaced with typical shounen tropes (bad guys that need to be defeated appear!).
Well, that’s exactly what I’m worried about, actually. With an interesting setting but poor execution, the introduction to the series is often the most enjoyable part. Those 3 series I listed suffered from exactly that.
However, *for me*, the series so far is still interesting enough to keep watching..
The opposite, which is a mediocre setting that suddenly get interesting after ~100 chapters, is extremely rare (the example that I always give is Pandora Hearts)
One second Lucifer breaks the trope and shoots Alsiel while the good guys are talking, the next second the very same Alsiel makes a housewife joke, and it came really natural. I loved the balance between comedy and actions in this episode.
Yeah to be honest I want to see our Dark Overlord be more, well dark.
I’m worried about this show stagnating if anything. But I’ll put my faith in it.
At what point do shounen parody scenes just end up being full shounen themselves? Nah, actually I thought the balance and execution went pretty well here.
I’m not actually that bothered by our dark overlord’s lack of darkness. Maybe it’s just a matter of expectations. A demon lord not actually being that evil is a pretty common trope at this point, not to mention shady churches and religious organizations. Ah well.
Anyway, it looks like more visitors from the other world are going to come and jump-start the plot again, eventually. The duo of Emi’s friends arriving was a pretty big fake out though, as that didn’t really go anywhere.
I really love this show, it makes me laugh every episode. Though I share your concern about Maohs change. Well, maybe he isn’t that evil, or was. However, I really want a insight, what he did, when he was still conquering Ente Isla and why he did this. Maybe he just did it because he was an evil overlord, that’s ok. Though I want to know what his view on the whole conquering part was. “Not understanding Humans” is not reason enough for me.
Other than that, I love how they combine comedy with actual plot and sprinkle the latter every now and then, leaving most of the time to the comedy. I hope it’ll stay that way. For now, my favorite character is Alsiel, because he is just…hilarious. His “last words” just cracked me up.
The next episode is damn hilarious. Wish psgels could keep up.
Rather than seeing him as dark overlord, try seeing him as a leader of a race or a country that wage war on another country/race.
The demons are always fighting among themselves, they would extinct if this continue.
When Jacob Satan (maou) become the leader, he unified them by giving them a common enemy “humans”…..so in a sense “Not understanding Humans” is somewhat right.
And Emi wiped out Lucifer’s army single handedly naming herself as a hero to humans but to the lesser demon she may be something like a reaper.
The willing leader and An Avenger is all i see.
I dont see the wrong point behind the reasoning of Maou. I mean… he doesnt even have the power to open a gate, humans have weapons, he’s alone without his army… why try to destroy and conquer the world in a single suicide mission? He’s busy (Well, Alsiel) trying to get back their powers. Once they do, maybe Maou will have the urge and power to do whatever he wants.
Hell, even Emi can beat him at this point, so really, what the point could be on going on rampage without resoruces?
If he ran around causing havoc like Lucifer did, he would have a lot of power, though. People would panic as they scrambled to gather their armies, and that would only feed his magic.
Very well done episode, this series is really the big surprise of the season. Also Now i am doubting about the best episode of the week The to aru kagaku no railgun s ep 5 was simply to epic and totally stand the five episode of kyojin.
I feel like there’s too much filler in Toaru Kagaku. For some reason I liked Toaru Majutsu, but couldn’t stomach the first season of Kagaku. I fast-forwarded through the first few episodes of this season of Kagaku, and I agree that the latest one is finally a little better.