Initial Impressions: Hataraku Maou-sama!

Now that's how you do a premiere.

I realize now that it's a bad idea to review anything after 3 AM, because clearly it makes things seem much better than they actually are. That being the case, I'm starting to question my judgement on Karneval based on what my foggy memory remembers, and also because Hataraku Maou-sama! has reminded me of what a real first episode should look like. Needless to say, I never expected this comedy to outstrip everything I've seen so far this season with sheer well-rounded quality, but outstrip them it does. White Fox proves that it knows what it's doing beyond series like Jormungand; from the music to the voice acting and from the great animation to the hilarious comedy, Hataraku Maou-sama! delivers itself as the sleeper hit of the season.

The love of detail on this is what really makes it shine. The nonsense language (it has actual structure if you listen hard enough, but it's still impossible not to laugh when hearing it spoken), the gorgeous animation in the first "serious" half of the episode, the facial expressions, and the perfect execution of jokes; all of it is entertaining to a degree I never even imagined the series being capable of, and I can see this staying interesting even after some of the fantasy elements wear off. Maou Satan/Sadao (Ohsaka Ryouta) is utterly hilarious in his earnest belief that his part-time job at a burger joint will someday lead to his gaining his powers back and his conquest of the world, but equally entertaining is his retainer, Ashiya Shirou (Ono Yuki), who switches from semi-clown to straight-man after facing the realities of living as a human. Their exchanged roles halfway through the episode are ironic and full of comedic potential, but the fact that they're established as interesting characters so easily and almost effortlessly bodes especially well.

Of course, it's not a comedy about every day life without a romantic interest, though Hataraku again manages to do this in an interesting way. The pretty girl Maou gives his umbrella to on a rainy day (quite the nice Demon Lord, isn't he) turns out to be the very hero that exiled him from his realm, the Hero Emilia (Hisaka Yoko). Not only is it refreshing to see a girl cast as a hero for once, but she's also the antagonist bound to make Maou's life complicated for a while, and that's an A-OK in my book. I'm sure she'll warm up to him soon enough, but at least she doesn't seem to be the easygoing type (which is a role filled by one of Maou's co-workers). I don't really know how much balance there will be between the reality of the human world and the fantastic aspects of the Demon one, but I do know that if this series continues to deliver its wit and sharp execution the way it did in this premiere, I couldn't care less what it focuses on in the end.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for actually watching this RAW in order to get caps. Sorry about that, but it was funnier once you actually understood, was it not?

ED 1 "Sankaku e.p." by nano.RIPE