The Devil is a Part-Timer! - Reviews

One night as I was lying in my hidey hole of a room, I was searching through the Netflix titles to see what I wanted to put on my instant que to watch later. While searching through the anime I ran across Hataraku Maou-sama!, titled in English 'The devil is a part-timer!'. The title instantly caught my attention, and I thought I would give the first episode a try. I ended up loving it.

Story: 7/10
We are thrown into the fictional world of Ente Isla, where the humans are at war with the demons. King Satan, the ruler of demons controls the army with plans to conquer the world. The humans fought back, sending in a hero to kill Satan--and it was actually working. The hero cornered Satan in his castle and charged to kill, only to have Satan open up a portal to escape with his right hand man, Alciel.
Their plan went horribly wrong, however. Somehow Satan and Aciel ended up in Tokyo Japan and stripped of their powers, becoming human! With no way of regaining the magic that they lost they are forced to live as humans, getting jobs and an apartment.

This show is comedy from start to finish, making me laugh until the very last moment. It relies heavily on character interaction, name calling, and miscommunication. There is some action thrown into the mix, but I think the show was truly made to be a comedy.

The show seems episodic, but as more characters and background are introduced we see a plot forming, filled with antagonists that want to destroy Satan's bike and ruin his perfect attendance record at McRonald's (not really, but I don't want to spoil anything).

There are 13 episodes, but the story really concludes at 12, with the 13th shows what happens the next day, and ends on a comedic note. I know others have been disappointed with the ending, and I would be lying if I said that the ending didn't bother me. However, the last episode sort of suggests that there could be a second season. There hasn't been any talk of a sequel yet, but a girl can hope, right?

Animation: 8/10
The characters are cute, especially the girls. The guys look pretty standard, with nothing standing out too much in their character design beside eye and hair color. But the boys don't really matter, it's all about the ladies. The art style suggests to me that the animators were leaning towards something like moe. But I can't be too sure. The backgrounds are beautiful, especially in Ente Isla; and it compliments the character designs well. The color is bright and cheery, utilizing a wide array of color schemes. Even the darker scenes are rich with color. This sort of color technique has been pretty standard in the industry for a few years, but such vibrance is more common in 'moe', cute anime (which is another reason why I think this is the direction the animators wanted to go with).
The animation is smooth and consistent, but the fight scenes are nothing special. This is okay because the show is more about comedy, rather than action.

Sound: 8/10
I'm giving sound an 8 purely for the English voice acting. Now I know there will be sub diehards that will snuff me for watching dubs (although I love subs too), but I have watched the show in both English and Japanese. Both are good, but I think that the dub better picks up on the emotion of the characters, and definitely catches the bickering between the characters better. In my opinion it's better than the original Japanese voice actors, and without it I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the show as much.
The music in the anime was nothing special, and I barely paid attention to it unless they decided to cut the music all together. The opening theme grew on me, and I ended up listening to it for every episode. I really disliked the ending theme however, and never listened to it after the second episode.

Character: 9/10
I absolutely love all of the characters. All of them are just very exaggerated and theatrical, which is so counter intuitive in the human world that they seem eccentric to normal humans. It's perfect because they try to blend in with normal humans, but if they get excited it all gets thrown out the window.
But what I really like is how Satan and Emelia the hero interact. For the longest time, they justify their actions due to their respective roles (Satan = evil, Emelia = hero). But we see that Satan has an easier time throwing away his role and becoming, dare I say, nice. Emelia has a harder time letting go of her role, but she eventually does. It shows that anyone can change, which is a pretty nice message coming from the king of demons.

Overall: 8/10
I'm not really a comedy fan, but I truly enjoyed this show. There was enough plot to keep my interest. And while the characters were exaggerated, their human struggles were very real; and as a college student I can sympathize with their poor as dirt life styles.
Overall I give this show two thumbs up! Seriously, give this show a try. You don't even have to watch the dub (although I recommend it if you speak English), just give it a try. It's sort of a hidden gem, filled with comedy gold. Once you finish it, you'll want a second season as well.

This is a surprisingly good anime with a compelling story which has a bit of a twist.  We all know even in reality you can not always tell who is truly a good guy or who is a bad guy, however, in this show those norms are flipped around and some of the good guys which are normally so aren't and some of the normally evil ones are actually good.  It is more like real world politics or diplomacy than your traditional fictional fantasy of heroes and villains.  Speaking of which, Emi is one of the most charming female characters in any anime because she combines an excellent collection of some of the most appealing character traits:  She is cute; She is brave and strong; She gets flustered or shy and that actually amplifies her cuteness; She can be clumsy as such being in a new environment seems to bolster that trait a bit; She is bossy in a responsible kind of big sister way to other characters or perhaps a potential love interest; She is helpful; She is willing to grow and change;  Not every situation to her is obvious as to some characters who go blindly into situations; You can see plenty of situations where her emotions reflect well in her face. 

Mao is likewise one of the best male characters or at least in the way he is cast and directed in this show.  Like Emi, plenty of emotion is shown on his face and like Emi, he is often displaying similar characteristics such as getting flustered or embarassed or even shy.  He also doesn't judge everything at face value but he has a bit more of an insightful view into things that give him a slight edge over Emi's ability to see things.  Chiho might be kind of cute of not a bit overly typical or exagerated as far as female attributes go, namely her over average sized breasts, which are painfully too typical in anime.  The other major characters all contribute in their own ways but honestly don't stand out quite as much or as well as these 3 lead characters save maybe the manager of Magronalds, such an obviously poorly mutilated alternate way to name a famous fast food chain it is embarassing not to know it right off.

What perhaps is most surprising about the story featured through out the series is it's simplicity.  And more so by the nature, the characters are anything but common or simple yet for one reason or another seem to value or even crave living a simple common life, even if only for a little while.  It is certainly a charming, simple life story with extrordinary qualities.  You won't feel let down watching this series, I can tell you.  It has plenty of action, magic, charm, lively characters, facial and body actions refleciting emotional state that is done very well, a tad of comedy, and a happy nod on an ordinary life.  The only down sides are how some of the enemies are not fully fleshed out or on screen long and how atypical stereotypical sexist view wise they display Chiho, but it isn't all that serious or major against her or the makers as in some other anime that you might feel repulsion at it.  Otherwise it is a clear winner as far as a good anime goes and having all the right stuff.

Great anime includes good fighting and comedy.

Hataraku Maou-sama, or as it is justly titled in English, The Devil is a Part-Timer! is a short supernatural comedy series about, well, the devil. 

BUT BIBLE-THUMPERS, let us continue! Allow me to explain as a reviewer should. 

In a faraway world known as Ente Isla, the holy hero of justice, Emilia Justina, attempts to slay Satan himself! The devil and his demonic army have been mercilessly wreaking havoc on the land she and many others treasure. As she tries desperately to put a stop to him, she ends up following him into a portal leading to modern-day Japan. She must find and kill him while he is vulnerable and confused, but that isn't easy when she has no idea how to accomplish this goal without magic! 

Luckily for her, he cannot use magic either. When Satan comes to this strange new world, he, along with his one remaining companion Alciel, form new identities as Sadao Maou and Shirou Ashiya. This now poverty-stricken duo must find a way to support themselves as humans before making their way back to Ente Isla, correct? So where Satan (Sadao hereon) goes is...McDonalds. Er, MgRonalds. And just as the back of the DVD case says, Sadao truly IS the "Lord of the Fries". Ha. 

Now, now, let us begin the evaluation!

---STORY---

Now that I've summarized the plot of the story for you, it's time for me to tell you just how interesting it really is. 

In terms of creativity, I'd say Hataraku Maou-sama fits the bill fairly well. It's not everyday you find an anime chockful of unique humor and an evergrowing palette of characters and events. Essentially, the storyline will not easily bore you due to it being both comedically and eventfully entertaining. I don't think you're going to find anything like this anytime soon, considering the sheer oddity of the devil working at a local McDonalds---ahem---MgRonalds. 

However, since the anime was a bit short, it was unfortunately unable to offer exactly what the manga treated us to. This would explain the occasional plotholes and the lack of character depth at times. 

And the ending...well, see for yourself.

---ANIMATION---

The animation is both high-quality and alluring. The vivid colors, excellent shading, detailed outlines and the image quality of the fights were all spectacular. The animation style was sublime for bringing each character to life and making them look visually appealing and original. 

To put it simply, it's pretty. 

---SOUND---

The sound effects and music were good. They fit the show, sound realistic and relatively exciting, and, well...they at least weren't rape to the ears. In all honesty, the soundtrack was nothing special. It's suitable for the anime, but it lacks the blood-boiling effect that tracks such as "Invasion" from Bleach and "Crimson Lotus" from Sengoku Basara offer. The opening and ending themes were catchy and definitely worth a listen, but they aren't something you'd listen to on repeat for three days straight. 

---CHARACTERS---

I was able to grow pretty attached to some of these characters, but I'm afraid some are quite...static. A few members of the main cast lack much development, and they don't have intriguing backstories either. However, there are some very dynamic and colorful characters as well. 

It's like going to the Medieval Times show and eatery here in America. They deliver each part of the meal bit by bit, giving you time to finish what you're currently eating before the next course is served. Characters are revealed more and more throughout the show, dropping bits and pieces occasionally, leaving you craving more. This is what makes some of the characters in The Devil is a Part-Timer! so attractive. 

So I'd say while there ARE indeed diamonds in the rough, the show's cast isn't particularly extraordinary. 

~FINAL VERDICT~ 

The good, the bad, and the halfway decent are all to be balanced here.

The Devil is a Part-Timer! is a pretty good watch. It has its flaws, but overall, it's a good, solid show that I'm sure many of you will thoroughly enjoy. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend it. 

HOWEVER.....

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STILL WAITING FOR A SECOND SEASON. 

Hataraku Maou-sama! (No spoilers)

When Demon King Satan was losing the fight with the hero Emilia, he had no other choice than flee to another world. He ended up in Japan with his Demon General Alsiel. They both lost their magic and have no choice but to go to work. Will Satan succeed in taking control of the world without his magic? And what happened with the hero Emilia?

Is it worth to change?

That is the question we ask ourselves when watching this anime.

I want to say that this is my first review and hope there will come a lot after this one. Anime is a very important part of my life because its not only my hobby, but more. So I hope you will enjoy my first review. I had lot of joy while watching and hope I can bring this joy to you.

This anime is one of the top animes that I watched already. I just love the anime because there are so much things combined in a few episodes. But after watching the anime, I had this feeling like I have read a book trilogy. There are details, little character development, fun, surprises and filling story (just random stuff). And this is something that only a few animes can do.

Anime name:

It is because of the name that I chose to watch this anime and just as I excepted, it was funny but with surprising moments. So I think that the name of the anime is well chosen. 

The anime is just as its name.

Lessons:

I think that this anime teaches us that with hard work you can accomplish everything you want. But a second and also important lesson is that every person can change if he wants. It may be difficult for other ones to accept the fact that a person has change. Especially Suzuno has this.

Scene to remember:

The scene with the crocodiles is my favorite scene of the anime. Even after hundred times, I'm still not tired of seeing it. This is a part of the story where Sasao could get a lot of power, but didn't take it. He only took what he needed to protect his friends.

A second scene is the final episode. Everything is just right. I will not tell too much (I don't want to spoil things) But My opinion is that everything goes as you would predict. Why is it that cool then? The way that the characters talk, I like it very much. It is simple but great.

Story:

I like the story a lot. You see a few changes in the characters and how they deal with it. Also it is another view on angels and demons then we are used to hear.

Animation:

It is not exceptional, but it good enough. The emotions are very clear and that is the most important thing for me.

Characters:

The characters don't have a deep personality. But this isn't something I have missed while watching. Probably because their roles speak for themselves. We all know what a demon, angel, hero, ... is. And the producers play with the things we already know. So was it for me a first time I saw a demonic-lord with that much emotions.

There are a few changes in the characters and this little character development still provides a good story.

Ending:

I like the ending with the umbrella. It may not be the best ending for a anime, but it was a funny anime, so I think the ending is fitting for the anime.

There is opening for a second season and I hope this will come.

Ps: It would be very helpful if you would leave a comment. It is my first time reviewing an anime so all help is welcome. This way I can keep improving :)