Anime: The Devil Is A Part Timer!

Released By: Funimation

Release Date: July 7, 2016

Retail Price: $44.98

Funimation

If you’ve ever wondered how satan may fare in the world as your average human, there’s one anime that tackles the subject willingly. In the series The Devil is a Part Timer, satan himself is run out of his own dark mystical realm in what was certainly an unexpected turn of events for the all powerful devil. What happens next is what sets the tone of the series – he is then thrust into a world with regular humans, becoming a powerless figure who must settle for a life in Tokyo, Japan. Having no money or personal belongings to his name, he has no other option but to begin a job hunt to keep him afloat, quickly finding a job at a fast-food burger chain titled (wait for it…) MgRonald. Of course there are many other aspects to the series, but be prepared to follow the devil’s current life as someone who makes a living by working in the foodservice industry.

In his former world known Ente Isla, Sadao Maou may have been feared as a demon lord, but among humans he deals with being seemingly humbled at the notion of having to live a different life than he has ever known. The series “protagonist” Emi Yusa is the one who had fended off the devil, but follows him to Tokyo and takes it upon herself to watch over what she feels is her responsibility to humanity. Sadao Maou is joined by someone who was one of his generals, (Shiro Ashiya) whom is also powerless because of the transition (magical abilities are scarce on Earth. With everyone trying to find employment and a purpose in a sense,  Ashiya becomes Maou’s personal housekeeper to help his leader and in return make himself feel needed to a capacity.

The characters are what makes the series enjoyable – beginning with Sadao Maou. As the titled character, there are multiple layers to the demon lord. Everything I would have expected from him feels as if it was disregarded as someone who generally is a kind heart with amusing perceptions on life and what goes into making a living. He wants to be great at what he does which is something I found to be understandable yet humanizing for a character perceived as evil. Ashiya is a large part of the comedy and randomness of The Devil is a Part Timer. His major dedication makes for a cute bond between a feared leader and his right hand man. Emi Yusa fits many traditional anime female character tropes from her angered and in-your-face but looking for love depiction. Don’t get me wrong, she isn’t a bad character for the series but haven’t we witnessed an overkill of Tsunderes?

Of all of the roles in The Devil is a Part Timer, one I find to be special is your typical human – Chiho Sasaki. She’s your standard meek high school girl in the beginning, but we find that she has strong feelings for Sadao Maou. While others may recognize her physical attributes (of course…) she’s a genuine character who fights for people she cares about. Unfortunately, many of the scenes she’s in can be overshadowed by a “unique” relationship with Emi Yusa, which is one of my only complaints when it comes to the 13 episode anime series. There is a sporadic placement of action in the series (all executed efficiently) with dramatic instances that are used well but the primary energy from the anime would be one of a character based comedy that pokes fun at real life.

The animation in The Devil is a Part Timer is another strongsuit for the series with enough to differentiate every character without overdoing the concept designs. The use of colors made the anime more appealing and detail oriented with splashes of bright tones as well as good timing for more muted tones to show a different side. The English voice cast brought fun personalities to The Devil is a Part Timer to recreate the zany qualities the series encompassed in Japanese and through the light novel/manga chapters. Josh Grelle (who voiced Sadao Maou) did a specifically excellent job of rebranding a character like satan to a goofball with his very own quirks – an MVP to an already impressive cast. If you are looking for an enjoyable anime series that offers a plethora of entertainment, creativity, and humanity as a whole, make sure to check out The Devil is a Part Timer on DVD and Blu-ray now – It’s earned the title of an anime classic!

Overall Score: 8/10

Aedan’s Final Thoughts:

-Sadao Maou was a great central character for the anime series.

-Chiho Sasaki may have been underused, but she was still  great part of The evil is a Part Timer.

-With so many options for the genre of the anime, it excelled as a comedy at its core.