Review: The Devil Is a Part-Timer! – Quirky and Fun

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Hataraku Maō-sama!, released in English as “The Devil Is A Part-Timer!”, is a Japanese light novel series written by Satoshi Wagahara, with illustrations by Oniku. 

The anime is produced by White Fox and directed by Naoto Hosoda. The anime aired 13 episodes between April 4 and June 27, 2013.

The Premise

The Demon Lord Satan seeks to conquer the world of Ente Isla by annexing its four continents with the help of his demon generals Alciel, Lucifer, Malacoda, and Adramelech. After being defeated by the hero Emilia and her companions, Satan and Alciel escape the world of Ente Isla through a gate to modern Tokyo, Japan.

However in the new contemporary world, owing to the absence of power, both Satan and Alciel shift into regular human beings.

Satan takes a part-time job at a fast food restaurant called MgRonald in order to survive, while Alciel works as his houseman. One day, Satan, now Sadao Maō, encounters a girl in the form of Emi Yusa, who is actually Emilia. The tale then unfolds and reveals each of the characters’ personalities and their moral beliefs. Other characters from Ente Isla emerge and they too, face the dilemmas of the new world, often comically.

(Source: hataraku fandom)

The Characters

Sadao Maou

The main protagonist of the series. He was a devil king in the world of Ente Isla with the main aim to conquer the world and rule over them as an Overlord but his plans were thwarted by the hero Emilia and he along with his general retreated to Tokyo, Japan by accident. He has a peculiar flair for theatrics and dramatic poses and speeches often resulting in comedic situations. His actions are often misunderstood by others due to his title of ‘devil-king’.

Emi Yusa

She is the female protagonist and the hero of the world Ente Isla. She defeats the demon army and forces Satan (Sadao) to escape to another world. She seeds deep hatred for Maou as he is responsible for her father’s death and vows to destroy him. So she follows him to modern-day Japan to fulfill her goal but ends up powerless and takes up a job as a call center agent.

She has a strong sense of justice and often gets into a conflict with Sadao regarding his choices and actions as Satan often lashes out at him causing mayhem in his life at inappropriate times. She is strong-willed and is one of the most powerful characters in the series.

Shirō Ashiya

He is one of Satan’s demon generals and was also transported to modern-day japan along with Sadao and Emilia. He takes care of all the domestic chores at the house and cares deeply for his king.

His relationship with Maou often comes as a mother-child relationship as he constantly worries about Maou and often complains about doing his domestic chores.

Hanzō Urushihara

He is also one of the demon generals and is termed the name Lucifer- the fallen angel. His appearance is of a skinny teen who lazes around the house and often tries to escape from doing any work.

His character is kinda similar to Ishigami from Kaguya-sama who is addicted to games and technology and does not want to socialize.

Suzuno Kamazuki

She is the next-door neighbor of Sadao and at first, like Emi, was intent on killing Sadao.

But she changed her stance as she got to know him as a person. She is the Chief of the Doctrinal Corrections Council who serves under the Church of Ente Isla. She is most commonly seen wearing a kimono as she only owns traditional clothes instead of modern ones.

The Pros

The biggest plus point of this show is its setting and super lovable characters. All the characters are hilarious and also well presented and drawn.

I really love Emi as a hero who defeated Satan and also an employee at a call center. She is quite spunky, cute and her relationship with Maou was quite entertaining to watch. Their relationship really is a strong pillar for the show.

The anime also shines in the sound department. Every time Maou turns into Satan mode, music really sends a chill down my spine every time especially the first time he uses his power against Lucifer.

The Cons

The show might not appeal to everyone due to its nature. Even though it is a comedy series it tries to get emotional at times but falls flat. This inconsistency in the tone is a huge downside to the show. Moreover, it is only 13 episodes(even though the light novels are completed with the story).

The Verdict

The major takeaway is how funny the show is. It takes itself seriously and makes fun of itself in a nice way that you never feel out of place or cringe while watching it. It is so damn funny and more importantly, it is hilarious because it is well written and also has an interesting premise.

The show is not trying to sell over the top cliches or dumb jokes as a comedy set-piece. That is what is truly interesting with Devil is a part-timer!.

I would encourage people to give it a go if you want to watch a fun series and have a good time as the show is not focused on epic battles or intense dramatic sequences as it focuses more on the daily exploits and dealing of these fantasy main characters who are looking for ways to earn money and get by.