First Impressions / Maoyuu Maou Yuusha

「いままでどこほっつき歩いていたのよ！」 (Ima Made Doko Hottsukiaruite ita no yo!)
“Where Have You Been?!”

More characters are introduced, and the story’s scale grows larger as powerful factions get involved with Maou’s plans. I feel like the story is picking up steam, with some of the conflicts that have been building promising to boil over in the episodes ahead.

Onna Kishi

One of the biggest events in this episode was the proper introduction of Onna Kishi (lit: Female Knight, Sawashiro Miyuki). There were signs of love triangle in the air, with Onna Kishi being so clearly torn up over Yuusha’s supposed death. That said, I wasn’t getting vibes of a true love triangle, in that two characters are seriously competing for the love of one person. Consider the following: Onno Kishi is now a nun, she’s very tsundere, and Yuusha is still going all deredere for Maou (and she in return). Given all that, I just don’t see Onna Kishi as a serious “threat”. Mostly she’ll just act as an impetus that pushes Maou and Yuusha’s relationship forward, such as we saw here when Maou got all jealous talking about Yuusha’s “old flames”. So cute!!

As for Onna Kishi herself, I liked her instantly, though to be fair any tough female character voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki gets automatic points in my book. The interesting thing was that her introduction emphasized a trait of Yuusha’s quite well. Despite becoming a prioress (definition: “a nun in charge of a priory or ranking next below the abbess of an abbey”, which basically means she’s in the top tier of middle management for an abbey), Yuusha knew that her feminine act was bullshit, and deftly brought the real her back out. A manly Onna Kishi is fine too! That, combined with how he noticed Maou’s sad faces (that even she didn’t realize she was making) shows how perceptive he is, even when he’s not always all that smart.

Potatoes for World Peace!

So we found out what was inside Maou’s box (hur hur hur…sorry) from last week, and it was none other than potatoes! This amused me to no end, since I’ve long claimed that potatoes are a miracle food. Think about it: they’re cheap, full of nutrients, easy to cook (and taste great, with only a little skill), and they’re cheap. (Clearly, you can see my favorite thing about them.) Plus, they’re off the charts on the satiety index! Maou adds to this the fact that they can grow almost anywhere, they do so underground (which stops birds to getting to them), and they do so quickly, allowing 3x the harvests of wheat. Clearly they are a miracle food, and fit into Maou’s plans quite nicely; the more people who are growing potatoes, the fewer who will starve to death, and it’ll let those impoverished Southern Nations (those are the cold ones) support themselves instead of having to fight the demons for aid money just to survive. Plus, if you add a little olive oil, paprika, some cayenne pepper, a little garlic powder, and toss em into the oven for a while, you get…frack. Now I’m hungry. Better write faster.

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The Compass, and Controlling the Alliance

The other big faction to get involved in the story was the Economic Alliance of Free Merchants and Southern Independent Cities, or simply the Alliance. What I found most fascinating was how Maou bought them so quickly. What she sent them was a dry compass, which is valuable for its ability to accurately tell what direction a ship is going, even if it’s pitching and rolling in violent seas. With this compass installed on their ships, the Alliance will lose far fewer shipments to getting thrown off course in bad weather, improving their profits through decreased risk. Maou sent them a veritable fortune in a box…and they know it. Already Seinen Shounin (lit: Young Merchant, Kamiya Hiroshi) is wondering what she is after.

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Onna Mahoutsukai & Kuro Kishi – Into the Demon World

Alas, the rabu-rabu times are about to go on hiatus, as Yuusha is off to find his old comrade Onna Mahoutsukai (lit: Female Magician, Fukuen Misato), who went into the demon world after him. For those of you who have been aching for more action, Yussha donning the black armor and becoming Kuro Kishi (lit: the Black Knight) in order to go around and “deal with” the rowdier demons in Maou’s absence (while quietly searching for Onna Mahoutsukai on the side) should give us some of that (probably). But what I most enjoyed was the last burst of lovey-dovey we got before he left.

Maou is just so cute!! Gushing aside, I loved Meido Chou’s lecture about Maou’s useless meat. For those who were wondering how Maou could possibly not realize how attractive she is, you have your answer. Clearly you need a new hobby, Meido Chou. And yes, perhaps Yuusha loses some points for passing up a wonderful opportunity in exchange for a kiss on the forehead, but he is nothing if not consistent (what a virgin). Mostly though, this little interaction proves that they’re both still awkward when it comes to love, and that Onna Kishi and Onna Mahoutsukai’s main roles (romantically speaking) will be to incite jealousy in Maou to move things forward. Oh, they’ll do other things as well – the OP is quite clear on that – I’m just not expecting this to become a harem comedy. Economics, politics, and useless meat, that’s the ticket!

Looking Ahead

More of Maou being jealous seems to be on the docket for next episode, as well as the first of Kuro Kishi’s sojourn into the demon world (I assume). Hopefully we’ll get to see some more demon-like demons, as well as how the political situation is on their side. Also, maybe some intimidating Yuusha as well? I guess we’ll find out!

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Onna Kishi, the church, the Alliance, & more all get into the action as Maou’s plans plow ahead. Also: eat potatoes for world peace! #Maoyuu

Random thoughts:

  • I like how Yuusha feels like the “Light Spirit” is more of a friend than an object of worship. It reminds me of warriors (soldiers, police officers, etc) who say that Death isn’t an enemy, but an old friend they’ve walked beside many times. To me, that’s a much more pleasant way to think of such things, and it’s in no way diminishing of a mortal’s pride. Plus, it makes Maou feel less guilty about using the church.
  • In case you haven’t realized by now, Maou and Yuusha don’t go by those names while in the human world, as that’d sort of blow their cover. Maou goes by Kurenai no Gakushi (lit: Crimson Scholar) and Yuusha goes by Shiro no Kenshi (lit: White Swordsman). Everyone’s “names” are job and attribute descriptions (according to an old Japanese literary tradition), so if they need a new one – or they change what they do – they can just change their names like that.
  • For some reason, I enjoy the fact that it’s Yuusha who has been teleporting them around. Forgive me for playing too many RPGs, but I tend to assume that the greatest fighters are going to be light in the magic department. To see him tossing out some powerful magic is fun indeed!
  • Between not being able to farm because he couldn’t control his strength, and getting 15 gold pieces and some flashy onee-chans to give a rousing speech that should have netted him several million, Yuusha really is a failure of a hero. Zetsubou deshita!
  • Special props for Meido Chou’s Zerg Theory of Romance. “In war, the most important things is quantity. Surround and overwhelm a man’s reason, and you don’t even need strategy!” Or is that the Xykon Theory of Romance? (If any of you get that reference, I mean the specific scene, I will love you forever. You massive nerds you.)

Full-length images: 05, 07, 13, 15, 16, 17, 28.

 

Preview

118 Comments

    2. I’m watching seven shows from this Winter 2013 schedule so far, & I don’t know if that number is considered weak or in the ‘OK’ region. It is weak compared to the previous one, but it does make me appreciate the ones that I’m watching including Maoyuu Maou Yuusha.

      HD
      Reply

      1. yeah i just mean that in the manga i really liked those scenes heroxmaou but in the anime they did not make me feel anything. so i atributed that to it being a little rushed or the little thing they skip in the animation.

        Ely
        Reply

    2. That’s the risk you always get with adaptations. With everything they have to do (and constrained to an arbitrarily decided 12 episodes), some things get lost. I think they’re doing a pretty good job of showing their relationship, but not necessarily making us feel it. They’re doing that too to a degree, just not as much as they might.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. This is only 12 episodes?! Oh… *rewatches OP* Okay, now I’m officially worried. They’ve been doing about 2 chapters an episode without that much being lost, but it looks like they’re trying to cover at least 23 chapters, and as things pick up the constraint will definitely be a problem >.<

        Aex
        Reply

  6. This show is turning into SAO for me.

    Interpret that sentence however you’d like, folks. I won’t confirm nor deny it, I won’t, I won’t, I tell ya.
    (Disclaimer: I’m not comparing the two shows like comparing macintosh apple and fuji apple. I’m merely stating how the said-show is turning into for me. My student lawyer helped me with wording of these.)

    deathtogenericshows
    Reply

      2. tldr: you believe yourself to be far more valuable than what your true market value is, get over yourself and don’t be a lazy ass.

        why should we be going back into the SAO comments just to find out what YOUR opinion is? as much as a little unique snowflake you believe yourself to be, you’re really no one of importance to most readers and you shouldn’t expect people to research YOUR comment history because you’re too lazy to explain yourself.

        the least you could have done is provide one or two links because not only was your request ridiculous, there is no easy method to get to a specific user’s comment history.

        RickyMack
        Reply

    3. Well, I guess that leaves you open to blind guessing!

      I’d say you got curious because of the hype train, went in with a sense of trepidation, was wowed by the first episode and then felt slightly uncertain after three.

      I don’t think it’s going to completely SAO you because there isn’t a proverbial Fairy Dance halfway through. Interpret THAT as you please.

      Vsin
      Reply

      1. The original phrase belongs to David Hume, one of the greatest figures of western philosophy and was quoted by Gendou Ikari in the original Evangelion series during the Blackout of Tokyo 3. Such a sad statment that nobody could refuse.

        haseo0408
        Reply

    4. Well despite what you may think of it, that hunger for money is one of the major driving forces for advancement of technology in general that eventually trickles down to everyone. Unless you’re someone who thinks that we should just strive to create a happy world where no one harms anyone (see hippies, greenpeace, etc) then we pretty much need to live with it and even encourage it.

      ergZay
      Reply

    1. If to say that meaning they’re overpowered characters hat their tag team can ultimately destroy the universe… yes.

      However Maou wants stability and world peace by playing behind the scenes. So being Mary Sue and Gary Stu here isn’t going to help them one bit without a brain to match.

      TheMoondoggie
      Reply

    2. You’re wrong, though I can see why you say that. Both of them are very skilled in their chosen professions, so it seems like they can tackle any problem without any trouble. However, things are only heating up at this moment, so none of this has gotten to the level to severely tax their abilities. Also, each of them have shown weakness – Yuusha in anything that isn’t fighting, Maou in love. There’s also the huge scope of their ambitions and how slowly and steadily they’re going about pursuing them to refute your thought.

      Here’s the rule of thumb I use to judge whether a character is a mary sue. Traditionally it means a self-insert of the author, but that is not bad…every character has a part of the author in them, and some of them who are even acknowledged author avatars (Neshinbara from Kyoukaisen, for instance) are well-rounded and complex characters.

      I mark a character as a mary sue when they are so ridiculously competent at so many things as to trivialize any conflict they become embroiled in. If this were a battle anime, Yuusha may be a gary stu, but it is not; fighting is a side thing, and besides even Yuusha isn’t enough to take down the enemies they would potentially face, which is to say, entire armies (which a mary sue can usually do). Likewise, if Maou was a mary sue, she wouldn’t spend so much time teaching commoners about potatoes and playing politics with greedy humans; she would in effect wave her hand and solve problems that have thwarted many without breaking a sweat.

      That’s what makes Maou and Yuusha not mary sues; yes, they’re very competent, but the scope of their own ambitions are so great that they need to be extremely competent to even have a shot of getting anywhere. It will be later that their abilities will be taxed.

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Thanks for the clarification, to me, it feels like everyone is just going along with Maou’s plan without putting up much of a ‘interesting’ fight(and I don’t mean physical combat), but like you said it’s probably too early to judge.
        Since there were many comparisons between this and ‘Spice and Wolf’ I should probably mention that I didn’t watch ‘Spice and Wolf’ simply because the idea of a merchant and wolf deity traveling together and ‘trading’ wasn’t appealing to me – and it still isn’t.

        This just my personal preference, but economics and politics by themselves are boring, if they added war elements(don’t interpret this to mean some mindless sword slashing though) from a show like ‘Kingdom’ to this show then it would be much more interesting for me.
        Well at least the romance elements are kind of refreshing.

        shadowalker
        Reply

    3. I’ve read comments on forums about Yuusha being a “Gary-Stu”, and like it or not, he is one in terms of combat.
      Show Spoiler ▼

      The irony is that his combat omnipotence is part of the endless cycle in which the two worlds are trapped as Maou explained in EP 01. Stilt’s and TheMoondoggie are entirely correct in that being “Gary-Stu” doesn’t help Yuusha achieve his goals. Even if Yuusha only fights to when necessary to achieve his & Maou’s goals, there’s the risk that by always leading (and winning) such battles, everyone ultimately becomes dependent upon him. No one else (or too few) will develop the skills and confidence needed to solve such problems when he’s no longer around. Similar to “insect vs. human” debate shown last episode. Being “Gary-Stu” actually limits Yuusha. Clever writing by the author IMO.

      Maou, however, is definitely not “Mary-Sue” (OT but does that really sound like a term for omnipotence?). Yuusha is far stronger in terms of combat. Stilts does a good job of giving reasons why, but I’ll add one more. If Maou was “Mary-Sue” she wouldn’t need Yuusha’s help in the first place. Maou’s been around far longer than Yuusha has been alive. “Mary-Stu” Maou could have acted long ago.

      Show Spoiler ▼

      There’s no reason to be concerned about “Mary/Gary/Larry-Stu” issues here. Challenges will arise for the two. Also, while Maou and Yuusha might be labeled as the “main” characters, the story does not solely revolve around them. More than just one or two “minor” characters play an important role.

      daikama
      Reply

  9. Aw, I was hoping after last week they were going to give Yuusha just a touch more testosterone, but no, he’s back to being a little too skittish about the lovey stuff. Would it have killed him to at least give Maou her kiss? 🙁

    Otherwise this was another good episode, and Ona Kishi is a great character. We’ll get more of a love triangle later after the convent is built, but it’s definitely more in fun then in drama. Always great character relations in this show, and a jealous Maou is a cute Maou. I have mixed feelings about the next arc, but the action does pick up, and Kuro Kishi is a badass! 😀

    The Alliance seems kinda scary at first, but I’m looking to see them go toe-to-toe with Maou. Poor fools…

    Aex
    Reply

    1. Maybe he’s just saving up that testosterone for when he needs to kick some demon ass. Nah, probably just not good with women. Besides, the first experience of love for most people are probably pretty average; this guy’s first experience is with a large-breasted, king of all demons – no pressure there Bud.

      7godeohs
      Reply

  10. 3 months in blue hero & red queen go a church who meet with knight-nun who worked with blue hero as where were you & slap the hero for it?

    give all patch up give mage is still search for hero yet red queen reason to chruch to expand it have a church for red queen’s area give her box of POTATO & nun-knight is in.

    all well give red queen is concern about the alliance faction group while hero worry for mage so red queen give hero a dark armor to handle demon land & get the mage.

    while also red queen worry her “potato” are not good for hero with top maid going make “sure” it ok.

    tatoes
    Reply

  11. I also found the fact that Maou’s secret weapon was potatoes to be kind of funny but also very cleaver. I had been wondering how they were going to cover up Maou given that nobody has real names here, so just calling her another profession made me fell kind of dumb for not figuring out before.

    Also it seems as if our brave hero needs to man up a bit.

    xephx
    Reply

  12. I’m starting to think Maou is too good for Yuusha. She’s apparently smart enough to spot an Idiot Hero’s harem a mile away. She really needs to step up her seduction, like negotiating with her HUUUUGE…..tracts of land.

    Random thought: Of Maou is using the Church’s influence to spread the Potato crop does that make it the Order of the Potato? I like it, it has a nice ring to it.

    So it seems we have a minor antagonist now, Capitalist Scumbags! Where’s Recette when you need her?

    fragb85
    Reply

      4. @TheMoondoggie your brother is lying to you! 😛 when you slice potatoes thin… theyre potatoe chips google tells us so! GOOGLE IS NEVER WRONG!!! french fries are strips you can call em thin strips are usually thick 😛 whos eaten thinly sliced french fries lols its a potato chip not teh lame british “fish and chips” as in fries …
        http://lmgtfy.com/?q=thinly+sliced+potatoes
        enjoy!

        GoodStuffs
        Reply

  15. My, I’m impressed, Maou. That was quite an ace you had up your sleeve. Potatoes are indeed a miracle food, one that changed the face of western civilization. It became the default food for the poor masses, for one, and continues to play an important role even today (hell, I eat them myself multiple times a week – probably because I am a poor bastard). Using the church was a good idea as well, given that they tended to provide the knowledge for the common people back in the day (as biased as it could be), ensuring news gets around and ideas are spread.

    She’s quite growing on me, because she’s proven that it’s not just idealism driving her – the lady’s got a plan and plenty of preparation (both in resources and knowledge) to carry it out. Looking at the Alliance though, though she may be trying to control them now, it’s pretty obvious these guys are going to become a huge problem later. Oh well, nobody said changing the world would be easy.

    Her sidekick, the Hero, plays less of a role comparatively, serving mostly as a way for her to get around, get connections and make herself less suspicious. Still, if the final scenes are any indication, it’s his turn to shine now. Also, the interactions of the two are getting better by the second. Useless meat indeed.

    I quite liked this episode overall, and it was in my opinion the best one so far. Let’s hope it keeps this up, and it might become my show of the season (not that that’s hard, but still).

    Dvalinn
    Reply

    1. One, not mentioned thing about potatoes was they could not be used to feed horses of the marauding armies/brigands, leaving farmers with something to eat in the wake of military marches. This alone ensured Bonaparte’s campaign’s were less destructive than 30-years war, despite much bigger scope.
      The Merchant Alliance – notably similar to the Hanseatic League – seems like double edged sword. They obviously would revel with greater overall prosperity, after all peasants growing from serfs into real farmers means enormous new market to sell things to. On the other hand they are jealous of any profits and seek to guard any inventions closely, which might put our odd pair in trouble.
      Female Knight instantly reminded me of Brienne form Game of Thrones, only a bit prettier. I dont see her much in terms of a love rival, the Mage girl though… let’s just say, she went to look for the Hero in the middle of enemy country. One does not do such things without some great feeling.

      ewok40k
      Reply

  16. Potatoes are all well and good but if you base your entire food supply around it a bit of potato blight might just kill off 1 million or so of your peasants. Plus they were a bit exaggerated in their description, the do not do well in hard ground, nor do you get 3 crops a year without modern fertilizers or warm climates. But that’s just a farmers opinion.

    Cracked1
    Reply

    1. Very much this. The dangers of mono-cropping, the errant assumption of ultra-modern growth/cultivation technique (at least they don’t suggest the application of modern, potentially hazardous phosphate fertilizers), and even the simple dangers of starch overloaded diets…

      I guess the ability to produce “another” crop that may enjoy a quantitative advantage over some of their existing stock in certain locations is a bit better than doing nothing. Probably.

      It’s awesome to have the informed opinion of a farmer onboard! Since agriculture seems to be in the spotlight a lot lately, mayhaps you can shed a critical eye on other such policies implemented by our hard-hitting duo in the future.

      hoiut
      Reply

      1. I’m not sure if you thought Maou was suggesting everyone mono-crop or not, so I apologize if I read you wrong. Anyways, it was definitely more of Maou showing the church and the people something new to add to their farming arsenal. She sees too much of the big picture to start telling people to disregard their other crops in favor of one, plus that would make her four-field-rotation from last episode less purposeful. Plus she also isn’t one to expect everyone to listen to only her, so again with just introducing the idea of the potato to people who had never seen one before. She’ll advise them how to handle it, but never tell them outright.

        Aex
        Reply

    3. I don’t think it’s a slip. Maou did mention that whole four-crop rotation last episode (as noted above), so even if some fields get taken up by potatoes, I don’t think she’s abandoned that. After all, if they’re having to cut rabu-rabu Maou x Yuusha time to fit everything in, then I don’t think they’d have wasted time with something that didn’t matter 😛

      But yeah, mono cropping isn’t a good idea. Just ask the Irish. Still, it’s the people dying steadily every day from starvation, with their deaths unheralded and instantly forgotten, that rack up the death count most quickly. That makes the potato a powerful weapon.

      Stilts
      Reply

    4. Read up on the Irish potato famine. The blight didn’t kill the millions, British policy. Ireland during the famine actually had a Food Surplus which the British ship out to its other colonies. It is not a Exaggeration to call the British Policy toward Ireland at the time Genocide.

      Xellos^_-
      Reply

  17. I wonder about the worldview of the source author. Portraying the Church as a bunch of do-gooders but hammering us with symbolic statements like “No, there’s no Guidance of God here — this is the Creation of Man, of beings with soul” and of course the obvious “Thank goodness you don’t worship God, because I’m going to use their institution for my own ends — all for their own good of course!”

    That said, it’s extremely interesting our savory Maou is bringing in a wealth of modernized technologies and techniques to the comparatively primitive natives (setting aside the nitpick that some of the more “modern” farm crops/techniques are actually facing new criticisms in light of emerging historical and nutritional evidence). Where is she getting this knowledge? Is she inventing these things? Or is she finding them elsewhere in the world (teleportation!) and implementing her “top picks” in areas of need? Either way, she seems rather brilliant — almost too brilliant for the likes of our comparatively banal Yuusha. Lucky guy, no? 😉

    hoiut
    Reply

    1. They kinda-sorta hand-wave it in the anime, but this is stuff she learned in the Demon World. The Human World is pretty far behind in terms of cultivation and education, so humans need the continuing war more than demons do, which is partially why this experiment is being done over there. Demons need the war too, but it’s more that they have bothersome leaders that love to fight and cause trouble.

      Yuusha is also just a different sort of smart. He’s the military tactics and action side of the pair. You’ll see later that he’s rather good at working a military situation to his advantage, as well as playing both sides to do just what his side needs. He’s also charismatic and knows how to talk to stubborn general-types when they shouldn’t be bothering Maou. When fights start up, Maou switches roles to support, but things are peaceful right now so she’s center-stage and unintentionally making Yuusha seem blander than he is. But yes, Yuusha is definitely a lucky SOB 😀

      Aex
      Reply

    2. On the church, I would put it at “accurate”. While churches can get up to sketchy things (as is the case with any human enterprise), these really were the kinds of things the church did in our own comparative time period. Add in the fact that they cherry-picked a convent that they knew would be receptive to Maou’s plans (why else pick one far away, ne?) and it makes sense.

      As for Maou and Yuusha’s own personal belief systems…well, I talked about Yuusha’s in the post, but I think Maou can believe whatever she wants. Especially since I agree with her ^^

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. The time period seems to have been established as the (approximate) equivalent of mid-late Medieval England, where the merchant trade was beginning to flourish and people began to need more education in earnest.

        Some (easy, very short) reading:
        Education: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_education.htm
        Church: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_church.htm
        Farming: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/medieval_farming1.htm

        In this time period, it was of great benefit to the Church to keep the general populace ignorant so they could not read the Bible themselves, forcing them to rely on the Church’s interpretation — which inevitably capitalized on their “heaven monopoly” to demand large food taxes from the peasants, which were stored in silos and (with alarming frequency) were left to spoil there.

        The anime seems to get the social stratification, older farming practices, presence of starvation, merchant war profiteering, and other aspects of the period fairly right, but it seems in their attempt to portray merchants as “bad” right now they are painting the Church in unrealistically good colors to fill the role the merchants often funded during the period — education.

        hoiut
        Reply

      2. You’re right that the church wasn’t big on overly educating commoners in general, but that’s just with reading and writing. When it came to farming practices (which is what Maou wants to spread), I’m sure at least portions of the church were willing to spread that particular good word through out the period…especially when you have the luxury of teleporting around to cherry-pick a willing church, as Maou and Yuusha did.

        That said, you’re right about how Yuusha mentioned that everyone learns to read and write at the church…if what he said is meant to be taken literally. Did he mean everyone (as in anyone that wants to), or everyone that happens to learn how to read and write does so at a church? Remember, even Maou was only teaching a few students, and they weren’t exactly commoners – they were a young noble, merchant, and soldier in particular. Add that into the fact that most commoners don’t have time for things like this when they’re just trying to get by, and it’s looking about right.

        All that said, it might not be setup here exactly as it is, but it follow the general motions in a way I find acceptable. So far the church is being painted as better than the merchants, but that’s in the first episode of their inclusion. Perhaps this won’t change in this series, but nothing seen so far precludes it. This is just the beginning!

        Stilts
        Reply

    3. RE: The Church: The Church may seem to have nothing but good intentions, but keep in mind that as the sole provider of “education”, that also means that it controls education and thus what people learn and who gets to learn.

      Also Show Spoiler ▼

      Just to clarify, the demon world is not much more advanced in terms of technology than the human world. There are marked differences, such as environment, as one would expect, but the two worlds share a number of similarities as well.

      Show Spoiler ▼

      daikama
      Reply

      1. This is interesting. I think maybe the anime’s dialog (or the particular translation I’ve seen) just resulted in a few misunderstandings, then.

        Good to know! I’m eager to see what progressive idea the entrenched theocracy has to contend with next courtesy of our Crimson Scholar.

        hoiut
        Reply

  20. Another great episode this week. On top of the wonderful plot and character developments, I have got to compliment on the OST. The music fits very well into the story and is a nicely fresh breeze to any given scene.

    Kaka
    Reply

  21. Saving the world one potato at a time. The pacing wastes little time in showing the fruits of Maou’s plan while simultaneously unveiling the likelihood of future struggles in the form of the Alliance. The approach this show is taking to meet its end goal is rather brilliant thus far. And when the plot doesn’t have your undivided attention, the character interactions certainly will.

    Shouko
    Reply

  22. I know it’s bad…but I can’t help but think of the potato famines that struck Ireland, and how terrible it would mean to our duo’s plans if such a blight hit them :(.

    Edit: ah, cracked1 beat me to it!

    Zanibas
    Reply

  23. So Maou and Yuusha have real names? Hope to know their real name soon. You dun go around calling someone you like their official title…

    If potato is really the solution we are looking for. Time to give everyone a plot of land and potato to start growing potato for everyone!!! Potato used for bio-fuel, we should focus technology around potato. World leaders need to know this!

    Tingster013
    Reply

    1. Those are their names (sort of). The author is using an old Japanese storytelling technique whereby characters aren’t given “proper” names, but instead descriptive job titles. As their “true” descriptors and professions, you can consider Maou and Yuusha their true names. We’re not getting anything more than that.

      Stilts
      Reply

  24. Unfortunately being in business, I can certainly say I’ve had enough of the attitude of everyone around me looking solely to keep profit to themselves, but then again, you can’t exactly blame them either.
    http://i.imgur.com/5A6Tm.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/CKjt0.jpg
    “Excuse me, Ma’am, this is just a random inspection. What? You can’t leave the house? Its okay, we’ll come to you.”
    Sidestory to all the economics plot: Maou attempts to find a use for her useless meat.

    D
    Reply

  25. Another amazing episode this week, one which I immensely enjoyed.

    Looking forward to the Hero’s adventures in the Demon World, and a glimpse into how demon society works and how the War affects them.
    Also looking forward to how the Queen will handle the Alliance once they come a knocking.

    Also,I understand that the Human World needs the War for the economic growth and benefits to their nations, but just how does the Demon World profit from the War? Is it monetary reasons also?

    zztop
    Reply

    1. We’ll find out later, but as the answer is noted in comments above, I’ll go ahead and throw it under a spoiler tag if you’re interested:

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Stilts
      Reply

  26. Xykon Theory of Romance? (If any of you get that reference, I mean the specific scene, I will love you forever. You massive nerds you.)

    Xykon’s speech when he fought Dorukan was classic 🙂

    Energy drain…heh.

    muchan
    Reply

  29. Maou is using my favorite fun strategy in Civ4, winning through religious victory. Taking over towns and cities through religion, sending your minions to do the dirty work (lol, converting everyone via potatoes). This anime is just boring fun, love it.

    Jhacks
    Reply

  30. I FINALLY started watching this show and I love what I’m watching.

    It does has an intellectual flair to it.

    That aside, its nice to see Dere-ban in action and finally I now know why the head maid sounds and acts so familiar…. Hitagi in the flash! (Only found that out after reading the previous post)

    c2710
    Reply

  31. Plus, if you add a little olive oil, paprika, some cayenne pepper, a little garlic powder, and toss em into the oven for a while, you get…

    Anyone got quick & simple potato recipe that doesn’t require oven? I only have skillet & stove …
    T_T

    LGrey
    Reply

    1. Slice em up and throw em in a skillet with a little oil and whatever seasoning you deem fit. Probably wouldn’t put the heat on too high, lest you’ll burn one side when you really want them to cook through. That all depends on how thin you slice them, though. All those spices and whatnot I mentioned should work fine for this.

      …not that I’ve done this before, mind you, I just figure it’ll probably work ^^

      Stilts
      Reply

  34. Wow, it’s been a while since I last saw a character with freckles in an anime.

    btw. Stilts, I’m not sure you noticed but potatoes being off the charts is not entirely a positive thing. Sure they make you full, but they are also off the chart on the sugar crash side, so the energy they give you doesn’t last at all. So according to this chart, if you need energy for a days work, there’s nothing worse than potatoes.

    Zannafar
    Reply

    1. Actually, it doesn’t mean that. They’re off the chart to the top left, which means they’re high on the Y axis (which measures satiation…how full they make you feel) and extremely low on the X axis, which measures the sugar crash. So there’s nothing better to eat to prepare you for a long day’s work!

      (Though for my own laziness, I’m quite the fan of almonds. Many of the same benefits, and a lot easier to prepare…which is to say, they require none, heh)

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. Yes, it is extremely low on the x-axis.
        The problem is that low on the x-axis means a high chance of sugar crash, so the lower it is, the quicker you will feel fatigued.
        So the higher a food is on the top right of the chart, the more it fills you and the more efficient it gives you energy. Potatoes on the top left fill you the most, but also are the most inefficient at giving you energy.

        Zannafar
        Reply

      3. Okay, so I read a bit more on the topic and I have to add two points in favor of potatoes.

        The first point is the type of work you do shortly after eating. Someone who has a desk job, which is very common in modern society, actually has a higher risk of sugar crash than someone whose job involves hard physical labour. This is because physical labour raises the amount of energy that needs to be replenished, making the carbohydrate intake more efficient and lowering the amount of insulin the body produces (the cause of the sugar crash). Physical work cannot completely prevent sugar crash, but delays it by quite a bit of time.

        The second point is what you eat along with the potatoes. If you eat food with a high amount of proteins, the proteins will slow the intake of carbohydrates, while the carbohydrate increases the speed of the protein intake.
        So basically, the best kind of food if you do physical work is something made from potatoes and meat, with the potatoes sating you and the meat giving you energy.

        Zannafar
        Reply

  35. Yuusha’s character is very well done. When I expect him to be defensive (as was pointed out
    that the was basically tricked to accept almost nothing for fighting), he is honest with himself;
    his character doesn’t get all silly.

    Likewise with Maou. Very confident in “business”, but very demure when it comes to their budding
    romance, offering suggestion to Yuusha as to what she wants without making him feeling obligated
    or inferior. Very good writing, IMHO.

    Can’t wait to see how the rescue will pan out next week!

    mac65
    Reply

  37. I thought it was Maou doing the teleporting, but it turned out to be Yuusha lol

    I like how the show seems more like a slice of life type of thing and that the setting isn’t some school.

    Magoiichi
    Reply

  40. “For some reason, I enjoy the fact that it’s Yuusha who has been teleporting them around. Forgive me for playing too many RPGs, but I tend to assume that the greatest fighters are going to be light in the magic department. To see him tossing out some powerful magic is fun indeed!”

    I’m a bit out-of-touch with the latest RPGs, but aren’t most RPG protagonists/hero(ine)s afaik supposed to be all-rounders or at least jack-of-all-trades, capable of both might and magic? Especially in the older games, and gamebooks like the Lone Wolf series, where Hero more or less = Superman =3

    A Random Comment
    Reply

    1. You’re right, but I think I was mentally translating “Hero” to “Warrior”, on account of not having seen him do anything but brandish his sword. That’s what happens when most of the RPGs you play (which is to say, I play, or used to when I had more time) are MMOs, heh

      Stilts
      Reply

      1. I’ll back you up on that Stilts. Not an MMO player or rabid RPG fan per se, but most RPGS I’ve played (Diablo series, Dragon Age & similar) all have fairly defined classes with “warriors” usually limited in ability to cast magic without any external device (scroll/wand/etc.). Some games, like Path of Exile, do allow players to really mix up traditional roles (ex. two-handed maul wielding “witches” or magic attack based marauders).

        daikama
        Reply

      2. On that note though, what makes him a “Hero” is his natural power in multiple areas, not just the sword. The label “Hero” usually carries with it some special/unique ability, like possibly multi-classing, so I never found the teleportation strange. He even has some pretty boss magic that we’ll see later.

        Aex
        Reply

      3. @Aex:

        Agree 100% – in terms of Yuusha. I was commenting only in regards to my RPG gaming experience. As for “Heroes” in general, gah… far too many examples either way to say definitively in terms of “multi-class” or “single class” IMO.

        daikama
        Reply

  42. “though to be fair any tough female character voiced by Sawashiro Miyuki gets automatic points in my book.” Agreed! And having Chiwa Saito voice the head maid is just spot on casting, it just works so incredibly well…

    imperfectblue
    Reply

    1. But… That was the way how their keep their “secrets” in the medieval Time. Mostly they put the Persons with this Knowledge in Prison until they Die. So that no one else could benefit from it. Yes, Medieval Times was not so “peacefully” as like like imagine. Holy Knights, Excalibur and so on. Where there is Light, there is also Shadow

      Lets try to keep the World in Light and Warm place

      Germanguy
      Reply

  44. MASHED POTATOES!!! Instant credit for introducing my favorite food! Seriously though, potatoes were one of the big factors that allowed Europe’s population to boom, leading to industrialization. Especially in Prussia. It seems that Maou’s trying to work towards an industrial revolution by introducing new crops and technologies. Reminds me of the book “Guns, Germs, and Steel” which I read over Christmas and some fictional books where a small group of people gets sent back in time and try to industrialize the ancient world. Speaking of, how does Maou know all this stuff? Is it common knowledge in the Demon world, or is she just really smart and learned?

    Hochmeister
    Reply

    1. It’s a bit of both. The more basic ideas she’s implementing are stuff that’s well known in the Demon World, but Maou is also really smart, even for a Demon, and building on those ideas. Her intelligence is partially how she became Maou despite not being as strong as other Demon generals.

      Aex
      Reply

    2. “Guns, Germs and Steel” is true masterpiece! Speaking of that, I think our Maou will try to address sanitation and hygiene, too!
      Another thing that caught my attebntion is how the small, resourceless village was chosen purposefully similar to the Terminus in “Foundation” series by Asimov…

      ewok40k
      Reply

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