First Impressions / Maoyuu Maou Yuusha

「剣を取って、我が主」 (Ken o Totte, Waga Omo)
“Take This Sword, My Lord”

“They say when you encounter something big, something your experience and knowledge can’t handle, you change.” It’s true, Seinen Shounin, and you aren’t the only one who has changed. Let’s talk about heroes.

Seinen Shounin Joins the Conspiracy

First off, colour me impressed. While I thought that Meido Ane’s acting was actually quite good – for a second I even thought that Koshimizu Ami was doing the voice, instead of Tomatoes – Seinen Shounin saw through her instantly. More interesting though, was the interaction between him and Yuusha. What struck me first was how much Yuusha has changed, in that he was able to recognize how much Seinen Shounin has changed. That kind of perception is almost Maou-like, which is good to see. Yuusha really is coming into his own, and stepping up to her level in ways he once couldn’t – or more probably, didn’t realize he could.

I also enjoyed how Yuusha decided to bring Seinen Shounin into the conspiracy. He’s a good judge of character, though I suppose he always has been – maybe the only reason he has so impressed me here is that he’s finally getting a chance to shine with more than his overpowered combat abilities. I wasn’t sure what he meant by his price for Gate City, though. He wants Seinen Shounin to show him that which cannot be expressed by loss and gain. Peace? Love? Happiness? I’m not sure, though maybe he just wants Seinen Shounin to keep growing. That’s an exciting proposition for me, because for a man who can see the worth of Gate City at a glance to become even more formidable…well, he could be a great ally indeed. A greater one.

Maou, Onna Mahoutsukai, & Meido Chou’s Promise

I wanted a little more from the meeting between Onna Mahoutsukai and Maou, but I guess that wasn’t to be. More interesting were the words that passed between Maou and Meido Chou. It sounds as if dancing with the former demon kings may make Maou lose herself. That Meido Chou would promise to slay her if need be…well, consider my curiosity piqued. More please!

Yuusha’s Knight

Perhaps it is providence that I was reading some of the Medaka Box manga earlier that dealt with a similar theme. It is comforting in a way to devote yourself totally to another, because once you do, you no longer have to doubt. The way ahead is clear, your duty is obvious – do absolutely everything in your power for that person you so admire, and that is it. That said, I’ve never been much of a fan of such plot lines, so I wasn’t sure how to feel about Onna Kishi asking Yuusha to make her his knight. I will say this, though – it was a bit heartrending to know that she did it because she realized she could never beat Maou for Yuusha’s affections. Other than that, LOL to Yuusha for his last line. You think there’s a return policy on a knight’s service? Sorry bud, but once you take her, you take her until death. It’s kind of like…ufufu~

Looking Ahead – The Heroes They Need

Damn the Church and damn their leaders! While they were being painted as pretty good up until now – or at least, Onna Kishi’s branch was – their equivalent of the Pope and his cronies have pulled some political bullshit to try to get rid of someone they see as a threat. With the true Kurenai no Gakushi still away, it falls to the others to figure out what to do.

I was once again struck by how Maou-like Yuusha has become. When everyone else was flustered and didn’t know what to do, he stood up and acted like a true leader. Or really, as a hero. I especially liked how he admonished Toujaku Ou, tell him to not say what they were all thinking, and that he would do it instead. He was right – it would be best if Toujaku Ou never acquires the habit of treating his people like pawns that can be sacrificed to appease foreign powers. Once he starts down that road…well, it’s better for Yuusha to step forward and do what needs to be done instead. After all, that’s what a hero can do.

Speaking of heroes, we have another one in Meido Ane. Though I’m sure she trusts Yuusha to save her, it takes guts to step into the dragon’s jaws. Really, it was a good scene overall. Between her bravery, her little sister’s confusion, the regret from Rou Yumihei and the others, and Yuusha’s heroic resolve – and all tied together with the darkness, the flickering fire, and the hauntingly beautiful music playing in the background – it conveyed the character’s frustrated worry quite well. I look forward to Meido Ane selling her role hard next episode, and hopefully Yuusha’s big damn hero moment (trope!) when he pulls her out of the fire.

tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – Glory be to the show of highly competent characters! Seinen Shounin, Yuusha, Onna Kishi, Meido Ane…too many badasses to list out! #maoyuu

Random thoughts:

  • Meido Imouto almost toppling over during the tea scene was adorable. Loved how Seinen Shounin looked like he was going to have a heart attack ! Side note: I really enjoy how Meido Imouto carries a little footstool on her back. Clever girl.
  • There was some major QUALITY again this episode. C’mon ARMS, stop skimping on the animation budget! Also, stop skimping on the Karyuu Koujo as well. She’s awesome!
  • An ecchi, boob-oggling Yuusha and Seinen Shounin are nice too.

Author’s note: Sorry for the late post. I usually try to do this post before I go out drinkin’, but I planned badly yesterday. Sorry about that! I’ll try to do better next time.

Full-length images: 06, 10, 26.

 

Preview

52 Comments

  2. I had to laugh at the two oggling the girls, just like from the manga…though I do like the manga’s Dragon Princess more….something about her face is more appealing than the anime’s version.
    But, all that aside, great episode. =D

    Silivious
    Reply

    1. I agree. I like more the design of the sleeve. But not bad design of the anime, I think only if her hair was different, she would look more beautiful.
      It might be good that they had used oriental dragon horns or other characteristic as a dragon for his clan.
      I guess this design that hides its tail more is for ease of animation, as I suppose is the same reason skipped the battles of Yuusha

      Shadow74
      Reply

  3. Author’s note: Sorry for the late post. I usually try to do this post before I go out drinkin’, but I planned badly yesterday. Sorry about that! I’ll try to do better next time.

    Lolz, things happen, we understand…;)

    It is comforting in a way to devote yourself totally to another, because once you do, you no longer have to doubt. The way ahead is clear, your duty is obvious – do absolutely everything in your power for that person you so admire, and that is it.

    It’s a double-edged sword. Purge yourself of doubt for a state of mindlessness; i.e. you follow the other’s lead blindly, never questioning. If he somehow ends up going astray, then so do you- of course, for our perfect (fictional) Hero, that is hardly a concern; things are quite different in reality, however.

    And it is also wholly self-sacrificial. In many cases you will be forced to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of the other’s. Unless of course it is one of those cases where “his happiness is my happiness”- this usually doesn’t happen outside of romantic/familial relationships…and where it is not present, all you are left with is a sad state of self-denial…

    Zen
    Reply

  4. It’s about time this anime started to show itself – right when I was expecting a chopped up mess every week. This was easily the best episode so far, & easily the most complete so far (minus the magician part of course). Hopefully they’ll stick with the script a bit more often from now on.

    Megas
    Reply

  5. “Damn the Church and damn their leaders! While they were being painted as pretty good up until now – or at least, Onna Kishi’s branch was – their equivalent of the Pope and his cronies have pulled some political bullshit to try to get rid of someone they see as a threat.”

    I can agree, the equivalent of the Church in our world where they are painted as “good” when their actions make demons look more humane; I can feel each episode the audience is likely getting a mix of joy ( from seeing Maou’s plan working) and irritation (from the rotten rulers and church’s action) as we the audience are aware of the True antagonist rather than the Hero’s formal one-sided view of Demons “being evil.”

    I find it ironic that, with each episode, the Hero’s formal view he had, before he met Maou, becomes more of dangerous. As we notice, “demons being evil” was just simple Brainwashing that the Hero had, though the Hero is slowly seeing the truth, there are plenty of shit heads, both old and young, that strongly believe the Church is “Good” while the demons are “evil.”

    In the end, the Hero realize his formal views were a HUGE mistake, and thanks to someone like Maou, the possibility of humans and demons coexisting is possible. But that is the fact, had someone like Maou hadn’t exist, the hero would likely, in the end, commit Seppuku if he had did something that promoted the enslavement of demons.

    L002
    Reply

    1. The church is bad, but not religion. In today’s world from the past, the false priests who obtained power by treatment with kings or other rulers. People also were ignorant of their religion, suffering from hunger, disease and poverty. They had no access to the few books that existed, unable to read or write. The few good priests were deceived, threatened and expelled, even executed.

      Ignorance is what really takes away freedom, fall cheated the mercy of other people, you lose your free will. My religion taught me that I was born free, I have free will, I can believe in God or not, I can hate him or love him. But how I can hate him who gave me life, freedom and intelligence to listen and understand him?
      If I can hate someone, would who dare to offend God and use his name to lies, to hurt people and prevent us to learn that God made ​​us free

      Shadow74
      Reply

    2. Rule of thumb: in any human institution of significant size or duration, the chance of there being evil people approaches one, and the chance of it eventually being corrupted or lead by those evil people rises markedly. That’s not to say that big and enduring = bad, but it surely makes it harder to to keep things on the straight and narrow. Churches, nations, corporations, cultures, movements…none of these are immune.

      Stilts
      Reply

    1. Ironic, the little sister maid looks so happy. It is clear that the one who saved her wasn’t either the Church or human hands, but the demon lord who all humans had hated and feared for petty reasons. (sigh) it is quite something, she and her older sister are from a serf family of seven siblings yet 5 of them died and only her as well as her sister lived a harsh live under the hands of humans. T_T.

      L002
      Reply

  9. I like the irony of the church calling “Red Scholar” a demon and potatoes a demon food. Which ends up being somewhat of a double irony because the product of these demons is what can only be described as providence of the proverbial light. Which ends up being demons masquerading as the light who act with the light while being labeled as demons. My head hurts now.

    As for next episode? All I have to say is
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Vsin
    Reply

    1. In this case, though the church was obviously claiming that they were demonic as in “of or coming from the demonic people”, I doubt they believe that – they’re using it as a shorthand for “evil”, though in truth they mean “politically uncomfortable”. The fact that they’re inadvertently right about their being of and from the demonic people…well, that’s just an amusing bit of irony, lol

      Or would be if it wasn’t so blasted close to how we humans have acted in the past.

      Stilts
      Reply

  10. How ironic, religious organizations have an incredible power that could help millons of people in dire need and they do so, especially in the rigions torned by war and conflict but when that power can also twist the soul, becoming the fuel of the mos horrible blood baths in human history.

    I´m not trying to insult religion(I´m a devoted catholic mayself) but when you start to justtify your actions and ambitions with the name of God is the begining of chaos and suffering for all.

    haseo0408
    Reply

    1. Humans by ambition and pride can corrupt the things we love. We create lies to maintain power and wealth.
      We can choose to be saints or demons, that is within our free will.

      The last church was controlled by the corrupt and false, by kings and feudal lords. They controlled the ignorant people, who were also poor, hungry and sick. How could they defend the lies if they were ignorant of everything?

      Shadow74
      Reply

  11. -No one is expecting Spanish Inquisition! – actually it was perfectly predictable that church would eventually go to persecute “Crimson Scholar”, just to be sure to have monopoly on education and ideology. Galileo’s case, anyone?
    -Seinen Shounin surprised me – and so did Hero – when they went to the Gate City. Busty demon girls aside, I like both Hero’s good judgement of nature of his new partner, and Seinen Shounin’s open mind and lack of prejudice.
    -Onna Kishi! Seeing her becoming Hero’s personal knight (in Dereban voice all the time!) was simply awesome. Well, everything seems to point towards her as either “second waifu”, or simply platonic lover that supports her rival’s happy marriage. One interesting aspect of the entire situation is whether “Vassal of my vassal is my vassal too” rule would mean that she has become indirect vassal to Maou…
    -Maou herself seemed rather troubled by the need to enter tombs of former Demon Kings. I think I understand her completely as my character in several Star Wars games had to visit the tombs of the Sith Lords on Korriban. She is afraid of being possessed by some ghost. Meido Chou seemed very serious when she pledged to kill Maou in such event.
    -Next episode Meido Ane has her hour to shine, even if only by pretending to be Maou and getting rescued by Hero… Still a risky role to play. She can finally prove that she is not a serf anymore!
    -Last but not least what’s with the Onna Mahoutsukai and the Outer Library? Why she was there, what place it is and why she fell asleep?

    ewok40k
    Reply

    1. -Last but not least what’s with the Onna Mahoutsukai and the Outer Library? Why she was there, what place it is and why she fell asleep?

      Can’t tell if that’s rhetorical or not so I’ll use a spoiler

      Show Spoiler ▼

      daikama
      Reply

  13. It’s been a while since I’ve read this part of the manga so I might be wrong on a few things but some details about the motivation for declaring the scholar as a heretic.

    Potatoes and the new farming methods have improved the economies of the southern nations. This is seen in the episode by the comments of the hunters to Maid Ane and Maid Imouto. This means the southern nations are less dependent on the money they receive from the central nations. Central doesn’t like this as this will make the southern nations less encouraged to go to war. Thus central bans the new crop and farming methods to make the southern nations dependent on them once again.

    Really looking to next episode and Maid Ane.

    Asta
    Reply

    2. You get out of here! Potatoes are delicious, you just have to not go around dunking them in cheap oil and slathering them with butter and chives.

      Actually, the chives are alright. Avoid the other stuff, though.

      Stilts
      Reply

  15. I look forward to Meido Ane selling her role hard next episode

    I will tell you that it was one of the single most powerful scenes in the manga. If they can pull it off well here it will definitely be the single most epic moment in the anime to date. Perhaps the most epic moment in the anime, period.

    Wanderer
    Reply

  17. merchant return & notice red queen is hiding with big sis maid using magic ring so hero to rescue & some talk have party, drinks, women, etc to see all good times in hero & demon are together.

    red queen meet black mage & now on her way fix her license while female knight got herself a way to contract with hero for a 3 way?

    & oh now probs alert due some hmm red queen’s “been exposed” & some nation going like what is going on here so now hero got a plan something to fix it some.

    roman
    Reply

  18. While everyone seems to care only about Maou being declared a heretic I’d assume she and the merchant would agree with me that the much bigger problem is potato being outlawed considering that it was one of the most important parts of her plan. And while you can trick someone into believing that a certain person is gone isn’t that hard, you can’t exactly hide tons of potato being harvested.

    HakumeiJin
    Reply

  19. A reviewing podcast I listened to has just about convinced me to start disliking this show. I can’t refute their main problem, which is that Hero is kind of a monster for the way he treats the feelings of the women around him.

    Look, in an ordinary romantic harem comedy, there are excuses. Usually they take place over a relatively limited amount of time. Usually the lead is an awkward teenager.

    Hero is an adult and it’s been literally years in show. Why hasn’t he had sex with Maou? Or definitely turned her down? Does he lose his powers if he has sex or something? It’s like the story is assuming that because Hero is a male protagonist, he’s not allowed to get into a relationship. No actual reason or excuse is offered for this, though.

    Light novel readers, is Hero actually supposed to have some sort of sexual dysfunction? Was he traumatized in some manner? Is any reason or excuse at all for his behavior ever given?

    Matthew
    Reply

      1. Because it’s been over two years, and she clearly in love with him. There’s taking it slow and then there’s being frozen in time. Hero is frozen in time.

        Look, if he said, “I don’t want to have sexual contact with someone unless I marry them and I’m not ready to marry you until we’ve succeeded,” at least that would be an explanation. That would give a conflict between Demon Queen’s obvious physical desire for him and his refusal to settle down until the mission is complete. Both she and the viewers would understand what’s going on.

        But what’s actually happening is that Hero is both unwilling to make any commitment and unwilling to reject her. Nor has he given any sign of what would make him willing to begin a romantic relationship with her. If he kissed her next episode, I would still wonder, “So why now and not in the past two years?”

        Matthew
        Reply

    2. Well, you also can’t forget that even though it’s been a couple years, both Maou and Yuusha have been VERY busy; being apart from eachother for weeks and months at a time because of them working to help their plans succeed. I mean, yeah, they could have spent one of those nights when together doing the deed, but then what sort of dramatic effect would that have on the viewers? It wouldn’t be much better than a meaningless one-night stand and ruin the moment. If they were to get together like that, people would WANT them to show their relationship actually build up to it to make it meaningful.

      And you talk like this sort of male behavior has never been done before when it’s been done countless times in many other series’ (and not just harems either); the male having a girl being so obviously in love with him and them even getting together, yet never getting that physical until near the end. A lot of it has to do with building the drama and romance than “realism”.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

    3. this isn’t a romance comedy anime. if you want romance, look elsewhere. this is one that’s primarily about politics and macroeconomics. type out all the paragraphs you want, but it will still have low priority in the story.

      frankly it’s pretty funny that you can type all of those paragraphs out while completely ignoring the fact that they’ve got lots of other shit to take care of in those years.

      Nitro
      Reply

      2. I love the economics. I wish they’d do more of that and less false relationship tension.

        It would have been easy to have the story show Hero and Maou kissing in episode 2, sleeping in the same bedroom from then on, and then never mention romance again in favor of the nation-building and technological development. I would have far preferred that.

        Instead the show keeps shoving romance front and center in our face, but never letting it go anywhere or explain exactly what the roadblock is.

        Matthew
        Reply

      3. Yes, it would’ve been easy to do that, but it is NOT really great in terms of any real development between the two. Again, doing such a thing would be little better than a one-night stand that’s never talked about again and, if anything, would make things awkward for the viewers after and any other real development would pretty much come to a screeching halt.

        And sure, a couple episodes made it clear that they genuinely love and care for eachother, but that doesn’t mean they have to “prove it” by kissing and/or sleeping together either nor would doing so automatically constitute as “romance”, and just because they don’t, that doesn’t mean “false relationship tension”. If anything, the shyness, the nervousness, the anxiety, the tension, etc is what makes it feel more realistic.

        You seem to be letting the typical harem/rom-com/etc type shows influence you in thinking that there only needs to be/should be 1-2 episodes of the main leads together before they start making out and going at it like rabbits or something. Sure, they could do that, but at the same time, the lack of any real development is why many such relationships are seen as sub-par and unrelatable outside of the most basic levels.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

    4. You’re not wrong in that it’s a bit unrealistic and perhaps (perhaps!) unfair of Yuusha to keep this thing stringing along. Though what of Maou never making a really decisive move after Ep1? The road goes both ways, my friend.

      What’s more, I’ll fall back on the meta here – this isn’t a romance show. Yes, it would be nice if everything worked as one might expect it – for Yuusha and Maou to grow closer together within the span of maybe like 6 months, or at least if they didn’t for them to have some good extenuating circumstances ala Toradora. However, sometimes realism takes a blow or two at the service of the story. That’s not ideal, but it’s understandable. This plot must take years by necessity, and the author(s) clearly didn’t want the rabu-rabu fun to be over within the first few chapters / books / episodes. I can understand this, even if I may myself not have taken things the same direction.

      In short, don’t hold it against Yuusha (or Maou). They show so many other good attributes that to hate them for such a relatively minor one – especially one so clearly enforced upon them by the needs of the plot, even if it has been highly justified enough to barely need mentioning of that – is…well, not ideal. Not how I would approach it, I’ll say that.

      Stilts
      Reply

  21. That tail end (bad pun? maybe) of the episode…it’s making me tear up…again.

    And then there’s this little piece. Its rather confusing for me…

    I look forward to Meido Ane selling her role hard next episode, and hopefully Yuusha’s big damn hero moment (trope!) when he pulls her out of the fire.

    I look forward for your reaction next week Stilts…

    info600
    Reply

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