Posted by OP2 Sequence
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OP2: 「ZERO!!」 by 栗林 みな実 (Minami Kuribayashi)
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「魔王と勇者、笹塚を救う」 (Maō to Yūsha, Sasadzuka o Sukuu)
“The Demon Lord and Hero Save Sasadzuka”
I am so glad I didn’t skip out on this series.
Hataraku may not be the season’s greatest entry, but it’s certainly one of the most consistent. That’s not to say that all the episodes have been equally funny or otherwise spectacular, but they’ve always been very good regardless and the quality has been right on point for nearly every aspect since the beginning. Despite this, the last couple of episodes have been slightly mellower in terms of this standard, so when this week’s entry steps things up considerably, the results are pretty damn epic.
Lucifer’s return (from the dead, it would seem) is problematic in more ways than one. His presence, by necessity, requires at least one accomplice, and have one he does. Meyer Olba (Houki Katsuhisa), a member of the Church on Ente Isla and one of the priests Emilia knows personally, has seized the chance to get rid of her and Satan in one fell swoop and garner authority by doing so. In keeping with the traditional story of Lucifer as a fallen angel, Olba has promised him a return to heaven, and in doing so both he and the priest have ironically joined forces to rebel against their former master/ally. Using the fear and suffering of human beings to power his magic (and thus benefiting from keeping the heartbroken Chi-chan hostage), Lucifer seems nigh unbeatable to the magically starved hero and Demon Lord.
Of course, if the former minion is powered by fear, then so too is the master, and Maou and Alsiel (who seemed down for the count with holes blown through their bodies) finally show just how terrifying they can be in a show of pure badassery. Emilia too finally lets loose her angel powers, and in truth all three of them wipe the floor with the rebels in nearly no time at all. The best part, however, isn’t how amazing this fight is (awesome though it is), but rather how funny the series manages to be while still retaining its serious qualities. For one thing, it seems it’s impossible for Ashiya not to be hilarious (“Where did you get the money for movies?”) even when he’s on the verge of death, and he continues to be the epitome of comedic waifuliness. Chi and Emi have their moments too, and Sadao is simultaneously the nicest and most considerate guy in the show while retaining utter basassery. In terms of pure entertainment value, Hataraku seems to have nearly everything covered.
The fun doesn’t end there, however. Just barely missing out on the action are Emeralda (Asakura Azumi) and Albert Ende (Yasumoto Hiroki), Emilia’s allies from back on Ente Isla, who are shocked to see that the Demon Lord is cooperating with their Hero (and even planning to stay in the human world for the sake of his job). Though they don’t stick around for long, their appearance seems to suggest that this isn’t the last we’ll see of Ente Isla or its inhabitants. The series might look like it’s settling down for a romantic comedy route for now, but though Emi and Sadao seem to be on much better terms now (and she’s finally realized that he’s developed a taste for the peace on the good side) we musn’t forget there’s still a war between demons and humans raging on in their homeland, and things can’t stay unresolved forever. Wherever this series decides to go, however, it looks like we’re in for a hell of a great ride regardless. Bring on the corporate ladder climbing, tsunderes, and stingy waifu’s, White Fox!
Full-length images: 06, 07, 19, 26.
Preview
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and so lucifer turns neet next episode :3
I know right, the hairstyle says it all… nyahaha… and alsiel reminds me too much of hayate, certified waifu-man.
If we’re mentioning hairstyles now, is anyone reminded of Nyaruko when Emi’s hair changed color?
“Please take advantage of the first-of-the-month sales”
Truly, never as anyone spoken more moving last words!
Dem facial expressions
I know, the reaction when Maou and his general screamed was priceless.
For some reason Emi’s face expression made her look cute
https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2028.jpg
Anyway, I am not surprised that Lucifer, like his namesake, is a fallen angel. Well, what is more surprising is the face he got in the end, this is the face only suitable for the most lowest villains that are normally labeled an “annoyance” by every shonnen author.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130124144440/onepiece/images/9/94/SpandamHospitalised.png
“Cueball” was the line where we got to see Emilia smile when she was in tears a moments ago. Anyway, my current suspicion is why Emeralda and Albert Ende didn’t take Orba back with them. To assassinate the hero, not to mention a half angel, should be a grave crime of heresy.
“Is he really the Demon Lord?” was the big guy’s words. I can’t blame them since they had expected the Demon Lord to terrorize Earth, not someone like Orba. Not to mention the Demon Lord’s stronghold, which oddly was able to keep the Hero out until they let her in, was …….well compared to their castle which was majestic yet full of malice.
Anyway, the most important part is the Church. The big guy said that the Church are going out of control. I doubt the Church would just accept the fact that “the demon lord is doing a part time job, lets just let him go and pretend he didn’t exist. ” Considering maoyuu maou yuusha, I won’t be surprised if the Church begin their crusade on Japan, as they would deem the entire nation as a world full of heretics. Not to mention they will label Emi as a fallen hero.
Orba teleported away, didn’t he?
I think I finally pegged down what annoys me about the series. Fake language sounds fake, what with the slurred syllables, the hesitant pronunciations, and the general lack of emphasis. On top of which, fake language still uses English words like Sonar and Idea Link. They should have just used English since they’re already taking things like Satan and Lucifer.
Other than that though, still loving this series. The battles were absolutely gorgeous and fulfilling, despite being so short.
Really? I love the fake language, it sounds awesomely ridiculous haha. It’s not supposed to be taken seriously.
I don’t really get the whole “it’s so bad it’s good” sentiment. I have friends who greatly enjoy it whenever Engrish is spoken, but I’ve never been on the same wavelength.
Still, it’s good there are some people who enjoy it. I also have a movie recommendation: N.U.K.I.E. Depending on your tastes, you may never stop laughing/crying/punching televisions.
Hey bro, at least put yourself in seiyu’s shoes. How easy do think it is to pronounce something completely alien to you? If you get what I me.
But, to an extent, I do agree with you. The language seems unnatural(I think, it’s mainly because Emeralda’s voice acting. Didn’t like it). Still, IMO it’s pretty cool.
@Swarz
I am putting myself in the Seiyuu’s shoes. Wouldn’t it be easier for them to act in a foreign language that they’ve actually heard and actually has meaning? Or in a “language” which is just a random string of syllables that are so out there they have trouble speaking it fluidly and they often end up dropping any inflections?
@Rasen the one who decided which language to use is not the seiyuus…
We all seiyuu now.
I can understand Rasen’s comment since their trouble with the Ente Isla langauge was pretty much obvious. On the other hand, I’d prefer they butcher the pronunciation of a language I don’t know rather than a language that I do. Also, who’s to say that their pronunciation of an imaginary and fictional language is wrong?
The language has been cracked guys. If you want to speak Ente-Isla language just change the english letter:
Normal language : ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
↓
Ente Isla language : AZYXEWVTISRLPNOMQKJHUGFDCB
Examples:
人間 human→tupan
世界 world→foklx
Source: http://blog.livedoor.jp/seiyufan/archives/6495458.html
If you guys want a translator:
Here: http://puu.sh/2NKl1.html
Its in HTML.
Courtesy to: Bako Ikporamee from gamefaqs for making the code in the gamefaqs forum
I already know that ‘fukakis’ means ‘sekai’ means world LOL I am getting kind of too into this language xD….
In the first episode I noticed that demon lord in that language is “Pashachek”.
@Tre:
And therein lies the problem. In episode 1, “Pasacheck” means demon lord. In episode 5, it’s Agagrank tie” or something or other.
The only thing that remains consistent from the fake language are the English words. Else, they’re just stringing together random syllables.
It could be just the difference between Alsiel saying “Sire,” a form of honorific, and Albert simply saying “Overlord”. I mean even in English people address their own lordship differently than they do others’.
@OrangeJuice
I acknowledge that what you’re saying makes sense, but then that contradicts the Japanese subtitles and what Albert says later when they’re walking to Maou’s home.
Languages don’t exactly translate over 100% word for word. In many languages, one same word can mean different things in another language when said by different people, from different position and in different situation or time. Japanese just happens to be one of them. I’ve read somewhere that the author helped created this fictional language from mixing bits of several European languages. So it’s not surprising that it works in similar ways as those do compare to Japanese.
@Orange
Again, on one hand, I understand. On the other, Japanese is a language where they have A LOT of different ways to express the differing levels of respect and relative positions.
And again, while what Alsiel and Albert say may be different, what Albert says now and what he says later is also different.
Could you point out to me where the author says he created the language from mixing various European languages? Because right now, the closest analog I can think of is some rare dialect found in an African village where they make clicking sounds.
Do you even know what it takes to create a “real” fake language; i.e. a constructed language? It is excruciatingly difficult and time consuming to pull off; it takes an expert in linguistics (sometimes several) with intimate knowledge of the finer workings of grammar, syntax and phonetics, and innumerable hours of work. Highly-educated scholars with high asking prices- even a (relative to anime) big-budget blockbuster videogame like Jade Empire had to make compromises due to a shortage of funds.
So you see, getting a true constructed language created for a piece of media is prohibitively expensive. Anime budgets don’t even come close to those of major AAA videogames- and where even these are struggling to pay for the creation and the proper application of a constructed language, I very much doubt that any anime production team would be able to afford a constructed language at all to begin with. Where getting a proper constructed language made is fiscally impracticable, one of the few avenues left open to you is the “so bad it’s good” route. This is probably what Hataraku’s production team was going for- trying to make it sound, as Kairi put it, “awesomely ridiculous” and for the most part I do think that they’ve succeeded…
I think you misread my post. I wasn’t saying they should do a better job of making a fake language. I was saying as long as their fake language was using English, they might as well have used English.
On that subject though, if you wanted to create a passable fake language (and not go to the lengths that Tolkien or Arc Tonelico did), couldn’t you just switch one kana set for another, while maintaining the same grammar structure? It wouldn’t be a new language so much as a poor man’s encryption, but still, wouldn’t that work?
You’re right, I actually did misread your comment and I apologize, but there’s a good reason not to use English: Quite simply, English lines in anime are more or less across the board awful. Hiring native speakers to make the voice acting sound good is expensive, as is hiring writers who can write competently in English. Most of the time when anime attempts English lines both native speaker voice actors and competent English writers are missing- and we end up with Symphogear syndrome, terribly written English lines and atrocious performances from Japanese-speaking voice actors who don’t have any semblance of a grasp on Germanic phonetics.
And even in cases where they do actually hire a native speaker to do English lines, things still end up pretty bad- remember Ika Musume’s “Let’s Learn English!” episode? Cindy’s VA was a native English speaker, but her lines still ended up sounding odd because they were evidently read off of a script written by a Japanese writer who didn’t have a good grasp of proper English diction (and even arguably grammar in some places)- of course I must assume that it was tolerable to many Japanese audiences who wouldn’t know the difference.
So rule of thumb: As an anime producer, don’t even attempt English lines unless you have both native speaker voice actors and competent English writers- because you aren’t fooling anyone with it. You might be able to get away with just native speaker voice actors with the less-educated demographic of Japanese audiences, but to anyone with a half-decent command of English the diction problems in your writing are going to be painfully obvious, and if you don’t have either (native voice actors and qualified English writers) I think it’s safe to say that it’s gonna be excruciating for pretty much anyone who’s ever seen a Hollywood movie and heard proper English to watch- which is more or less everyone. Of course, both of these things are expensive- so you’re probably better served by going for the “so bad it’s good” route unless you have an uncharacteristically large budget, or low base production costs (like in Ika Musume which had minimal complex effects)…
I never watched Ika Musume, but I think the English can be miss and semi-miss. Still, I think they’re getting better gradually. Code Geass had files written in near-flawless English, which surprised the heck out of me. And Beck’s engrish didn’t tweak me as badly as Ente Islan.
Which brings me back to my proposal: They could have just done like a poor man encryption on their language, swapping appropriate kana (to use an English example, swap vowels for vowels, consonants with consonants) while preserving their grammar structure. The seiyuu would be know which words to emphasize, use a set of sounds they’re comfortable pronouncing. It probably even works better than it would in English, because each row of the kana sounds similar to the next (a -ka-sa-ta-na, etc.)
I think what you mean by “kana” is script type; e.g. Cyrillic script, Phoenician script, Arabic script, etc. each with its own distinct phonetic conventions- you could switch scripts and retain basic Japanese grammar while making up words to replace Japanese ones out of the phonetics of other script types. So basically you get different-sounding Japanese.
A nice idea, but you’re over-estimating the abilities of the average anime screenwriter here. Doing something like that is time consuming and is probably far beyond the qualifications of most creative writers. Theater majors (screenwriters) aren’t trained in alternative scripts and would in all likelihood have to learn the alternative script’s phonetics and alphabet from scratch which is rather difficult and takes a long time (Some Japanese transfer students I knew had been in the US for over a year and still couldn’t pronounce the letter “r” to save their lives). Of course, again you could just hire a proper linguist to do it for you but like I mentioned above, she’s bloody expensive…
I agree that English would be pointless, but IMO you don’t absolutely need a native speaker in such instances. A English coach is fine. The VAs can learn their lines phonetically (especially if they are also singer with a good ear). It does take effort and some time, but it can be done to sufficiently competent level and without prohibitive expense in most cases. If a show’s on a shoe-string budget, then correct English pronunciation probably isn’t the biggest concern.
TBH, I think you beg the question here since you don’t discuss option C – forget the “fake” language altogether. I’m fairly certain that if the show didn’t have said fake language we would not have a lengthy debate on why it wasn’t there. JMO, but I really don’t think it’s necessary for this type of show. Lastly, while I also find “Engrish” to be grating the majority of the time, that doesn’t mean that others won’t find a cobbled together “fake” language equally or more irritating rather than “so bad it’s good”.
To me, option C is the way to go. If it’s not integral to the story, why take the risk of annoying some viewers with a substandard fake language? If it’s absolutely necessary to have some distinguishing characteristic for the other world’s dialog they could use some form of archaic/”old-fashioned”/medieval Japanese.
I don’t think I mean a script, per se. (Or maybe I do, I’m not sure at this point). The language has what amounts to two alphabets (hiragana for Japanese words, katakana for foreign words) and Chinese characters(kanji) Hiragana and katakana have the exact same pronounciations, they’re just written differently.
But to get back to my suggestion, if we were to focus on hiragana, let’s look at some sets of their letters:
Show Spoiler ▼
So a simple substitution method might be to just shift everything over by one row. So “sushi” would instead be “kuki” or “ui.” “Katana” could be “sanaha.” “Maou” could be “Akako” This would allow the speakers to stick to letters and sounds they can pronounce with confidence with a grammar structure they know.
And while some of the new words might also have meanings in actual Japanese, Japanese has a LOT of similar sounding words, so speakers use context to get the meaning. (and with the substitution, the context is shot out the window, so instead of thinking they’re speaking broken Japanese, it comes across more like “this is a man who knows what he is saying, but the wires in his head are crossed so he’s not saying anything at all.”
Now I see what you mean. Poor man’s encryption. Still irather time consuming though and screenwriters are creative folks who are untrained and often simply plain disinterested in overly technical things like this- your writer will probably hate you for making him do it. Also, the whole point of Ente Islan is to make it sound foreign- if you just write different Japanese kana/letters in the place of the original ones what you get is going to sound Japanese because it retains all the basic properties of Japanese phonetics.
I guess it might work if you can get over the fact that the phonetics are basically going to make your “language” sound like broken Japanese- it may sound more like a proper language, but it is ultimately gibberish without any of the coolness factor of a real constructed language and none of the comedic value of “so bad it’s good” types or the exoticism of true script-swaps- and therefore of poorer entertainment value, which is ultimately what matters. Maybe the best alternative would’ve been to simply go with plain old Japanese like daikama mentioned above, then they would’ve been able to avoid dividing their audiences as they did with this gibberish thing…
That’s the root of the problem, is it not? There’s a significant minority of people who don’t understand/enjoy this kind of thing. Unfortunately for them whether they personally understand or enjoy it is irrelevant because the reality is that the majority of people do and there is a substantial market for it. Producers of media are most certainly well-aware of the fact that both types of people exist, and often it become a conscious design decision to exclude those who dislike something from the target demographic because the element in question is so overwhelmingly favored by the majority; i.e. you gain more fans than you lose by including it. Given the fiscal practicalities of doing such things (Whether this is actually the case here in Hataraku is debatable) “so bad it’s good’ is fortunately/unfortunately (depending on which group you belong to) here to stay…
I’ll grant you that I’m not in the majority, but I am curious as to where you’re getting your numbers. Especially about a fake language. If I had to guess which would amuse viewers more, Engrish probably trumps “arlaud *pause* gadsfh *clickclick*”
I see what you’re saying, and it’s the same rationale that video game localizations usually only have one language (though in these days of high capacity discs, I no longer know why). But here’s the thing: in the usual case of “so bad it’s good,” doesn’t that usually apply to things that consciously made the decision to aim at a certain level of, let’s call it quality/sophistication? The Scary Movie franchise? Ace Ventura? Anything Adam Sandler? Snookie?
And then there’s just plain bad: N.U.K.I.E. Anything directed by Uwe Boll. And this is where I place a fake language, because it’s like watching someone making baby noises, only without the emotion.
Isn’t it intuitive that there are more people who enjoy “so bad that it’s good” than there are who don’t? In any circle of friend’s it’s always the academically orientated smart bookworm who doesn’t enjoy “so bad it’s good” while everyone else loves it.
As for this fake language specifically, just generally looking over the comments here on RC over the last few episodes it’s clear that most people either enjoy it at least minimally or are indifferent to it- detractors are a minority, albeit substantial and vocal.
I hate to be blunt, but I don’t think you’re qualified to be the judge of what is “so bad it’s good” or just plain bad when you admitted to not understanding its appeal to begin with. It’s like getting a famous fiction writer to be the judge of who gets the Nobel prize for physics this year. He doesn’t understand what constitutes good scientific practice, or even simply physics in general- whatever judgment he comes to, it’s going to end up being laughable because he has no idea what he is talking about.
The day a majority of “so bad it’s good” movie lovers decry this fake language thing as just plain bad is the day that I will acquiesce that it has no redeeming value. You on the other hand admitted to not enjoying just about all “so bad it’s good” stuff to begin with- not understanding it appeal- the opinion of someone who hates all attempts at “so bad it’s good” simply can’t be representative of it’s actual objective quality in terms of how good the bad is- he simply doesn’t understand the concept of it and the odds of making a valid assessment about something without understanding it are next to nil…
Stereotyping. My entire circle of friends consists of academically oriented bookworms, and some of them “enjoy” the “so bad it’s good” notion.
I wholeheartedly agree that as a vocal detractor of the fake language, I am in the minority. Vocal detractors of anything tend to be in the minority. Vocal supporters even more so. But I’d wager the majority of people are indifferent to the fake language, as opposed to “understand/enjoy it,” to quote you.
I agree I may not understand the “so bad it’s good,” however that’s no reason to impugn on my judgement of what is just plain bad. Don’t be mistaken: BOTH are bad. It’s just that one of the two gets a laugh, ala chainsaw hand in Evil Dead. But by all means, defend the BloodRayne movies as something with redeeming value.
Have to disagree, because physics is objective. Something like “good,” “bad,” and “so bad it’s good” are subjective. Your analogy might be more appropriate for a fiction writer judging…a swimsuit competition.
I can’t make an assessment of where it lands in the “good-bad” spectrum, true, but I can make an assessment of the effort put in, i.e. “the attempt.” Judging from your earlier comments, your stance is that the writers are lazy, untrained, and uncaring. Which is far more in line with my stance that they phoned it in on this fake language, as opposed to aimed for some magical sweet spot.
Many stereotypes are often based on statistical truths- where a stereotype exists in many cases it is usually also true that a majority of people who fall within it are indeed as it describes. There are stereotypes that are completely false but for the most part they are actually pretty reliable when attempting to predict human behavior. Case on point: the stereotype that Asians are bad drivers- while it certainly isn’t true that all Asians are bad drivers, it’s damn well true that most of them are- having lived in Asia for many years I can tell you firsthand of the horrors of Asian driving- weaving through the highway, cutting red lights and whatnot.
Unjustified stereotyping occurs when you profile a person according to a stereotype which is either scientifically proven to be statistically invalid (e.g. People of ethnicity X are stupider than average), or when you judge individuals based on a stereotype without giving them a benefit of doubt, judging a book by its cover. (E.g. Wing is Asian- so I refuse to ride in his car because he must be an unsafe driver. Statistically speaking, there’s a good chance that he is indeed an unsafe driver- but there’s hardly a guarantee of it- so the morally upstanding person gives him the benefit of the doubt until he actually demonstrates rule-breaking driving- innocent until proven guilty.)
Nonetheless, where a stereotype exists and it has not been disproved scientifically, it is probably safe to assume that it represents a statistical truth, delineating a valid general observation that a large number (majority) of people from a certain group tend to act in a certain way. Which includes the stereotype of smart people having a poorer sense of humor in general.
Both are indeed bad- but which of the bad is the good bad? You who possess no understanding of it are in no position to be the judge- you cannot properly distinguish the “good bad” from the “just plain bad” subsets from within the “bad” set without adequate understanding of the concepts.
I’m just terrible at analogies…XP
In terms of an assessment of quality, effort doesn’t matter. More effort put in makes it much more likely that a product of high quality will be produced, and little effort put in tends to produce products that are of poor quality. Like a stereotype, effort is a statistical indicator and not a dispositive element of the good/bad equation. The amount of effort put in indicates good/bad tendencies, but guarantees neither. Contrary to popular belief, it is entirely possible for a lazy person to get lucky and end up actually producing something great- it’s certainly unlikely, but possible.
Regarding this show’s faux language, it may be true that it doesn’t seem like they put a great amount of effort into it- but what ultimately determines whether it has any redeeming value is not the amount of effort they put in but rather the reaction of the audience- and from the comments here over the last few weeks it is evident that there is a simple (though not super) majority consensus that it does, at least minimally so.
Let me be clear- my stance is one of indifference. I simultaneously understand both the appeal of “so bad it’s good” and why folks like you think this case is just plain bad- opposites which cancel each other out in my mind creating a state of neutrality. I only say that they “suceeded” at making it sound “awesomely ridiculous” because the comments over the last few weeks seem to indicate that they’ve managed to charm a simple majority of audiences with it at least minimally- so I say that they’ve succeeded “for the most part”…and I’m arguing with you only because it’s fun…;)
Well, as long as we’re going there, maybe what makes them bad drivers in the US makes them excellent drivers in Asia, where driving like a US citizen might be like driving 30 MPH on the highway. Too slow and likely to get hit from behind.
So much for getting you to retract a negative stereotype on…the majority of people who you said enjoyed the “so bad it’s good” stuff.
If we’re going to be objective about this, neither can you or anyone else. The most you can say is that you can distinguish your own personal “good bad” and “plain bad” subsets. As evidenced by your comment further down, your “good bad” subset does not include this fake language, whereas Kairi’s does.
If we can take “bad” as a statement about quality, then both “plain bad” and “good bad” are both statements of poor quality. On top of which, if we add in “no effort” put into it, then from a personal standpoint, I see no value to it or reason to celebrate it.
That some people have been charmed or entertained is a silver lining, but….to draw a negative analogy, kids find humor in leaving flaming bags of dog poop on someone’s doorstep. Drunk teenagers….’nuff said. Anything Jackson Pollack. (I categorically refuse to believe anything that could be called “effort” or “meaning” went into those. It is my belief there was a lot of cocaine being snorted, and when people came to their senses, they were left in a “king with no clothes” situation.)
Interesting and you could be right, but it’s just speculation. No one’s ever studied it.
But what about everyone? What I’m trying to push here isn’t my opinion (I am indifferent to it and have none), it’s the aggregate majority opinion that the fake language is at least mildly entertaining. I can’t place it on my own good/bad subset because I don’t have one- I’m simply using the mean reaction as a proxy mechanism for evaluation- where one is absent within me and the mean says “mildly entertaining at least” so I’m sticking to that. Is it objective? Probably not since it is only as objective as the aggregate objectiveness of everyone else’s opinions which are never very objective to begin with- but it’s probably the only fair method I have to evaluate it since I don’t have a personal opinion in this case…
Ahh, Jackson Pollock- that man’s art makes me laugh. Reminds me of marble paintings that I made back in pre-school…XP
It’s even less objective than you say, because it’s basically a poll conducted from willing respondents who are already confirmed to be fans of the show and actively participate in the comments. The bias from the population selected already heavily favors positive responses.
I think we can finally come to a consensus. My “estimated determination” does indeed rely entirely on the opinions of individual viewers from a skewed demographic (I.e. only fans tend to care enough to comment), unrepresentative of the actual mean human reaction. Short of conducting a properly scientific random poll on the matter we’ll never know what that actually is- and even that is simply a larger collection go opinions, so who knows how much more objective it is. But that’s never gonna happen, is it? So this is the most objective measure that I can think of, as abhorrently nonobjective as it so obviously is. The best of the worst- like democracy…XP
The main point, IMO, is to establish that there are two distinct languages. It’s rare that they even employ different languages to this magnitude several episodes in; it’s either “implied” that the language is different at all times, or they don’t bother with it at all, so I’m grateful that in Harataku(and Gargantia as well), they thoroughly establish that there are two languages.
Gargantia does a less thorough job of it than either Maou or MJP. I’m just saying as long as one’s language is stealing things like western names, religious figures, and terminology, there’s a perfectly good and established language they could have used, instead of going full-on Ewok.
Actually, I wonder why anime director/producers (or the mangaka for the source material) even bothered creating a fictitious language in the first place. It really doesn’t add anything for me. This isn’t a vast, complex epic story like LOTR. Frankly, if anything, I find it a little annoying, but not to the point it detracts from my enjoyment of the show (not like I wouldn’t need to read the subtitles anyway).
TBH, I didn’t notice the lack of consistency in terms since I pretty much ignore the “fake” language & just read the subtitles, but I do think that they should be consistent with terms. If they can’t do that much, then don’t bother at all as far as I’m concerned.
At any rate, it’s a non-factor for me, but I’m curious to know whether anyone would honestly enjoy the show less or view it less positively if they just used normal Japanese (or “archaic”/”medieval”) for those lines instead.
For the most part, it doesn’t detract from the show. And that’s really because they spend so little time speaking in that language. (Heck, during Emi’s childhood flashback, everyone speaks flawless Japanese)
The problem I (and apparently only I) have is that during those sections when they’re speaking the fake language, it SOUNDS fake too, like those childhood attempts to make up your own secret language only minus the rules. The acting and the conveying of emotions takes a dive because they actors are stringing together sounds they’re not familiar with, have difficulty pronouncing, lost the inflections, and have no reference to look to.
I wouldn’t think negatively of it if it just used normal japanese, since that is typically the norm. I think I only paid attention to it BECAUSE it was different; an unusual different than what is typically used.
If they were to use English instead it would sound worse because we’d be able to tell how bad the seiyu’s English is. As unnatural as it may sound, at least with a fake language, we have no idea what the language is supposed to sound like so we can’t judge it.
I think you’re both right and wrong. While it’s true that as English speakers, we would know EXACTLY how bad of a job they do, a fair amount can still be communicated without understanding the meaning of the words (for their Ente Islan language).
On top of which, you may not be giving the seiyuu enough credit. While I may not have enjoyed Beck, their English sounded a lot more natural than whatever THIS is. Also, I think Emi’s seiyuu did a decent job with her “Hello, thank you for your calling. This is Emi Yusa.”
@fyram
Which is a crying shame. Ever see Wasabi? I can’t tell if it’s good French, but I bet it’s passable.
Lucifer and Meyer are shocked to find out they really aren’t wearing big boy pants.
“Badassery” does not describe how terrifying it was when Maou suddenly appeared before Lucifier, and how fearful Lucifer was of him, that scene strucks me as sooooo epic because man, this just shows how epic Mauo or Satan is! He is just so terrifying, the way he just appears, and the way he’s like ‘because they sidelined him’ was just the funniest, most cool scene for me ever!
I love this series so much! I could rewatch all episodes and not get bored. We have yet to see through it, and I think, the other priests will become more problamatic. As for Alsiel <2! no comments, thanks for your review! M.
Indeed, Maou was truly epic during that confrontation with Lucifer that made the latter quake in his boots.
But only in this show can u look so epic while spouting the most ridiculous lines in that particular situation.
“What are you gonna do if I miss out on the Employee of the Month award?”
LOL!
Quoting Alsiel “he speaks of matters eternally beyond our comprehension.” xD
i’m so looking forward to see how this series will turn out…will emi’s feelings start to gravitate towards maou, or will maou end up with chiho…or maybe surprise AisielXMaou ending…haha…great series, everyone should watch this…
Alsiel is already paired with Maou. Loyal minion for life.
and LOL at emeralda and albert…coming all this way just to get half a minute of screen time and back to ente isla they go…why even bother…
There was that scene where Albert got sick…
both of them feature in the second OP, so i imagine they’ll be getting more screen time in the upcoming arcs.
I think I understand now why Maou always buys at UNISLO. I mean, every time he transforms he ruins his clothes! XD
With their financial situation I don’t think he can afford to rip expensive clothes all the time XD
Man, the “awesome” factor just went through the roof with this episode. I had to replay lots of the scenes to just because there was so much awesomeness going on.
best Serie so far omg between Railgun , Titan, Valvrav, Gargantia and hentai ouji and oreimo and SNAFU i fucking enjoy this one the most and very much.
In terme of Badassness and epic i would ship this one the best anime of this serie so far.
we get romcom ,slice of life and badass with unlimited each ep love their face expression so much. Hell Hero and Maou look badass + That waifu Ashiya and damn Chi-chan you can’t be less funny at all!
Oh my god, I swear I nearly laughed myself to death here.
Take Maou facing Lucifer. There he is, radiating dark power, looming over the guy he completely dwarfes, complete with the glowing red eyes of doom and ominous tone… You can see he’s mad. Then listen to him, why is he mad? Not because Lucifer betrayed him, or blew up a hole through his chest, or took Chi-chan hostage, no, he’s mad because Lucifer is gonna make him late for work! Pure gold!
And a similar moment with Lucifer : he caused mass destruction, tried to kill his lord, took Chi-chan hostage… and mugged shopkeepers and went through Emi’s purse. ROFLMAO!!
First this show balanced out drama and comedy perfectly, then it goes and balances out an over-the-top action sequence with some spot-on humor… Once again, Maou-sama delivers.
So is it safe to say that all the “main” characters have been introduced now? (Well, asides from their landlord, who probably has some connection to Ente Isla in some way shape or form) Because if so, now we can go back to the inevitable love triangle! I gotta say, I love the bickering between Maou and Emi, it’s adorable. I suspect that we’ll see more of her dere side in the future and I for one can’t be more excited about it. =3
if others can open the portal then they can go back home. plot hole? what am I missing?
first Maou don’t want to go home yet! And Emi want to stay to make sure Maou has change his attitude. and no i think portal can only transport limit number of person so no plot hole but there might be a hole in your head XD When confuse rewatch 3 times like me.
What would Maou and Alsiel gain from returning to Ente Isla with the Hero and her comrades except a swift fight and probably death because their armies already lost in the first episode. Plus Maou doesn’t want to return to that world yet, he likes this odd peaceful life he has on Earth.
Also if you’re wondering why he didn to ‘t open a gate before, not enough power and he used up all his reserves along with Alsiel and Lucifer fix the city at the end there. On the bright side out of this he regained one former general in Lucifer, even if he’s kind of useless.
Maou can’t go back to Ente Isla yet because he has work the next day, and he is still aiming for Employee of the Month. As for Ashiya, he still needs those first-day-of-month sales.
He could have if he had not fixed up the broken overbridge. He used up all his magic that he had acquired in that incident doing that. Still, him heading straight back doesn’t fix the problem that he had to flee for his life.
yep, there is no compelling reason other than the initial fact that he didnt have the strength to open the portal, but now that he knows how to recharge his power that is no longer the case. so its definitely a plot hole. and im not taking myself seriously because this series obviously doesn’t. i was simply wondering if there was some rule that I missed that ties everything together.
In order to get his power back he needs to cause fear and despair, which is something he has already said he doesn’t intend on doing.
To sum it up, the reason Maou doesn’t want to go back is because he likes his current life and because of his ambition toward becoming Employee of the Month. Emi, by extension, is staying there to observe Maou. There is no plot hole.
Well, I got my wish that the whole town will be amnesiac so that the Ente Islanos won’t be considered superheroes or celebrities, but now Chi-chan knows about them, I wonder how this will play out in the future.
Also… damn, it’s hard to decide what ship I’ll support :D, but that’s just the shipper in me.
omg i lol’d so hard
i made the mistake of having some water when Lucifer send that attack to Emi.. just for her to deflect it to Sadou’s head… lol chocked so bad.. had to go back and watch it again .. good thing is that i noticed the epic music stop just when Sadou gets hit.. lol Hilarious.
really one of my favorite shows this season.
Man those glowing red eyes of doom .. lol i was half expecting Lucifer to piss himself. omg his face was so awesome.
“Emilia are you siding with the Demon lord” “you cant say that!” x2 hahahahaha
PS: about the portals: you can only open one with holy magic it seems (but Sadou can too) .. and so far they havent found a way to recharge Holy energy (used by the church and angels) .. they can recharge demonic power thru fear tho.. so that means Emi is stranded unless Sadou opens a portal.. or they find a way to gather Holy energy. As they are rigth now they could go back home.. if Sadou wanted.. but he doesnt want.. i guess Emi would stay because someone “needs to keep an eye on the Demon lord”
It was awesome how she blamed Lucifer for her terrible deflection of his attack.
Lucifer’s pants must have been completely soiled here:
https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
Forget Employee of the Month, Maou. I’m think along the lines of CHARACTER OF THE YEAR. (of course, there’s tough competition considering the remaining the cast, EVERYONE IS TOO GREAT)
“Hataraku may not be the season’s greatest entry”
I beg to differ. This is by far the most entertaining show of the season the only show I’m honestly looking forward to the next episode every single week.
Alsiel never stop cracking me up. That guy ran back to his house just to get his mantle LOL!
And of course, every heroic party always got to have its signature loli in the team :3
I love how Sadao prioritize getting MgRonald Employee of the month over taking over his native world lol
I’m on the Gargantia ship myself, with Dansai as a close second, but Hataraku is firmly in my top five and not leaving anytime soon.
Based on pure personal entertainment, I would say that the top spot is being shared between Hataraku and Hetai Ouji (moe is king!), with Shingeki and Gargantia being close on second place! Oh wait, there is OreImo too..!
I enjoy Gargantia and others too, but Hataraku is the only one I look forward to (eagerly!).
I just love how they manage to keep the comedy going, even during badass fighting or dramatic death scene moments.
Olba being “shot down” a couple times with being said to be worse than B-movie villains, lol.
Lucifer on the receiving end of one of, if not the biggest tsukkomi punches of all time.
https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
Dem Chi-chan faces, lol.
By the way, after Alsiel got back his magic, he went home and grabbed his cape? Cause he didn’t have it before his transformation…
Yeah, he was late because he had to grab his general cape first.
Not badass enough without the cape.
I’m now boarding the Emi ship,any more crew members?
Emi is just an amazing character and definitely the highlight to this amazing series.
I think people (I especially noticed this in the Western fandom) tend to misjudge her character as mean and strict, but I think those people truly haven’t looked at her character properly. Despite everything she’s been through she is strong yet at the same time caring (catching Chi-chan and worrying about her friend’s safety) and despite her constantly picking a fight with Maou she’s always there when he needs her. Their dynamic is so interesting and I know their relationship will just keep developing stronger overtime.
Why would I board a destroyer when I can enjoy the Alsiel cruise?
This episode worked on so many levels.
After Gargantia, the show I look forward to the most!
Let me get my mantle first.
Alsiel is the best character with the best dialogues lol XD
Alsiel is hands down one of the funniest/best sidekicks I have seen in years! I easily place him among the best, with the likes of Sunohara (CLANNAD), Takeshita (B Gata H Kei) and Sakamoto (Baka to Tesuto to Shōkanjū). These are personal choices of course.
And no, I haven’t chosen Takeshita for her breasts (!)
This series is simply great. No big epic story, but some great comedy and reminding us that real life also seems quite an odyssey.
I hope Chi-chan x Sadao, they give me tenderness. and I expect more development and better things for Alsiel, which is confirmed as my favorite character of the anime, I can not have enough jokes at the expense of the poor boy lol XD
Go ahead Kairi, I follow you throughout the season and all the laughs XD
Hataraku may not be the season’s greatest entry, but it’s certainly one of the most consistent.
Perhaps not the “greatest”, but personally this is one of the best shows so far this year – certainly the best “Maou” show this year as far as I’m concerned. I think there’s a lot to be said for consistency of quality. That something a number of shows each season fail to achieve.
I’m really enjoying this series – more so than I anticipated. It’s funny, very funny (always an LOL moment each episode), but not overly silly or banal. The pacing has been just right, it’s maintained focus, and there’s a nice blend of comedy, action and even character development.
Frankly, I’m impressed with the show so far. Kudos to the director and staff for doing such a good job each week.
I really hope there will be real romance between Emi and Maou, for anyone who have read the LN, does their relationship actually change later or not?
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W-What!? They made it THAT far already? I gotta read the LN!
Vaan:
Show Spoiler ▼
Oh okay. Hopefully we get to see it in the anime. But what Volume of the LN is
the anime now at?
I’m looking forward in seeing the new characters. It’ll be more fun when she finally
appears before them.
Too bad baka-tsuki still haven’t finish translating volume 1 yet. Sigh
The 1st LN is now done.
this is probably the main reason why I wanted to learn nihongo, No more problems reading RAWs 😀
I wonder whether or not Emilia and Maou will end up in love!
Love this series so far; a strong 9/10 for the first 5 episodes.
I feel that after Maou conquers Japan using Mgronalds he will also conquer Ente Esila using Mgronalds
CAPITALISM OH~!
The Horror! Oh, and did you want fries with that?
This will be the campaigning AD.
http://puu.sh/2N3nR.JPG
“Tacoman” corrected me:
http://puu.sh/2N4Mz.JPG
Lol. He’ll put MgRonalds all over Ente Isla. Conquering the world
through fast food.
Capitalism ho indeed.
And he’ll make his minions (and the rest of Ente Isla) shop for their clothes at UNISLO.
LOL, you got it wrong, partially. He’ll not only bring the restaurant to Ente Isla, he’ll also bring “modern living” such as his bike, washing machine and fridge.
I can imagine it now: The center isle will turn into something like Tokyo or New York and the castle is replaced by a skyscraper. Maou-san will be wearing a suit and drinking expensive brandy while he looks down on everyone like they’re ants.
So evil and modern. XD
lol i think i saw a gurren lagann reference with that clench your teeth line and also beelzebub reference when mao uses that mile long magic punch on lucifer
i also can’t stop laughing when the poor old priest dude got double mock by alsiel and emi simotaneously
also that cracking sound after emi catches chi chan is truly cringe worthy ouch!
I’ll give you the Beelzebub reference, but I don’t think the “grit your teeth” line started with Gurren Lagan. It’s just something that gets said because they want to smack someone in the head, and don’t want them to bite off their tongue by accident. (i.e., they want to beat you, but not kill you.)
I actually think that Hataraku Maou Sama IS one of the greatest of this season. It has everything I ever looked for in a anime… Comedy, fantasy, action & a bit of romance here & there. A lot of shows attempt this but not many can actually pull it off as well as Hataraku Maou Sama. Show has reaally good pacing + music too.
Props to the staff!
I did not say it wasn’t one of the greatest, but for me personally it’s not #1. It’s definitely in my top 5.
Edit: What I suppose I mean is that regardless of personal opinion on what’s your favorite, Hataraku is pretty damn great for most anyone.
Wonderful episode. Probably the best one so far. Humor, action, character amazingness. Hataraku has it all.
White Fox, you never fail to impress. I tip my hat to you, good sirs.
Sadao’s summary of Lucifer & Orba – B-movie villians. Epic
Would be funny if this series ever get made into a B-movie XD.
actually, this is the most anticipated anime of this season, on a par with SnK
I’d say if this series keeps up the quality, it will earn my top spot as best show. There hasn’t been a “down” episode yet, the characters are wonderfully well fleshed out and its always got you smiling and going “did that just really happen” in the funny way and in the “did Sadou really just use a huge spell like that?”.
The interesting thing from this episode, I find is that Chi-chan understood what the other people Ente Isle was saying. At first, you could pass it off as just she kind of gets the idea, but I’m quite sure when Emeralda called Sadou a stud, she clearly got every word that was said. Why else would she panic like she did when Sadou walked in?
Also, I liked how the episode ended with them questioning if Sadou really is a demon lord. The way this show seems to take these ideas and twist them (in a good way) probably means that it wasn’t demons fault that Emi’s dad died… I felt really sad writing that and knowing I’m probably right.
Can’t wait for Episode 6.
Chi-chan knows exactly what they’re saying. The anime didn’t spell it out clearly, but the “Idea Link” she was targeted translates languages.
Also, like in Episode 3 when she’s talking to Maou, she says “it’s a language she’s never heard before, but she understood every word.”
If you guys want a gif of Arsiel/Ashya in the OP here it is : http://puu.sh/2LqxB
And here is also the gif of the ping-pong : http://puu.sh/2LRry
Cool gifs…:) I’ve always wondered, do you make these yourself? And if so how is it done and where do you host them?
Is this the Lucifer that scheme against God? He is so gullible here. Like hell Olba would be able to let him return to Heaven, he is a priest not God.
And badass Maou is badass.
I thought this episode was slightly off-balance in terms of comedy and more serious elements but overall good.One thing that bugged me was why Emi didn’t use her powers before hand, being fired at with magic bolts or having a bridge collapse on you might be a good time to use your power.
Finally a proper opening sequence. Really enjoyed this week’s episode. That multi-emblem punch…reminds me of Beelzebub’s zebul emblem and Toriko’s multi hit kugi punch.
I like the opening sequence a lot, but I can’t find myself liking the first and final verse, all I hear is “get out of your cage, true sky” it just annoys me lol but the remainign verses of the song are really cool.
I love this series! Even at the most serious and dramatic moments, they never fail to show their comedic and funny scenes along with it! That is what I call EPIC! I expected this episode to be completely serious but man was I wrong, and I am glad I was, cuz this show keeps beating my expectations!
I don’t want to overthink to much and complain like these people do. I totally adore this show! its like my Saturday Morning Cartoon Show 🙂 Haha
Hmm, one thing has me wondering, if the previous opening sequence was composed of past events in the anime, would the new one foreshadow some future events?
(*haven’t read the light novels)
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Coming back to anime after a one year break and finding this show – pricelessly awesome >)
great episode; i really hope emi stays out of the picture romantically; her character is not that engaging and this show doesnt need a love triangle…it wont work for a series such as this…even though it’s suppose to be a romcom
Chi-chan’s Trolling Face…
https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2005%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
Office lady yuusha is the best yuusha.
Ashiya is now my official Most Humorous Side Character of the Season. XD Even in death, he remembers his duty as a house husband. What a lackey, what a man! Going as far as to return home to grab his cape to a showy entrance…good God, I can’t stop laughing.
I love it how the series doesn’t take itself too seriously. What was meant to be a tense moment gave us lots of good comedy with the trademark name-calling and insults thrown as well as a pseudo-Super Robot Punch from Maou. I’m actually glad they pulled everything back to the primary nature of the show – that is, comedy, instead of taking things too far and having Lucifer become some cackling, two-bit villain who plays the boogeyman robber and kidnaps defenseless girls.
Interestingly, Maou seems more human to me than a…well, Maou. This guy’s good natured, pretty much down-to-earth (except for the occasional wild declaration of ambition in conquering the world). When you piss him off though…Be afraid, be very afraid. He’s just lovable that way.
I don’t know about shippings so far, but I do enjoy the relationship dynamics between Maou and Yusa.
Can’t wait for the next one! And moar Ashiya. :3
This is my second favorite show this season next to Shingeki no Kyojin. (ignoring the shows that got second seasons like Railgun, Oreimo and Chihayafuru ofc)
so reveal lucifer is teaming-up with cueball priest to coup rid both of satan & emi give find it like b-movie plot so lucifer blast satan’s sidekick then go beam & shoot satan.
give satan figure it all negative powers give lucifer still powered which satan teleport to crowd area get his powers-up with had team with emi & his sidekick.
while holding the bridge & keeping people all done cue clench your teeth on lucifer all good fix all damages & oh emi’s pals arrive give mention church of esta isla has gone mad.
so after all set yet both satan & emi still staying in japan.
Nice episode, but how will they go about after this I wonder. Now that it is revealed that the people who want the Maou and the Hero dead are their former allies, can that mean that E.I.’s remaining inhabitants seems to have turned against each other?
Could be, now that the mutual enemy–the demonic forces–had been defeated. The existing factions within E.I. might want to seize power for themselves.
I haven’t read the Light novels but even i could tell this is a good adaptation so far.
I can guess 1-5 episodes are from volume 1. Is next episode going to be from Volume 2 or v1?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2yOTeFIqNI
This and Oregairu are pretty darn good show, I can watch it side by side with Shingeki and Suisei without a single decrease of enjoyment on my part.
+100 Badass points
I really like that new OP.I got fooled when they showed Maou get shot in the chest and Emi breaking her legs to save Chiho.I thought someone else with end up saving them somehow or they’d automatically get sent back to Enta Isla if they died.
She’s stealing Chichan from you Maou!
Ashiya stop being cheap!I don’t know how much going to the movies cost in Japan, but in America it’s usually 10 bucks.
Language CRACKED!
Need to wrap my head around it but I can see it works.
Anx tekej… Tof ih fokrj.. Wkivvin zkillianh.
Ugh, I knew someone was going to do this sooner or later. The “language” is quite simple. But did anyone REALLY think that was French, LOL! French sounds like gobbledygook??!!! I learned a great deal of French in my time & it’s certainly not gobbledygook. Oh well, at least the translator works great.
I never thought of it as derived from French. I actually thought it sounded closer to German, which I would say is a close guess since, apparently, the Ente Islan langauge is based on English which shares the same linguistic roots as German.
This really felt like a last episode. Guessing from the preview, it’s the last episode of the main series segwaying into the High School spinoff. 5 episodes, and that’s it, huh?
Loved how it was a “serious” episode yet still had some casual humor in there.
-Maoh asking Emi to do something while he was holding up the highway. “onegaishimasu” lol…
-You’re stopping Maoh from getting employee of the month, Lucifer…
-Disregarding Lucifer and Orba when explaining to Chiho what’s going on.
-Maoh’s voice when he was saying to Chiho that he’s not that awesome. Lol… oh man… “I know that the Japanese value humility but…”
-Maoh and Ashiya judging Lucifer about looking through a women’s wallet.
(Ah… I wanted to post this when the post was first up and there were less comments but I had a busy weekend… the sadness… lol.)
Let’s wait and see. Given the content, I doubt it will go off track into the spinoff. For one thing, both have completely different origin points (according to the manga.) It might have something to do with Chiho, given that she is a high-school student. Maybe he visits her?
Am I the only one who gets Kazumi (Shakugan no Shana) vibes on Chi-chan? For some reason, I don’t like those type of characters…
With all this talk about the Enta Isla language, people might have missed out on Alsiel’s awesome (though short) fight scene. While other people use their magic to shoot beams at their enemies, Alsiel uses his magic to throw trucks at them.
Office outfit plus silver armor looks damn good together :3
Lucifer’s lucky to just get away with some scratches and lumps after getting punched by Maou like that. Clenching his teeth would not have softened the impact. And another thing, Emi sure does have cute tastes(her wallet).
i can not wait to see new character girl who will replace demon general for house work.is so cute xD