First Impressions / Hataraku Maou-sama!

「魔王、学校の階段を昇る」 (Maō, Gakkō no Kaidan o Noboru)
“The Demon Lord Climbs the Stairs to School”

What would you do for a Pasta console?

After last week’s epic showdown, we get ourselves a breather episode in the world of Hataraku. Things seem to have settled down after Lucifer and Orba’s defeat, and everyone’s gone back to their normal daily lives, with a few exceptions. For one thing, Chiho has comfortably accepted the fact that she’s surrounded by demons and angelic stalker-heroes. For another, Lucifer has made himself at home at Maou’s stronghold under the name Urushihara as something of a cross between bratty teenage son and NEET younger brother. There’s definitely some plot underfoot in the menacing form of the Church back on Ente Isla, which is horrified to think Emilia and Maou are loose and know more than they should and is planning to do something about it. For the most part, though, this is a laid back retreat into the humor that characterized the first couple of episodes (albeit somewhat diluted).

Under the excuse of using the power of the internet to better research magic in the human world, Maou and Ashiya spoil their son freeloader by getting him an admittedly low-spec laptop, which leads to Lucifer suggesting his master check out a school and its “seven mysteries” in the search for demonic power. Of course, this turns out to be Chi-chan’s school, and she’s only too eager to help Maou and his wife roommate find a particular cursed classroom. Of course the party doesn’t get started until Emi’s in the picture, and she’s not the type to let someone else take the spotlight. She stalks them to the school and isn’t even ashamed to admit it (how often do you have to stalk someone to make this a matter of fact statement?), which leads to some great comedy on the part of Maou (a demon lord afraid of ghost stories), Chiho (whose banter and frustration at being unnoticed by Maou are pretty amusing), Emi (“who whips their sacred sword out to deal with an anatomical model?!”), Ashiya (“this anatomical model only has one heart!”), and Miki-T (dat photograph). The cincher though is Urushihara’s audacity to get his master and fellow general to take that trip and get his Pasta console (where he forgot it while staying at the school with Orba). Minion he may be, but NEET he does better, though you have to wonder how he got so good at technology so quickly.

That’s not to say that comedy is all on the agenda this week. It seems that the Church has sent a representative to Earth in Kamazuki Suzuno (Itou Kanae), and it looks like she’s moved into the Stronghold’s complex. After falling down the stairs (somewhat horrifically) for her introduction, we don’t really know how she plans to address her mission. Clearly she’ll be a source of conflict for the remainder of the series, but the real question is, will she bring plot to the table, comedy, or a healthy mixture of both?

Full-length images: 33, 36.

 

ED4 Sequence

ED4: 「Sankaku e.p.」 by nano.RIPE

Preview

80 Comments

    1. Well, I guess earth’s civilization got the better of him. I am kind of shocked the Demon Lord had obtained yet another general and his “power” increased from low tech to high tech now that he has an expert hacker in his “castle.” Japan is full of “mysteries” at least this is more feasible than going to visit Egypt or the Stone Hedge.

      I am more surprised though. So it is just as I suspected, the Church are the real villains. From the looks of it, they reported Emi to be “Dead,” but it is not that they thought that she was dead, they want her to be dead. This is like Joan of arc, they fear Emi’s charisma so much that they believe that she would overthrow those old guys off from their hedonistic way of life. It is evident judging from how one of those high-ups nearly collapsed, if they really see her alive then they should rejoice but instead they looked worried like they fear her return. At the moment, I feel worried for Emi’s comrades, after all if they say something like “the hero lives and Orba has defected” then we may see some bad results.

      Either way, I won’t be shocked that they would label Emi as a traitor and send assassins to kill her.

      The episode was nice today, though we only get to see little magic, it was entertaining to see Maou get scared of some ghost stories, he is the demon for crying out loud he should be saying something like “IT SEEMS I SHALL HAVE SOME FUN TONIGHT.”

      https://randomc.net/image/Hataraku%20Maou-sama/Hataraku%20Maou-sama%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
      Hmmm, even more proof for me that the Landlady must be an arch-angel. To be able to subdue demons with just a photograph of her. She is truly a powerful person. But seriously, I don’t think you should have put that there, even I hesitate to come to this page because of that part of her photo. XD just joking, or am I really?

      L002
      Reply

      4. This definite isn’t the photo partly seen in the episode, but hey, I think it has almost the same effect. https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180248_491472267573154_802048928_n.png
        Those having FB accounts should check out the Hataraku Maou Sama fan page
        (the one nearing 20k fans), some of the fan art featured there is quite good, especially Emi’s.

        Anyway on a slightly unrelated aspect, someone made an interesting edit to a scene from the OP. Found on animesuki forum. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/1367687400591.jpg/

        Btw, what’s the HTML code to custom name links? I only know how to do spoiler codes.

        Techim
        Reply

      1. Oh trust me is not just you as i got the same impression. I personally prefer chi-chan over emi but as usual the annoying tsundere character is the one that is most popular and will most likely steal the romantic spotlight (i sure hope not though).

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

  10. 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.

    The revolution is five years earlier than he expected?! Predictions are prophecies?! L-Elf, what?!?!?!!? Btw his voice actor is awesome… starting to love it. This guy is just too much.

    WHOA, VALVRAVE WITH THAT RANDOM GUY BEING (KILLED?)?!?!?! CAN’T HANDLE.

    What is with Shoko and touching her skirt… I was jokingly thinking that she was going to strip every time she touched her skirt but I didn’t think she would really… this girl is pretty ridiculous, what…

    Also, is it me or was there a character that looked a lot like Shoko? Uh…

    http://www.batoto.net/read/_/157221/koi-nanka-hajimaranai_v6_ch22_by_jshoujo-scans/29

    http://www.batoto.net/read/_/158679/koe-no-katachi_by_futari-wa-pretty-anon

    http://www.batoto.net/read/_/140784/ane%E2%98%86mone-seikaten_v1_ch2_by_shoujo-crusade/4

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geis

    http://www.dragonflycave.com/dpvsseeker.aspx#level31

    http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/List_of_Pok%C3%A9mon_by_effort_value_yield

    So it’s not the High School spinoff. What a relief!

    Highlights… or rather funny scenes
    -Can you be more quiet when you eat, Maoh?
    -Celebrating his promotion… getting closer to that MgRonalds domination/pyramid scheme? Shift supervisor?!
    -Parody of Amazon with Jungle?
    -Emi’s comment of 3 men living in one small room.
    -Chi’s “I’m not scared when I’m with you” and Maoh’s reply with “Oh ok, well anyway…”
    -Maoh’s voice when Chi talks about the phone call from another world taking your soul. Oh man!!
    -Lucifer’s BS about making them go to the ‘forbidden classroom’
    -Every scene with Ashiya

    I’m loving this new ending sequence. Same song, but there is all this clock related stuff going on in it. Even Chi’s outfit from the last sequence is slightly revamped with clocks all over it. Pretty cool.

    Seems like that girl that fell down the stairs is a new main character. Trying to meet with Maoh, perhaps? She even appears in the new ending sequence.

    Also, Lucifer is probably good with technology because he’s young which is alluding to modern day teens, perhaps?

    Jel
    Reply

  11. So it’s not the High School spinoff. What a relief!

    Highlights… or rather funny scenes
    -Can you be more quiet when you eat, Maoh?
    -Celebrating his promotion… getting closer to that MgRonalds domination/pyramid scheme? Shift supervisor?!
    -Parody of Amazon with Jungle?
    -Emi’s comment of 3 men living in one small room.
    -Chi’s “I’m not scared when I’m with you” and Maoh’s reply with “Oh ok, well anyway…”
    -Maoh’s voice when Chi talks about the phone call from another world taking your soul. Oh man!!
    -Lucifer’s BS about making them go to the ‘forbidden classroom’
    -Every scene with Ashiya

    I’m loving this new ending sequence. Same song, but there is all this clock related stuff going on in it. Even Chi’s outfit from the last sequence is slightly revamped with clocks all over it. Pretty cool.

    Seems like that girl that fell down the stairs is a new main character. Trying to meet with Maoh, perhaps? She even appears in the new ending sequence.

    (Sorry about the last comment. Please delete it. I wrote it in a notepad first and accidentally copied/pasted the wrong text. Lol…)

    Jel
    Reply

  12. Nice Ito Kanae joins the cast (superb voice actress). Them stairs man i swear, someone’s gonna get killed by them. it’s the only EVIL thing is this series as of right now. I can see it now: the stairs (voice be Norio Wakamoto of course) laughing condescendingly as it trips each cast member going “keikaku dori”.

    sonicsenryaku
    Reply

  16. Man! This series just keeps getting better and better! The chemistry between the characters is spot on, and the jokes are incredibly fresh. There’s not too many anime series out there where I like every character, and this is one where each character is just plain likeable. It seemed as if this series was hinting at some deep plot developments in its earlier episodes, especially with episode 3, so I hope they’ll be expanded on. Also, Emilia got her past revealed so I’m also hooping that the other characters (especially Maou’s and Ayisha’s) will be fleshed out before the series end as well.

    Censor this!
    Reply

  17. I’m really loving these Chiho focused EDs ;p.

    I lol’d at Lucifer having a low spec laptop for PC gaming because I have one too XD.The Pasta has no games though so I don’t know why he’d want that back.

    Magoiichi
    Reply

  22. No mention of Chi’s friend’s yaoi delusions about Maou and Ashiya? She would have died if she found out there are actually three of them living in that apartment together.

    EliteF22
    Reply

  23. This series has the same flow as Kotora — bad things happen, but not really (except
    Kotora had a stronger dramatic start). Honestly, I can’t see serious things happening
    in this series, but it’s still fun to watch.

    mac65
    Reply

  26. esta isla church is seem having probs going hmm to do with recent happen while maou having got a promote & having luc-Urushihara doing computer works for maou.

    then after UGH that maou’s sidekick & Urushihara got from “letter pic” then it reveal in computer there a forbidden room in school to get demon power & gate til it’s in chiho’s school.

    so maou & sidekick with chiho going check while emi sneak in & oops slash a body school dummy til finally enter the forbidden room which nothing to be Urushihara old hideout place to pick-up his game (yet someone was watching them).

    & after that then maou saw “letter pic” cue brain bleach & with that found catch girl in komoto outfit on his door.

    b.i.t.w.
    Reply

      2. I’m unsure about what that line said, but it definitely had the words “Orba” and “police” in it. Depending on whose translation you’re using, Orba was either arrested or being investigated by the police.

        And if we go by the previous episode, I have to go with “investigated,” because Orba immediately disappears right before Maou beatsdown Lucifer. No explanation is given, except that one second he’s there (embedded in the building), the next he’s not. Most likely Orba fled back to Ente Isla on his own.

        Rasen
        Reply

  30. There’s one thing that really got to me XD ‘you get a call from hell and your soul get taken away”, I really wondered where Satan (Mao) is from XD he gets a call from himself? that would have been funny lmao but I guess we know he’s from Enti Isla.

    Wonderful episode, and perhaps, the new charecter, is the normal girl that got spirited away 😀 I love this show still, this episode was too calm for the awesomeness of last episode, but it is still wonderful!

    Thanks for your review.
    M.

    Mi-Chan
    Reply

  32. Regarding technology, I think the people from Ente Isla probably have spells which let them pluck knowledge from people’s minds to help them adapt quicker. Earth is at a level of technology undreamed of back on Ente Isla, but within a short time, they got adapted to registrations, cars, and Emi’s doing tech support!

    Rasen
    Reply

    1. Something like yes and no? Some spoiler discussions I read on animesuki forums mentioned
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Techim
      Reply

    2. “Idea Link”
      Show Spoiler ▼

      OrangeJuice
      Reply

    2. Lucifer personally? Not exactly.
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Techim
      Reply

      1. Well, trying to avoid spoiler territory, but….

        Show Spoiler ▼

        What probably blunts (at least somewhat) her hatred of Lucifer is that it was most likely his army that razed her village, not Lucifer himself. Since it was his job to invade the Western Continent, he would have been fighting at someplace more strategically important than some tiny backwoods village.

        Rasen
        Reply

  35. wasn’t the other demon general shown as a skeleton? i wonder what he’ll look like on earth if he’s ever dragged into this…kawaii imouto skeleton, dawwww

    NierTevra
    Reply

  36. “Clearly she’ll be a source of conflict for the remainder of the series, but the real question is, will she bring plot to the table, comedy, or a healthy mixture of both?”

    The answer is: A new harem member :3

    YanDaMan
    Reply

  38. God…I laughed so hard when the seventh mystery was actually a game console.

    Urushibara (the name itself made me snicker) apparently transited from being an evil, traitorous minion to a NEET-ish, spoilt teenager. Then we have Yusa getting pranked, and apparently resorting to being a stalker. And who knew Maou was scared of cellphone ringtones? XD

    I just love how Hataraku turns serious stuff around into utter hilarity and get away with it completely. Pure, epic stuff.

    Owaranai
    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *