First Impressions / High School DxD

「アクマ、やってます!」 (Akuma, Yattemasu!)
“My Job as a Devil!”

I hate to say it, but to me High School DxD works best when it’s light-hearted, ridiculous and focuses on comedy rather than the plot…as an anime, at least. I can’t speak to the light novels, but even though I enjoyed the plot-centric episodes, I think I enjoyed this one even more. That’s not to say that the plot is bad by any means. It’s actually quite good for a fanservice show, though that’s not surprising when you remember it’s adapted from a light novel series…you can’t exactly depend on fanservice alone when you’re mainly working in words, after all. Still, when you compare Issei to the many other heroic badasses running around this season, he starts looking lackluster.

I guess the thing is that no show exists in a vacuum. On its own DxD’s plot is pretty good, but when compared to other shows airing this season, it’s just alright. But in fanservice and comedy…well, I think we all know the answer to that. DxD has something of a comparative advantage (Economics this time, gasp!) when it comes to ecchi fun, and it just works better when it focuses on that. There’s no awkward change of tone or inappropriately placed fanservice when it focuses on the perverted fun. I mean, I was laughing my ass off over Issei’s attempts to contract with Miu-tan and Susan the Samurai (Kawasumi Ayako), and the return of Megane-kun and Saru-kun was also welcome. Oh, and Issei’s parents ripping on their own son was hilarious!

Also, there’s this. Your honor, I rest my case.

That said, there was still a little plot this time, and I actually found it more intriguing than most of what has happened so far. With Asia moving in with Issei and a stupid couple being born, there were a lot of relationship things going on…and each one sent Rias-senpai looking forlornly off into the distance. Being a high-ranking devil of an important clan, I expect that Rias-senpai doesn’t have too much leeway in who she can marry, and might even have an arranged husband waiting in the wings. I’m sure the light novel readers can say more there, so I’ll leave that to the comments (use spoilers!). All I know is that since I don’t know what will happen (as opposed to with Asia, where the OP and ED spoiled it for us), so that makes it more interesting.

With the season half over, I have to wonder where this adaptation is going. A cursory check of Wikipedia says 11 light novels have been released so far, so there’s a LOT of material that could still be used, but there’s also not much more time to do it in. My gut tells me that we’ll be getting several more episodes of ecchi antics before the plot returns for a big finish…and the preview seems to support this. It also says that we’re finally going to get a proper introduction of those glasses-wearing beauties that have appeared a few times, which I’m all for. We’ve got a busty nudist, an ufufu sadist, a stoic loli, an innocent nun…yeah, we need some megane in here to round out the fetishes. Otherwise we have to make do with Megane-kun, and oh gods, nobody wants that.

Full-size images: 04, 06, 09, 12, 15, 24, 36.

 

Preview

32 Comments

    1. True, very true, but I’m finding myself a lot less annoyed by Issei than a lot of other pervert protagonists. He’s pretty straight forward about his perversion; and while he can’t go all the way because this isn’t porn, he doesn’t do half bad compared to other shows like this where the guy just CAN’T SPIT IT OUT.

      KaleRylan
      Reply

  5. this ep.6 ok now

    issei see undies of the nun
    give we morning training for issei with rias & oh nun going to issei house & also school
    issei meet a “magical girl muscle” cue brain bleach.
    next day little nap oh “nice wings” rias.
    another contract meet it samurai armor suit girl need help & yea got her a knight in suit guy as well.
    5 seconds too late but next best thing a hug.

    next ep let there be slime.

    MR.KLAC
    Reply

  6. If Rias doesn’t have a fiancee that she doesn’t want to marry after all the talk about feelings and her glomping onto Issei after his little speech about how only relationships based on feelings are right, I’ll be shocked. Like need CPR shocked. From the look on Akeno’s face at the end it seems like Issei might’ve just got himself out of the “cute plaything” zone with Rias, so major props to him!! XD I still like Asia just a little bit more 😛

    Glad to see there was some actual training involved with being a devil, though. I always prefer increasing base stats through hard work instead on momentary insane power boosts where the guy goes back to be pathetic afterwards. Then again, I guess Issei is a bit of both… 😀

    Aex
    Reply

  7. What a GLORIOUS episode and more naked Rias senpai is always welcomed.
    What other heroic badasses this season? The male protags running around this season are wimpy pushovers XD

    Seishun Otoko
    Reply

      1. Add the captain Kirk, erm, Marika of the Moretsu Pirates! Both Yuji and Shana also qualify, imho, being avatars of the most powerful gods of Guze. And whole Mizusawa HS Karuta Club is a collective badass entity – even the rookies are already fighting for the advance to class C!.
        This season is so full of badasses, and it’s… Maru?

        ewok40k
        Reply

  14. I had thought they wouldn’t bring that Mii-tan part back. It was Issei’s first job when he started as a devil but it makes for an interesting filler here. But wtf is material from vol 8 in here? That armored couple part was chapter1 from vol 8, recently translated in BT. Kawasumi Ayako though so it’s okay.
    But where the hell is my dream sequence before Issei woke up and they began training? That was essential for things to come. Shit, and here I thought when Raiser appeared in the last few seconds last episode they would just make this episode as a breather/filler and then get on to the story in vol2. Preview suggests otherwise. I’m guessing the slime parts are from the other volumes, still untranslated so I can’t tell where. That new character with megane gets introduced in vol3.
    They’re reaaally messing up the order of events. And I thought they were doing so well with covering vol1. Sigh. The manga version is doing better with the story but at least we get some delicious Rias in here with Hikasa Yoko’s voice so best not complain too much.

    tl;dr Looking for a plot in a show with plenty of boobs and nipples. What was I thinking.
    The novels has a decent plot though.

    belatkuro
    Reply

    1. Volume 8 is a compilation of side stories that was previously printed in a magazine that DxD is also a regular of and they chronologically take place between volume 1 and 2. So it’s exactly right to air them now if they want to show them when they happened. From the preview so does it look like the next episode will be similar with some main story advancement and some side story from volume 8 mixed in.

      Znail
      Reply

  15. Concerning being a heroic badass, Ise is just starting out. We’ve barely started on volume 2 of the novels (with some side stories from volume 8) and it’s understandable for Ise to still be a normal everyday guy. He’s just starting to respond to the call after all. Also, the end of the anime will include what I think is Ise’s most defining moment. The fight with Yuuma was just him dealing with his past and mistakes. The end of the anime will show us what he’s really made of so we shouldn’t count him out just yet.

    Spoilered but it won’t really get included in the anime. Just a little something about Ise’s character.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Whookie
    Reply

  21. High School DxD gave me a very good impression since 1st episode, is like, back to the traditional genre, a bad luck boy, with the prettiest girl around XD and not just one, HAREM haha, can’t wait for the next episode =D
    P.S. ever since Kiss Shot from bakemonogatari, Rias Gremory has now become my one of the perfect anime idol =~=”

    Sho
    Reply

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