Demon King Daimao Anime Review

Demon King Daimao
(The Great Demon King in the Back Row)
Sentai Filmworks
Complete Collection - 2 discs
300 mins. - 12 episodes
$59.98 (2011)
$69.98 (2011) Blu-Ray
ISBN 814131014917
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Takashi Watanabe
Studio - Artland

Synopsis: Akuto Sai is transferring to the Constant Magical Academy where he plans to study and someday become a high priest in the government.  He meets the beautiful Junko Hattori on the train ride to the academy and the two become friends.  Upon arriving at the academy all new students must visit the school nurse and stand before a magical spirit (a cigar-smoking bird) which predicts their future occupation with 100% accuracy.  The bird declares "You will be the Demon King!" and Akuto's life is changed forever.

Akuto meets Junko on the train ride to Constant Academy

Years earlier the Demon King menaced society and threatened to bring about a new world order.  He was stopped, but everyone fears for his return one day.  Akuto was left at the door of church as a baby and raised as an orphan.  Being branded as the next Demon King instantly makes Akuto an outcast and the focus of major negative attention at school.  He means well and doesn't want to be the Demon King, but his attempts to win over students get misinterpreted and they mistrust him even more.

This crazy bird foretells Akuto will be the next Demon King

Now Akuto is at odds with almost everyone at school and the government orders perpetual surveillance on him.  Some people want to kill him and some want to join him, but no one understands his intentions to help society one day.  He is particularly hurt by Junko's revocation of their friendship when she finds out he will be the Demon King.  Here is the cast of characters surrounding Akuto:

• Junko Hattori is the class representative for Akuto's class, a powerful fighter and comes from a family of ninjas, has incredible sword skills, thinks Akuto knew of his destiny to become the Demon King and deceived her when they became friends on the train ride to the academy, and constantly misjudges Akuto's deeds as intended to be evil, seems to like Akuto despite her fierce protests to the contrary
• Kena Soga is one of Akuto's classmates, has the magical ability to levitate and become invisible (however her clothes stay visible and she must strip in order to be truly unseen), loves rice, is a decent student however seems completely bird-brained, wears a special bird hairpin which she remembers Akuto giving her as a child, has feelings for him
• Fujiko Eto is the girl's dorm headmistress with a great reputation around school, openly sympathizes with Akuto, manipulates him from the shadows, her older brother passed away leaving her to try and fulfill his duties, she plans to use Akuto's power as the Demon King to her advantage, uses magical potions, is very sexual and promiscuous
• Korone is the female android surveillance agent assigned to watch Akuto, she teases him constantly about sexual situations, sleeps in the top part of his closet, has a purse filled with guns and gadgets, is ordered to seduce him by the government, and can be turned off by pulling her rabbit tail
• Hiroshi Miwa is one of Akuto's classmates who looks up to him like a big brother, is kind of a wimp, he wants to be a hero someday, disagrees with Akuto's view that society must be changed
• Eiko Teruya is from a different school and rival ninja clan to Junko, but attempts to manipulate and seduce Akuto to gain influence over his power

From left to right: Junko, Akuto, Fujiko (holding the severed and preserved
head of her older brother), and Korone

Akuto learns he possesses an incredible power to control mana (the magical substance permeating the world).  He uses this power to fend off attacks, but has minimal control over it and often causes unintended destruction (thus furthering his reputation as a menace).  His destiny thrown down like a gauntlet before him, Akuto must rise to the challenge of the Demon King's legacy!  Can he convince his friends of his true intentions and fend off a constant stream of usurpers?  What is the true, secret purpose behind the Demon King which threatens to destroy a society following magical gods powered by sophisticated computers?  Will he choose Junko or Kena, but what about all the kinky things he can do with Korone the android?

Akuto taps into his Demon King power

Pros: Comedy and humorous misunderstandings, lots of fan-service and a little nudity, a full cast of pretty girls, catchy opening theme song (ending theme is decent), magical action with a few battles, Akuto is a likable main character

Korone spies on Akuto everywhere - even in the bath

Cons: The plot ends up being terribly confusing and rushed at the end, typical harem-genre nonsense, rampant silliness turns into half-hearted attempt at serious ending, bunch of talk about 'gods' will probably offend religious types (although 'demon king' in the title should tip them off), animation downgrades a bit at the end

Fujiko lusts after the Demon King's power

Mike Tells It Straight: Demon King Daimao was a good concept, but had too much crammed into 12 episodes. I started the series expecting a harem/fan-service anime spin on Harry Potter - kid goes to magical academy and gets the ol' Sorting Hat treatment, but ends up with an evil destiny and ostracized by his classmates.  Throw in a bunch of cute girls harping over him with a constant stream of innocent misunderstandings leading to heaps of fan-service.  No problem, the first few episodes followed the expected formula.  Then halfway through the series (right after Peter Hausen, the dragon appears) the story gets increasingly complicated with talk of gods and computers.

Akuto accidentally runs into Kena while she's invisible, which
 is misunderstood by onlookers as him being lecherous

The story just gets more and more confusing until it ends with a lot of unanswered questions.  Demon King Daimao is based on a light novel series with much more happening in the story than was possible to coherently present in a 12 episode anime.  I thought the animation studio Artland did a decent job on the visuals (although the last few episodes seemed to lose some quality), the opening theme song rocked (ending theme was just okay), good cast of characters, the fan-service didn't suck (gratuitous, yes), and Akuto was an excellent protagonist (not wimpy and/or whiny).

Akuto after a particularly difficult battle

This show had a lot of potential, but ended up squandering it all by trying to be too much.  It was somewhat enjoyable to watch and I give it a mediocre recommendation.  The writers should have stuck with a lighthearted plot for this first series and then kicked in the complicated storyline in the second season.  Don't expect a sequel any time soon.


TO BUY and Recommendations:

Yugo the Negotiator Anime Review

Yugo the Negotiator
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 3 discs
325 mins. - 13 episodes
$39.98 (2007)
$29.98 (2009)
ISBN 702727150425
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Seiji Kishi/Shinya Hanai
Studio - G&G Direction/Artland

Synopsis: Yugo Beppu is a world-class negotiator who is rumored to have never lost a case.  He uses words as his weapons and his extensive knowledge of human nature allows him to control deadly situations.  The cases he takes are those where a loved one has been kidnapped and he must believe in the person requesting the negotiation in order for him to accept the job.  He lost a friend during a kidnapping gone wrong due to failed negotiation and vowed to help others avoid suffering the same hardship.

A lovely Japanese woman comes to seek Yugo's aid.  Her father is working for a corporation overseas in Pakistan and was kidnapped by a group of rebels.  The company employed a negotiator to get her father back, but the military became involved and the rebels killed the negotiator.  Leading the rebels is a fearsome man who believes his work is blessed by Allah and he will only negotiate with a true hero.  Yugo sympathizes with the woman's plight and takes the case.

Yugo heads to Pakistan to negotiate with rebels

He must infiltrate Pakistan and engage the rebels without involving the military.  They wish to apprehend the rebels and avoid giving them financial aid to continue their resistance with no care for the life of the prisoner.  Yugo studies up on religious zealotry and carefully researches the players involved in the region.  He formulates a plan and has a friend prepare a few gadgets to help him while out in the field.  Once he makes contact with the rebels he must endure extreme torture to prove himself a true hero.  Can Yugo save the woman's father?  Even if he does can he escape the country without the military intervening?

Yugo must negotiate with this fearsome rebel leader

Yugo is sought out by the descendants of Russian royalty exiled in Japan. Two rings exist which when combined contain the secret clues to accessing the Romanov fortune.  One ring is held by the descendants in Japan and the other is in the possession of a granddaughter held by the Russian government.  Yugo travels to Russia to recover the girl and bring her to Japan to be with her family.  He takes the job and heads to Russia.

Yugo must rescue this little girl and her teddy bear (and her ring)

He must infiltrate Russia to find the girl and research the Romanov fortune.  Enlisting the aid of a young, beautiful college girl who studies Russian history, Yugo sets to finding records of a mysterious cargo shipped out of the country when the Romanovs fled.  A beautiful army officer was planted in Japan with the family in order to find the secrets of the fortune.  She was recalled to Russia and Yugo must deal with her on his quest.  The Russian Army wants to access the fortune in a time when Westernization has completely changed the country.  Can Yugo find the girl or will he be intercepted by the army?  Even if he survives the torture, can he survive the Russian winter?

This beautiful Russian officer was a plant in Japan for eight years

Pros: Lots of intense situations where Yugo's life is in danger, beautiful women, two complex stories with cliffhanger moments, Yugo is one tough and determined guy with high moral fiber, great backgrounds in the Russia arc

Ships docked in a frozen harbor in Russia

Cons: Yugo surviving and triumphing over the horrible torture he endures seems impossible, ending to Russia negotiation is completely hokey/impossible, opening/ending theme songs are mediocre, each story arc is written/animated by different people/studios, one Russian officer was a long-haired blonde dude - shyeah right!

Yugo gets tortured by the rebels in Pakistan

Mike Tells It Straight: Yugo is an intense, political anime with adventure and beautiful women thrown in.  Judging from what Yugo goes through to accomplish his negotiations successfully (i.e. torture) I would nominate his job for one of the worst jobs in history.  The writers obviously build Yugo up to be an impossibly resilient man - no one could endure the torture he does and still function as well afterwards.  It's just too much suspension of disbelief for an anime trying very hard to be realistic.

Yugo gets tortured by the Russian Army

I enjoyed the complicated stories and political intrigue, but certain events were hard to swallow.  Animation was decent and scenery (particularly Russia) was good.  Dub was okay.  I was expecting the show to be more episodic with Yugo negotiating a different crisis over a few episodes instead of two involved story arcs.

Yugo negotiates with this bullish female Russian general
Good luck, buddy!

The story felt conflicted with trying to be realistic, but then having these totally unrealistic things happen - Yugo's torture, the rebel leader in Pakistan shooting helicopters out of the air with a rocket launcher, Yugo surviving this crazy blizzard in Russia, and then the characters/ending to the Russian arc.  I came away thinking 'yeah, Yugo is tough, but that would never have happened!'.  The complex and intense situations were entertaining, but my final verdict is mediocre for this anime because of the unrealistic parts.

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Mushi-Shi Anime Review

Mushi-Shi
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
625 mins. - 26 episodes
$69.98 (2008)
$49.98 (2009) Viridian
$39.98 (2010)
$29.98 (2011) S.A.V.E.
ISBN 704400051104
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Hiroshi Nagahama
Studio - Artland

Synopsis: All around us exist simple creatures called Mushi, they are in touch with the basic essence of life and are all but invisible to the naked eye.  Only people with special sensitivity to the lifestream can see them.  The Mushi come in an almost infinite variety and often have spectacular attributes which normal people would consider supernatural.  Sometimes Mushi can cause problems for humans depending on the nature of the Mushi, especially if the Mushi have a certain attribute which is adverse to humans and are in a location where they can breed [uncontrollably].  The Mushi are not consciously trying to harm people, but just following their natures (similar to insects, animals, or plants).

Ginko with Mushi scrolls and the tools of his trade

Mushi masters (called Mushi-shi) are professional tradespeople who help deal with problems arising from Mushi and also sell artifacts/remedies derived from them.  Ginko is a traveling Mushi master who spends his time investigating and treating occurrences of Mushi.  He is one of the best masters and has seen many different types of Mushi over the course of his life.  Being a Mushi master is very dangerous due to the many different types of Mushi and their strange abilities.

A young boy can see Mushi around his house

The bizarre phenomena Mushi create range from the mundane to the astonishing.  Cases Ginko investigates include a boy whose drawings come to life, a girl who cannot bear sunlight due to the Mushi living in her eyes, a man who dreams the future (but is helpless to stop it), a living swamp which moves from place to place, a village with unusually good harvests coming at the price of a villager's life, a man trapped in a bamboo forest with his family, a girl who disappeared into the sky, a family with strange children who are turning green, and the list goes on.

"Hey! Don't touch those Mushi! They're dangerous!"

Ginko himself is an odd person.  He has preternaturally white hair and a green eye due to contact with an especially dangerous Mushi.  The Mushi are drawn to him and if he stays in one place for too long they gather to potentially cause trouble.  He must constantly travel.  Throughout his adventures, Ginko treats the Mushi with respect and understanding toward their fantastic nature.

Ginko sits next to the lifestream

Pros: Great animation quality - opening sequence is particularly artful, elegantly-paced compared to other hyper-active action-based shows, soothing quality to the stories, Ginko's character and visual design is really cool, fun opening theme song (it's in English which is somewhat uncommon), slightly creepy stories and background music, Mushi are a cool idea

Mushi-Shi is filled with beautiful landscapes and scenes of nature

Cons: Episodic - no actual story conclusion, very slow-paced and languid at times, not a lot of explanations for different happenings - the annual Mushi meeting or Ginko's style of dress

"Hey! Don't swallow that Mushi! It's dangerous!"

Mike Tells It Straight: Mushi-Shi is a very soothing and mellow piece of work.  It's highly atmospheric and just the slightest bit creepy.  I found it to be entertaining and very relaxing - a good contrast to many in-your-face, action-oriented, or highly plot-driven series (I would say the direct opposite of Mushi-Shi would be Blassreiter with its confusing plot, complicated characters designs, and even-more-complicated CG enhanced fights scenes). 

Ginko encounters a town where everything is rusting,
including the people

Everything in this show was well put together and planned - from Ginko's slightly modern/outlandish (for the era) clothing, the pacing of the stories, and giving the bare minimum of explanations to keep it mysterious.  It worked to create an interesting landscape of unknown happenings related to weird creatures called Mushi.  We get snippets of Ginko's origin and plenty of room for a sequel.

The infamous "Mushi eyes" episode. Brrrrr!

While I enjoyed the series as a standalone break from the ever-churning sea of information we currently live in, many people may not share the same outlook.  Mushi-Shi is nothing if not slow-paced and episodic.  It's a bit boring if you're trying to finish the series quickly and kind of forces you to watch at its pre-designated pace.  Quite charming if you're into this sort of pacing, but agonizing if you want a faster-paced show with a definitive ending to the series.

Ginko loves telling stories about Mushi

Mushi-Shi was very well-received, winning awards in 2006 from the Tokyo Anime Awards and Tokyo International Anime Fair.  A live-action film was produced and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo (famed creator/director of Akira).  I give this series high marks for creativity and hope it gets a sequel in the near future.  Check it out if you want a nice change of pace.

TO BUY and Recommendations: