Death Note Anime Review

Death Note
Desu Noto
Viz Video
Complete Collection - 9 discs
850 mins. - 37 episodes
$44.98 (2014)
$24.98 (2013-14) Parts 1-2/ea.
$69.98 (2008-09) Parts 1-2/ea.
$39.98 (2008-09) Vol. 6-9/ea. Limited
$24.98 (2008-09) Vol. 6-9/ea.
$49.99 (2008) Vol. 5 Limited
$34.99 (2008) Vol. 5
$39.98 (2007-08) Vol. 1-4/ea. Limited
$24.98 (2007-08) Vol. 1-4/ea.
$29.98 (2007) Vol. 1 w/graphic novel
$24.98 (2007) Vol. 1 w/calendar
ISBN 782009243595
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Tetsuro Araki
Studio - Madhouse

Synopsis: There exists a world set apart from ours.  It's filled with Shinigami - gods of death or perhaps they should be called demons.  They have lived for a very long time and they are very bored.  Each Shinigami possesses a notebook called a Death Note which has the power to kill any human whose name is written inside.  If a Shinigami accidentally drops their Death Note in the human world then whichever human picks it up will become the owner and have the power to kill humans.  The Shinigami named Ryuk manages to get his hands on a second Death Note and decides to drop it in the human world.  This is the story of what happens afterwards.

Ryuk in the Shinigami world

Light Yagami is an honor student and star tennis player.  He's the son of a high-ranking police officer and has even helped his Dad on a few cases.  Incredibly bright and terribly bored, Light is the perfect student, son, and potential boyfriend!  One day he finds a notebook on the ground with the words 'Death Note' written on the cover.  The notebook includes some additional writing which shocks Light:

Light doesn't know what to make of the notebook and considers the implications of it's 'rules'.  What if it's real and how can writing someone's name in a notebook possibly kill them?  He decides to test it out after seeing a news broadcast of a man has taken several children hostage and the police are trying to save them.  The news broadcast shows the man's name and face so Light has exactly what the Death Note specified.  

Light possesses the Death Note and begins using it

He writes the man's name...and the man dies.  The Death Note is real and suddenly a monstrous creature appears before his eyes.  The creature is a Shinigami (God of Death) named Ryuk who says he has dropped the Death Note in the human world for someone to pick up.  He is only visible to the Note's owner and not completely trustworthy.  Light takes all of this incredible information in stride and decides to use the Note as a way to cleanse the world of criminals and create a better world.  Naturally Light will be the God of this new world.

The mysterious and world-renowned detective L

Scores of criminals begin dying of heart attacks and the authorities take notice.  They call in a world-renowned and secretive detective calling himself L.  Despite being a genius savant, L has two things going for him - no one knows his real name and Light has never seen his face.  It seems Light has met his match and must deal with an intense man-hunt to find the mysterious killer who is breathing fear into the criminal underworld.  The public gets wind of the killings and people begin forming opinions.  The killer becomes known as "Kira" and crime rates drop.  It seems the killings are primarily located in Japan so L begins closing in on Light.

Ryuk is only visible to the Death Note owner and follows Light wherever he goes

Light's father gets drawn into the investigation to find Kira and even meets the mysterious L.  It becomes increasingly difficult for Light to hide the fact that he's Kira.  Things get sticky when a second Kira appears out of nowhere.  Will this second killer align with Light's plans for a new world?  The greater question is will L take down this copycat and learn the true secret of the Death Note?  With L and the investigative team (including his father) breathing down his neck, how far will Light go and who will he kill in order to achieve his 'greater world'?  The answer will surprise you.  

A second Death Note and Shinigami (Rem) appears!

Pros: Highly suspenseful and a gripping story, interesting characters (especially L), makes you seriously question your morals, nice animation and backgrounds, intense and slow buildup to final ending was masterful, L is a serious badass who can do almost anything perfectly

The hunt for Kira intensifies, from left: Light, Matsuda (standing), L,
and Light's Father

Cons: Second half of the series gets confusing and definitely not as strong as the first, it gets hard to tell which Death Note and Shinigami Eyes are at play, some very convenient plot twists in Kira or L's favor, creepy foot-rubbing scene between L and Light, L's constant eating of sweets (it gets a little pathological by the end)

Light manipulates Misa Amane who pledges her undying love for Kira

Mike Tells It Straight: Death Note is really a story about power corrupting otherwise good people and it forces the viewer to consider what they would do with the ability to become an anonymous executioner.  At first Light appears to be the perfect student and an exemplary son, but then he transforms into the vengeful god Kira who will remake society one criminal death at a time.  A fascinating premise which offers a lot of moral allegory to the information age.  Highly suspenseful with a ton of twists and turns as Light tries to stay one step ahead of the police and L.

L shows a sadistic side when he begins questioning suspects

The series is fairly long at 37 episodes while most anime series are only 26.  This allows the story to progress at its own pace and build up a lot of tension.  It follows the original manga series by Takeshi Obata very closely.  The characters develop over time and we get to know each one.  There are so many plot developments and contingencies to Light's planning that it gets confusing at times, but keeps the viewer guessing (and on their toes).  The tone of the series is very serious (people are dying after all), but we still get a few comedy relief moments (Matsuda was my favorite) which serve to lighten an otherwise dark show.

Ryuk loves apples and likens them to cigarettes and alcohol for Shinigami

It's a complex story and sometimes hard to follow.  Every eyecatch (an outro/intro scene bookending the commercial break at the middle of every episode) consists of another rule of the Death Note which adds to the complexity of the story.  The 'rules' make the story far richer to the viewers and more challenging for the writers.  Utterly fascinating was the intricate web of Death Note rules and how Light was able to work within them.  The first half of the story was brilliant as Light used his cunning intellect to stymie the police investigation while being so closely involved.

Light and L come to blows with Misa as witness after a particularly difficult day

The character of L was truly memorable and made a lasting impression.  He was built up to be uniquely intelligent and a mysterious detective with quirky personal traits.  Whatever it was it worked. He's socially awkward, sits weird, holds things weird, is constantly drinking coffee, and eats sweets non-stop (he needs the sugar to fuel his mental capacity).  Totally classic and an integral part to why the story worked.  The other two detectives we meet who are linked to L were not as impactful (these were Mello and Near).

Near is an unflinching detective with even less social skills than L

The whole Shinigami realm thing and Ryuk (plus the other Shinigami who show up like Rem) were a major stretch to the imagination, but I eventually got used to them.  Death Note was pretty darn popular and had two live-action spinoffs (plus a prequel starring L).  The portrayal of Ryuk with cheesy CGI doesn't sound very appealing.  It worked in the anime at least.

Mello is another detective, but he believes the ends justify the means
and is never without a chocolate bar

I have to say there's nothing out there like Death Note and it's a unique show.  Dark, suspenseful, and sprinkled with a few lighthearted moments.  I definitely suggest watching this series (not for young viewers or highly impressionable teenagers with access to firearms).  One thing to note is the first half of the series is pure gold, but the second half becomes a bit more questionable as the rules and Light's machinations become more cumbersome to the story.  It's still a wild ride and highly recommended.    

Light will stop at nothing and let no one stand in his way of creating a new world under Kira

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Ghost Hunt Anime Review

Ghost Hunt
Gosuto Hanto
Funimation
Complete Collection - 4 discs
600 mins. - 25 episodes
$29.98 (2010) S.A.V.E.
$59.98 (2009)
$49.98 (2008) Parts 1-2/ea.
ISBN 704400079122
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Rei Mano
Studio - J.C. Staff

Synopsis: Mai Taniyama is an ordinary high school girl who likes to tell ghost stories with her friends.  She meets a mysterious young man who turns out to have been hired to investigate a supposed haunting in an abandoned school building.   Then Mai accidentally breaks one of his video cameras and even gets his assistant injured.  Feeling guilty she ends up taking the assistant's place during the investigation and witnesses some unexplained phenomena.  The young man is Kazuya Shibuya who runs Shibuya Paranormal Research (SPR), but Mai decides to call him 'Naru' because of his lofty, narcissistic attitude.

From left: Masako, Ayako, Yasuhara, Naru (Kazuya), Hosho, Mai, and John

The apparent haunting gets more severe and more investigators are called in.  They include:

• Hosho Takigawa is a former Buddhist monk who is adept at exorcising spirits (using Buddhist mantras) and is very brave.  He appears to be very laid back and even wears stylish clothes.  Mai is put off by his appearance at first, but soon discovers he is a capable expert and very brave.
• Ayako Matsuzaki is a Shinto shrine maiden who is brash and outspoken.  She doesn't look or act the part of a holy maiden by any means.  She also has the ability to release spirits (using Shinto kuji like the 'nine cuts') although her reputation is not very good.  Mai surmises that she talks a good game, but doesn't have the spiritual power to back it up.
• John Brown is a Catholic priest hailing from Australia.  He is very soft spoken and kind.  When performing an exorcism he uses holy water and reads passages from the Holy Bible.
• Masako Hara is a famous television star who has the ability to sense and even channel spirits (a medium).  She apparently has a crush on Naru, but its unknown whether he returns her feelings.  Mai is instantly jealous of her.
• Lin Koujo is Naru's assistant and keeps to himself.  He is highly capable and even has some spiritual abilities.  Mai is convinced he hates her.  

I really hope, for Mai's sake, that's just a dream

Naru ends up hiring Mai to work with SPR to pay off the rest of the camera she busted.  The group investigates a wide variety of 'hauntings' with varying degrees of authenticity and danger.  Each member contributes in some unique and valuable way.  Mai feels a bit out of place among these seasoned hunters, especially Naru and Lin who are both very forthright in their dealings with others.  Over the course of the investigations Mai becomes a believer and she even begins to show some skill at solving cases.  When the group find a real haunting or possession is when the true danger begins.

The team have fun investigating a possible haunting in the park

Subsequent cases SPR takes on include:

• They visit a home where it's believed a poltergeist is at work.  The family includes a young girl who has a creepy doll.  Can the group uncover the tragic history of the house and the mystery of the doll before another accident happens?  
• The team is then called in to a school where many strange accidents have been happening to students.  It appears a desk is cursed, but also other places in the school.  A girl who exhibits psychokinetic abilities (spoon bending) has been blamed, but Mai is convinced she's innocent.  Is the girl lashing out at her enemies after they publicly ridiculed her?
• Something is purposefully interuppting young lovers at a local park.  Whenever someone tries to kiss they get splashed with cold water.  Is it the work of a jilted spirit?
• John brings the team to the aid of a local parrish where possessions have been happening more frequently.  A boy disappeared many years ago and it appears his spirit is becoming agitated.  Can the SPR team solve the mystery before another child goes missing?
• The team is called to another haunted high school where the principal and headmaster are both gruff unbelievers.  They meet a helpful young man named Osamu Yasuhara who explains the curses started happening after a first-year student named Sakauchi took his own life.  Add the fact the entire student body has been playing a strange game similar to a Ouija board and the school has become a hotbed of spiritual activity.  Mai has a horrible dream which spells disaster for the group.  Can Naru solve the case before anyone else gets hurt?
• Several groups of paranormal researchers are called in to solve the disappearance of a pair of young men in an old mansion owned by the former prime minister.  Not all of the investigators are what they appear to be and not all of them make it out alive.  The house has a macabre history and Mai seems particularly sensitive.  When a seance is held all hell breaks loose!  Can the group escape the horror hidden beneath the house?
• A family hires SPR to help them avert a curse which happens any time the head of the family changes.  The team faces their toughest challenge yet as they encounter possessions, malevolent spirits, and even Naru is caught unawares.  The death toll rises and Mai's dreams become increasingly dire as time runs out.  During the last change a team of ghost hunters were lost and SPR could suffer the same fate!

Keep your eyes on this creepy doll...or else!

Pros: Good cast of characters (with actual character development), nice blend of creepy horror sprinkled with a little lighthearted comedy, opening/ending sequences/music were decent and reminded me of those late night psychic/spiritual infomercials, I liked the multiple episode story arc format which allowed suspense to build up until the last episode of each case, a few genuinely scary moments, not many horror anime out there that do a good job

The SPR crew encounter this dangerous hell hound!

Cons: Some of the solutions to the cases can be far-fetched (like the first case, the one with the boy who disappeared, and the last case), the ending of the final case was too convenient for all of the story buildup, some goofy moments, not all questions are answered

What has Mai gotten herself into?

Mike Tells It Straight: I almost quit this series after the first three episodes, but am very glad to have stuck with it to the end.  The story was originally a light novel series, then a manga, then adapted into this anime series, and currently an ongoing manga again.  There are not many decent horror anime out there and I can say Ghost Hunt is one of them.  One of the best aspects of the show are the interactions of the SPR characters.  Mai is the main protagonist/narrator and she gives a good perspective on the other characters.  The characters grow over the course of the series (especially Mai's latent psychic abilities).

Performing a seance in the bowels of a haunted mansion

The series is split into multi-episode story arcs which I found to be very appropriate.  Each case takes a few episodes to solve and it allows a nice buildup of suspense before the finales.  I liked the characters which definitely grew on me over the course of the series.  There's some nice character development.  Some of the later stories were particularly scary (the Bloodstained Labyrinth and the Cursed House) and I enjoyed watching the series alone at night!  It's few and far between to find decent horror anime and Ghost Hunt does a good job.

Mai comes face to face with an unspeakable horror - is it just a dream?

Some things which bothered me about the series were the convenient ending to the final story arc.  We get a great buildup to the final episode and then it just ended with a convenient reveal of some hidden power.  Not how I would have liked it to end.  Everything up to that point was pretty good, but the ending was a letdown.  A few of the situations in the series were kinda lame and very far-fetched (even for an anime).  Okay, so it's way harder and more uncommon to have ghosts/poltergeists show up than what happened in the series (I've watched a few episodes of Ghost Hunters on SyFy network).

Some spirits can actually do harm to the living

Despite its flaws I still enjoyed the series and would recommend it if you are looking for a creepy anime to watch alone at night.  It's a good combination of humor (Mai's pining for the stoic Naru and her rivalry with Masako) and suspense while the group is confronted with difficult psychic phenomena.  The character interactions make the series along with a few scary moments.  It can be a little slow-paced at times, but I was surprised at how much I actually liked the series.  

The team visits Naru in the hospital after a particularly nasty case

TO BUY and Recommendations:

Fairy Tail Season One Anime Review

Fairy Tail Season One
Feari Teiru
Funimation
Complete Collection - 8 discs
600 mins. - 24 episodes
$54.98 (2013) Blu-Ray/DVD
$54.98 (2011) Part 1-2 Blu-Ray/DVD
ISBN 704400087677
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Shinji Ishihara
Studio - A-1 Pictures/Satelight

Synopsis: Lucy Heartfilia is an inexperienced celestial wizard with one goal in mind - join the Fairy Tail guild!  She ran away from home to make it big as a wizard and Fairy Tail is the guild with the most radical reputation for strong wizards.  By coincidence she meets Natsu Dragneel and his companion Happy, a flying cat, who invite her to join Fairy Tail.  Natsu is a Dragon Slayer type wizard with mastery over fire and an equally hot-blooded temperament.  When Lucy joins Fairy Tail the true adventure begins!

Lucy joins up with Fairy Tail (from left) - Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Lucy!

The famous guild is populated by a misfit crew of wizards including:

• Natsu Dragneel is known as the Salamander and a Dragon Slayer wizard type.  He's hot-blooded, quick to act, and incredibly powerful.  Raised by the dragon Igneel, he has the physical properties of a dragon including enhanced strength, resistance to fire, eat flames to increase his power, and project flames from his body (including breathing fire).  Natsu is susceptible to a debilitating motion sickness when on moving conveyances (like trains and wagons).  Despite his rash nature he's kindhearted and can usually back up his boasts with incredible power.
• Gray Fullbuster is an Ice Make wizard and can create powerful objects made out of ice.  He was taught magic by the powerful wizard Ur.  He is usually very serious, but has an odd habit of stripping down to his underwear almost unconsciously (likely because of his resistance to cold temperatures).  Due to their opposite types of magic Gray has a fierce rivalry with Natsu (Ice vs. Fire).  Despite their differences both wizards are fast friends and support each other when needed.  
• Erza Scarlet is known as Titania and uses Re-Equip magic to summon various weapons/armor to suit any battle.  She is considered the most powerful female member of Fairy Tail and has a fearsome personality which keeps her other guild mates in line.  Despite her rough exterior she truly cares for her friends, but is not above smacking them around if they get out of line.  She becomes fully naked when re-equipping.
• Lucy Heartfilia is the newest member of Fairy Tail and recruited by Natsu.  She summons celestial deities by using various Gatekeys.  She comes from a rich family and is running away from her careless life to become an adventuring wizard.  The initial deities she uses are Cancer (who appears to be a humanoid crab hairdresser), Taurus (a lecherous minotaur), Aquarius (a mermaid), and Virgo (who dresses as a maid with broken chains around her wrists).  
• Happy the flying blue cat is also a wizard although not human.  He is Natsu's sidekick and the pair are fast friends.  He loves eating fish and can carry one person when flying.  
• Elfman Strauss is known as Beast Arm and uses Take Over magic, specifically Beast Soul where he assumes the powers of any magical creature he has defeated.  His control is limited to transforming his right arm.  A tough guy who is always telling others to "man up" or "this is what a real man would do". 
• Mirajane Strauss is know as Demon Woman and Elfman's older sister.  She also uses Take Over magic, but no longer uses her powers.  She works as Fairy Tail's barmaid in their guild hall, is incredibly beautiful, and very kindhearted.  
• Cana Alberona uses Card Magic with her magical deck of cards.  She has the unique ability to consume enormous quantities of alcohol yet somehow retain a beautiful figure.  
• Makarov Dreyar is the old master of the Fairy Tail guild and one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the most powerful wizards in the Fiore Kingdom.  His primary ability is Giant/Titan where his diminutive size is increased to massive proportions!  He is a fatherly figure who cares greatly for the members of his guild. 

Erza pulls Natsu and Gray (with Happy and Lucy tagging along) to
take on the dark guild of Eisenwald

Fairy Tail wizards are constantly looking for work and mission postings are placed on the guild hall board. The toughest missions are called S-Class and prove to be extremely treacherous.  Many missions entail battling 'dark' wizards or guilds who operate outside the influence of the sanctioned Magic Council.  Erza shows up at the guild hall to enlist the aid of Natsu and Gray on a particularly dangerous mission.  Happy and Lucy tag along to help.  

Natsu suffers from extreme motion-sickness while riding the train

The group becomes very close-knit and perform all sorts of missions together with varying results.  The missions include battling a dark guild who plans to assassinate the Magic Council with an cursed flute called Lullaby, stealing a book from a corrupt duke, helping villagers on an island who turn into demons at night, and stopping a secret wizard cabal from resurrecting a powerful demon with ties to Gray's past.  Between missions the Fairy Tail guild members manage to get into all sorts of trouble as Natsu challenges Erza to a fight, we learn Happy's origin, and all of the guild members magically switch bodies!  

Lucy uses a Celestial Key to summon Aquarius

Rivalries between guilds are not uncommon and Fairy Tail is besieged by the Phantom Lord guild.  Each guild is populated by powerful wizards and led by one of the Ten Wizard Saints.  The battles are fierce and stakes are high as Fairy Tail comes under fire.  Lucy's past comes back to haunt her as her friends put their lives on the line to defend the guild.

Natsu's unleashes his powerful fire magic

Pros: Good animation and backgrounds, exciting action and spectacular fights, some interesting characters and origins (Elfman's was particularly tragic), story and missions become increasingly better as the show progresses, Natsu is entertaining when he fights, nice message with emphasis on friendship and camaraderie, fan-service (for gals too since Gray is always stripping)

The origin of Happy the flying cat wizard

Cons: Blu-Ray + DVD = 8 discs total - couldn't they just offer one or the other (and for less money)?, first few episodes were not great and I almost stopped watching this series, recurring joke about Gray taking off his clothing gets old fast, Lucy is not the most interesting character, fairly standard shounen anime, Happy the flying cat is kinda silly, this show is a mashup of One Piece and Naruto, first season ends in the middle of the Phantom Lord story arc

Mirajane is the beautiful barmaid at Fairy Tail's guild hall

Mike Tells It Straight: I had heard some favorable reviews of Fairy Tail and decided to give it a shot.  Based on the popular and long-running manga of the same name by Hiro Mashima (Rave Master).  It's a major shounen series (like Naruto and Bleach) with lots of characters, adventures and sweeping story arcs.  The series started off rather bland and I almost stopped watching after the first handful of episodes.  It was just too easy for Lucy to join Fairy Tail and the first set of bad guys were pathetic (the Salamander impostor and Duke Everlue).  Happy the flying cat was pretty silly and I couldn't take him seriously.  I groaned at the thought of sitting through another lame shounen series with a million episodes.

These freaks are the Ten Wizard Saints?

I stuck with it and was relieved to find later story arcs had some decent characterization and the emergence of an overall theme of friendship.  Things got better once Erza showed up and the Galuna Island/Deliora arc kept my attention.  Natsu, Gray and Erza were all interesting characters along with some of the other members of Fairy Tail.  I particularly liked Elfman's tragic origin during the Phantom Lord arc at the end of this first season (which is actually the middle of the real first season of 48 episodes).  Lucy didn't strike me as a particularly strong character and hopefully she'll show more pluck later on.

The villagers of Galuna Island are cursed with demon parts

While I found Fairy Tail to be relatively enjoyable it was a typical shounen anime - long story arcs bookended by comedy episodes and containing successive 'power-up' episodes (as perfected by Dragon Ball Z).  The show does have mild fan-service (beautiful women/girls and even Gray stripping in every episode where he appears).  Natsu literally looks like a cross between Naruto (spiky hair) and Luffy from One Piece (open shirt).  The series is not overly dark and keeps a fairly light tone throughout with only a few emotional scenes.  It's not a mature show and suitable for younger viewers (they're the target audience after all).  I recommend the series for fans of shounen genre anime, but definitely not a mature show (i.e. latter half of Fullmetal Alchemist).  I'm looking forward to the second season (mainly because this first season ended in the middle of a story arc) and will post a review soon!

Gray is always losing his clothes!

TO BUY and Recommendations:

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:

Shuten Doji Anime Review

Shuten Doji
ADV Films
Complete Collection - 2 discs
200 mins. - 4 episodes
$26.98 (2009) w/Mazinkaiser
$29.98 (2005) Vol. 1
$29.98 (2005) Vol. 2
ISBN 702727206221
Japanese/English Audio - English Subtitles
Director - Junji Nishimura/Jun Kawagoe/Masatomo Sudo
Studio - Nippon Columbia/Studio Signal

Synopsis: We start with a battle across time and space between several giant demons called Oni for the life of a baby.  The battle ends with the demon Senki giving the baby to a human couple and warning them he will return in 15 years to collect the boy.  Fast forward 15 years to Jiro Shutendo, high school student, whose parents are agonizing over the return of the demon to take away their cherished son.  Jiro is a regular young man with an intense aura.  His classmate Miyuki has a crush on him, but he warns her off due to his malevolent aura.

Senki protects a baby Jiro by carrying him around in his mouth

A secret society of demon worshipers is targeting Jiro and attacks those close to him.  Jiro is supposed to be the prophesied 'Shuten Doji' (pronounced sh-ten doji) which is a positive opposing force among the Oni.  Now he must harness the growing darkness within himself to protect those he loves.  Will his parents lose their adopted son to his demonic true nature?

Jiro's parents try to save him as the demonic forces descend

The battle will take him across space and time, but allies rise to aid his quest: a group of teens indoctrinated from birth to support the Shuten Doji, two powerful Oni named Goki and Senki, and a giant figure floating in the remote recesses of outer space.  What caused the Oni clan's destructive nature and can Jiro solve the mystery in time to save those most dear to him?

Jiro rushes to save a naked and vulnerable Miyuki

Pros: Giant demons ripping each other apart, Miyuki is naked...a lot, high death count of cool characters (i.e. unexpected), neat sci-fi segway in chapter 3 (really enjoyed Jiro in space and Iron Caesar)

Jiro gets examined in his Shuten Doji form

Cons: No extras, no opening or ending themes, plot is really convoluted, the ending explanation is confusing and mildly unsatisfying, old animation style (this came out in 1989-1991), Miyuki's character seems to only serve the purpose of having her clothes ripped off and being victimized by the bad guys

An Oni named Goki comes to Jiro's father's aid

Mike Tells It Straight: Go Nagai (creator of Mazinger Z, Mazinkaiser, Demon Lord Dante, Getter Robo, Devilman, Cutey Honey, Kekko Kamen and about a hundred other manga/anime) we meet again!  Another anime title based on his work with a heavy dose of violence and nudity.  Shuten Doji is dark, perverted, and filled with demons.  It's classic old skool anime from the late '80s/early '90s targeted at an immature audience.  

A spaceship in the far flung future encounters a massive body
floating in a remote region of space

Horror fans will likely enjoy this show, but it's pretty simple and doesn't offer any real complexity other than the lame reasoning for the Oni clan's violence (from the final episode).  I found it somewhat entertaining (what can I say - I'm a sucker for old skool!) and actually enjoyed the segway into outer space.  The authors are utterly merciless with the supporting character death count - this is good because it keeps you guessing/in suspense on who is going to die next!

Oh hey, it's Jiro!  He's been floating in space for awhile
and just forgot his normal proportions

Overall an old, mediocre anime with a bunch of monsters killing stuff for a ridiculous reason (as explained in the final episode).  Can't say there's much suspense or build up of emotion here aside from characters getting offed fairly regularly.  If you liked Demon Lord Dante then you will probably like this one - although Demon Lord Dante was better and that's kind of a bad sign!  Until we meet again, Go Nagai.


TO BUY and Recommendations: