The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 13 (Fin) – A Hero’s Hero

When Hero Kanon was murdered, he used Evansmana’s power of breaking destiny to prevent Anos from becoming the Demon King of Tyranny, and taking his place as Avos. Now he wants Anos to kill him, believing his sacrifice will break the chain of hatred that is the Asc spell. Now that Ray/Kanon’s affection for humans has taken a more specific form in Misa, he can no longer wait for “someday” to arrive and bring peace; it has to happen here and now.

Anos initially seems willing to play along, pulling out all his OP magic tricks to destroy all but one of Kanon’s sources. But then, at the last minute, Anos lets Kanon stab him through his own source. As the boundaries of their battlefield drop, he slips Avos’ helmet on his head, making it appear to everyone assembled that Ray has defeated the Demon King.

Anos hoped this would extinguish the humans’ hatred, but the Asc is still going strong within Diego, who musters his ten thousand Zeshia troops and orders them to extinguish all demons. Eleanor enters the fray to try to halt their advance, while Commander Jerga himself appears in monumental scale to finish the job.

Ray/Kanon tries to attack the giant Jerga with Evansmana, but his holy sword has no effect on the “true sacred magic”. Enter Misha and Sasha, who know their King will resurrect, and in the meantime will do what they can to protect their demon brethren.

To that end, they use their Necron family magic Dino Jixes to merge into a single entity that fights alongside Ray/Kanon while Eleonore and Misa attempt to hold back the Zeshia army. It’s ultimately all about buying time and hoping the Demon King returns.

Just when Jerga seems ready to unleash a holy magic spell to exterminate all demons, it is negated by a giant black and red magical circle, and all the hundreds of Zeshias fall to the ground, stunned. Anos makes his re-appearance, having used Ray/Kanon’s killing blow to repair his source via source magic.

In this final stage of the battle, Anos and Ray/Kanon fight side-by-side, while the Demon army commander helps Eleonore and the Human forces. When Jerga tries to use Asc, Anos counters with an Asc of his own, fueled by the Fan Union’s latest song. He even summons Delsgade!

Soon, even Jerga’s hatred is transformed into love as he sees the shell necklace he gave his beloved wife. The present era of peace asserts itself and the united forces of Humans and Demons fight together to eliminate a solitary man’s two thousand-year-old grudge.

At this point we’re running out of episode, so Misha and Sasha split back into two girls in order to welcome Anos back to the world of the living, while Ray returns to Misa and embraces her with love. As the credits roll, the whole, the Anos & Co. return home, where his parents meet his “third wife” Eleanore (whom he converted into his magic so she’d no longer be misused) and learn of her ten thousand “children”.

That final scene really brings is back to one of the more unique aspects of the series, which was that the main antihero always had a loving home and family to go home to and enjoy some piping hot mushroom gratin. It’s welcome and necessary follow-up to an disorienting kitchen-sink final battle that in the end was only slightly more over the top than previous climactic battles.

While I maintain that things got overstuffed towards the end and that 5-6 additional episodes would have been ideal, Demon King Academy was nonetheless a fun new take on the OP Asshole MC, tempering extremely arcane magical jargon with a surprising amount of heart.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 12 – The Necklace

Eleanor explains to Anos that Hero Kanon’s right-hand man Commander Jerga feared that the humans would forget their grudge against demons in time, rendering them vulnerable for destruction. So he used taboo magic to split his source into two distinct spells. One is Asc, the manifestation of his grudge that infects every human, including the hero academy students.

The other spell, Eleanor, was a “bust” because while she performed her role of creating source clones, she failed to absorb any of Jerga’s hatred. She believes Anos can end Jerga’s grudge by destroying her, but her clone children begin to gather around her and beg Anos to save their mother.

And, oh yeah…Jerga freaking murdered Kanon, when the hero wouldn’t support the generational spread of hatred into the future. While Hero could have instantly resurrected himself, he didn’t, apparently washing his hands of humans and their inevitably treacherous ways.

Anos and Eleanor are interrupted by Diego and his guards, but they’re interrupted by the arrival of the three remaining brainwashed Seven Elder Demon Emperors…along with a masked Avos Dilhevia himself.

Diego and Avos project their images over the human and demon capitals, respectively, in order to drum up support for a new war against each other. Both the human and demon crowds welcome a return to hostilities. It’s as if Diego and Avos were coordinating with each other.

Not content to sit back and let this play out, Anos resolves to prevent the war before it starts. Naturally, he is accompanied by Misha, Sasha, Ray, Misa, the Fan Union, and the four Elder Demon Emperors loyal to him.

The day before they head out, Ray comforts a nervous Misa, believing his own lack of nerves to be a sign he once fought in the war two thousand years ago. He also asks for half of Misa’s single-shell necklace, which tradition states is a essentially a proposal.

The next day, with the Fan Union providing rearguard support, the Necron sisters neutralize the advancing demon armies to the west, while Ray and Misa are tasked with neutralizing the armies to the east. Anos himself heads to Avos’ fortress, and Misa informs him remotely that she’s lost sight of Ray. Uh-oh…

As the two opposing groups of Demon Emperors fight (three on Avos’ side, four on Anos’), Anos and Avos meet in the field, and Anos connects the dots. After Jerga’s betrayal, Kanon resurrected as a demon: Ray Gransdori. As for Ray? Well, he’s Avos Dilhevia, and has been all along.

While Anos states Ray’s knowledge of the neckless and ability to wield both a Unique and Holy Sword as evidence Ray is Kanon, looking back there were other little clues here and there that in hindsight indicated Kanon/Ray was Avos. There’s…a lot that happens and is revealed this week, and it’s a bit rushed, but that it all mostly makes sense and holds together is a testament to the writers, as well as the adapters who clearly had their work cut out for them reducing the source material down to thirteen episodes.

Anos also deduces that Kanon must be trying to “save something (or someone) new” by posing as a fake Demon King. Did he become Avos and stoke a new war knowing the true Demon King would stop him, and end the grudge Jerga had spread? Does he truly love Misa, or was he just playing her? Despite all we’ve learned, the final episode still has plenty to reveal.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 11 – There Are No Heroes Here

With the lake drained of water (holy or otherwise), the multi-pronged fight between Anos and his cohorts and four reincarnations of Hero Kanon’s sources, including their secret weapon, the mute, petite, first-ranked Zeshia. As the fight commences, one hears a dread voice in the air saying kill the demons—even though this is supposed to be a friendly class competition!

As expected, the demons fare well, as the hero reincarnations possess far more arrogance than actual talent. As Misha builds a sturdy castle within their barrier, Sasha makes the jock hero wither in despair while Ray bests the self-style sword ace of the heroes. They only protest harsh treatment when they get a taste of their own medicine.

That leaves Zeshia and Four-eyes against Anos, and let’s be honest, it was always going to end up with Anos winning walking away. Zeshia’s acrobatics are impressive, but even when the heroes summon all of the love of the ten million people of their city, it only takes the eight girls of Anos’ Fan Union to counter that magical enhancement. Quality over quantity.

The heroes’ primary misconception is that demons cannot love, when it’s obvious that the relationships between Anos and his friends and family are suffused with the stuff. When Eleanor summons Anos to the shrine, vowing to help them stop Zeshia, he sends Misha instead, and she’s brutally stabbed by Diego, who has gone absolutely mad with hatred for all demons, vowing to exterminate them all here and now.

Anos doesn’t allow Misha to suffer long, disabling Diego before healing her wounds, then killing Diego, bringing him back to life with the hilarious line  “If you have time to be dead, answer me.” Diego has been using his students as puppets and “Kanon” fodder to carry out his vendetta, proving to Anos that he has nothing to do with the true Hero Kanon, who would rather suffer the destruction of six of his seven sources than allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for his sake.

Gathering a still-woozy Misha in his arms, Anos proceeds to a chamber where he finds a nude Eleanor within a bubble of light, and she declares that she is…”magic.” And here I thought she was just a friendly upperclassman and helpful school tour guide! In any case, she’s not necessarily an enemy of Anos & Co., so I’m eager to learn what her deal is.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 10 – Magic Cheaters Never Prosper

Just because the Demons are in hostile territory doesn’t mean they all start getting along. When top-ranked third-year Royalist Revest Aynie learns how early Anos arrived, he suspects cheating, but Anos doesn’t rise to his provocations, instead praising Revest for requiring so little time himself.

Yet when Revest is chosen as the first Demon Academy student to compete in a magical competition against a Hero student, he can’t even cast a spell on a mouse, much to the amusement of the extremely arrogant and haughty Hero Academy’s headmaster, Diego.

Anos reveals that the humans cheated, casting an anti-demon magic spell. This becomes a common refrain this week: the Hero Academy blatantly cheating at every turn, while the Demon Academy’s Royalist faction shoots themselves in the foot for refusing to maintain a united front with the Anos and their Hybrid comrades.

In Melheis’ report to Anos, he cannot find a mention of Hero Kanon being murdered by a human in the legends, but does interpret a passage he found to foretell that when the Demon King returns to Azeshion—i.e. Anos right now—the Hero will return with the Spirit God Human Sword Evansmana in hand: the holy sword forged to destroy him anew.

Sasha and Misha aren’t about to let Anos spend a quiet evening to himself in his room…not when there’s a night festival to attend! As the three walk the stalls together, Anos spots Ray and Misa, but Sasha urges him not to approach them.

That’s because she can tell they’d only be intruding. Ray, grateful for Misa’s help in saving her mother, wants Misa to cheer up and forget the problems with their academy factions for one night, and accept a shell necklace he won at the shooting game. I for one am fully aboard this adorable ship!

The next morning the Hero and Demon Academies participate in the main inter-academy competition, which involves a battle beneath the lake where there are underwater ruins and caverns, a truly awesome setting. Less awesome is the fact the Humans are cheating again.

The very water in the lake is mixed with Holy Water, which increases their magical ability but is toxic to demons. It’s even more toxic for Revest and his pureblooded elite Royalist team; had he drawn upon the ranks of Hybrids, they might have stood a better chance in the face of the Human cheating.

Instead, Revest & Co. are utterly defeated by the trio of Hero reincarnations, and he and his team have to be rescued by Anos. Menou-sensei, a longtime mentor and friend of Revest who knows how kindhearted he is and how hard he fought for his top-ranked position, tries to heal him, but her magic has no effect since he has a stigma caused by Holy magic.

Among the Demon Academy contingent, only Anos has the power to heal the stigma, and despite Revest hating Anos with every bone in his body, accepts Anos’ help for Menou-sensei’s sake. Perhaps this is the first step towards the Demons finally forming a united front and dispensing with the infighting that falls right into the Hero Academy’s hands.

Having stayed on the sidelines, Anos, accompanied by the Necron sisters, Ray, Misa, and the Fan Club, challenge the Hero trio to a round two, but not in the Holy Water-infused lake. When one of the heroes jokingly says they’ll wait while the lake is drained, Anos proceeds to…drain the motherfucking lake, using a massive fireball to steam all of the water away, creating an even more dramatic venue for the next battle.

Diego and his Heroes were able to steal a couple of cheap wins this week, but the tide has not just turned, but vanished into thin air! I imagine even if and when the Humans deploy their secret weapon (described only as “that” and appearing as a young lady with black hair), Anos will be ready and able to deal with it. And if not, he’s got all his allies by his side to support him.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 09 – The Other Side of the Story

Flash back two thousand years to the Human capital of Gairadite. Anos stops by, walking nonchalantly through every barrier the Humans can throw at him. But he’s not here to conquer, but to forge a peace. Hero Kanon is incredulous, but seems willing to hear Anos out. His general Jerga…isn’t, and ends up with Anos’ hand through his chest.

Back in the present, Menou Historia has “temporarily” replaced Emilia-sensei, and informs the class of the impending inter-academy classes in three weeks. We learn Demons and Humans use magic in very different ways.

A select team of students will travel to Azeshion’s Hero Academy, Arclaniska. For everyone but Anos it will be everyone’s first trip to the Human Realm, and he wants to make sure they’re ready, tirelessly sparring with Misha, Sasha, Lay, and Misa.

He also gives Lay a magic sword that was once master by his right-hand-man, whom I assumed was Shin, before remembering the promise he made to Kanon after getting stabbed by the Hero: that if they reincarnated in 2,000 years it would be as friends. So is Lay Shin, or Kanon? It’s not that clear.

Meeting with the newly-freed Melheis, Anos learns that Gaios and Ydol are on the mend, while the Humans’ Hero Academy has raised an elite class of reincarnated heroes, suggesting they may be preparing…something. The students are expected to find their way to Azeshion on their own within ten days; Team Anos (minus the fan club) are teleported there in one second.

While touring the city, Sasha notes how it’s not that different from the Demon capital. When Anos compliments her eyes again, they start to go out of control until Anos calms her down. He promises not to treat her like a child if she’ll promise to use her eyes to protect everyone if he’s ever unable to do so.

They arrive at the front gate of Hero Academy Arclaniska, where they’re met by third-year student Eleanor Bianca, a friendly, cheerful young woman happy to show them around and impressed by Anos’ knowledge of the Hero Kanon.

When Eleanor tells them how Kanon defeated Anos and built the walls, Sasha is outraged, but Anos far less so. He understands how in order for his peace plan to ultimately work, humans had to make a story in which they were the good guys and victors. What’s odd is, Humans believe the name of the Demon King of Tyranny to be Avos Dilhevia as well.

As for Hero Kanon reincarnated, since he had seven sources (or “hearts”), each could be reincarnated into a different body. Four of those are current students in the elite class, and two of them, Ledriano and Laos, confront Anos when they hear he can’t “accept the defeat” his founding ancestor suffered (of course not knowing Anos is the founding ancestor).

After Laos comes at Anos and is handled easily, Ledriano begs Anos’ forgiveness for his comrade’s rudeness and requests that he and Sasha leave for now. Surely these two will see each other again when the inter-academy skirmishes start. But later Eleanor warns Anos that if he’s looking for the original Hero Kanon reincarnate, he may be disappointed, since Kanon was murdered two thousand years ago…by a fellow human.

Featuring a new setting of the Human Realm with its requisite hierarchies, players, and alternate history, this first episode of the inter-academy mini-arc is functional, if uninspiring, expanding the show’s world but lacking the awe and excitement of the previous episode’s battles. There were moments this week when I wished the details of the mythology were less muddled, but that’s at least partly the point: a lot can change in two thousand years.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 08 – Slashing Through Absolute Space

Prior to the start of the final duel between Anos and Ray, the owl MC fitted Anos with a Spirit Drain Ring that saps his Magic Power. If that power is depleted, Ray’s mother will die. If he defeats Ray, the contractual Magic Sword will destroy his source.

Ray decides to damage the contractual sword himself anyway, breaking his contract and leaving him with nothing but his fight with Anos. It’s a duel they both wish to fight for its own sake, not for any outside stakes.

When Anos stabs Ray through the chest (at the cost of his own arm), he learns that both the contractual sword and his participation in the tournament was arranged as part of a plot to eliminate him for good.

The author of this plot? Melheis, who promptly locks Anos in a dimensional prison with more than half of his Magic Power drained.

Melheis seems to have thought this plan out very thoroughly, as it employs multiple contingencies, from the use of Ray’s mom as a hostage to creating an “Absolute Space” where he and only he can reside, thus preventing him from ever being defeated.

He even saved a part of the wall Anos himself used to divide the world into four. What Melheis overlooks is the fact Ray had already made peace with the fact he wasn’t going to be able to save his mother no matter what.

That, and that by bringing his mother into the dimensional prison, he brought the one person who could destroy Ray’s pessimistic resolve with hope and love. She remembers when he slashed a pot with a kitchen knife. Now she becomes a sword (her true spirit form) with which he’s able to slash the un-slashable Absolute Space.

Melheis’ third and final mistake is attempting to eliminate Anos with Beno Ievun (the wall spell) after sapping so much of his Magic Power. Rather than the intended effect of killing Anos, it instead releases a limiter of sorts that had resided in Anos’ Destruction Source. Anos had never faced quite this much peril, so the true depths of his power had been limited…until now.

With that power he summons Venuzdnor, chops Melheis’ legs off, and destroys the prison. He then destroys a tiny Sword of Subordination that was attached to Melheis’ brain, thus explaining his sudden heel turn. With that brain bug destroyed, Melheis is again loyal to Anos.

The duel ends with Anos as the winner, and he makes a very loud and precise speech to all the assembled spectators in the arena and throughout the land crediting his victory to his sword, which contained his father’s very soul.

By doing so, he’s able to create the “tradition” of souls within swords that enables him to heal Ray’s mother’s source and revive her safe and sound (again, her true form being a sword). Ray never had to choose between his life, his mom’s, or Anos. Go fam!

All that’s left is the presentation of Anos’ trophy sword, which has always traditionally been performed by a Necron, hence Sasha making a last-minute appearance in an exquisite dress and a very cute alternate hairstyle. While she initially coldly holds the sword out to him, when he asks her to stick to the script she draw close and kisses his cheek.

Sasha took the job because she knew Anos would win, and she’d never accept any Demon King but him (though we may have gotten our first glimpse of the usurper Avos Dilhevia). Misha, meanwhile, never one for jealousy, simply asks if Anos had fun. He did!

Demon King Academy turned out another baroque magical skirmish that threatened to collapse under the weight of its arcane magical jargon. But just like the battle that saved Misha and Sasha, everything was held together with a solid emotional core, carefully prepared and supported by previous episodes.

Anos isn’t just an all-powerful Demon King. He’s a son who loves his mom and dad, and can and will do anything and everything for his friends. His enemies, while crafty, lack that sense of family unity and are instead held together by a patchwork of defeatable spells, trinkets, and fear; all easily defeatable. That’s why Anos always wins.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 07 – The Prey Dances

Emilia’s brother (whose name I’ve forgotten) proves to be no challenge at all to Anos. His fan club unveils their new fight song, the lyrics for which include such choice double entendres such as “we are blessed with the sword of our noble Sir Anos” and “You’re below me, and I’m on top”. He credits his newly forged sword holding up to the amount of love his dad poured into it. Emilia-sensei is notably pissed that Anos embarrassed her brother and noble family.

After also easily defeating his first opponent, Ray visits Anos and Misa and tells them they can no longer be friends, as he’s officially a Royalist now, and vows to kill Anos. Anos tells him to try it right there and then, and in the resulting fracas, learns that there’s a contractual magic sword implanted within Ray’s body as a form of control.

This essentially makes him a hostage whose heel turn was orchestrated by the Royalists, and both he and his mom die if he defies them. In a move surely designed to put her in danger later on, Anos’ mom takes charge of his sword, with the fan club serving as her bodyguards.

This leads Anos and Misa to visit Ray’s mother, and while Anos determines there’s no way he can save her by giving her some of his life, the same doesn’t go for Misa, who like Ray’s mother is a demon-spirit hybrid. Despite the risk to her own source and life, Misa is determined to do what she can for Ray’s mom so he’ll have no reason to cooperate with the enemy.

As for Anos’ mom, she’s confronted by Emilia (who is drunk on power but not booze) who orders her to surrender Anos’ sword. Mama won’t do it, so Emilia gets rough. I should be shocked Emilia would be so brazen in her villainy, but then as a pureblood Royalist she considers any and all non-Royalists to be scum. The fan club does their best to protect Anos’ mom, even singing the fight song as Emilia slowly roasts them with her superior magic.

Anos shows up in the nick of time to save his mom, resurrects the eight fan club members, learns their names and promises to remember them, as he’s indebted to them all. As for the girls, I’m sure they’re just happy to have been of service to their noble Demon King.

Emilia does not get let off easily, and frankly I can’t blame Anos for getting particularly sadistic; Emilia went after his mom—who would never hurt a fly—and murdered eight of her students. As punishment, Anos kills Emilia, resurrects her as a hybrid, and ensures that no matter how many times she dies, she’ll always come back a hybrid. Yikes!

As I said, the punishment is tough, but fair and justified; hopefully Emilia will develop a less prejudiced perspective on the world going forward. Meanwhile, Misa has been working on Ray’s mom this whole time, and while he pulls a knife on her when he arrives, once he learns Misa is helping his mom he stands down.

When Ray tells her the day may come when she’ll have to put her life on the line, Misa pointedly replies that that day has already come. If she can’t stop one person’s suffering here and now, she’ll never be able to do it later. If Ray hadn’t put her to sleep, she probably would have sacrificed her life. Instead, Ray and his mom get to talk to each other one last time.

While it’s uncertain whether his mom will ever recover, Ray appears at the tournament finals with clear eyes and a smile, apparently no longer under the heel of the Royalists (though we’ll see if that sword inside him comes into play).

As expected, he and Anos are the finalists. The result probably isn’t in doubt—an Anos win—but no doubt Ray will make it interesting, and in the process perhaps reveal how he knew the Demon King back in the day.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 06 – Adamantine Gratin

Anos invites his new friends Ray and Misa to his house along with the Necron sisters, and his parents couldn’t be happier; the more the merrier. Anos’ mother tells the sisters how there was a possibility her son might die in the womb, but she prayed with all her might to raise him well no matter what happened, and he was born healthy.

We also learn through Ray that half-spirit, half-demon Hybrids like Misa usually don’t live very long lives, which means Misa must be special. Misa, on the other hand, considers Ray special as a Royalist who doesn’t discriminate against Hybrids.

After Anos meets with Melheis Boran of the Seven Elder Demon Emperors (who believes his memories of Anos must have been stolen, but his source remembers him), Anos comes home to find Misha learning how to cook Anos’ favorite mushroom gratin.

Anos thanks her by taking her on an “outing” (read: date) the next day, visiting her favorite shop in town, where intricately detailed miniature “magic models” are sold and made. He indulges her by making one of his own: a model of the entire town that’s so small it serves as a jewel for a ring he makes for her.

Misha is troubled that Anos does and gives so much while she feels she doesn’t give enough in return, but Anos assures her not to worry; he’s no totally omnipotent, between her eyes and creation magic, he believes she will surpass him one day.

They go to a cat cafe, where Ivis shows up in cat form to report the findings of his investigation into Melheis and the tournament. Basically, Anos is unsure of whether to participate since it’s sure to be a trap by Avos Delhevia and the Royalists. As for Ray, Anos learns his mother is in the hospital dying of something called “spirit disease”, which is probably why Ray asked Misa about her spirit blood.

When the tournament arrives, and his teacher’s big brother Krut is presented as the reigning champion, favorite to repeat, and Anos’ opponent in the first match. Anos remains unsure of whether to participate until his absence causes the Rotyalists in the crowd to mock him. This draws the ire of his mother, who won’t sit idly by and listen to them talk shit about her son.

Then Anos’ father, absent for much of the episode, finally returns with a freshly-forged Adamantine magic sword. With both his parents and his fan club on his side, Anos isn’t about to let them down, and curses himself for considering backing out of the tournament, which in hindsight is probably what his enemies would prefer. He enters the arena, promises to defeat Krut in one minute, and vows to break through any and all cowardly traps thrown his way.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 05 – Very Old Friends

In a flashback to two thousand years ago, Anos sends his most trusted subordinate Shin to defeat the Great Water Spirit Lignon, which he does easily. When Anos offers him a reward, Shin asks to be resurrected, even if his resurrected self loses his memories and experiences, he wants to remain by his lord’s side.

Back in the present, Emilia also announces a new transfer student, a prodigy known as the “Master of Magic Sword”, and that the class will start sword training with two Elder Demon Emperors. She also tries to pretend the specter has been “stolen” in order to deprive Team Anos of a perfect score, only for Anos to pull said scepter out of one of the students ordered to hide it.

Before he does, one white uniform comes to his defense: Misa Iriologue, a demon-spirit hybrid and member of the Unitarians, who work towards a more racially and class-equitable nation, one not dominated by “Royalty” who just happened to be born with pure blood.

Misa and her associates believe Anos is the Demon King of Tyranny. Not only does she want to join Team Anos, but she wants to tell them more of their efforts in hopes Anos will join the cause, as one Elder Demon Emperor already has.

I never thought MDKA would have been able to pull off sociopolitical worldbuilding with an Anos fan club full of bookworms who swoon and faint in his presence and consider the same air he breathes to be a direct kiss…but here we are!

The Unitarians seem like a nice bunch of hardworking girls who just want to make the world a more just and equal place, and while Anos has thankfully never come off as a horndog in want or need of a harem, their mission statement aligns with his own distaste for blood purity trumping merit.

During the sword training, Anos is the first and only student to successfully pull his sword out of the ground, Excalibur-style … until a second student does it with similar ease. He’s the new transfer student and sword prodigy, and my first thought was that he was the reincarnated Shin.

My confidence that this Ray Gransdori is Shin is reinforced when he shocks Emilia by declaring he’d rather have a competent leader giving him orders than lead a team himself. He also pays Anos’ “Misfit” label and white uniforms no mind; it’s clear he shares both Anos and the Unitarians’ belief that parentage isn’t as important as achievement.

Anos initially refuses Ray’s request to join his team because he doesn’t want to make it too easy for him. Both he and Ray have clearly been rearing for a good sword battle lasting more than a couple seconds, and no one else has proven a challenge to either. Anos issues a challenge: Ray will lead Misa and the fan club against Team Anos, which they get to join if they fare well.

With her new ice ring, Misha is able to build a giant ice castle in a matter of moments, while her and Sasha’s newly upgraded sources (due to the time travel stuff last week) mean they are now considerably more powerful, and when they join forces are able to easily bring down the fan club’s golem-like mobile castle.

While the “kids” play with castles and immensely powerful magic spells, Anos and Ray have a good old-fashioned sword duel, only Ray’s sword is dull and Anos’ sword is just a tree branch. The ensuing clash is everything both of them could have hoped for, and you can tell they’re having a ton of fun.

Anos obviously bests Ray, but Ray proved he’s worthy of joining the team. Ray also has a strange feeling that they’ve crossed swords before. Surely Anos could tell from the way Ray fought and the instinctive desire to serve him that he has his right-hand-man back.

Sometimes when a transfer student shows up they’re meant to be a rival or obstacle to the MC, but this was a nice subversion of that formula. It’s also refreshing to have a male character who isn’t Anos—or an asshole. Both he and Misa are welcome additions. On to the Magic Sword Tournament, in which Anos and Ray are clear favorites to make the finals.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 04 – Live Like There’s a Tomorrow

Anos deduces that Misha and Sasha are actually the same person, since Sasha was able to break a Zacht unilaterally. Ivis Necron utilized “Division Fusion Resurrection Magic” Dino Jixes two create a more powerful race when the two beings fused into one on their fifteenth birthday. But Anos isn’t going to let that happen.

He’s going to make sure Misha lives on. He just needs her to believe there’ll be a tomorrow for her…because he said so. When they catch up to Sasha, she’s still pretending like she hates Misha, when in reality, she sets up two massive magical circles, one of which will be used to transform Misha into the original, instead of Sasha.

Sasha had been trying for years to get Misha to hate her so she’d reject her and welcome the transformation, but Misha never could. Anos proposes he send the two of them back in time fifteen years, which would cause two “new” sources to appear for a total of four, which would fuse into two separate beings: the two sisters.

That’s when Ivis shows up and stabs Anos through the heart in order to prevent him from disrupting his plan to create a vessel for the founding ancestor via Dino Jixes. Of course, Anos is the founding ancestor, so not only does Ivis’ attempt on his life fail, but he’s able to toss Ivis across the room with little effort.

Anos begins the Rivide spell that sends the sisters back in time, but his actions attract the attention of Eugo La Raviaz, the Guardian God of Time, who doesn’t take kindly to people messing with his domain. He lends his godly powers to Ivis, who stops time both the sisters and Anos’ initial attacks.

Even with Eugo’s power, Ivis again fails to do away with Anos, who stubbornly remains alive…because he’s the Demon King. He restarts time for the sisters, and urges them to declare their belief in him as the Demon King, which they do wholeheartedly.

Since this is all taking place within Anos’ castle, he’s able to summon the Magic Sword of Destruction Venuzdnor, which he not only uses to shatter Ivis’ time prison, but to purge Ivis of Eugo’s godly power. Anos is also able to remove the influence of the impostor and restore some of Ivis’ memories. He tasks him with investigating that impostor while letting him believe he’s still under his control.

With the sisters now secure as two separate entities and any threat of Ivis eliminated, Anos leads Misha and Sasha to the castle entrance to collect their perfect score, something that for all his power he’s never actually attained.

It’s all part in parcel of becoming weary of war and being glad to be resurrected in a world of peace, even there are only two people willing to acknowledge him. He gives Misha the magic ice ring for her birthday, while Sasha gets to keep her magic coat. All’s well that ends well, but damn did this episode throw a lot of jargon out there—Demons, gods, spells, weapons, and concepts, oh my! 

My head was spinning for a while, until I decided to let much of it flow over my head and simply enjoy the brass tacks, once the elaborate details are stripped away: Reality isn’t what others tell Anos it can or can’t be—it is what he makes of it, simply by being the most powerful individual in the world. In this case, that meant eliminating the need to sacrifice one sister to save the other.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 03 – My Castle, My Rules

Misha may be clear that she likes Anos because he’s kind, but Sasha is more hesitant to come right out and say it. All she knows is, he’s the first person she’s met with eyes like hers, and the only person other than Anos to look straight into her eyes was Misha, who’d take her hand and smile when Sasha was in the darkest of places.

Just all ’round great sistering, which results in all kinds of warm and fuzzy sibling feels that endure and last right up to the point they’re cut short without warning, like a rude record scratch.

When Ivis Necron, one of the vaunted Seven Elder Demon Emperors created by the “Founding Ancestor” visits class to give a lecture on great magic, Anos greets him like an old friend, making his teacher go apeshit. Ivis is more forgiving, especially after Anos uses magic to extract his lost memories from 2,000 years ago.

Anos isn’t sure what Ivis’ deal is (and vice versa), but Anos is intrigued by the name “Avos Dilhevia”, whom Ivis says is the Demon King of Tyranny who created him. An impostor who tampered with the Emperors’ memories, or the result of a two-millennia-old game of Telephone?

When their class participates in a dungeon treasure hunt at Demon Palace Delsgade, Anos takes his sweet old time, since he’s confident only he can reach the lowest level of the palace where they’ll be able to retrieve a scepter that will give them a perfect score. Why is he so confident? Well, first of all he’s the Demon King Reincarnate, but also Delsgade happens to be his old crib.

He knows where all the treasure is, and also the location of all the “secret passageways.” I put that in quotes because when he reaches a solid stone wall, he simply casually walks through it and it crumbles around it. It’s the only major gag in the whole episode, but I was rolling since it was so damn unexpected.

On the way to the scepter altar, Anos learns from Misha that it’s almost Sasha’s birthday, and she wants to give her a gift. Distracting Sasha with the scepter, he leads Misha to a room packed with magical treasures. Sasha finds the perfect gift: the Phoenix Robe.

When Anos asks her if she’d want anything—it’s her birthday too, since she and Sasha are twins—she smiles and says she doesn’t want anything. She repeats that when she presents Sasha with a gift and her first response is to lament she didn’t get anything for her. Seeing Sasha happy makes Misha happier than she’s ever been.

When Anos goes into the next room so Sasha can try the robe on (which is odd, as she doesn’t actually remove any clothing), he returns to find Sasha has stabbed Misha and is preparing to flee with the scepter. She revokes their Zacht (something Anos didn’t think possible) and tosses a barrage of insults at the “magic doll” and her skin-crawling sentiments.

Sasha puts up an okay performance, but it’s clear she’s not as mustache-twirlingly heartless and evil as she’s presenting herself. For one thing, Anos considers her method of killing Misha to be well below “entry level.” Two, Sasha’s Demonic Eyes of Destruction are an open book, showing Anos exactly when she’s sincere and when she’s putting on an act.

Sasha is about to flee when Anos grabs her hand, deactivates her Rent spell, and reveals that he’d healed Misha the moment he saw her stabbed; the wounded Misha Sasha saw was only an illusion. Considering Sasha wasn’t sincere about the things she said about Misha, he wants to know her true feelings.

Only Misha comes to and tells him to let her sister go. Sasha flees with the scepter and likely the top score for the dungeon, but it’s unlikely that’s what she was after. Misha is finally ready to tell her first and only friend Anos the truth: at midnight on her fifteenth birthday, she’ll disappear. More than that, she never really existed in the first place.

Was Misha created in that dark place so Sasha could learn to live with her Demonic Eyes? Now that she’s coming of age, does that mean Misha’s work is done? Has Sasha been hostile to Misha in order to deny she has feelings for someone she’s destined to lose? The possibilities are many. This certainly wasn’t the funniest episode of DKA, but it was the meatiest, from a plot and character perspective.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 02 – Anything You Can Do He Can Do Better

This week begins back in the Mythical Age, where Demon King Voldigoad expresses his weariness with endless war between humans and demons. He makes a deal with the human hero Kanon: he’ll sacrifice most of his magical power in order to isolate the four realms and “snuff out the spark of war.” Kanon takes him up on this, and two thousand years of peace follow.

Fast-forward to about a month before the present, baby Anos opens his eyes for the first time, and just as his parents are about to begin considering a name, he says his name—in his stern adult Anos Voldigoad voice. I swear, if I had taken a drink of anything prior to hearing that voice, I’d have surely done a spit take all over my screen! It was exactly the comic sting needed after such a serious and sincere prologue.

Back to the present, leaders and teams are chosen for the team competition in a week’s time. The homeroom teacher declares that no students in white suits can be team leaders, so he proceeds to not only pass her test, but point out that it is flawed to such an extent, a simple adjustment by him doubles its power. He also meets Misha’s big sister Sasha, who does not care for Misha.

In fact, she considers her little more than a “soulless, lifeless doll animated by magic.” Pretty harsh! This spurs Anos to defend his new silver-haired friend, telling Sasha she should be peering deeper into the abyss. When Sasha lashes out with Demonic Eyes of Destruction, Anos easily deflects them with his own.

Anos offers to let Sasha join his team, even though she’s the leader of the other team. Instead, Sasha makes a bet with Anos: if he wins the team competition with just Misha on his team, Sasha will join them. If he loses, he’ll become Sasha’s property. Obviously, Anos agrees.

Just as Sasha and her team are setting up their Castle, Anos has Misha stay back at theirs and then walks right up to Sasha’s. He breaks through their communications and all of the castle’s defense magic, then lifts it out of the ground and launches it into the air.

He catches it with one hand before it falls, than spins it around like a carnival ride before launching it into the forest. That he does all of this without breaking a sweat makes for an utterly awesome bit of ownage. Like baby Anos talking in an adult voice, I simply did not see him treating the castle like a stony volleyball!

In a last-ditch effort to defeat Anos, Sasha decides to unleash Jio Graze, the most powerful fire spell that requires the unique skills and magical power of the entire team in unison. In response, Anos unleashes the weakest fire spell, Grega, though with his superior power it’s more than enough to dissipate Jio Graze and blast the remains of the castle to smithereens.

Sasha, initially ungracious in defeat, promises to one day kill Anos, a threat that amuses him, because killing him isn’t enough to make him die. Since they entered into a Zacht (a magical contract) she can’t go back on her word, so she joins Anos’ team. When he tells Sasha that Misha wanted her on their team, her stance on her little sister softens. When Anos tells Sasha that her demonic eyes are beautiful, she swoons.

That night, Anos brings both Misha and Sasha to his parents’ for another celebratory feast. The super-hyper folks are elated that he’s already brought home “Bride #2”, and Sasha is just as charmed by their extraness as Misha was.

Anos ends up walking the sisters home, and Misha and Sasha notably hold hands the whole time. I’m actually a bit surprised their rift was repaired so easily, considering Sasha didn’t even see Misha as a human or a sister at the start of the episode. Maybe beholding Anos’ power made Sasha reconsider a lot of preconceptions she’s had.

Sasha also makes it a point to ask if Misha likes Anos—and Misha answers plainly and clearly “yes”. Sasha then waits until Misha goes into their house to thank Anos for helping her make up with her, and give him a “kiss from a friend”. Those aren’t usually on the mouth in most cultures, but hey, what’s the harm of a little Demon King Love Triangle?

The Misfit of Demon King Academy – 01 (First Impressions) – Three-Second Rule

Now that’s more like it! While Lapis Re:LiGHTS felt sterile and lacked oomph, The Misfit has style, passion, and confidence in the story being told, and manage to mix some appealing character moments in with the obligatory introductions. It also teaches an essential lesson about being kind to others, especially family, and not judging books by their covers.

Within two minutes of arriving at the titular academy, our initially nameless MC makes a new friend and gains an enemy. During the entrance trials, that enemy learns that despite looking like a normal new student without a drop of royal blood, the MC makes sport of their duel, killing and resurrecting him at will until he loses the will to go on.

Contrast that with his attitude toward his new friend Misha, whose letter he picks off the ground before they met, can sense his immense power, and whom he invites for dinner at his loving, doting, conclusion-jumping folks. Those folks, by the way, reveal that their son is only a month old.

It’s abundantly clear before he says his name or reveals his true self that the MC is the reincarnation of the Demon King of Tyranny, Anos Voldigoad, and to its credit the show doesn’t over-explain anything. Instead it lets the cozy chemistry and quiet friendship between Anos and Misha play out organically, with her patting his head unbidden when he lists all the horrible names he’s been called.

Their instant easy rapport contrasts nicely with Anos’ absolute ruthlessness in the arena, be it a school-sanctioned trial or in the case of his would-be rival’s brother’s case, a sudden ambush. Where Zepes Indu was a cocky little shit, his brother Leorg throws racism into the mix, deeming only those of pure blood to be worthy of the Demon King’s power.

Before telling Leorg who he is, Anos simply shows him, by letting the older brother’s origin magic bounce right off (since Anos is the origin) then zombifying Zepes and forcing Leorg to reconcile with his brother in order to face him together. It’s interesting that this reincarnated Demon King isn’t so much concerned with toying with far less powerful opponents (though he does) as much as he wants to make them stronger so they can give him a fight!

Anos sensed from the start that as his descendants, the apples have fallen very far from the tree, but perhaps the first step to making them stronger is by strengthening the bonds of family. After all, he’s got himself some very fine parents, while Misha’s guardian also adores her (though her folks are apparently busy, she also has an older sister whom we’re sure to meet soon).

As Anos strikes down all comers, Misha stays by his side, heartened by his kindness and his offer to be comrades and friends, and there to tell him when his two-millennia-old jokes won’t cut it—an amusing quirk of Anos’ that isn’t overused.

Misfit of Demon King Academy is fun to watch but also gratifying because it feels infused with the enthusiasm of its creators, rather than feeling like an exercise of efficiently going through the motions. Most importantly, Anos is one cool, sassy dude; a nice complement to Misha’s understated charm. I’m definitely down to watch more of this!