Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Today we’re talking about demon lords. The demon lord character has gone through a radical change over the years. What was once seen as just a tyrannical ruler who represented all that was evil, has now become a multi-layered character. They can be funny but at the same time intimidating; they could be evil but at the same time relatable; they could be calm and collected on the outside but a nervous wreck on the inside; they can have no idea what they’re doing but still come across as a badass. Yep, the demon lord character has undergone a radical change over the years and one of the animes that stands out for me is How Not to Summon a Demon Lord. Based off a light novel written by Yukiya Murasaki in 2014 along with a manga written by Naoto Fukuda in 2015, this was another anime that was cashing in on the isekai hype. However, unlike recent isekais that I’ve reviewed, this one was actually decent. This one tells a good story and has a good set up with interesting characters. While I wouldn’t exactly call it one of the best isekais out there, I would give it a silver medal and place it in the same category as say Knight’s and Magic. It has problems but an overall good watch. In 2018 the studio Ajia-do Animation Works turn the series into an anime. You may think this is a new studio but nope, this studio has been around since the late 70s. It’s one of those underground studios you don’t hear that much about because they don’t do anything major, but over the last few years the studio has been making their name known in the anime industry. With the second season of this anime set to come out soon I figured now is a good time to see what made this anime good. Let’s take a look at How Not to Summon a Demon Lord.
Opening and Ending
The opening is “SUMMONARS 2+” by DeCIDE. It’s. . .kind of meh. Really doesn’t leave that much of an impact of me but isn’t want I would call a bad opening. Sadly, it doesn’t really get me all that hyped for the anime and I would usually skip over it whenever I watched the anime.
The ending is “Saiaku na Hi demo Anata ga Suki” by Yu Serizawa. This ending’s okay in my book. I admit, I did like it better then the opening and Yu’s voice is very soothe to listen to. It’s a cute song overall.
Episodes 1-4
The anime starts with a gamer named Takuma aka Diablo voiced by relative newcomer at the time Masaaki Mizunaka (I say relative because he’s actually been in a few other animes, but this was his first starring role. Congratulations), a player known by others as Demon King Diablo because of his amazing dark skills and ability to defeat anyone who challenges him (Ains would like to have a word with you). As he’s playing, he mysteriously gets summoned to his favorite game Cross Reverie where he’s kissed by an elf and catgirl (best summoning ever) and he’s in the form of his Diablo avatar. The elf is Shera (she is beautiful and has big boobs) voiced by Yu Serizawa who wants to be an adventurer and the catgirl is Rem (she is cute and has no boobs but the ears and tail make up for it) voiced by Azumi Waki (Maika from Blend S) who is constantly trying to prove her strength as an adventurer (we have a deredere and tsundere. Already off to a good start). At first Diablo has no idea how to talk to them as he’s never talked to people much in the real world, so he decides to talk like a demon lord since that’s what he’s always used to talk to others. It works, as he quickly figures out he got summoned to the game and the girls were trying to make him their slave, but thanks to his magic ring which can deflect any type of magic (well that’s a broken item), the girls became his slaves instead of him becoming theirs. The girls get magical collars put around them signifying that they’re his slaves and they head to the city of Faltra (your generic city you find in just about every MMORPG out there. Scene here: https://youtu.be/8xhFnznu6bA) where they check into an inn and share one room with each other (time to show them why you’re called a demon lord, Diablo). They receive a visit from Celes the leader of the town’s Mage Association where she gets told their story and just like Diablo, isn’t sure how to remove the collars from the girls as well. Celes says she’ll look into ways to remove them and Rem doesn’t want any bodyguards to watch over her. Realizing that Rem is hiding something and using his gamer instincts knowing that whatever she’s hiding will come up again in the story (good instincts), he decides to get that information out of her right away by torturing her in their room where he plays with her ear (I’m pretty sure that’s more erotic play than torture). After Diablo promises to stick by Rem no matter what her secret is, we find out that Rem has the demon lord Krebskulm sealed within her. Krebskulm is officially the strongest boss in the game and will be released once Rem dies. Celes is the only person who knows about Krebskulm within Rem and there’s no way to extract Krebskulm’s soul from Rem without killing her (so we got a demon lord that can only be released when someone dies. Alright, turn her to stone). After hearing Rem’s story, Diablo vows to find a way to extract Krebskulm’s soul from Rem (there’s only room for one demon lord in this world) and she cries tears of joy because for the first time she has someone she can depend on (scene here: https://youtu.be/t8wd7xuA41k). After this, Diablo goes out at night to think over the day he just had (you’re a shut-in who’s living every gamer’s dream. Why don’t you happen in real life?) he gets harassed by a bunch of mages serving under Celes who want to put him in his place so one of them summons a level 30 salamander to kill Diablo (https://youtu.be/Im2TL8JgMcE) but that goes about as well as a man arm wrestling a gorilla. Diablo is unfazed by the salamander’s attacks and destroys it with an explosion spell (scene here: https://youtu.be/QNzJJ0jWzhY, Megumin would be so proud. Also, how is no one waking up from all of this?) proclaiming himself a demon lord from another world.
We start episode 2 with Diablo waking to a right hand full of Shera’s boob while his left hand gets its share of Rem’s boob (I feel like the left hand is getting the short end of the stick here). After a good smack from Rem (scene here: https://youtu.be/TCKBGeB7C3w) they go to register at the guild where Shera is level 30, Rem is level 40, and Diablo’s level is unmeasurable. Despite this all three get accepted into the guild by the guildmaster Sylvie (scene here: https://youtu.be/pEr_sLE3Mis) who gives them a mission to catch a monster snake in the man-eating woods but warns them to be cautious as the mission sounds fishy. After a long 5-hour walk (yeah, this world doesn’t have teleportation) they reach the woods and find out that the mission was an ambush set up by that mage from last night. They get attacked by elves where we find out Shera is actually a princess who was supposed to be the bride of her brother (ahhhh~! I didn’t know elves were hillbillies) but she ran away saying she doesn’t love him (she knows that incest doesn’t equal wincest) and knows that he’s only using her to have an heir for the throne. The elves have been led to believe that Diablo is a slave trader and has taken Shera as his slave (well that’s a lie. If she was that man’s slave, she would be glowing) so they attack him, but their weapons have no effect on him. Even the mighty tempest arrow doesn’t pierce him. He freezes over the forest to put fear into them and Shera tells them she’s not returning and they back off (scene here: https://youtu.be/iQKhizoEioU). That night, we get a scene between Diablo and Shera where they talk and Shera begins to think that he’s chosen Rem over her but he assures her he hasn’t. Through the power of situation Shera finds herself on top of Diablo where he grabs her breast and the anime is starting to turn into a hentai (time for Shera to learn what wincest is all about) until Rem walks in and stops the scene from playing out (scene here: https://youtu.be/ByD2g8rYffs).
In episode 3 Diablo receives a request from Celes to deliver refreshments to the Bridge of Ulug. The reward is high and this is obviously Celes apologizing for what happened last episode. Rem decides not to go as she doesn’t want to owe Celes any favors, so the mission falls on Diablo and Shera (focusing on these two again. The anime gets us). Before those two can head out they get stopped by Emile, the strongest adventurer in the guild and an idiot who loves all women (he shall be our comic relief character). He’s heard the rumors about Diablo enslaving Rem and Shera and challenges him to a fight. At first Diablo is excited as it’s the first time he’s gotten to face someone directly in so long only to get disappointed later with Emile. While Emile has good skills, he fights like a beginner and Diablo easily beats him (scene here: https://youtu.be/oXQBs7FSb70). The girls clear up the misunderstanding and Emile takes a sigh of relief knowing the girls aren’t enslaved and takes his leave calling Diablo his friend. After that, Diablo and Shera go on their mission where they reach the bridge and find out that the Fallen (mini-bosses) are heading this way. According to reports there are a hundred of them and the most likely scenario is the guards will all die fighting to hold them off. Diablo decides to stay and fight (he couldn’t resist Shera’s eyes begging him to help) and takes on the Fallen all by himself. Meanwhile, Rem receives a visit from Celes who informs her that Galluk has been fired from the association and believes that Diablo might be a Fallen who was drawn to Rem because of Krebskulm. Rem denies this and as they continue to talk Galluk comes in with blood all over his hands (looks like he took his dismissal rather well) not believing that he was fired and stabs himself with a dagger which turns him into a Fallen. Back with Diablo, he defeats 30 Fallen until their leader comes out to face him one on one to end the episode (Rocky 3 style). Their leader is a loli dark elf named Edelgard said to be the strongest lancer of the Fallen.
Episode 4 goes by quick but it’s where Diablo shows off his Alucard side. He fights against Edelgard where he takes her strongest attack in order to lower her morale and make her realize how weak she is compared to him which will make her retreat but once news reaches him that a Fallen is in the city and attacking Celes and Rem, Edelgard’s resolve to keep fighting increases (it’s the perfect plan, a Fallen gets in the city and kills Celes thus destroying the barrier and Edelgard leads her army into the city). With time being of the essence, Diablo unleashes a supernova attack which decimates the army of the Fallen leaving only Edelgard alive (scene here: https://youtu.be/WnFo1tic5iA, we’re gonna need a new bridge). Since they won’t make it in time by foot, Diablo tries to use teleportation and it works. He and Shera arrive back in the city and he just completely owns the Fallen that hurt Rem and the other adventurers. He deflects the Fallen’s magic back at him, uses the same magic as the Fallen just to show how powerful his magic is, and then he uses a blackhole to seal the Fallen into eternal darkness (scene here: https://youtu.be/aPmufSjfOXs, that’s like an 8/10 on the Alucard scale). With the threat gone and everyone safe, Diablo passes out from using too much MP and has to rest for a few days (he’s earned it). The people bury their dead 3 days later and make an effort to rebuild and resume their normal lives. 10 days pass and Diablo is still recovering from the MP loss but Shera wears a sexy outfit to perk him up (well something will definitely perk up and it won’t be MP). The group receives a visit from Sylvie who tells them that the king has been ordered by the elf kingdom to hand over Shera or risk an all-out war breaking out between the two races (all this just for one girl? (Baron): Need I remind you? That is one hot elf). Sylvie of course wouldn’t dare try to take Shera from Diablo (she knows he destroyed an army of the Fallen all by himself. She knows not to screw with him) but instead asks him and the others to stop this war from breaking out.
Episodes 5-8
In episode 5 Diablo goes to meet Gilford the lord of the land as well as knight of the kingdom (and all around scary guy who gives off an intense presence). Diablo agrees to resolve the matter with Shera to prevent war by going directly to the elf kingdom and joining him will be Alicia an imperial knight from the capital who was sent to help resolve this conflict with the elves (and she’s quite cute as well. Rem is slowly going down the list). In the game, imperial knights were said to be the strongest of the strong and only people with a lineage are allowed to be imperial knights. She quickly befriends everyone with her excellent communication skills and diligence (something Diablo truly lacks and didn’t invest in). Before heading off to the elf forest they make a few preparations should negotiations fail (which let’s be honest they will). They grab a few potions and Diablo creates a scythe so he can use his melee skills and not go all out when facing weak opponents (scene here: https://youtu.be/cdkJ0QPe4CA, using magic is cool and all but over time it gets boring). As they walk the streets Shera gets kidnapped by a couple of bounty hunters because her brother put a huge bounty out on her. Diablo chases after the hunters where Shera gets saved by Emile (well we’re never gonna live this one down) and they round up the other hunters as well (scene here: https://youtu.be/GrowoERgeLY). The episode ends with them deciding to get something to eat as Alicia is hungry.
Episode 6 starts off with Celes telling the group that she might have found a way to remove the enslavement collars around Rem and Shera (is there really a need, I mean so far, those collars have done nothing. Half the time I forget they even have them. I just assumed they were following Diablo because he’s badass and badasses always get their harem entourage). So the group takes a side trip and goes to meet Medios a lovely woman who is a slave trader (as well as a pimp on the side) and can see the flow of magic from others (scene here: https://youtu.be/duq3RLcbcTQ). She almost exposes Rem’s secret but Diablo stops her, and she agrees to show them how to remove the collar but it’s a trade secret so she wants as little people to see as possible (there’s only four people there, we’re all good). Rem and Alicia decide to skip out on this secret leaving only Diablo and Shera where Shera gets stripped down and put into a skimpy outfit (if the goal of this anime is to get Shera into as many skimpy outfits as possible than I am all for it). This is all to teach Diablo how to see the flow of magic, that way he can find the source of the collar’s magic and remove it (it’s like trying to cut a wire on a bomb). At first, he’s nervous but when he starts to imagine Shera as just a wand (a very sexy wand that a lot of people would like to do dirty things with) he’s able to proceed and starts to see the flow of magic. As he continues to massage Shera’s boob, he continues to follow the flow of magic to its source and even pouring in his own magic to see it more clearly (scene here: https://youtu.be/AxLKm5Gfmq4). They unfortunately have to stop (too intense for Shera?) as the flow of energy is just too complicated. Diablo describes it as countless balls of yarn in an endless room all tangled together and he has to unravel everything in order to remove the collar (whoever made these collars wanted to make sure nobody could break it). As they prepare to turn in for the night they receive a visit from Keera the prince of Greenwood and Shera’s brother. We see that the nasty brother who’s into incest is actually quite the nice guy and tries to get Shera to come back with him peacefully promising no war between the elves and humans and even removing the bounty on her (that’s all nice but a part of me can’t help but sense you have evil intentions in mind). He decides to wait for her answer tomorrow and takes his leave. That night, Shera and Rem have a nice talk where Shera reaffirms that she wants to stay with them calling them her first real friends and even going as far as thinking of them as family more than her current family (wow, that’s saying something). She also talks about her dream of opening up a café and running it with Rem and Diablo (scene here: https://youtu.be/-1HiMYUMMjM).
Episode 7 starts off with showing Diablo as a child. It turns out that when he was a child he actually did try to befriend others by using his skills to help them beat monsters in games and even giving them strong weapons and equipment (that’s pretty cool of him). Too bad those kids betrayed his trust, talked trash behind his back, and even admitted they were just using him to get good stuff (assholes. No wonder he shut himself off from the world). After that, they all wake up with Alicia and Rem going off to run an errand and leaving Diablo and Shera alone where Diablo decides to make some potions where in order to make them he has to focus on Shera’s breast while his hands do all the work for him (scene here: https://youtu.be/dTNk710GAfY, if only that skill can be used in real life). Keera finally comes around where he plays a melody on his flute which allows him to control the will and mind of Shera. He makes Shera leave with him and return to their kingdom which devastates Diablo quite a bit. Now, even though he knows Shera is under some kind of mind control, he’s hesitant to help because he wonders if Shera really considers him a real friend. He’s afraid of getting rejected and hurt like he was in the past and doesn’t want to experience something like that ever again (nor should you or anyone for that matter). Luckily, Rem is there to remind Diablo to trust in his friendship with Shera and this gets him back on his feet. Diablo and the others raid the elven camp taking out the soldiers (I think one of them lost an arm) and make it to Shera where Keera was just about to rape her after a slime got done eating all her clothes (Keera I know Shera is hot but don’t lewd your own sister man). Using the enslavement collar, Diablo is able to hear Shera’s true feelings where she truly desires to stay with him and Rem forever (you hear that Keera, incest doesn’t equal wincest). Keera gets pissed and summons the greatest weapon in the elven kingdom, a hydra (why do you insult him Keera?).
Okay a lot of action in episode 8. It starts with Diablo taking on the hydra where he actually has a little trouble. It’s a creature that wasn’t originally in the game and has a number of moves instead of just one like other summon creatures (a potential new boss or creature that still has bugs that needs to be worked out? You decide). The only way to defeat it is to destroy its core, but the core moves throughout the body constantly so finding it will be a pain in the ass. Luckily, Diablo says F that and just uses a powerful spell to destroy the hydra and turn it into a large puddle of God knows what (scene here: https://youtu.be/R0jwOAIOnc8). Just when Diablo moves in on Keera to give him his justified beating, Shera stops him because despite the fact that her brother is an asshole and someone she hates, she doesn’t want any harm to come to him (she’s an angel. (Corbin): A goddess if there ever was one. (Baron): The elf who will save the House of Jack). Shera’s distraction allows Keera to run away where he gets decapitated by Gilford (didn’t get the beating I was hoping but still satisfying). He comes out of hiding with his knights where he says that by crossing the borders unannounced and with an army, Keera has declared war which means Gilford is totally justified in killing Keera in order to protect the kingdom (and the bastard is right). He used Diablo and the others to fight the elves and then he comes in to finish them off (and get the glory, fame, and bitches). He traps Diablo in a sphere that’s not from the game and prepares to kill the rest of the elves who are hiding in the forest (no. Look, I appreciate you killing Keera but these others have done nothing to deserve such treatment. Tone it down a bit Gilford). Diablo senses the flow of magic and breaks out of the sphere where he has a solid fight with Gilford who is quick on his feet and has a sword style that’s just as deadly as his speed (it’s the classic warrior vs sorcerer match-up). We see Gilford prove to be the strongest opponent Diablo has faced since coming here as he manages to wound Diablo a little bit and almost beats him until Diablo blasts Gilford with some lightening shots which puts him down but not out. Gilford waits for the finishing blow but Diablo says no and instead makes him believe that he never stood a chance in this fight and welcomes him to another fight any time (he’ll kick your ass again. Only faster). Gilford retreats, Rem goes to heal the injured elves, and Diablo goes to comfort Shera over the death of her brother (scene here: https://youtu.be/Eg4A1DCOKaQ). 3 days pass as everyone tries to return to normal. Rem comforts Shera, Alicia returns to the capital to give her report, Celes works out negotiations with the elves, and Diablo stays in bed suffering from MP loss once again. We do end the episode on a laugh where Diablo receives a visit from Sylvie who gives him alcohol as a way to restore his MP. He drinks one cup and gets drunk instantly where he strips Sylvie and uses her as a body pillow before falling asleep (scene here: https://youtu.be/dlXuU0PjYuU).
Episodes 9-12
Episode 9 is a pretty slow episode. It starts with Shera summoning a bird to make into her slave where Diablo teaches her how to use it efficiently. After that, Rem and Shera go to bathe by the river (Diablo refused to join them on account his demon manhood would cause them to faint from massive blood loss. No homo) where Edelgard shows up and senses Krebskulm’s soul inside Rem. This forces Rem to tell Shera what’s going on and surprisingly (well not really) Shera embraces Rem apologizing for not knowing what her friend was going through (this elf is too pure for the world). Edelgard tells them that there’s a ritual to summon the demon lord without causing harm to Rem and Diablo says they should do it to settle the score with Krebskulm once and for all (the main question is will Diablo be able to defeat the strongest creature in the game by himself? Sure it sounds cool and exciting but if he fails everyone dies). Edelgard says they’ll perform the ritual in 3 days and we fast forward 3 days later where Alicia returns to the city and tries to hide everyone from Saddler, an imperial knight who’s also a paladin (https://youtu.be/_oRiWJWXVPM) and kills anyone who worships the demon lord. He’s come to Faltra after hearing rumors about someone claiming to be the demon lord (I wonder who he’s looking for?) and just like taxes can’t be avoided. The group runs into Saddler where his power is pretty good as he’s able to cast spells without saying anything (according to Diablo, that makes him at least over the level of 60). He passes these spells off as acts of God, but Diablo sees through his false belief and calls him out on it. Saddler tries to turn Diablo into stone, but Diablo just deflects his magic back towards Saddler which turns him into stone instead (scene here: https://youtu.be/qkWuPcoDeCk. Well, that was quick. Seriously, the way the episode went it seemed like this guy was going to be the next big villain of the arc but I’m personally glad he’s not. We already got our main conflict for the arc, Krebskulm, and wanting to know if Diablo can beat it or not. Saddler would just distract us from this conflict). After the business with Saddler is done, Rem decides to tell Alicia about Krebskulm where Diablo is against it but Rem wants to tell her since she trusts her as a friend. Again, Alicia is very supportive and thankful that Rem trusts her with this information but Diablo just can’t help but sense something is wrong.
In episode 10, they go to the summoning altar where Edelgard has prepared the ceremony for them. In order to summon Krebskulm into the world, Diablo must pour his power into Rem (alright, let’s see how Rem likes it). He tries doing it by touching her stomach but it’s not enough, he needs a more direct approach and Edelgard tells him to finger Rem (scene here: https://youtu.be/AQbMukpjhus, when I woke up this morning, I did not expect to see a demon lord fingering a catgirl). So Diablo finger bangs the pussycat and successfully resurrects Krebskulm who pulls a Majin Buu on us. Instead of being destructive and dangerous, she’s instead a loli with the mentality of a child and easily influenced by those around her (it’s kind of adorable in a way). They manage to win her over with some biscuits and she agrees not to cause harm as long as she can get more delicious biscuits (man the demon lord has been taken down by swords and other weaponry, and yet it’s biscuits that manage to save the day. This has been a strange day). Another Fallen named Eulerex shows up and tries to kill Krebsklum because she’s an incomplete demon lord but Edelgard stops him saying that it’s the duty of the Fallen to stand by the choices of the demon lord (one follows the ideology of their leader while the other forces their ideology on others. Religion in a nutshell). Eulerex pummels Edelgard until Diablo intervenes and forces him to retreat (scene here: https://youtu.be/GB6V_qSW-fI, that’s 3 people he’s allowed to escape him. Diablo is getting soft on me). Once they arrive back in town, Diablo gets his MP restored by Shera and Krebsklum who rub him with their naked bodies (scene here: https://youtu.be/KlK25h4DIYg. Okay, I’m sure Shera is okay but I might need to call the cops seeing as how Krebsklum is involved).
Things begin to setup for our finale in episode 11. Alicia reveals herself to be a bitch who wants the demon lord to fully awaken and kill all the mortal races like Shera and Rem (okay, not only is she a bitch but she’s also a racist). She captures Rem and Krebsklum (the abduction of one’s loli is punishable by death. Scene here: https://youtu.be/EDkeP0HNzXE) where Rem and Krebsklum have a heart to heart discussion where despite Krebsklum causing Rem and her family to suffer, Rem can’t bring herself to really hate Krebsklum and she doesn’t know why (because you both have suffered. Both of you were given roles that you didn’t want. Scene here: https://youtu.be/nw9ZRyBTx60). They get taken to a cathedral on the northside of town where Saddler (who is completely out of his mind as he believes that he’s God reincarnated) prepares to torture Rem and have Krebsklum fill up with hatred in order to turn her into a true demon lord. Diablo searches frantically for Rem and Krebsklum, even going to the guild and trying to break out of his demon lord persona and asks for help until a kid comes in and tells him where Rem and Krebsklum are. Back at the cathedral, Saddler tortures Rem with Krebsklum filling up with hatred and wanting to go on a rampage in order to save Rem but Rem tells her not to do anything. When Saddler sees Krebsklum’s body he thinks she’s a Fallen and attempts to kill her but Rem shields her with her body receiving multiple swords to the back which pushes Krebsklum over the edge and she turns into a true demon lord just as Diablo and Shera arrive. Diablo hands Shera some potions to use on Rem and he turns his attention to Krebsklum (scene here: https://youtu.be/dEBPiVlx2n0).
In the final episode you would think the fight with Krebsklum would be the whole episode but nope, it’s only just half the episode. Shera manages to heal Rem while Diablo takes on Krebsklum where for most of the fight he’s on the defensive trying to set up a powerful spell (it’s like watching a player do a solo raid on a dungeon boss). Diablo succeeds in completing his spell and blasts Krebsklum which weakens her allowing Rem and Shera to reach out to her and bring her back to normal (scene here: https://youtu.be/QpJZ5sDuztQ, yay, the loli demon lord has returned). On the outskirts of town, we see Edelgard and Alicia (racist bitch! Sorry, still mad about that) are with the Fallen who collaborated together in order to awaken Krebsklum to her true form. After everyone sees that their plan has failed, the Fallen are pissed (Fallen: I wasted my Saturday night for this!?) and Edelgard shall receive punishment for failing twice and Alicia for failing them as well. Back with Diablo, he and the others get approached by Sylvia who figures out that Krebsklum is the demon lord and can’t allow such a powerful entity to roam freely in the city (she’s got a point. If Diablo hadn’t been there, the city would have been destroyed. As much as I like Krebsklum, she’s too dangerous). Diablo proposes that Krebsklum be his slave that way he can watch over her and keep her under his control which she agrees to do. Diablo and Krebsklum do the enslavement ritual, they kiss (scene here: https://youtu.be/Oh9Gs6P0AQk,call the cops), and Krebsklum becomes Diablo’s slave. They go back to their inn where they receive a visit from an injured Alicia (oh~ came back for more huh?) who holds a knife to Shera and begs the others to save Edelgard who pretty much risked her life to save Alicia from the Fallen. Krebsklum heals Edelgard and tells her that she’s going to stay in the city to understand humans. She also tells Edelgard to respect her choice and if she ever does something like this again, she’ll kill her. We then turn our attention to Alicia where we find out her prejudice stems from being surrounded by it her whole life (racism is something you learn). Despite the fact that she hated it, it was all she knew and thus she became what she hated (well, congratulations. (Isis): For what? (Nitusj): For being an insufferable racist bitch! You think this excuses everything you’ve done until now? You saw the good in Rem and Shera who welcomed you and treated you like a true friend, yet despite this you still choose to be a racist bitch and betrayed them for your own selfish beliefs). She decides to take her life as punishment for her acts, but Diablo stops her because in a way the two are similar (both characters wanted to know and understand others but didn’t want anyone to get close to them out of fear of being hurt by the world). He tells her to stop being so serious, just be herself, and live. He then falls on the bed exhausted from using up too much MP so all of the girls strip and rub him with their bodies to restore his MP (scene here: https://youtu.be/yKn9zDWyaqM). We end the next day with Alicia leaving and going on what I assume to be a journey of discovery, Edelgard stays in the city disguised as a maid to keep an eye on Krebsklum, and Rem and Shera feeling jealous that Diablo kissed Krebsklum demand a kiss as well but Diablo says no because he’s a demon lord (and because he would get a massive nosebleed).
Final Thoughts
And that was How Not to Summon a Demon Lord. Like I said before it’s not one of the best isekais I’ve seen but it’s still a good anime in my book and one that enjoyed watching. The characters are good, I like the personality of Diablo and how he acts like a demon lord because he doesn’t know how to talk to other people. They give him a good backstory which explains why he shut himself off from other people and as the anime progresses we see how he does care about the safety of Rem and Shera, is a good guy deep down, and wants to interact with people better. Shera and Rem are both cute and get their own arc in the anime where we see them both reach out for help and get saved by Diablo. The two are good companions and even though they argue with each other from time to time, they both care for one another and value their friendship. Krebsklum was also cute. I loved the childlike mentality they gave her and how easily she was influenced by everyone around her even though she has the powers to destroy everyone if she felt like it. The two characters that made me mad were Edelgard and Alicia. Edelgard for forcing her ideas and beliefs onto Krebsklum instead of considering what she wants to do. She refused to accept Krebsklum for who she is and wanted her to be what she always imagined. Alicia’s prejudice against other races pissed me off as it really came out of nowhere and doesn’t make a lot of sense. Like I said earlier she hung around with Rem and Shera throughout a majority of the anime and got to know them yet that wasn’t enough to make her rethink her view on life? Thankfully, the two do see the errors of their ways at the end so I’m okay with them now.
The two things this anime does really well is its humor and fanservice. The comedy and fanservice moments are worked in nicely throughout the anime. None of them feel forced or timed wrongly. They don’t overstay their welcome and are given enough time for you to soak them in for your enjoyment. The action/fight scenes are decent. Most of them are one-sided with Diablo beating everyone easily but his fights against Gilford, Eurelux, and Krebsklum were good as we got to see him take on someone who could match him in skills and implore some strategy and tactics into his fight showing us that despite being powerful he understands the importance of strategy and tactics and how to use them. The animation is decent, nothing special but nothing bad either. The same can be said about the music. Probably the biggest downfall of the anime is the plot as that really seems to be lacking. While not bad the anime doesn’t seem to have any direction on where the story is going and that’s mostly due to the fact that it doesn’t do a good job with world building. While we see other races we never hear about the relationships between them and other kingdoms. The stories can be predictable but they’re fun to watch thanks to the characters and the overall execution of them.
Final Score
The final score for How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is a 7/10. It’s an enjoyable anime that does the isekai genre justice and one that I recommend if you’re looking for a good isekai anime to watch. Definitely check out the manga and light novel if you liked the anime. I’m looking forward to seeing the second season as I’m curious to know what happens next or maybe I’ll just cheat a little and check out the manga. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.
*All videos, clips, and music are not owned by me and belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved*
Thanks for reading. As always feel free to leave a comment in the comment section or send your comments, feedback, or request to iamprojectnitsuj@gmail.com
And follow me on twitter for updates and other stuff: https://twitter.com/ProjectNitsuj