Hataraku Maou-sama! – 08-09
If looks could kill.
After a long break, we’re back with more Hataraku Maou-sama! But first, I should apologize for my lack of content lately. I was out of town last week during the Memorial Day weekend, so I was unable to cover my shows during that time. And since returning, I managed to catch a cold, from which I am only just recovering. I’m mostly over it now though, so expect me to get back on schedule with Maou-sama! and SNAFU this week.
Whoops~
Let’s kick this double episode feature off with Yusa and Suzuno’s hilarious exchange at the train station. As expected from last time, the misunderstanding between the two would undoubtedly lead to an entertaining conversation, and this is exactly what we get. It is confirmed that Suzuno’s primary objective is to eliminate Maou, but as the inquisitor, she has also been tasked with investigating Yusa’s allegience. Luckily for the hero, the constant quarreling between her and the demon lord actually pays off this time, as Suzuno concludes that the two are not conspiring against the church together. I have to wonder how long Suzuno will listen to Yusa, however, as the former has come to Japan dead set on killing Maou, while the latter has become much more tolerant of his existence than she would like to admit. While Yusa may not be outright colluding with the demon lord, she’s certainly not actively aiming to take him down either. And I would think that this will eventually put the hero at odds with the inquisitor, who might perceive inaction as a betrayal of the church.
Speaking of the inquisitor, I find it amusing how Suzuno’s knowledge of Japan comes from historical dramas and Showa era documentaries. This certainly explains her antiquated mannerisms and old-fashioned choice of dress, but consider the consequences of her misinformation. Suzuno is supposed to be the inquisitor; the elite agent of the church, chosen to seek out and eliminate those who would oppose the church’s doctrine. Yet this very elite agent has jumped into her job with outdated information, which should by all rights only draw all the more attention to her when stealth is of importance. She’s supposed to blend into modern-day Japan in order to approach Maou without any suspicions, right? And I guess technically she does succeed at this in the end, but I think it was mostly blind luck that the demons weren’t wary of such an eccentric girl moving in next door.
Plot Thickening
Last time, we were also introduced to a new, mysterious assailant, who can shoot beams from his eyes. Given his physical similarities to Lucifer, I speculated that the fallen angel might in fact be the culprit. But come these latest episodes, we are suddenly introduced to a new character, Saruue Mitsuki, who smells awfully fishy. In his first appearance, the mysterious assailant wore a ski mask that hid his entire face save his eyes. On the other hand, Mitsuki constantly wears shades, even when he’s indoors. Coincidence? I think not. After all, the only identifying characteristic we have of the assailant so far is his eye color. And guess whose eye color we can’t tell? The assailant was also hit with a paintball during the scuffle, which Yusa claims would have left a distinctive smell. And it just so happens that Mitsuki is said to use way too much cologne. Sounds like someone is covering up a certain smell? Also notable is the fact that Mitsuki is the manager of the brand new “Sentucky Fried Chicken” which opened across the street from Maou’s MgRonald’s. This puts him in a position to keep an eye on the demon lord without seeming too out of place. Of course, he certainly stands out as MgRonald’s main competitor, but any further suspicions would be dispelled by exactly that; he’s just a competitor and nothing more. If he’s some sort of assassin, he’s done a pretty good job of blending in.
That said, I’m a little skeptical that Mitsuki might end up actually being the assailant. It just seems all too easy. A new enemy is introduced, followed shortly by a new character? Seems legit. Granted, it also felt too simple to peg the blame onto Lucifer yet again. And Lucifer definitely looks to be mostly declawed after his previous conflict with Maou. So maybe it really will turn out to be Mitsuki. Who knows? I wouldn’t object to Maou teaching him a lesson anyway. The guy is such a sleazeball. Even Yusa’s busybody coworker Rika can’t stand him. The only question now is what his motives would be and what faction he belongs to. We know the assailant was able to dispell Yusa’s sacred sword, which Yusa claims as proof that he cannot be a demon. This would suggest that if anything, Mitsuki is not another power hungry demon. But what is he really? Maybe an angel? I dunno what kind of angel wields a scythe though.
Extras
So as you can probably tell, Maou-sama! is stepping up its plot game again. We have the determined Suzuno, who was shooting Maou a rather dangerous gaze by the end of episode nine. I hope she doesn’t lose it and go after Maou’s life right then and there. And we also have the unpleasant Mitsuki, who fits the bill too easily for the identity of the mysterious assailant. I don’t know what he has in store for Maou, but if he truly is the assailant, he’s already made a move against Yusa. And speaking of these two, I wonder what the deal is with the mysterious purple glowing around the bamboo? Suzuno certainly noticed it (and Yusa, for that matter), and she didn’t exactly look too pleased about it. Perhaps she thought Maou was manipulating the people somehow? And maybe I’m reading into it too much, but the glow reminds me strongly of the assailant’s eye beam and Lucifer’s own attacks. All are purple in hue, and we know for a fact that Lucifer is a fallen angel. Does this further suggest that Mitsuki is an angel (again, assuming he is the assailant)? What about the glow though? I doubt Mitsuki was responsible for that, and it’s also interesting that it seems to emanate from the wishes that the people have written. I’m really going out on a limb here, but could it be a sort of power derived from positive emotions? We already know that it’s possible to draw power from negative emotions, so what’s to say the same can’t be done for positive ones?
Finally, I should leave off with some good ‘ol romance to stay true to the show’s advertised genre. Episode eight sees an outright confession from Chi-chan to Maou. I would think that this will get the ball rolling between the two, but then it all seems to be forgotten completely in episode nine. Admittedly, there was a bit of interruption in the form of Suzuno, but I still feel really sorry for Chi-chan. If you think about it, the poor girl’s being friend-zoned very badly. What more could she possibly do to get Maou to return her feelings? If anything, he should at least give her a proper response to make it clear if he will ever see her as more than just a colleage. That’s not too much to ask for, is it?
About Sumairii
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’m still very impressed with the pacing of this show. When new characters are introduced, they get some time to breathe; all the while becoming duplicitous and awesome.
I don’t know if Sentucky-san is the assailant either. Like yourself, that does seem rather convenient.
Maou is a Feng Shui master? I guess it would take more than a fish tank or a bubbly fountain to turn his Stronghold to a more positive place…
POWUH: iLurker with 2 comments
Rika x Ashiya! I approve and demand moar.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
np XD
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m starting to think this show might be getting a little bit of character overload. It just felt like people were getting left out throughout episode 9. Suzuno for one just sat there the whole time, it seemed.
Overall I like the show still, but I just worry about even more characters.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 38 comments
I think a main problem was that I, for one, expected more plot development and social/magical progress in the show, in which case every character would have to contribute to the whole.
Unfortunately, it seems to be following more of a slice-of-life path; then, the character overload makes sense, as in real life too, not everybody matters. Though it makes sense, it is still awfully off-putting (especially Lucifer… what does he even do all day?)…
POWUH: Meta Resident and Werewolf Chaser with 1270 comments
Watching you guys speculating was pretty fun ^_^ Bring the speculation on! /theperksofLNreader
Lol @ animated Suzuno circling the TV and “James”. Never expect Saruue to look that much like James XD
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Evelyn_De_Morgan_-_Angel_of_Death.jpg
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 131 comments
I’ve read huge chunk of spoilers from the LN so it’s hard to comment with anime-only fans when they speculate…
And “James”, I actually didn’t think he’d be this disgusting. ^^;;
The sudden Rika x Ashiya thing threw me off a little, though, seems I haven’t read enough spoilers, haha.
POWUH: iLurker with 6 comments
On one hand the plot in general does feel extremely obvious, but who knows–maybe there will be a surprise or two before the show’s conclusion. At any rate, I mainly just watch for the characters and their amusing interactions (i.e. the slice-of-life side of things?). Ashiya is probably my favorite, and his surprising storytelling ability in the latest episode was quite amusing.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Ashiya sure did spin a good yarn, didn’t he. It also helped with the idea that maybe Maou and the demons weren’t so inherently bad. There’s a lot to the saying “History is written by the victors.”
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Yes indeed. I greatly enjoyed his rendition of what transpired on Ente Isla. =)
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
If Chi-chan wants to get Maou’s attention she should get him to a beach where she can wear her outfit from the ED.
Rika does seem rather taken with Ashiya, which could make for some interesting times. I heartily approve that shipping. She did seem to go overboard over Chi-chan’s cuteness, but I don’t think she’s into yuri. She just likes really cute things.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Haha, yeah. Chi-chan with her ED outfit would definitely catch any guy’s attention.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Wow, Chiho surprised me. That was quite a straightforward confession and done effortlessly as well. Usually girls this moe would stutter and mince their words but she handled herself nicely. Honestly, I’m curious about her personality. She knows he’s a demon and thanks to Emi, she now knows what Maou has done in the past yet she doesn’t waver with her love for him and I’d even go as far to say she’s in a way encouraging him concerning world domination. “Don’t make that face! How are you gonna conquer the world like that?” is heavily implying a lot of things.
Suzuno/Crestia Bell really was a fish out of water coming to Japan. She is a country bumpkin compared to everyone else though her difficulty adapting to her new environment felt more believable whereas Maou, Ashiya and Emi’s adapting was considered too easy.
While Ashiya’s construction story came out of nowhere (my belief was suspended for a while), it’s frightening how plausible it all sounds. Who knew that other than doing house work, he’s an efficient storyteller? And he’s the shining example of loyalty which is a dying thing these days. I’m impressed that no matter what he does, there’s no ulterior motive behind it. You ask him to scout out the competition, he’ll do it and ask for nothing in return.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
wtff …lucifer only came for about 4 minute each episode …