The appeal and evaluation of Disgaea: New possibilities for strategic RPGs

Makai Senki Disgaea - Makai Senki Disgaea -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

April 4, 2006 - June 21, 2006 Gifu Broadcasting April 4, 2006 - June 28, 2006 (Episodes 1-12) Every Tuesday 24:15-24:45
Chiba TV April 4, 2006 to June 21, 2006 (Episodes 1 to 12) Every Tuesday 26:00 to 26:30
Teletama April 6, 2006 to June 23, 2006 (episodes 1 to 12) Every Thursday 26:00 to 26:30

■Broadcasting station

UHF, AT-X

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

From Nippon Ichi Software's "Disgaea: Hour of Darkness"

■ Director

Kiyotaka Iga

■ Production

Animation Production: OLM Production: Dark Assembly

■Works

©2003 NIPPON ICHI SOFTWARE INC./Dark Parliament

■ Story

Fron, an apprentice angel, has received orders from heaven to assassinate the king of the demon world and descends to the land of the demon world.
The magic she casts awakens Laharl, the Demon King's son, who had been sleeping in the Star Graveyard.
He had been asleep for two years.

Suddenly, they are attacked by the Graveyard Guardian and Earth Hero Gordon and his party, and although they fight them off, they are unable to grasp the situation. Laharl and his opponent, Fron, learn that Laharl's father, the Demon King Krichevskoy, who had ruled the Demon World until now, died two years ago.
Furthermore, it was officially said that Laharl had gone missing after the Demon King's death.

With no heir to the throne, demons calling themselves Demon Kings started nations all over the country, and battles raged across the land as they tried to expand their territories. The Demon World was thrown into chaos. Hearing this, Laharl became enraged and declared that he would conquer the Demon World, Heaven, and Earth.
At that moment, Laharl's confidant, Etna, appears at a time that seems almost contrived. Laharl heads to the Demon King's castle accompanied by Etna and the Prinny Squad, Etna's servants dressed like penguins.

Meanwhile, Fron, who was left behind, loses the pendant necessary for survival in the Demon World and is on the verge of starvation, but is saved by the handsome demon Bias. Laharl hates "love" and "kindness," but Fron is convinced that there is "love" in Laharl's heart, and follows Laharl and his friends. Although he becomes the "lowest-ranking servant," he decides to accompany Laharl and his group.
Thus began the journey of Laharl, Etna, Flonne, and the Prinny Squad to conquer the world...

■Cast

・Laharl/Kaori Mizuhashi ・Flonne/Yuko Sasamoto ・Etna/Tomoe Hanba ・Bias (mid-boss)/Chihiro Suzuki ・Prinny Squad/Junji Majima ・Lamington/Junji Majima ・Gordon/Nobuo Tobita ・Jennifer/Chiwa Saito

■ Main staff

・Original work: Nippon Ichi Software (from "Disgaea: Hour of Darkness")
・Director / Izakaya Kiyotaka・Series Composition / Tomioka Atsuhiro・Character Design, Chief Animation Director / Kano Akira・Design Cooperation / Koresawa Shigeyuki・Color Design / Otsuki Koji・Art Director / Shimizu Junko・Art Setting / Kobayashi Tokumitsu・CG Director / Uchibori Hirofumi・Director of Photography / Ishizuka Tomoyoshi・Editor / Henmi Toshio・Music Director / Watanabe Jun・Music / Sato Tenpei・Producers / Furuse Kazuya, Sasagi Rika, Nishimura Jun, Shinkawa Sohei・Animation Producer / Iguchi Noriaki・Animation Production / OLM TEAM IGUCHI
Produced by: Dark Assembly

■ Main Characters

Lahar

Male Age: 1313 Height: 135cm
Likes: Me. Dislikes: Love, kindness, plump women.

Her father is Krichevskoy, the king of the demon world, and her mother is a human who came to the demon world as an apprentice witch, so she is half demon, half human. She hates words like love and kindness, and is a self-centered, egocentric person.
After the death of the previous king, he took the throne as the Demon King, and in order to surpass that great king, he is training every day in search of "the Demon King's work."

Etna

Female Age: 1470 Height: 147cm
Likes: Living freely Dislikes: People who get in the way of freedom

He has served in the Demon Castle since the time of the late Demon King Krichevskoy, and is currently Laharl's vassal.
Because he respects Krichevskoy, he strictly disciplines Laharl, who has become the Demon King, in order to bring him closer to that great king.
He has a sharp wit and is ambitious enough to surpass Laharl's, aiming to become the Demon King if given the chance.

・Freon

Female Age: 1509 Height: 158cm
Likes: Love, superhero anime, special effects programs Dislikes: Anything that goes against the spirit of love

An angel apprentice who respects the archangel Lamington. Due to Lamington's sudden command, he is sent to the demon world.
A love maniac who believes that "even demons can sense love," he becomes Laharl's companion in order to spread the message of love. He loves hot-blooded hero stories, and has strange obsessions, such as "you shouldn't attack a hero while he's transforming."

・Mid-boss

A rising demonic force calling himself "Beauty Baron Bias." He makes a bold appearance, but when Laharl meets him for the first time, he gives him the title of "mid-boss." He often stands in Laharl's way, but what is his true identity...?

・Prinny Squad

Etna's servants are hired for money, but they are also overworked by Etna's master, Laharl.
Although it looks like a penguin, inside it is actually the soul of a sinner who works to atone for his sins.
Most of them have a casual personality.

・Lamington

A heavenly leader and archangel full of love and kindness.
He is concerned about the current relationship between the heavenly and demonic realms, and sends Flonne to the demonic realm.

Gordon

The 37th Earth Hero who protects peace on Earth.
In order to stop the Demon King from invading Earth, they enter the Demon World...
A strong character with a strong American comic book vibe. His favorite food is pizza.

Jennifer

Contrary to her sexy appearance, she is a genius scientist who created the all-purpose invincible robot Thursday and earned her doctorate at the age of 10.
Assistant to Captain Gordon, the Hero of Earth.

Thursday

An all-purpose, invincible robot created by Jennifer.
As the all-purpose model, it has a life detection mode,
It is equipped with various functions such as an odor detection mode.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Sleeping Prince of the Garbage Dump
・Episode 2 / Mid-boss defeat increases the number of scaly ・Episode 3 / Welcome to the Demon World Treasure Museum ・Episode 4 / Ooka's Judgement at the New Gold Castle!?
Episode 5: The Enchanted Dungeon...Maybe Episode 6: Etna's Embarrassing Secret Episode 7: Demon Brothers and Sisters Episode 8: Prinny's Longest Day!
・Episode 9/Space Battleship Gargantua ・Episode 10/Tomorrow's Hero is You!
・Episode 11: The Night of the Red Moon ・Episode 12: Love...At the End of the Battle

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・I love you・Lyrics by aya
・Composition: aya
・Arrangement: Akihiro
・Song: LOVERIN TAMBURIN

・ED1
・Kashiri ・Lyrics by Hiiro Misaki ・Music by Akiko Kawakami ・Arrangement by KATSU Takahashi
・Song: Akiko Kawakami

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Review and Recommendation

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness is a TV anime series that was broadcast in 2006 and is based on the game of the same name developed by Nippon Ichi Software. The story is a mix of comedy and action set in the underworld, and features charming characters and a unique worldview that draws viewers in. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this anime.

Story and Characters

The story of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness depicts the journey of Laharl, the prince of the demon world, who awakens from a two-year slumber and attempts to reunite the demon world, which has fallen into chaos since the death of his father. Laharl is a self-centered man who dislikes "love" and "kindness," but he is surrounded by a variety of unique characters. Flon, an apprentice angel, has a pure heart that believes in "love," and tries to change Laharl's mind. Etna is Laharl's servant, but is ambitious and will try to take the throne of the Demon King if given the chance. Humorous characters such as the Prinny Squad and mid-bosses also add excitement to the story.

The appeal of this work lies in the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships. In particular, the relationship between Laharl and Flonne, who are at odds at first, is moving as they gradually come to understand each other and cooperate. Furthermore, Etna's strictness towards Laharl and the humorous behavior of the Prinny Squadron make viewers laugh and feel moved.

Animation and visuals

OLM, the animation studio in charge, has drawn the characters' movements and expressions in great detail, effectively expressing both humor and action. The battle scenes in particular incorporate elements from the game, but also add a unique touch to the anime, making them a visual treat. The unique scenery and design of the demon world also stimulates the viewer's imagination.

The character designs were done by Akira Kano, who faithfully reproduced the images of the original work while adding the unique charm of the anime. The individuality of each character is conveyed through their visuals, such as Laharl's red hair, Etna's distinctive horns, and Flonne's angelic design.

Music and theme song

The music was composed by Tenpei Sato, and the background music that enhances the atmosphere of the demon world and the background music that livens up the battle scenes are impressive. In particular, the opening theme "Aishitegeru" resonates in the hearts of viewers with LOVERIN TAMBURIN's powerful singing voice and melody that symbolize the theme of the work. The ending theme "Kusari" features Akiko Kawakami's gentle singing voice that enhances the moving story.

Recommended points

"Disgaea: Hour of Darkness" can be recommended for the following reasons:

• A perfect balance of humor and emotion : The film has a perfect mix of comedic elements and touching scenes, making you laugh and cry at the same time.
• Unique Characters : Each character, such as Laharl, Etna, and Flonne, has a distinct personality that draws viewers in.
• Unique worldview : The unique worldview set in the demonic world stimulates the viewer's imagination.
• Service for game fans : For fans of the original game, the appeal is that they can enjoy elements of the game in the anime.

summary

"Disgaea: Hour of Darkness" is an anime full of humor and emotion, with unique characters and a unique worldview. In particular, it is full of elements that will entertain viewers, such as the relationship between Laharl and Flonne, Etna's ambition, and the humorous behavior of the Prinny Squad. The music and visuals are also excellent, so this is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original game, but also to anime fans. Please give it a watch.