Review of "The Devil is Behind Us": A story with more depth and fun than you'd expect

"The Great Demon King at the Back": The prophesized demon king's turbulent school life

"The Devil is Behind Ushiro" is a TV anime series based on a light novel by Shotaro Mizuki. It aired from April 3rd to June 19th, 2010, and is set in the Constant Magic Academy, depicting the school life of the protagonist, Sai Akuto, who is prophesied to become a "demon king" in the future. This is the first original work from HJ Bunko to be made into a TV anime, and its unique worldview, which combines sci-fi fantasy action with school love comedy, is appealing.

story

Sai Akuto, whose future career is predicted to be that of the Demon King, transfers to the Constant Magic Academy with the goal of becoming an arch priest in order to contribute to society. However, due to the prophecy he received on his first day, he ends up suffering a miserable school life; hated by the class representative Hattori Junko, beloved by the airheaded and mysterious Soga Keena, and watched over by the female android Korone, a security guard dispatched by the Empire. Despite this, Akuto continues to act for his own ideals and beliefs, but the misunderstandings of those around him only deepen, and he is increasingly feared to be the second coming of the Demon King. Will the day come when Akuto can live an honest life?

Commentary

The original work is a light novel by Shotaro Mizuki, published by Hobby Japan's HJ Bunko. It features illustrations by Souichi Ito, and is the first original work from HJ Bunko to be adapted into a TV anime. It is a school love comedy about a protagonist who is prophesied to become the Demon King and lives an eventful school life surrounded by a group of unique heroines. In addition to being set at a magic academy, heroes, dragons, androids, robots, time travelers, and more appear one after another, making it a sci-fi fantasy action piece. The tempo and drive of the visuals are distinctive, and the work is full of a live feeling, created to match the voice acting of the voice actors.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Sai Akuto: Takashi Kondo
• Kena Soga: Aki Toyosaki
• Ayako Hattori: Yoko Hikasa
• Korone: Aoi Yuki
• Hiroshi Miwa: Tainaga Wings
• Fujiko Eto: Shizuka Ito
• Lily Shiraishi: Ryo Hirohashi
• Mitsuko Torii: Tomoaki Takahashi
• Akuto (childhood): Akashi Kaori
• Yuko Hattori: Yuka Iguchi
• Michie Otake: Ayana Taketatsu
• Kanna Kamiyama: Kaoru Mizuhara
• Arnoul: Minako Kotobuki
• Eiko Teruya: Haruka Tomatsu
• Boichiro Yamato: Tarusuke Araki
• Fujiko's brother: Toriumi Kosuke
• Hattori Youzo: Atsushi the Axe
• Keizo Teruya: Kotaro Nakamura
• Yatagarasu: Shiratori Satoshi
• Grandmother: Kaoru Katakai
• Fujiko's mother: Tojo Kanako
• D13: Kaori Akashi
• 2V: Tomoyuki Higuchi
• Takeshi: Kensuke Nishi
• Yang: Kenji Takahashi
• Yukiko: Sayuri Yahagi
• Mr. X: Haruo Sato
• Peterhausen: Joji Nakata

Main Staff

The following staff members are involved in the production of this work:

• Original author: Shotaro Mizuki (HJ Bunko/Hobby Japan)
• Director: Takashi Watanabe
• Character design: Soichi Ito
• Planning: Yoshiaki Matsumoto, Hideo Yamaguchi, Kazuaki Morijiri
• Series Composition: Takao Yoshioka
• Character design and chief animation director: Toshimitsu Kobayashi, Masaru Koseki
• Genkaku/Kokuryu Design: Kazutaka Miyatake
• Art director: Shinji Kawai
• Color design: Rika Nishio
• Director of photography: Hiroshi Onishi
• 3DCGI Producer: Daiki Matsukura
• 3DCGI Technical Director: Hiromitsu Saito
• Edited by: Yumiko Nakaba and Hideaki Murai
• Edited by: Okayasu Promotion
• HD video editing: Tokyo Development Laboratory, Yoshiaki Kanazawa
• Sound effects: Naoto Yamatani
• Recording adjustment: Hiroyuki Suzuki
• Recording assistant: Nozomi Mashita
• Casting cooperation: Matsuoka Cho
• Sound Production: Yusuke Uchimura
• Sound production: Recording studio/Delphi Sound
• Senior Producers: Atsushi Iwasaki, Ryoji Sakakima, Yasuhiro Mikami
• Associate producers: Ryuji Sekine, Asuka Yamazaki, Tsuyoshi Oda
• Planning cooperation: HJ Bunko Editorial Department, Yoshihiko Udagawa, Ryuji Ohashi
• Advertising: Tomoko Hasegawa, Masako Yumioka
• Cooperation: Seiji Suzuki (Swood)
• Interview cooperation: Tokai University Shonan Campus
• Assistant Production Producer: Yasunari Muraoka
• Production desk: Koji Mizunashi
• Setting production: Chihiro Okamoto
• Assistant Production Manager: Chiyoko Hiroto
• Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama
• Music: Tatsuya Kato
• Music producer: Yoshiyuki Ito
• Music Production: Lantis
• Producers: Hajime Maruyama, Masazumi Kato, Masaaki Yokota, Yuka Sakurai, Muneyuki Kanbe
• Production Producer: Hidenobu Watanabe
• Produced by: Genco
• Animation production: Artland
• Produced by: Constant Magic Academy (Marvelous Entertainment, Media Factory, Hobby Japan, ATX, Good Smile Company, Lantis, Genco)

Main Characters

The main characters of this work are as follows:

• Sai Akuto: The "good" protagonist who is predicted to become the "Demon King" in the future. He comes to the Constant Magic Academy with the goal of becoming a "High Priest" so that he can contribute to society someday. Although he thinks he is very serious, everything he does backfires, and he is feared by those around him as the "Demon King."
• Soga Kena: A dropout and airheaded girl who is fond of Akuto. She is not good at magic, but she can fly and disappear. However, she cannot make the clothes she is wearing disappear, so she must be completely naked before she can completely disappear. With her natural drive and strange behavior, she causes a big commotion that gets everyone around her involved. She loves rice.
• Hattori Ayako: Class representative of Class 1-A, the same class as Akuto. A sincere and innocent girl, she is a ninja girl from Iga. She sympathizes with Akuto's ideals and has made a vow of friendship, but she is hurt and manipulated by his actions, which she misunderstands and sees as the actions of a demon lord from the outside. She wears a loincloth, which is a sign of being a true follower of the Suhara religion.
• Korone: A Liladan (artificial human) sent by the academy at the request of the government to monitor and protect Akuto. He is a man of few words and does not show his emotions, but he seems to enjoy teasing Akuto. He takes out a secret gadget from his pouch and uses it. If his tail is pulled, it will stop functioning.
• Fujiko Eto: Head of the girls' dormitory at Constant Magic Academy. She is the most beautiful Madonna at the academy, and is trusted by students and faculty. Her true identity is a dark magician who controls the students from behind the scenes, and is well versed in magical potions. She has her eye on Akuto's powers and is plotting to bring him under her control, but...
• Lily Shiraishi: Student council president of the Constant Magic Academy. With her small body and childish appearance, she looks almost like a boy, but she is a fine senior student. She is a boyish, tomboyish girl who worries about her short height. She refers to herself as "boku" and her trademark is her stylish hat. She is a fighter who is quick to pick a fight and gets angry when people call her "small."
• Miwa Hiroshi: A classmate who looks up to Akuto and thinks of him as his big brother.
• Michie Otake: Vice-president of the student council at Constant Magic Academy. She has a habit of ending her sentences with "-alins."
• Kanna Kamiyama: Student council treasurer at the Constant Magic Academy. She has a habit of ending her sentences with "~dagya."
• Arnoul: Secretary of the student council at the Constant Magic Academy. His catchphrase is "Guga".
• Eiko Teruya: A government spy. She believes in the same god Suhara as Ayako, but for some reason she and Ayako are on bad terms.
• Hattori Yuko: Hattori Ayako's younger sister and idol "Hoshino Yuri".
• Yamato Boichiro: Cabinet Magic Intelligence Officer.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• ACT 1: The Demon King is Born! (2010/04/02)
• ACT 2: Strange Guard (2010/04/09)
• ACT 3: A slightly scary senior (2010/04/16)
• ACT 4: Is solitary confinement fun? (2010/04/23)
• ACT 5: Beware the Underground Labyrinth (2010/04/30)
• ACT 6: Let's go to a seaside school trip! (2010/05/07)
• ACT 7: The legendary hero appears! (2010/05/14)
• ACT 8: Are you obsessed with that girl? (2010/05/21)
• ACT 9: The crazy matchmaking scandal (2010/05/28)
• ACT 10: Akuto's Great Imperial War (2010/06/04)
• ACT 11: Women's Final Battle (2010/06/11)
• ACT 12: A perfect ending? (2010/06/18)

Related Titles

A related work to this one is "The Great Demon Lord at the Back: Another Bonus Great Demon Lord."

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1: REALOVE:REALIFE
  • Lyricist: Aki Hata
  • Composer: Katsuhiko Kurosu
  • Arrangement: Katsuhiko Kurosu
  • Sung by: Sphere
• ED1: Everyday sunshine line!
  • Lyricist: Saori Kodama
  • Composer: Motoki Sekino
  • Arrangement: TSUKASA (Sound Online)
  • Vocals: Natsuko Aso

The appeal and evaluation of "The Devil is Behind Us"

"The Devil is Behind Ushiro" is a work with a unique worldview that combines school love comedy and sci-fi fantasy action. The protagonist, Sai Akuto, is prophesied to be the "Demon King" and lives a turbulent school life surrounded by unique heroines, which is an element that draws viewers in. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work.

Character Appeal

The greatest appeal of this work is its diverse characters. The protagonist, Sai Akuto, is an interesting character with a contrast between his serious and good nature and the fact that he is feared by those around him as the "Demon King." Scenes where his actions backfire can also be enjoyed as comedic elements. Additionally, each character's individuality stands out, such as Soga Keena's natural and mysterious behavior, Hattori Ayako's innocence and strength as a ninja, and Korone's cool attitude and humor. The drama woven by these characters will keep viewers entertained.

Story Development

The story of this series continues to unfold unpredictably. Starting with the prophecy that Akuto will become the Demon King, new characters appear one after another and various incidents and disturbances occur. In particular, each episode has a different setting, such as an underground labyrinth, a seaside school trip, or a great imperial capital war, which keeps viewers from getting bored. Furthermore, as the subtitle of the final episode asks, "Is the Ending Perfect?", the ending of the story is full of surprises. Such unpredictable developments are one of the charms of this series.

Visuals and Music

The film's visuals are well-paced and full of drive. The live feel created to match the voice actors' performances is also distinctive, and is an element that draws viewers in. The opening theme "REALOVE:REALIFE" and the ending theme "Everyday sunshine line!" are also important elements that add excitement to the worldview of this film. Sphere's powerful singing voice and Natsuko Asou's refreshing singing voice will capture the hearts of viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"The Devil is Behind the Scenes" is the first original work from HJ Bunko to be adapted into a TV anime, and has been highly praised for its unique worldview and distinctive characters. In particular, the story, which combines school love comedy and sci-fi fantasy action, keeps viewers entertained and has a series of unpredictable developments, which has earned it many fans. In addition, the tempo and drive of the visuals, the voice actors' performances, and the theme song have also been highly praised, making it a very well-made work overall.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Enjoy the drama woven by unique characters
• Unpredictable story development keeps viewers entertained
• The appeal is the fast-paced video and the live feel.
• The opening and ending themes enhance the worldview of the work.

"The Devil is Behind You" is especially recommended for those who like school love comedies and sci-fi fantasy action. Please give it a watch.