, also known as Demon King Daimao, is a Japanese light novel

Light novel

A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...

 series written by Shotaro Mizuki and illustrated by Souichi Itō, published by Hobby Japan

Hobby Japan

HobbyJAPAN CO. is a Japanese hobby magazine and publishing company, specializing in roleplaying, war, and tabletop games, as well as action figures, toys, and artbooks for successful anime, manga and light novel franchises.- Role-playing games :...

 under their HJ Bunko

HJ Bunko

is a publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company Hobby Japan. It was established in July 2006 and is a light novel label that is aimed at a young adult male readership...

 imprint. The first volume was published on February 1, 2008, with a total of 11 volumes available as of December 2010. A manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 adaptation began monthly serialization in the September 2008 issue of Akita Shoten

Akita Shoten

is a Japanese publishing company established on August 10, 1948 in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its main editorial target has always been teenagers , and it currently publishes mostly manga...

's magazine Champion Red

Champion Red

is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since . is a special edition of Champion Red.-Current serializations:*Chaotic Rune Es*Domina No Do!*Desperado*Franken Fran...

, and a 12-episode anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation by Artland aired between April and June 2010 on Tokyo MX and other channels.

Plot summary

This story of "love, magic, and battles" revolves around Akuto Sai, a boy who aims to become part of his country's highest order of magicians and contribute to society as one of its clergy. On the day he is admitted into the Constan Magical Academy, his aptitude test predicts the following: "Future Occupation: Demon King." Thus begins his severe school life in which he is resented by his studious female class head, desired by a girl with mysterious powers, and guarded by a beautiful female android.

Main characters

The protagonist of the series, Akuto Sai is an orphan who transfers into Constant Magick Academy, hoping to someday become a high priest for the benefit of society. However, upon arriving, Yatagarasu, the school's oracular spirit, announces that he will become the Demon King in the future. As a result, the entire student body becomes terrified and paranoid of him. Even so, he tries to do the right thing when the situation arises. Akuto has an incredible amount of power within him that sometimes gets out of control. Akuto has a highly serious personality but not without some humor. In the manga, he has much more of a temper, and, in a fight, is unwilling to hold anything back. In the anime, he tries to restrain himself in order to convince everyone that he has no desire to be the Demon King.

Akuto is capable of controlling and manipulating "mana", a magical energy that resides in the bodies of living things and in surroundings. For instance, he is able to absorb the mana of a large demon dog, thus transforming it back into a normal puppy, a feat that has never been performed before. However, his immense power is also highly volatile and most of his early attempts at controlling mana and creating magical projectiles, no matter how benign they are supposed to be, resulted in catastrophic explosions. Over the course of the series, Akuto is able to persuade more students to trust him, or at the very least to try not to assassinate him, and unwillingly develops a harem, given most of his friends are girls. His name is phonetically very similar to a Japanese phrase meaning "Great/Ultimate villain".

Junko Hattori is a student of class 1-A and the class representative. She is a disciple of the god Suhara and a member of the Iga Ninja Clan

Iga-ryu

Iga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school of ninjutsu. It became one of the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan, along with the Kōga-ryū. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno...

. Her family of warriors have been charged with protecting the Empire for generations. She is very devoted to her samurai

Samurai

is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

-like traditions and has a strong sense of justice. She meets Akuto on the train to the school, and forms a pact with him to make the world a better place. When she discovers that he is destined to become Demon King, she decides that it is in the best interest of society to destroy him, believing that he knew about his destiny and that he tricked her into becoming friends. She usually misinterprets his attempts at good deeds and intentions as evil wrongdoings. She begins to develop strong feelings for Akuto throughout the series after realizing his intentions, and at one point didn't mind the thought of being married to him. Her power is mostly based around the sword that she carries with her at all times. According to Keina Soga, Junko is Akuto's best friend, and according to Korone, Junko and Akuto should get married. Her goal is to serve the nation as a member of its fighting force. In the anime and to some extent in the manga, she is portrayed as having tsundere

Tsundere

is a Japanese character development process that describes a person who is initially cold and even hostile towards another person before gradually showing their warm side over time. The word is derived from the terms , meaning to turn away in disgust, and meaning to become 'lovey dovey'...

 tendencies. Her family name is taken from the famous samurai Hattori Hanzō

Hattori Hanzo

, also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...

.

One of Akuto's classmates in classroom 1-A who is always seen wearing a strange bird-shaped hairpin, later revealed to be a gift from Akuto when they were both children. She can make herself invisible to the point of having her own mana cloaked, although this applies only to her body; the hairpin and any other clothes she is wearing remain visible. Aside from near-complete invisibility and flight, Keina is revealed to have developed no other magical powers despite being a highly capable student, and is frequently absent from class, a point that annoys Akuto to no end. She loves rice and keeps a rice cooker even though rice cookers are banned from her dorm, as she believes that everyone would be happy if they ate rice together. Keina is often quite nonsensical, often acting based on unlikely and bizarre conclusions. For example, she once believed that she was responsible for killing Junko in a magical explosion, despite it originating from Akuto and Junko only being rendered unconscious. She refers to Akuto as "Aa-chan"; she gradually realizes she has feelings for him.

Korone is a green-haired Surveillance Agent sent by the government to observe Akuto 24/7. She is a , a race of androids. She is usually emotionless and stolid, but occasionally curious when it comes to certain things. However, she does display human characteristics on occasion; particularly, she enjoys teasing Akuto, often casually mentioning or doing perverted things in front of him to get a response. She sleeps in a small storage closet in Akuto's dorm room, and has numerous firearms and other items stored inside her handbag, a sort of hammerspace. Korone has the ability to read other people's emotions, and can detect an individual's presence based on mana emitted by that person's body. She, like all Liradans, can be temporarily deactivated by pulling her tail (in her case, a rabbit's) like the string on a talking doll. She can be reactivated after her tail is pulled again, but loses her short-term memory of events before the deactivation. Despite her emotionless demeanor, Korone seems to have feelings for Akuto, displaying a visible emotion of sadness when Akuto scolds her after being ordered by the higher-ups to seduce him.

Hiroshi is Akuto's self-described minion much to Akuto's dismay. A boy of small stature, he is frequently and savagely bullied by other students, and sees Akuto as his protector. His desire to become Akuto's servant began when Akuto gave a speech in class that touched him, although its debatably anarchistic climax terrified the rest of the class. Despite looking up to Akuto, he believes him to actually be evil and often misinterprets his intentions, giving counterproductive advice as a result.

Later on in the series, he is revealed to have been predicted by the Yatagarasu to become a hero in the future, and so he acquires the AI unit D13 and uses it to transform into the legendary hero known as . As Brave, he has access to numerous weapons such as lasers, energy blades, and plasma guns. He keeps his identity as Brave a secret from the others. He is also a big fan of the idol Yuri Hoshino, who he later saves and becomes acquainted with.

In the anime, Hiroshi immediately latches onto Akuto as a "big brother" upon meeting him in class while in the manga, Hiroshi only makes the assocation after Akuto saved him from bullies.

Fujiko Eto is the head of the girl's dorms at Constant Academy, and one of the few people early in the series who sympathizes with Akuto and his situation. She became the head of the Eto family after a tragic incident involving her older brother. However, she keeps in contact with him via his reanimated head, which has lost part of his memory, and which she keeps in a fluid-filled jar. In the anime, her brother was killed by an unknown power on the mission, while in the manga, he was executed for failing the mission. She plans to use Akuto's demon powers once he becomes Demon King for her own purposes. Despite her evil intentions of wanting to be Demon Queen, she becomes very attracted to Akuto and realizes she is in love with him, or at least lust, given her sexual actions in the anime. Her magical powers are mostly based around the use of chemicals and potions, which she throws around like grenades, but she uses a whip, and develops the ability to control some of the demon beasts. She also has a research lab that she hides away in.

Supporting characters

Mitsuko Tori is the Magic Academy's school nurse, and the homeroom teacher for Class 1-A. Upon hearing about Akuto's future occupation as Demon King, she hopes that when Akuto dies, she can turn Akuto into a zombie and do further research. She is a bit too open about this plan much to Akuto's discomfort. In the manga, it was stated that she was a prodigy at age 10, but Akuto's raw power he displayed on his first day surpasses her. She casted a mana barrier in the opening episode when Akuto almost blew up the classroom.

Lily is the Student Council President of Constant Magic Academy. She is always seen wearing a pointed witch's hat that has a face on it. Despite her petite appearance, Lily is a capable fighter and mage; her powers include extending her arms to do devastating punches. In the anime, Lily is the first girl to kiss Akuto, and, like the other girls, she also develops feelings for him. While Lily often prevents the government from acting against Akuto, she has also stated that she would kill him if he fulfills his duty as the Demon King and tries to destroy society. In the manga, she knocks Akuto out on their first meeting, but in the anime, she is much more gentle and only hits him when she needs to get a point across.

Michie is the Student Council Vice President of Constant Magic Academy, who is frequently seen wearing a long black-and-red cape. She uses magic to control and use a large swarm of bats, and is seen using it on several occasions in battle and as sudden transportation.

Kanna is the treasurer of the Student Council who is seen frequently in the company of her friends in the Student Council, including the President and Vice President. Her magic ability is transforming into a giant wolf and fighting in that form.

The secretary of the Student Council, and is always seen in the company of the other Student Council members. She uses a mech in battle. Apparently, she only mutters a made-up word "Guga" in conversation.

Antagonists

Eiko is a member of the rival Kōga Ninja Clan

Koga-ryu

Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...

 and is also a Suharist much like Junko. She has green-hair in a long ponytail. In one of the episodes, she tries to strangle Akuto with her legs, but she also enjoys appearing to some of the characters, making some sly remarks, and then disappearing. She later plays a key role in leading an alliance of clans, including the Hattoris' Iga Ninja Clan

Iga-ryu

Iga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school of ninjutsu. It became one of the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan, along with the Kōga-ryū. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno...

, against the demon beasts.

A leader in the Cabinet Intelligence Magic Office (CIMO8). He seems to be connected to past events involving the previous Demon King and Constant Magic Academy's dean. His abilities include wielding a dimensional blade that easily slices his opponents, and he can also teleport. He is also very interested in Keina, even claiming to have given her the bird hairpin.

A perverted member of CIMO8 who wears a cape that is capable of canceling magical abilities and mana-based attacks.

A businessman who advises Eizo Teruya on how best to fight the Demon King and demon beasts. His ability is manipulating puppets.

Other characters

Yatagarasu

A crow that acts much like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

by making predictions on students' health and future occupations. He immediately considers Akuto's occupation to be the Demon King.

A massive dragon that belonged to the previous Demon King. His whereabouts are revealed midway through the anime series.

/

Junko's younger sister who lives a double life as the popular teen idol Yuri Hoshino. She was bitten by a demon beast in her younger years, and bears a scar on the left side of her neck. The scar reacts whenever she is near a demon beast, causing her to be in pain. Despite this, she is very eager to beat them whenever she encounters one. When the hero Brave saves her from a demon beast, Yuri gives him a kiss as a reward.

Eiko's father and head of the Teruya family, as well as the leader of the Kōga Ninja Clan

Koga-ryu

Kōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...

. In the anime, he orders an assassination attempt on Keina, but was critically wounded by Boichiro.

Light Novel

The first volume was published on February 1, 2008 by Hobby Japan

Hobby Japan

HobbyJAPAN CO. is a Japanese hobby magazine and publishing company, specializing in roleplaying, war, and tabletop games, as well as action figures, toys, and artbooks for successful anime, manga and light novel franchises.- Role-playing games :...

 under its HJ Bunko

HJ Bunko

is a publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company Hobby Japan. It was established in July 2006 and is a light novel label that is aimed at a young adult male readership...

 imprint, with a total of 11 volumes available as of December 1, 2010. Each volume in the series are called Acts.

Manga

A manga adaptation began serialization in the November 2008 issue of Champion Red

Champion Red

is a monthly Japanese shōnen manga magazine published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since . is a special edition of Champion Red.-Current serializations:*Chaotic Rune Es*Domina No Do!*Desperado*Franken Fran...

. The first volume was published by Akita Shoten

Akita Shoten

is a Japanese publishing company established on August 10, 1948 in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its main editorial target has always been teenagers , and it currently publishes mostly manga...

 on May 20, 2009, with three volumes currently available as of June 5, 2011.

Drama CD

Two drama CDs produced by Edge Records were released. The first drama CD was released on February 25, 2009, and the second on September 30, 2009.

Anime

An anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 adaptation produced by Artland and directed by Takashi Watanabe broadcasted on Tokyo MX between April 3, 2010 to June 18, 2010, with subsequent broadcasts on Chiba TV

Chiba TV

, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...

, TV Kanagawa, AT-X

AT-X (company)

is a Japanese anime television network owned by . AT-X, Inc. was founded on June 26, 2000 as a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Medianet, which, in turn, is a subsidiary of TV Tokyo. Its headquarters are in Minato, Tokyo. AT-X network broadcasts anime via satellite and cable since December 24, 1997.AT-X is...

, Sun TV, TV Aichi, Nico Nico Channel, and ShowTime, Inc. The series aired uncensored on AT-X, while it was heavily censored on other networks. Six DVD and Blu-Ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

 volumes were released by Marvelous Entertainment between June 25 and November 25, 2010, each containing an original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

 called . Simulcast

Simulcast

Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...

s of the series are provided by Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...

 and Anime Network

Anime Network

The Anime Network , a former subsidiary of A.D. Vision, Inc. , is a cable and satellite digital broadcast service in North America dedicated to anime.-History:...

 on its video website. The series also became part of Anime Network's Video On Demand

Video on demand

Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...

 service starting October 21, 2010. The opening theme is "REALOVE:REALIFE" by female Japanese pop group Sphere

Sphere (Japanese band)

is a J-pop idol unit made up of voice actresses who are all managed by Sony Music Entertainment, under the Lantis music label in the Music Ray'n subdivision of GloryHeaven. The group debuted in April 2009 releasing their first single "Future Stream"...

, while the ending theme is "Everyday Sunshine Line!" by Natsuko Aso

Natsuko Aso

is a Japanese actress and singer.- Biography :Aso began her career playing the role of Chisame in the Negima drama and as a member of the band pRythme. Later, she has appeared in a number of TV dramas and began a solo music career. Her single "Perfect Area Complete" was chosen as the opening song...

. The series is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks under the title Demon King Daimao, and Section23 Films

Section23 Films

Section23 Films is an American home video distribution company specializing in anime and Japanese films. The company is one of five successors to ADV Films, as well as the distributor of titles from Sentai Filmworks and Switchblade Films. ADV had announced that it had sold its assets to a group of...

 released the complete series with an English dub (provided by Seraphim Digital) on Blu-ray

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...

 and DVD

DVD

A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....

 on June 14, 2011.

External links

• Official website
• Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maō at Marvelous Entertainment