English Dub Review: The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody “Non-Standard”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Though he joined the magic academy, what awaited him was far from a normal life. Without realizing it, Ard had already grown famous, and he was quickly put on a pedestal by his peers. Then, there was another problem within his class – the young girl, Ginny, a succubus, was being abused by Eraldo, a noble’s son. Ireena then intervenes, and Eraldo insults her. When Ard demands an apology, he is challenged to a duel instead.

Our Take: 

Do you know that the first day at a new school can worsen before getting better later on? Well, that’s what a typical nobody like Ard is experiencing in this week’s episode, as he and his friend Ireena joined the Academy of Magic. Unfortunately, from the looks of this, Ard will need more than notebooks and a number two pencil to survive his first day at the academy.

The episode sees Ard and Ireena being quickly enrolled at the Academy of Magic due to them being related to the heroes that defeated the evil god. Once there, they immediately gained popularity among the other students. The two also befriended a young succubus named Ginny (Bryn Apprill) after protecting her from Eraldo Spencer, the son of a Duke whom Ginny’s family are servants to. During a quest to hunt monsters in a dungeon, Ard teaches Ginny how to perform Script Magic, a Lost Skill that makes spell casting faster, hoping it will help her regain her confidence.

This is the first episode that we have the teenage versions of Ard and Ireena front and center since their small debut in last week’s episode. Nazeeh Tarsha provides the voice of Ard, while Trisha Mellon voices Ireena. Based on the episode alone, I thought the two leading actors were good in their roles, especially Tarsha, who injects confidence and nervousness into Ard’s struggle to be ordinary. Bryn Apprill, known for voicing Krista Lenz in Attack on Titan, also did well as Ginny, although her high-pitched voice can sometimes be a tad annoying. It also introduces the school’s instructor Lady Olivia, voiced by Kasi Hollowell, who happens to be one of Ard’s generals in his previous life as Varvatos.

While the episode has some familiar elements from the other school-related shows, including the school bully (Eraldo), I still appreciate it for continuing the show’s themes of trauma and abuse. The first episode represented Ireena being withdrawn because her friends bullied her for her heritage. Here, we see Ginny being consistently abused by Eraldo, causing her to lack confidence in herself. Thanks to Ard, the two girls regained the confidence needed to let go of the pain they held for years. It sounds to me that Ard’s quest is more than just being a nobody.

Overall, “Non-Standard” makes this first day of school a satisfying experience. Despite its formulaic elements, the episode is an enjoyable continuation that features new characters making a solid first impression. Well, except for Eraldo. He’s nothing but a selfish asshole. However, Eraldo is the least of Ard’s problems, thanks to Olivia’s suspicion over Ard using Lost Skills. Let’s hope he’s prepared for what comes next on his second day at the academy.