English Dub Review: The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody “Duel”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Ireena finds herself constantly irritated at Ard’s popularity. While Ard is trying to think of a way to soothe her, Ginny appears before him in an enticing outfit. While Ginny uses her Charming Evil Eye, Ireena also presses him with a bold outfit of her own. The two are about to explode at each other over Ard, and they nearly start a duel when Professor Jessica arrives with a solution.
Our Take:
Do you remember last week’s episode when Ireena and Ginny attempted to win over Ard during their “date night”? This episode continues this feud, with Ireena and Ginny trying to seduce Ard with their sexy clothing. They say that clothes make the man, but based on my experience, it appears that clothes make the woman as well.
The episode starts with Ireena growing jealous of Ard for being the center of attention for every girl in the academy. Later on, Ginny arrives to take Ard’s virginity, but not before Ireena shows up to do the same as an apology, resulting in them arguing with each other. Before Ard can forbid them from dueling each other, Professor Jessica gives them a chance to compete in the duel event, which Ard declines to participate in. However, just as the battle between the two ladies can commence, a shocking revelation interrupts the competition.
Like the previous episode, “Duel” follows the same routine in which Ireena and Ginny compete for Ard’s attention. Ireena is jealous of Ard for being popular among the female students, including Lemming, who tries to make Ard her boyfriend to enhance her reputation. As for Ginny, she wants to bang on Ard after he saves her in episode two. Since she’s a succubus, this doesn’t surprise me.
While the story feels formulaic at times, mainly referring to Ireena and Ginny’s personalities, “Duel” maintains my interest in the show with its comedy and direction. The “competing for a guy” trope can be tiring. But it admittedly isn’t without a few humorous moments, especially Ireena’s reaction to Ginny almost having sex with Ard. Additionally, the scene with Ireena and Ginny supporting one another before their match was enough to steer clear of its predictable outcome.
But, of course, what drives this episode was the ending, in which the demon cultists disrupted the competition. More importantly, it is revealed that Professor Jessica is actually Elzard the Frenzied Dragon King, who secretly plans to kidnap Ireena. After stabbing Olhyde in the back, Elzard successfully takes Ireena, thus ending the episode on a shocking cliffhanger.
This episode proves that even though the series doesn’t feel too unique in the “magic high school” genre, it still conjures enough spells to keep its concept consistently intriguing. With Ireena being held hostage by the ruthless Dragon King, Ard might be forced to go beyond the ordinary to rescue his friend in next week’s episode.
