English Dub Review: If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord “The Young Man Heads Out”

 

 

Overview (Spoilers Below)

Dale is being impossible. He has to venture to the capital for a contracted job, but he won’t go quietly. Yes, the entirety of the mission will last two weeks, but it’s what he does for a living so he can’t refuse just to hang out with Latina. Rita pacifies his blubbering, irrational ass by saying he can get Latina a special present from one of the capital’s fancy little shops. He eventually agrees but never stop pouting.

After being a complete dick to his Dragon-Uber driver, he meets his old friend, Sir Gregor, at a fancy palace. While Gregor is expecting some good times with his long-time bro, he is instead treated to dramatic odes of Dale’s daughter Latina, whom he was forced to leave behind. I don’t want to speak for the dude, but I’m pretty sure Gregor isn’t pleased that his friend has transformed into a doting parent practically overnight. We’ve all been there, right?

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Kenneth is teaching Latina how to make shepherd’s pie. Is there anything this man can’t do with a potato? After the expected growing pains, the recipe becomes second nature to the demon child, and the wayward adventurers love it. It takes a while for this peculiar dish to catch on. However, once the adorable little girl starts delivering the dishes herself—stopping to take heartfelt notes from her customers—the order numbers begin to rise.

Sometime during the week, Latina gets a visit from her new friend, Chloe. The girls have become quite comfortable with each other, especially since Latina is now fluent in Kreuz’s common tongue. Chloe also reveals that her devil friend should be in school since they are roughly the same age. This surprises Rita who figured Latina was five years old or younger, when actually she’s almost eight. Dale never asked, so Latina never said anything.

Back at the capital, Dale, Gregor and a few other mercs go on a demon hunt. Their intel leads them to the lair of a pack of lackeys who once worked for a demon lord. They also have a few dragons. Knowing damn well that demon lords make everyone ever associated with them more powerful, the mercs attack. By using spells and the element of surprise, Dale and company slay all the dragons and demons—including one that looks an awful lot like an older Latina.

Finally, the two weeks pass and Dale comes racing home with stacks upon stacks of gifts. He’s ecstatic to see her, she’s over the moon, it’s a reunion to end all reunions—until next time, of course. I mean, traveling is what the guy does for work. He’s going to have to do this at least a thousand more times…

 

Our Take

Welcome back to the troubling interdependence half hour.

You know what, though? Latina is actually adjusting quite well. Over a short time, she’s lost her father, found a new home, learned a completely different language, and met a bunch of humans—a species she was raised to be wary of. Yes, she likes Dale. Who wouldn’t like Dale? The boy is a delight. But Dale, on the other hand, needs Latina in his life more than any drug ever invented.

The kid is just eighteen years old and should be out enjoying his youth. Gregor—a welcome addition to our cast of misfits—has the right idea. Youth should consist of drinking, smoking, gambling, hunting demons, slaying dragons, comparing swords with other adventurers, and reading up on all the powerful demon lords. And yes, he’s fine with having other people in his life, but he’s not about to start calling them “fiancée” or anything super-permanent like that.

Speaking of which, this trip to the capital was a great excuse for some demon lord exposition. We now have a greater understanding of the threats demon lords pose, and how deadly they can be even via proxy. It’s also implied that devils like Latina and her deceased father, Rag, aren’t intrinsically evil. It seems that demon lords can tempt and control all types of demons—including the devil-class which Latina and her family are categorized under—but the solo demons must first choose to join the Dark Side. Or maybe I’m way off base. Time will tell.

So, Kenneth trained a very young Dale to become an adventurer. And boy did Ken look jacked back when he was a full-fledged, armored demon slayer. Now that he’s a married innkeeper, he’s a little doughy and not much to look at, but his friendly, noble heart is as big as all outdoors. Since we already have insight into Dale and Kenneth’s backstories, it’s time we learn more about Rita. She’s a little unassuming, but deep down this woman is a hardened ass-kicker, this much I know.

Well, that’s all for this week. While we didn’t get to see the many treats Dale bought for Latina, I’m hoping she gets to try some M&M’s. I think she’d really enjoy them, particularly the peanut variety. Just my gut instinct, that’s all.