English Dub Review: Demon Lord, Retry! “Turmoil in the Capital”

A party for Aku.

Overview:

Things quickly go wrong when they try to throw a party.

Our Take:

I do actually enjoy the portions of the story and where they’re heading towards it, that being Kunai’s growing push towards establishing himself and his name in this new world. His ideals of making the wastelands a more livable place to be in is an admirable one, but he is fairly shrewd in marketing it. Having an already established society person like Luna vouch for his products (soap) and being able to show off how it works lends credibility to his arguments. That Luna also knows powerful people in high society is an asset to them, especially when one of them appears in the high-class restaurant that they’re in. Being able to speak directly to her, having confidence in his arguments, and also having a plan makes his dream seem less like a dream and more like something feasible. (And something that could be potentially invested in). While Kunai could probably acquire the funds, having an ally in upper-class society would help gain customers, paying customers, who would actually be interested in his potential business.

Then he makes a big show out of saving the city. It’s true that the Satanists have to be stopped and they did interrupt Aku’s party, but there is a benefit for Kunai beyond personal motivations. He didn’t stop the Satanists in private but did it where the entire city could see him. His powers allowed him to defeat a demon with ease, and it’s already been established that the people of this world fear

So far the church has painted him in an unfavorable light, even putting a bounty out on him. Showing that he can do good, and most importantly, keep people safe from a very real threat, that has significant power. At this point in the story, it seems to be working. This part of the story is actually pretty interesting, because he isn’t the kind of demon king that rules over fear, but wants to work with the rules of society and manipulate them. Kunai isn’t a conquerer, he’s a businessman with a lot of military might to back him up.

I wish they would stick to this aspect and just work on that dialogue. Whoever writes the womens’ dialogue needs to have the script ripped violently from their hands and given to someone competent, please. Listening to it is just a horrible experience. At least Aku is a genuine joy, and Kirino when she isn’t fawning over Kunai.