How Not to Summon a Demon Lord (2018)

[異世界魔王と召喚少女の奴隷魔術]

Director: Yuta Murano
Studio: Ajia-do Animation Works
Starring: Masaaki Mizunaka, Yu Serizawa, Azumi Waki
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A gamer is summoned into the world of his favorite MMORPG, taking on the body of his character, the Demon Lord Diablo.

Impressions:
Comparisons can be made between this series and Overlord, which has basically the same premise. Unlike Ains, whose emotions are forcibly repressed and his connection to his humanity steadily atrophying, Diablo relies entirely on his ability to act in character, even when it is difficult or inconvenient to do so. While—like Ains—Diablo is overpowered, his limits are clearer, giving the fights slightly more tangible stakes. Fanservice and ecchi scenes are far more of a focus here than in Overlord. Depending on how you feel about such things, that's either a plus or a minus. Even if you are a fan of such things, the fact that it's all tied to slavery may rub you the wrong way. (I'm quite sure they didn't give a more literal translation of the title to keep foreign viewers from turning away at the start.) There seem to be a number of series with this weird Gorean take on romance going on. It's fairly mild in Shield Hero, but then you have things like this and The Testament of Sister New Devil where it starts to get a bit disturbing. (And I'm just talking about fairly mainstream stuff. I have no intention of going further down the rabbit hole.) I'm sure psychologists, sociologists and such could have a field day with this kind of thing. Setting aside the sticking point, I found it an overall decent watch, but I can't discount those sticking points in the final tally. I'd say you've got an even chance of liking it or not. Consider your preferences and choose accordingly.

Rating:
50/50