The Misfit of Demon King Academy (2020)

[魔王学院の不適合者]

Season 1

Director: Shin Onuma, Masafumi Tamura
Studio: Silver Link
Starring: Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Tomori Kusunoki, Yuko Natsuyoshi
Episodes: 13

Synopsis:
The reincarnation of the Demon King of Tyranny has to prove his identity in a world where history has been twisted to supplant him with an impostor.

Impressions:
I was hooked on this series from Episode 1 and I've spent the whole time trying to figure out why. Normally, a story with an OP protagonist has little appeal for me, but a few series such as Overlord manage to make it work. I suppose part of it is the fact that the primary conflict can't be resolved with brute force. Anos has to make use of the resources he gathers to unravel the mystery of the false Demon King and it reminds me a bit of how Ains from Overlord takes a cautious approach to testing out the world. Anos has a sort of magnetism to him both in-universe and out of it. I honestly think a part of it is the gap moe of this ancient demon lord being a rather dutiful son to his doting parents. He is an enlightened despot interested in fostering talent that's useful to him and teaching his opponents a lesson rather than just wiping them out. The supporting cast is also quite good, with the dandere/tsundere duo of the Necron Sisters, the genial swordsman Lay, and Anos' Unitarian fan club. I'll admit that a stiffer challenge would probably make for a more compelling story, but I enjoyed it nevertheless and would definitely recommend giving it a watch.

Rating:
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