- Episodes : 14
- Genre : Comedy, Demons, Ecchi, School, Harem
- Airing Date : Jan 6, 2012 – March 23, 2012
- Producers : Genco, FUNimation Entertainment
High School DxD Preview / Plot (No Spoilers)
Issei Hyoudou is the typical male high school student. He’s naïve, a bit dorky, a slacker, and looking to score a girlfriend by any means necessary. Issei and his friends take it upon themselves to study and research the wonders that is the female body. They often peep into the girls’ locker room or spy on the female sports teams when they’re changing into their practice clothes. It’s all good natured curiosity, really. Somehow, Issei and his two buddies have been labeled the “Perverted Trio” by the students of Kuoh Academy.
Well, it’s during this time that a girl unexpectedly asks Issei to be her boyfriend. Flabbergasted, he readily accepts and begins his first high school relationship. Everything is blissful until things take a sudden turn during their first date.
Yuuma, Issei’s girlfriend, shreds her clothes and transforms into a fallen angel. Everything Issei had experienced with her was a lie. She had led him on so she could lure him away to a secluded place and kill him. And she succeeds in doing that.
However, one of Issei’s schoolmates shows up as he’s on his last breath. She manages to revive him and nurse him back to health. When he finally awakens, he realizes his savior, Rias Gremory, is actually a demon. He is now her servant and has been transformed into a demon as well.
Who does High School DxD cater to?
High School DxD will turn away some people because of its ecchi nature. The show is made for fans who can appreciate the fan service and not take the work too seriously. Of course, the male protagonists will be voluptuous females. That’s a given when it comes to anime involving harems. If you’re looking for an easy going series with a lot of pervy characters, panty shots, and big boobs, then this show is for you.
What's so appealing about this piece of work.
A plethora of female boobs are the most obvious appeal of this show. But, the engaging story and developing relationships are what keep the show entertaining.
The mythos concerning angels, fallen angels, and demons is actually pretty interesting. Each faction has a very distinct personality, and it’s not necessarily what you think it should be.
Issei’s interactions with the women around him are comical, pervy, but at the core they are usually heartfelt. Watching him go from a loner who can’t even have a conversation with a girl to a man surrounded by beautiful women is something you don’t want to miss.
High School DxD Trailer
High School DxD Main Characters List
Issei Hyoudou
Voice Actor : Kaji, Yuki
As I mentioned up above, he is a typical high school student though he is considered a degenerate by his fellow schoolmates. After he is saved by Rias, on multiple occasions, he joins her ranks as a demon. He starts at as a “pawn”. He is the lowest ranked and has the weakest abilities. But with time he has the potential to become one of the most powerful demons.
That potential is powered by two things: his will to protect those he cares about and the mysterious Sacred Gear attached to his left arm. Only a few of the high ranking demons know the true abilities of this ancient and powerful artifact. Issei himself has no idea how to bring it its full power. But, it is something he has to master quickly if he is going to deal with the series of threats that have been thrown his way by rival demons and fallen angels.
Rias Gremory
Voice Actor :Hikasa, Yoko
This scarlet haired beauty is the President of the Occult Research Club at Kuoh Academy. She is a beautiful demon of the Gremory clan. This is one of the last remaining pure-blood demon families. Her responsibilities as the acting Gremory heiress have placed a huge burden on her shoulders. She has made it a priority to strengthen her personal demon faction. This is one of the reasons she saves Issei early on in the story. She noticed he had access to a Sacred Gear and decided he was worth protecting and turning into a demon.
Her lineage is an area of pain and regret for Rias. At first it is something she runs away from and avoids. With Issei’s inclusion into the Occult Research Club, it seems she has found someone she can open up to.
Arias Argento
Voice Actor :Asakura, Azumi
Arias is first introduced as a nun who has recently moved to Issei’s hometown. She is about the same age as him. Very naïve, innocent, and a bit socially awkward, she takes an instant liking to Issei in their first meeting. He feels an inherent fondness towards her as well.
Her pure demeanor and gentleness is complemented by her Sacred Gear: Twilight Healing. It is an ability to heal anyone, not just humans. Initially shunned because of her capability of healing demons, she eventually gains some attention by angels. Though, it seems they have plans for her that are less than honorable.
Contains Spoilers
High School DxD Review
This anime is my first official foray into the ecchi harem genre. The only other series I’ve watched, that comes close is High School of the Dead. However, I initially got into that show because of the zombies and didn’t realize what was awaiting for me. Here, I knew going in what I was getting into. I’ve only completed season 1 so far, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
I am a huge fan of anything involving angels and demons. That subject fascinates me to no end. So, I instantly took a liking to this show’s premise. Having “good” demons be the focus of this show, at least season 1, was something that drew me in even further. I honestly have no gripes with the world and background story surrounding Issei, Rias, and their friends. The narrative is a bit slow to develop, but the abundance of eye candy more than makes up for it. I think any points that I’d like to see fleshed out will be touched on in seasons 2 and 3.
Something else I enjoyed was how the series handled Issei’s depraved tendencies and thoughts. I expected the surrounding characters to be initially appalled by his actions and then forget them and move on with the plot. Basically, it’s something that you would expect from standard anime. However, everyone realizes how low his intentions can be and they accept him. People start giving him nicknames, Issei creates techniques aimed at removing women’s clothes, and his parents even talk about how he’s hopeless and only focused on sex. High School DxD fully embraces its ecchi nature and runs with it. This may not be something new to the genre, but it is something I didn’t expect and have come to enjoy.
I expected to be disappointed in individual episodic execution. I thought the excess of boobs and panty shots would deter me from enjoying character relationships and plot. That wasn’t the case at all. I think the fan service is definitely evident at all times, but it doesn’t overwhelm the episode to the point of annoyance.
In fact, the biggest letdown of this season was the filler that lasted two episodes. I understand the last two episodes were independent OVA’s and probably created just so they could show off as many boobs as possible in a 24 minute episode. They succeeded. However, it pulled me out of the enjoyable experience I had had up until then. There wasn’t much to complain about, this season, and I think it says a lot about the show that the biggest gripe was the lack of story for two episodes. I won’t recommend people to skip episodes 13 and 14 because I’m sure it is something certain fans will enjoy. But, it just wasn’t for me.
1. Issei and Yuuto Teamup
There were a few cool moments during the Rating Game between Rias and Riser’s factions. My personal favorite was when Issei and Yuuto combine their Sacred Gear attacks to defeat Riser’s Queen, Yubelluna.
2. Issei vs Riser – Round 2
The second fight between these two was the climax of season 1. The first counter was a complete stomp by Riser. After recovering, Issei makes a deal with the Dragon Emperor inside of his Boosted Gear. He is granted an extreme boost in power and is able to defeat Riser and prevent the marriage between him and Rias.
3. Rias First Kiss
After Issei’s intense battle against Riser Phenex, the two flew back home on top of a majestic griffin. Overwhelmed by Issei’s multiple sacrifices and willingness to protect her, Rias kisses him. She confesses that it was her first kiss and something that he definitely deserved after rescuing her.
I’ll wrap this review up by re-stating the fact that this show was very enjoyable. I generally don’t make it point to watch this genre, but this show has opened my eyes to the type of shows in it. I’m looking forward to catching up on season 2 and 3. Once I do, I’ll give you guys my thoughts and impressions.
This genre is new to me so I’d like to ask you guys for suggestions. Are there any shows with a cool mythos and characters like this one? What series would you recommend for people new to ecchi harems? I’m looking forward to reading your comments!
Author: Javier Garcia
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