Heck, We’re Just Getting Started!
- Episodes : 23
- Genre : Comedy, School, Fantasy
- Airing Date : October 2019 – Currently Airing
- Producers : Bandai Namco Pictures
Contains Spoilers
Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun) Introduction and Story
“Suzuki Iruma, age fourteen. One day, he became the grandson of a demon called Sullivan…” As the intro says, the titular Iruma-kun is a child that was sold to an eccentric demon named Sullivan by his unscrupulous parents. For some reason, the doting devil Sullivan wants Iruma to be his adoptive grandson and insists he also must start going to school, which presents a bit of a problem as the powerless Iruma is literally surrounded by hordes of demon classmates who will eat him if they discover his secret! To make things worse, Iruma is a total pushover completely unable to say no to any request, and quite cowardly to boot!
Thus begins a series of misadventures as Iruma miraculously bumbles his way through life at the demon school Babyls in the underworld, making friends (and enemies) along the way like ace student Asmodeus Alice, enigmatic weirdo Clara Valac, and grumpy fastidious professor Callego Naberius (who somehow ends up as Iruma’s familiar).
1. Fun Premise & Setting
At first glance you’d think that deadbeat parents literally selling their child to the devil would be the start (or ending) of a horror series but Mairimashita! Iruma-kun takes the concept and makes it about as light and silly as can be. While there have been a lot of supernatural school series, the setting and overall feeling here is surprisingly fresh, weird, and fun and provides ample opportunities for antics to keep each episode entertaining!
2. Likeable Main Cast
While definitely not particularly deep, the characters in Mairimashita! Iruma-kun stand out thanks to their wacky personalities and good character dynamics. Clara Valac, in particular, is a constant source of absolutely over-the-top randomness and occasional heartfelt moments that make her a really loveable character with another highlight being student council president Amelie Azazel and her not-so-secret love of shojo manga (and Iruma-kun?).
3. Good Soundwork
Mairimashita! Iruma-kun’s voice acting and soundtrack are better than you might expect for a random comedy series with a lot of fun soundwork as well that gives the show a bit of a video game vibe that works really well with its setting. The OP and ED are also both very upbeat, catchy, and funny, particularly the liberal use of English in "Magical Babyrinth" with phrases like “Oh my girl!”
1. Underwhelming Animation
While sometimes charming, and arguably true to the original spirit of anime of getting more out of fewer frames of animation, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun technical craft is sometimes hilariously low budget with a plethora of sequences done with pans and effects over still frames. While we’d say that this overall doesn’t detract too much from the enjoyment of a gag anime like this, there are some scenes where it can be a little distracting. In any case, if you are looking for inspirational sakuga, this ain’t Nichijou.
2. Gimmicky
Ultimately, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun is not a deep anime nor does it have a ton of heart behind it, it’s a series of devil-themed gags that play with tropes without really challenging them in any serious way. Some people will like the gimmick for what it is and others won’t and that’s okay!
Final Thoughts
Altogether, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun has the potential to be a fun watch, especially for people who are into wacky comedies and familiar with anime and fantasy tropes! While maybe not an unmissable gem, it's an anime that tries to make the most of its premise and characters and largely succeeds, so far at least!
What do you think? Is the devil in the details or the hallway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Honey’s for more Mairimashita! Iruma-kun and all things anime!
Author: Oskar O.K. Strom
