#sadao

shout out to the few people who still care about my part 2.5 thing. mwah

MORE greaser holly >:]

Justice for this dad! People overlook his hardwork ;o;

Happy spook month

It’s been a spell since our good pals from the very weird world of Japan paid a visit on this countdown, hasn’t it? I went over a couple of anime-style Devils in the Honorable Mentions, and believe me, there are plenty more out there…but out of all the different takes on the Demon King one can find, there’s really only one that I felt was worthy of placement in the top ten. That is Satan, a.k.a. Sadao Maou, from “The Devil is a Part-Timer!” Based on the light novels by the same name, “The Devil is a Part-Timer” is a semi-dark comedy anime series. I say “semi-dark” because, for the majority of the show’s runtime, it’s pretty much pure silliness. It doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest, most of the time, and just about every second there’s something new and crazy to make you giggle and smile. However, at it’s heart, the show is a story about demons, angels, holy warriors, and the freaking Inquisition, so…yeah, it can’t be completely funny ALL the time. But even in its more dramatic moments, there’s usually something in the mix that sort of punctures the pomposity, bringing things back to a comical place. The show recently got its second season going after a several-year hiatus, and I’m happy to say it’s still just as goofy and weird and generally fun as its first season, even if the art style has undergone a slight face change. The plot of the series begins in an parallel world to Earth called “Ente Isla.” In this fantasy landscape, the Devil himself – Satan – attempts to, of course, take over the world. His plans are foiled by the half-angel hero, Emilia, so Satan and his most loyal general, Alciel, flee through a portal to our own world, with Emilia in hot pursuit. This is where things get daffy, because upon reaching the “real” world, these characters have to deal with real world problems on a mundane, low level: the Devil ends up getting a job at a fast food restaurant, his nemesis works at a service call center, both have to live in apartments and deal with bills and coworkers and all that jazz…that’s really where the humor of the show comes from. These fantastical characters being thrown through the ringer in some of the most drab and utterly ordinary positions a person can find themselves in. Satan – who goes by the alias “Sadao Maou” to try and fit in – is an interesting twist on the Devil. I keep hearing people refer to him as a misunderstood character, but I don’t really think that’s the right terminology for him. He meant everything he did, as far as I can tell, and what he did was not necessarily very nice. However, there is a sympathetic edge to his character: the whole reason he tried to take over Ente Isla was because he wanted to make that world a better place for his own kind. It was a noble ideal, but…well…perhaps being a demon, he went to extreme lengths to try and achieve this goal. He admits that he feels the power might have gone to his head, and that he really didn’t fully understand what being human was really like. The great irony is, now that he’s stuck in such a place as he is, he’s gotten to understand humanity on a different level, and even though he still wants to take over the world, it seems to have created a conflict in him. He’s no longer interested in hurting people, and he actually does his best to protect and help people whenever he can. As a result, he becomes a more enigmatic character: we can usually guess what he’ll do, the real question is why he’ll do it. And, of course, he’s freaking hilarious. I think the best way to describe Satan in this series is that his priorities are a complete mess: he’s somehow both a total drama queen and one of the most laid-back characters of the whole bunch at the same time. He’s given to grandiose speeches and has a flair for the dramatic, but it usually comes out in a hilarious way: giving a big monologue while wearing nothing but his underwear, naming his bicycle Dullahan and referring to it as his “royal steed,” and talking about promotions and sales at the restaurant like he’s fighting a great and glorious war. Then, in direct contrast, he’ll just be completely dismissive when Emilia tries to kill him, or when a corrupt priest is trying to make a monologue of their own, or when he’s doing something incredible like holding up an entire building with his magic. It’s that weird sense of taking everything and nothing completely seriously at all that I think makes him so amusing, and it really describes the entire series in a nutshell: nothing is sacred, except when it suddenly is. In the original Japanese version of the show, Satan is voiced by Ryota Osaka. Most people would know him best for the role of Marco in “Attack on Titan.” I, personally, know him best beyond this series for playing Ex in “Grimms Notes.” Osaka does a good job, of course, but in my opinion, this is a series where the English Dub is MUCH better than the original. It’s just so much FUNNIER, in my opinion, as the voice actors are given a lot of liberty that leads to some really hysterical line reads, ad-libs, and performances overall. At the same time, the moments of drama feel even more impactful in the English version; these actors really give it their all and every scene and line hits hard. In the Dub, Satan is voiced by Josh Grelle; he’s also an alumni of Attack on Titan, having played the role of Armin there. He’s also the voice of Tokoyami from My Hero Academia. Whichever version you choose to watch, the series is a riot, and if this campy craziness sounds up your alley, you should definitely give it a try. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 7! HINT: “SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!”

Alfred from Yo-Kai Watch!

hoping i drew them right aaa aa a