Nakama Britannica

When an iconic anime series comes along, we all tend to sit up and pay attention, whether it be ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’, ‘ Cowboy Bebop’, or ‘Gurren Lagann’ , to name but three on whose superior qualities critics and fans alike seem to agree. But I’m certain that everyone has their own secret favourite series which – while it may not be cutting edge, or a superb example of the latest techniques in animation – has nevertheless managed to charm its way into our hearts.
I first read about ‘Kyo Kara Maoh!’ in the late and much lamented New Type USA magazine. ‘A high school boy gets flushed down a toilet by some bullies and finds himself in another world…’
It’s certainly an attention-grabbing opening, as openings go. And I was entranced by the character designs, entranced enough to order the first disc on R1 from Geneon.

Yuri Shibuya goes to the aid of Ken Murata, who’s been set on by some older students. Ken escapes – but Yuri is the one who’s subjected to the full toilet treatment by the bullies. He wakes up to find himself – as he thinks – in a historical theme park. Attacked by angry peasants, he is rescued by a sword-wielding horseman – only to hear voices crying out, “Are you all right, your majesty?” as more horsemen appear. He has been magically transported to Shin Makoku, or the Great Demon Kingdom, where he is welcomed as the long-awaited twenty-seventh Demon King of double black (he tries to point out that in Japan, black hair and eyes are far from uncommon, but no one seems to care). And one man, among his rescuers, Lord Conrart  “Call me Conrad” Weller, seems strangely familiar although Yuri is convinced that there’s no way they can ever have met before. Taken to Covenant (or Blood Pledge) Castle, Yuri meets the members of his court and – unfamiliar with demon customs – manages at a family dinner party to become engaged to Conrart’s younger half-brother, Wolfram, before unwittingly accepting his new ‘fiancé’s challenge’ to a duel.

There’s much conflict and prejudice for the new king to overcome as he soon discovers that there is no love lost between his subjects and their human neighbours. A disastrous war, some twenty years earlier, nearly brought about the fall of the Great Demon Kingdom and – of course – it transpires that Yuri has not just accidentally tumbled into this world, there is a special reason for him to be there. He has been chosen by the Great One, the very first ruler of the Great Demon Kingdom, whose shrine is tended by the childlike priestess Ulrike. Is Yuri the first ruler who can bring lasting peace between demon and man? It’s not going to be easy, especially as the magic-wielding demons are feared and despised by the humans who have even developed the use of esoteric stones to weaken and disable their demon opponents. How is a fifteen-year-old baseball-playing high schooler going to bring an end to such a bitter and ancient conflict? Wolfram and Conrart’s stern older brother, Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, seem to doubt Yuri’s suitability for the task. Yet there’s a hidden power lurking deep within Yuri and the first time he witnesses an act of injustice, a striking change comes over him; his magical powers awaken and he transforms into his ‘other’ self, the true Demon King, with surprising and unexpected results.

So what were my impressions after watching the first disc? The most strident singer on the opening song (‘Hateshinaku Tooi Sora ni’ by The Stand Up) that I’d ever heard – ouch! (These were, after all, first impressions…) Although strangely the ending song, ‘Suteki na Shiawase’ – also by The Stand Up – won my heart straight away, partly because of its infectious feelgood tune, partly because of the animation which introduces chibi versions of the main characters.
‘Kyo Kara Maoh!’ doesn’t have the benefits of a big budget as the music score (one hundred and one things you can do with a synthesizer) and just-about adequate animation demonstrate. But it has a charm all of its own that makes the viewer soon forget its shortcomings – and above all, it creates likeable, believable characters. By the end of the first disc, I was completely hooked and I’ve stayed hooked, even as the episode total passes one hundred.
Based on the popular light novels by Tomo Takabayashi, ‘Kyo Kara Maoh!’  manages to – gently, yet oh so accurately – send up various tropes of the fantasy genre, whilst at the same time developing an involving narrative. Yuri must seek out the Demon Sword, Morgif, protect a baby dragon (dragons are an endangered species), travel into human lands to find the stolen Demon Flute, etc. etc.
‘Kyo Kara’ also has a quietly wicked sense of humour, teasing the viewer with slightly risqué shonen-ai nudges (nearly all the men are on the bishi side of bishonen) and the absurd inventions devised by the formidable and beautiful Lady Anissina. Stereotypes are reversed: the stern-faced Gwendal has a secret hobby knitting cute animal toys, and dashing soldier Josak has a penchant for cross-dressing when in disguise on secret missions. These inspired moments of silliness, combined with a genuine sense of affection for the characters can make me forgive and forget those low-budget animation moments.

Music is very important part of any anime for me and I was not impressed with the synthesized score that accompanies the earliest episodes. It didn’t take long to recognize Johann Strauss’s ‘Pizzicato Polka’ (!?) and the Overture to Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks accompanying the formal scenes at Covenant Castle. But in action scenes later on, composer Yoichiro Yoshikawa’s choice of music makes a much better fit: two preludes from Rachmaninov’s opus 32 fit the fight scenes well, especially the stormy no. 8 in A minor. Chopin also makes more than a fleeting appearance in synthezised form. Although I can’t help wishing that Yoshikawa had used more of his own material, as his seething ‘tension’ music and the stirring choral passages that accompany Yuri’s transformations into his demon self are very effective.
And what about  ‘Hatashi ‘,  that grating opening song? Towards the end of the first series, Yoshikawa begins to use the theme instrumentally and it takes on a new life, sounding wistful and even melancholy. Rather like the matter of the story itself, as shadows from the distant past begin to gather and Yuri realizes that – for all their magical powers – the people he has come to love and trust in his new life are in real danger.
Geneon had released all of Season 1 in the US and was six volumes into Season 2 when everything went pear-shaped last year. Luckily, FUNimation came to the rescue and since September has been releasing Season 2 (thank you, FUNi!). I – and other fans can only hope that FUNimation might go the whole way and license the five OVAs and the third season. I suspect that ‘Kyo Kara Maoh!’ has garnered enough loving fans to buy the new episodes and make such a venture financially worthwhile. In the meantime, there’s much to enjoy in the first two seasons.

A side note: the attractive character designs by Yuka Kudo are based on Temari Matsumoto’s original illustrations for the novels  and the first volume of Temari Matsumoto’s manga version of ‘Kyo Kara Maoh!’ has just been published by Tokyopop. It’s described on the blurb as ‘an outrageous, gender-bending, high-school demon love story!’ which doesn’t begin to do the manga justice; it’s a beautifully drawn and well told action fantasy and complements the anime series very well. Tokyopop also announced in April that they were going to publish the novels, but thus far there has been no further news.

http://www.funimation.com/kyokaramaoh/