In terms of consistency, Hataraku Maou-sama is right up there with the best of them. The appeal of this series is both simple and complex.  It lies in the straightforward way it goes about things and the effortlessness that’s imbued in every frame, but the real trick is in making […] Read more

From one extreme last week to the other this. I’ve said this before, but I think I like Hataraku Maou-sama better when the focus is on the comedy and not the larger plot.  It’s a pretty good plot, actually – very good in fact – and these dramatic episodes certainly […] Read more

Memo to Suisei no Gargantia – that’s how you do a swimsuit episode. And we’re not going to get a 2nd one next week, either. Fanservice eps are a minefield for anime, to say the least.  For every one that actually contributes something besides crass commercial pandering there are a […] Read more

Is it really a surprise that Hataraku Maou-sama delivered the good again?  It’s as inevitable as a boneless burger. Perhaps the most overused term in anime discussion?  “Slice of life” – but it fits this series pretty well.  Like a glove, in fact – it seems as if Hataraku is […] Read more

I continue to be amazed at how well Hataraku Maou-sama executes the basics. I’ve said it already, but this is just a damn good show – plain and simple.  There are flashier series out there, but in a sense Hataraku is anime boiled down to its essence.  Casting, animation, pacing, […] Read more