Hataraku Maou-sama!

Striking fear into the hearts of mortals, the Demon Lord Satan begins to conquer the land of Ente Isla with his vast demon armies. However, while embarking on this brutal quest to take over the continent, his efforts are foiled by the hero Emilia, forcing Satan to make his swift retreat through a dimensional portal only to land in the human world. Along with his loyal general Alsiel, the demon finds himself stranded in modern-day Tokyo and vows to return and complete his subjugation of Ente Isla—that is, if they can find a way back!

Powerless in a world without magic, Satan assumes the guise of a human named Sadao Maou and begins working at MgRonald's—a local fast-food restaurant—to make ends meet. He soon realizes that his goal of conquering Ente Isla is just not enough as he grows determined to climb the corporate ladder and become the ruler of Earth, one satisfied customer at a time!

Whether it's part-time work, household chores, or simply trying to pay the rent on time, Hataraku Maou-sama! presents a hilarious view of the most mundane aspects of everyday life, all through the eyes of a hapless demon lord.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Maou, Sadao Main

Oosaka, Ryouta Japanese

Yusa, Emi Main

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Ashiya, Shirou Main

Ono, Yuuki Japanese

Urushihara, Hanzou Supporting

Shimono, Hiro Japanese

Sasaki, Chiho Supporting

Touyama, Nao Japanese

Kamazuki, Suzuno Supporting

Itou, Kanae Japanese

Etuva, Emeralda Supporting

Asakura, Azumi Japanese

Suzuki, Rika Supporting

Nishi, Asuka Japanese

Nakayama Supporting

Murata, Taishi Japanese

Kisaki, Mayumi Supporting

Uchiyama, Yumi Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Iwasa, Gaku Producer

Saitou, Shigeru Producer

Nagatani, Takayuki Producer

Reviews

Apr 15, 2025

AsamiAoii

Recommended

Plot & Pacing –
The anime flips the isekai genre on its head: instead of a hero being sent to a fantasy world, Satan (Maou Sadao) is transported from a magical world into modern-day Tokyo, where he loses his powers and is forced to… work part-time at a fast-food restaurant. It’s a hilarious premise that works surprisingly well thanks to its grounded execution and comedic timing.

Early Episodes: Strong and engaging, filled with great world-building and character humor.
Later Episodes: The story tries to introduce more serious conflicts, but these arcs are less compelling and sometimes feel rushed.

Overall, the plot is light but charming, with solid pacing ... in the first half and some unevenness later on.

Characters –
Maou Sadao (Satan): Surprisingly responsible and likeable. His earnest effort to climb the fast-food ladder makes him a hilariously relatable ex-overlord.
Emi Yusa (Hero Emilia): A former enemy now forced to coexist with Maou. Her internal struggle between duty and unexpected affection adds comedic and emotional depth.
Shirou Ashiya (Alsiel): Loyal to a fault and over-the-top dramatic about budgeting and housework—an absolute scene-stealer.
Chiho Sasaki: The sweet and relatable love interest from the human world. While sometimes treated as comic relief, her sincerity gives the show a grounded feel.
Supporting Cast: Lucifer (Urushihara), Suzuno, and others provide decent side plots and humor, but don't get as much development.

While the characters are fun and dynamic, most don’t undergo deep development. Still, their chemistry and comedic interactions carry the series.

Action & Fantasy Elements –
While the show is technically a fantasy, the action takes a backseat to comedy and slice-of-life:

Occasional fight scenes are solid but not standout.
Power clashes are flashy but not deeply choreographed.
Magic is more a plot device than a focal point.

If you're expecting consistent battles or deep lore, you might be disappointed—but for a light fantasy twist, it gets the job done.

Animation & Art Style –
The animation is clean and expressive, especially for comedic moments. The character designs are simple but distinct, and magical effects are colorful, if not especially detailed.

While it doesn’t break new ground visually, the animation supports the tone of the show well. Backgrounds and everyday settings are well-drawn and believable, which enhances the contrast between the fantasy characters and the real world.

Themes & Emotional Impact –
The anime subtly explores:

Responsibility & Adapting: Maou adjusting to human life is both hilarious and oddly inspiring.
Forgiveness & Coexistence: Emi and Maou’s uneasy truce develops into something more complex.
Identity & Change: Characters evolve from who they were in their magical world into new versions of themselves in the human world.

While it doesn’t dig too deep, there are moments of genuine emotion and character growth.

Weaknesses –
The story lacks consistent direction; it’s mostly episodic with some arcs that feel tacked on.
The balance between comedy and action sometimes leans too heavily on one side, depending on the episode.
Some character dynamics (especially Chiho’s feelings for Maou) can feel one-note or unresolved.
The fantasy world lore is barely explored, leaving a lot of potential untouched.

Overall, Hataraku Maou-sama! is a fun and refreshing reverse-isekai with lovable characters, great comedy, and a unique premise. While it’s not deep or tightly plotted, the show thrives on its humor, charm, and the odd relatability of seeing Satan try to master minimum wage life. If you enjoy fantasy comedies with strong character chemistry and a lighthearted tone, this is definitely worth a watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Jun 10, 2024

st_0_rm3

Mixed Feelings

This anime is fine - it's lukewarm.

This anime is warming to watch with plenty of heart felt moments. The unbreakable love triangle is constant throughout which adds to the jolly and sensual mood without end. I like love but I like heartbreak just as much. This anime needs some real strife – it needs more tension. I’ve watched both seasons over 2 days and maybe it’s my fault but there is only so much happiness, joy and warmth one person can take. This anime is perfectly warm, it never puts a foot wrong. I dropped this anime four points because it’s simply not the ... best. Every moment flows naturally/unforced to the next moment. Nothing “bad” ever really happens. I enjoy nothing much ever happening but then throwing in battles and fake strife is vapid - just let it be about everyday life and relationships then and even then only one person really risked anything in the show with a love confession and that love confession goes unanswered.

This anime tries to take the themes of: adult relationships/marriage/love, multiple dimensional travel, as of yet – limitless magic and the bible to create something new and interesting - it doesn't fail but it's no masterpiece. Mix beef and ice-cream to create a dish – it’s difficult nigh impossible. This anime is like an palatable beef ice-cream.

This anime is fine. It's not the best but it's watchable and enjoyable most of the time. The enjoyment teeters out bit by bit though because of pure monotony.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Feb 21, 2025

BreadLust

Not Recommended

You'd think that a show with an MC named "Satan" would go pretty hard.

This couldn't be further from the truth. Because you see, this Satan isn't evil. He's not even ill-tempered. In fact, he's a pretty stand-up dude. It turns out the whole "evil" thing was just a huge misunderstanding!

This show fails in the way a great many fail: it starts off with a unique and compelling premise, but eventually regresses to a mushy middle. The first couple episodes are funny, but the show starts retreating from the setup almost immediately. Conflicts dissipate without satisfying conclusions. Instead they're replaced with newer, duller characters and plotlines. ... What's left is a bland soup of supernatural-ish slice-of-life without any clear direction.

If you're hoping the setups here somehow pay off in later seasons, I'm afraid that's a hard "no." I won't bother to spoil you on what happens, because it's so dull and derivative, I struggle to recall even their faint outlines.

If you're really interested, just watch the first couple episodes and know that you've already seen the best this series has to offer.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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