Apr 16, 2024
I'm not used to rating or doing reviews of anime. I'm not a passionate writer, much less a competent one.
I hate judging anime publicly because judgments can change with time and experience. A 9-star rating 10 years ago may not have the same meaning as a 9-star rating now. And I'm too lazy to constantly change my MAL for these kinds of things.
Still, "Hataraku Maou-sama!" is an anime I kept close to my heart since I watched the first season 10 years ago and went as far as to convince all my Japanese class friends to watch it in one of our all-together anime afternoons.
...
And the "Reverse Isekai" is a sub-genre I adore. Blame this anime, "Keroro Gunso" and, to a certain extent, "Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri" for that.
That said, I should give my say regarding "Hataraku Maou-sama!! 2nd Season".
- First: I hate that the first season ended in the weirdest cliffhanger of all: ending with the first and most mundane episode of, what should be, the next season!!!
- Second: As a result, I'm glad this third season ended with the story properly wrapped up, even though there are plenty of unanswered questions and unresolved conflicts. It's a situation where the battle is over, but the war is still ongoing. **But**, the **battle* is over. We can rest before the next march if we are drafted to fight again.
I'm giving a "Mixed Feelings" recommendation because your mileage may vary with the three existing seasons of "Hataruku Maou-sama!"
This season, much like the previous one, is a mixed bag of passable animation, a rushed story, weird pacing and fights too simple, quick and "easy" to give any sense of tension. The humour regarding the interaction of the Ente Islanders with "our world" doesn't have the same impact as the first season, and it's mostly about Sadao Maou having too little money and barely managing himself.
But the slice-of-life episodes were still solid enough, there was good and positive character growth and the logic behind the behaviour and thought process of our main characters made sense and didn't break my suspension of disbelief.
Whether or not you'll be able to enjoy or be appalled by the second and third seasons of this anime will depend a lot on how much you enjoyed the first season and if you can put up with an "OK" execution of the anime after that. This **is not* AOTY material. Far from it. But if it made me laugh, cry and have fun, it might be good enough for you. Just don't approach it with high expectations or you might regret it.
To finish my review, does this anime have space for further development? Yes.
Does it need to? No. Unless a very competent studio and writer picks it up in the future.
Will that happen? Probably not.
Am I ok with that? Yes. Like I said, it's thanks to how this season ended. I couldn't ask for more.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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