I didn’t expect to like this series. It looked really boring and gimmicky, and if I had to compare it to other series that give off a similar vibe, like Ore Monogatari or Polar Bear’s Cafe it kind of is. But I like it, okay? I like these saccharine demons a lot. There’s something about this show that sets it apart ever so slightly to warrant writing a review on it. It’s not as good as other iyashikei, slice of life series that I binged over spring break (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, I’m looking right at you) but it was certainly… something. A good something,
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or at least a thing that spurred me to come back after every episode.
The art style, for one, is adorable. Each character looks like they could be turned into a plushie yesterday, and yes this includes our more muscular cast members. The color palette is a nice pastel wash that never falters in any way, even in the more grounded and mundane environments. There isn’t really much to say except for the animation which is decidedly lacking in most scenes. There really isn’t much except for excited arm and lip flaps, and the fetsihy-er moments of the show.
Speaking of the fetish-y moments oh BOY does this show have a lot of them. How Miss Beelzebub Likes It is basically just a soft, whimsical, pastel-colored trojan horse of fetish porn at the 4-koma author’s discretion. This can’t just be a cute show about cute people who do cute things, no of course not, this is a show about a child-like demon who pisses everywhere when she gets nervous which is all the time. Well, okay, maybe she doesn’t outright pee on the floor but oh boy do we get to see her flustered, embarrassed face while she tries to hold back the proverbial waterfall of fetish porn that is a piss kink. What’s that? Watersports aren’t up your alley? Well what about BDSM? Don’t fret, there’s definitely a character who ties up her boss in all manners of sexual ways. He’s not exactly into, but the show makes it clear that he’s not NOT exactly into it, either. What about pedophiles? Do you like literal pedophiles? Would you like to have a main character who’s explicitly a pedophile? How Miss Beelzebub Likes It has got you covered because we definitely have a pedophile to show you, and she even has a be-stockinged boy to drool over. In its defense, the show actually makes a point to explicitly say that what she’s doing is creepy, wrong, and a crime but it never outright punishes her for being a literal child predator and stalking what she thinks is a literal child. There are a few other ways “How Miss Beelzebub Likes it” has its cake and eats it to in regards to these Problematique~ elements, and one is the pedophile’s (no, I didn’t learn her name and I’m not going to) staunch policy that she believes minors are so pure that they shouldn’t even be touched by adults with ill intent. Secondly, the object of her criminal affections is heavily implied to be a grown adult who simply looks young for his age, similar to our titular heroine.
There are other moments of self-awareness as well, like our main boy Myurin chastising one of the other characters for attempting to sneak into the women’s baths in order to get a glimpse of bare skin. It’s outright called a crime, which… yeah. It is, thank you pastel demon anime. And when he does sneak into the baths, the girls haven’t even changed yet and are fully clothed, as they expected something like this would occur. It’s oddly self-aware, and I’m oddly proud of this weird little show
In terms of the characters, the cast is delightful. We have a big strong buff boy who is too shy to speak aloud and sews teddy bears in his spare time. We have a gay, fashion designer demon who’s one of the more level-headed and sensible characters in the show, and his friendship with the chicken-maraca-shaking succubus is underrated and amazing. The straight man of the series is incredibly open minded, patient, and kind. And Beelzebub herself acts like an airhead but is actually just emotionally inexperienced; she’s more than capable at her job. It tends to respect each character’s motivations and inner monologues without struggle, and even characters that are usually the punch lines of jokes, like our fashion designer are given room for a little growth.
This show takes a lot of shots at toxic masculinity and how silly the idea is that men can’t admire other men, take time to be soft or caring, and are incapable of coexisting with women in the work environment, without involving spite or harassment. In fact, most of the coworkers this series features get along very nicely with one another. I genuinely don’t have many complaints, expect for the pedophile and her needless existence.
The music is wonderful, and the OP is especially great. The ending is your standard back-to-the-status-quo, please read the manga end. There are ups and downs, goods and bads, but in the end I would easily recommend this series to someone who loves a good iyashikei.
Actually, watch this show if you have a fever. It’s really calming and you’ll feel a lot better. Not for any other reason than it’s cuteness, but I think that’s a valid reason in itself.
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Apr 5, 2019
Beelzebub-jou no Okinimesu mama.
(Anime)
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I didn’t expect to like this series. It looked really boring and gimmicky, and if I had to compare it to other series that give off a similar vibe, like Ore Monogatari or Polar Bear’s Cafe it kind of is. But I like it, okay? I like these saccharine demons a lot. There’s something about this show that sets it apart ever so slightly to warrant writing a review on it. It’s not as good as other iyashikei, slice of life series that I binged over spring break (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, I’m looking right at you) but it was certainly… something. A good something,
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Aug 23, 2017
Some shows are so bad they make me angry enough to rant about them, but so far only this show has reached new levels of irrelevance that I experienced genuine ennui for the first time in my life. It's pretentious, boring drivel that makes a teen girl's SasuNaru songfic look like Gilgamesh in comparison.
I keep seeing people claim that the best part of Classroom of the Elite is it's interesting premise for some reason. But, honestly, what groundbreaking concept are they exploring? High school students have to get good grades in school and not blow all their money on video games and dresses? Shocking. Classroom ... |
