The problem with creating a historical anime is frequently similar to that of adapting a manga or video game: oftentimes, the author has to resort to filler or fan-service materials to clumsily meet the airing requirements for shows. However, an axiom that directors ought to familiarize themselves with is that quality is invariably better than quantity.
Thankfully, this inference only applies to certain aspects of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, a recent adaptation of the original light novels under the same name.
Set in a time period of gruesome wars to political corruptions, Maoyuu depicts a fantasy world where humans and devils are fighting for the ultimate authority, while
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exploring the infrastructures involved in wars. Despite it falling under the fantasy genre, Maoyuu brings many historical references into play--from the great innovations of the Discovery age (such as the compass, movable type prints, etc.) to the spread of crops like potato and corn into the agriculture industry. Moreover, it is reminiscent of a certain series that many of us could've never forgotten--Spice and Wolf.
Better known for its formula of enchanting romance, Spice and Wolf consists of a very similar antique structure in the way that it handles its plot, drama, world-building, and specifically, the daily lives of merchants. While this may sound bland, Spice and Wolf manages to make it work with a recipe of individual arcs for concentrated purposes, and thus, the viewer can gain a fine viewing of diverse episodes with several delightful, piquant subjects at hand.
If Spice and Wolf is a mix between curry and rice, then Maoyuu would surely be a mix between potatoes and candy bars; since, it is neither a smart combination nor a completely satisfying experience. Still, it's only in comparison that one is weaker than the other. The steady, episodic approach that Maoyuu employs very much stands out on its own.
A scaffolding plot, after all, is better than none at all. The story of Maoyuu starts out with our protagonist Yuusha, a hero siding with the humans, not expecting the beautiful demon queen Maou, whose only wish was to negotiate with him, in the heart of the demons' castle. After their fated meeting, Yuusha then embarks on a journey at Maou's will, and each episode continues with mini-stories about Yuusha's encounters and findings for a seemingly nonexistent reason.
Whereas, it is fairly obvious from the start that Yuusha has difficulties conveying his true intentions for Maou, and oftentimes these misunderstandings are used for comedic purposes as well as entertainment. Although repetitive, the several quirks that Maou and Yuusha begin to form do add onto the character interaction, and definitely made certain arcs more interesting.
However, side characters do abruptly intervene in the capital of romance arcs, usually with very few good reasons for doing so, and thus, some developments can turn out stagnantly without progression. Most side characters also have very little to offer, ranging from a delusive maid to female knights like Onna Kishi. At times, female characters would surround Yuusha in herds, and it becomes questionable whether or not pandering to the audiences was the purpose. And, although some characters were satisfyingly fleshed out with conclusive stories, other individuals had trouble deciphering their prominent role in the series. Such abstruse matters also bring up the lack of characterization or any predisposition to determine the presence of a solid personality for specific characters, since most of the cast only experience trite developments.
Maou, for example, is best described by her acquaintance as "useless meat". Although Maou herself denies this, and claims at all costs the significant deeds that she has achieved and will, the fact of the matter remains that her role embodies a few inconsistent hiccups. At times, she continuously aims to resolve world peace, while the scenes which repeatedly follow her scholarly deliberations are abruptly placed daydreams of Yuusha. Such applies to the grander scale of Maoyuu as it deconstructs historical figures and side characters to bring concerns about the time period being depicted--the medieval ages. Contrarily, the portrayal of the church's public servants during prehistoric times may have exaggerated some of the exploitations, but Maoyuu does extensively illustrate the corruption which overtook officials of feudal societies. Additionally, a charming aspect of Maoyuu resides with how the characters were named after fantasy classes, which effortlessly resonated a lovely core. However, due its enormous cast, Maoyuu couldn’t engender insightful eccentricities for certain characters as it did for others.
Likewise, the character aesthetics in the series stuck with genuinely dull decorations as exemplified by Yuusha, whose character design emits the appeals of a generic, immutable male lead. Similarly, Maou has her own pairs of inflatable balloon issues, which many will see as being hackneyed and unoriginal.
However, the art directing, layouts for many of the map animations and arrangement of urban images are, in comparison, much better. Correspondingly, majority of the background frameworks and presentations also fulfill their duty in making a location look rural, metropolitan, or even appropriately hideous.
Music is undoubtedly one of Maoyuu's greatest assets. The original soundtrack entrances viewers with its vibrant nature, and likewise, the use of many instrumental pieces evokes an indelible atmosphere. With a spirited opening and ending theme, Maoyuu further enlivens its vigor. Correlation between the animation and music also paints an impressionable feeling for the series overall, and the seiyuus all befit their roles perfectly.
On the contrary, good narration doesn’t necessarily equal quality dialogue.
While the conversations in the series do present interesting observations about macroeconomics, some expositions on the networks of commerce can come off as brusque. Not only so, Maoyuu emphatically focuses on the construction of its own fantasy world, rather than the chronological order of its historical references, so some of the mentioned inventions furnish idealized timelines over what's factually correct. This, in turn, produces temporarily engrossing world-building, but it can also repeatedly bore or confuse the viewer with arbitrary elaborations on ultimately flimsy subjects.
From the tone of my writing, it may sound like the majority of Maoyuu is about monotonous history or economics; however, during the latter parts of the series character relationships take center stage, and action scenes transpire more often. As most climaxes do, the story delivers a closing end towards previously unresolved issues, and desolating sides of things take form in both dialogues as well as battles. This, in some ways, may dismay some audiences since the pacing relatively changes, but as a closure, many aspects of the show become a lot more tasteful and digestible even in spite of the several interrelated topics displayed.
Moderately diverse, Maoyuu is a series that really tries to bring something to the table for everyone, and in its mixture of historical references with fantasy themes, some of its themes are marred by oversimplified explanations. Although the stale, generic personalities some characters exhibit are very definite flaws, the majority of Maoyuu can still offer insights on the economic and strategic aspects of war, which shifts towards a manner infrequently attempted in its medium. It is most unfortunate, then, that this unique concept lacks the excitement its influences (Spice & Wolf) had obtained so gracefully. Perhaps if given a second season, the lackluster aspects of Maoyuu can do itself more justice through more concise yet lively handling of its themes, and its character relationships may become even more captivating. If nothing else, this series provides a fascinating outlook on the protocols and systems of commercial economics, but sadly, is a hero crippled by his towering boldness of attempting too many feats.
Despite its unfortunate flaws, Maoyuu can still compensate for its faults by further constructing its dynamic universe, but only if a sequel will be permitted to fully execute the conceptual values.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: Maoyu Maou Yusha
Japanese: まおゆう魔王勇者
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
12
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Jan 5, 2013 to Mar 30, 2013
Premiered:
Winter 2013
Broadcast:
Saturdays at Unknown
Licensors:
Sentai Filmworks
Studios:
Arms
Source:
Light novel
Theme:
Mythology
Duration:
23 min. per ep.
Rating:
PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Statistics
Ranked:
#31112
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#462
Members:
485,915
Favorites:
1,483
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 85 / 85
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Your Feelings Categories Mar 29, 2013
The problem with creating a historical anime is frequently similar to that of adapting a manga or video game: oftentimes, the author has to resort to filler or fan-service materials to clumsily meet the airing requirements for shows. However, an axiom that directors ought to familiarize themselves with is that quality is invariably better than quantity.
Thankfully, this inference only applies to certain aspects of Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, a recent adaptation of the original light novels under the same name. Set in a time period of gruesome wars to political corruptions, Maoyuu depicts a fantasy world where humans and devils are fighting for the ultimate authority, while ... Apr 30, 2013
The success of "Spice and Wolf" probably came as a surprise to most. Who'd have thought a dialogue-heavy fantasy anime about economics on the surface but powered by the character chemistry underneath would sell, right? But sell it did, and some people must have extrapolated that there's a under-tapped market for such an anime, because the next thing you know, along comes "Maoyu Maou Yusha", a show so blatantly similar to "Spice and Wolf" (the fantasy settings, the economic lectures, moe heroine sporting ginger hair and unusual strength of character and intelligence, etc etc) that people immediately started labelling it "Spice and Wolf with Tits".
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Aug 4, 2014
Fantasy isn't quite like it used to be nowadays, or at least it doesn't want to be. Tolkien-like stories of great heroes and their adventures in the world inspired by Medieval are considered old news; now fantasy likes to be dark, edgy and bitter, showing the "true rough nature" of the world. There are good examples of such "mature" fantasy, the Witcher, for example, much as I dislike its focus on angst over substance. Often, though, it just comes down to buckets of blood and a lot of sex scenes (yeah, so mature) with no depth to it.
This anime's take on modern fantasy and overall ... Mar 29, 2013
So begins the journey...
In any fantasy world, some beings just don't get along. Take for example, demons and humans. In order for two races to co-exist, they have to accept each others' values. Yet that dream is an overwhelming task to achieve because let's all face it, some things just don't mix well. It's been fifteen years since the war waged by the humans and demons have begun. After an awkward meeting and the revelation that the Demon King is in fact a female, the duo forms an alliance after some reluctant arguing. Hence, let the tale of a human male and demon female begin! Mayou ... Oct 2, 2013
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha is one of those animes where although it is enjoyable to watch there seems to be too many issues to really give it a high recommendation. Maoyuu draws you into its grand plot and characters however they really fail to develop primarily due to it only being a 12 episode anime.
Set in a medieval fantasy world in which the human race and demon race are at war for territory and power, the story follows the human Hero and the female Demon King (They are simply referred to by these titles) who team together to solve the underlying reasons the war; ... Feb 13, 2013
This season seemed to lack a lot of luster for me till i saw the picture for this anime that stirred my curiosity. After watching the first half of this anime i already know where it intends to go and i can see the increase and quality every episode.
The Characters of this anime are all uniquely set in there role and Given names to reflect that. (Eg. Knight,Hero,Mage) I enjoy this method of naming cause it makes everyone really easy to remember and there role apparent from the start. It does away with a lot of formality by establishing the characters early. Then the show ... Apr 7, 2013
It's a series that had potential, but ruined it by doing too much.
[mild spoilers pertaining to storyline progression and general point-of-view] A third season of Spice and Wolf is perhaps the most desired adaptation among fans of the franchise. When announcement came through that a similar series, with similar staff members, was going to be released, fans were ecstatic. Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple to live up to the name of the predecessor, and it's even more difficult to satiate an entirely new crowd. Maoyū Maō Yūsha suffers from a variety of debilitating features that not only make it a shitty, half-assed 'successor', but ... Feb 16, 2013
If you ever wondered why there are wars, how the economy goes, political corruptions, lust for power and alike. Then this anime would be for you. A Hero/Warrior made his way through the castle of the Demon lord to confront him. It turns out that the Demon lord was a woman, that needs the help of the hero to reach peace, prosperity, and independence of the people from the support of other countries, and to end pointless wars against the humans and demons.
Story: 10/10 The plot flow is just perfect. The actions of the characters to the plot is well planned. Hiding from the high officials, ... May 3, 2015
Overview:
What happens when you take the writer, director, and voice actors from the beloved series Spice and Wolf and add executive meddling, fan pandering, and have it produced by Studio ARMS? You get...a massive disappointment. Warning Spoilers!!! Story: 5/10 The human and demon worlds have been at war for 15 years, but the humans have gained the upper hand and an elite squad is sent deep into the demon world to assassinate the Demon King and end the war. However, for poorly explained reasons our main character, who is just named Hero, goes on ahead of his squad to undertake the assassination himself. When he arrives at the ... Nov 4, 2014
“Original and different yet wanting. A well-founded mythological world that reveals a very interesting concept and focus within it, but lacks that something to become something transcending”
REVIEW FREE OF SPOILERS! -STORY: 7- To set this show as just a typical adventure/fantasy anime would be a shortsighted description of it; after all, this show has more potential than just that. “MAOYUU…” grasps into things –more complex- such as politics and economics –although they are observed from a very basic and simplistic point of view and nothing more complicated, probably for the sake of the aimed viewers -. But let’s not get carried away, this show isn’t a masterpiece ... Aug 8, 2015
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha
Maoyuu was a great anime, at least the first episode and not because i didn't get the story, i got the story and i found it refreshing and really relatable to real life (Economy) but it's because this promise you that there will be romance but the romance only existed the first 3 or 4 episodes and it was a light romance, this anime was perfect to be romantic too but they wasted the oportunity and the story was rushed and it can be confusing for a lot of people when they talk about economy and how they use it and i was ... Mar 30, 2013
Here we are at the end of another historically based series that focuses mainly on the same problem as the real world at that time. So when you watch this series you are more likely to encounter economic dilemmas that intend to solve or ruin people's lives. Whats the point you ask? well for us maybe there is none or maybe they just wanted to show us how hard it was living back then.
After this you have a nice romance story evolving on the background of a war that is not based on conquest but on survival. All these while adding various comedy scenes ... Feb 11, 2013
First of all, this is not your typical fantasy series. If you're looking for some grand quest with a cool hero and a funny heroine...keep searching.
That said, there is a clear plot here. And the characters are totally fun. The hero is the stereotypical fighter with a strong belief in justice and a kind heart. But you love him almost instantly because he's not brash, only a little reckless, and willing to learn whatever he doesn't know. The Demon Queen (the other protagonist) is intelligent, calculating, and strangely naive when it comes to men and relationships. She's totally funny, too, because you never know ... Feb 16, 2013
this anime lacked pace this is where i'll start with its slow as hell they go of on a tangent that doesn't need too be explored in the series and the plot develops incredibly slow the charactors may be something if given the chance too develop but since i see its a 12 episode anime i doubt it if you have the ability too stomach thru a few episodes it gets better but the first 4-5 episodes are beyond tedious
Mar 31, 2013
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha has an interesting concept. It takes a look at economic and social issues during a medieval themed period, and it focuses on the "behind the scenes" sort of events. Again, it's an interesting concept, and at times I really liked it a lot. The ending was very disappointing, and it dropped my opinion of it dramatically. I simply want to warn that this story really doesn't have an ending and will most likely leave you expecting more (notice I didn't say wanting, but expecting). I did like this story (I figured I should say that much). I did look forward to it
...
Mar 18, 2013
Story about the hero who kills the demon king is become classic or maybe mainstream story for all of us, Usually we see this concepts in video games or maybe films. but what if the hero become a partner with demon king itself for the peace of the world?
A short explanation above is maybe enough to describe what this anime about, but if you think this anime was like any adventure romance anime, then you're totally wrong. The story from this anime itself is kinda complex for some people. why? this anime was not about slash-and-kill or lovey-dovey things (its not like SAO), but its ... May 2, 2013
I'll be short. I've gone into this show at first with great hopes. It was quite hyped and seemed the most original pick of the season. The very idea of a Demon King and a Hero signing an alliance to put an end to the reliance of the world's economy on eternal war was original and interesting. So what did go wrong?
Basically, everything. The final result is a unique example of total blandness. This anime is, there's no other way to put it, boring. Horribly so. The characters are generic as they can be, starting with the Demon King, who's got bouncy boobs and is inexplicably ... Aug 28, 2014
what a wonderful series
i have to say a fell in love with the "maou" in the first episode, she is beautiful, sexy, cute, nice and smart.(although this kind of female only exist in anime) the characters were beautifully drawn and the voice actress made her sound so sexy and cute. the plot and storyline are really interesting, touching of agriculture and science with a twist in economics and politics. it doesn't concentrate a lot on "superpower" but the few fighting and battle scene are still exciting. in this anime one of the plot about prolonging and creating war, which i think is happening in real life is ... Apr 6, 2013
This is my first time writing a review for anything. So, wish me luck.
I wasn't sure what to think of this anime upon starting it. Even though the summary made it out to be pretty serious, there are splashes of comedy in many of the early episodes that some may think are out of place in regards to the overall tone, but I found these to be quite charming. I found that this anime painted a good image of the world they lived in. It basically is the dark ages of Europe and it incorporates a lot of things from that time in ... Feb 14, 2013
I really liked this anime. First thing I liked about this anime is the art. It has a different style making it stand out from the other animes this season. Second is it has a great combination of romance, action, magic and comedy. By having this great mix, it makes you fall deep into the story without making you bored. It also includes lessons about real life economics which are well integrated in the story, thus making you learn something from just watching anime.
Another thing is it has great Seiyuus which makes it more interesting. |