Machikado Mazoku: 2-choume

Have you ever been tired after work and wanted to watch a show that would help you forget about the stress and fatigue of the day's work? Then Machikado Mazoku is the show for you.

It is similar to watching Yuru Camp with a cozy feeling, but in the Magical Girl version, where the characters mostly just goof around and have fun with little to no plot happening in the show. The story, like in Season 1, revolves around Shamiko and Momo, their way of life, and how they came to be. I expected the story to be more intense, but based on how it ... is presented in the show, that is not the case, as they were able to keep the plot moving in a very lighthearted and humorous manner. The introduction of new characters was also quite nice, and overall, all of the characters appear to have a purpose and do not appear to be extraneous. Even the lady with a dog barking every time Shamiko and the gang appear makes us smile. Regarding animation, J.C. Staff never fails to bring in the best that fits the CGDCT (Cute girls doing cute things) and comedy style that the show employs.

Overall, if you just want to watch the Shamiko x Mami pair in their CGDCT moments, and you appreciate these type of anime, you will enjoy this one as well. This show managed to live up to the high standards it set for Season 1 while also exceeding them. Despite the major names this season has to offer, we can't and shouldn't ignore this show's potential. We can expect Season 3 to be similar (Please make a Season 3, J.C. Staff), but with a more intense plot as we learn more about the characters' pasts.

"Don't think this means you've won!" - Yuko a.k.a Shamiko

To this day, it's easily surprising how a show like Machikado Mazoku a.k.a The Demon Girl Next Door could even earn the sequel effect, I thought that J.C. Staff's Summer 2019 anime adaptation was a one-and-done deal that was the epitome of a TGIF comedy SoL that was just essentially "The Daily Lives of Highschool Boys" but turned on the affluent Mahou Shoujo a.k.a Magical Girl themes that mangaka Izumo Ito has managed to do well that's enough to stand out on its own, much less being a Houbunsha Manga Time Kirara property (which means that ... this is also a CGDCT-themed series). And that's what exactly happened 2.5 years later with Season 2, which is more or less the same as you'd expect of Season 1's (which you should've watched that before this, obviously) overall quality.

The concept (or shtick) of Magical Girls is absolutely nothing new, except how Izumi Ito managed to fill his series with a brush of a plot truly makes it stand out more than just your typical CGDCT series, and back in 2019 it definitely felt so for a refreshing change in the always stereotypical nonsense plot that so many CGDCT series just attempt to make a quick buck with characterization being the strongest suit given the theme, that it ends up being mediocre or decent at best. At least back then when shows like Doga Kobo's Winter 2017 anime Gabriel DropOut were the hot new trend and epitome of CGDCT series done right IMO, this show came in at just about the time to continue capitalizing on that trend (which was 2 years old at this point), and it definitely made waves, just not with a huge fanbase that demanded attention.

It's easy to see that the series was largely forgotten as a "here-nor-there" show, and with the good reason that it's a fairly niche show in its own right, that if you were a fan of 4-koma (panel) manga adaptations in general, this would naturally fall in the radar among so many others in the same crowded space that it's hard to pick and choose which one is the "best" amongst them all. And this is certainly the case with Machikado Mazoku with the Shadow Mistress Yuuko Yoshida, her immediate family with Ancestor Lilith, and the Magical Girls Momo Chiyoda and Mikan Hinatsuki, continuing on their corporate journey together. The sequel season adapts Volumes 3 and 4 of the manga, and the only new characters to grace Season 2 are the co-workers at Yuuko's workplace at the Asura cafe: the waitress, huli jing fox Lico, and her manager, the demon tapir Shirosawa. NGL, I actually like Lico's unkempt pervasiveness at being shameless about her cooking that is different trying than mentioning about food. Like, the food sounds dangerous, disgusting and lethal until you actually try it and let those mixed results seep in like the garbage that you're feeling, and whether it turns out good or bad, you're the fool, the guinea pig to actually try out her claims, because she's the wackiest character ever displayed so far. The tapir manager Shirosawa is a nice and kind demi-human no doubt, but it's his health that gets in the way of having a weak backbone that shows his age, making it his repetitive comedic act. Both characters add the splash of comedy into an already bare-bones comedy-cum-plot show, and for what it helps to add to Season 2, I'd think that it's decent enough, if not getting to the point of repetitious boredom.

At the end of the day, as already mentioned in the beginning, if you liked Season 1, then you'll definitely like Season 2 here as well as everything is kept the same as before with the "just enough" J.C. Staff quality and a somewhat meh OST this time. Don't get me wrong, Season 2 is decent, but the prequel had a much better offering that's musically more inclining and fitting of the series (a la Season 1's OP still being the best of the bunch that's still memorable to this day).

Still though, the only thing that I feel that Machikado Mazoku is strong in, is the character dynamics and wistful storytelling that's comforting comedy and makes you feel inclusive and in tune with the plot's movements. Make no mistake that Season 2 is just as enjoyable as the prequel, if not a tad less enjoyable being more of the same thing that honestly, doesn't add much for a sequel season that IMO honestly is not needed at all. But here it is, and I hope that it provided you with more Shamiko × Momo moments of fun.

"Don't give up, Shamiko! There's some fun to be had as your Shadow mistress journey prolongs a bit more!"

Congratulations, this review is relatively spoiler-free.

Machikado Mazoku fills a unique niche a never thought was possible, by somehow being a romcom despite not being a romcom. I mean, it ultimately depends on how you look at it, but that's how I see it. More on that in a second.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here's a brief synopsis of last season: High-strung high schooler Yuko Yoshida one day wakes up to find out she's sprouted a demon tail and horns, learning that "oops, you're demonkin". Also there's apparently another student at her school who's a magical girl and thus her mortal enemy.

However, ... kuudere magical girl Momo Chiyoda isn't about the whole rivals thing and they instead become friends (sort of). In addition to the initial various hijinks associated with Yuko's newfound appearance and powers, the duo try to sort out their intertwined magical ancestries.

So first things first, Machikado has an actual plot with progression, which automatically elevates it above the vast majority of cutesy girl-centric animes similar to it.

Second, this series is what I'm personally referring to as "Yuri Bait". The two female leads are far too close to simply be just friends. They're somehow just close enough that you literally HAVE to ship them, but just far enough apart that you can convince yourself that they are just friends. Thus creating a weird limbo where it's a disgustingly adorable character dynamic despite not actually being romantic, dangling the Yuri in front of you like a tantalizing carrot on a stick. I don't know why but it's a perfect recipe for this kind of anime and keeping it 100% PG.

STORY - 7
As previously stated, Machikado has a half-decent plotline. It's by no stretch of the imagination going to win any awards, but it's more than enough to keep things interesting and entertaining. Definitely one of the highlights of the series.

ART - 6
Nothing special. Not particularly extravagant but does nail the magical girl shtick whenever it comes up.

SOUND - 5
The soundtrack this time around is pretty meh. The voice acting is good but towards the beginning of the series I found it a bit lacking.

CHARACTERS - 7
By themselves, the characters are fairly bland if not outright stock/stereotype. It's their dynamic that really sells it. Again, I've already ranted about this so I'm not going to repeat it. The main characters do develop, but the side characters not so much.

ENJOYMENT - 8
I'm enjoying it. Nothing but sugar, smiles and nosebleeds from me. Honestly, though, it doesn't take much to get me hyped about a series nowadays so take that with a grain of salt.

OVERALL - 7
As per usual, this series is not for everyone. It's fluffy and lighthearted, and certain viewers could be outright annoyed by the characters. I know at least one of my friends found Yuko to be whiny.

Nevertheless, Machikado remains a series you can both really get into or casually throw on in the background. And it might even cleanse your soul in the process. Or give you diabetes. Probably both.

Don't forget to join the Momo x Shamiko shippening while you're at it. IDK maybe you're not about that, but I'm fairly certain the vast majority of this series' fanbase would agree with me.

Don't think this means you've won, JC Staff!

If you've known me, you know I've been very, very vocal on my dislike of the first season. So seeing me give this show such a high score must have been quite a shock, but believe me when I say that the second season of Machikado has been a remarkable improvement over the first.

The improvements are obvious once you start the first episode. Oh my God, I can actually follow through the show. The biggest, and by far the most important change is the pacing of the show. It's actually at regular speed now. Now, I do love ... me some fast paced anime (Kotobuki is one of my all time favorites), but my God first season was downright incomprehensible at times at how fast it went. Thank goodness the team finally came to their senses and made Machikado S2 actually understandable when played regularly.

My second biggest gripe with the series, namely Momo, has also seen some significant improvement. In fact, she went from my least favorite character to up there with my most favorite right after Lico, Mikan, Shamiko, Tenchou, Lilith, Ryo, Joshua, Seiko, Ogura, Anri and Uga. (Hey I liked her more than Sakura) Actually going through some character development and transforming from an otherwise really dull stoic character into more of a tsundere with some obsessive tendencies does wonders in making her all that much more interesting. She does have some funny moments (at last in a comedy series) and is just fun to follow through.

Of course, as I always say, CGDCT shows are carried by its characters. Now at last, characters who were introduced far too late or had too little screentime in S1 (namely Mikan) finally have their time to shine and they do bring a lot to the previously stale Momo-Shamiko only dynamic. New characters like Lico and Tenchou also make their appearances relatively early into S2, bringing all that much more into everyday SoL scenes with the whole gang. All in all, without invoking cast bloat, Machikado's rich cast easily elevates the show, in my eyes, compared to the otherwise dull two-man show from S1.

Although, what's most fascinating about Machikado is its overarching plot. While S1 featured some aspects of it, over there it felt more of an unnecessary intrusion and detracted heavily from the SoL aspects of the show. Now, it is woven in naturally and does not detract, nay, is vital to the whole experience. Instead of just having a flashback to Shamiko in the hospital, you actually get to see how it affects her and the people around her, as well as how she handles these situations. It's great stuff and it's a testament to both Ito's stronger grasp on the whole series as the manga went on over the years, and JC Staff's commitment to realizing her vision.

If there is any major gripe I have, it's that at times the anime feels too faithful to the original manga. A lot of jokes especially are taken straight from the manga and they aren't adapted to fit the anime medium better. Things like a panel breaking to show water leakage, or oversized speech bubbles and sound effects all feel clumsy in the anime. Faithfulness to the source material is one thing, but the inflexibility the staff shows when adapting it for TV does lessen the impact these jokes otherwise had in manga form.

Still, Machikado S2 has got to be the biggest improvement between successive seasons I have seen. It is an incredibly well made CGDCT show that successfully differentiates itself from other Kiraras with its surprisingly grim overarching plot that is ever so fun to follow week after week.

Ganbare Shamiko! Work hard for that coveted third season!

- Edit: I still stand by what I said in the review below, but I felt the need to add this new first paragraph after the final episode. Because, well, it took a while to get there, but the last episode feels like the punchline that the previous 11 episodes were leading up to. I won't spoil things, but it made me bump up my review by a point, and recaptured some of the charm I felt this season had lost. Original review follows. -

I like this show, but I can't in good faith give it a very high score. The first season is ... a little better, the concept still being fresh and the episodes not yet so plot, but gag driven. Yon-koma manga are HARD to adapt, they rely largely on jokes and gags to carry themselves, and this is no exception. In this season, the quirkiness that made the first so much fun is still there, but the story is getting more and more developed, and, well, the story just isn't that good.

Machikado Mazoku's strengths came from its bizarre humor and unique directional style. But in this second season, as story threads begin to take a center stage, there's less and less room for that same vein of jokey fun. The result is a show that, while enjoyable, isn't as fun in a humorous way as the first, and like I said, the humor was the first season's best asset. I don't really care about the intricacies of the war between the light and dark clans, and many of the mysteries surrounding the show aren't very compelling, so when the humor starts to take a bit of a backseat, it loses me a bit.

I still like and would easily recommend this season, but I enjoyed the gag-centric first season a lot more. The story and characters aren't really compelling enough to thrive without those elements, but her they take a backseat as I said. I would personally like a third season, but I don't think it really deserves it, and I doubt it'll get it. And I ultimately feel the show is sort of a victim of the need for serialization and its own success. It keeps getting grander in its scope, and as it does, it loses the charm of our original dynamic of Shamiko, the very weak, unfortunate, and ordinary girl, thrust into bizarre and surreal circumstances and learning to cope with them as best she can. The surreal has become mundane. This is just her life now, the fun, fish out of water stuff is gone. And that's okay when the story wraps up quickly, but it needs to drag on, it's a serialized manga after all, and I appreciate that mangaka are just artists struggling to make a living, but it's not as much fun as it once was, at least, not for me.

Anyway, I still like it, the show was never anywhere close to high art, and I'm still having fun, but it isn't what it used to be.

Machikado delivers yet again for season 2 with great episodes from start to finish and picks up where season 1 had left off from.

Season 2 not only has the light hearted comedy and demon girl/magical girl shenanigans it has the plot development the fans have been waiting 5 whole years for and boy was it worth the wait. Each episode went by so quickly and before you knew it the season came to a close.

So what do we get this season compared to season 1? we get to see Shamiko develop her powers more, we get to learn more about Mikan and Momo and ... even some new side characters are added into the mix.

Since the first season this show has always done a great job of mixing comedy directly into it's fantasy world building. It's a world where nobody questions a girl suddenly growing horns and a tail or the magical girl in the next class over. In this season we see the continuation of a plot thread introduced near the end of season 1 about Momo's sister who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, as well as figuring out how to cure Mikan of the bad luck curse she's got.

The comedy is very fast paced, as is most of the dialogue in general. It's the sort of show where ... a lot of the jokes might pass you right by the first time if you're not paying very close attention. I think for that it might have a lot of rewatch value for the type of people who like to rewatch things. There's a bit less emphasis on just beating up on Shamiko the whole time, in fact letting Momo be the butt of a lot more jokes this season. She probably deserves it, I always felt she was a bit on the evil side from the beginning, taking advantage of how naive our poor protagonist is.

Character growth feels slow, and the second half of the season kind of drags a bit with a lot of the same jokes just sort of being repeated. There were a lot of 'side quest' sort of things in the story that seemed sort of pointless, but in the very last episode they managed to tie most of them together in a sort of interesting way. Basically they needed a bunch of random stuff for a spell and it was stuff they all already had because of the side adventures they'd been doing. Convenient.

Overall I think I enjoyed the first season more, as it felt like it had a bit clearer direction and focus. The show was still funny, but it somehow just didn't live up to my hype and expectation for when the season was announced. Overall, 7/10