It's been a pleasant surprise for me because I, like many others, was prepared to brush it off as a yet another raunchy comedy starring an annoying shitgremlin paired with a bargain bin "I quit the hero party" protag. While the "raunchy comedy" part of that description is certainly fair (*cough* Zenia's ass *cough*), the rest isn't, and discarding the series on those grounds would be missing the forest for the trees.
The main thing that sets Level 1 Demon Lord apart from the typical example of its genre is how much informed effort went into writing its characters into the setting. The author takes the popular fantasy premise of a group of heroes vanquishing the demon lord and deconstructs the aftermath of such a group having to live with the consequences in the new world they've helped create. They had trained and honed their skill to fight the demonic threat, but nothing prepared them for what was to come.
This is an inherently interesting subject to explore. It's easy to delude oneself into thinking that if somebody becomes renowned for their superior skill or efforts in doing something particular, they should be expected to perform just as well in other aspects of life. But the bar on that burden of expectations becomes unreasonable even when you're doing something much less heroic than literally saving the world. Especially so when any single one of your actions is scrutinized, and at the same time all sorts of unsavory people are trying to take advantage of you and your fame. Previous season's Oshi no Ko dedicates a lot of attention to this theme.
Unsurprisingly, our hero Max has failed to live up to that and become a valued member of the new society that owes its livelihood to his heroic deeds. Taking a number of bad hits to his reputation right from the start, he chose to keep a low profile to protect himself and his friends from scorn and abuse, knowing that he shouldn't be caught involved in something that would be spun as unbecoming of a hero. But by his mere existence, Max attracts bad encounters. This lifestyle turned him into an impoverished alcoholic deadbeat, and the show doesn't attempt to sugarcoat that. A horrible, crushing situation to find oneself in—not just for himself but also for his friends and admirers. But as disillusioned and bitter as it gets, but, even at his lowest point, he still upholds his humanity and the virtuous principles that made him a hero—because that's who he is.
And this is where the (adorable) Demon Lord steps in. Having resurrected after ten years... prematurely, in an androgynous childlike body, but still full of admiration for his fated rival, the Lord immediately goes to check out how Max has fares after their epic showdown. And seeing his sorry state, doesn't become the selfish deadweight as would be expected of a typical shitgremlin character, but rather takes Max's side and actively helps get his life back on track to be worthy of the person he was at their first encounter. It's a heartfelt relationship based on sincerity and respect, which makes their onscreen dynamic a joy to behold.
There's a depth and charm to these characters that you can't help but notice already by the end of episode 2. At that point you already know you want them to succeed. And the best part is that the series isn't even a slice-of-life account of Max's rehab: it has an actual plot that involves the rest of the hero crew who adapted to the new reality in their own separate ways. Every episode brings forth some new development; other characters have agency, various events are happening, and things are moving forward. There is very good music (some heavy metal for once!) and voice acting to complement the plot and characters, too, and surprisingly expressive animation to top it off.
Now, to address the elephant in the room, which is Zenia—the Demon Lord's trusted secretary—and her monumental body features. She's pretty much the fan service character (it's even more egregious in the manga, having one of the scenes literally subtitled as the "obligatory money shot"), and the camera never fails to show off her curvy assets in the most distractingly blatant ways possible. Personally, I feel right now it detracts from the show more so than it adds, but maybe they're going somewhere else with it. In any case, this is mostly limited to her character and doesn't really occupy a lot of screen time as the show goes on.
To sum it up, if you want a genuinely sweet and interesting buddy comedy that deals with some very heavy themes but still has more than enough levity to avoid becoming Welcome to the NHK, do yourself a favor and give Level 1 Demon Lord a chance.
