How Not To Summon A Demon Lord – The Best Ecchi Anime In 2018??

I’m not sure if it’s the best anime I’ve seen.

Especially as far as the last few years. Most just aren’t satisfying enough..

But here’s the thing: I don’t even understand WHY I like how not to summon a demon lord so much.

I’ve watched anime shows like:

• Date A Live.
• High School DxD (on-hold).
• Monster Musume.
• My First Girlfriend Is A Gal.
• Etc.

And they all disappointed me (especially Date A Live).

Ecchi Is one of my most hated genres.

Why the hate for Ecchi shows?

I hate most ecchi shows because they’re full of sad, pitiful clichés that attempt to make the plot more entertaining or “funny”. When in reality it’s about as funny as child abuse (you get the idea).

And in many cases: very few Ecchi shows differentiate themselves from the crowd.

Instead they choose to use “cheap tricks” to make things more appealing when the creators are obviously running out of ideas.

I get that Ecchi is exactly that. Ecchi (soft porno I suppose) but still I can’t stand most of them.

So what makes How Not To Summon A Demon Lord different?

When I first came across How Not To Summon A Demon Lord, I rolled my eyes.

I thought: “not another one of those cliché shows with enough brainless fan-service to make me puke”.

But as it turns out, a lot of people started talking about it. And so I thought: why not give it a try?

It’s better to try something before you knock it (meaning don’t judge based on assumptions). And so from there, I watched the first episode of this “interesting” looking anime series.

I don’t have any regrets. 😉

What I love about “How Not To Summon A Demon Lord” so far:

1. The paradoxical main character: Diablo (the demon lord)

The main character: Takuma Sakamoto, is a hardcore gamer at heart. Who loves and has mastered the video game: Cross Reverie.

As luck would have it he ends up being transported into the video game as the demon lord Diablo. The most powerful character in the video game.

And this is where the journey begins in episode 1.

The reason Diablo is a paradoxical character is because:

• He’s really an introvert who has NO social skills whatsoever. Or any experience with “women”.
• But on the other hand, because he’s the demon lord he has no choice but to “act tough” and stick out his chest.

From the first episode onwards, you get to experience both sides of his personality clashing back and forth. Similar to the game: tug of war.

That’s what makes Diablo such an entertaining, hilarious but relatable character with blatant insecurities.

2. The close relationships between Diablo, Shera and Rem

It’s obvious Shera L Greenwood is designed with “fan-service” in mind.

Where as Rem is designed to be the opposite of Shera (physically speaking).

That’s my take on it.

But besides all the silly fan service and comedy, the relationship between Shera, Diablo and Rem is special.

First off there’s Rem and Diablo’s relationship.

Rem has a disturbing secret she’s unable to tell anyone, because it would put her life at risk.

Ever since she spilled the beans and revealed her “deep” secrets to Diablo, their bond has grown stronger with each episode.

I also like how Rem’s relationship with Diablo is a little more “mature” compared to Shera’s.

And then there’s Diablo’s relationship with Shera L Greenwood.

Shera’s #1 goal is freedom. A luxury she’s never had because of her back story.

In an indirect way, Diablo gives Shera the freedom to live life on her own terms. Instead of only living to be a “yes woman” and a please pleaser who does what everyone else expects her to do.

Fan-service aside (there’s a lot of it), Shera and Diablo’s relationship runs deeper than a graveyard.

Except it’s sweeter and more gentle than that.

3. The action and battle scenes

If you’re a fan of video games (this is what the anime is based on) you’ll appreciate the theme of this anime in general.

The battle and fight scenes in particular are enough to make you say: “oh sh*t”.

From what I’ve seen so far, fights aren’t too common in this anime. Compared to the average episode at least.

But when sh*t does hit the fan, this anime gets bloody, gritty, and throws in a little “bad-assery” when the time is right.

I’ve yet to feel disappointed by any of the fight scenes in general.

It feels as if each one becomes even more intense than the last. And every one of them happens (or follows) something shocking that punches you in the gut.

4. The blend of comedy and ridiculous fan-service

For whatever reason – I don’t mind the fan-service at all.

Sometimes it might make me “cringe” or facepalm myself, but then a minute later I’m laughing at how ridiculous it all seems.

In fact that’s what the appeal is when it comes to how not to summon a demon lord.

• The comedy is too silly to be taken seriously.
• And because of that – you have to laugh. Because it’s too ridiculous to make sense of it.
• It’s also “different” in the way it deals with it (as opposed to the fan-service in general).

For an ecchi and gaming department.

Somehow it’s able to make you laugh, build a connection with the characters, and at times, spice things up just enough to make the anime feel “serious”.

Even if it’s only for a moment.

Not the kind of series you should watch in public 😉

Though it’s not common, there are episodes that are too extreme to be watching in public.

In fact you can’t even watch this anime safely with kids around. Because the fan-service takes it to a whole new level that’s too sexual and borderline-explicit.

But it’s the kind of anime you should watch with friends (or by yourself) for a good laugh.

How Not To Summon A Demon Lord – the best ecchi anime of 2018?

If you ask me, the answer is yes. I haven’t finished it yet but I’m going to.

The unique blend of gaming + ecchi is an angle I love. And how not to summon a demon lord seems to have done it “right” compared to older shows.

So if you’re into gaming anime, give this one a try.

It might surprise you as much as it surprised me.

Final thoughts:

• This anime gets better the more you watch it.
• Don’t be turned off by the first episode and the clichés.
• Fan-service MIGHT be too “strong” for some viewers.
• Depending on your tastes, you might hate (or love) this anime.
• It’s not the best anime I’ve ever seen, but for an Ecchi series it’s impressive.
• If you can get past the fan-service, you’re in good hands.

Just don’t take it too seriously and you’ll have a lot of fun with this one.

–

Recommended:

5 Unique Differences Between Rem And Ram

Anime Vs Manga – Which One Is Better?