I'm really disappointed. After just having finished Hataraku Maou-sama! I'm annoyed that they didn't resolve ANY of the elements in the story. They don't even hint to what the Demon Lord's plans are in the future. Is he just gonna keep working at McRonald's? Does he want to go back? Even when confronted by Chiho he just says he can't because he used up all his magic. But that doesn't answer her question.
They didn't resolve anything with the Hero's past mentioned in episode 3. Throughout the entire series we're introduced to Emi's personal conflict and turmoil about Maou and the death of her family. Throughout the entire series they bring it up as the primary motivating factor for why she stalks him all the time. It would've been fine if they let it fade out or just an excuse that was just her self-denial of her new feelings toward Maou. But instead they bring it up in the last episode as something she still couldn't forgive and then roll to the credits without ever resolving what seems to be more than self-denial. I was half-expecting her to finally confront him about it and Maou basically saying that it wasn't him but one of his underlings out of his control or knowledge. Even if that was too convenient at least it would've resolved it in some way. Instead it was just re-introduced in the last episode and then never mentioned or even hinted at when the series ends...Lol.
I really enjoyed the first battle in episodes 2-3. When the characters went back to their original casual pace of just making ends meet and struggling to get by, and re-introducing the cute tension between Maou and Emi, I was able to move on without that much thought and enjoy the romantic-comedy part of the show. However what made the show entertaining and funny in the beginning they didn't continue later on. In the last episode they didn't re-establish Ashiya's amusing domesticated frugalness or sickliness. Instead, they run him off to deal with a problem that really doesn't accomplish anything but re-introduce Emi's personal mis-trust of Maou-sama before ending the series.
The other irritating thing is they make all the previous enemies escape one episode before the climatic battle, defeat them, and let them escape again. The antagonists all come back but the anime doesn't mention what happens to them and throws them back into the episode (through a bamboo tree?) just for kicks and convenience sake.
If I didn't enjoy this anime's characters so much in beginning, I probably would've scored this anime as average. I enjoyed the romantic tension/chemistry between Maou and Emi. I loved Emi's shyness and inferiority-complex of her chest-size. I loved how she annoyed she got at her co-workers and other characters mis-interpreting her relationship with Maou.
The other aspect I really enjoyed was Ashiya's character. Always freaking out and being so vocal about spending money and always having something to say about saving money. I loved how they introduced that concept in the middle of battle as well as a misunderstanding. I loved watched both of them struggle to their next meal and try to eat cheap things. I loved also seeing Ashiya constantly paying for his cheapness by getting sick and also freaking out about going to the hospital.
I also found Suzuno's character very cute and amusing because she had studied all really old samurai movies about feudal japan to learn about the modern day culture. The fact that she only had traditional clothes and called subways, underground trains was hilarious. It re-introduced what makes this anime consistently funny from the beginning till the middle of the series, which is that of characters adapting to a foreign world and misunderstanding a lot of cultural things that make for hilarious and laugh out loud moments.
What bugs me the most is how they didn't resolve anything. Maou-sama still didn't say what his plans are for the future. Emi never got over her issue of having her dad killed by the demons nor her faked death by the church. both Orba and the angel Sarue get thrown back into the series at the last minute after each time getting beat in battle. Nor really ever discussing anything regarding Suzuno and Chiho who also seem to have some sort of tension with Maou in the end.
I can understand why they didn't do that with Lucifer since they basically added him as a character in their stronghold as a NEET which was amusingly funny and a hilarious way to resolve his betrayal of Orba. But why Orba and the Angel Sarue? They resolve that element of the story after a huge fight by letting them free again? That's really lame. xD
All-in-all because of the cute characters and funny relationships and tensions, I"d have to say I enjoy this series as a whole. However I think this anime could've been really great. Even if it wasn't really great..it could've also have been very good but failed to do that because it didn't progress the story or resolve any of the dilemmas at all.
It makes me seriously think the writers really suck or that the manga writer has something else in mind for those characters if the manga keeps going where the anime leaves off.
I'm really disappointed. After just having finished Hataraku Maou-sama! I'm annoyed that they didn't resolve ANY of the elements in the story. They don't even hint to what the Demon Lord's plans are in the future. Is he just gonna keep working at McRonald's? Does he want to go back? Even when confronted by Chiho he just says he can't because he used up all his magic. But that doesn't answer her question.
They didn't resolve anything with the Hero's past mentioned in episode 3. Throughout the entire series we're introduced to Emi's personal conflict and turmoil about Maou and the death of her family. Throughout the entire series they bring it up as the primary motivating factor for why she stalks him all the time. It would've been fine if they let it fade out or just an excuse that was just her self-denial of her new feelings toward Maou. But instead they bring it up in the last episode as something she still couldn't forgive and then roll to the credits without ever resolving what seems to be more than self-denial. I was half-expecting her to finally confront him about it and Maou basically saying that it wasn't him but one of his underlings out of his control or knowledge. Even if that was too convenient at least it would've resolved it in some way. Instead it was just re-introduced in the last episode and then never mentioned or even hinted at when the series ends...Lol.
I really enjoyed the first battle in episodes 2-3. When the characters went back to their original casual pace of just making ends meet and struggling to get by, and re-introducing the cute tension between Maou and Emi, I was able to move on without that much thought and enjoy the romantic-comedy part of the show. However what made the show entertaining and funny in the beginning they didn't continue later on. In the last episode they didn't re-establish Ashiya's amusing domesticated frugalness or sickliness. Instead, they run him off to deal with a problem that really doesn't accomplish anything but re-introduce Emi's personal mis-trust of Maou-sama before ending the series.
The other irritating thing is they make all the previous enemies escape one episode before the climatic battle, defeat them, and let them escape again. The antagonists all come back but the anime doesn't mention what happens to them and throws them back into the episode (through a bamboo tree?) just for kicks and convenience sake.
If I didn't enjoy this anime's characters so much in beginning, I probably would've scored this anime as average. I enjoyed the romantic tension/chemistry between Maou and Emi. I loved Emi's shyness and inferiority-complex of her chest-size. I loved how she annoyed she got at her co-workers and other characters mis-interpreting her relationship with Maou.
The other aspect I really enjoyed was Ashiya's character. Always freaking out and being so vocal about spending money and always having something to say about saving money. I loved how they introduced that concept in the middle of battle as well as a misunderstanding. I loved watched both of them struggle to their next meal and try to eat cheap things. I loved also seeing Ashiya constantly paying for his cheapness by getting sick and also freaking out about going to the hospital.
I also found Suzuno's character very cute and amusing because she had studied all really old samurai movies about feudal japan to learn about the modern day culture. The fact that she only had traditional clothes and called subways, underground trains was hilarious. It re-introduced what makes this anime consistently funny from the beginning till the middle of the series, which is that of characters adapting to a foreign world and misunderstanding a lot of cultural things that make for hilarious and laugh out loud moments.
What bugs me the most is how they didn't resolve anything. Maou-sama still didn't say what his plans are for the future. Emi never got over her issue of having her dad killed by the demons nor her faked death by the church. both Orba and the angel Sarue get thrown back into the series at the last minute after each time getting beat in battle. Nor really ever discussing anything regarding Suzuno and Chiho who also seem to have some sort of tension with Maou in the end.
I can understand why they didn't do that with Lucifer since they basically added him as a character in their stronghold as a NEET which was amusingly funny and a hilarious way to resolve his betrayal of Orba. But why Orba and the Angel Sarue? They resolve that element of the story after a huge fight by letting them free again? That's really lame. xD
All-in-all because of the cute characters and funny relationships and tensions, I"d have to say I enjoy this series as a whole. However I think this anime could've been really great. Even if it wasn't really great..it could've also have been very good but failed to do that because it didn't progress the story or resolve any of the dilemmas at all.
It makes me seriously think the writers really suck or that the manga writer has something else in mind for those characters if the manga keeps going where the anime leaves off.