Anime Kyou Kara Maou!

[Dagger]

I am [i]completely[/i] in love with this series. It's currently being fansubbed by LivE-EviL and Shoujo-Ai (which is extraordinarily ironic, but I'll get to that later). Based on a series of novels published by Kodokawa, Kyou Kara Maou is obviously aimed at girls--although it promises to feature some interesting action sequences once the plot gets underway.

Fans of the manwha Demon Diary may find the show's basic premise somewhat familiar, and that's one of the reasons I like it so much. The main character, a fifteen-year-old boy named Yuuri, gets sucked* to another world where he is supposed to reign supreme as the Maou (demon king). Yuuri's kind-hearted nature, sardonic mental commentary and comic disbelief combine to make him one of the most likeable male leads I've ever seen.

If I was asked to classify Kyou Kara Maou, I would probably describe it as a comedic fantasy.... with plenty of homosexual undertones. I'm sure some females will show up eventually, but episode 1 focuses almost exclusively on uber-pretty men. Fortunately, these aren't your typical stoic bishounen; each has his own quirks and seems to be more than a simple stereotype. One character is voiced by the same woman who played Okita Souji in Peace Maker Kurogane--in my opinion, that alone is good reason to continue following the series.

Although I doubt Maou will feature any actual shounen-ai, it's the perfect anime to tide me over until Gravitation receives its American release. All in all, a great watch. ^_^

*Note my masterful pun.

~Dagger~

[densuke]

This series has one of the crazier opening gimmicks this season (well, not crazier than Midori no Hibi) but settles down quickly into a friendly comedy. The shounen-ai puns remind me of older series like [b]Mahou Tsukai Tai![/b], and that's not a bad thing at all. The first episode clued the viewer in on what was going on; I don't know why this is often too much to ask for these days.

The scenes with Yuuri and his new companions were funny and the cast played off each other right away. This is noteworthy because not every series manages to achieve this quickly (or ever) and because interaction can be a good and concise way to develop the characters.

[Dagger]

Nearly the entirety of episode 2 had me in stitches. [spoiler]Conrad's mother[/spoiler] is so gorgeous, shounen-ai friendly, funny and clearly rather clever that I like her as much any of Kyou Kara Maou's bishounen.

I can't even begin to name all of the hilarious bits in this episode. Naturally, the part when Gunther gives Yuuri that [spoiler]teensy black thong[/spoiler] proved to be quite memorable. I'm happy to see that the shounen-ai innuendo has become significantly more pointed while still remaining light-hearted and amusing.

The [spoiler]proposal[/spoiler] scene nearly made me cry with laughter; it was so unexpected and deliciously absurd. Note that Yuuri never asked for their [spoiler]engagement[/spoiler] to be nullified... ^_~

~Dagger~

[r2vq]

It's been almost 2 weeks but I finally saw the first episode of Kyou Kara Maou.

I have to say I am disappointed. I expected this series to be the really really bad. When I watched it, I found NONE of the jokes funny, and the story just got me bored.

The characters have NO interesting points and the animation is one of the WORST I've EVER seen. I hate this series and I'm NOT going to watch it again.

[spoiler]Now, read everything I said but this time know that I meant the OPPOSITE of _EVERYTHING_ said above. :)[/spoiler]

-ArV

[JazzLady22]

I've just watched the first episode of Kyou Kara Maou! I can't get the second one, as my computer has trouble with the distro. I'll have to wait for A-One's version!

A~nyways, I'm very excited about this series. The first episode was just [I]wonderful[/I], and it sucked me right in from the start. Mostly because the start was different from anything I've ever seen. EVER. Once I got over the initial shock, it's a rather innovative concept, ne?

And of course, I have to mention this. Bishounen. They're absolutely everywhere in this series. You can't go through one scene without thinking, "Gosh he's pretty, in a manly sort of way." But even though Yuuri is no Fornchrist, or Okita's-seiyuu-blonde-kid (haven't had too much contact with him yet, but I already like him ^_^), he's pretty cute, and he's got a great personality. He could so easily fall into the stereotype of some kind of alienated, apathetic teen who's forced into a situation that's over his head, and he's selfish about the situation... you get the picture.

The plot is quite reminiscent of Demon Diary! And hopefully, since it's so similar, we can have some similar shounen-ai vibes? Pretty pretty please?

EDIT: Oh dear Lord, [spoiler]Conrad is a Red Sox fan.[/spoiler] I love this series!

[Dagger]

I simply can't get enough of this show. It's so amusing that the one person who looks even mildly scruffy and/or unattractive ends up becoming Yuuri's main enemy. ^_^ And I'm quite grateful to S-Ai and L-E for deciding to change how they spell the characters' names; after all, "Wolfram" sounds much more plausible than "Volflam."

Speaking of which, I love that boy! Not only is he ridiculously pretty, but he also has an unexpected nice streak. [spoiler]In fact, he and Yuuri seem to be getting along rather well. I was surprised when he told Yuuri to go with Adalbert, and equally surprised by his insisting that he would return no matter what.[/spoiler]

Hmm.... maybe [spoiler]coming into contact with a powerful flow of water causes Yuuri to change worlds? Nothing happened when he was bathing in episode 2, but there must be some connection between the toilet and the waterfall--and the fact that water is his element.[/spoiler]

Personally, I find myself strongly in favor of the Yuuri/Wolfram pairing. Conrad is too much like an older brother (besides, he's naturally flirtatious--he must've gotten it from his mother), and Gunther is just too old. Actually, if these demons are as long-lived as those in, say, Inuyasha and Demon Diary, age differences shouldn't really be an issue. The scene where [spoiler]Yuuri's being sucked away and Gunther goes straight for his belt[/spoiler] just about killed me. My poor stomach shall never recover from all that laughing.

~Dagger~

[Guest Kamitzu]

^_^ This is one of my favorite anime series!
I have seen four episodes, and am now totally addicted.
This is just so funny anime. Shounen-ai in this, is one thing I give lots of points.

I really like those bishounens: Wolfie :love: & Gwendal * I wonder, if anyone else likes him*. For that I give one reason... he's so cute, though he doesn't smile often.
And ofcourse Yuuri and Konrad ;)

[Dagger]

Ahaha, episode 6 is a work of genius.

[spoiler]Poor Wolf. He's having such a hard time expressing his feelings. ^_~ Thank heaven for conveniently placed closets! That joke was hilarious in a sly, wicked sort of way... I could see it coming from the moment Wolfram stormed off toward what looked to be a random wardrobe-like piece of furniture.

Speaking of randomness, did anyone else enjoy watching Gunther and Gwendal get high? Gunther's cat reminded me rather strongly of Puss in Boots (Shrek 2's alternative annoying talking animal). Between its mournful expression and the two men's mad giggling, I couldn't make myself stop snickering.[/spoiler]

Originally I was convinced that the man who hired Yuuri intended to use him as a model, or something to that effect. ^_^;;

~Dagger~

[densuke]

L-E and S-A are no longer doing this series. If you really want to find out why you can check the L-E forum.

I really hate the OP and ED for this show; limp Xerox punk has neither a purpose nor any musical quality. Japanese Green Day imitators/earitators are almost as bad as Japanese hip-hop; I really wish a new trend would spring up to wipe them away...

The backstory in episode 4 looked like it could have been fun if they didn't do the whole thing in 20-second infobursts.

[Guest Leina]

I adore Kyou Kara Maou! I actually joined an lj community about it and I'm happy to see that there's a Maruma RP in livejournal as well ^_^

Anyway, episode 6 was classic. I'm sure it just keeps getting better. I actually watched the raw version of episode 10. Now watching it was fun, but if only I knew what they were saying ^^;; I wanna talk a bit more about it, but I'm not quite sure how to make the text all black... -.-o

[adempton]

(Hi, I'm new!)

I also very quickly fell in love with this series. I can't wait for 7! It has just enough shounen-ai suggestiveness to keep me satisfied. ^_^ (Oh and Wolfram is gorgeous.) All of the little jokes are perfectly placed. [spoiler]Actually in the beginning when Wolfram's mother said "the men must be all over you" or something to that effect to Wolfram, I literally moved the slider back and re-read what she said.[/spoiler] Little things like that make me think "too good to be true!" or "did they actually say that??" since it's way more subtle than something like Gravitation. In a lot of anime I find myself annoyed at the basic female character approaching my favorite bishounen, and spoiling my shounen-ai fantasy :mad: But Kyou Kara Maou's atmosphere is just right. I want the [spoiler]engagement[/spoiler] humor to continue! Or perphaps progress. :D

~adempton

[Dagger]

Wow, it's been a while since I thought about this show. According to Moon Phase, a second Kyou Kara Maou series is supposed to start airing in April. I don't know what that will mean for the overall episode count, but it's still very cool. Apparently the anime did much better in Japan than anyone had expected. Maybe this means the studio behind KKM is going to start putting more money into making the animation consistent...? Hope springs eternal, I guess. -_-

The more I look back on what I saw of the series, the more I like Conrad. He's much less mercurial and PMS-y than Wolfram. Not to imply that I favor the Conrad/Yuuri pairing, but it's nice to have someone stable in the group. Though Gwendal is equally reliable, he's also too grumpy and hen-pecked to count. Gunther and Wolfram are both all over the map when it comes to having crazy mood swings. Conrad, unlike most of the other adults in the show, is a relatively good influence.

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the new official title (Kyo Kara Maoh). Not a huge spelling change, and it doesn't look dreadfully ugly or anything, but it seems kind of pointless to indicate the elongated vowel sound in "Maoh" and then just ignore the one in "Kyoh." Meh.

~Dagger~

[Sage Kaley]

Well ok this is a bit of an old topic but I didn't want to start a new one just to go "omg I wanna talk about this now!"

Well recently my friend has given me a list of anime I must see and after viewing them, I found myself hooked on KKM. I'm up to episode 30 and must say I'm in love with Conrad, Wolfram, Yuuri...heck I like everyone. But pairings wise I meant hee. But I actually really like how it's serious sometimes but just funny and zany enough to keep you happy.

I can't believe how hard I fell for this anime. I'm really glad it's being dubbed, although some of the changes were a little weird. Like the urine joke ^^;; It might have been easier to just explain the pun with the names...but it's fine (minus Izzy from Digimon as Wolfram, I still see Izzy in my head) I love Gunter though. Goes right with the Pegasus/Ayame type that I find so funny.

So I hope no one minds me reviving this thread (nods) I just wanted to see if anyone else is new to the series and in love with it.

[EVA Unit 100]

I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only boy to post in this thread, but after watching the first 3 episodes of this show I can say this could easily become a new favorite of mine! In all honesty, this is a show I would probably hate if it wasn't so funny. With all of the rediculously corny plot and visual elements, this honestly feels like somebody was giving an entirely different show the Sealab/Duel Masters redub treatment. And yet, this is an authentic piece of work. What a work of genius! I must finish watching volume 1 and get volume 2!

[Dagger]

Funny, I just started watching volume 3. This is getting into the set of episodes I haven't seen previously (I originally stopped around episode 11 or 12), which is nice. Some great moments: [spoiler]Yuri's mom's anti-stalker moves, Bandou-kun the dolphin, the sand panda (what really cracked me up was when Yuri started saying stuff like "There's something cute going 'Banzai!' out in the desert..."), etc.[/spoiler]

Interesting trivia: Geneon's credits lists one of the animators as being Maki Murakami. Probably a different Maki Murakami from the Gravitation manga-ka, but it'd be pretty cool if she actually worked on KKM.

~Dagger~

[rkenfan82]

this show was funny but weird.

[Hayama]

I just started watching this series about 3 weeks ago for no particular reason and through the magic of the internet I've seen through episode 48. I LOVE THIS SHOW! The characters are so different from eachother but all lovable. Wolfram and Conrad are my favorites. Wolfram because he's so funny bursting out in anger and Conrand for being an awesome swordsman and so hot! At first I thought Yuuri would be an annoying main character but after like 2 episodes I realized that I love him too. I think the show has a great balance of serious battles and hilarious situations. :rotflmao: This anime was WAY better than I expected and I'm so glad I started watching it.

I heart sand pandas!

[lumpy3922]

I really don't know if it's new or not, but it happens to be for me. I just wanted to know if anyone else had ever heard of it. And to know what you thought about it. I know I think it's extremly funny. I just love it. The hole story plot is funny, and the art is so beautiful. I myself have only seen the first volume of it. But I'm in love, it's now the newest member of my collection, and should be in yours. Well if you like to laugh that is. Sure theirs not much action or swears, but it's one of the funniest that I've seen. The dubs not to bad either, I know I like it better then the sub, but that's me.


So if you have seen it, please tell me what you think.

[Nomura]

I've heard about this series, and so far I'm hoping that I will see it soon. From what I've heard, you guys must really like it, so I probably will too... :animesmil

[Guest Tenchi-sama]

this series is good, right now i'm trying to get season 2. i have volume 1-9 on DVD and trying to get the other ones. this series is kinda long like a while ago i went on youtube to find out whats the latest episode and it was up to episode 76 or 78. but i heard from this one guy i know they they are still making more episode. i can't wait until i complete this series.[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][INDENT][SIZE="2"][B]Tenchi-sama[/B], next time check the [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=38208"][U]Official Thread Directory[/U][/URL] before you start a new thread. ~Aaryanna[/SIZE][/INDENT][/FONT][/COLOR]

[B][COLOR="Red"]-Wow, it's been a while since I thought about this show. According to Moon Phase, a second Kyou Kara Maou series is supposed to start airing in April. [/COLOR][/B]

-well the second series already came out like the beginning of this year and season 2 has volume 5 out already

[B][COLOR="Red"]Speaking of randomness, did anyone else enjoy watching Gunther and Gwendal get high? Gunther's cat reminded me rather strongly of Puss in Boots (Shrek 2's alternative annoying talking animal). Between its mournful expression and the two men's mad giggling, I couldn't make myself stop snickering.[/COLOR][/B]

i remember that part, it was so funny that i started to cough a little while ago. its one of my favorite scene. how about the one other scene where Yuri and the other went to the castle of wolfram, conrad, and gwendel uncle. the part where they decide to help the uncle with Gunther and then it turn to Yuri pointing to a painting of himself in a pose like a girlie magazine.[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][INDENT][SIZE="2"][B]Tenchi-sama[/B], while you're at it check the [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/rules.php?"][U]Rules[/U][/URL] as well. Do not double post, if you wish to add something simply use the edit button in the lower right hand corner of your post. You've gotten plenty of warnings about checking the rules before posting. Members who continue to ignore the rules can end up getting banned, so please start following them. ~Aaryanna[/SIZE][/INDENT][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Japan]

My friend got this series and she encouraged to have me watch it. I watched all that is on DVD right now. Second season included(So far). But because of the difference in episode count for the second season, I was not able to finish the anime online. Basically, Geneon went broke and there went the DVDs.

Back on topic. Gwendal is my favorite other than Yozak. Wolfram really annoys the hell out of me. I can't stop thinking of DigitalBoy when I think of Conrad, and I wish I could finish the series for once. I really love this anime.

[Vigilance]

Aww yes, I remember this series, its been awhile since someone brought up this topic.What I think of this series is that this series is awesome and is like I gotta watch more of it. Well currently I have Volume 1-9 on DVD and I am planning to start the second season soon, and hopefully that I have enough money to get started on season 2. Well there are some moment I like, like when Gwendal was making something when Gunther came in. Then Gwendal saw a cat in the cage and it was looking at him very adorable. Later something happen, then Gwendal was holding the cat and Gunther and Gwendal then was acting very funny like they were high or something. Another part is in one other episode, where Wolfram mother is getting married, is where Yuri, Gunther, Wolfram, Gwendal, and Conrad decide to help there uncle. Then Yuri want to do something and it turns out to be a painting of him in a pose like in a girlie magazine. That part always crack me up.

[MajorSarcastic]

I love Gwendal and his love of cute things. I love Gwendal's knited plushies.

Yuuri: *refering to keychain Gwendal gave him* "Aw! What a cute kitty!!"

Gwendal: *deadpanned* "It's a raccoon."

Yuuri: ...oh...

I love everybody in this series. Except Stoffel. He annoys me.

Season 3 is out now btw and is being subbed by Shoku-dan! Watch the OVA too! [spoiler]Yuuri and Wolfram kiss!!! :3[/spoiler]