Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun is an isekai anime that takes place in the netherworld/underworld. All of the characters are demons aside from Suzuki Iruma, a human boy whose parents sold him to a high-ranking demon in exchange for money. This delightfully devilish series already has me fawning and looking forward to the next season.
If you like isekai with a dark twist, this is for you. While you’re in quarantine, you should know that Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The Japanese title of this anime is Mairimashita! Iruma-kun and it’s based on a lengthy manga series. I’m very satisfied with this anime for many reasons, but here’s a few that stand out to me the most:
First thing’s first: I like the storyline. The story follows Iruma, a human boy who’s incapable of saying “no” whenever anyone asks him for anything. When his parents sold him to the chair demon (Lord Sullivan in Japanese and Soloman in English), he was working to support their lazy butts despite still being very young himself. Ever since Iruma arrives in the netherworld, he gets royal treatment from his doting adoptive grandfather, a vast upgrade compared to what he was used to. However, he can’t let anyone know he’s human while he’s attending Babyls, the most prestigious demon school in the land, or else he could attract the wrong kind of attention. (In case you were wondering, demon border patrol is a thing.) The only way he can return to the human world is by ascending the ranks as a demon, but does he really want to go back?
Despite Iruma’s desire to be lowkey, he winds up standing out more than any other student. For instance, he’s friends with Asmodeus Alice, the top student in his freshman class, and Valac Clara, an innocent, impulsive, and not-so-witty demon who’s just as sweet as the heart on her tail. Both of these demons are better friends to Iruma than anyone he ever knew in the real world. Also, he winds up summoning his own teacher as a familiar. (By the way, Iruma’s teacher is Naberius Kalego, my newest anime crush. What a hellish hunk.) As a human in the netherworld, he also gains special magical abilities that he didn’t possess in the human world. As a witch, I appreciate that both demons and humans are recognized as powerful in their own ways.
Speaking of witchcraft, I enjoy anime with occult themes, but I especially enjoy this anime in particular. I appreciate how the characters are not only named after actual demons, but they have their attributes as well. In this anime, you’ll encounter Belial, Behemoth, Asmodeus, and more in the form of anime characters. Seeing King Paimon drawn as a cute anime girl alone makes this series worth watching for anyone who’s interested in occultism or demons.
While I was watching this series, I noticed myself getting very wrapped up in the world-building. I looked forward to returning to the universe in Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun because it’s rich, decadent, and full of nuance. It’s nowhere near as ridiculous as the world in Onara Gorou (another anime that’s available on Crunchyroll), but it’s wild enough to capture an audience’s interest. Exploring the netherworld sounds fun, especially with a rich and powerful adoptive grandfather as well as supportive friends.
Watch Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun on Crunchyroll. You won’t regret it. In the meantime, I’ll be waiting for the next season to come out.
