The hero and the demon lord are facing off in the final battle to decide the war between good and evil, humanity and immortals gifted with magic. The outcome may be surprising to the demon lord, but not to the hero. You see, humanity’s weakness—their mortality—is also their greatest strength: they will never stop fighting to live. As the demon lord fades away, it is with words of respect for the hero on his lips… and a promise to return. When the demon lord Veltol awakens, centuries later (resurrection takes time), it is to a world transformed not only by the passage of time, but by a catastrophe that saw the demon lord’s domain of Alnaeth collide and fuse with an entirely other world: Earth. It’s 2099 in Shinjuku and magic is everywhere, mediated by technology or magineering. And while the peoples and lifestyles of the fantasy realm and Earth may have merged amid the neon lights and futuristic architecture, the immortals and supporters of the demon lord have been forced to the margins where they hide from persecution. All, that is, except for Marcus. Will Veltol regain his dominion? And was that the hero amid the jostling Shinjuku crowds?
This is studio J.C. Staff’s fourth series this season, and dare I say it, the best, at least based on this premiere. The animation is in another league compared with the others, and though not in the top tier, the direction from Ryou Andou steps it up a notch and makes this a pleasing viewing experience. This is Andou’s first directorial lead, having been assistant director on both seasons of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, and responsible for episode direction and storyboards on 86, One Punch Man, and a raft of other series. From the outset, this comes across as a mature, serious story rather than a gimmicky, “seen it a million times” fantasy. The humor is played with a light touch, and instead, the focus is on the emotions and relationships shared between the characters. The mutual respect between the hero and demon lord and the contrast with Marcus is the kind of dynamic you can sink your teeth into, while Veltol’s tender comforting of his loyal servant Machina during the closing credits is surprisingly moving. Underpining these successes is the soundtrack, which absolutely makes the opening battle sequences. This is cinematic-quality epic scoring of the kind I’d expect from Two Steps from Hell or Zack Hemsey. Fantastic! I also appreciate the use of widescreen in the opening sequence, and the shoutouts to Blade Runner 2049 in the design, backgrounds, and color direction of the fused world, to complement the Ray Bradbury-inspired worldbuilding (what are those ports in the backs of their necks?!). All in all, this series is off to a surprisingly substantive start! I’m looking forward to next week’s episode.
Demon Lord 2099 can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
- Film Review: All You Need Is Kill - 01.15.2026
- First Impression: Kaya-chan isn’t Scary - 01.11.2026
- First Impression: Dead Account - 01.10.2026
[…] Read More […]