Forum - View topicAkuma-kun (ONA 2023).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11305 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Akuma-kun (ONA) Source: Manga (completed @ 3 volumes, by Shigeru Mizuki) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: Encourage Films Genres: horror, supernatural, thriller Themes: apocalyptic, demons, mythology Plot Summary: When Mr. Satou, a company employee at the world's largest electronics company, is called upon by his boss to tutor his only son in exchange for a high ranking position within the organization, things couldn't have been peachier. At least, that's what he thought... Little did he know that his student was Ichirou Matsushita, a young boy with the mind of a genius and a terrifying hidden agenda. It doesn't take long for Satou to realize that he is the second home tutor in as many weeks that has been sent to teach the little boy. What's even more unnerving is that the previous Tutor's whereabouts appear to be a mystery... The little boy's true identity is revealed when he puts Satou under a curse, turning him into a lizard man and making him one of servants. Little Ichirou Matsushita is none other than "Akuma-kun" boy genius and master of black magic. His goal? To open the portal between hell and earth, summon forth hell's most powerful demons, and enlist their help in taking over the world! [-MAL] Air Date & Platform: November 9, 2023 (Thursday) Available on: Netflix Episode Count / Runtime: 12 episodes ---------------------------------- Heard of the franchise, but never knew the manga was all the way back from the '60s. The apocalyptic tag is just my guess. But looking at the key art, I'm wondering if it'll be anything like Devilman, but slightly more cheery or comedic, maybe more along the lines of Good Omens. Either way, impending doom under the backdrop of mythological figures always has potential. Last edited by Tony K. on Thu Apr 11, 2024 5:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23832 |
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I'll check it out. By the way, Tony K., has creating this season's blizzard of series discussion threads caused you carpal tunnel syndrome yet?
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11305 Location: Frisco, TX |
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The threads are about 50/50 typing and copying/pasting, so not quite
 . It is a crap-ton of pages to look through, though.
For each thread I make, I always have one tab for MAL's entry, one for ANN's, then one for Wikipedia to get all the proper descriptors and background info. I don't make a thread for every show listed. But I try to, at least, make 'em for the popular ones, or ones that sound kind of interesting. As of now, I've created/updated 57 threads for Fall '23, so that's 171 pages I've had to look through this month. There's only one more title left in MAL's slate I'm interested in, and that'll be it. Then, I can get back to capping! 
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Gina Szanboti
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So I've watched the first 4 episodes now and would definitely recommend it. However, what I've seen so far does not really match the description above. I'm wondering if that fits the earlier incarnation from 1989-90? They've mentioned a couple of times that he's not the first "Akuma-kun" (I think that's his adoptive father), and his name is Ichirou Umoregi rather than Ichirou Matsushita. I don't think we've met any one named Satou yet (though there was a lizardy creature in ep 4), but this Akuma-kun is partnered with half-demon Mephisopheles III, and rather than just opening hell and ruling the earth, his task is apparently to create a world Paradise for both humans and demons.
Anyway, it's fun, occasionally dark and bloody, and Akuma seems like he might be on the spectrum, though I'm far from an expert on that. In any case, he really doesn't get normal human relationships or display much emotion. The artwork is also really something, and they use their music to good effect. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11305 Location: Frisco, TX |
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ANN's entry for the anime and manga have no summaries whatsoever, so I just copied and pasted what I could find, at the time. Once I eventually watch this, I'll update the summary based on what's actually presented in this new rendition.
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11406 |
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That wasn't a complaint, just a heads-up for anyone diving in.
 I read through Wikipedia's take on it, and it seemed to have a third version of the story. I think everyone is confused as to which plot points are in which versions. So you may end up writing the definitive online description, of the ONA at least!
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11305 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Ah, yes. I remember trying to make sense of the Wikipedia entry, but was so busy trying to pump out other threads, that I didn't bother trying to decipher how each of the three manga are different, or how this ONA can actually be considered a sequel to the old '89 series.
I'm just gonna' approach it like Devilman (or maybe even Gundam) and say a lot of the characters and story elements are kind of the same, but with different takes and essentially the same endgame or allegory. |
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FishLion
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I am a big fan of the series so I thought I would talk about it some!
This is a spin-off based on GeGeGe no Kitaro. There are a lot of iterations of the source material GeGeGe no Kitaro, it is one of the first yokai focused series, originally popularized in manga form by Shigeru Mizuki. GeGeGe is about a yokai boy raised by humans who fights for harmony between humanity and Yokai. Akuma-kun is in the same world but I have not seen the characters directly overlap with Kitaro. Akuma-kun is a rare genius who is raised among humans with a massive talent for Demonology. Akuma-kun (1989) centers on Shingo Umoregi, who is a boy in fifth grade, and his partner, Mephistopholes the Second, solving demon related problems. Akuma-kun (2023) centers on the adoptive child of Shingo named Ichirou Umoregi and his partner Mephistopheles the Third. They team up to form the Millenarian Research Institute, a private investigation agency specializing in supernatural problems. I am not sure if Matsushita was his original name before adoption or if it is a different iteration. Akuma-kun (2023) has much more adult vibes than the rest of the series. The rest of the series center around younger people than the 2023 iteration. Mizuki has never babied his audience regarding the more adult themes of yokai, but the latest Akuma-kun has the main characters worried about paying rent and deciphering the twisted reasons people make destructive decisions. The vibe of the older series was very adventure and battle focused. This series feels a lot more like watching a detective show. Ichirou is the classic genius who has no social skills teamed up with someone much warmer in personality. Mephisto is a half-human, half-demon who always tries his best to help everyone possible, often tempering Ichirou's more logical and cold approach to the mysteries. There is a lot of good tension in their dynamic, they often argue in a way that feels like two colleagues who are also friends passionately debating their side. It is a great way to show they have the same goal but very different ways to get there. Mephisto's more welcoming approach is important for getting people to open up, but it is also shown at times that Ichirou's more technical view of relationships allows him to find unexpected motives and emotions that may have caused the demons to appear. The mysteries in Akuma-kun (2023) are much more rooted in the human psyche than the problems in other series I have watched. The old ones focused on the scenarios that brought about yokai then helping or defeating them so that peace is achieved. In Akuma-kun (2023), individuals request assistance with a supernatural matter directly. The motives and causes for these hauntings are often complex, interpersonal matters that arise from the cognitive dissonance that relationships sometimes cause. Emotions contort in strange ways and end up consciously or unconsciously calling demons into the human world. This parallels Ichirou's complex relationship with his father and Mephisto the Third. The show is an interesting weave of relationship dynamics, problems driven by the human condition, and mysteries solving by looking at the nuances of human emotion. I have always enjoyed mysteries and an antisocial detective teamed with a grounding sidekick, but this is by far my favorite so far. The vibes are very scary and chilling while also being intriguing. The side characters make the mysteries feel weighty and important as opposed to simply goal posts to cross. I also truly adore the art style. The way that the stylized characters contrast the more realistic characters and both stand out against the very dark and shadowy backgrounds is superb. If you like mysteries, yokai, or even uniquely animated series then this is definitely worth your time. |
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