Cuteness Alone Couldn't Carry 'If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord'

If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord is a slice-of-life fantasy anime series centering on a young, highly skilled adventurer named Dale and the exiled devil girl that he adopted named Latina.  Dale found Latina – orphaned, hungry, cold, and dirty – while he was on a mission in the deep forest.  Not wanting to leave her to die, and seeing that she had nowhere to go, Dale decided to bring the tiny Latina with him back home and raise her as if she’s his own daughter.

Dale lodges in a tavern owned by his mentor Kenneth, a retired adventurer, and his wife Rita, and this becomes Latina’s home as well.  Here, Latina – a quick study – learns the language and other things necessary to start a new life in human society.  In addition, much to the delight of the tavern’s patrons, she also begins to help in the work there, waiting on the tables and cooking – something that she discovers she has a knack for.  She wins the heart of anyone who meets her, but all this time, her biggest fan remains to be Dale, who constantly finds joy in showering her with gifts, affection, and adoration.  Meanwhile, Latina has also grown supremely devoted and attached to Dale.

At the start of the season, I was compelled to immediately commit to watching this anime despite its apparent lack of substance because it was simply radiating with warmth and winsomeness.  Latina being overwhelmingly sweet, innocent, and adorable and Dale being an overenthusiastic, pampering single parent were seemingly enough to sustain the appeal and enjoyability of the show even though it lacked a real plot.  However, I was wrong.  Over time, their charm gradually declined in potency.  Eventually, the whole shtick got tired.

Now, Latina and Dale would never lose their likability.  But, as it turns out in the end, their likability alone is insufficient in keeping the show worthwhile.

It also didn’t help that, while I was looking for images of it for my “first impressions” article, I learned that in the source material, the light novel, Latina grows up to become – gasp! – Dale’s lover.  This proved severely detrimental to the “awwww” factor and sense of wholesomeness that I initially found in the show.  Sure, Dale and Latina aren’t biologically related.  And they don’t really have a significant age gap – just around ten years (Dale was a teenager when he found Latina).  Nevertheless, it still feels wrong and creepy.  It still feels incestuous.

Thankfully, the 12-episode first season never got to the romance yet.  Thus, as far as the anime is concerned, If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord remains heartwarming and watchable, albeit a shallow and disposable one.