'Mairimashita! Iruma-kun' Isn't Flawless, but It's Fun and Feel-Good

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun – also known in its less catchy English title of Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun – follows Iruma Suzuki, a sweet, timid 14-year-old boy who has a heart of gold and who can’t refuse any request asked of him.  Thus, his kindness is exploited by others – especially by his very own scumbag parents, who make him work a variety of jobs so that he may support them.  As a result, he hasn’t been able to attend school.  But while working on different, often dangerous odd jobs, he has also developed outstanding reflexes from avoiding anything that may hit him.  Thus, he’s gotten really good in dodging out of the way of danger (a skill that will prove invaluable later in his stay in the demon realm).

One day, he’s sold by his parents to Sullivan, one of the most powerful demons in the netherworld.  Fortunately for Iruma, Sullivan intends no harm.  Rather, he wants to adopt him as his grandson.  Apparently, he has grown jealous of his friends constantly gushing over their grandchildren.  He also wants to have his very own grandchild to boast to them.  Thus, Sullivan becomes a doting grandfather to Iruma, continuously going out of his way to spoil him.

Sullivan also enrolls Iruma to Babyls (or Babirus), a school for demons in which he’s the headmaster.  So, finally, Iruma gets to experience school life, albeit in a demon school.  However, he must not to give away the fact that he’s a human or he might get eaten by his classmates.  After all, according to a line from the school hymn, “Humans wholly are our food.  Eat their souls, blood and meat, without leaving anything behind.”

Thus, the poor Iruma makes it a point to not stand out.  But, as it happens, he’s constantly inadvertently put into circumstances where he’s placed under the spotlight.  In the course of his stay in the school, his reputation as a “demon” gradually grows despite being a human.  While a sense of anxiety is ever present in his heart – understandable in such a situation he finds himself in – Iruma also begins adjusting and feeling happy in his new life, especially as he gains more friends.

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun was my initial favorite among the new anime series that debuted in fall 2019.  It eventually got overtaken in the rankings, but it remained among the top of my watchlist during that season as well as during winter 2020, in which it carried over to.  To be honest, it doesn’t really have anything that would make it an instant classic.  The animation quality, character designs, and set designs are just vibrant and attractive enough not to be distraction, while the premise and plot have obvious parallels with other IPs – like Harry Potter, My Hero Academia, and others – but has just enough amount of original twists to not feel completely derivative.  Nevertheless, brimming with winsomeness, whimsy, and humor, it’s genuinely so fun to watch.  The OP is also terrific to boot.  It’s a legit crowd-pleaser.

If nothing else, it’s a barrel full of laughs.  It has many effectively unpredictable gags, and its comedic timing is generally top-notch.  There’s endearing mirth in seeing the self-effacing Iruma failing in his goal to not draw attention to himself, as he regularly stumbles upon situations where being a human and having Sullivan as grandfather set up favorable conditions for him to come out on top.  Moreover, a cast of wonderfully zany supporting characters surrounds him – providing the comedy ample and eclectic material to work with.

The characters are extremely amusing.  And the feeling of amusement they bring comes from a variety of styles as the characters have diverse personalities, layers, and quirks going for them, which they entertainingly portray to perfection.  Iruma is awkward, unassuming, dovish, tenderhearted, and genial – qualities that somehow allow him to ironically thrive in the dangerous, aggressive environment he’s currently in.  Sullivan is a demon of daunting repute, yet he’s reduced to a silly, overenthusiastic, adoring coot when it comes to Iruma.  Iruma’s loyal besties – the proud prodigy Alice Asmodeus, who has sworn fealty to Iruma after getting defeated (unintentionally) by him in a duel; and the energetic, playful Clara Valac, who is an utter oddball even by demon standards – are polar opposites who constantly bicker and compete for Iruma’s approval and attention.  And so on.  I don’t have the time to enumerate the rest.  The point is, the colorful characters respectively amuse in their own unique ways due to their varied characterizations.

Lastly, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun  has heart.  It’s really touching to see a kind boy like Iruma, who had a tough life in the human world, finally experiencing fun, affection, care, and esteem for the first time ever as well as finally having enough to eat (he actually develops a voracious appetite for demon foods) and getting to try out the activities that high schoolers normally do, such as going to concerts, joining clubs, playing sports, and participating in school festivals.  It’s just an amusing twist that his first-time experience of these things has to come in their netherworld versions.  In addition, the value of friendship and family is also a recurring theme – cliched, yes, but still handled rather well.

However, this anime is not entirely flawless.  Not all of the storylines in the 23-episode debut season feel worthwhile and engaging.  The writing and direction wobbles at times.  Its derivative elements occasionally swamp the fresh elements.  Still, considering all the things I’ve mentioned in the previous paragraphs, it should be clear that the pros outweigh the cons.

To sum it up, Mairimashita! Iruma-kun is amply delightful, hilarious, and heartwarming – a noteworthy feel-good anime overall.