Customer Reviews

Kyo Kara Maoh!: Season 1 Box Set

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You could certainly be forgiven if you were initially suspicious of any title that opens with the premise of a schoolboy getting a "swirly". In case you aren't familiar with the technique, it is one in which a bully or group of bullies take a weaker individual, flip them upside down, dip their face into the toilet and flush. In normal circumstances, aside from being terribly unhygienic, the only long-term affect to the victim is a bit of a tall, twisted hairdo. Believe it or not, Kyo kara Maoh! Opens with our lead character on the receiving end of one such tactic only rather than simply twisting his do, this toilet happens to be a transporter to a magical realm. We don't even want to know if it worked on the same principle for countless not-so-pleasant flushes, but either way...

Released in full season collections, Funimation is once again bringing the Geneon classic title to the masses. At the time of this review's writing both the first and second volume have been released. The first box set (Season 1) contains 39 episodes across nine discs (thin packs within a very attractive cardboard slipcase). The second box set consists of the 37 episodes that constitute the complete second season but since this review if of the first release, let's stick to those specs for now.

The collection comes in at a whopping 975-minute runtime and packs a nice host of special features. Among these are a conceptual art and image gallery, textless themes, memory slideshow, promos, and previews for upcoming Funimation releases.

Language options are of the sub & dub variety; original Japanese dialog and English dub each presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and the choice of English subtitles below either.

The show wears an appropriate13 & Up rating. Appropriate because while there's nothing extremely offensive for the youngsters, it's quite possible that children around the age of 13 will get the most entertainment out of the multitude of gags presented here (after all, its doubtful they would have needed my above definition of a swirly).

The story goes something like this: Yuri Shibuya happens upon a new and wild world once bullies stick his head in the toilet. After encountering some nobles and discovering that the world as he knew it was no more, our hero discovers that he's the long-awaited Demon King (and here you thought he had it bad enough just surviving high school).

It turns out that in this new world (called the "Great Demon Kingdom"), humans are the enemy and though considered a human in our world, Yuri is classified as a demon there. Not just any demon at that; but rather the one who could balance out the tension between the humans and the demos.

After a brief return to Earth, Yuri is forced to contemplate which world is more to his liking. Long story short, thus begins young Yuri's reign as Demon King. Did I mention that magic is a fact of life in the Demon Kingdom but the catch is it only works in the thralls of battle? Yuri will learn these things just as the viewer does and more often than not: it's too little, too late.

If your still with me after all of this, let me just say that it was all be completely and hopelessly ridiculous except for one redeeming quality; It's pretty darn funny at times.

Kyo kara Maoh! has the distinction of combining fantasy elements with comedic charm to such accord that it harkens back to some of Monty Python's earlier works. Each episode is driven along by a fantasy inspired plot structure (find the magic sword, figure out a way to get back home, learn how to cast spells, etc.) but actually consists of dozens of silly humorous moments to connect the grander dots. Need examples? Well Yuri ends up accidentally getting himself engaged to be married (to another man) by the second episode, encounters some jiggly sumo wrestlers, pirates in schoolgirl uniforms, and gets up close and personal to a g-string by the fifth episode!

The offbeat and prevalent humor presented here depends heavily on its cast of characters. Luckily it works, much to the credit of the show's writers. Wolfram's snappish attitude makes a great counterpoint to Yuri's easygoing nature. The women aren't forgotten either, take Celi (the former Demon Queen) and her forceful personality and the eccentric inventor Anissina who has more tricks up her sleeve than a Vegas poker pro.

The music works really well with upbeat rock beats in the lighter moments that switch subtly to orchestral scores when the tension goes to red alert phase. Geneon's dub, though pale to the efforts of Funimation's more recent stuff, maintains the comedic intentions of the program. The script, however, does take a few ugly twists in effort to "Americanize" some of the jokes and puns. It is serviceable if you've only experienced the show in English but starts to lose ground once you compare it to the original Japanese script.

In all, this is a show that could be considered an instant classic or a blend of sheer strangeness depending entirely upon your mood going in. The fantasy elements work really well in both languages and the humor is equally addicting (especially in the Japanese version). However, if you were seeking a well plotted, fantasy adventure, you would probably better off looking into the much-less gimmicked One Piece series.

I came in not knowing what to expect and came out quite amused. It's silly for sure, but sometimes that's exactly what you were looking for, even if you didn't know it.

Kyo Kara Maoh is the story of Yuri Shibuya (or Shibuya Yuri if you're watching in Japanese) a 15 year old high school student who gets sucked into an alternate world. And yes, he gets there through a toilet the first time. But stay with me here. Yuri awakens in a medieval type village and is informed shortly thereafter that he is the new Demon King (the Maoh of the title). It seems that Yuri, with his black hair and black eyes, is an extremely rare type in this world. He also has incredible magical abilities that he never knew about. Included in the story are conflicts between the humans and demons, unusual creatures (flying skeletons anyone?), swordfighting, a reluctant king, and a healthy dose of humor. Actually some of the side stories are downright silly. But despite it all Kyo Kara Maoh is a really great show.
Season one starts off well and treads water for a while in the middle but it ends on a high note. A few filler episodes are to be expected when one season has 39 episodes so it's forgiveable. Filler aside, it's really grown on me. The main plot that's begun in season 1 carries over through all of season 2. It works out in a very interesting way too despite a slightly slow start. I can't recommend it enough. I'm also biding my time until the Season 2 set is available and holding out hope that Season 3 will be released for the English speakers eventually too.
Kyo Kara Maoh has a great cast of characters and has a fun sense of humor. It's also suprisingly little kid friendly. With a bit of editing, even younger kids can enjoy it which is nice. Most anime is really not child friendly so it's always good to find one that is.
Now for the details of the set: Season one is 39 episodes which are split into 9 different discs. The discs are packed into slim line cases, two to a case (except for the 9th which is by itself). As with all slim line cases, the discs are liable to pop out of the cases but the packaging is otherwise pretty nice. The cases include the original cover art from the previous set (this is a rerelease) and list the episode names with a few screenshots. All of this fits into a box which is a little on the thin side but keeps them together and neat all the same. And all 9 discs have both Japanese and English audio along with subtitles. They also include a few extras like slide shows and trailers for other shows. So the pricetag might be a little high but you get a lot of show for your money. You hardly even need any extras.
Oh and I have to say, the Japanese audio is way better than the English dub for this show. I watched most of season 1 in English the first time around and couldn't stand Wolfram (Yuri's accidental fiance. Yes, a man. In the Great Demon Kingdom they do that). Many of the voices are better in Japanese so I recommend watching it that way. Plus if you're a fan of the Gravitation anime, Gunther shares a voice with Yuki Eiri.

I have the complete set of this series, and I must say I really have no complaints. You won't find any romance/relationship in this series, but not every anime needs that. All the characters centered around the main character, Yuri, are very well developed and have depth as intricately interesting people. If anything, I think they could have made another 3rd boxed set to keep this series going, it is that well done.

This is a really fun and entertaining anime. I have been really enjoying it alot and look forward to buying season 3 when available ( I have season 1 & 2). Reccomend viewing ages 14 and over.

I have been wanting to watch this Anime for a long time and finally broke down and bought it. The first episode starts with King Yuri saving his friend and getting flushed down the toilet into the Demon Kingdom where he becomes the King. From episode 1 you start off with action, drama and laughs. It caught my attention and I just couldn't stop watching this Anime.
The characters keep developing throughout the season and you can't help but fall in love with them. Even the annoying characters that are constantly whining you can't help but like especially the more of the Anime you watch. The story line is also great! The whole season leads up to the Kingdom needing to locate the 4 boxes that the Originators have been sealed away in. There are many filler episodes in this Anime (like with all Anime) however the filler episodes introduce characters that will play major roles in the series later on.
With not having high hopes for this Anime, it has quickly jumped it's way up to my top three favorites. I LOVE this Anime and can't wait for Funimation to pick up season 3! I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes Anime with humor, action, drama and romance. It has it all!!!

Very funny and well done. The english match is excellent and well done. It is a Yaoi but lighty done it Just too Funny. You will love the characters each and everyone of them.

I love this anime SO much! If you're at all interested then BUY BUY BUY! You won't regret it. Mainly for girls but I'm sure guys can get into it too. So serious yet SO funny!

Kyo Kara Maoh! I won't summarize the story because, chances are, you've probably read the other reviews. So, let's talk about the product.

Kyo Kara Maoh is the kind of anime that you watch during your early teen years. It is like anime shows that comes out on tv during Saturday mornings. Not too complex, but not overly simplistic. It has a variety of genres but it is mainly comprised of fantasy and humour.

The packaging is great. It contains 5 nice thin packs (however thin pack #3-4 are ugly because they won't close) housing the 9 discs containing the 39 episodes of the first season.

The story is average - boy travels to another world and saves it - but it has a little twist added to it. It develops very slowly but the humour helps you get by. However, the humour gets annoying at times and ruins good serious moments. Nevertheless, it is engaging and is quite fun to watch. So, if you are looking for a deep anime, this anime will not satisfy your tastes.

The animation is okay/average/bland. It doesn't give you much "______" to your eyes. Sometimes, the mouth is the only thing moving in a frame. It's not on par with the other animes when it comes to animation. As I've said earlier, it is just like an anime made for saturday mornings. However, it is passable and gets better over time.

The music varies from boring, good, and average. But it doesn't get irritating. You'll get accustomed to it.

Overall, if you prefer an anime with a great story/animation/music, this anime is defenitely not for you. But if you want an anime for the sake of watching an anime, Kyo kara moah! is for you because it is fun and engaging. I usually buy animes for their story (i.e. Death note, samurai 7), but I gave this anime a chance and I'm glad I did because I quite enjoyed it.

3 1/2 stars.

That's probably an entirely personal matter of taste, but he just ruined the whole show for me. I bought it on sale and the first half hour looks great but it sort of goes down hill. The hero should have been best friends and had more adventures with the admirable Conrad. This show was almost a three but I gave it a two out of frustration. Go watch or buy "07-Ghost" instead. That is a hundred times better.

I'm going to keep it some what short, since pretty much everything has been summarized to a point. To be honest I bought this movie thinking it was a boys love w/800 and some minutes, how wrong I was. When I purchased my dvd there were no reviews at that time, poor me. Well anyway, this movie as the other reviewer stated could get pretty annoying. I do understand that we're dealing w/a child, but it would have been more interesting if he could have stayed in his demon form more. The demon king is a goody goody w/grand ideas that everyone should get along. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the happy ending, but give me some substance please. To me, he gets in trouble and someone has to bell him out, which puts the other person in harms way and then he wants to feel sorry for himself. I had to watch this movie in segments due to he irritated me soo bad. Over-all its not bad, but it can get on your nerves, so don't expect too much, but its something to watch when you want to pass the time. Still trying to decide if I want to get season 2 because it did have its moments and of course you would like to know what happens.