Shella's World

Kyo Kara Maoh! (今日から㋮王!, Kyō Kara Maō!^?, lit. "Demon King from Today [onward]!"), is a series of Japanese light novels written by Tomo Takabayashi and illustrated by Temari Matsumoto. The story follows the adventures of Yuri Shibuya, an average 15-year old Japanese high school student, who is suddenly transported to another world where he is told that he is now the king of demons.
The series was adapted into an anime in 2004 by NHK and a manga in 2005 serialized in Asuka magazine. The manga and the anime were both licensed for English release but their licenses have now expired and there are no plans to re-license the series.

Plot

Kyo Kara Maoh!, takes place in an alternate world that Yuri Shibuya travels to by coming in contact with water. The first time he is transported to the other world was when he tried to save his former classmate from bullies and ended up becoming their target instead. They took him into a girls restroom and shoved his head in a toilet. The next thing he knows, he's in a world that vaguely resembles medieval Europe. Yuri is told he was called there because he is the new Demon King (魔王, Maoh^?, Mazoku King)
There are many nations in the alternate world, however, the plot centers around the The Great Demon Kingdom (眞魔国, Shin Makoku^?, True Mazoku Land). The people of the kingdom are Demons (魔族, Mazoku^?), but appear indistinguishable from humans. Their only distinguishing traits are their long lives and the ability to use magic. The people of the Demon Tribe are able to make a pact with an element which they can then use magic of that element. Covenant Castle is in the capital of the Demon Kingdom. It is the residence of the demon king. The culture of The Great Demon Kingdom is very different from the Japanese culture Yuri is accustomed to, and the differences make for some amusing mishaps with long ranging consequences, such as an accidental proposal of marriage.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Media

[edit] Light Novels

Written by Tomo Takabayashi with illustrations by Temari Matsumoto. The novels are released under Kadokawa's Beans Collection. The first novel was released in November 2000 and so far there are 22 books in the series.^[1] 17 are considered to be main story novels and the other 5 are extras and side stories which provide background and other information to the story.

[edit] Manga

Drawn by Temari Matsumoto, the Kyo Kara Maoh! manga series (Titled Kyou Kara MA no Tsuku Jiyuugyou! in Japanese) debuted in June 2005 and is serialized monthly in Asuka magazine.^[2] The first volume of the manga was released on December 26, 2005 and so far 14 volumes have been released.^[3]
An English language version of the manga was licensed by Tokyopop but when Tokyopop shut down their North American branch in 2011 all of their licenses were cancelled. They released 7 volumes of the manga before they shut down.

[edit] Anime

The anime adaptation of Kyo Kara Maoh was directed by Junji Nishimura, animated by Studio Deen, and produced by NHK. It aired across Japan on NHK and Animax.^[4] The series consists of 117 episodes and 5 OVA episodes.^[5][6] While much the first season follows the original story from the novels, the plot in the following seasons varies drastically.
The anime was originally licensed for release in North America by Geneon but when Geneon ceased production of all titles in late 2007, it left three volumes of the second season unreleased on DVD in North America. On July 3, 2008, Geneon Entertainment and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon Entertainment will still retain the license, Funimation Entertainment will assume exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. Kyo Kara Maoh! was one of several titles involved in the deal. In August 2011, Funimation announced that the license expired and that they had no plans to renew the license.^[7]

[edit] Reception

"With a Demon race that doesn't even look demonic, toilet portals between worlds, and same-sex engagement, Kyo kara Maoh! is definitely an unusual take on the fantasy genre." — Carlo Santos, Anime News Network.^[8]
"The mixture of the different types of shows, from the fantasy to the baseball and to the general slice of life material all works really well here and the combination gives it something that we haven't seen before." — Chris Beveridge. Mania.^[9]
"This manga is a fun and whimsical read, because once a reader settles in for the zaniness, they’ll be surrounded by interesting characters and get involved with a strong storyline." — Danica Davidson, Graphic Novel Reporter.^{[10]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyo_Kara_Maoh!}