The Misfit of Demon King Academy II

Episode 6

Anos and the gang are in a high-stakes race to reach Venuzdonoa, the sword capable of cutting the rules of reality itself. If Misa in her Avos persona reaches it first, even Anos may be unable to stop the genocide of mixed-race demons and protect the fragile peace he gave his first life to create... which means this is the perfect time to do a side quest, apparently.

While it may seem a bit silly at first glance given all that's at stake—especially when they are so close to Venuzdonoa's location—Anos knows that he has a major weakness in the battle to come: a lack of information. While he (and Misha) can guess at Shin's motives, it's clear to them that some things don't quite fit logically. The big issue is that, as a half-spirit, Misa's soul had to be created at the moment the legend of Avos Dilhevia took hold. Yet, nothing about Misa's original personality in any way implied that she had lived 2000 years—nor that she had been lying to the group about anything. To solve this mystery, Anos decides that, rather than tracking down and asking those involved in the present, time-traveling 2000 years into the past is the way to go, because of course he does.

Luckily, the time travel plot device is used for more than simply delivering an extended flashback; it provides the perfect stage to give the supporting cast a lot of little character moments.

First, we have Zeshia, who was little more than a disposable weapon in the first season. She and her thousands of sisters had only a single emotion—the love for their mother. Now, Zeshia is becoming her own person with her own likes and dislikes—and most importantly, empathy for others. A simple scene of her wanting candy, getting it, and then giving it up to strangers in need tells us a lot about how her time with Anos has changed her and the kind of person she will one day become.

Secondly, we have Sasha dealing with an internal crisis. She is more than just angry on Anos' behalf about Shin's betrayal. Just as Shin stood by his side as his closest friend and subject in the war 2000 years ago, she and Misha now fill that role in the present. The idea that Shin could betray Anos implies she could as well—and as she is deeply in love with him, she rejects that vehemently. Then, with her emotions already riled up, it's no surprise that she loses control of her eyes of destruction once she's pressed up against Anos physically.

Finally, we have Shin and Reno. While they have traveled long together, it's clear that he is still just following Anos' order to protect her—as that order still overrides Reno's wants and needs in his eyes. Now, that doesn't mean that they don't have affection for each other, just that Shin hasn't yet reached the tipping point where his love for her outweighs his loyalty to Anos. And if the massive amount of foreshadowing is anything to go by, that should change very soon.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Of course, since the spirit of unrequited love is present, it's doubtful things will reach a happy ending for Shin and Reno.

• Lenna's true identity was hinted at a few episodes back. Her page was torn out of the book of spirits so she could not find out who she was before completing her mission.

• I suspect that Lenna isn't just the spirit of unrequited love in general but Reno's love for Shin specifically. That's why the Titi spirits say she reminds them of Reno.

• I like that Misha's most valuable skill continues to not be her immense magical powers but her ability to see people's true feelings, including people she isn't necessarily friends with, like Revest.

• I'm glad that we got a nice little continuation of Meno and Revest's arc from last season. It's cool to note that, while he didn't necessarily see Anos as the Demon King of Tyranny, Misa's Avos persona is too far removed from who he believes the Demon King of Tyranny to be for him to be affected by her mind control. And as Meno taught him to believe that way, it's no surprise she is likewise unaffected.

• That said, Revest clearly believes in Anos now—and, as always, Anos is prepared to repay such loyalty with everything he has.

• It's clear that Shin knows who Anos is, or he wouldn't be following his orders.

• It looks like we're seeing a self-fulfilling time loop rather than a changing of the past. Lay pays the price demanded for the use of the sword 2000 years later, as we saw a few episodes back.

• This might also mean that a lot of Shin's actions so far have been to ensure the time loop. That way, what happens due to our heroes' interference continues to happen.

• So, COVID has struck yet again this season and The Misfit of Demon King Academy is its latest victim. It doesn't look like we'll be getting any more new episodes for the rest of this season, but I hope to see you all again once the series starts back up!

The Misfit of Demon King Academy II is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.

---

Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.