DEMON LORD 2099 – Episode 1

Content Warnings: discussion of genocide

What’s it about? Demon Lord Veltol fought the hero until the bitter end and vowed that he’d return someday to take over the world.  After 500 years, his few loyal vassals brought him back to life, but he discovered the world had radically changed.  Now, with the help of his few allies, he must quickly adapt to his new surroundings and fulfill his lifelong dream to take over the world. 

This was a genuine surprise.  I was fully expecting another generic fantasy story about the eternal battle between a hero and demon lord only to be surprised that the world the Veltol knew has been completely destroyed.  There’s nothing for him to truly conquer, since 90% of the world’s population is gone and the few that remain are governed by independent states.  The question then becomes, “what is Veltol’s purpose if world conquest isn’t an option anymore?” That’s a good question, but the premiere is primarily focused on how it feels to live in a fantasy and cyberpunk world.  Despite Veltol clearly being confused by his surroundings, he’s still patient and willing to learn on how to adapt to his new reality.  

I’ve reviewed plenty of mediocre fantasy shows with the usual beat-by-beat storylines so to have one fantasy show even TRY to do something different is like finding water in an oasis.  I know we’ve been getting excellent fantasy shows recently (and more to come), but seeing shows like this gives me hope that we’ll continue to see some originality in the genre.  Veltol, himself, is a likable demon lord and so much of his honorable character is shown during his final moments with the hero.  That’s why it’s interesting to see him at his lowest during his second life because for the first time ever he’s been outmatched by advanced magic technology rather than pure strength.  Plus, no one seems to take him seriously or find him threatening at all.  

The fact he’s also been humiliated by his former subordinate and beaten up by random thugs would make anyone feel like the weakest link.  Since he’s up against so many obstacles it’ll be a unique challenge to see how he’ll fight against the fantasy racism enacted against his own people. I wasn’t expecting to see images of apartheid and legal policies supporting the mass extermination of immortals.  That alone sounds confusing because aren’t immortals not capable of dying? Did magic technology advance so much that there’s now a method to turn immortals into mortals? Is Veltol going to become the leader of the resistance? I have plenty of questions and while I’m not shooting for the stars, I can only hope the show will handle such an intense topic with the sensitivity it deserves.  

Despite the serious tone, the premiere somehow manages to find comedy through Veltol’s fish out of water experiences.  That comes out naturally when he meets a random girl who uses her magic to mess with the TV screens by showing porn.  The way she keeps rambling on while Veltol quietly listens to her nonsense got a small chuckle out of me.  Basically, the entire premiere gives The Devil is a Part Timer! vibes since it’s able to balance the comedy and serious aspects of the story.  

I’ll admit this premiere has my attention and I look forward to seeing what the next couple of episodes have to offer.