Machikado Mazoku [Review]

Posted on August 4, 2020 by KiritoNarukami One comment

Source Material: 4-koma manga

Studio: J.C.Staff

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Magic

Synopsis: “Awakening her dormant abilities as a devil one day, Yuuko Yoshida aka Shadow Mistress Yuuko, is entrusted with the mission to defeat the Light clan’s shrine maiden, a magical girl, by her ancestor Lilith. Yuuko meets magical girl Momo Chiyoda through her classmate Anri Sada, and challenges her to a duel, but loses quickly due to her lack of strength. Since then, Yuuko has struggled with her role as a devil and her duel with Momo, and borrowed help from her regularly. However, by a strange coincidence, Yuuko also weakens Momo by taking away her power to cooperate in protecting the peace of Tama city.” – MAL News

Story:

As you would expect from an anime based on a 4-koma manga, the story of Machikado Mazoku is fairly simplistic. That being said, there’s hardly a dull moment throughout the show as the interactions between the characters are often unpredictable and amusing! I find that even though the events are chaotic and all over the place since the overall plot line is so straight forward it’s an easy jump from one scene to another. There is a bigger plot line hidden underneath the surface and we get a sneak peek towards the end of the show, which brings all the random elements of the story together.

Artwork & Animation:

The charm of the artwork in the show is in it’s simplicity. I found the chibi scenes with the simple backgrounds to be the highlight of the show, along with the Magical Girl/Crisis Management transformation scenes (you’ll get it if you watch it LOL). You can’t forget about all of the expressions throughout the show either, whether it’s Yuuko crying from Momo’s training or Yuuko crying because…actually…Yuuko crying is just about 90% of the show right there!

Character(s):

Yuuko, aka Shadow Mistress Yuuko (Shamiko), is one of characters that end up doing doing more good than harm…unintentionally! It’s fun to see her interact with all of the characters throughout the show as she has a big heart but not the brightest thinking abilities! Momo, our magical girl, is quite the opposite often destroying more than she helps. It’s a very fun dynamic to see time and time again, there’s hardly a boring moment in the show, even if things get serious.

Sound (OST & Voice Acting):

Ironically…the soundtrack is very similar to a magical girl show…even though our main character is a demon girl trying to defeat a magical girl! Overall the soundtrack is very light hearted and focuses on acoustic guitars and piano lead tracks with some fun upbeats for those energetic scenes! Also big shout out to the narrator and always encouraging Yuuko at the end of every episode!

Enjoyment:

I actually enjoyed this show a lot more than I thought I would. I love all of the characters and Yuuko especially! Yuuko’s voice actor Kohara Konomi, made a new fan out of me!

Overall: Score

8

Adapted from a 4-koma manga, Machikado Mazoku’s simple yet chaotic storyline never leaves a dull moment on the screen. The unique dynamic between a Demon Girl and her arch nemesis the Magical girl is an entertaining situation that’ll keep you laughing for hours on end!

Best Girl: Hinatsuki Mikan

Out of all of the characters, I found that Mikan was the most entertaining on screen! Her role as a magical girl paired with her inability to control her emotions and powers is quite a combination! And on top of that with a design like this?! It’s hard to pick anyone else!

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