Since the dawn of man, demons have played an integral part in mythology and belief. The form these demons take has varied, but the idea has always been the same. However, what if the myths were wrong? What if the demons were a civil, sophisticated race, like humans? And what would you do if you were suddenly crowned their king? High school student Yuri Shibuya quickly finds the answer to these questions, and many more as he sets out on his grand adventure in Kyo Kara Maoh!

Before I began to view this title, I have to admit that my expectations were fairly low. However, that changed quickly when I finally got the chance to sit down with it. Kyo Kara Maoh! is a strange breed that blends several genres that don't seem like they would work together. The most prominent of these is the slice-of-life and fantasy genres. While the show is primarily set in the fantastic world of demons, Yuri, the main character is able to cross between the borders of the two realms. In the fantasy world, viewers watch as Yuri tries to adjust to his new position as king of the demons. At the same time, Yuri must find a way to prevent war between the humans and demons, while fending off many gorgeous male suitors. The real world follows Yuri's home life, and his baseball exploits. Yuri's parents prove to be the eccentric, open-minded type, and are well aware of Yuri's predicament (even if Yuri does not know it).

The two genres are held together by a fairly ruthless sense of humor that is not afraid to mock normally taboo subjects, including yaoi (boy-on-boy love pairings) and the requisite mad inventor character. The female characters, though few, provide the brunt of the show's humor, and really seem to steal the spotlight.

Yuri is your typical high schooler and demon lord in training.	Conrad obviously inherited the looks in his family.

For Kyo Kara Maoh!, composer Yoichiro Yoshikawa opted to use a sweeping symphonic score. The decision works well, especially considering the pace of the show. The arrangement of tunes proves to be flexible, and able to adapt to any situation thrown at the viewer. The two vocal themes, "Wonderful Happiness" and "Into the Endless Sky" are catchy, energetive alternative rock songs by The Stand Up. The Japanese cast includes several seasoned actors, which include Takahiro Sakurai (Peacemaker, Tsukihime) and Toshiyuki Morikawa (Steel Angel Kurumi, Tenjho Tenge). The English cast offers its own selection of experienced actors that include Michelle Ruff (Ai Yori Aoshi, Chobits) and Mona Marshall (Love Hina, Tsukikage Ran). Both the Japanese and English tracks present a spirited performance. However, the English version takes a few liberties with the script that may alienate viewers.

It is easy to deduce that, with this show's ties to yaoi, one can expect a wide assortment of beautiful men. Kyo Kara Maoh! does not fail to disappoint in this department. The male roles are a pair of leather pants short of mingling with the Gravitation crew. The female characters consist mainly of the beautiful, busy variety. The series' animation is presented in a clean, two-dimensional style with typical television production values. CG effects are used, for the most part, to highlight lighting and special effects. On a technical level, the video quality suffers from no obvious technical defects.

For the DVD release, Geneon has offered an eye-catching presentation. The cover presents an eye-catching shot of the male leads as they pose in front of a violet background. The back of the case presents a brief summary, a series of screens from the show, a list of the episodes on the disc, and a brief description of the disc's contents. The first run of this volume are packaged with a special, light-catching card that depicts Yuri. The menu is straightforward, yet elegant as it sets the selections to an image of the Royal Demon Family crest. The extras on the disc include a textless opening, and a series of nine character descriptions.

After five episodes, Kyo Kara Maoh! shows potential to appeal to yaoi fans and nonfans alike. With 34 episodes and eight volumes remaining, though, one wonders if the show's appeal will begin to fade before too long.

Distributor: Geneon Entertainment
Creator: Tomo Takabayashi
Released: 2005

Video Quality: A-
Audio Quality: A
Presentation: A-
Content: B+
Overall: B+