Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-Kun! is a comedy isekai anime series starring Iruma Suzuki, an ordinary 14-year-old boy with no special powers or aptitude aside from dodging hazards on the job. His own parents sold him out to Sullivan the benevolent demon lord, and now he's a first-year at the Babyls school.
Iruma, at first, fits the "anti-chosen one" mold, being a powerless kid surrounded by gifted demons of all shapes and sizes. But he might also be the future demon king, according to the prophecy, and this kid has shown no inclination toward becoming the demon king so far. Is he worth becoming king, or is he a bit overrated overall?
10 IRUMA IS BEST CHARACTER: He Is A Total Underdog
Most fictional heroes are underdogs, and they have to learn and grow quickly to face the villain or overcome other challenges. Iruma Suzuki is absolutely an underdog with a lot to prove, and in many ways, that makes him Iruma-Kun!'s best character.
Unlike the school president Azazel Ameri or the elite Asmodeus Alice, Iruma has to survive and succeed through sheer grit and creativity, meaning he has earned every single one of his victories. Nothing is too easy.
9 IRUMA IS OVERRATED: His Underdog Status Gets A Bit Tedious
For the most part, Iruma Suzuki's underdog status is handled well, but at times, it feels a bit frustrating, since Iruma is so far behind his classmates. Too often, an episode focuses on Iruma's intense fear of being discovered as human, and his inability to fly on demon wings.
A totally powerless lead character can be a drag at times, and Iruma can't do a thing without the ring of Solomon, which almost feels like a cheat at times. Maybe Iruma was de-powered a little too much after all.
8 IRUMA IS BEST CHARACTER: He Can Get Along With Anyone
Some anime characters are prickly tsundere types or aloof kuudere types, but not Iruma Suzuki. This friendly boy can get along with anyone he meets, and he became Valac Clara's first-ever friend, even if Clara is a bit of a troublemaker.
People like Iruma can quickly cultivate a social circle anywhere, and never will Iruma discriminate or judge people too hastily. Anyone can be his friend if they give him a chance, since he will always give them one.
7 IRUMA IS OVERRATED: He's Too Trusting Sometimes
Many of Iruma Suzuki's best and worst traits are actually two sides of the same coin, and that includes his habit of getting along with and trusting absolutely everyone he meets. It's a good philosophy to give other people a chance, but once in a while, that can backfire.
Iruma immediately trusted Shiida despite her odd behavior, and viewers probably had a bad feeling about her from the start. They were right, since Shiida was soon revealed as a member of the Six Fingers, a villain who's on Kiriwo's and Baal's side. And Iruma fell for it when Shiida bribed him with ice cream.
6 IRUMA IS BEST CHARACTER: He Accepted Sullivan As Family Despite His Strange Circumstances
Depending on the circumstances, it can be difficult to fully trust and get along with new family members, such as a foster parent or a step-parent. Or at least, it may take some time, and things may be tense or awkward at first. But that wasn't true where Iruma and Sullivan are concerned.
Iruma's world was turned upside down when he was flung into the Netherworld and had a full-blown demon lord for a foster grandfather, but he got over the shock remarkably quickly, and generously accepted Sullivan as his new family. That was big of him.
5 IRUMA IS OVERRATED: His Character Is Somewhat Cliché At Times
Not all shonen heroes need to reinvent the wheel or become ambiguous and complex like Eren Yeager, but even so, Iruma's character design is rather run-of-the-mill in some aspects, from his blue hair -- complete with an ahoge -- and his preferences and personality.
Iruma isn't a bad kid, but he does too little to stand out in the shonen protagonist crowd. He has a fairly neutral personality and a worn-out visual gag -- like many characters before him, he has a massive appetite despite his size. Naruto, Goku and Luffy have already been there and done that.
4 IRUMA IS BEST CHARACTER: He Performed As A Demidol Despite His Misgivings
In the Netherworld, demidols are hugely popular entertainers, and demidols like Iruma's classmate Kerori can draw big crowds when they put on a show. However, there was one time when Kerori couldn't perform, so it fell to her classmates to improvise and give the impatient crowd a show.
Iruma had no experience with music or performing, but he tried it anyway, and gave it his all, which is what a true friend does. He was actually quite convincing as a demidol, including disguising himself as a girl, and he, Alice and Clara put on a great show together.
3 IRUMA IS OVERRATED: He Is Dense When It Comes To Ameri
It's actually typical for protagonists to be dense about the feelings of the people around them, and some characters, such as Katarina Claes of Villainess fame, are dense to the point of absurdity, for humorous reasons. Iruma Suzuki is also dense, but that doesn't mean he's endearing.
Understandably, Iruma is only 14, and has limited experience with kids his age, but it's still tedious to see him being so unaware of what Azazel Ameri really feels about him. Iruma is a helpful friend, but his feelings-radar seems busted. Protagonists don't have to be like this.
2 IRUMA IS BEST CHARACTER: He Can Give Pep Talks
On the plus side, even if Iruma is aggravatingly dense when it comes to Azazel Ameri, he's not exactly hopeless. Even if he doesn't fully appreciate Ameri's feelings toward him, he still treats her well as a friend, and he's quick to give her encouraging words and lift her spirits. It always works.
Iruma doesn't limit this to his friendship to Ameri, either. He also gave a pep talk to Kiriwo when the latter posed as a hapless student, and that was kind of him, even if Kiriwo was secretly a villain. Iruma will do this for anyone else who needs it, too.
1 IRUMA IS OVERRATED: He's Too Passive
Iruma did have a heroic moment when he faced those monsters in Walter Park, but as a whole, he is a passive character, and that can get tiring after awhile. As a general rule, protagonists must be proactive and take charge of their own plot arc, even if they are an underdog. Actually, they should be highly proactive because they're an underdog.
Iruma Suzuki, however, is content to let things happen to him rather than because of him, which is a shame. Despite being a near-powerless human, he could stand to impact the plot more, and he should have clearer goals and actively pursue them, even if he doesn't aim to become demon king. "Going with the flow" only works to a certain extent for protagonists.
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