Forum - View topicDemon Lord 2099 (TV).
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Edjwald
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Demon Lord 2099 (TV) Source: Light Novel (ongoing @ 3 volumes, written by Daigo Murasaki, illustrated by Kureta) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: J.C. Staff Genres: action, fantasy, science fiction Themes: cyberpunk, reverse isekai Plot Summary: Fused Era Year 2099—Shinjuku. The dazzling prosperity of this massive city-state conceals a lurid darkness just beneath its surface. It is here—in this megalopolis that represents the pinnacle of human development—where the legendary Demon Lord Veltol makes his second coming. To rule this brave new world, he will have to take hold of the future for himself. Air Date & Platform: October 12, 2024 (Saturday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: Pending ---------------------------------- I really enjoyed this. Demon Lord 2099 isn't the best produced anime I've seen this season, but that's only because this season has seen some top notch drawing and animation and scoring. I will argue that this is the best world building I've see in Fall 2024. It's like Blade Runner meets Dragon Quest, and the steady development of the story in the first episode is rock solid without getting crowded or bogged down by too much information at once. For example, I love the way we find out that Earth and this fantasy world had some kind of Fringe style fusion, but it's all second hand and accepted after decades have passed. The voice acting of the Demon Lord was spot on. I really got a sense of the Demon Lord's aura of majesty at the same time that the setting and plot were busy undercutting it. It produces an interesting tension. The Demon Lord is hard to root for and hard to root against at the same time. He's both Uber type and underdog. It doesn't hurt that Marcus of the Bloody Arts is on hand to be even more repulsive and make Veltol look good in comparison. And from the brief description of a world where immortals are hunted and persecuted, this might be a case where a bad guy is the good guy the world needs. Demon Lord 2099 falls squarely in my favorite genre niche, and the Fantasy/Sci Fi field hasn't been nearly as crowded as it used to be the last two seasons. I...umm...feel like I had a niche that got scratched. :::::::::Ducking and running:::::::::::: [EDIT: Fancy opener stuff added. -TK] |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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The first episode is one of my favorites of the season and I did not expect that. The animation is indeed not near those of the top contenders but the story and setting have really sold me on it. The whole thing reminds me a lot of Shadowrun and the combination of magic and technology is very interesting. I also enjoy that the mc is being thrown into the whole thing just getting one surprise after another and realising that the world has moved on without him. Said mc also quickly changes from someone you want to root against to one you want to see move up in the new world (it is rare for a isekai mc to start off this weak).
The hero being on the cover interest me a lot btw. |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Episode 1
I dug the cyberpunk vibe. Like Dan Da Dan, not sure this is a keeper, but definitely willing to sample more. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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I tried to watch this show Saturday, but I did it after staying up late Friday night and still going on my Saturday morning run and work out, which is all a long-winded way of saying that I fell asleep watching the show mid-day while nestled in the comfortable arms of my La-Z boy, a half drunk cup of coffee on the side table. Wasn't sure if the episode was boring or if I was just worn out.
Well, I watched it again, and I didn't think it was boring, but episode 2 was a tonal shift from episode 1. There were a few takeaways - It seems a large part of the Demon Lord's power - at least the brunt that makes him more powerful than other immortals - comes from a wellspring of faith that that his followers have in him. He still has some of that power to draw from because there are still surviving immortals out there and he's become a bit of a folk story, but if he wants to regain that power, he's going to have to re-establish his rep and gain some followers. That's going to be difficult since he's basically a dinosaur. And I couldn't help but wonder if the Demon Lord imposter at the end was some scheme of Marcus' to make Veltol seem like a clown and further weaken his reputation or chances of getting myth cred. Machina's devotion to the Demon Lord kept veering into comedy territory, and so did a lot of Veltol's inept attempts to make the new age conform to his way of doing things (I liked the scene where he stood in the middle of a square and started yelling in an attempt to get people to hire him), but I didn't mind. I decided somewhere during this episode that I like Machina. Barely scraping by on low to working class wages, sustaining herself on Demon Lord doujin and faith, she's a pure (well, a bit impure, but in an endearing way) soul. And Takahashi looks like she could be fun. Mostly, I enjoyed getting to see the world unfold a bit more. The familia sounds like a smart phone on magical steroids, and as a grumpy Gen Xer who hates smart phones (I'm typing this on a lap top) I could sympathize. The cute little personal avatars seemed like a mix of Siri or Alexa and those avatars on Baka test. The anime isn't as comedic as The Devil is a Part Timer (which ended at season 1 in the universe that exists solely in my headspace) or as dark as The Demon Lord Returns. but exists somewhere in between. It's like a more intelligent, better drawn, more evenly paced version of Level 1 Demon Lord, a show I'd almost completely forgotten about until I racked my memory just now, with more of an emphasis on world building and less of an emphasis on fan service. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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You mentioning The Devil is a Part Timer makes me both happy and sad due to that show not getting the animation it deserves but also the story having some major issues. So far Demon 2099 has a clear vision and the setting interests me a lot (especially finding out what is up with the hero and the remaining immortals). Having seen the cover picture I suspected it and given the way faith works becoming a steamer is indeed the perfect answer. That way Veltol can gather a following and thus earn money to improve their living standards and rise in power at the same time.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Episode 2
Unlike Dan Da Dan, this one continues to cling to my schedule. I'm in a bit of dilemma. My instinct tells me that the highest rating this show would likely prise out of me is Decent. My ambition is to not invest time in anything that doesn't hit at least Good. Yet, by the same token, I'm not ready to toss this in the trash. I like the cyberpunk stuff, Machina's Familia avatar is adorable and I kind of like the Demon Lord guy. I guess the solution is to watch some more. It wouldn't take much of a dip in my interest to cut it loose. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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While I understand your mission Blood there is such as thing as becoming too critical. If you are going to drop everything that is not instantly very good or great then you are going to miss a lot of aspects you like in a less than good shows.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Actually, I've become pretty confident in my instinct in determining what will be worthwhile for me personally. For example, I stuck with both No Longer Allowed in this World and Quality Assurance. So I honestly don't think I'll be missing out on something that's worthwhile to me. I feel if I'm not feeling it after three episodes, that's a sign I shouldn't ignore. These days it frequently takes less than three episodes to come to that conclusion. |
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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Blood, I kinda miss having a copilot on the modern day masterpiece that is MF Ghost the Number Two, but if your anime cleanse is making you feel lighter and brighter, far be it from me to dress up in a devil suit and whisper things like "You know you want to give Tying the Knot With an Agami Sister another chance, Blood. Do it. Just do it. You won't wind up blacking out and waking up in a strange city 48 hours later, wearing a Japanese school girl uniform and covered with bootleg dvds of anime like My Girlfriend is a Gal and Conception, I promise..."
Smurky - I'm still holding out hope that the inept streaming joke at the end of episode 2 is a fake and not a flash forward. Otherwise it's just too painful. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Prepare to have your heart broken, Edjwald. I'm pretty sure that stream was legit. The show seems like it is definitely gonna trade in the whole, "wacky shit the Demon Lord does to make money" thang.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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It's not the first time I've thought we need a sigh emoji. If that really is Veltol trying to be hip with the kids, it's tres cringe. .
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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I think that was the point. Humour + ??? = profit
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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Yeah, I guess the thing is, I prefer the Steve Carell American Office kind of cringe to the Ricky Gervais British Office kind of cringe. Very similar (Gervais produced and wrote some of the American episodes) but with the Steve Carell level of cringe, the laugh to cringe ratio was a little higher to lower, and with the Ricky Gervais level of cringe, I laughed but at the same time it sometimes got so painful that I wanted to poke my eyes when I couldn't stop watching. I'm sure some purists disagree. |
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Edjwald, old buddy, I fully support your constitutional right to be utterly wrong.
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Edjwald
Posts: 1586 |
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Welp, I wasn't crazy about the podcasting, but I did like the appearance of the hero and the backstory and conversation that followed. It was a bit like that moment in Heat where Al Pacino and Robert Deniro meet in a restaurant. Just a bit like it, but that's not a bad thing.
Veltol is kind of all over the place. One moment he's a joke, the next moment he's kind of wise, then he's dense, then he's genuinely menacing, then he's impulsive, then he's ruthless, then he's loyal, then he's arrogant, then he doesn't mind humiliating himself. It's interesting, but I'm still waiting to see if it's all complex characterization or self-indulgent writing. I'm not sure if Veltol is going to grow a bit on his journey back to OPness, or if the whole things going to be a power trip where the world gradually confirms to his wishes.. I do like Machina and Takahashi, and I both felt sorry for Gram and found him disconcerting, which is a good thing. I'm not loving the anime as much as I thought I was going to in episode 1, but I'm still liking it, and it's keeping me interested. |
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