Makai Ouji: Devils and Realist is an anime based on the manga written by Madoka Takadono.

William Twining, who is an aristocratic genius, suddenly finds himself destitute due to his uncle’s gambling problems. He returns home at once, determined to find a way to pay for the tuition at the prestigious school he attends. While he is looking for heirlooms to sell, he comes across a hidden room in the basement and accidentally summons the demon Dantalion.

Dantalion tells William that he is the Elector, the only person able to determine who should rule in Hell while Lucifer is sleeping. William thinks it’s a hoax, because he’s a realist and he has absolutely no interest in involving himself in the affairs of madmen. His persistence in denying the existence of demons even when faced with phenomenal magic is both inspiring and frustrating.

Various demons worm their way into William’s life, determined to have him name them the next Interim Ruler of Hell. The politics of Hell are rather complex and everyone has an agenda. Each of the demons that enter William’s life are acting as agents for more powerful demons who wish to rule Hell in Lucifer’s stead.

But while Hell is bent on trying to get William to name the next Elector, the forces of Heaven are moving to try and prevent that from ever occurring. One of William’s closest family friends is an undercover angel who is under constant scrutiny by the archangel Michael. And while William knows the identity of all the demons in his life, he is unaware that his close family friend is an angel in disguise.

Over the course of the series, it is learned that William is not only a descendant of Solomon, but an incarnation of the man known as the wisest human to ever walk the earth. Solomon possessed a ring that allowed him to subjugate demons to his will and when it falls into William’s hands, that ancient power is awakened.

This is a fairly light anime series and is appropriate for all age groups. I would recommend that those with a strong Christian background avoid it, however, as it twists the commonly associated roles of Demons and Angels. In this series, Demons are the good guys and Angels are manipulative and sinister. It is a controversial series, in that respect, but if you are looking for a funny, light-hearted series that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a great anime to watch.

I wrote this review after watching the anime on CrunchyRoll, where I pay for their premium services.