Episode 01: Flushed Away to a Strange World
Episode 01: Flushed Away to a Strange World
If you need to watch the episode, check out this post (community locked) for information!
...and away we go!
Our tale - fantastic, outlandish, and hopefully sordid! though it may be - begins like any other. A bright summer day, a city street…
…a taxi containing a pregnant lady and her mysterious and hot companion. What? Can’t you tell from just half a face??
Not to mention, a companion with a fancy blue pendant! Ooh la la, mysterious stranger-guy!
And not only that! He’s a foreign mysterious guy, with all kinds of useful information, such as that where he comes from, babies born in summer are strong. Also, that “July” is, in this mysterious place from whence our mysterious stranger came, is called “Yuuri.”
And cut to our hero! I’ll bet you can’t guess his name! ~_^ It’s Yuuri - Shibuya Yuuri, to be precise. And he’s definitely looking adorable on that bike of his. ^_^
But wait - why is Yuuri looking so lovely and angsty?
Ah, there’s a baseball game over there. Yuuri looks like he wants to play, right? When a friend advises against trying out for the team due to too much work, Yuuri says he’s “just watching.” How sad for our Yuuri. D:
However, the next thing Yuuri encounters is far less innocuous.
Hey, who’s that over there surrounded by burly guys who look like they’re up to no good? It’s Murata Ken, Yuuri’s middle school classmate. But they weren’t really friends anyway, Yuuri reasons, so there’s no need to get involved. Unless…
Oh, no! Yuuri’s been spotted by Murata and the Ruffians! That would be a great name for a band, yes? Now what? Well, what else can he do but intervene? Although he’s not looking very thrilled about it:
The ruffians don’t seem impressed that Yuuri is messing with their seedy schemes. But then!
Hey, Murata, where’re you going?? Boy, what a wimp. And if the bullies were irritated before, now they’re downright pissed. They demand Yuuri’s money, since he scared off their “prey.”
As the bully pushes Yuuri against the wall, he says “Shibuya Yuuri, or should we call you Harajuku Furi?” [a play on yuuri 友利 which means advantage and furi 不利 which means disadvantage; Shibuya and Harajuku are wards of Tokyo]. Yuuri is clearly unimpressed, having heard that joke upwards of 50,000 times in his life. Ah, Japanese humor.
In fact, if you uncouth ruffians have issue with his name, you can take it up with his mother!
“This super-cool looking fencer threw me a pleasant smile so I ended up giving you that name. It’s not because your father is a banker and always thought of interest rates that we named you like that, like you always complain. Not at all, Yu-chan. It’s Yuuri because you were born in July. It’s cute! Can’t you feel my love, Yu-chan?” Best explanation ever. ^_^
Sadly, the love seems to be not mutual, as the guys drag Yuuri into a stall in the girls’ bathroom. What are you nogoodniks up to now?
Hey…you guys aren’t going to…uh-oh, you ARE! Woe is Yuuri, about to get his face shoved in a toilet!
They push the flusher and…prepare for a face full of ickiness, Shibuya Yuuri! But…wait just a minute, here…
What’s going on?! Did Yuuri really get flushed down the toilet? More importantly, why is there a worm hole in the girl’s bathroom? And where might it lead?
Our hero ends up summarily deposited on the ground in the middle of a field, staring up at the sky as the clouds clear above him. And he’s all wet! Ick. But hold on, where is he…the Alps, maybe? That seems like a funny place for a toilet to lead to. Hey, there’s a native! Let’s ask her.
Uh-oh. The native seems like she doesn’t like Yuuri too much. And why is she cosplaying?
The frightened maid refuses to listen to Yuuri’s plight and runs away, shouting in some language Yuuri can’t understand. So she goes and gets all her friends, who are also cosplaying for some reason. Maybe it’s a theme park! What kind of…OW! The cosplayers are throwing things and shouting gibberish!
Ack! Yuuri runs away, trying to avoid getting hit by rocks and wondering if he’s getting punished for not paying admission to this freak-show. If you call his family, they’ll pay you! So stop throwing things, darn it!
Suddenly, a horse rides up, carrying a big muscled guy. Is he going to save Yuuri from being pelted into oblivion?
Okay, so Yuuri can’t understand this guy’s words either, but at least he’s not throwing things. And… hey! Yuuri’s head is not a football!
What the heck is this guy doing? He comes up out of nowhere and starts manhandling…hey, dude, what are you - ACK!
Hey man, what gives. That hurt, you know! But wait, Yuuri can understand the guy now! And he seems to be calling Yuuri an idiot. How rude.
Hey, big rude guy. Can you tell us where Yuuri’s been flushed to, please? Before he can really answer, though, it seems that Yuuri can understand what the cosplayers are saying, too. They’re wondering whether their village will be burned to the ground like Kentenow was 20 years ago (and where the heck is that? Yuuri should have studied harder in geography class…).
But, they say, Yuuri is a “Double Black” with his black hair and eyes. Maybe if they capture him, they can gain the power of eternal life! Uh, oh.
Just as Yuuri’s beginning to fear that he might be stabbed in all kinds of uncomfortable ways, he hears someone shouting his name. He turns and…it’s the cavalry!
Even better, it’s the HOT cavalry. And hey, that blue thing looks familiar…
The hot soldier with the fancy pendant calls out to the muscular guy, “Adalbert von Grantz, get away from Yuuri!” Adelbert deftly mounts his steed to prepare for…whatever, while Yuuri gets even more confused.
And what the heck is that thing up there? It looks like a…no way!
A flying skeleton? This is some weird theme park.
No time to wonder about Boney up there, because Adalbert crosses swords with the soldier, whose name seems to be Lord Conrart Weller.
The two men clash swords and continue to spar verbally about borders and such, while Yuuri stands back to watch the events unfold.
Things are getting interesting. But…hang on, what the -
Oh noes! Yuuri’s being carried off by the winged skeleton!
Apparently, the flying skeletons are loyal to whoever Conrart’s with. Adalbert sheathes his blade and tells Yuuri “I’ll rescue you later!” and rides off.
Is Yuuri being taken by the good guys or the bad guys?
Nevertheless, he rides off with Lord Conrart Weller and his men, and after a time they come to meet a new guy, Günter von Kleist.
Whoa. Apparently this place is populated only by gorgeous men. In any case, Günter addresses Yuuri as “Your Majesty” and says he has very much been looking forward to meeting him. Okay, so the population is also a little confused.
And all that horse riding is hard on the rear end.
Strange, that these foreigners speak perfect Japanese. But wait, they say they’re not from Japan. And they insist that Yuuri’s speaking their native language fluently. Also, they’re in another world. What the heck…
What is this guy talking about…er, Conrart. “Well,” Conrart says, “if you’re used to English sounds, ‘Conrad’ might be easier. I have a few friends who address me like that.” Which doesn’t really explain anything, but it sure is easier to pronounce. Wait, have you met Yuuri before?
“No.” Huh. Strange.
In any case, they head into the cabin and start Yuuri’s clothes drying by the fireplace, and Günter begins to explain everything.
Günter thinks it’s splendid that Yuuri wears black clothes, and has black hair and eyes. Certainly he is their Majesty! Um, it’s just a school uniform, Günter. And black hair and eyes are pretty common in Japan.
Ah, wait! Yuuri knows this setting - it’s a theme park attraction. And even though Conrart says it’s not, Yuuri’s disinclined to believe that.
For him, this has to be: 1. A theme park. 2. a hidden camera show (“terevideo supurisu”…I love Japanese XD) or 3. A dream! He prefers number 3, so hurry and pick one!
But Günter and Conrart implore “His Majesty” to listen and they will explain, which he does…begrudgingly.
18 years ago, Günter says, Yuuri’s noble spirit was supposed to be born in this country. But, because of a war at the time and fear of an assassination, the Great One, Shinou, told them to take Yuuri’s soul to be born in the world called “Earth,” where he was born and raised. But, a situation has arisen and they needed to call him back.
Yuuri is sure that they’ve made a mistake. After all, he’s of average appearance (yeah freaking right!) and intelligence (okay, I’ll give you that one, but you’re still a cutie-pie!) and he hasn’t got any strange birthmarks either.
But no, Günter insists! He recognized Yuuri immediately by his royal demeanor. He seems pretty…um, excited about it.
In any case, Yuuri figures that he should be able to go home if he accomplishes some task, right? So, is there a princess that needs rescuing? Or maybe a dragon ripe for the slaying?
Of course not! Günter says. Dragons are an endangered species and are under “their” careful protection.
Conrart looks on, smiling sweetly, as Yuuri asks “if there’s no dragons, what am I supposed to slay”?
“Humans,” Günter explains. Conrart doesn’t look too thrilled all of a sudden…
Humans, really? Yep, they have to slay all humans who are “their” enemies. And to do that, they need the help of Yuuri, their star of hope, the 27th Demon King. And that’s what Yuuri is, starting today.
Wait…WHAT??
Did that guy just call Yuuri the DEMON KING? *thud*
After Yuuri gets over the shock and gets his clothes back on darn it! he decides to step outside for a bit of air.
“Your Majesty?” says a voice behind him…WAH!
Oh, Conrart, it’s only you. And could you stop calling Yuuri “Your Majesty?” What kind of trap has he fallen into?
But Yuuri, this is your world, Conrart says. “Welcome home, Your Majesty.”
~*obligatory reference to time passing*~
The next day, Yuuri’s back on the road with Conrart, this time with Günter and a whole entourage in tow.
This horse riding thing is painful. Hey, wait. If you guys are Demons, can’t you use magic powers to zap everyone wherever you want to get to?
Not really. You see, Yuuri, magic isn’t quite that versatile. It’s mainly used in battle. And Conrart doesn’t have any magical abilities at all. Sorry, Yuuri, you’re stuck on the horse.
Ooh, a cute little girl! And what’s that she’s carrying?
That water sure looks refreshing. But why is Conrart tasting it first?
Oh, okay, he’s done. Here you go, Yuuri, drink up!
That was really good. Thanks a million, little girl!
Yuuri, Günter says you shouldn’t drink anything except what they brought with them. Conrart says it’s okay since the water tasted just fine. But Günter thinks Conrart sides too much with the common people.
Nonetheless, Conrart is prepared to sacrifice his heart and his life for you, ‘Your Majesty.’
Um, Conrart? Yuuri doesn’t need you to sacrifice heart or your life.
And lo! After (supposedly) many hours of butt-thumping riding, they ride up to a walled city!
Wow, this place is pretty impressive. But, are you sure Yuuri’s okay to ride a horse by himself?
Welcome back, Yuuri! This is your country: “Glory to the Great First Demon King and his people, the Demon Tribe! Oh, let us never forget that the world began with us, the Demon Tribe! With the power, wisdom and bravery that defeated even the Originators, the Demon Tribe will Prosper for eternity!”
Um, is that the national anthem, Günter?
Well, it’s called “The Great Demon Kingdom” [or Shin Makoku] for short.
Ooh, flowers! Thanks a lot, fair maidens!
Hey, who’s that guy?
That’s Stoffel von Spitzweg, older brother to the former Demon Queen. He was abusing his power while serving as the de facto monarch.
And Günter doesn’t seem to think too highly of him.
Neither does Conrart. And surely “Gwendal” and “Wolfram” feel the same way…whoever those guys are.
Um…Yuuri’s kind of in the dark, here. Did something happen?
Hey…is that a bee?
It is a bee! It must be attracted to the flowers! More importantly, it’s making the horse go nuts!
Off Yuuri goes, because heck if he has any idea how to control a runaway horse! Conrart and Günter dash off in hot pursuit of their runaway King.
It’s not exactly a pleasant ride for Yuuri…
The horse takes Yuuri all the way up to the steps of the looming castle, where he is deposited onto his royal and already sore behind.
“There you go, it’s okay now,” says a deep, manly voice. But the guy’s not concerned with the boy who just got dropped on his rump, he’s talking to the horse!”
Günter and Conrart race up, frantically asking His Majesty if he’s all right.
“Wait,” the gorgeous man in green says. “So this is…” Ooh, he doesn’t look too thrilled to realize that Yuuri’s supposed to be the new Demon King.
“So that’s the new Demon King,” says the owner of a set of boots that happens down the castle steps.
Who could this guy be? Yuuri stares in dumbfounded confusion…
…as he lays eyes on the owner of said boots…
…a very unhappy bishounen! Well, then; it seems everyone here is downright hot. Lucky!
…Although somehow, I have a feeling that this is merely the beginning of our hero’s troubles. Look, I’m totally psychic! XD
Something I found very amusing regarding the clothing…observe if you will! I spotted on Wikipedia that the soldier uniforms are based on real historical outfits, so I did some comparison:
Conrart: Wiki says he’s in a 1914 German Infantry Uniform. Here’s a side by side.
Wolfram. Wiki says United States Officer's Uniform from during the Mexican American War.
Gwendal, who wiki says is in a WWII British Officers Great Coat.
Hm. Not exactly the same, but it’s sort of neat, right? ^_^
Spoiler-free thoughts on episode 1.
Watching this episode again was a ton of fun - I was smiling and giggling the whole time! I think the way Yuuri’s constantly poking fun at the genre of the show is wonderful - all the stuff about cosplay, how he doesn’t think he’s special enough to be transported to another world and be king, how he assumes if he accomplishes a task he’ll be sent home again - not-so-ironically, just like in most “Japanese boy/girl Gets transported to Another World” anime. ^_^
The crack comedy in this is really something special. Flying skeletons? Wow, that’s exercising your creative powers, Takabayashi-sensei! And getting flushed down a toilet just sets a mood, wouldn’t you say?
To tell the truth, when I first heard that the premise of KKM was a boy getting flushed down a toilet, I was unimpressed. It was the pictures in Newtype that pulled me in, and I was hooked from the very first episode! This episode gave me a lot of unanswered questions, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. It’s so much more than a show about a boy going down the toilet-pipe and into another world - from the very outset, we can see there’s more going on here than meets the eye. And Yuuri’s so adorably oblivious and innocent and just a bit cynical… that seeing the world though his eyes is a barrel of fun! ^_^
How did you all first hear about KKM? Were you hooked from episode 1, too? ^^
Since this is only episode 1, there can’t be to much real discussion without spoilers. So, the next section is chock full of ‘em. Be warned, first-time viewers!
Everything under this is spoilers! Let’s say through episode 66 to be safe.
Since I’m watching the series for the second time, I found myself drooling at all the backstory hints. Such as!:
Yuuri being so reluctant to save Murata from those bullies: Well, it’s not like we’re buddies or anything.”
It’s so interesting that this is how his sense of justice is introduced, as someone who only acts when he has no choice. Considering it’s in episode 2 that we first meet his justice-wielding alter ego, I’m interested to rewatch the show from this point and see how Yuuri’s sense of justice becomes stronger.
Conrart: “Unfortunately, Adalbert, I’m not devoted to love as much as you are.”
*dies* I beg to differ, my good man! It’s interesting how the two found such different paths by following their love of Julia. And what makes the line even more significant is that Conrart knows that Yuuri is the incarnation of Julia’s soul.
Günter and his hero-worship of Yuuri was hilarious! Of course Kazuhiko Inoue does a masterful job with his voice; the barely concealed excitement, the adorable flaily-ness of Günter that is such love. <3 I think he creeps Yuuri out a little in the beginning, but soon enough he realizes that it’s all just part of Günter. ^^
Conrart fascinated me from the beginning, but I think it’s been only recently that I’ve begun to understand the internal conflict of his character. Especially when Günter says that Yuuri’s supposed to slay “humans” - I couldn’t resist screencapping that face! Intense!Conrart is love. <3
Conrart’s reactions to Günter’s statement that humans were the enemies and need to be “slain” was really wonderful - and this is me drooling over Günter and Conrart and the interesting relationship they have, with Günter trying to pull Conrart closer to the Mazoku side and Conrart not sure where he fits in.
I wonder how Yuuri’s sense of justice would compare/contrast with Conrart’s. With Günter insisting that Conrart is “too much a friend to the common people,” which is of course what Yuuri comes to signify as the Maou, it’s just interesting to me. I think Conrart and Yuuri’s characters are similar in this way: both of them are equally a part of the human and the Mazoku worlds, and have to find a place in between.
Another thing I loved about KKM from the beginning and is fun to rewatch is the little things that seem insignificant but always come into play later in the series. Everything from Yuuri’s mention of dragons to Yuuri drinking the water from the little girl to Gunter mentioning Stoffel’s backstory and how he’ll try to suck up to the new king - it all comes back later! Even when Yuuri’s ready to ask what about that Stoffel guy has Günter and Conrart in such a state…then, conveniently, is waylaid by a bee! There are no coincidences in KKM. I love that, looking for each little instance of foreshadowing and such. ^_^
Of course, I can’t go without squeeing over Wolfram and Gwendal, and the way they’re introduced. It makes me think of their challenges that Yuuri may not be the best choice for Maou (in the beginning) and also, to me, shows a bit if their relationship and Wolfram’s brother-worship of Gwendal. Makes me wonder how much of Wolfram’s snubbing Yuuri in the beginning is snobbishness, and how much is him agreeing with Gwendal.
Also of course, I was thinking about the brotherly relationship between the brothers when Günter mentioned Stoffel and saying that Gwendal and Wolfram probably thought so too. Nothing to bring different brothers together like a common enemy that happens to be their uncle! *restrains self from going into a tangent about their mother and her rule as Queen*
I can’t wait to go on and watch the whole sordid engagement ordeal once again! <3
End spoilers.
Next Episode: Episode 02 hosted by chasingphantoms!
Quick reminder since it’s the first post: ALL SPOILERS must be warned for, even in comments! This means anything even in episode 2, since episode 1 is all we have up right now. When in doubt, warn for spoilers!
Let the fangirling commence! ^_^
If you need to watch the episode, check out this post (community locked) for information!
...and away we go!
Our tale - fantastic, outlandish, and hopefully sordid! though it may be - begins like any other. A bright summer day, a city street…
…a taxi containing a pregnant lady and her mysterious and hot companion. What? Can’t you tell from just half a face??
Not to mention, a companion with a fancy blue pendant! Ooh la la, mysterious stranger-guy!
And not only that! He’s a foreign mysterious guy, with all kinds of useful information, such as that where he comes from, babies born in summer are strong. Also, that “July” is, in this mysterious place from whence our mysterious stranger came, is called “Yuuri.”
And cut to our hero! I’ll bet you can’t guess his name! ~_^ It’s Yuuri - Shibuya Yuuri, to be precise. And he’s definitely looking adorable on that bike of his. ^_^
But wait - why is Yuuri looking so lovely and angsty?
Ah, there’s a baseball game over there. Yuuri looks like he wants to play, right? When a friend advises against trying out for the team due to too much work, Yuuri says he’s “just watching.” How sad for our Yuuri. D:
However, the next thing Yuuri encounters is far less innocuous.
Hey, who’s that over there surrounded by burly guys who look like they’re up to no good? It’s Murata Ken, Yuuri’s middle school classmate. But they weren’t really friends anyway, Yuuri reasons, so there’s no need to get involved. Unless…
Oh, no! Yuuri’s been spotted by Murata and the Ruffians! That would be a great name for a band, yes? Now what? Well, what else can he do but intervene? Although he’s not looking very thrilled about it:
The ruffians don’t seem impressed that Yuuri is messing with their seedy schemes. But then!
Hey, Murata, where’re you going?? Boy, what a wimp. And if the bullies were irritated before, now they’re downright pissed. They demand Yuuri’s money, since he scared off their “prey.”
As the bully pushes Yuuri against the wall, he says “Shibuya Yuuri, or should we call you Harajuku Furi?” [a play on yuuri 友利 which means advantage and furi 不利 which means disadvantage; Shibuya and Harajuku are wards of Tokyo]. Yuuri is clearly unimpressed, having heard that joke upwards of 50,000 times in his life. Ah, Japanese humor.
In fact, if you uncouth ruffians have issue with his name, you can take it up with his mother!
“This super-cool looking fencer threw me a pleasant smile so I ended up giving you that name. It’s not because your father is a banker and always thought of interest rates that we named you like that, like you always complain. Not at all, Yu-chan. It’s Yuuri because you were born in July. It’s cute! Can’t you feel my love, Yu-chan?” Best explanation ever. ^_^
Sadly, the love seems to be not mutual, as the guys drag Yuuri into a stall in the girls’ bathroom. What are you nogoodniks up to now?
Hey…you guys aren’t going to…uh-oh, you ARE! Woe is Yuuri, about to get his face shoved in a toilet!
They push the flusher and…prepare for a face full of ickiness, Shibuya Yuuri! But…wait just a minute, here…
What’s going on?! Did Yuuri really get flushed down the toilet? More importantly, why is there a worm hole in the girl’s bathroom? And where might it lead?
Our hero ends up summarily deposited on the ground in the middle of a field, staring up at the sky as the clouds clear above him. And he’s all wet! Ick. But hold on, where is he…the Alps, maybe? That seems like a funny place for a toilet to lead to. Hey, there’s a native! Let’s ask her.
Uh-oh. The native seems like she doesn’t like Yuuri too much. And why is she cosplaying?
The frightened maid refuses to listen to Yuuri’s plight and runs away, shouting in some language Yuuri can’t understand. So she goes and gets all her friends, who are also cosplaying for some reason. Maybe it’s a theme park! What kind of…OW! The cosplayers are throwing things and shouting gibberish!
Ack! Yuuri runs away, trying to avoid getting hit by rocks and wondering if he’s getting punished for not paying admission to this freak-show. If you call his family, they’ll pay you! So stop throwing things, darn it!
Suddenly, a horse rides up, carrying a big muscled guy. Is he going to save Yuuri from being pelted into oblivion?
Okay, so Yuuri can’t understand this guy’s words either, but at least he’s not throwing things. And… hey! Yuuri’s head is not a football!
What the heck is this guy doing? He comes up out of nowhere and starts manhandling…hey, dude, what are you - ACK!
Hey man, what gives. That hurt, you know! But wait, Yuuri can understand the guy now! And he seems to be calling Yuuri an idiot. How rude.
Hey, big rude guy. Can you tell us where Yuuri’s been flushed to, please? Before he can really answer, though, it seems that Yuuri can understand what the cosplayers are saying, too. They’re wondering whether their village will be burned to the ground like Kentenow was 20 years ago (and where the heck is that? Yuuri should have studied harder in geography class…).
But, they say, Yuuri is a “Double Black” with his black hair and eyes. Maybe if they capture him, they can gain the power of eternal life! Uh, oh.
Just as Yuuri’s beginning to fear that he might be stabbed in all kinds of uncomfortable ways, he hears someone shouting his name. He turns and…it’s the cavalry!
Even better, it’s the HOT cavalry. And hey, that blue thing looks familiar…
The hot soldier with the fancy pendant calls out to the muscular guy, “Adalbert von Grantz, get away from Yuuri!” Adelbert deftly mounts his steed to prepare for…whatever, while Yuuri gets even more confused.
And what the heck is that thing up there? It looks like a…no way!
A flying skeleton? This is some weird theme park.
No time to wonder about Boney up there, because Adalbert crosses swords with the soldier, whose name seems to be Lord Conrart Weller.
The two men clash swords and continue to spar verbally about borders and such, while Yuuri stands back to watch the events unfold.
Things are getting interesting. But…hang on, what the -
Oh noes! Yuuri’s being carried off by the winged skeleton!
Apparently, the flying skeletons are loyal to whoever Conrart’s with. Adalbert sheathes his blade and tells Yuuri “I’ll rescue you later!” and rides off.
Is Yuuri being taken by the good guys or the bad guys?
Nevertheless, he rides off with Lord Conrart Weller and his men, and after a time they come to meet a new guy, Günter von Kleist.
Whoa. Apparently this place is populated only by gorgeous men. In any case, Günter addresses Yuuri as “Your Majesty” and says he has very much been looking forward to meeting him. Okay, so the population is also a little confused.
And all that horse riding is hard on the rear end.
Strange, that these foreigners speak perfect Japanese. But wait, they say they’re not from Japan. And they insist that Yuuri’s speaking their native language fluently. Also, they’re in another world. What the heck…
What is this guy talking about…er, Conrart. “Well,” Conrart says, “if you’re used to English sounds, ‘Conrad’ might be easier. I have a few friends who address me like that.” Which doesn’t really explain anything, but it sure is easier to pronounce. Wait, have you met Yuuri before?
“No.” Huh. Strange.
In any case, they head into the cabin and start Yuuri’s clothes drying by the fireplace, and Günter begins to explain everything.
Günter thinks it’s splendid that Yuuri wears black clothes, and has black hair and eyes. Certainly he is their Majesty! Um, it’s just a school uniform, Günter. And black hair and eyes are pretty common in Japan.
Ah, wait! Yuuri knows this setting - it’s a theme park attraction. And even though Conrart says it’s not, Yuuri’s disinclined to believe that.
For him, this has to be: 1. A theme park. 2. a hidden camera show (“terevideo supurisu”…I love Japanese XD) or 3. A dream! He prefers number 3, so hurry and pick one!
But Günter and Conrart implore “His Majesty” to listen and they will explain, which he does…begrudgingly.
18 years ago, Günter says, Yuuri’s noble spirit was supposed to be born in this country. But, because of a war at the time and fear of an assassination, the Great One, Shinou, told them to take Yuuri’s soul to be born in the world called “Earth,” where he was born and raised. But, a situation has arisen and they needed to call him back.
Yuuri is sure that they’ve made a mistake. After all, he’s of average appearance (yeah freaking right!) and intelligence (okay, I’ll give you that one, but you’re still a cutie-pie!) and he hasn’t got any strange birthmarks either.
But no, Günter insists! He recognized Yuuri immediately by his royal demeanor. He seems pretty…um, excited about it.
In any case, Yuuri figures that he should be able to go home if he accomplishes some task, right? So, is there a princess that needs rescuing? Or maybe a dragon ripe for the slaying?
Of course not! Günter says. Dragons are an endangered species and are under “their” careful protection.
Conrart looks on, smiling sweetly, as Yuuri asks “if there’s no dragons, what am I supposed to slay”?
“Humans,” Günter explains. Conrart doesn’t look too thrilled all of a sudden…
Humans, really? Yep, they have to slay all humans who are “their” enemies. And to do that, they need the help of Yuuri, their star of hope, the 27th Demon King. And that’s what Yuuri is, starting today.
Wait…WHAT??
Did that guy just call Yuuri the DEMON KING? *thud*
After Yuuri gets over the shock and gets his clothes back on darn it! he decides to step outside for a bit of air.
“Your Majesty?” says a voice behind him…WAH!
Oh, Conrart, it’s only you. And could you stop calling Yuuri “Your Majesty?” What kind of trap has he fallen into?
But Yuuri, this is your world, Conrart says. “Welcome home, Your Majesty.”
~*obligatory reference to time passing*~
The next day, Yuuri’s back on the road with Conrart, this time with Günter and a whole entourage in tow.
This horse riding thing is painful. Hey, wait. If you guys are Demons, can’t you use magic powers to zap everyone wherever you want to get to?
Not really. You see, Yuuri, magic isn’t quite that versatile. It’s mainly used in battle. And Conrart doesn’t have any magical abilities at all. Sorry, Yuuri, you’re stuck on the horse.
Ooh, a cute little girl! And what’s that she’s carrying?
That water sure looks refreshing. But why is Conrart tasting it first?
Oh, okay, he’s done. Here you go, Yuuri, drink up!
That was really good. Thanks a million, little girl!
Yuuri, Günter says you shouldn’t drink anything except what they brought with them. Conrart says it’s okay since the water tasted just fine. But Günter thinks Conrart sides too much with the common people.
Nonetheless, Conrart is prepared to sacrifice his heart and his life for you, ‘Your Majesty.’
Um, Conrart? Yuuri doesn’t need you to sacrifice heart or your life.
And lo! After (supposedly) many hours of butt-thumping riding, they ride up to a walled city!
Wow, this place is pretty impressive. But, are you sure Yuuri’s okay to ride a horse by himself?
Welcome back, Yuuri! This is your country: “Glory to the Great First Demon King and his people, the Demon Tribe! Oh, let us never forget that the world began with us, the Demon Tribe! With the power, wisdom and bravery that defeated even the Originators, the Demon Tribe will Prosper for eternity!”
Um, is that the national anthem, Günter?
Well, it’s called “The Great Demon Kingdom” [or Shin Makoku] for short.
Ooh, flowers! Thanks a lot, fair maidens!
Hey, who’s that guy?
That’s Stoffel von Spitzweg, older brother to the former Demon Queen. He was abusing his power while serving as the de facto monarch.
And Günter doesn’t seem to think too highly of him.
Neither does Conrart. And surely “Gwendal” and “Wolfram” feel the same way…whoever those guys are.
Um…Yuuri’s kind of in the dark, here. Did something happen?
Hey…is that a bee?
It is a bee! It must be attracted to the flowers! More importantly, it’s making the horse go nuts!
Off Yuuri goes, because heck if he has any idea how to control a runaway horse! Conrart and Günter dash off in hot pursuit of their runaway King.
It’s not exactly a pleasant ride for Yuuri…
The horse takes Yuuri all the way up to the steps of the looming castle, where he is deposited onto his royal and already sore behind.
“There you go, it’s okay now,” says a deep, manly voice. But the guy’s not concerned with the boy who just got dropped on his rump, he’s talking to the horse!”
Günter and Conrart race up, frantically asking His Majesty if he’s all right.
“Wait,” the gorgeous man in green says. “So this is…” Ooh, he doesn’t look too thrilled to realize that Yuuri’s supposed to be the new Demon King.
“So that’s the new Demon King,” says the owner of a set of boots that happens down the castle steps.
Who could this guy be? Yuuri stares in dumbfounded confusion…
…as he lays eyes on the owner of said boots…
…a very unhappy bishounen! Well, then; it seems everyone here is downright hot. Lucky!
…Although somehow, I have a feeling that this is merely the beginning of our hero’s troubles. Look, I’m totally psychic! XD
Something I found very amusing regarding the clothing…observe if you will! I spotted on Wikipedia that the soldier uniforms are based on real historical outfits, so I did some comparison:
Conrart: Wiki says he’s in a 1914 German Infantry Uniform. Here’s a side by side.
Wolfram. Wiki says United States Officer's Uniform from during the Mexican American War.
Gwendal, who wiki says is in a WWII British Officers Great Coat.
Hm. Not exactly the same, but it’s sort of neat, right? ^_^
Spoiler-free thoughts on episode 1.
Watching this episode again was a ton of fun - I was smiling and giggling the whole time! I think the way Yuuri’s constantly poking fun at the genre of the show is wonderful - all the stuff about cosplay, how he doesn’t think he’s special enough to be transported to another world and be king, how he assumes if he accomplishes a task he’ll be sent home again - not-so-ironically, just like in most “Japanese boy/girl Gets transported to Another World” anime. ^_^
The crack comedy in this is really something special. Flying skeletons? Wow, that’s exercising your creative powers, Takabayashi-sensei! And getting flushed down a toilet just sets a mood, wouldn’t you say?
To tell the truth, when I first heard that the premise of KKM was a boy getting flushed down a toilet, I was unimpressed. It was the pictures in Newtype that pulled me in, and I was hooked from the very first episode! This episode gave me a lot of unanswered questions, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. It’s so much more than a show about a boy going down the toilet-pipe and into another world - from the very outset, we can see there’s more going on here than meets the eye. And Yuuri’s so adorably oblivious and innocent and just a bit cynical… that seeing the world though his eyes is a barrel of fun! ^_^
How did you all first hear about KKM? Were you hooked from episode 1, too? ^^
Since this is only episode 1, there can’t be to much real discussion without spoilers. So, the next section is chock full of ‘em. Be warned, first-time viewers!
Everything under this is spoilers! Let’s say through episode 66 to be safe.
Since I’m watching the series for the second time, I found myself drooling at all the backstory hints. Such as!:
Yuuri being so reluctant to save Murata from those bullies: Well, it’s not like we’re buddies or anything.”
It’s so interesting that this is how his sense of justice is introduced, as someone who only acts when he has no choice. Considering it’s in episode 2 that we first meet his justice-wielding alter ego, I’m interested to rewatch the show from this point and see how Yuuri’s sense of justice becomes stronger.
Conrart: “Unfortunately, Adalbert, I’m not devoted to love as much as you are.”
*dies* I beg to differ, my good man! It’s interesting how the two found such different paths by following their love of Julia. And what makes the line even more significant is that Conrart knows that Yuuri is the incarnation of Julia’s soul.
Günter and his hero-worship of Yuuri was hilarious! Of course Kazuhiko Inoue does a masterful job with his voice; the barely concealed excitement, the adorable flaily-ness of Günter that is such love. <3 I think he creeps Yuuri out a little in the beginning, but soon enough he realizes that it’s all just part of Günter. ^^
Conrart fascinated me from the beginning, but I think it’s been only recently that I’ve begun to understand the internal conflict of his character. Especially when Günter says that Yuuri’s supposed to slay “humans” - I couldn’t resist screencapping that face! Intense!Conrart is love. <3
Conrart’s reactions to Günter’s statement that humans were the enemies and need to be “slain” was really wonderful - and this is me drooling over Günter and Conrart and the interesting relationship they have, with Günter trying to pull Conrart closer to the Mazoku side and Conrart not sure where he fits in.
I wonder how Yuuri’s sense of justice would compare/contrast with Conrart’s. With Günter insisting that Conrart is “too much a friend to the common people,” which is of course what Yuuri comes to signify as the Maou, it’s just interesting to me. I think Conrart and Yuuri’s characters are similar in this way: both of them are equally a part of the human and the Mazoku worlds, and have to find a place in between.
Another thing I loved about KKM from the beginning and is fun to rewatch is the little things that seem insignificant but always come into play later in the series. Everything from Yuuri’s mention of dragons to Yuuri drinking the water from the little girl to Gunter mentioning Stoffel’s backstory and how he’ll try to suck up to the new king - it all comes back later! Even when Yuuri’s ready to ask what about that Stoffel guy has Günter and Conrart in such a state…then, conveniently, is waylaid by a bee! There are no coincidences in KKM. I love that, looking for each little instance of foreshadowing and such. ^_^
Of course, I can’t go without squeeing over Wolfram and Gwendal, and the way they’re introduced. It makes me think of their challenges that Yuuri may not be the best choice for Maou (in the beginning) and also, to me, shows a bit if their relationship and Wolfram’s brother-worship of Gwendal. Makes me wonder how much of Wolfram’s snubbing Yuuri in the beginning is snobbishness, and how much is him agreeing with Gwendal.
Also of course, I was thinking about the brotherly relationship between the brothers when Günter mentioned Stoffel and saying that Gwendal and Wolfram probably thought so too. Nothing to bring different brothers together like a common enemy that happens to be their uncle! *restrains self from going into a tangent about their mother and her rule as Queen*
I can’t wait to go on and watch the whole sordid engagement ordeal once again! <3
End spoilers.
Next Episode: Episode 02 hosted by chasingphantoms!
Quick reminder since it’s the first post: ALL SPOILERS must be warned for, even in comments! This means anything even in episode 2, since episode 1 is all we have up right now. When in doubt, warn for spoilers!
Let the fangirling commence! ^_^