This is a classic fake-out show, in that you think you are going in one direction, and then get yanked into another, oblique, area.

“The Devil is a Part-Timer” tells the tale of Dark Lord Satan, ruler of Enta Isla. It is not enough that he rules with an iron fist and a steel will; he must have it all, so he basically shoves in all the chips and does a massive four-front war on the neighbouring lands for total and complete world domination! (Enter dramatic music here.)

Initially, he gains the upper hand, as no one was fully prepared for such an onslaught. However, the tides of war turn against him and not only are his armies driven back, his own land gets invaded by all four of the lands he hoped to subdue. Rather than suffer the ignominy of defeat and the humiliation of capture, he takes his trusted general Alciel and jump through a dimensional portal. But be assured, he will return to exact his terrible vengeance and terrible it will be. However, they land in Sazazuka, Japan, to discover that this is a land of little magic and the once towering figure of Dark Lord Satan (massive biceps, eight-pack abs, thighs that could crush your skull) is now a twenty-something guy who looks a bit of a wiener. He is just another citizen of Japan and has to live as a mortal.

He gets a really cheap apartment and a part-time job at MgDonald’s while Alciel stays at home to cook and clean and stretch their meager budget as they try and get enough energy to return to their land. So Dark Lord Satan is that guy in the uniform and Alciel is the green apron in back, mere shadows of their towering figures.

One night, while going home from work, he is attacked by a red-haired lady (you can find her). This is the Great Hero Emilia Justina, who fought against him back in Enta Isla and also made the jump through the portal while those two guys did. Sadly, she has the same problem as Satan (now known as Sadao Maōu) in that she has limited power and tries to dispatch Sadao with a pen knife she got from the 100-Yen Store. She eventually learns to use her magical sword, which is needed, as there is a lot going on, but for their first encounter, she must use what is at hand.

Yet, despite all that is going on, this is a romantic comedy. Chiho Sasaki finds herself falling in love with Satan (and this picture in front does not do her justice, She has a couple of Big Macs on her!) because of his drive and desire to make certain that this particular branch is number one in the sale of Pepper Fries (a bit of a comedown from a man who, days earlier, was looking at world conquest).

The story tells of Emi’s attempts to kill Satan and how Satan changes himself to try and protect this world from external forces, as more minions from the Other Side show up, like Lucifer (the kid with the purple hair) and Suzuno Kamazuki (the kimono-clad hammer-wielder) for those folks are trying and put an end to all this and kill Dark Lord Satan.

This is one wild series: a romantic comedy that isn’t all that romantic, an action adventure with rather reined-in action, heavy drama without the drama. The ‘worst’ thing that happens is that Alciel gets sick. The conclusion is a bit off, but that smells HEAVILY of a second season, as nothing was resolved and more problems were laid out.

Watch this series. It is a real enjoyment to see people of great talents and abilities restricted in what they can do and having to make the best of a rotten situation, played to great results. And to have the Devil happy to be made a shift manager at a burger store is delicious beyond belief.
On a scale of 1 to 10:

Artwork 8 (The girls are cute)
Plot 8 (Something different)
Pacing 8 (They do it quite well)
Effectiveness 7 (Some of the side stories are strange)
Conclusion 2 (Nope, there will be more to tell)
Fan Service 4 (A similar show would “Gurren Lagaan”)

Overall 8 (One wild ride)

And remember, it’s first run until you see it. We have a special on pepper fries.