Konjiki no Gash

Konjiki No Gash (Zatch Bell in the U.S.) is a series that I've always had a somewhat bipolar relationship with. When I watched some of the anime back in high school, I had no trouble enjoying it until I noticed the subtle (albeit unintentional) Pokemon parallels. While this didn't suck all the enjoyment out of the series, it definitely lead to my gradual indifference. I lost interest around episode 80 and haven't picked up the series again until many years later. Being more open to manga and series like this in general than I was in high school, I decided to read all the scanslated chapters a few days ago. The results were definitely....SHOCKING (I know, bad joke and I should be tortured for it)

For those of you that don't know, Konjiki no Gash is a series about 100 demons with magical powers sent to the human world. Each one finds a human partner to recite spells so they can use that magic from the demons' books. The demons and their human partners fight other demons, aiming to burn the other's book resulting in the demon being sent back to the demon world. The last demon standing becomes king of the demon world.

Notice anything familiar about this setup? I'll give you a hint. It resembles one of the key components of the Shonen demographic. That's right, the battle for demon king is similiar to a tournament. While the demons are scattered around the world, they are all bound to run into each other sooner or later. It's pretty much the most flexible tournament in Shonen history.

I was really surprised by the amount of emotion the main characters displayed. Yeah, Kiyomaro's aim to make Gash the kind king is a pretty standard plot device, but the presentation is nothing short of inspiring. I thought I had been completely desensitized to the "determined speeches" but I actually found myself wanting Kiyomaro and Gash to win every battle they took part in. In most series, the victor doesn't matter to me as long as the fight is entertaining, but Konjiki no Gash has genuinly likable characters. You can't help but feel sad when a main character's book is burned even though the demon doesn't die. I found myself tearing up a few times without realizing it. Yeah it's cheesy, but it's powerful.

The battles are great. Being limited to a certain amount of spells make for some great combinations and interesting fights. Strategy plays a big role in each battle, allowing Kiyomaro to use his genius to its fullest. Even if electricity is an overused protagonist power, that doesn't stop the fights from feeling fresh.

While it is a shame the anime couldn't follow the manga completely, it is nice to see a good chunk of the canon animated. I'm sure this flew under the radar of a lot of anime fans, but trust me when I say it is definitely worth your time. I know it looks childish, but there is a good amount of depth to it and a crazy amount of blood and violence. Check the manga out too while you're at it!