Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 review: A cyberpunk anime with a dash of humor and fantasy

Produced by J.C. Staff, Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 has become the talk of the town. With a curious fusion of Cyberpunk setting and fantasy themes, the episode, released on October 13, 2024, covered the written words from author Daigo Murasaki and illustrator Kureta's Japanese light novel series.

From the onset, J.C. Staff's production offered a cinematic experience to the audience, while establishing the lore and the backdrop. Whether it's the background art or the animation, the esteemed studio has done well to keep the audience engaged. The fluid animation was met with some wonderful voice acting, where the episode truly shone.

The delectable humor, mixed with the captivating cyberpunk setting and fantasy tropes, was one of the highlights of Demon Lord 2099 episode 1. Director Ryou Ando has done a fabulous job bringing alive the iconic moments from Daigo Murasaki's light novel. Although the episode missed the mark in some areas, overall it was an intriguing premiere.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Demon Lord 2099 episode 1.

Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 review: Exploring the narrative, adaptation, and J.C. Staff's production

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Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 marked the beginning of one of the most eagerly anticipated shows from the Fall 2024 season. Under the production of J.C. Staff Studios, director Ryou Ando, series composer Yuichiro Momose, and others have done a fabulous job in adapting the events from Daigo Murasaki (author) and Kurea's (illustrator) eponymous light novel series.

Right off the bat, Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 established the lore and the backdrop, with stunning narrative and battle composition. According to the episode, the Alneath Kingdom witnessed a gruesome war in the past between two sides—the mortals with limited lifespans and the immortals, freed from the gravity of death.

Eventually, the war ended with the mortal side's hero, Gram, slaying the Demon Lord Veltol. Yet, since Veltol was immortal he knew he would eventually return one day. The Demon Lord hoped to see Gram someday again. From the onset, J.C. Staff showed their production prowess with excellent composition.

2099's Shinjuku in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Undoubtedly, Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 had one of the most memorable opening scenes in Fall 2024. Even though it was a flashback scene, it was crucial to set the narrative in the right direction. The next we saw Veltol in 2099's Shinjuku, when his subordinate, Machina Soleige, revived him using magic.

No sooner had Veltol been revived than he planned to dominate Alneath again. However, to his dismay, he discovered that the world had changed a lot during his absence. Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 then focused on the narrative build-up again, with a heavy information dump.

Machina in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Machina informed Veltol that during his absence, the Kingdom of Alneath had undergone a massive change, especially because of a phenomenon called Fantasion, where it merged with Earth. The initial years were challenging for the people of Alneath, as civil wars had become frequent.

Yet, eventually, the wars settled down, and Alneath's magic joined with Earth's machinery industry to create a Magical Engineering or Magineering. One of the highlights of Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 was the fusion of cyberpunk and fantasy themes. Although the episode was loaded with information, the first episode properly set up the dystopian world's setting.

From Machina's story in Demon Lord 2099 episode 1, it was evident that 2099's Shinjuku was heavily dependent on Magineering, which was the byproduct of Magic and Industry. That's where the cyberpunk themes kicked into the narrative. However, the episode truly showcased the full potential of the Magineering through Marcus, one of the followers of Veltol, who went against him.

Marcus in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

According to Demon Lord 2099 episode 1, Demon Lord Veltol had six Dark Peers, with Machina being one of them. When Veltol had initially asked Machina about Marcus, she dodged the question. Later, she went away for a while, leaving the Demon Lord to explore the futuristic city.

While wandering about the city, Veltol met a girl, who gave him the address of Marcus's office. Veltol, who was unaware of Marcus's actual self, thought his Dark Peer would be delighted to see him. However, on the contrary, the Dark Peer vilified him with disdain.

He also showcased the disparity between their powers, thanks to the modern technology, called Familia, invented by the Mankind. Veltol, who was revived after 500 years, had no answer to the modern invention. Demon Lord 2099 epsiode 1 also revealed that the Familia was made in a way that beings with high-level magic, such as Veltol, wouldn't be able to use Familia.

Veltol on Machina's lap (Image via J.C.Staff)

Eventually, Marcus kicked Veltol out of his office, leaving him in a bruised and battered state. However, Machina was unlike Marcus, as she harbored an intense loyalty toward her master. She found Veltol in an injured state and took him to her single-room apartment. Veltol empathized with Machina's struggle, as the girl emotionally hugged him and cried.

Although Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 didn't have intense actions barring the opening scene and the scene featuring Veltol and Marcus, the episode has already created lots of promise in terms of the narrative. The episode faithfully covered Daigo Murasaki's written words from the light novel, albeit in a condensed mode.

Machina becomes emotional (Image via J.C.Staff)

It wouldn't have been possible to add every moment from the light novel into the storyboards because of the pacing issues. Yet, the narrative didn't feel forced, which was one of the positive points of the adaptation.

Coming to the production. J.C. Staff studios has done a decent job in terms of keeping the animation and the art consistent. Although in some aspects, the character art looked rather off-putting, they can be overlooked, given how the background art was stunning. The music composition perhaps required a bit more emphasis.

Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 review: The light-hearted humor adds flavor to the narrative

Takahashi and Veltol (Image via J.C.Staff)

Aside from the stunning visuals and animation, Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 was injected freshness by the narrative's light-hearted comedic scenes. For example, the scene where Veltol was surprised by the futuristic world and its customs had some funny notes. Likewise, Takahashi's scenes also had some interesting moments.

Yet, fans must note that comedy doesn't act as the overarching aspect of this narrative. Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 made it clear that the story would focus on worldbuilding and show Veltol's growth as a Demon Lord in a new world. It's almost as if an Isekai anime, except it's not. Veltol's situation is akin to the Isekai heroes, where they are summoned to combat evil.

However, here, Veltol is evil from the narrative's point of view. Yet, fans are made to sympathize with the character because he's the lead hero. It remains to be seen how Veltol's character is given further illumination. It seems the narrative will include more light-hearted scenes here and there to spice up the story.

Conclusion

Demon Lord 2099 episode 1 was a fresh cyberpunk experience anime fans had in Fall 2024. The interesting fusion of fantasy tropes injected the series with its uniqueness. However, it remains to be seen how the production studio capitalizes on the good start and continues with a decent adaptation.