How Not to Summon a Demon Lord

Synopsis

Takuma Sakamoto is a gamer who never leaves his room until he’s suddenly transported into his favorite MMORPG, Cross Reverie, as his character Demon Lord Diablo! He has been summoned by pantherian Rem and elf Shera who wish to make him their servant, but he has a passive called “Magic Reflect” which results in the spell backfiring and them ending up as slaves!

To compensate for his social anxiety, Takuma tries to roleplay as Diablo while using his knowledge and high stats of Cross Reverie to survive in this dangerous world while traveling alongside Rem and Shera who seek a way to remove their slave collars.

Anime Adaptation

First released as a light novel written by Yukiya Murasaki with illustrations by Takahiro Tsurusaki, How Not to Summon a Demon Lord is published by Kodansha under their Lanove Bunko imprint with 10 volumes published as of June 2018. The light novel series is also licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment. It was then adapted into a manga by Naoto Fukuda in Kodansha’s Suiyoubi no Sirius shonen magazine in 2015.

The anime adaptation was revealed in January 2018 and began airing on July 5, 2018 on AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS Fuji, and SUN. It is animated by Ajia-do Animation Works with Yuuta Murano serving as director, Kazuyuki Fudeyasu as writer, and with music by Yusuke Kato. It is being simulcast by Crunchyroll and is receiving a simuldub by Funimation.

The opening theme is “DeCide” which is performed by the unit SUMMONERS 2+ which is made up of voice actresses Azumi Waki (Rem Galleu), Yuu Serizawa (Shera L. Greenwood), Yumi Hara (Alicia Crystella), Rumi Okubo (Sylvie), and Emiri Kato (Edelgard). The ending theme is “Saiaku no Hi demo Anata ga Suki.” performed by Serizawa and produced by HoneyWorks.

Characters

Takuma Sakamoto / Diablo (Voiced by: Masaaki Mizunaka)

The protagonist of the series, Takuma (or Diablo) is a Cross Reverie player who’s known for being strong enough to defeat even players with better equipment although he holds back due to his fearsome strength. He’s summoned into another world as Diablo by pantherian Rem and elf Shera. He is a hikikomori and severe introvert, but he attempts to compensate for this in Cross Reverie by acting as Diablo.

Rem Galleu (Voiced by: Azumi Waki)

Short and petite, Rem is a pantherian who summons Diablo alongside Shera. As a fighter she is strong and fast, making her quite a threat to those who oppose her. She desperately wishes to destroy the soul of Demon King Krebskrum, although the true nature of this quest is a dark and mysterious one…

Shera L. Greenwood (Voiced by: Yuu Serizawa)

Sweet and beautiful with long blonde hair, Shera is an affectionate elf who frequently plays dumb to manipulate others, hiding her quick and extremely observant side for her own advantage. She’s kind to her core, though, and is not capable of holding ill will towards anyone around her.

Alicia Crystella (Voiced by: Yui Hara)

The tall and stunning Alicia is a powerful Imperial Knight with an extremely strong sense of moral justice. She is polite and gentle towards those around her, but she uses this to hide a much darker inner motivation...

Sylvie (Voiced by: Rumi Okubo)

With bunny ears and short red hair, Sylvie is a Grasswalker with an energetic personality and the Guildmaster of Faltra City’s Adventurer’s Guild. She’s quick and very skilled at hiding, but she is also quite skilled at Support Magic!

Edelgard (Voiced by: Emiri Kato)

A Fallen, or Demonic Bein, Edelgard is a short and demonic girl who is both fearless and ruthless in combat. She has an odd way of speaking and is the strongest spear-user of Fallens.

Klem (Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki)

A young girl who absolutely loves biscuits who has lost all of her memories.

Celestine Baudelaire (Voiced by: Sayaka Senbongi)

Celestine is the stunning head of the Mage’s Association within Faltra City. As such, she is a talented magic user and she maintains the barrier of the city. She is also gifted with the ability to see the flow of magic and has a calm and mature nature.

Mei (Voiced by: Yuuka Morishima)

The idol of the Peace of Mind Inn, Mei is a pantherian who wears maid clothes and is used to attract customers. She always seems to have a smile on her face, but she’s utterly terrifying when angered...

Emile Bichelberger (Voiced by: Ryotaro Okiayu)

A level 50 human, Emile is a warrior attached to the Adventurer's Guild in Faltra City. He considers himself a guardian and ally to women, but somehow he’s always a loud and frustrating disappointment.

Keera L. Greenwood (Voiced by: Akira Ishida)

The older brother of Shera, Keera is an elf with a talent for playing the flute. He is in pursuit of his sister.

Chester Ray Galford (Voiced by: Akio Otsuka)

Chester is the human feudal lord in charge of Faltra City. He’s remembered as heroic for battling on the frontlines against the Fallen 30 years prior.

Broadcast Information

Japan

• Tokyo MX: Every Thursday at 10:00 pm starting July 5
• Sun TV: Every Thursday late night at 2:00 am starting July 5
• BS Fuji: Every Thursday at midnight starting July 5
• AT-X: Every Thursday at 9:30 am starting July 5

International Streaming

• Crunchyroll
• Funimation

• Website (Japanese)
• Twitter (Japanese)

• Original Creator: Yukiya Murasaki
• Original Character Designer: Takahiro Tsurusaki
• Director: Yuuta Murano
• Series Composition: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
• Character Designer: Shizue Kaneko
• Chief Animation Director: Yuuki Nishioka
• Monster Designer/Action Animation Director: Yuki Miyamoto
• Prop Designer: Yuichi Nakajima
• Color Designer: Natsuko Otsuka
• Art: Kusanagi
• Photography: Asahi Production Shiroishi Studio
• Director of Photography: Teppei Sato
• Music: Yusuke Kato
• Sound Production: Half HP Studio
• Sound Director: Satoshi Motoyama
• Animation Production: Ajia-do Animation Works
• Opening Theme: “DeCide” by SUMMONERS 2+
• Ending Theme: “Saiaku no Hi demo Anata ga Suki.” by Serizawa