Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun is a fantasy comedy based on a manga by Osamu Nishi. The manga started in Weekly Shonen Champion in March 2017, has more than 50 volumes, and had about 20 million copies in print by 2026. The anime is made by Bandai Namco Pictures and directed by Makoto Moriwaki. It airs on NHK Educational TV, a channel known for shows that families can watch together. The first season ran for 23 episodes from October 2019 to March 2020, and more seasons followed in 2021, 2022, and 2026.

The hero is Iruma Suzuki, a 14-year-old boy with a very hard life. His parents are lazy and selfish, and they have always made him work to support them. One day they go even further and sell him to a demon. That sounds like the start of a horror story, but it turns into something kind. The demon, Sullivan, is very old and very powerful, but he is also sweet and silly. He has always wanted a grandchild. So he adopts Iruma as his grandson and spoils him with love.

Sullivan is also the principal of Babyls, a school for young demons in the demon world, called the Netherworld. He enrolls Iruma there. But there is a big problem. Demons in this world see humans as food or as something rare and strange. If anyone finds out Iruma is human, he could be in danger. So Sullivan tells him to keep his true identity a secret, and Iruma must act like a demon in a school full of them.

Iruma's biggest skill is something he learned from his rough childhood. He is very good at avoiding danger, and he finds it hard to say no to anyone who asks for help. This makes him kind and helpful, but it also pulls him into wild situations. On his first day, he ends up in a fight with Alice Asmodeus, a proud and talented top student. Instead of becoming enemies, Alice ends up deeply loyal to Iruma. He also becomes friends with Clara Valac, a cheerful, chaotic girl who can pull all kinds of objects out of her pockets. The three become a close team.

The show is bright and colorful, and its humor is light and friendly for younger viewers. Under the jokes, it is a story about found family, which means people who are not related by blood but choose to care for each other. Iruma has never had a real family, and slowly he learns what it means to be loved and to have goals of his own. He also starts to rise in the school's ranks, often by accident.

One reviewer at Anime Feminist called the early episodes an enjoyable weekly watch, even if not a standout. Many viewers like it as a feel-good series with a big heart, and its long run shows that it has kept a loyal audience in Japan.