Akuma-kun

Did You Know?

• Shingo's father Shigeru Umoregi is a manga artist who struggles to sell his work.
• Both films from the 1989 anime series were written by Yoshiyuki Suga and directed by Junichi Satō.

Basic setting

The contents of the series vary from version to version, but common plot points exist across all adaptations. The protagonist is a child prodigy who appears once every 10,000 years and is always nicknamed "Akuma-kun". The works are roughly divided into three series with different protagonists: Ichiro Matsushita in the rental version, Shingo Yamada in the Shonen Magazine version, and Shingo Umoregi in the Comic Bonbon version. Akuma-kun wants to create a world where all human beings can live happily, and he believes that harnessing the power of demons is necessary to achieve that goal. The entities referred to as demons are not limited to Christian origins; the series features various monsters from myths and folk stories worldwide. At the beginning of the story, Akuma-kun has not yet succeeded in summoning demons and has repeatedly conducted magical research and experiments. Dr. Faust appears and teaches him the secrets of summoning demons, and as a result he finally succeeds in invoking them. Dr. Faust gives Akuma-kun the Solomon Flute, which gives him the power to bend demons to his will; the flute was used by King Solomon. Akuma-kun has multiple subordinates who follow him, often referred to as the "twelve apostles", which differ from series to series. To summon demons, Shingo stands in front of a magic circle and casts a spell: "エロイムエッサイム、我は求め訴えたり" (Eloim, Essaim, frugativi et appelavi), a spell from a grimoire spread in France during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Video game

Akuma-kun: Makai no Wana is a Famicom role-playing game that came out on February 24, 1990, drawing from the anime series. Tose handled development, while Bandai published it. Players take control of Shingo Umoregi, also known as Akuma-kun, as he moves through three distinct area types. An overhead world map lets him travel between towns and dungeons, with random battles popping up. When a fight starts, the view shifts to first-person, and players pick attacks from a menu. Akuma-kun can call on demons to help in combat, and both sides take turns striking, much like other turn-based RPGs. Entering a town changes the perspective to a side-scrolling view, where moving upward at certain spots lets Akuma-kun enter shops and buildings. The story kicks off with a wizard telling Akuma-kun that the world would improve if humans and demons could connect, so he sets out to make that happen.