Daemons of the Shadow Realm

Episodes 1-3

This anime begins with a Shyamalan-style twist (that the story takes place in the modern day instead of feudal Japan). However, what's interesting is that this twist (which you'll likely figure out the moment you see the jet trails in the sky) is used to cover the much more interesting and personal twist: that “Asa” isn't the real Asa. This revelation is what gives the story its stakes and direction.

As we learn by the end of the third episode, Yuru's overarching goal for the story is to find the real Asa, force her to take him to see their parents, and get an explanation from them—not only as to the deeper meaning of his birth but also why he was left behind while Asa was not. Of course, this is far easier said than done, as he has one major problem: he has no earthly idea what is going on.

Just a day before, Yuru was working on becoming a hunter for the village—to make it so they weren't as reliant on food from the outside world. Now there's Daemons, modern technology, enemy soldiers, and a whole lot of people dying. At least we, the viewers, understand modern technology and have a bit more of an omniscient viewpoint (as we are able to follow Asa in some scenes as well). He's just totally lost.

Moreover, Yuru is surrounded by people who are either nearly as ignorant of what's going on as he is—i.e., Left and Right—or who are deliberately withholding vital information for their own purposes—i.e., Dera and Hana. There's even a good chance that Asa's massacre of the villagers was completely justifiable. After all, from the time we spend with her, she clearly sees the whole attack as a rescue operation—her coming back to save her brother after years apart. Getting revenge on those who, in her eyes, harmed her and her brother is just a bonus.

But while the central mysteries are solid and the characters interesting (especially Asa), there is one major oddity about this show. Although I had previously watched the first episode of Daemons of the Shadow Realm for the Preview Guide, I decided to watch it again, along with the other two episodes, before writing this review. Seeing them all at once highlighted the issue: one of tone.

The first episode is largely an ultraviolent slaughter-fest as the villagers are either killed by modern weapons or are bitten in half by a pair of Daemon teeth they can't even see. In contrast, a large portion of episodes two and three are a fish-out-of-water comedy as Yuru and his two Daemon pals react to a world 400 years more advanced than what they're used to. To say it's a bit jolting is an understatement.

Moreover, there is Yuru's reaction to the whole incident. The vast majority of the time, he seems nonplussed at best. His entire worldview has been proven to be created as part of a deception. Everyone was hiding things from him—using his love for his sister to control him. And yet, many of these people—those he spent time with every day—are now dead, with only their children spared. So far, he has barely reacted to the horror of what he witnessed—much less the emotional trauma of learning that his entire life was a lie.

Thankfully, the anime at least shows us that Yuru is smart enough to know he can really trust no one beyond Left and Right. The fact that Dera and Hana are on the side of those who deceived him is not lost on him. However, they are the best chance he has at not only finding his sister but also acclimating to the strange new world he finds himself in.

All in all, these three episodes make for a captivating, if a bit tonally schizophrenic, introduction to the world of Daemons of the Shadow Realm. The world-building and mystery catch the imagination, and the supporting cast each stands out even in these few episodes. Now, if Yuru can manage to start gaining a personality with some agency in the story, things might get really good.

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Daemons of the Shadow Realm is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.