Poor Iruma - his deadbeat parents have just sold him to a demon, which is the latest in a long line of terrible decisions they've made over his fourteen years. From deciding that learning to walk means that he can "carry his weight" (in the metaphorical sense) to raising him never to say "no"; Iruma hasn't had it easy. This latest debacle seems like the one that will end his life—but wait, maybe it's not the catastrophe it seems? The demon he's been sold to actually just really, really wants a grandson, and now he's ready to pamper Iruma and make sure that he can live his best life. In the most ridiculous way possible, of course.

If you're already a fan of the anime adaptation, reading this is a no-brainer; the show has been very faithful to the source material, based on the first volume. But even if you're not familiar with the story, it's worth picking up because it's simply delightful. It blends goofy fantasy humor with a strong sense of kindness as Iruma bumbles through his first days at demon school and discovers that he's worth more than just hard physical labor. The first few pages of the volume make it clear that Iruma's not stupid, just beaten down, and he's fully aware that his parents are terrible people. While he's initially afraid of Sullivan, his new demon grandpa, it's at least in part because he's learned that adults can't be trusted, and he's not sure what to do with one who wants to take care of him.

As the title suggests, the main thrust of this volume is Iruma attending school in the Netherworld. Although Sullivan is wildly enthusiastic about sending him (and gaining “adorable grandson” bragging rights), he either doesn't know or doesn't bother to inform Iruma about the differences he'll face attending school with a group of kids whose school anthem is about eating yummy humans. Iruma's thrown into the deep end, and the pool's infested with sharks. His first experience is having Sullivan humiliate him with a first-day-of-school picture made into a poster, followed by being tricked into reading a forbidden spell onstage in front of the entire class. This is followed by a challenge from Asmodeus, the top student who should have given the speech. As far as Iruma is concerned, things are looking pretty grim.

One of the highlights of this volume is how everything is turned on its head almost as soon as a plot point or character is introduced. The likely rival/bully Asmodeus is quickly turned to Iruma's side, and the potentially-annoying girl Clara is revealed to be simply lonely and in need of a friend. Even the scary and strict teacher Kalego is swiftly defanged, at least after a fashion. None of this is to say that the book is without its serious moments because some strong underlying themes are being explored alongside the humor, but it does make the story far more entertaining than if it had stuck to familiar story beats and character tropes. Nishi gleefully plays with our expectations, and the resulting narrative is a lot of fun.

The core of the volume establishes Iruma's new relationships with his peers. While Sullivan is the impetus for the plot (and yes, anime fans, Opera also makes an appearance in this volume), Asmodeus and Clara are the characters who make the biggest impression on Iruma and the story. Iruma has never had the opportunity to make friends before, which gives them an outsized significance in his life. When Sullivan notes that Iruma has made friends, the boy himself can't quite believe it because he's not used to people liking him for who he is, rather than liking what he can do for them.

Asmodeus' shift from rival to best friend is sudden but honest, and if in this volume it feels a lot like hero worship, Iruma quickly proves that he's someone Azz wants to spend time with all by himself. Clara facilitates this; her family's bloodline ability allows her to reproduce anything she's seen once and then pull it out of her pocket, which has led to people taking advantage of her. Her apparent naivete leaves her open to it, but if you look beneath the surface, it's not difficult to see her as a perkier demon version of Iruma. Like him, she's constantly asked to do favors, and she doesn't feel like she can say no. Iruma (and by extension Asmodeus) sees through her cheery exterior to the hurt underneath, and rather than wanting to play with her for his benefit, he offers her genuine friendship, saying that he likes being with her regardless of what she can do for him. Clara's reaction is a more honest, less guarded version of Iruma's when he's taken in by Sullivan: joy that someone wants to be with her without demands.

This book also introduces the Misfit Class, the “bad kids” group that Iruma is shunted into when his grandfather attempts to honor his wish not to stand out. (Asmodeus and Clara are also sent there with him, probably because Sullivan is so happy that Iruma has friends.) While we do not meet the entire group yet, Sabnock and his ambition to become the next demon king receive a lot of page time. Jazz and Lead also get fairly substantial introductions. One of the most notable differences between this and its adaptation is that Sabnock's language is translated into much more antiquated language, using the informal second person (thee/thou/thy) rather than having him sound belligerent or thuggish. Presumably, this conveys how superior he feels to others and helps him establish his claim to the throne. It works well to highlight Iruma's more humble methods that, if you read the foreshadowing, are more likely to land him in a position of power.

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun's first volume is, simply put, easy to like. With its fun characters, a storyline that acknowledges what's going on beneath the surface, and a ton of interesting demon character designs, it's likely to appeal even to people who are unfamiliar with the anime. If you're looking for a fun read, you should definitely pick this up.