THE TV PROGRAMME THAT I ENJOY THE MOST.

Truth be told, I feel a bit of a fool for writing about the television programme that I enjoy the most. No, it’s not anything perverted or rude or disgusting.  It's a cartoon show.  The reason I am embarrassed is that I am 16, will be sitting for my SPM in a few months, and am supposedly mature of mind.  And yet my favourite tv programme is an anime.  But as a testament to how besotted I am to the said show, even though I am certain I appear a complete moron, I will write about it.  Okay, more like sing praises about it.  That's how much I enjoy the show.

Let's begin with the basics.  As I have mentioned before, it is an anime.  Which means it’s an animated cartoon show made in Japan.  I believe there are clearer guidelines than locality, but forgive me my ignorance.  It's called Kyou Kara Maoh! but when translated comes to "Demon King From Now On"

That's right. Demon. King.

I did mention I am 16 right? Anyways, for reasons known only to Japanese entrepreneurs, the official English title is "God (?) Save Our King!" It was screened on Animax (astro channel 25) from November last year and finished the first season about a month ago.  The whole tv series is based on an ongoing young-adult novel collection (in Japanese of course) written by Tomo Takabayashi.

I've yet to read the novels as they haven't been translated.

But I do hopelessly adore the anime.

Now, an introduction to the series.

Pray do not make snide comments about the cartoon.  I fear I am sensitive to the point of being irrational when it comes to safeguarding the integrity of the show.

It may sound bizarre for me to talk like that, but rest assured I am dead serious.  Many an unwary friend has received a good talking to after insulting the show.  I know, I must be mad.

It begins with Shibuya Yuri, an average 15-year-old boy with an undying passion for baseball (yakyu). One day he sees an old acquaintance, Murata Ken, being bullied and went to his rescue.  Murata ran away as the bullies turned their attention to a hapless Yuri.  They dragged him into the ladies toilet, before proceeding to dunk his head into a toilet bowl.  How very, very distasteful.

Of course, I wouldn't have sworn undying allegiance to your run-of-the-mill hero-kicks-bully-bottom shows.  I am much more discerning.

Which is why instead of drowning in embarrassment and toilet water, Yuri got transported to another world.

Yes, another world.

Turns out our boy is really king over there, his majestic soul left on earth for safekeeping.  First night out, massive misunderstandings occur and Yuri finds himself engaged to the most beautiful blonde in the world.  The only bit that really disturbs Yuri is the fact that the most beautiful blonde in the world is a boy.

A very bad-tempered, spoilt, arrogant, rude, gorgeous-looking boy with the magical ability to make fire follow his wishes.  Or so Yuuri thought.

Enter Wolfram.

He's my favourite character. He's the 3rd son of the former queen, and is an obnoxious little twit.  At least that's what he tries to be.

Throughout the series (a frail 78 episodes....It's not enough!) Yuuri is helped by Wolfram, Wolfram's brothers Conrad and Gwendal, his Royal Teacher, Gunter and a slightly mad spy, Josak.

The anime is tremendously funny.  A particular favourite of mine, episode 59, had me gagging for breath after howling with laughter about 10 minutes after the opening credits.  It was that funny.  And all the characters interact brilliantly with each other, and it creates a sort of dominoes effect because when one character behaves weirdly, the rest unwittingly follow suit performing increasingly more insane humour.

And the lady characters make you want to throw your hands in the air and shout "I am woman! Hear me roar!” In all honesty, never will you ever see such empowered females again.  Celi, Wolfram's mother, was the former queen of the demon kingdom. Now she spends time in her yacht circling the globe in her quest for "free love".  Anissina is the one I respect the most.  She's an inventor, but her creations have a habit of being so scary and impossible that all the characters are scared of her.  She is also on a one-woman quest to radically free all women from the tyranny of male rule.  Anissina doesn't let anything stand in the way of her beliefs, and even the king is sometimes run over when he doesn't move away quickly enough. You've got to respect a lady that determined.

I'm getting a fair bit side-tracked, so I'm going to outline the plot and delve further into the sheer genius that is Kyou Kara Maoh!  The next bit will contain a lot about Wolfram, because he rocks.

Truly, I do not feel ashamed of writing that last sentence.  I am empowered, remember? (Remark: Yes, you are!)

Basically, the humans and demons of the world hate each other’s guts, and after a 20 year war, one appears to be starting again.  Yuuri is now a king of an unruly and angry nation.

But he hates wars.  He's seen the havoc they've caused on earth, and refused to let his nation go to war.  He's adamant about peace and completely refuses to change his stance.

Unluckily, the battle-hungry human country Cimaron has acquired a weapon of mass destruction (it's not really that, but you have to see the show to understand it.  It's the best description I have) and so the guys go there to discreetly take it back.

This is the beginning of a relatively large story arc, so I shall have to summarise indiscriminately.  Forgive me.

Now Yuuri is a bit like the Hulk.  When he gets really upset about something, an alternate personality takes over who uses magic more powerful than previously thought possible.  This helped to switch off the weapon, though it was merely inactivated rather than destroyed.

Three more weapons come to light, and Yuuri must get them all to stop an all-out war.

There's a tremendously complicated battle at the end, but basically the story is that of a naive, gentle king who refuses to see his people die.

Especially in the later episodes you feel how hard everyone is trying to tell you that "WAR IS BAD" There’re betrayals and deaths and sadness. You gain perspective of the past war from Gwendal and Conrad, but you feel the hurt and pain from what Wolfram says.  He was too young to fight, and woke up each day knowing that he may never see his bothers again.  And even though it's just a cartoon, even though it's not real, even though all the characters are so good-looking, it’s impossible; you do feel an overwhelming urge to cry with rage and helplessness when you see the portrayal of pain.

Everybody lost something in the war, mostly losses that scar the soul and frighten the mind.  Yuuri became the symbol of a better future, and though few openly admit, all the protagonists would gladly have jumped off a cliff to protect their king.

What's nice is that Yuuri doesn't want anyone to get hurt, even if it's for him.  The I'm-crying-like-someone-just-died cliff scene in episode thirty-something is a tear jerker and one that provides food for thought.  How far would you fall to protect the one you love?  Everyone would say all the way (Wolfram would say it very loudly) but Yuuri would protest.  No one, stresses Yuuri, absolutely no one will get hurt anymore.

And it's sweet to see him try fulfilling the promise.

He manages well, more often that not.

But do not despair!  It's not all tears and rain.  You get lots of light-hearted banter from Yuuri and Wolfram's interaction.  Don't let his behaviour and inherent ability for comedy fool you though.  Wolfram tends to be the one that is the most heroic of everyone, and when he does do something that makes you smile with tears in your eyes, all manner of spoilt behaviour that formerly ran rampant in his personality ceases to exist.

Which is why I and my friend are huge Wolfram supporters and why anybody who insults him has a death wish.

But for the frailties of time, I truly would continue.  I love Kyou Kara Maoh! enormously.  It's my favourite show ever.  I love the characters, I love Wolfram, and I like how it truthfully (even if a bit sadly) shows the shortcomings of humans (and demons alike).  I love how honest it is attempting to be, and I love it for always making me laugh.  I am truly in love with the show, and goodness knows it's all for the right reasons.  Learn more about life; watch the show.  And Wolfram is in it. That's a plus, no?

(Remark: A perfect one! I wish I had watched the program.)