Demon Prince Enma

Demon Prince Enma
Cover of the volume 2 of Demon Prince Enma released by Bandai Visual USA.
鬼公子炎魔 (Kikōshi Enma)
Genre	Horror, Supernatural, Suspense
Manga
Kikoushi Enma
Written by	Go Nagai
Published by	Kodansha
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Magazine Z
Original run	April 2006 – June 2006
Volumes	2
Original video animation
Directed by	Mamoru Kanbe
Written by	Takao Yoshioka
Studio	Bandai Visual, Brain's Base
Licensed by	Bandai Entertainment
Released	August 25, 2006 – March 23, 2007
Episodes	4

Demon Prince Enma (鬼公子炎魔 Kikōshi Enma) is a Japanese horror anime and manga series created by Go Nagai. It is a sequel/remake of Dororon Enma-kun.^[1] The manga version of Kikōshi Enma would get a sequel called Satanikus ENMA Kerberos by Eiji Karasuyama in 2007.

Plot

Four grown demons (Enma, Yukihime, Kapaeru, and Grandpa Chapeauji) form the group known as the Enma Detective Agency. They go after demons and monsters that have escaped from Hell into the human world.

Main characters

• Enma (炎魔): He has returned to the mortal world in order to get rid of the demons that have escaped from the underworld. He is a fire-based demon and he's the nephew of Enma-Daio. His name in Kanji means flame demon and it's read the same way as Enma, the ruler of the underworld.
• Yukihime (雪鬼姫): She is an ice-based demon who acts as the partner of Enma in their endeavour to return the escaped demons to the underworld. In the OVA, while she has a cold personality and certain disdain for Enma on the surface, she actually is in love with him but knows and regrets that they cannot be together since they are opposing forces (Ice/Flame). This situation plays an important part when she gets possessed by a demon. Her name means snow devil princess and its probably related to the Japanese folklore myth of Yuki-onna.
• Kapaeru (カパエル): He is a kappa who has been living in the mortal realm for many years. He is in charge of gathering information regarding the location of the hunted demons. In the OVA, he has fooled persons into believing that his appearance is a disguise. He has a secret contact (whom he holds dear) that helps him get most of the clues of the cases. Both of them die at the hands of the demon that possesses Yukihime. In the manga, he tricks and betrays Enma and Yukihime.
• Grandpa Chapeauji (シャポ爺 shapojii): An old demon with the form of a hat, he possesses great knowledge in all the matters related to the underworld and demons. In the OVA, he is often sleeping because of his old age and is mostly in the head of Enma. While he rarely takes action, he advises Enma of the best course of action as well as alerting him of the presence of demons. In the manga, he is younger, can change of shape and appearance, has a more aggressive personality and a more active role.

OVA episodes

1. "Nobusuma: Rot-Pus Suck Demon"
2. "Piguma: Corpseless Demon"
3. "Karuma: Misery Swirling Demon"
4. "Enma"

Reception

Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies says the violence is "extreme", but "it's stylishly designed and animated". She praises the soundtrack and humor, which is "well integrated in the characters".^[2]

References

1. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-09-01/go-nagai-dororon-enma-kun-gets-new-anime
2. McCarthy, Helen. 500 Essential Anime Movies: The Ultimate Guide. Harper Design, 2009. p. 438. ISBN 978-0061474507.

External links

• Kikoushi Enma (Japanese) Official site (OVA).
• Demon Prince Enma (OVA) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia