Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Volume 5 Review

After stopping Kiriwo’s plan to mess with Babyls’ Battler Party (aka the school festival organised by the students), Iruma can’t avoid ending up in the spotlight. The Magical Apparatus Research Battler enchants every student and teacher with their fireworks display, but Kiriwo’s betrayal affects the rankings of the Battler competition…his actions cannot go unpunished!

Iruma knows not to despair, though. Although upsetting, there will be other occasions to showcase the capabilities of the Battler’s members. But a surprise Tricky Award, might be exactly what he needs, as it allows a member of the battler party to increase their demon rank —the ranks indicating the power level in the demon world.

After all, the festival wasn’t a complete failure…Iruma was able to spend time with his friends and even with his demon family, something that he was never able to do in the human world. Everything seems fine, but the recognition he gained brought him to the attention of the demons’ police force—Student President Ameri’s father recognised Iruma for what he really is and it’s only thanks to Ameri’s interference that things don’t escalate.

Iruma just needs to keep a low profile, but it’s easier said than done. When he figures out that one of his classmates is the popular dem-dol (aka idol) Kuromu in disguise, he ends up in the spotlight once again. He really can’t have a moment of peace!

Welcome to Demon-School! Iruma-kun mixes comedy and slice of life. Iruma has grown since he started at Babyls; he’s not as naïve or gullible, and he has started to accept his place in the demon world. His growth is showcased through the hilarious situations that he finds himself in—such as when his friends, Azz and Clara, run a competition to see whose cooking Iruma prefers or from how much his grandfather spoils him. The situations are so ridiculous that they bring a smile to the reader’s face. Moreover, the author, Osamu Nishi, does an incredible job when illustrating such a wide variety of emotions on the characters’ faces, sometimes even exaggerating them to add to the comical element of the story.

The author’s note at the end of the volume further highlights the two main themes that the author wants to bring with these festival chapters: ‘fun’ and ‘family’. Iruma gets to experience a joyous occasion with his friends and with his family. He even gets a chance to meet Clara’s and Azz’s parents. The family theme is further mentioned when he meets dem-dol Kuromu and finds out about her family situation. Family might not always be in the front row to support you, but often stands behind you, even if you don’t see them. It’s quite a touching story.

As usual, as soon as the readers open the volume, we get a ‘reminder’ of the story so far and the characters’  introduction. However, in this volume we also get a special introduction to Irumi, Clarin and Little Alice: the dem-dol alter egos of Iruma, Clara and Azz in their cosplay attire. Their appearance in the story is brief, but for the anime watchers out there, you know it’s not the end of Irumi.

Compared to previous volumes, we get a full-colour illustration spread showing Iruma and some of his friends in Christmas-themed attire. This suggests an illustration solely related to the release of Volume 5 in Ja[an as it doesn’t match with the storyline. However, the family theme is still implied. The cover art introduces us to Kuromu, and it seems to be the author’s intention to showcase new characters on the cover when they are introduced in the storyline.

Iruma’s story continues to be light-hearted and fun with many hilarious situations. It’s a carefree read, and we can expect much more from the only human living in the demon world.

Welcome to Demon-School! Iruma-kun is written and illustrated by Osamu Nishi. The anime is available on Crunchyroll and is way ahead of the English manga releases. The print edition in the English language is published by Vertical, an imprint of Kodansha, with a translation by Jacqueline Fung. Volume 6 is slated for release in February 2024.

Our review copy from Vertical Comics was supplied by Turnaround Publisher Services.