The Demons Are Planning Something Good Volumes 1-2 Manga Review

In the trend of subversive fantasy manga that portrays the all-powerful "Demon Lord" as a hapless victim of circumstance, The Demons Are Planning Something Good has one advantage: it's not about the Demon Lord; it's a workplace comedy. And a very kinky one at that! The artwork threatens to overpower everything else, but it's a fun time for folks who want a bit more of a risqué touch to their fantasy manga.

As per usual, a Demon Lord has been resurrected, and his forces are causing trouble in the land. Heroes are rising up to defeat him and his forces. In the meantime, the armies of hell are all working together to make sure they can wring every ounce of misery and despair from humans possible. And nobody is working harder than Lord Mercysnare, a hooded creature working what's basically Monster R&D to make the most devious of traps for humans. It's not just enough to be antagonistic, after all--you've got to really get under a prospective hero's skin (and clothes)! Of course, Mercysnare doesn't work alone; we also see other figures from other "sections" of the Demon Lord's army, from the hapless eyeball-monster and caterpillar who run the brainwashing department to the eager minds at the "physical corruption" section; everyone is hard at work trying to find ways to make heroes fall.

The set-up is far less rote than you'd expect; while a few chapters deal with Mercysnare trying to solve a particular problem (making a slime that melts only clothes, weird quicksand that clones your body parts), plenty of other chapters deal with the other colorful members of the other Demon Army branches getting into their own misadventures. What happens when a succubus doesn't have the knack for seduction and hides in another job? Which is more despair-inducing, a loved one getting their body modified, or said same loved one getting corrupted against them? We also get to see plenty of misadventures from the heroes--after all, they have to deal with these many traps, like the infamous "room you can't escape until you have sex." Their brushes against the Demon Lord's forces also have them re-evaluating their lives. Special mention goes to the heroine who struggles with her newly-found penchant for exhibitionism.

Through it all, there's a delightful streak of camaraderie; demons they might be, but they're loyal coworkers and friends. Mercysnare might be a consummate sadist, but you have to love how genuinely supportive and protective he is of his assistant Letze. I appreciate that the chapters manage to err on the side of toeing the line; while it's definitely fun to see plots taken to their logical (naughty) conclusion, much of the nastiness is, nevertheless, theoretical. Some of the topics might be a bit uncomfortable for some because of their implications. There's a chapter where potential plans for the goodly Princess of the land include turning her into a monstrous living weapon against her will or sending her to a "Goblin Festival." But the few chapters where we see heroes going through the full monty are kept sparing enough for it to be novel. Some of the chapters might fall a little flat, with characters very obviously tripping certain "flags," as the saying goes. But chapters are thankfully breezy enough not to get bogged down with the stinkers very often.

Special mention must be made of Gashigashi's artwork. You might have seen his energetic artwork before (he's known for having done the cover art for Freedom Planet). His clever design work and cheeky energy are on full display in The Demons Are Planning Something Good, plus a little bit more. Even the rottenest of demons is characterful and charming, and Gashigashi does incredible work with facial expressions. They clearly have a blast the few times heroes are caught in flagrante delicto, but otherwise Gashigashi expertly gives the world a madcap energy that meshes well with the monstrous shenanigans. Special mention to the chapter where everyone gets cute girl-forms; Gashigashi's character designs never fail to impress.

Some people might have a hard time stomaching some of the more fetishistic moments in The Demons Are Planning Something Good. And while the writing is sharp, it's also a bit deep; the few moments of introspection we see in the cast are fairly sparse and arrive just as quickly as they come. But The Demons Are Planning Something Good is a high-energy comedy loaded with charm and character and just the right amount of cheek all the same, both metaphorically and literally. It's an astonishingly fun workplace comedy with a lovable cast and fun set-ups. The demons really did deliver something good this time.