Who rescues the rescuers?
Creative Staff
Story: Satoshi Wagahara
Art: 029 (Oniku)
Translation/Adaptation: Kevin Gifford
What They Say
When Emilia the Hero is in danger, she finds an unlikely ally in the Devil King! Unfortunately, with Ashiya kidnapped by Gabriel, the team is seriously lacking in manpower. Maou and Suzuno partner up on a rescue mission, traveling undercover through Ente Isla, while a mysterious girl claiming to be Alas Ramus’s younger sister tags along. Meanwhile, Emi and Alas Ramus get caught up in the middle of Olba’s schemes. The barriers between angels, demons, and humans-and ideas about who’s good and who’s evil-come crashing down!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Devil is a Part-Timer returns to Ente Isla in this 9th volume. It’s a long-awaited return as well, as I’ve been dying to get a better look at the world Emi and Maou are from. This is very much the middle volume inside a mini-arc in a series which already has a distinct through-line of plot progression.
A great deal of this volume’s set up is classic Part-Timer, with modern day Japan antics with Suzuno and Maou team up to prepare for a camping trip to the extreme backwoods. It’s also clear that living in Japan has spoiled both of them hard and they bicker about necessities that neither of them probably even needed or knew existed back in their old lives. The antics feel forced considering everything else happening in this volume.
The story takes a step back to show us what happened to Emi upon her return to Ente Isla that forced her into the hands of Olba and kept her from returning to Earth. It is, essentially, psychological warfare. It’s also extremely stupid on Emi’s part to be manipulated by over memories of her past. We’ve had inklings that Emi wasn’t as mature as she attempts to act, but considering she went from a happy home life to holy warrior tasked with saving the world, to tossed into another world she’s held up surprisingly well mentally. She was bound to break at some point and separated from her friends and those that supported her the most she is now at her most vulnerable.
There are several important pieces of information given to the reader in this volume and several withheld. Chiho manages to make a deal with Amane for information about the truth behind the Yesod fragments and world tree stuff, but we don’t get the story behind that yet. That whole situation is the driving force behind literally everything that is going on and that Amane is holding that information back along with her godlike powers is frustrating, to say the least.
The important information that we do get, that has been a long-held secret, is the reason for the original invasion of Ente Isla by Maou. The reveal is very clever and executed in a touching way when we watch Suzuno reach out to Maou seeking answers for herself. It took until this volume for them all to realize that Maou wasn’t leading an extermination campaign against the humans of Ente Isla. He needed the human resources to feed the demon army. It was a true conquest and one that Maou lead as a last-ditch effort so his population could stay fed. Which comes down to a reveal about the key difference between demons and humans which makes Maou’s ‘part-time’ full-time job at a fast food restaurant a fascinating character study.
Suzuno, meanwhile, is catching feelings for the devil king in the worst possible way. I can understand that short of a few other dudes she probably hasn’t really had much time to get to know any men in a close and personal way in her line of work. Her crushing would be somewhat natural, except for the fact that he’s supposed to be her enemy. From a narrative standpoint, it’s disappointing because it’s setting Maou up for even more ladies to be lining up at his door. I’m already worried about the fact that you know at some point Emi is going to end up giving in to those feelings as well.
None of these relationships are healthy, I might add. Maou is essentially hundreds of years old and all three ladies are young, inexperienced in matters of love let alone relationships and to be perfectly honest… Chiho got there first and deserves him the most because she always saw Maou for what he is. It wouldn’t be a light novel without too many ladies lusting after one guy. I should just go back to cheering on the Ashiya/Rika relationship.
Speaking of Rika and Ashiya, Rika’s taking the whole reveal about her friend’s circle being extra-dimensional demons and angels in a very realistic way. She’s angry and has had her worldview shook but mostly she’s just worried about her friends and doesn’t know what to think. As for Alciel? He’s also trapped in a catch 22 situation being set-up to take a fall at Emi’s hand.
This volume ends just before everyone can be reunited at the discovery that Maou can’t transform into his devil form even back on Ente Isla. Something is keeping him from doing so, and no one seems to understand what the cause is. What’s worse, their other ally on Ente Isla has also been captured an is awaiting trial, leaving the rescue crew just Maou, Suzuno, and Albert.
The author’s note in this volume has Wagahara contemplating what would really happen if you were transported to another world in a manner no isekai light novel ever properly addresses. As for extras, there’s a new set of resumes for certain characters and Yen continues to include the fold-out color illustrations that open the novel.
In Summary
Part-timer remains one of the best light novel series available in English, even if it likes to go off on tangents while the world may be at stake. Maou and Suzuno are ready to launch their rescue mission to Ente Isla but they’re ill-prepared to return to the world they once knew. I mean, how can they live without washing machines and 7/11’s? Emilia finds herself coerced into obeying Olba’s orders at the risk of losing her one last dream for the future. Ashiya is placed under the watchful eyes of angels as this farce of an invasion and power grab struggle plays out. Throughout all of this, the main question about what the angels are after and what exactly they did to Yggdrasil remains a mystery. You might consider this the dark middle chapter of the rescue arc, although Part-timer never dives fully into despair.
Content Grade: B +
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B +
Text/Translation Grade: A –
Age Rating: 13 +
Released By: Yen On
Release Date: December 19, 2017
MSRP: $14.00 US / $18.50 CN
