Reviews for Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle
Back to Anime'If you got kidnapped and imprisoned by the demons, what should you do?' Well obviously in this situation, you will always try to find a way to escape from their prisoner. But for this anime, Princess Syalis is the most unique one. She rather sleeps in her prison bed despite the panicking situation that is happening in her homeland. :::Story::: But there's one problem! The demons only give her nothing but a low quality bed sheet and pillow. Dissatisfied, Hime-sama decides to go out and create the best quality for her to sleep even if it means murdering demons and destroying useful items. What makes the story evenbetter is not just creating the the best pillow and bed sheet. Each of the episodes have unique plot with variety of quests for Hime-sama to achieve.
:::Character:::
Many of us will think that the demons are really scary. Well in this anime, you'll find out that the demons doesn't look like what you see in most anime. The demon king might be seen as an antagonist at the start, but he has a kind heart and have no bad intention of hurting or scaring Hime-sama.
And not just the demon king, later series you'll find more interesting demons with variety of traits and they all also have no intention of hurting or scaring Hime-sama.
Also the anime will not be complete without someone who will be there to save Hime-sama. Yuusha Dawner (also known as D-whatsit) decides to go on a journey to rescue Hime-sama. No matter how difficult the trial is, they'll never give up and keep moving forward.
:::Sound:::
As expected, Inori Minase is a perfect VA for Hime-sama. Her voice is really calm and smooth which is perfect for her personality. The background musics are also fit with the current atmosphere especially when Hime-sama is feeling comfortable and go suyaaaaaaaa. The OP and ED songs are also great, the cheerful song makes me happy when listening to it.
:::Art:::
The studio who creates this anime, Doga Kobo really did a great job of creating a colorful background which is befitting for the atmosphere of the anime. And also the character designs are really cute especially the teddy demons.
:::Enjoyment:::
Overall, the anime relies a lot on comedy. Which is a perfect anime for us to laugh hard. And if you ever get stressed from the hard day of work or school, then watching this anime will make you feel better. And I also highly recommend this anime for comedy fans.
And that's it for my review, I hope this anime have a chance to get a second season. Oyasuminasai everyone and have a good day!
*Shhhhh* (Quiet please, our princess is sleeping right now) How far would you go for THE perfect sleep? It has been scientifically proven that a good sleep is very important for our body, but how can we achieve that? This is the most important thought of our princess Aurora Suya Rhys (or let's just say Suyaaaaa~), she goes all out to get this achievement. STORY: In a time when humans and demons were still hostile, our princess was captured by the demon king Tasogare. He locked her up and just gave her an old mattress and sheet to sleep on. How is our princess supposed to have a restfulsleep with such cheap things? And so Suya risks her life to get the valuable items that make a sleep more comfortable: Pillows, blankets, everything that is important for a good night's sleep. Regardless of whether ghosts, monsters or even the demon king himself, she spares no expense to achieve her goal and get those items.
CHARACTER:
The full name of our Hime-sama is Aurora Suya Rhys Kaymin (Amen). She was kidnapped by the Demon King to make the kingdom fear him. But because of her sleepy personality, she didn't really care about the whole war between those two nations although deep in her heart she wishes that both sides could get along peacefully. She has the capacity of falling asleep everywhere she finds comfy at any moment.
The Maou-sama on the other hand, the main antagonist of the series, kidnapped Suya in her sleep. Although he is the demon king and is supposed to be terrifying, he has his heart in the right place. He's a little naive, but never has bad intentions. How the princess sees him in her eyes is very important to him. The poor demon couldn't stand it if the princess would hate him.
Besides our two main characters there are also other demons in the castle of course. Whether hedgehogs, vampires or even Hades himself even, everyone always only wants the best for the princess. They are friendly, polite and would never dare to do anything bad.
And finally, there is of course our Yuusha Dawner, who tries to save the princess. He is a bumbling, easily confused Yuusha. Yet he never gives up, no matter how difficult the mission is. Due to his almost non-existent presence, the princess calls him "A-Something-kun".
ART:
The best thing by far about the entire animation are the “Teddy Akumas”. They're just too cute and everyone would love to have a few of them at home. Although it should be dark and black in a demon castle, we see a variety of bright and bright colors here. You can feel the good atmosphere.
SOUND:
The sleep(over) party starts already with the OP song, which is also sung by our princess herself. The music is cheerful and happy. It's so catchy that you can't forget the song. Everyone is invited to have fun!
The ED song happens already in our dream, beautiful things will happen there.
Besides the songs, the rest of the sound is also well done. Even a "little" scissor sound has been adjusted well.
ENJOYMENT:
As someone who is also a big fan of sleep, I felt directly connected to the princess. I admire her courage and will to do everything for THE perfect sleep. The comedy part is on point as well, it is often hilarious and funny. It really makes you laugh a lot. There are cute teddy bears here, what more could you want?
I wish that we see more quests for our princess, which she masters with bravura! Suya definitely mastered the “sleep game”!
Oyasumi!
“I’m not locked in here with you… You’re locked in here with me!” The tittle is a big lie, don’t get fooled. Maoujou de Oyasumi is not about a moe kidnapped princess trying to get a good sleep. It is not. Of course not. Absolutely not. This is about a psychopath, serial murder going rampage, mercilessly killing and torturing helpless and unaware demons, without any sort of empathy or regret in her big, star-speckled purple eyes. Her cute, harmless appearance and monotonous, expressionless voice don’t stop her from doing the most atrocious actions, from stealing important army stuffs, torturing people under questionable excuses, or emotionally manipulatingpeople with noticeable self-esteem issues… to ripping off bodies to use them as materials, making people explode, flaying alive someone’s skin then wear it, and convincing a platoon to use their leader’s limbs (previously dismembered by her, of course) as building material. There’s no demon, not even the Demon Lord itself, who can run away from her visceral outrage.
Savage. This girl is really savage.
…..
This may sound as a top tier comedy material, but in fact, this is an undertone the serie uses in a very shallow way. As a personal concept, comedy should be more than “it made laugh, hence it’s good”, in a comedy, execution and wit are keys in order to make a joke funny and keep the humoristic mood fresh. if a friend tells me a bad joke, so bad it made me laugh, doesn’t mean he’s a good comedian, but if he manages to pull out expressions or use body language to make the joke a little bit funnier, then he will success. This serie is just that: good and original concept, but rather simplistic and poor execution, wasting most of its potential, and while it is successful to provoke some laughs, it’s not enough to put the whole show in a high place.
The serie format is like a videogame, where every time there is a new quest, with -allegedly- new goals as the difficulty increases. Problem is: this format is almost the same during most of the serie; not the quests by themselves, because of course, the final goal is always the same, but the execution instead. In just one episode can be noticed how the jokes’ sequences are exactly the same most of the time:
1. Hime wants to get something to sleep better
2. “It’s time to go havoc in the castle” *QUEST STARTS!*
3. Maou-sama and crew discuss about attacking Yuusha, usually involving a rare, powerful item
4. “There’s no way someone can come across with that important item lolololol”
5. Hime comes across with that important item
6. “This might be useful, I don’t know how, but I’ll find out even if it kills me, because who needs to breath if I can get a good nap?” (Spoiler time: she got killed a couple of times)
7. Some gratuitous demons abuse in order to get the item to work (the funniest part, actually)
8. Hime gets what she wanted, demon in turn got hurt, and Maou-sama’s plan got ruined
9. “Suyaa~…” *QUEST COMPLETED!*
10. Rinse and Repeat
This is repeated two or three times per episode, and while initially it can be funny, doesn't take too long to get repetitive and dull, especially when she CONVENIENTLY gets the scene to work as she needs it, like coming across with the item needed the moment Demon Lord mentions it, finding the demons (or they automatically coming across with her) with the knowledge or feature just at the moment she requires it, or “accidentally” falling into secret places, making the whole scene feel unnatural and ruining the immersion.
At that point, the show would fall into the “average/mediocre comedy” category, where comedy starts to falling apart when it gets stuck in the same kind of joke without varying the context too much, and characters become more like walking tropes than actual characters… Luckily, the last five episodes (and some segments in the previous ones) were more successful at bringing better and more varied situations, exploiting pretty well the original concept of the serie, and even building some good character interactions. We learned a little bit more about Hime’s past and how demons were able to form bonds with her, even in that unorthodox situation, but still keeping her sassiness which is the main core in this serie humor. It’s sad this came a little bit late, but still saved the serie from falling intro repeatability and complete mediocrity.
Characters are pretty simple and straightforward. Aside from Princess Sya (not surprised if you didn’t remember her name) who already have been talked about; the rest of the cast are just there fulfilling their roles: Demon Lord as the clumsy yet reliable “evil” leader, Big Dog-san as the strict rule lover, Demon Cleric as the caring old man, Alraune as the kindhearted onee-san, and then the rest of demons being the tsukkomis.
Audiovisual aspects are good enough. The whole serie looks charming and colorful, having this Fairy Tale book aesthetic combined with RPG videogames elements, including HP and MP bars, text boxes and pop-up messages; some of these elements are actually part of the world itself, and characters are aware of them, creating some unique style. Character design is cute and fluffy, especially Hime’s; her big purple eyes are like a big abyss: once you look at them, you’re trapped and can’t escape, no matter what you do; cutest design I’ve seen in a while… and that’s why it’s even more shocking when you realize how is she in reality. Demons come in the more varied ways, from just a bunch of ice blocks, going through Teddy bears with little bat wings, to Alice in Wonderland’s Hatter with an arm full-made of scissors. Having this variety of designs it’s good to easily identify each demon… since they don’t really have any other memorable trait, actually. Music is… ok, I guess. Opening is cute, funny and catchy as hell, and that’s enough.
There’s not too much left to be said. Maoujou de Oyasumi can be a little surprise if you expected a typical moe comedy, instead you’ll get a badass princess going rampage and gratuitous demon abuse. Comedy is simple, a little bit repetitive and a lot of bokke-tsukkomi abuse, but it can be quite enjoyable especially when it starts to exploit better its potential and creating different comedic scenarios. Not bad comedy serie, but I wouldn’t recommend watching the whole show in a row, it can be kinda overwhelming; instead watching one chapter by week or day can keep the experience fresher.
For a show that I have been looking forward to just by reading the summary before airing and was pleasantly satisfied with after watching, I give a rare rating of 10, 2 points higher than an 8, a number I customarily give out in my reviews like handing out flyers. In this anime, there are two main disappointments, fortunately over-compromised by positive factors, that may be a hindrance to your indulgence of this show or not be so depending on what they are. The first disappointment is the obligation you feel to accept a humour that you feel a slight restraint towards. Your thoughts sometimes runcontrary to what the show expects you to think; you rather end up thinking that the princess’ actions are too detached from the real world, where her selfish actions would not be tolerated; the thoughts are intrusive like in that moment when you notice a grain of rice glued to the cheek of the person you are talking to, to whom you aren’t intimate with enough to give a remark. Some episodes are too heavily reliant on the trope of characters to beget this humor that obliges you, thereby causing some boredom. But the main trope of this show, which is the princess’ selfishness, will still beget some pleasant laughter.
The unexpected kindness with which the demons deal the princess, the second disappointment, is the root of those intrusive thoughts and the first disappointment’s existence. Expecting a harsh environment for the princess when you read the summary, you are at first disappointed with the kindness the demons show because their kindness nullifies the point of calling them demons in the first place, but you gradually accept it as part of the personality of this show.
I am impressed by how the show facilitates your absorption into this anime, which falls under the category other than “action,” under the category of which viewers get absorbed into anime the most:
- The injection of cartoonish scenes, the loosening of the artists’ binding to drawing the characters according to the script, is evident when we see them turn into chibis, their eyes come in contact with each other in shock, or them exert an unnatural strong power that correspondingly reflects the character’s emotions. (For example, how could the princess cut down a tree with a pair of scissors without a cartoonish element?).
- Meticulous scenery details, character actions and interactions stimulating “tsukkomi” (noticing and commenting in a humorous way) from the viewers, are present. The backgrounds with vibrant colors, clean, well drawn and shaded, and the smooth and professional animation-sequencing ascertains your watch time is not a waste and are some of the main reasons for coming back to this anime every week; not many shows attract viewers by its art - only the good ones do that.
- The idea to get the Princess’ VA to set a monotonic tone to the vocal range of the princess so befitting to the princess’ personality enhances the creativity you were already enjoying from this anime. Without it, the show would never be the same.
- Of the plot, it is an advantage there are no cliffhangers. It’s pleasant to know you won’t go in and out of an episode blue balled. The peculiar and invisible character development progresses with undetectable footsteps and will probably affect this anime to end with wholesomeness and melancholy.
By the way, those teddy bears are very adorable and precious!! The princess herself is also quite adorable and precious.
In terms of the genre that this show is in, it deserves a 10 or 9; I can’t imagine another studio to adapt this story better than this studio did; I can’t find anything to improve in terms of all the rating categories, except plot-wise: the aforementioned heavy reliance on tropes.
There is a lot of care and charm when it comes to this show. You wouldn't think such a simple concept would come off so well as it does here. For now at least, it's doing well, but there is the issue that it will become repetitive. But it has been a great watch so far, and here is why! The story is pretty simple, princess is captured and kidnapped and taken into a demon castle to be held prisoner, and for a hero to go on a journey to save her. But all of that basically goes out the window, as we're here to watcha precious girl get some needed beauty sleep. It's pure laughs the lengths she goes to in order to get the right kind of sleep she wants. It's funny, it's charming, it's a great watch so far.
The characters are either rather fun, or fit for purpose. Not that any are bad, but more besides the princess, the hero, the demon king, and a few demons, there aren't many other characters. But for what they are, they play their rolls well. The princess herself being the main stand out, with how dedicated she goes into just getting the perfect sleep. She's a blessing. It is also pretty amusing how the demons are reacting when it comes to the princess, and he ventures towards getting the perfect sleep.
The art is amazing, it's real colorful and great to look at, and can look very good when it's a more night time kind of scene. From the look of the characters, to the backgrounds in general. Top notch stuff. Much like the sound, it's all good stuff as far as I'm concerned.
Should you give it a shot? For sure! It's a very fun show, and I'm sure you'll love it.
As humans, we all have three necessities in life: breathe, eat, and sleep. If you go extended amount of time without any of these three, then death will await you at open doors. However, sleep is a more subjective and everyone gets different amounts. What about the princess of the human kingdom though? How much sleep does Syalis need every day in her life? Those coming into a magical-fantasy story like this should keep your expectations in check. This isn’t some complex tale crafted with deep lore or character study. If it can even be called that, Syalis is a princess that wants nothing more thana perfect, beauty sleep. Or as in her case, Syalis is in love with sleep. She wants to get the most out it and enjoys it as a way of life. Based on the manga of the same name, we got ourselves here an anime adaptation telling the story of a princess and her daily sleepy adventures.
The English title has ‘sweet dreams’ as part of its header. Getting a good sweet dream isn’t a simple task with all the daily misadventures. For instance, a recurring trend is how the princess constantly gets abducted. Usually in fantasy shows, it would focus on a protagonist to save the princess. But in this show, we have the princess living her life like another day at the park. It appears that getting abducted serves more as a distraction, an example of comical plot device often used in the show. If we watch this show from start to finish, you’ll quickly notice how each episode portrays like a slice of life comedy. While there’s no linear plot, there’s many recurring trends with abduction and beauty sleep being part of the formula.
With the bevy amount of strange characters in the show, princess Syalis seems to always stand above all and catch the most attention. Whenever she gets kidnapped, the demons doesn’t harm but instead gives her plenty of freedom. In fact, it’s easy to say the overwhelming amount of characters in this show serves as comic reliefs, whether the good or bad guys. Princess Syalis’ ultimate objective is to get her perfect sleep regardless of any circumstance, whether it’s to find the perfect time, place, or objects. On any episode, she would go to any measure to get that sleeping opportunity while being completely oblivious to events around her. Yes, that includes being abducted because to her, Princess Syalis just wants her beauty sleep.
On the other hand, there’s a figurehead in this show going by the title of ‘Twilight the Demon King”. Serving as your stereotypical demon king role, he acts as the major “antagonist” in the show. Truth be told, this show also portrays him as a comic relief character as while his deeds are mischievous, he doesn’t seem like a truly evil being. Even with his reputation, Demon King’s odds with the hero and princess serves more as a source of humor. As I said before, this show really doesn’t subscribe to a complex tale of epic battles, saving the world, or defeat a great demon lord. It’s a simple slice of life that takes the word ‘sleep’ to a whole new level. With that being said, there are still some characters to watch out for such as Neo Alraune, Harpy, Frankenzombie, among others. These creatures seems to be borrowed from classic fantasy lore and added to this show to spice up some entertainment. However, the one carrying anime is none other than the great Princess Syalis herself.
With all these flavors of genres added together, the show at its core sells it as a slice of life comedy. Doga Kobo is an expert at adapting the SOL genre so here they are working the gears again. The artwork style retains the familiar feel of the manga with its character designs and world setting. It’s also safe to say that Princess Syalis is decorated with eccentric amount of charm. The sleepyhead looks like she’s about to fall head over whenever she is in a sleepy mood. Her sparkling eyes show her child-like delicacy and obliviousness to the real world. Even her daily outfit looks like something a character would wear when they’re about to go to bed. Is she a princess? Yes. Does she really act like one? Probably not.
This is among one of the easiest shows to recommend as the simplicity of the story and elements can be understood just about anyone. Even if it’s your first anime, the show doesn’t take deep thinking to get into the mood although the comedic style can be a mixed reception. With a hallmark of comedy awaiting for you, Maoujou de Oyasumi is the show that keeps on giving.
Warning, this review is coming from a manga reader's perspective so there may be spoilers included but I'll try to refrain from spoiling them as much as possible. Again, read this review at your own risk. Also, to those who may think the rating is quite harsh (due to it being a 4), this is purely my own opinion when comparing the manga and anime. Yes, the anime has done decently in adapting the manga. However, there are bunch of lapses that prevented me from enjoying the anime completely. Now, onto the review. For the most part, the anime has done quite well. It's quiteenjoyable, especially to anime watchers, it's not repetitive like the manga, and the voices of each character not only suited them well but enhanced their characterization. However, here's a list of reasons that didn't quite sit well with me in the anime and felt that the anime felt lacking in comparison:
1. A lot of characters didn't make it into anime and those who have appeared so far didn't have a proper intro. While it's understandable that it's impossible to add it into a 12-episode series, they should have at least put more importance into introducing characters like Poseidon briefly. 3 minutes wouldn’t hurt to introduce him properly.
2. The anime turned Suya or rather, Sya less brutal and terrifying compared to her manga counterpart. Since the anime has bounced a lot on the stories from the manga, they deliberately chose ones that has made her seem cuter at best. Their focus of her being cute isn’t the focus of the manga, she’s a crazy sleep-obsessed “woman” who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
3. I’ve mentioned Sya as a woman and not a girl. That’s because the manga has deliberately made her physically ambiguous of being neither a girl nor a woman but both at the same time as one of its major premises in the story, so it's very much inaccurate portrayal of her character. Not to mention, she refers to herself as an adult. Here: https://www.reddit.com/gallery/kourek
4. The lack of relationship development between other characters individually and instead having everyone appear together. This is one of the reasons that made me dislike the anime. Not only crucial tales and good comedy gag stories were skipped over, the steady progress of said relationship development look all too fast, superficial, and shallow to me in the anime as they made Sya warm up to the demons too easily when it took her 60+ chapters of doing so. They could have at least shown this more in episode 4-5 rather than immediately dump this idea on episode 9. At the same time, the portrayal of each character is day and night when you compare the manga version to their anime counterparts; each has their own personalities, issues, story arcs, etc. So it's disappointing to see them in the anime.
5. If you read the manga and I’m talking about Demon Cleric, I’m pretty sure you know what’s coming; the anime deliberately censored Demon Cleric in the worst way possible than I could imagine. All scenes about him in the manga were not only skipped over but his scenes in the anime were played by other characters instead or they were altered to the point of me seeing two different Demon Clerics in the anime and manga. Even the family picture of him being with Twilight, Great Red Siberian, and Twilight’s dad was taken out as well in episode 11. [Big spoiler!] And because his scenes were skipped over, altered, or played by other characters… they also censored the progress of his feelings for Sya; all those vague scenes of him in the anime being overprotective of her is not only because of that but that he’s also very jealous of them to the point of wanting to murder all the men who gets close to her, not even Twilight was safe from this. It doesn’t help the fact that he plays a major role in almost every story arc in the manga! Here's some of the evidences: https://www.reddit.com/r/MaoujouDeOyasumi/comments/ke9sx4/rip_demon_cleric_be_warned_spoilers/
[Edit: After my friends and I looked through the manga, we realized that Demon Cleric himself is a character critical and influential to a lot of the reasons or development behind the main story, the Demon Castle, the characters, etc. If Doga Kobo plans to keep on censoring him, a lot of the later story arcs will not make sense or will cause major plot holes.]
6. A lot of good stories didn’t make it into anime, all thanks to the Hero getting a popular va to voice him. All those scenes you see him in action in anime? Most of them are anime original or scenes that are modified from the manga to be longer and have something going on for him. I admit it that while I dislike this idea, his anime scenes make more sense than in the manga. Tho, I wouldn’t have mentioned this if it were not the fact that the anime production team only added more scenes of him because his va is a pretty popular one but not because they want to develop his character more compared to the manga. And because of this, good stories were skipped over in the process and even most of them have great plots of furthering the relationship development of Sya with other demons.
7. The anime turned a lot of characters into one dimensional characters; Hades and the Hero especially. Hades didn’t want to steal the throne from Twilight because he wanted it, there’s a deeper reason that has something to do with my reason #4. Also, Dawner the Hero may have a worst case of being terrible at directions and pretty much annoys the hell out of Sya but he isn’t an idiot who will take orders, from the Demon King of all people, like he did in episode 11. Here's an analysis between their manga and anime counterparts: https://www.reddit.com/r/MaoujouDeOyasumi/comments/l0el9m/differences_between_the_manga_and_anime_characters/
I said my piece. I hope the anime production team does a better job in season 2 if they plan on doing so. If not, I’m dropping this anime.
Maoujou de Oyasumi was one of Fall 2020’s biggest surprises. Given the fact that DG are one of my favourite studios, it was a given that I would check the show out. I was not expecting it to be this damn good, though. On the surface, the show is pretty basic. Princess gets kidnapped from her country and hero sets out to find her and bring her home. What sets it apart is the fact that the princess actually enjoys her captivity more than being at home, and is constantly looking for ways to improve her sleep. We follow Syallis on her journey to findthe perfect night’s rest, and along the way have hilarious interactions with the Demon King and his attendants.
It’s really as wholesome as it sounds, but still manages to keep you engaged with its great comedy, character interactions and of course, coziness. Minase Inori gives one of her best performances to date as Syallis and really brings the character to life. The other seiyuus in the show are also excellent and manage to enhance the humour.
I can’t recommend this show enough if you’re looking for something funny, cute and original to watch. You won’t regret it. Maojou de Oyasumi gets 10 pillows out of 10.
Tl;dr: A wholesome, fun experience with a good message that bases its comedy on its characters and jabs on the anime fantasy genre. (Light spoilers ahead, but… this is a slice of life-esque fantasy-based anime. Is there really anything to spoil?) “Today was a wonderful and uneventful day” - Princess Aurora Sura Rhys “Syalis” Kaymin. Great anime come in all shapes and forms. Some greats pull off different complex themes that transcend the norm and challenge the viewers to think about its messages and leave the viewer deep into thought after they finish the show. And some other greats masterfully build up their worlds and characters to establisha climax that takes everything we saw from the beginning up to the very ending and leaves us with a nonstop thrilling show from beginning to end.
Or some other greats, take all the already established conventional and “cliched” tropes from anime and other media but make them their own by adding their own spice and unique twists to make themselves a fun experience anyone can enjoy. And that’s exactly what Maoujou de Oyasumi or its English name, Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, establishes itself as a formula-based slice of life-esque fantasy show that adds its own bright colors to give the viewers a uniquely wholesome experience.
At first, the show sells itself with a basic premise we’ve seen tons of times in anime. We start in the *insert kingdom name* kingdom where the royalty live peacefully, and everyone loves the royal kingdom until one day, the Demon King of *insert demon king dungeon name* swoops into the castle, kidnaps the princess, and locks her up in a cell in his dungeon. Now it’s up to the handsome, perfect hero to save the princess from the Demon King! See? Stuff we’ve seen (way too many times) before.
But this is where the show pulls off its “twist.” Instead of following the generic fantasy formula and following the hero, we follow the story of the princess, Aurora Sura Rhys Kaymin
(who I will be calling Princess for the entirety of this review because everyone calls her “Hime” for the entirety of the show as if her name is irrelevant because of her noble status), as she attempts to pass the time by doing what she does best: sleep. But oh, no! The bed in her “cell” is SUPER uncomfortable, and she needs to think of a way to optimize her sleeping experience.
So what does any normal captive princess in the Demon King’s lair do? Just deal with it? Of course not! She’s a princess! She will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets what she wants! This basic premise is the driving force of the show and the relationships the princess builds with her “captors” around her.
Even if there is a lack of “plot” in the show, since it can be described as the Princess trying to get her hands on different materials from around the Demon King Castle, the show doesn’t let its lack of a story progression stop itself from being a fun experience from start to end. Instead, the show relies on building the demon’s relationships with the Princess combined with its satire on the fantasy/isekai genre to carry the show’s comedy.
All the characters’ designs are built to follow typical anime fantasy designs such as your beautiful princess with a cute gown, your authoritarian Demon King with his two little horns sticking out on the top of his head, your perfect hero wearing his plated armor and sense of justice along his chest, and many more designs for the other demon and human characters that poke fun of the overused designs within the fantasy genre.
Even if the designs themselves are pretty forgettable because of this, the characters themselves are not. Our protagonist, the Princess, appears to be gracious and calm like how a princess should be. But this Princess is everything but “gracious” and “calm.” She uses her wit and diligence to trick little teddy bear creatures into breaking out of her own cell, sneaks off into different areas of the castle for things for her own beauty sleep, and even manages to get the Demon King and his right-hand man to submit to her by leashing them around just for their precious materials for her bedding! Absolute scenes!
And speaking of the Demon King, we can’t talk about this anime without mentioning the Demon King and his demon folk and their counterparts, the Hero™, the perfect examples of what this anime represents. Although their designs and actions suggest that they’re cookie-cut from their respective tropes taken straight from fantasy anime, they act as jabs to the fantasy genre by grounding them as “human” rather than “ideals.”
The demon folk, for example, are meant to be the “big baddies” of the universe and represent everything evil. But rather than true evil like how they seem to the outside world, they act as reasonable demons who act on good morals contradicting their outside personas within the castle. This leads to some great comedic moments between the demons and the Princess with them rather than acting as captors and captives, but as, sometimes, captive and captors, but most of the time as friendly equals.
The Hero™ is also a great play on the fantasy genre because it does a great job of painting his over the top for justice attitude and exaggerates that point to borderline insanity. Even though his intentions are always good, like an ideal hero, his overenthusiasm ends up hurting those around him, and more importantly, the Princess. Even though he’s continually on a journey to the Demon Castle and not physically with the Princess, we still have great moments with him and the Princess together as flashbacks and “nightmares” when the Princess is sleeping.
But even with all these great comedic characters that lead to great comedic moments, the best part about this show is the simple yet powerful message that the Princess says to the demon folk that she knows that they’re “all kind and good people.” And that’s the entire message of this show. Although we can easily group people into “good” and “evil’” based on our conventional past perceptions of these groups, we never know what these people, or demons, are like until we spend valuable time with each other as equals. Although it’s not a complex theme that challenges the viewer to spend time pondering on its ideals and flaws, it’s a rather good takeaway anyone can get from this anime to “imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes,” or to put it into simpler terms, “imagine yourself in the situation or circumstances of another person to understand or empathize with their perspective, opinion, or point of view.”
Although this anime is not the perfect experience, it establishes itself as a surprisingly solid watch from beginning to end, filled to the brim with wholesomely comedic moments and characters. I highly recommend this anime to anyone who needs a break from the deep and psychological a lot of anime tries to be and needs to binge a solid, wholesome series that will bring them some good laughs without thinking too hard about what they watch.
Overall: 7.3 (rounds down to 7)
"1001 Ways to Pamper (or get rekted by) a Human Hostage in a Demon Castle" the Animation, feat. the sweet and cunningly-voiced Inori Minase. You know what makes a warm, fuzzly feeling of overflowing goodness in your heart? It's the sweet, tantalizing, emotional feels and cuddly beings that encompasses all that pizzazz, topped up with a batch of light-heartedness with wholesomeness. And Maoujou no Oyasumi (a.k.a Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle) is just that: a human princess that's been kidnapped by the Demon King, but her only objective of pursuit is to have a good night's sleep, BY HOOK OR BY CROOK. And no, sheis not the "damsel in distress" character that even if the hero party comes to her rescue, she doesn't give two hoots about it (heck, forgetting your hero/prince/fiance's name is an obvious giveaway!).
Come what may of the numerous problems in the Demon King's Castle, be it the Demon King Tasogare himself or the many demon inhabitants and leaders that emits the "spooky scary" vibe, Princess Syalis will always find a way with her "scorning playfulness", at the expense of the vast amount of creatures that are easily taken advantage by her "evil scheming" quests, and forced to be sacrificed of their body/spirit parts for never-ending experimentations of increasing sleeping quality. And does she care about the consequences? NOPE, so much so that with the daily Slice-of-Life cycle aesthetic, these demonkin are left with compounding frightening "nightmares" that linger, whether they like it or not. And as much as that is a recurring gag that gets old pretty quick, every episode showcases the many ways that Princess Syalis interact with the demons, play with them and bend them to her will in the one of many hilarious ways (un)predictable. Befriending the princess is always a solid choice, as you don't want to invoke her "wrath", otherwise she'd mess you up BAD.
At first glance, this was a surprise hidden gem that came out of left field, and researching on female mangaka Kagiji Kumanomata's work, she seems like a newbie who just did like a oneshot and called it a day. But man, her second work (which is this manga) slowly blew in popularity, and even now so with Doga Kobo's anime adaptation of the 17 (and growing) volume series. Honest to god, on hindsight, Princess Syalis may look like a harmless loli girl, but don't let her pure and innocent looks fool you. Whatever complications are thrown towards her, you can bet that she'd get the job done ASAP, because sleep is king (Priority No. 1). All the wholesomeness really lends to the comedy genre's tenacity, adding dynamics between the character cast that just tops up the hilarity flavor to an already charming and relaxing show. Such torturous, but fun and kooky times.
What elevates the comedic factor is with the numerous VAs who embrace their individual character roles, and they do it astoundingly well. Most particularly, both MC VAs Inori Minase and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka on both the princess and demon king respectively. The former's distinctive voice (like HanaKana's narration) stands out from the pack, and playing Princess Syalis's role as the human "that really couldn't be bothered" in an almost monotone-like voice is the perfect sweet spot that defines her character to the T. The latter also does a pretty good job as the "Dark" Kirito-esque demon lord character that has both dark and light personalities that interchange between facing the princess, his loyal subjects of demonkin and the "lost-in-wilderness" Hero party. That's not to say that the rest of the characters aren't important, they help lend a hand into contributing to the endless matter of shenanigans and references placed throughout the anime.
Helping on the visual front is the best well-known CGDCT studio, Doga Kobo. For one, the visuals are drop-dead gorgeous and exhibit the "cruel, but not so cruel" demon castle setting really prominently, regardless of all the comical brutality of the "un-man-like" smug savage of Syalis and her "attack" from within. Not to mention, the dark settings mixed with the growing cutesy moments sure makes for a laughingstock of a contradiction that "everything is not what it seems". The vibrant art though is replicated and translated fairly well from the manga, so that's A-OK in every sense, sometimes feeling like it was made in a cartoonish comic-style RPG.
One area where this show loves to have absolute bonkers with is the music, especially Inori Minase's exuberant and high (but mellow)-spirited OP. Shows that even with a character that has the entire demon castle within the grip of her hands, makes for a fun "first impressions" (and sleep *yawn*...Zzz...). The ED is more of the same feelings, and call me a bias when it comes to ORESAMA's engaging retro-feel songs, because it's another great addition to the entire OST.
Once again, props to in-house director Mitsue Yamazaki and her team for creating another sensational favourite (of which Nozaki-kun and Dumbbell are already considered great shows from her track records). While I can foresee lots of people getting tired due to the repetition (me included), this is still a show that's worth every ounce of some light-hearted and wholesome entertainment much and numerous chuckles.
Now, who wants those teddy demons to cuddle together and have a good night's sleep? That's so comfort...ing...Suya…
*Quest Complete* Good job of reading this review to the end!
If you looking for a lovely story in a lightly presented anime, as I call fuwa-fuwa anime by genre. Then you found it! In category, (Fluffy-Fluffy-Anime) is for everyone I think. I mean, you don't need to think of anything. It's simple, sweet, cute, adorable. What else do you need before bedtime? Find a comfy place, get some snacks and enjoy all this awful circumstances that poor little sleepy princess got into. The animation is beautiful. 9/10 The sound is comfy. 9/10 The characters are well written and funny. 9/10 The enjoyment is great, I laughed so much. Overall, Maoujou de Oyasumi is a Gem, between a9 or a 10. But if you give this a score under 7 You should quit life and start something else.
Maybe..
An Adventure in the realm of demons. All days of sufferings, just to get a pleasant night...
Suyaaa...
Maoujou de Oyasumi was a wild ride for me. Watching it weekly was a true joy, and I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this series. Mondays are traditionally the worst day of the week, and for this series to come out every week on a Monday brightened my mood until the next episode. I truly recommend this show to every single person, and while I don't think it holds much meaning or provides much story (and is definitely not bingeable), it is the incarnate of why I watch anime - happiness and escape. Maoujou de Oyasumi follows the story of Princess Aurora Sya LisGoodereste, a human princess, who is abducted by the Demon King. What follows is not what would traditionally happen, but is a rather light, and ridiculously funny story of the Princess trying to get a good night's rest. The show is episodic where the Princess follows quests in order to obtain certain materials (living or otherwise) from wherever she needs in order to get the best rest she can. With reckless abandon for her own, and other's lives, the princess will stop at nothing to get what she wants, but in the process, she develops some laughable and cute relationships with many of the recurring characters.
Story (8) -
There's really not much here. The premise is what you get in the show, but that's all the show needs to be. It's a comedy at heart, and just like many other great comedies, it doesn't really build a storyline. However, what you get from each episode is a new and equally ridiculous plan by the princess to get some sleep that leads her into new territories, and new situations where you can laugh at her, and laugh with her. This story is overall just hilariously cute, and exactly what I needed each week.
Art (8) -
I wasn't too familiar with the studio, Doga Kobo, but on further research found that they did Nozaki-kun, Plastic Memories, and Umaru-chan. Of those three, I'd say that Umaru-chan most fits the bill in terms of art style. Simplistic and cute. The art while minimalistic is once again, exactly what it needs to be. It fits the tone of the show to a tee and is able to exemplify the emotions of the characters to really draw out a laugh. Despite the simplicity, each of the characters has their own unique look and is easily recognizable. I particularly love the art style of Princess Syalis as she is just both equally cute and terrifying at all times.
Sound (9) -
Both the OP and ED are fantastic. I especially loved both the OP's song and opening sequence. Beautifully animated with an amazing song reminiscent of Otome Game no Hametsu, I couldn't help but watch it each and every week. The OP always put a smile on my face, and the ending sequence was a great closer to keep my serotonin levels up for another 2 minutes. As for the show itself, the compositions are relatively simple but add the correct dramatic appeal and really bring out the best of each scene. I particularly loved several of the OSTs used in the final episode (although they could've been used earlier - this was just the first time I had stopped to admire them) as they were perfect for the scenes, and were beautifully composed.
Character (10) -
The hallmark of the show. The character writing was superb, and each and every character felt lifelike and contributed in their own way. Princess Syalis while being a sociopathic, murdering (literally), scissor-wielding, psycho, was perfectly relatable. Who doesn't want good sleep? The princess is what the show is centered around and I don't think she could have been written any better. With a largely bipolar personality (sometimes terrifying, sometimes cute) and an indifference to everyone and everything around her, the mass-murdering, self-centered princess captured my heart, and the hearts of all her supporting characters. As for the supporting cast, the more main ones, the Demon Cleric, Great Hound, and Demon King, are perfectly written, as they quickly distance themselves from the hostage relationship with the princess to a more caretaker role as they realize how dare I say - inept - she is. They are charmed by her antics and her single-minded pursuit of sleep but are exasperated by her refusal to give anything else a single thought. This relationship created so many great laughs and was just so cute to watch develop and then climax with an almost master-servant relationship. (Princess Syalis wants her Christmas woolen underwear from the Human Realm? Well, we must get it.) Even the recurring side characters who got maybe 3 minutes of screen time each episode were hilarious and realistic. Almost acting as bystanders, they had just enough development to become highly relatable as they, the supposed prison guards, became the princess' biggest supporters. Every character is charming and delightful, and the Princess - the psycho princess - is the most charming of all.
Enjoyment (10) -
If it's not clear at this point, I loved this show to death and I really hope (I haven't looked in to it yet) that there will be a second season. As of writing this, I just finished the final episode, and this entire week I was dreading its end. The show is exactly what it tells you it is and much more. Cute, ridiculous, and funny, it could not have made me happier. While I don't often write reviews, I was so inspired that I had to recommend this to others. I really really loved this show, and I hope that if you read this, you can as well.
Overall (9) -
The show is fantastic, please give it a watch!
This is the most wonderfully, gloriously, amazingly *stupid* anime I have seen in quite a long time, and unlike most times I would say that, that's an unreserved compliment. I haven't laughed that hard since "Kaguya-Sama". The premise is simple: A princess is abducted by the demon lord. But all she wants is a good night's sleep. And she is amazingly resourceful when it comes to finding all the items she needs for said sleep. And make no mistake - no demon is safe when it gets in the way of whatever her current sleep quest is. And this girlis *ruthless*. When I say no demon is safe, I mean it. But one of the weird things about the "demon realm" is that no one - including the princess - truly dies. In spite of her best efforts. All while an incompetent hero is trying to rescue her.
In fact, there is absolutely no character whatsoever in this anime that could even remotely be called "competent", including the princess (who is only competent and resourceful when it comes to making bedding material) and that is what makes it so great. Well, maybe exactly one towards the end, but even that one, well... I don't know. I seriously don't know how the demon king keeps his job, but that's part of the charm, I guess.
In spite of the premise, this is not a graphic, scary, or gory anime. In fact, I think it's actually closer to "slice of life" genre than anything. Even when characters die, it's rarely permanent, and sometimes even played for laughs. Structurally, Each episode is split into three parts, each of which involves her on a different quest - whether it be for a better pillow, a bigger bed, or woolen underwear.
This might have become my favorite anime of its genre, and it has well earned its "10" rating. You'll laugh. You'll... laugh. And you'll laugh some more.
Okay, the technical stuff: The art is good. Not exceptional, but good. The color palette is bright and colorful most of the time, and all the characters are well drawn. The sound is decent, but nothing to really write home about. Voice acting is really good. But the thing I love the most about this anime is its absolute mastery of comedic timing as our princess rampages throughout the demon castle leaving chaos and confusion in her wake. And, well, as I've said, the characters aren't very well developed, but this is the kind of anime where well developed characters would just take away from the fun, so I'm good with that.
What am I critical of? Well, nothing, really. There's lots of stuff I *could* be critical of, and if this were an anime that took itself seriously I'd have lots to say. but everything I'd normally be critical of, the producers were clearly aware of that and leaned into it for the humor. And, well, that pretty much takes the wind out of my sails, doesn't it? How can you be critical of something that was done deliberately for laughs?
In conclusion, If you're looking for a fun romp that doesn't take itself too seriously and has lots of fun with the premise and world, you could do far, far, worse. Now, if you';ll excuse me, I need a nap.
Suyaaaaaa....
The story is very simple. Beginning with a typical hero versus demon intro, in which the princess of the human world is captured by the demons - already setting up the plotline where the hero will save the princess... ...but, what if it never branched off into a typical damsel-in-distress series? Maoujou de Oyasumi manages to literally break all the possible tropes most action series have, while providing a surprisingly wholesome/calming experience for the viewers. Whether you like or hate to sleep, I think this series is a prime example of what upcoming goofy slice of life anime should be like - hence I believe mostcould easily enjoy this a lot even without having a slight interest in the subject.
As I mentioned, the story is very simple. The hero trying to save the princess while the demons try to lock her in their castle, right? But the typical plotline is simply a tool for the main character, Aurora Suya Rhys Kaymin (aka the princess). The princess simply wants to sleep. That's it. That's the actual plotline. Though the series dives much more deeper into this, like how can one sleep? What materials are necessary to fabricate good pillows for a good sleep? Or perhaps, can you sleep in a dungeon filled with lava with monsters swarming around?
We often find the princess trying to accomplish these goals, either by continuously killing demons for material, or perhaps adventuring to another area to collect a rare item - all which would be used for the princess' comfort of her sleep.
Though I got to mention the generic plot, as when you continue this series, you won't even notice that this plot exists. They greatly utilize the fundamental elements of the generic plot, like the appearance of a new demon to annoy the princess, or the upcoming arrival of the hero for instance, to add spice to the events the princess is involved in. People would start to get bored if we were given the same thing episode upon episode, where all we would see is the princess having a goal in mind, then trying to reach that goal, and finally accomplishing it in the end. New characters, original situations, and even the stuff you would see in other series allows Maoujou de Oyasumi to have conflict, comedy, and ultimately diverting from the typical plot to enhance the situations the princess finds herself in, perhaps making the princess fail to achieve her goal or go through hardship to accomplish it.
So this is where I tie into the cast of Maoujou de Oyasumi. The characters, whether human or demon, deliver what would've been a lack of comedy and synergy between main character and the rest of the series.
The princess is an interesting one - being that all she wants to do is sleep and she will do everything she can to achieve this goal. Unlike the rest of the characters, she does not fall into the basic standard for a main character.
Maoujou de Oyasumi gives a large focus onto the main character, following her story in the castle. Despite her usual dead, egoistic personality, she also has a wider range of traits on the inside. Whether it is a pre-sleep mood, a restless persona, or a time-to-hunt-the-demons-for-materials mood, this easily breaks the mold of a typical main character, while making her a prime factor of character progression for the demons later on in the series.
The characters other than the princess aren't too interesting at first. The Demon Lord is especially very simple. He holds the princess as a hostage, and acts as how a demon lord. A similar situation is among the other demons, in which they are not groundbreaking or complex - just there as a shock factor.
Though, as the princess simply does not care whatsoever about the main plotline and its basic standards, she is well used as an icebreaker for the otherwise simple Demon Lord and co. This makes the rest of the cast less prone to overuse certain tropes and actually progressing their character alongside the princess, generally creating a wider variety of characters - all at the disposal of the princess herself. The demons that were originally used as a shock factor, are still used as a shock factor. But due to the princess, allowing them and her to synergize and connect, the side demons too, have a part in the princess' series of terrifying events.
And due to these series of events, even the demons begin to develop a much lighthearted relationship with the princess, which I find quite beautiful. Both sides begin to open up, despite being enemies, much so that even the demons don't act demonic anymore.
On another note, Doga Kobo does a great job once again in the production part of Maoujou de Oyasumi. No complaints here, as the studio easily brings the usual fantasy-like setting and fits well especially for this series. The flow of the animation is good, and the animation helps express the character's thoughts as well. The character's apparel apply adequately to the environment of the anime, with the music adding even more onto the atmosphere. The VAs of this anime also give their characters a lot of personality which makes them seem natural and enjoyable to see and hear.
To conclude, this anime has a great fantasy-like environment that does well to not only break down a typical action fantasy plot to a much more wholesome, enjoyable series, but to include many characters and a variety of events to stimulate the princess' procedure towards her goal to sleep.
Very cute, and quite the relaxing series to watch. Definitely one of my favourites this year.
This show is so adorable it has literally purified my soul. the main character is unique and interesting and I love watching it. Both the opening and ending are great. The Princess of the humans is so Cute and look like schoolchildren. I watched the 1st episode and its very funny how The Princess does Any thing To get a Goo d sleep. The character designs are fantastic and the color palette is so pleasing. I love the contrasting concept of hell and demons being not Scary at all It is a great break from all the heavy shows out there and extremely enjoyable.
Need an anime to watch before bedtime? This show's perfect for the job! Maoujou de Oyasumi or "Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle" is by far the cutest show to hit the air this season. It's charming, it's hilarious, it's good a damn good MC and it's the one show I've been happy to watch this whole season. Story: The story is simple at its core, but that's just because this is a comedy and the writers need something small to work off of. You would think it'd be pretty hard to make something as simple as "Princess stuck in a tower trying to sleep"interesting or even hilarious, but the writers know what they're doing. The simple premise lends itself well to almost slapstick levels of comedy the show provides with each episode. The lore and world are simple and generic, but the characters inside that world are nothing of the sort. And that's precisely why it works so well. A simple premise that they manage to keep fresh and funny as the show goes on, I never feel like it's being too repetitive at all.
Art: This is the cutest show I've laid eyes on this season yet, and each episode it just ups that cute factor by like, 10 and won't let up. The Princess's design is adorable, but the monster's they come up with are both unique and just hilarious for set design purposes.
Sound: The OP is cute, just like everything else in the show. So is the ED. I find myself humming it every once in a while. But the music for once isn't the only thing that's great about the sound. The Voice Actors are just great, especially the one for the Princess. Her deadpan voice is great for comedic timing and she has great line delivery.
Character: Princess Syalis is a 10/10 Main Character, she is always funny, she is always cute, and there is never a moment I don't find myself not entertained by her. The multitude of Side characters, including the Demon King himself, are also super entertaining to watch when they're not with Princess Syalis surprisingly. I find their antics alone stand on their own without the princess to wreak havoc alongside them.
Enjoyment: This is a fun as hell comedy to watch right before bed to get in the mood of finding sleep, and it's definitely a "Watch with the group chat" anime for those of you who like to stream Anime for your friends late into the night. Overall I give this a 10, please check it out if you like cute moe comedies with slapstick. I highly recommend it!
JEEEZZZ LOUISE, I could watch this bitch sleep all day long. Watching this sleepy princess go on her quest to sleep and then finally... that moment, that moment when her eyes shut, and she utters her trademark murmur, falling asleep... that moment, right there, makes my whole day, my whole life worth it. I am going to make sure I have a daughter now, that moment when she falls asleep is, I would say orgasmic but to use such crude language would only corrupt the pure wholesome euphoria of this show. Watching her fall asleep releases an ecstasy so pure and beautiful that your heartwill be filled with elation.
The plot somehow manages to remain engaging and not only introduces exciting new ways for her to improve or experiment with her sleep, but characters as well, who are always a delight and add keep the story interesting, but don't become mainstays which I personally really like.
The story is obviously super subversive and tongue and cheek about fantasy tropes, this show had me laughing or guffawing in glee every episode consistently.
Mild SPoilers
These characters, you grow to learn and love them all, the colorful cast is just too dang lovable, you start rooting for the demon king and his subordinates, as they start to see the princess with kinder and kinder eyes, as she slowly starts to find her true home in the demon castle. Fuck that hero... D...D-whatsit, guys a cunt hope he dies.
I finally did it I made a MAL account just because I had to let the world know how fucking much I loved watching this bitch fall asleep.... oh no, wait, that sounds weird. Whatever. This is my first review, I'm sure it's pretty shitty, but trust me this show is worth the watch and definitely a stand out gem this season, and one that I think could become a classic easily.
Maoujou de Oyasumi (2020) When I saw this at the start of the season I thought it looks nice I will add it to my watch later list. Eventually, due to a quarantine, I had a lot more time on my hands so I watched 11 episodes of this show over the weekend prior to episode 12 and honestly I am so glad I did. It is a really nice, relaxing and great paced show that was a great ride. It even has a nice ending with plenty of Manga to adapt further if possibly wanted. The art style is very much reminiscent of Mairimashita! Iruma-kunin regards to the nice gentle way it shows off demons as fun characters you would love to spend time with. Although some are fearsome monsters they still have a nice feel to them. The main character Sya is especially great when she changes her eyes for shock or horror and such.
The OP is great with the main character singing it directly via animation. The ED is great too. Generally sounds work really well and don't need much depth since it is not about that.
Characters develop with Sya who just wants to sleep comfortably with a set of characters that really are not that evil.
The demon realm is generally much nicer than you would expect with a vast wide-ranging set of personalities.
The human realm is still very jokey with much of the sillier personalities in terms of weaknesses to the demons by comparison.
The queen, Sya's mother is a great woman. Cubey the succubus and Harpy the harpy are awesome characters. Especially with Harpy being so friendly, also nice to see her have human arms as well as her wings. Cubey being as cute a character especially being a somewhat unsuccessful succubus.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show to which whilst not perfect it is absolutely worth watching. I would love to see a new season to see where it goes in regards to human-demon relations but if too much it could become too repetitive for some.
9/10. An unexpected delight on my watchlist this season and added to my read list.
How long do you sleep a day? Well, for most, 8 hours is enough to rest from a long day of activities. For our beloved Princess Suya, 80% of the time is vital to her noble routine. But ... Could an anime like Maoujou de Oyasumi, who has a different idea and highly easy to talk about, overcome any negative criticism? Fortunately, it can be said that yes. When I looked at the anime catalog for that last season of 2020, I was surprised that Maoujou de Oyasumi was on the list. This is due to the anime being adapted by the studio Doga Kobo, oneof the best known when it comes to making moe anime, in addition to having a job well done in most cases. It is not for nothing that Anima Yell, Senko-san, Gabriel Dropout and others are known for a charismatic and engaging execution, where the casual becomes fun, without tiring. However, when I looked at this anime, I confess that the proposal did not please me. "A princess sleeping in the entire anime? Where is this going?", I thought. But I regret every word said, because once again the studio made a magnificent show! It is not only a pleasant anime, but it is possible to see a nice Princess experiencing her misfortunes in a castle where she is imprisoned. I wish I was someone with as much creativity as Suya. Not only the story, but the situations are hilarious create a feeling of "I want more!" The author is a genius, I'm sure of that, because he created a proposal that is similar to other Doga Kobo productions, with cuteness and comedy always going together.
In fact, the characters are all quite different and have an important extravaganza for the whole story. Both the Demon King and her helpers are ridiculed by Suya herself, who does not act like a prisoner and always puts them in dangerous situations. Sometimes, I feel sorry for the demons in the castle, they are more innocent than Suya herself. Who remembers the scenes where the princess cuts off the ghost sheets? Or the episodes when the castle priest has to revive Suya? It's amazing how well all of this is remembered and connected to the whole show. It is a better episode than another, where new faces are presented and are important in the story which, although episodic, always throws a party inside the castle, when it comes to humor.
It's not just the humor that stands out, the production and the OSTs too! The fanciful combination did not leave the anime with a repeated and uninteresting identity. Examples of this are isekais and animes like Otome Game, which did not transmit a significant portion of quality in comparison to this work of art. Again, Doga Kobo has been consecrated in recent years.
And there is no way of not talking about the main responsible for making the story more and more authentic: Suya, the most childish, funny and incomparable princess that exists. There is no way not to grace yourself with such cuteness, besides, of course, her faces during the anime. She is more stunning than the other (the dentist scene was Suya's best face, for sure).
Finally, Maoujou de Oyasumi was an exemplary anime from 2020. It did not require many things, but it delivered an incredible and competent artwork. I wanted to hug and talk to all the staff at this show, which should be better known. In fact, it was an unthinkable surprise. Again, I will never again say anything against Doga Kobo's anime. He's more than a great studio. It is probably the fastest growing studio in years. Each year is a new experience and I don't want to be left out of their next adaptation. I hope you have a second season of this amazing show, as I’m looking forward to it. This review was probably not very long, but I need to rest now, just like Suya did during the entire show. I just need to find a pillow and a better bed for my room.
Oyasumi! Suya ...
Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is a masterpiece of our generation. It parodies a common story of a princess being held captive. However, she is unintentionally possibly the scariest being in the castle and what makes the story so brilliant is precisely the contrast between the princess and demons living in the castle. Even though she's basically treating the demons like you would animals and with the demons often looking like such, from the perspective of the demons she is terrifying. Yet because the story is portrayed in quite adorable fashion from the princess's point of view, the differences in perspective are steep and reallyfunny. With the weight of her actions, the princess's nonchalant attitude adds to the comedy perfectly. And all for what? To build a pillow, to find a new bed, all to get some shut-eye. Which is honestly quite relatable. Yet to the lengths at which she goes and with no care in the world despite being in such a scary situation on paper, she can find a new way to sleep from anywhere and it's incredibly amusing.