Cover of “The Devil Is A Part-Timer! Vol. 21” by Satoshi WagaharaI’m back with another book review, and this time I’m reviewing “The Devil Is A Part-Timer! Vol. 21” by Satoshi Wagahara! This is the series finale, and I’m so glad to finally read the last book in this series. I know there are related spin-offs, but I started the franchise?/series by reading the main story. Finally reading the ending is somewhat bittersweet to me as a reader since I’ve read and reviewed every book in this series. Without further ado, here is a quick summary so we know what this finale is about:
“With the Devil King Castle closed and the war between the humans on Ente Isle resolved, all that remains for Maou and his friends is to mount an assault on heaven. But before that, there’s something he needs to do-get dressed up to visit Chiho’s father and do the right thing. As the final battle fast approaches, Emi can’t help but notice that the Devil King seems to be in poor health… What hidden truths await Maou and company in heaven? Can they really take down a god? And if they do, what will become of their lives in Japan?”
Plot Development: 4 out of 5 stars
The main story was a little slow at first, but it had better pacing in the second half of the volume. I am slightly disappointed, however, that the battle against Ignora was easily cut short. I thought it would be a bigger battle, as in the early volumes of the series. But, it logistically made sense considering what circumstances occurred beforehand.
I thought that the ending was a solid conclusion. It wasn’t the most ideal (I would’ve liked Emilia to play a bigger role but I’ll explain more in the character development section), but it was an ending that I could support and see making sense. Considering the circumstances of the main cast remaining in Japan at the end, presumably for the rest of their lives, I found it sweet that they all started working together. In a way, it’s a “Happy for now” type of ending—the main story is over, and not everything in their lives is fixed, but they’re positively working toward a great future.
Character Development: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I thought that Maou and the rest of the main cast had some really nice endings to their various subplots. I especially liked how the romance subplot was handled (more on that in the romance section). I’m glad that Maou took some initiative in meeting Chiho halfway in their romance and handled taking better care of future needs a lot more seriously here. I also like that the cast got to reflect a bit on the past and where they are now in comparison, too – it’s clear that they’ve all grown since the beginning.
I do think Emilia got the short side of the stick when it came to development. This is a bit saddening since she was one of the main characters from the beginning. But, at least, she’s on good terms with everyone by the end. I also think there could have been more development of Sariel and Kisaki’s eventual relationship happening. Though I do think the series did a decent job foreshadowing this reveal of them now being married and having a kid together, there could be more hints planted in previous books to lead to this reveal.
Romance Development: 5 out of 5 stars
Maou and Chiho are officially a romantic couple by the end of the series, and I think the buildup from the past volumes leading into this one was worth it. Both of them are really happy together, and I the reader wish them all the best. I am glad that Suzuno and Emilia got to at least resolve their feelings about Maou and also even encourage Chiho to get together with him. I thought it was a really sweet moment of bonding for Suzuno, Emilia, and Chiho (mainly Suzuno and Chiho at this point) for them to recognize that they had these interests in Maou but also recognize that Chiho was best off with him since he had the most interest in her anyway. It definitely subverts the usual “protagonist with multiple love interests” trend, since these love interests actually remain friends with each other instead of getting into petty rivalry.
Overall, I’m rating this book 4 out of 5 stars!
I thought this was a solid conclusion to the overall series, though I would have changed one or two things (like giving Emilia a more major role, etc). I do plan to write a post about ranking every single book in the series in the future, for sure!
“The Devil Is A Part-Timer” was one of the first light novel series that I ever read—and it was my gateway series into reading more light novels later on. I am glad I came across this series when I did because it entertained me all the way through. As I say adieu to “The Devil Is A Part-Timer,” I look forward to reading some new light novel series—whether it be by this author or other authors!