Demon Lord 2099 (魔王2099, Maō 2099) is a Japanese light novel series written by Daigo Murasaki and illustrated by Kureta. The series began publication by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint in January 2021. The light novel series has been licensed in English by Yen Press. A manga trial version adaptation by Muramitsu and it was the first adaptation by Kiiro Akashiro was serialized online on Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace Plus from November 2021 to June 2022. A second manga adaptation by Yutaka Sakurai began serialization on the same website in March 2023. An anime television series adaptation produced by J.C.Staff is set to premiere in 2024.
Synopsis[]
The cyberpunk metropolis Shinjuku—a massive city-state bedecked with neon signs, towering skyscrapers, and the latest cutting-edge technology. It is here, in year 2099 of the Fused Era, where the legendary Demon Lord Veltol has his second coming five centuries in the making. But this landscape is nothing like the one he conquered all those years ago, for the fusion of magic and engineering has elevated civilization to dazzling, unprecedented heights. Veltol may have been reduced to a historical footnote, but make no mistake...this brave new world will be his for the taking!
(Source: Yen Press)
List of Published Books[]
Novel[]
light novel series written by Daigo Murasaki and illustrated by Kureta. The series began publication by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint in January 2021. The light novel series has been licensed in English by Yen Press.
| No. | Title | Original release date | English release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cyberpunk City Shinjuku (電子荒廃都市・新宿) | January 20, 2021 978-4040739588 |
March 15, 2022 978-1975338626 |
| 2 | Cybermagic City Akihabara (電脳魔導都市・秋葉原) | April 20, 2021 978-4040739632 |
June 21, 2022 978-1975336837 |
| 3 | Paradise Prison City Yokohama (楽園監獄都市・横浜) | June 20, 2023 978-4040750101 |
October 15, 2024 979-8855403114 |
| 4 | Ultimate Defense City Washington (終極防衛都市・ワシントン) | October 19, 2024 978-4040756684 |
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Manga[]
The series received two manga adaptations. The first series, illustrated by Kiiro Akashiro, was serialized online on Kadokawa Shoten's Shōnen Ace Plus from November 5, 2021 to June 24, 2022, before being removed from the website for unknown reasons. The second series, illustrated by Yutaka Sakurai, began serialization on the same website on March 22, 2023. The second series' chapters have been collected into a single tankōbon volume as of October 2023.
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | English release date | English ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 26, 2023 | 978-4-04-114247-9 | — | — |
| 2 | March 26, 2024 | 978-4-04-114761-0 | — | — |
| 3 | September 25, 2024 | 978-4-04-115392-5 | — | — |
Character[]
The protagonist of this work is a demon king. Veltol is a villainous immortal lord originally from the fantasy world of Alneath whose ambition is to rule the world. Slain in battle by the hero Gram, he does not completely die and is reincarnated by his subordinate Machina 500 years later in 2099 when Alneath has merged with Earth. Veltol decides to conquer these merged worlds but is now powerless due to his magic abilities coming from his followers' beliefs. He thus works with Machina and her friend Takahashi to rebuild his following.
Abilities[]
500 years ago, the Demon King fought against the hero Gram to dominate the magical world of 'Alneath.' Later, he was resurrected in a world 500 years later due to the reincarnation magic 'Wheel of Time,' but what he witnessed was Alneath, where all traces of the past had disappeared as a result of overwhelming technological advancement achieved through the fusion with Earth.
The source of the Demon King's power comes from the faith directed towards him, but after being defeated by the hero and with 500 years having passed, that faith has long since run dry, leaving him a penniless individual with neither status nor job. He is now trying to make a comeback by working as an internet broadcaster, recommended by his first friend in modern times, a hacker named 'Takahashi.' Surprisingly, he quickly adapts to modern life, wearing a nagran jersey instead of armor, and on his internet broadcasts, he leverages his poor gaming skills, old-fashioned speech, and handsome appearance to surpass millions of subscribers in just three months, smoothly progressing with his plans.
Though he has a strong pride as a powerful being, he is not rigid; rather, he possesses a flexible mindset that allows him to adapt quickly even in the world 500 years later. He is a person of character who would bow his head to the hero for the sake of his companions. The reason he initially sought to dominate the world was to create a realm where the weak would not cause conflicts. However, due to his long-held belief in the superiority of the strong, which he considered common sense since birth, he became somewhat extreme and lacking in empathy in various ways. He has a serious personality. According to the author, Murasaki, he is "someone with a flexible mind who can gradually adapt to the world 500 years later," and the author is conscious of this aspect in the portrayal.
to be added...
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Production Background[]
The author, Murasaki, is a video game enthusiast and thought that the word"would be interesting as entertainment," which depicts "a worldview that I accumulated from games and movies and incorporated into my own". In the past, when Murasaki submitted a similar work that leaned toward science fiction, he had experienced "being pointed out in the selection committee that it was slightly difficult to approach". Therefore, in this work, Murasaki "actively incorporated easy-to-understand fantasy elements" and "crossed a high-fantasy worldview with a science fiction worldview of telekinesis and networks," while prioritizing the enjoyment of the work and being careful not to make it too complicated.
There was a proposal to use an Earth character as the main character. Still, because a hero could not be made to do bad things, the "punch was not that strong," and "I felt that the Demon King was more fun to write," Murasaki "decided to use a character that I could also enjoy when writing" as the main character. The Demon King became the main character.
Although this work "weaves in quite a bit of description that is not intertwined with the story's main plot but gives a glimpse of a complex worldview," it is written, "with a clear storyline and with an emphasis on readability." The story is written in a way that is "easy to read, with a clear storyline. Murasaki is not averse to "mucking around with settings in his head," and he says he has little difficulty writing about the "fusion of two worlds, one science-based and one magic-based"
TV Anime[]
An anime adaptation was announced by Aniplex at AnimeJapan on March 25, 2023. It was later revealed to be a television series produced by J.C.Staff and directed by Ryo Ando, with Yūichirō Momose writing overseeing series scripts, Ryousuke Tanigawa designing the characters, and Tatsuya Katō composing the music. It is set to premiere on October 13, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other channels. The opening theme song is "Hollow" performed by Shiyui [ja], while the ending theme song is "Spira" performed by Sekai.
- Staff
- Director: Ryo Ando
- Series Composition: Yūichirō Momose
- Script: Yūichirō Momose
- Music: Tatsuya Katō
- Original creator: Daigo Murasaki
- Original Character Design: Kureta
- Character Design: Ryōsuke Tanigawa, Sōta Suwa
- Art Director: Kentaro Izumi (J.C. Staff Art Dept.)
- Sound Director: Jin Aketagawa
- Director of Photography: Yūshi Sakamoto (J.C. Staff Photography Dept.)
- Color design: Mayumi Tanahashi (J.C. Staff)
- Editing: Yūji Kondō (REAL-T)
- Animation Production: J.C. Staff
- Background Art: J.C. Staff Art Dept.
- Color Design: J.C. Staff
- Editing Studio: REAL-T
- Photography: J.C. Staff Photography Dept.
Crunchyroll licensed the series. Muse Communication licensed the series in Southeast Asia.
Reception[]
Demon Lord 2099 won the 33rd Fantasia Grand Prize.
External Link[]
- Demon Lord 2099 ─ Light Novel Website | Fantasia Taisho (in Japanese)
- Demon Lord 2099 ─ Official Manga Website
- TV Anime "Demon Lord 2099" Official Website
- TV Anime "Demon Lord 2099" Official (@2099_anime) - Twitter X
- Demon Lord 2099 ─ Wikipedia JP
- Demon Lord 2099 ─ Wikipedia EN
See Also[]
- Ishura, is another light novel series illustrated by the same illustrator.
- TS Eiseihei-san no Senjou Nikki, is another light novel series illustrated by the same illustrator.
- Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Kuguru., is another light novel series illustrated by the same illustrator.
- Ninja to Shikyou no Sai Shuppatsu!, is another light novel series illustrated by the same illustrator.
- Salaryman ga Isekai ni Ittara Shitennou ni Natta Hanashi, one of the manga illustrated work by Muramitsu.
Trivia[]
to be added.