I need to start this review with a complaint, because it genuinely makes no sense to me.

It is an absolute crime that when someone finishes Solo Leveling and goes looking for their next anime fix, The Misfit of Demon King Academy is almost never recommended. Why?? The main character is wildly overpowered, the energy is the same, and if you watch dubbed, it’s literally the same English voice actor. Hello? That alone should put this on every recommendation list.

If Solo Leveling is dark, sleek, and modern, Misfit is just a different flavor of the same thing. More fantasy, more reincarnation lore, more talking, but the same “I already won” main character energy. Watching Anos Voldigoad steamroll his way through enemies scratches the exact same itch.

What The Misfit of Demon King Academy Is About

The Misfit of Demon King Academy is a fantasy anime centered on Anos Voldigoad, the reincarnated Demon King of Tyranny. After sacrificing himself to end a devastating war, Anos is reborn 2,000 years later into a world that barely resembles the one he left behind. History has been rewritten, magic has weakened, and the Demon King’s legacy has been distorted beyond recognition.

To figure out what went wrong, Anos enrolls in the Demon King Academy, a school meant to identify and train his reincarnated descendants. The problem? The system doesn’t recognize him at all. Labeled a “misfit,” Anos quickly proves that the academy’s standards are laughably inadequate as he proceeds to shatter every rule, expectation, and power scale they have.

On the surface, the series is an overpowered main character power fantasy, but underneath that is a surprisingly layered story about identity, loyalty, reincarnation, and the consequences of rewriting history. As the series progresses, the world opens up with political intrigue, ancient magic, gods, demons, and emotional backstories that add real weight to the chaos.

It balances high-stakes fantasy with humor, occasional emotional gut punches, and just enough heart to keep it from feeling shallow, even when Anos is casually rewriting reality for the tenth time.

Fast, Bingeable, Then Suddenly… Long

Season 1 is a clean 13 episodes, and you absolutely blow through them. It’s one of those shows where you keep saying “just one more” and suddenly it’s way later than you planned. The pacing is fast, the flexes are constant, and it’s incredibly binge-friendly.

Season 2, however, fully caught me off guard. I hit around episode 10 thinking the season was almost over, only to realize it’s 24 episodes long 💀. For someone who usually sticks to 12–13 episode romance anime, this was actually a nice change of pace. More time in the world, more lore, more chaos. That said, I definitely noticed a shift in pacing toward the end.

This Is Not a Romance Anime (But He Is Smooth)

There is a hint of romance in this series, but let’s be very clear: this is not a romance anime.

Anos is just… smooth. Effortlessly. He’s not chasing anyone, but somehow he’s collecting female subordinates like infinity stones. At one point it even escalates into a situation where he convinces all of them to sleep with him. I won’t spoil how or why, but it was genuinely funny and very on-brand for the absurd confidence this show leans into.

It never turns into a full harem situation, and it’s played more for humor than romance. If you’re coming in expecting love triangles and longing stares, this isn’t that. If you’re coming in for overpowered chaos and a main character who knows exactly how hot he is, you’re in the right place.

The Characters Are What Made This Stick

What really surprised me was how much I ended up caring about the characters.

For a show that’s so flashy and overpowered, Misfit sneaks in some genuinely heartbreaking, tragic storylines. There’s an arc involving Lay, Misa, and Misa’s parents that might honestly be the best arc in the entire series. I don’t want to spoil it, but it hits way harder than you expect and adds real emotional weight to the world.

I also loved the character development over time. I got betrayed more than once as the series progressed, which I did not see coming. There was a character I didn’t like at first that I ended up warming up to, and those shifts felt earned rather than forced.

And listen… I’m still not convinced the Blaze King is a good guy 😆. Even by the end, I had my side-eye ready. I kind of loved that not everyone was neatly sorted into “good” or “evil.” The moral gray areas made the story more interesting.

Season 2’s Final Arc: Not Bad, Just… A Lot

I do want to be honest about one thing: I’m not sure I loved the final arc of Season 2.

The dragons, the underground world, the gods, the whole selection process… it was a lot. Not bad, just busy. The series throws a ton of new concepts at you all at once, and for me, it didn’t hit quite the same way as earlier arcs. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely noticed I wasn’t watching the last 7–8 episodes as fast as the rest of the series.

And can we talk about the dragon art for a second? This show is genuinely beautiful overall, but those dragons felt like an afterthought. Which is wild, because dragons are usually the thing anime studios show off. They weren’t terrible, just noticeably weaker than everything else around them.

Final Rating: 8/10

I’d give The Misfit of Demon King Academy a solid 8 out of 10.

The only thing keeping this from being a full 10 for me is the dragon art and the final stretch of Season 2, which felt a little too busy compared to how strong the rest of the series was. Not bad, just not my favorite part.

That said, the story, the characters, and the character development more than make up for it. There are moments that genuinely hit, arcs that surprised me, and enough emotional weight to keep this from feeling like a shallow power fantasy.

If you’re looking for a show with overpowered main character energy, a dash of comedy, solid fantasy worldbuilding, and just a drip of romance without turning into a full romance anime, you’ll probably love this one.

Especially if you’re coming straight off Solo Leveling.

Final Thoughts

Finishing an anime is always such a bittersweet moment for me. You’re satisfied, but also kind of sad because now it’s over. And this one? Yeah. This one got me.

The Misfit of Demon King Academy was way better than I expected. It’s fun, dramatic, ridiculous in the best way, and surprisingly emotional at times. And I’ll say it again because it needs to be said: Solo Leveling fans need to watch this. Especially if you watch dubbed.

It really is just another flavor of the same kind of show. Different aesthetic, same overpowered satisfaction. If you loved watching Sung Jinwoo dominate everything in his path, watching Anos do the same thing with even less effort is incredibly satisfying.

Would I change a few things about the final arc? Probably. Did that stop me from loving the overall experience? Not at all.

This one earned its spot on my “why didn’t I watch this sooner?” list.