"Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun" is a school fantasy comedy currently being serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion. The TV anime began airing in October 2019, with the second series scheduled to begin airing in April 2021. Iruma-kun! is set in the demon world, where there once existed a demon king who ruled over the demon world. We've taken a look at the foreshadowing surrounding this mysterious "demon king"!
A brief synopsis of Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun!
14-year-old Iruma Suzuki is bought by his incredibly worthless parents with money by the demon Sullivan of the demon world. Just when you think Iruma's turbulent life will end here, Sullivan asks Iruma to become his grandson. Iruma, who was inevitably dragged into trouble by his worthless parents, is an extremely kind-hearted person who cannot refuse requests from others. He is adopted by Sullivan and begins attending the Demon School where Sullivan serves as chairman.
Who exactly is the King of Demons, the Demon King?
The Demon King is the pinnacle of all demons, a powerful figure in the demon world, commanding the 13 demons known as the Demon Crowns. He wields great influence, holding all decision-making power in the demon world. Even decisions made by the demons over decades of deliberation can be overturned with a single word from the Demon King, giving him absolute decision-making power. The development of the demon world reflects the Demon King's personality. Furthermore, the appointment of the Demon King requires the approval of the 13 demons.
About the Former Demon King, Delkira
The former Demon King, Delkira, was a legendary figure nicknamed the "Demon King of Vanishing." He referred to his aide at the time, Sullivan, as "Sacchan," and was instrumental in determining the current cultural direction of the Demon World. Due to his influence, the Demon World is home to many bright and fun places, and it's believed that amusement parks and other leisure facilities were also built under Delkira's influence. He was a Demon King who loved peace and entertainment, but is now deceased. He also once attended a demon school, using the "King's Classroom" during that time.
The True Identity of the Former Demon King Delkira... Is He a Human?!?!?
While the former Demon King Delkira remains shrouded in mystery, there is a wealth of information suggesting that he was a human while serving as the Demon King. I would like to explore this theory that the former Demon King was human. Incidentally, Delkira is already deceased in the story, so the current position of Demon King has been vacant for hundreds of years.
Evidence for the Demon King Delkira Being a Human Theory #1: First Love Memory
Azazel Ameri discovered a forbidden book in the student council room. Although Ameri couldn't read the words, she was thrilled by the illustration. It was what would be called a shoujo manga in the human world, and the long-running series "First Love Memory," for which Iruma himself once served as an assistant, was stored in the student council room. This is undoubtedly evidence that human culture is influencing the demon world.
Evidence for the Demon King Delkira = Human Theory #2: Cherry Blossoms
The "Legendary Leaf," which appeared in the Harvest Festival arc of Volume 16 of the manga, was actually a cherry blossom tree. Sullivan suggests that the Harvest Festival was an event created by the previous Demon King. Cherry blossom trees do not exist in the Demon World. Their existence is likely known only to a select few demons, but if Delkira were human, it makes sense that he would know about them.
Evidence for the Demon King Delkira Being Human Theory #3: The Current Culture of the Demon World
The Demon King holds all decision-making power in the Demon World. If the Demon King says something is white, even if it's black, it's white. The current culture of the Demon World was created based on the wishes of the previous Demon King. The current Demon World is home to many amusement parks, swimming pools, and other leisure facilities commonly found in the human world. If these cultures were the will of the previous Demon King, then this is not a demonic idea. It's a uniquely human idea. In other words, the Demon King Delkira was human!?
Wait a minute! There's also a theory that Delkira isn't human!
The previous Demon King Delkira clearly knew human culture. However, there's also a theory that Delkira isn't human. First of all, there's a major contradiction between "First Love Memory" and the culture of the demon world. It's said that the Demon King's seat was vacant for hundreds of years, which means Delkira was alive hundreds of years ago, but "First Love Memory" couldn't have existed at that time. Even Kochikame began serialization in 1976. Furthermore, the same can be said about amusement parks, swimming pools, and other leisure facilities. This creates a time contradiction.
Evidence for the Delkira = Demon Theory #1: Delkira's nickname is the "Disappearing Demon"
If Delkira were human, he would have been born between 1600 and 1900. No matter how hard he tried, a human's lifespan wouldn't allow him to learn about cultures like "First Love Memory," "Amusement Parks," and "Swimming Pools." Of course, even a demon wouldn't be able to learn about those cultures, but Delkira is nicknamed the "Disappearing Demon." Why the "Disappearing Demon"? What would he make disappear, and how? There's one convenient way to resolve this plot twist: Delkira vanished into the future of the human world. This is the theory that Delkira was a demon with the ability to travel through time.
Evidence for the Delkira = Demon Theory #2: The Mystery of First Love Memory
First Love Memory is a long-running series with over 100 volumes. Given that Iruma-kun was involved as an assistant, we can estimate that it began serialization around 1980-1990. However, First Love Memory had been passed down through Ameri's family for generations. Demons have longer lifespans than humans, so if a book passed down through demons hadn't been passed down for hundreds of years, another contradiction would arise. Why would a work that began serialization in the 1980s have been passed down through generations in the demon world hundreds of years ago?! The very existence of First Love Memory in the demon world creates a significant contradiction.
Evidence for the Delkira = Demon Theory #3: Delkira is a Time-Traveling Demon Theory
There is one convenient way to resolve the First Love Memory contradiction. That is, the theory that Delkira traveled back in time to the future of the human world. Delkira traveled back in time like in Thermae Romae, and, inspired by the Flat-Faced Tribe's "First Love Memory" and "Amusement Park," returned to the demon world of the past and developed the demon world's culture in the direction of entertainment. First Love Memory was brought from the human world at that time, and it eventually made its way down Ameri's family line. This eliminates the contradiction.
Is Delkira really dead?
If Delkira is a demon who can travel back in time, then we don't know if he's dead or alive. I also found some interesting theories in other online articles, so I'd like to share those as well.
Delkira is still alive: Theory 1: Alicred, the Gluttonous Ring
As Iruma-kun's rank increased, the Gluttonous Ring developed a sense of self. That person is Ari-san, also known as Arikured. Arikured is pronounced "Arikured," and when you read it backwards, it becomes "Derukira." The person who discovered this is incredible. This raises the possibility that Ari-san is connected to the previous Demon King, Delkira, or even that he himself is the previous Demon King.
Delkira's Alive Theory #2: The Rampaging of the Gluttony Ring
From the above discussion, we can see that Delkira has a strong attachment to cherry trees. The appearance of a cherry tree at the harvest festival supposedly created by Delkira, along with the style of First Love Memory, make this a certainty. There is also another piece of evidence that Arikured is Delkira or someone close to Delkira. That is, before Arikured's awakening, the Gluttony Ring went out of control, generating a large cherry tree. This was the trigger that led Ameri to suspect Iruma of being human, and this is considered the best evidence that the Gluttony Ring is closely related to the previous Demon King.
Is Delkira a Woman?
Finally, as a theory about the previous Demon Lord, it's possible that Delkira was a woman. First Love Memory is a shoujo manga, and yes, she does look like a muscular woman. However, her speech is more masculine. Once the voice actor is revealed, things might become a little clearer.
[Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun Season 2] Summary of Discussions about the Demon Lord
Iruma-kun may seem like a slapstick comedy, but there are actually quite a few plot twists laid out. However, these theories may not be entirely correct, and there may be other possibilities. It's fun to speculate!
