Yu-Sibu
A Better Deal
Though conceptually similar to Hataraku Maou-sama!, this series was announced before but aired after, and the thing is... I think I may like it more than Hataraku. My reasons are a few.
The first is because it takes place inside the magical world, and one going through a cultural and industrial revolution at that. While a fish out of water story has its appeal, focusing on a world that's like, but not like our own has its merits, one that I felt was one of this series' strengths. While this means the world ended up looking a lot like modern Tokyo, that's a product of where the LN was created. The idea of a magical world that's not in crisis but still has a booming economy is interesting, pulling it closer to Maoyu (which I have not seen, but want to), while Hataraku holds onto its state of war.
Another is the focus on female characters, and all the fanservice that came with them. Some would call this a negative, but for me, these are things I'm almost always looking for in my anime. Everybody had the proportions of Chiho, and the animation to emphasize those proportions, and it was amazing. I love the characters for more than their boobs, though. Fino was a great character, partially because she has Aoi from Aikatsu!'s voice, and because of her situation.
I can compare Fino to someone from The Addams Family. Her upbringing wasn't what one would call normal, and she certainly has a very different set of cultural values, but she still loves family, making friends and feeling good about her work... even if that work involves making deathtraps. As Fino was the crux of this show, I believe she had a strong enough character to pull it off. The rest of the surrounding cast was also great, with Lore being a good example of the cool type, coupled with that down and dirty worksmanship that I can appreciate in a girl.
Another difference between Hataraku and this is how it focused on the job. While Maou and Chiho and the gang certainly held down jobs, all of the things that pushed the plot forward came from the magic world outside their jobs. In Yu-Sibu, almost all of the things that set the story in motion came from the inner workings of the job itself. The same kinda thing that makes Karino Takatsu's works so appealing (including the focus on the boobs.)
The final arc was the only time the show really got into the magical war stuff, but here it was presented more as an anomaly instead of the status quo - a post-(magic) war world. I can really appreciate that. The way the show tackled things like big box stores was interesting, too. The voice cast of newbies did a good job, and, as is often the case, made it somewhat easier for me to focus on the characters.
The OP was really catchy, and I love the dance associated with it. The ED by Sphere is also pretty nice. Sphere themselves making a few appearances in the show was probably something brought about by Lantis, but it wasn't quite as invasive as Afilia Saga over in NouCome, and if it means Tomatsu and the gang get to appear in an anime as themselves, hey, no argument here.
Final Thoughts: The fantasy work comedy that I actually ended up enjoying better than Hataraku Maou-sama. Boobs, fanservice, idol plugs and all, it had a unique world setup and a nice bit of workplace comedy. This show can make figuring out magical electrical wiring into a good drama piece, and the cast is all pretty lovable, even with oddities like the pervy old man. Not my favorite of the season, but it's very close to the top.
