In a long light novel series, it’s easy to forget exactly what happens in each volume. Sure, there is the back-of-book summary, but that synopsis often doesn’t quite capture the full spirit of the volume.
Well, if I ever want a quick refresher on The Devil is a Part-Timer! volume 17, here it is: lizard babysitting…with one good chapter fighting an astronaut.
Okay, sure, a lot of readers will technically point out that the other main point of volume 17 is Maou rejected from being a MgRonald’s manager and others wondering if that means he’ll turn his attention back to Ente Isla. So with the devil still being a part-timer, Emi, Chiho, and the others wonder if Japan will still be his home after they take down the angels.
Although it’s only been about a year since the events of The Devil is a Part-Timer! has kicked off, I feel like they underestimated him. Sure, maybe he wouldn’t want to stay in Japan 100% of the time, but millions of people consider living in two different places, whether it’s for work or whatever. It’s not like he was just going to “peace out” from Japan just because he may not be a manager in the very near future.
Meanwhile, someone is getting a promotion: Kisaki, who will be leaving this MgRonald’s for more analytical work. But as she tells Maou, she’s not too happy. Kisaki’s departure also means more to Maou than just having a new boss; it directly coordinates with his future, as we find out from Kisaki’s separate conversations with Maou and Emi/Chiho.
Of course, angel Sariel is incredibly depressed, but Maou doesn’t have much time to waste on him. Not just because he is also bummed, but because of the Godzilla wannabe in his apartment. Camio believes the stone the lizard has is the final piece they need to launch their attack on heaven, but Camio was defeated easily. But the reptilian Kinanna seems to be very old and doesn’t have a firm grip on his faculties, mistaking Camio for his father and Maou for the old king Satan. Not only that, the reptilian creature can grow dramatically by absorbing demon energy, and even in his small form, he destroys or eats almost everything. So it’s up to the holy magic users and basic ingenuity as Maou and he others decide whether removing the gem is akin to killing him — and whether that’s even the gem in the first place.
While all that may seem interesting, it really isn’t. The lizard mostly just sleeps and complains “Camio’s dad” and “Satan” don’t remember much.
Maou then invites an adorably flustered Emi to help bring Kinanna back to his homeland to see if something will jar his memory. While everything else is gluttonous, senile lizards and future goals, this adventure is where the action and intrigue happen. Kinanna brings them to a high-tech area, raising questions about why heaven’s technology is hidden there. But that’s only the beginning when a mysterious figure shows up!
This chapter is an oasis in the desert dullness of the rest of volume 17. Unfortunately, it only makes up about 20% off the book, so it’s going to be a hard sell to many readers considering most of it is just the characters thinking about the future. Maybe that’s why there’s a bonus five-page story that, according to the intro, was previously unpublished and not even in the Japanese release. It’s just an insignificant, short chapter, but I appreciate the sentiment of including something new. I don’t know if Yen On has any plans of doing this again, but it helps ease the sting of this volume’s boring stretches. (And also missing out on another in-between volume, which the author discusses in his notes.)
So while you may be tempted to skip The Devil is a Part-Timer! volume 17, you’ll likely want to see who out of Maou, Emi, the Yesod sisters, Camio, and Laila kicks butt! Too bad the rest of the volume couldn’t be of this caliber.