Maou and Acieth charge ahead towards Emi, Ashiya, and Alas Ramus to rescue them from the angels’ plot the latter group has wound up in. But what are the angels after? Well, they’re about to find out — and the answers are something neither the Devil King or the Hero expected! And even then, there are still a few more surprises in store for them!
There are a lot of reasons to like The Devil is a Part-Timer!, and volume 19 caters to pretty much all fans. Like action? Check. Humor? Check. Family and friend relationships? Check check.
Yes, whether it’s Maou taking out his life frustrations on his opponents, the physically older Acieth clinging to her “big sis” baby form Alas Ramus, or the bonds between Maou, Emi, Chiho, and the rest of the gang, you’re going to have a favorite moment here. And all of these fit naturally into the flow as the battle of Ente Isla ends and the story returns to Earth. The series is entering a new phase, but volume 19 showcases so much of the strengths that have led the characters (and readers) to come this far.
In regards to the ending of this storyline, Hiiragi mentions in the end-of-volume notes the author “agreed to let me stage the final scene my own way” and that light novel readers “might have been a little surprised”. I’ve read the original, but it’s been so long with so many volumes in between I can’t specifically state what’s different. I believe some significant revelations that were reserved for later are included here, and if that’s the case, yeah, no wonder fans were shocked.
The flashback regarding the angels does end up slightly overshadowing other developments in the story. It’s not a matter of it (and other truths) being necessarily better than the rest of the book, but from a narrative perspective, the angels’ history is just more significant and certainly more shocking than Maou saving the day and Emi losing a lot of her hatred for demons. Sure, some astute readers have probably picked up on some of the revelations, but seeing the story play out is another (albeit in a condensed way). The Devil is a Part-Timer! gets muddier the longer you go on with all the Sephirah stuff and an ever-expanding cast, so the visuals help as we start reach this turning point, even if the manga included an extra turning point or two from later in the source material. Plus, it’s a testament to Hiiragi’s skills that it isn’t blatantly obvious that something(s) is out-of-place here.
So outside the fact some readers will wish for a near-perfect 1:1 adaptation that keeps some secrets for a very long time, The Devil is a Part-Timer! volume 19 should be a no-brainer to add to your collection. Hiiragi does mention the next entry will be covering a side story, and I have reservations about whether we’ll reach this level of quality again soon. That’s due to the source material though, and based upon volume 19, there’s reason to believe the manga can perhaps outshine the original.