Copyright © 1989 Go Nagai / Dynamic Planning, Inc. - Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.

When STAR DEMON got tossed over to me, it was the first title in a while that I had encountered without knowing a thing about it. And after watching this piece from 1989, I now know why. STAR DEMON brings me back to the older days of the North American anime scene. Days when the price of the series was more important than the content, and I honestly do not know why ADV is bringing it out now, of all times.
The basic story of STAR DEMON revolves around Jiro and the Oni. Oni are Japanese demons of legend, and their battles here are mostly between themselves rather than the helpless human population. The story begins with two Oni fighting, with one protecting a small human child. After the battle, the Oni gives the child to a couple with the instructions to raise him for 15 years. The couple name him Jiro, and 15 years later the main plot takes place. Another Oni apparently wishes to test Jiro, and as such manipulates some humans into attacking him and kidnapping his friend.
The plot flow is rather convoluted. Oni fight in old Japan, then teleport to fight in the middle of outer space to destroy advanced starships (note these are the only spaceships you will see in STAR DEMON), then they finally arrive in modern Japan near a shrine. We get a bit of a cliché high school romance, bullying, demonic possession and hidden powers. Random people die, a few transformations occur, the female characters lose their clothes (although this is far from hard core) and Jiro fights back with his latent powers near the end.
STAR DEMON definitely shows Go Nagai's influence in its character designs. The production values however are pretty forgettable, with the animation quality being sub-par.
The English dub itself is one of the worst I have heard recently, with the characters pausing awkwardly to attempt to match the mouth movements, and the voices lacking any great emotion.
In general, I do not know exactly what audience STAR DEMON was aiming for. Its minor nudity and violence is definitely not for kids, but it is also far too tame to be considered an adult (hentai) title either. As an action piece, Jiro really does not do much throughout the show. The romance is very rushed, as Jiro fights to save a girl that has a crush on him, but whom he has never said more than a few words to.
The series leads to a greater vision, with questions of who Jiro really is, where do the Oni come from and why is the world threatened. But upon finishing STAR DEMON, I get no real impression these questions will ever be answered and, due to the lack of character development and plot, I do not really care either.
I cannot really recommend STAR DEMON at all, even though I recognize that I noticeably prefer other anime genres personally. STAR DEMON itself seems to want to follow in the steps of a title like UROTSUKIDOJI, but is too aimless to really compare.

Released in North America by ADV Films
VHS: 60 minutes
Dubbed: VHSSD/001D
$19.98
Available now in the U.S.
Where to buy