Sudden Genre Shift?! Daemons of the Shadow Realm Premiere Leaves Viewers Shocked: "Thought it was Historical Fantasy," "What a Bait-and-Switch!"

The anime "Daemons of the Shadow Realm," based on the latest work by megahit manga artist Hiromu Arakawa (renowned for "Fullmetal Alchemist"), began broadcasting on April 4th. While viewers initially expected a historical Japanese fantasy, they were met with helicopters and gunfights, sparking a flurry of shocked comments online: "Wait, it’s the modern day?!" and "The misdirection is insane!!"

Episode 1, "Asa and Yuru," depicted the life of a young boy named Yuru (CV: Kensho Ono) living in a small village deep in the mountains. Yuru is a hunter with exceptional archery skills, living a modest life with his twin sister, Asa, and the other villagers. Watching Yuru travel mountain paths on horseback and seeing the villagers barter, many viewers undoubtedly interpreted the setting as ancient Japan.

However, about nine minutes into the broadcast, a shocking development occurred: a helicopter raid suddenly struck the village. Furthermore, the attacker, a girl named Gabu-chan (CV: Misaki Kuno), was seen using a smartphone, while the merchant Dera (CV: Yuichi Nakamura) fought back with a gun. It is only natural that Yuru, knowing nothing of the outside world, would be bewildered, exclaiming, "What is even happening...?"

Upon the revelation that the story actually takes place in modern-day Japan rather than a traditional fantasy world, the internet exploded with surprise: "When the helis and guns showed up, I screamed, 'Wait, it’s modern?!'" "Planes and helicopters suddenly appearing in a historical fantasy setting totally floored me," and "Based on the FMA vibes, I thought we were getting historical fantasy, but it’s actually a modern supernatural battle—what a massive bait-and-switch!!" Amidst the shock, the series has earned high praise, with fans noting, "What an incredible hook for a first episode" and "I can't wait to see what happens next!"