Television series
The Master of Diabolism
A Chinese anime about a powerful demonic cultivator who dies and resurrects in a weakling's body, then gets reluctantly partnered with his former nemesis to solve supernatural mysteries. It's witty, gorgeously animated, and genuinely funny—a perfect blend of action, romance, and found-family warmth that never takes itself too seriously even when things get dark.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy a long, bantering slow burn where a sharp-tongued hero's jokes hide real grief, and you don't mind a romance that unfolds in glances rather than declarations.
Skip it if you want a tight, fast plot with a clear through-line, since this wanders through episodic monster hunts and side mysteries at a leisurely pace across a very long run.
What it asks of you: Settle in for thirty-five episodes of roughly twenty-two minutes each, with a comedic tone that swings abruptly into eerie, dark stretches and needs patience with its slower middle.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Demon Slayer2019
Stunning animation and fight choreography wrapped around a revenge story with real emotional weight. The show balances brutal action with genuine tenderness, and the cast dynamics are as compelling as the combat.
But The pacing slows considerably between arcs, and early episodes lean heavy on training montages. If you want constant escalation, you'll find patience tests.
Jujutsu Kaisen2020
A supernatural adventure where two enemies become partners solving dark mysteries. Exceptional animation, hilarious character chemistry, and a protagonist who's genuinely likeable despite his power. The found-family dynamic hits perfectly.
But The second season splits into two separate arcs simultaneously, which fragments momentum. Some viewers found this structure exhausting rather than clever.
Heaven Official's Blessing2020
Another Chinese animation tackling cultivation mythology with incredible warmth. A powerful immortal and his rival navigate the heavenly bureaucracy while uncovering larger conspiracies. Gorgeous art and characters you'll desperately care about.
But The narrative structure is deliberately winding and digressive—it meanders by design. If you need a tightly plotted A-to-B story, this will frustrate you.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Master of Diabolism
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Arcane: League of Legends2021
Both pit enemies into forced proximity and complicate the narrative to ask whether 'villain' is a useful category. Both use their rivalry to explore power, loyalty, and what we're willing to become for those we care about.
Enemies on opposite sides of a class war become entangled in each other's lives and moral compromises. It's about power, obsession, and how perfectly reasonable people arrive at monstrous choices. Animation is extraordinary, and the relationship between leads is the emotional core.
But It's relentlessly bleak. There are no easy answers and no redemptions. If you watch The Master of Diabolism for its warmth and humor, Arcane's tone is a cold shock.
More like this (6)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood2009
Two brothers pursue forbidden knowledge and face devastating consequences. It has the same blend of humor and horror, with a protagonist whose charisma carries you through moral ambiguity. The payoff is genuinely earned.
But It's 64 episodes of commitment. The early episodes move slowly while establishing rules, and some fight scenes rely on animation shortcuts that haven't aged perfectly.
Fruits Basket2019
A cursed clan with supernatural secrets, enemies forced into proximity, and a protagonist discovering her nemesis isn't what he seemed. It's tender and genuinely funny, with mysteries that unfold beautifully across seasons.
But The romance develops glacially—patience is required. The show prioritizes emotional nuance over dramatic incident, which can feel meandering if you want faster plot movement.
Mahoutsukai no Yome2017
A girl with unusual powers enters a supernatural world where her mysterious mentor holds dangerous secrets. Lush animation, genuine mystery, and a slow-burn dynamic between two people learning to understand each other.
But The pacing is deliberate and sometimes ponderous. Several episodes pause the main plot for contemplative interludes that some viewers find essential and others find indulgent.
Scavengers Reign2023
An anthology animated series about survivors on a dangerous alien world. Each episode focuses on different characters and their relationships, blending dark humor with genuine peril and discovery.
But The experimental animation styles and structure demand active engagement—it's not background viewing. Some episodes are haunting in ways that feel less escapist than what you're after.
Chainsaw Man2022
Both feature protagonists who are fractionally villainous or broken, living in found-family situations that are their real home. Both treat mundane domestic chaos as emotionally important as supernatural conflict.
A chaotic manga adaptation about a broke teenager who gains demonic powers and forms an unlikely household with colleagues. Wildly inventive action, genuinely hilarious, with surprising emotional depth underneath the trash-fire premise.
But It's aggressively crude and occasionally graphic in ways The Master of Diabolism never approaches. The tone whiplashes from slapstick to horror, which some viewers experience as tonal fracture rather than style.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu2016
Both explore relationships where antagonism is inseparable from love—where rivals are bound together by something deeper than hate. Both ask: what do we owe those who've seen us at our worst?
An elderly rakugo storyteller reflects on a lifetime with his former nemesis and partner. It's about art, obsession, and the ways we hurt those we love most. Quiet, exquisitely written, utterly heartbreaking in the best way.
But Almost nothing happens in plot terms. It's an intimate character study of two men circling each other for decades. If you need external action or forward momentum, you'll be bored.
