Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun Season 4

Episode 16

I've often wondered how Opera ended up as Sullivan's right-hand demon – they didn't seem like someone who would willingly serve another, even someone as impressive (and weird) as Sullivan. But the answer we get this week makes perfect sense: Opera serves Sullivan out of hope. As they explain, kindness is in short supply in the netherworld, or at least kindness as humans understand it. Sullivan represents, to Opera, the best demons can be – he's scary when he wants to be, evil when he wants to be, but ultimately a good person. Most demons would not have taken Iruma in; judging by the national anthem, they'd have bought him and eaten him. But Sullivan adopted him (out of a biological imperative to be a grandpa), and he lavishes love and care on the formerly neglected boy. It's not hard to imagine that he similarly gave Opera a place where they felt they belonged.

While most of Opera's past is still shrouded in mystery, which is presumably how they like it, the fact that they admire Sullivan and want to become Iruma's devoted devil in the future tells us a lot. Opera and Sullivan both see something in Iruma that the netherworld is lacking – that kindness that drew Opera to their job with Sullivan in the first place. We've seen Iruma's effect on his classmates – particularly Purson, Asmodeus, Clara, and Lead – and also on Ameri, and how he brings out the best in all of them by giving them kindness and permission to be themselves. With his invitation to the 13 Crowns' dinner party, which, as the preview tells us, means that he's been nominated as a candidate for demon king, it couldn't be clearer that Sullivan wants to see Iruma do the same for all demons. Whether or not that was his intention when he adopted Iruma isn't clear, although I'd bet it was and that that's part of why he offered to buy the boy from his parents; he's very keen on it now. It's easy to write off Sullivan's motivation as being doting granddad-based, but I suspect that it's something more.

And in the meantime, if Iruma can manage to fulfill all of Opera's household duties, he'll be well on his way to being able to manage a kingdom. Not just anyone can be Opera.

It's also interesting that Opera isn't pleased with the way they charge because of his recent bad behavior. Staying out all night and overdoing it with the concentrated party juice may be okay for other kids, but Opera's son is not going to be one of them. I'm not sure if this speaks to how different the Sullivan household is from other demonic homes, but given how hysterical Lead was about everyone's misbehavior at the party, I suspect that there are rules and there are rules. Everyone's actions at the party definitely broke the latter (along with some other things). And while that's not usually my preferred brand of humor (I rarely find drunks funny), this worked because it just brought out everyone's traits more clearly. Purson rambling is always a good gag, and he and Allocer having a heart-to-heart about how weird girls are was remarkably on-brand for the former and a confirmation of suspicions about the latter, given Allocer's low-key ladies' man vibe. Jazz's insistence on being Big Brother (not in the Orwellian sense; that's Opera's area) and Azz's consternation at Iruma's small size are also mildly unexpected and very amusing, while Clara's lucky Ameri wasn't there to see her pawing at Iruma's belly. And was her head up his shirt in the party's aftermath? Better watch your back, girl!

This feels like it may have been the last of the goofy episodes for a little while. With the 13 Crowns' dinner coming up, the curtain is set to rise on more serious plot points – and that may be something that Kiriwo isn't going to sit back and let happen.

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Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.