Just finished the manga and I wrote a review.

Interesting opinion that comes from a genre savvy standpoint... but might be a bit clouded by a disagreement with the fundamental message of the entire franchise.

I'm going to reply to this review and try to share another perspective, but can't do so without going into heavy spoilers about the series. So, readers be warned...

I'm glad you enjoyed the beginning of the series. It's widely referred to as the Introduction arc, and while it may be a little drawn out, the "demon of the week" aspect keeps things fun and fresh the whole way through.

You didn't like the 3 major arcs, huh? I do agree that the anime drags out some fights a little more than necessary, but the manga seems to pace them rather well. It doesn't matter if the ancient demon of the 2nd arc weren't memorable for you, they're meant to be faceless, inconsequential henchmen in an army that's posted around the castle like a chess board. There are many pawns in that army, and the point of reading it is to see how well a small group of determined friends can navigate through a fortified army.

Now, it's true that some random ancient demon left more of an impression than others... Where he's positioned in the story, it's strange that someone as iconic as Victoream is just another henchman in the big bad's army. But it was more than just grunts... Patie and Byonko were manipulated into becoming generals, and then there's the Four Heavenly Kings toward the end, all of which are pretty darn memorable. If this is the reason behind getting too bored to continue the series, then you weren't interested enough in the destination itself to keep pushing through the small-scale battles that were sprinkled with great moments to keep you hooked (such as Umagon).

I'm not gonna lie, the power creep of Gash Bell is brutal. But the motivations of the villains differ despite how similar their methods of operation are. One may have been genocidal toward humans, but that was due to a personal grudge and the upbringing of said villain, which is given to the reader in a powerful backstory... Then for the one who's genocidal toward demons, that's all due to a theoretical philosophy that dictates they'll kill indiscriminately. I personally liked how they went from field battles to mountain busting, but that's probably just a matter of personal preference.

So basically, Gash's book was shown throughout the entire series to be special. It flashes golden every so often whenever Gash comes close to unlocking his true power and discovering his noble heritage. The reason the spirits of the demon world were able to transfer their power over to Gash is because Gash was revealed to have a special book that could hold the power of other demons if they chose to lend it willingly (it's not the first time we've seen a spell book with unique properties, because the first movie featured a white book that could absorb and use enemy spells). By that logic, perhaps you don't like Boku no Hero Academia either? It, too, used an example of changing the future against all odds as a result of the overwhelming manifestation of willpower brought about my multiple determined people in the Overhaul arc. But yes, it is a case of Deus Ex Machina and we fans aren't afraid to admit that. And it IS Power of Friendship. If this bothers you, then I'm afraid that would go against the true message of the series. That friendship conquers all, and that everyone out there has at least SOME trace of good in them.

The racist depictions are something I can't really give an opinion about. I'm not sure if it just aged badly over time or if it truly is something going on with the creator's interpretation. The politics of the demon world certainly could have been explained better, but we didn't need much to get the plot going. The main piece of information is that everything Gash thought was wrong with the demon world... was brought about by his own father. Zeon mentioned that he agreed with their father's way of thinking, so Gash's mindset of wanting to make the demon world into a better place for ALL demons... put him in the minority along with his group of friends. In his very admirable mind, everyone deserves kindness... even those who have wronged him and his friends. They say "I won't forgive you!" a lot, but the only demon who truly went unforgiven was Zofis. And that is saying a LOT.

You don't seem to enjoy redemption, or perhaps you preferred having a few more villains who just stayed bad to the bitter end. Redemption is a big part of the series, and while one particular case at the end might have been a little out of left field... most redemptions were pretty well-deserved. Usually, they come about as a result of the demon realizing that there's not much time left and that they're never going to see their human partner again. The partner they've developed a deep bond with over the past few years, as well as realizing their own fragile mortality when they learn that going back to the demon world essentially means their possible death sentence. When villains get redeemed... it is not necessarily a BAD thing. It often makes for a more compelling story, which is exactly what Raiku was going for.

The idea that you would rather kill the vulnerable human beings to stop the evil demons in their tracks is honestly a bit concerning... but it's not lost on the series if you look hard enough. Gash and his group tried to destroy Faudo's heart... to KILL Faudo before he could awaken. But they couldn't do that, because of the spell-resistant barrier around it. Cherish tried to shoot Dufaux (albeit with a weaker blast), but based on how Dufort was staring into the crosshairs... it's obvious that any attempt to hit Dufaux would've been met with either evasion or Zeon coming to his rescue. In the climax, Brago wanted to go after Vino... and infant child... when Clear was becoming unstoppable. But even though Kiyomaro told him not to, it's not like he would've been able to make a dent... Vino was still being protected by the barrier. And don't forget the fact that Umagon tried to boil Rodeaux's partner and Jedun's partner alive with his flames at one point. What more attempts on human life do you want from Raiku than that?

If you really though that the Faudo arc fights post-Zeon defeating Riou were boring, then I'm sorry, but that's one very unpopular opinion you have there. The final arc after Faudo however might be a slightly different story... Arth for example was kind of shafted for the sake of showing the power of the new final teams. It's true that Gash got a lot of attention, but the dynamic between Gash and Kiyomaro is more or less the heart and soul of the series... You have to enjoy them as main characters at least somewhat in order to have a good time with the rest of the story. I would've loved to see something like Bari vs Brago, but I'm not gonna knock the series just because A never fought B. But Bari's arc had basically ended... he went out like a true champion, and regarded as someone BEYOND even the king in a sense. Someone who can strike even the king and keep him in line when he makes mistakes. If that wasn't enough for you, then I don't know what to tell you. I personally thought it did him plenty of justice, going from the battle-obsessed hoodlum he started out as.

TL;DR? You don't like the power of friendship theme, but that IS Konjiki no Gash Bell. You feel like Gash and Kiyomaro had Goku syndrome in that his other teammates were delegated to the sidelines, but that's to be expected when you see how this manga started out... basically following the lives of Gash and Kiyomaro to a tee, even after they met future comrades like Tio and Kyanchome. Lastly, you're asking for the heroes to act less like heroes and take more drastic action in the event of crises... But they already tried that. Do you expect the human partners to carry a gun around at all times and then try to shoot Mir for example when Gorm is distracted? Sorry, but that's a little too mature in theme for the cutesy yet badass nature of Konjiki no Gash Bell. This series does its job well, even though it's not perfect. But what you're looking for is something grittier and more morose than what Gash Bell ever even wanted to provide. Next time, I suggest looking at the big picture of the manga you're getting yourself into, and realizing that not everything out there subscribes to the "darker and edgier" trope over time.

/r/zatchbell Thread