Ask John: Why Are Devils More Common Than Angels in Anime?

Question:
Why are demons and devils featured in anime and manga more than angels? The only anime I’ve seen and manga I’ve read that feature something about angels are Wedding Peach and Wish. What’s the big deal with the demons?

Answer:
It’s frequently said of movies that the film is only as interesting as its villains. Devils and demons are simply more interesting than angels because devils, demons and villains of all sorts represent the unnatural and out of the ordinary. Devils are the “other.” They are the conflict that makes stories interesting and appealing. It’s certainly possible to tell a story that has no conflict, but such stories generally are rarely as intriguing or as compelling as stories that involve moral quandaries or personal conflicts or dangerous threats.

There are, though, numerous anime that feature angels or angelic beings. A few of them include Happy World, Ah! My Goddess, Tenshi no Shippo, Viper GTS, and Risky Safety. All of these shows loosely fall into the romantic comedy genre because, with the exception of a series like Angel Sanctuary, in which the fallen angels are more demonic than the literal devils are, there’s simply not a lot of literary or creative flexibility with an angelic character. Angelic characters have to be pure hearted and innocent and kind and gentle, or they cease being angelic. Demonic characters have the freedom to be characterized in any way the author chooses, making them not only more interesting for the viewer, but also more interesting for the creator to work with.