Ars Goetia ~Munou to Yobareta Shounen wa, 72 no Akuma wo Shieki Shite Musou Suru~

[FgoSegul]

The manga’s ending is not that bad though.
Actually, I think the parts drastically changed by the manga is much better than the WN.

For example

Spoiler: based on checking random chapters

We’re spared from a lot of Crocell and Focalor’s harem member catfight for Norman’s attention.

Focalor didn’t even give him any trial like the storm to test his character. She just fall for his negotiation that because she wants to be like angel who guide people to good, he will do it together with her.

The WN didn’t put Norman as hardworking like how the manga started. It’s just the usual trope of a plain guy being condemned for being talentless. Even the teacher is telling him to give up. Manga’s version teacher and Regal is much more sympathetic, not cardboard villain.

The demons like Norman because he is talented in commanding demons, not because his pure soul. So Norman’s alignment is opposite, he’s good in the manga, and seems to be evil in the WN.

The demon summoning pace is much slower. While in the manga we did have some one-off demons like the crow when he need to rebuild his house... the WN version summoned more demons with battle ability, so the battle scenes often turns into Norman repeatedly invoking the demons like card game monsters.
Meanwhile, in the manga, he can use the elemental power from the sigil without having to invoke the demon’s name each time.
Jellyfish is in the manga only.

Vassago’s arc is manga only.

WN’s Regal is really just a cheap antagonist.
In the WN, he got an older brother he respected, but after finding out his brother is bullied in the school and try to hide it from the family, he is traumatised and decide he will not be weak. When seeing Norman unable to use magic, it reminds him of his brother, and he decide to bully Norman.
After he lost to Norman (not draw), he felt his position is threatened as people begin to think he’s weak. So he tried to bully Dimitri, but again got beaten by Dimitri in duel.

There are multiple Ars Goetia created when a candidate for king appears.

Also the ending in the manga at least give a closure.

Spoiler

In the WN version, the fight against Billeth is done without summoning Asmoday.
Norman still managed to hide the fact he is summoning demons.
His father came to beg him to return. Norman accept, with the condition that his father would help to cover up the fact he is commanding demons. Norman still plan to rule over all the 72 demons.

In the manga version.
Esland family is stripped from their nobility and wealth after many witnessed the family’s two sons are using demon. Dimitri is left unconscious after the possession, while Norman is let off the hook with only getting expelled.
Regal offered to marry Nene, and in exchange his family will take over all Esland’s assets under them. This means he can at least let Norman’s father and sister living as before.
Foscal explained, the demons want to took down god, and give a world of no suffering to human. Norman can be their commander against god. But Norman rejected it, preferring a world where human can experience and overcome difficulties. Thus, the demons leave him, he can’t fulfil their wish. Orobas is the one who felt most betrayed, because he likes human, but his summoner betrayed him.
Because the demons had left him, Norman begin to hear voice of the spirits. And because he’s blacklisted, he is planning to study abroad.

I like everything except the bit with norman’s father. He does not deserve mercy when dude cheated on his wife, treated his son like trash, left his other son with a terrible woman and only came to him for his magic, and let his daughter be abused.

 

[shadowdust]

The manga’s ending is not that bad though.
Actually, I think the parts drastically changed by the manga is much better than the WN.

For example

Spoiler: based on checking random chapters

We’re spared from a lot of Crocell and Focalor’s harem member catfight for Norman’s attention.

Focalor didn’t even give him any trial like the storm to test his character. She just fall for his negotiation that because she wants to be like angel who guide people to good, he will do it together with her.

The WN didn’t put Norman as hardworking like how the manga started. It’s just the usual trope of a plain guy being condemned for being talentless. Even the teacher is telling him to give up. Manga’s version teacher and Regal is much more sympathetic, not cardboard villain.

The demons like Norman because he is talented in commanding demons, not because his pure soul. So Norman’s alignment is opposite, he’s good in the manga, and seems to be evil in the WN.

The demon summoning pace is much slower. While in the manga we did have some one-off demons like the crow when he need to rebuild his house... the WN version summoned more demons with battle ability, so the battle scenes often turns into Norman repeatedly invoking the demons like card game monsters.
Meanwhile, in the manga, he can use the elemental power from the sigil without having to invoke the demon’s name each time.
Jellyfish is in the manga only.

Vassago’s arc is manga only.

WN’s Regal is really just a cheap antagonist.
In the WN, he got an older brother he respected, but after finding out his brother is bullied in the school and try to hide it from the family, he is traumatised and decide he will not be weak. When seeing Norman unable to use magic, it reminds him of his brother, and he decide to bully Norman.
After he lost to Norman (not draw), he felt his position is threatened as people begin to think he’s weak. So he tried to bully Dimitri, but again got beaten by Dimitri in duel.

There are multiple Ars Goetia created when a candidate for king appears.

Also the ending in the manga at least give a closure.

Spoiler

In the WN version, the fight against Billeth is done without summoning Asmoday.
Norman still managed to hide the fact he is summoning demons.
His father came to beg him to return. Norman accept, with the condition that his father would help to cover up the fact he is commanding demons. Norman still plan to rule over all the 72 demons.

In the manga version.
Esland family is stripped from their nobility and wealth after many witnessed the family’s two sons are using demon. Dimitri is left unconscious after the possession, while Norman is let off the hook with only getting expelled.
Regal offered to marry Nene, and in exchange his family will take over all Esland’s assets under them. This means he can at least let Norman’s father and sister living as before.
Foscal explained, the demons want to took down god, and give a world of no suffering to human. Norman can be their commander against god. But Norman rejected it, preferring a world where human can experience and overcome difficulties. Thus, the demons leave him, he can’t fulfil their wish. Orobas is the one who felt most betrayed, because he likes human, but his summoner betrayed him.
Because the demons had left him, Norman begin to hear voice of the spirits. And because he’s blacklisted, he is planning to study abroad.

Will second a statement about the only flaw is the father still getting off the hook entirely. Honestly I was expecting the father to be redeemed by a reveal that Dimitri had been puppetting him not that nope this guy has always been horrible.

I think the reveal of Norman rejecting the offer to the Demon King makes sense and that the gods were revealed to be bastards themselves that a setting followup of fighting them could make sense if author ever returns to this setting later/

 

[rluka]

Will second a statement about the only flaw is the father still getting off the hook entirely. Honestly I was expecting the father to be redeemed by a reveal that Dimitri had been puppetting him not that nope this guy has always been horrible.

His father is not off the hook in the WN. Norman only let him live because he’s still useful for Norman’s ambition and he straightly says if his father ever betrays him (by leaking about Norman delving into forbidden art), he’s dead. But yeah, those wanting torture won’t be satisfied.

For me, it could just be from seeing that sadistic side of people in real life and comment sections of many series. The kind of thinking like “you can satisfy your desire to torture and hurt people on the bad people under name of justice, it doesn’t make you a jerk, actually you’re hero so be proud of it” and all the “torture them until they regret being alive, and keep on torturing them because it is never enough for what they have done (lol)” came out as bad taste.

So I like the manga ending actually. It gives the story that Norman had grew out of it. He is no longer obsessed in his family, and just want to learn more about magic to be stronger. It no longer bind him.

Also, the WN is too much of that juvenile writing where everyone besides the MC are either to fawn over the MC, or sandbag to show his superiority.
The manga’s direction gave better characterisation to the other characters.

 

[Unknown39a]

His father is not off the hook in the WN. Norman only let him live because he’s still useful for Norman’s ambition and he straightly says if his father ever betrays him (by leaking about Norman delving into forbidden art), he’s dead. But yeah, those wanting torture won’t be satisfied.

For me, it could just be from seeing that sadistic side of people in real life and comment sections of many series. The kind of thinking like “you can satisfy your desire to torture and hurt people on the bad people under name of justice, it doesn’t make you a jerk, actually you’re hero so be proud of it” and all the “torture them until they regret being alive, and keep on torturing them because it is never enough for what they have done (lol)” came out as bad taste.

So I like the manga ending actually. It gives the story that Norman had grew out of it. He is no longer obsessed in his family, and just want to learn more about magic to be stronger. It no longer bind him.

Also, the WN is too much of that juvenile writing where everyone besides the MC are either to fawn over the MC, or sandbag to show his superiority.
The manga’s direction gave better characterisation to the other characters.

Thanks for the spoilers. Contrary to popular opinion on this site, I too like the manga ending and overall buildup a lot more than the wn you describe, yeah it is kind of a shame we won't see him grow even stronger but this felt more like a story of the world than a story just about the MC. 8/10 for me.

 

[Haru-kunnn]

ABSOLUTE TRASH ENDING. FEELS FUSHED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PEAK.