Nora: The Last Chronicle of Devildom is a shounen manga that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from March 2004 to December 2006. Published in North America under Viz Media's Shonen Jump Advanced label, the entire nine-volume series has been released in English. The anime and sequel manga Nora the Second have yet to be licensed.
Nora is a Cerberus, a rare and powerful breed of hellhound, in the service of the Dark Liege Army. On the battlefield he's a force to be reckoned with. Off it, however, his attitude is... less than stellar. Tired of his rudeness and impulsiveness, the Dark Liege herself seals him in semi-human form and sends him to the human world, both to counter La Résistance and to get some obedience training.
The designated Kid with the Leash of this tale is Magari Kazuma, a phlegmatic boy who claims to live his life by 'a strict Cost-Benefit analysis'. Initially he only agrees to fight and ratifies his 'familiar spirit' contract with Nora out of boredom, but when he discovers that one of the main bones of contention between the Dark Liege Army and the rebels is the "right" of demons to hunt and devour humans for fun, it's on.
Not to be confused with the 1970s & 1980s manga & OAV of the same name.
This manga contains examples of:
- Anime Hair: Nora's head looks like it was patterned after a dog's body, with 'inumimi'-shaped forelocks and a long, wild
ponydoggytail in the back. This is excusable in that he's a demon, but how Kazuma can be a model Student Council President and have dyed-blond streaks in his bangs is up for debate.
- Badass Boast: Kazuma gets one of these in the very first chapter; it becomes something of his mission statement:
- Kazuma: You said you've only seen humans on TV. So allow me to explain. Humans are at the top of the food chain because we can think and use tools. We're not powerless. Remember that, you good-for-nothing lower class animal.
- Badass Family: Kazuma's, as Nora discovers when he tries to break into their house.
- Badass Normal: Kazuma, so far.
- Aaaand now it's shot to hell.
- Because Destiny Says So: The Cerberus gets screwed over by this.
- Berserk Button: Calling Nora a whipped dog or threatening those Kazuma
cares aboutis responsible for are both excellent ways to land yourself in intensive care.
- Book Dumb: By demonic military standards, Nora's a prodigy. By human high school standards... yeah.
- The Chosen One: Kazuma. Not sure if this needs a spoiler tag since I'm sure you all knew it already
- Cliffhanger: The finale sees Kazuma finally freeing Nora of his contract and Nora fighting Knell who creates some kind of black hole that threatens to destroy the worlds. Nora leaps in to stop it and...that where the series ends. In Japan, the manga continue in a series called Nora the Second in which Nora is sent to an alternate world. However those reading the English translation won't know that as that series was never imported to the U.S, which just leaves the series awkwardly hanging.
- Dark Is Not Evil: One of the duties of the Dark Liege Army is to protect humanity, even if the individual soldiers don't think much of the hairless apes.
- Deadpan Snarker: Kazuma - the snark is strong in this one.
- Death Is Dramatic: Barik's death in Volume 6. Also counts as a Heroic Sacrifice.
- Duality Motif: When Nora is in human guise, his right eye is red and his left is yellow.
- The End of the World as We Know It: It's prophesied that a Cerberus will bring it about.
- Fantastic Racism: Interestingly, played both ways. Demons, with the exception of the Dark Liege, find humans to be either stupid, boring, ridiculous, or just tasty. Kazuma finds most demons to be stupid, boring and ridiculous all at the same time, and in some cases pleasantly flammable to boot.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Say what you will of Kazuma, he deeply cares about people
- The Legions of Hell: Are actually not such bad guys; it's La Résistance you've got to watch out for.
- Lonely Rich Kid: Kazuma is a particularly cranky example
- No Endor Holocaust: This universe's aversion of it is highlighted by the fact that Kazuma refuses to let Nora use magic when there are large buildings or groups of people around.
- Non-Human Undead: Asto. Knell likes making familiars from dead demons.
- Not Himself: Kazuma has memorized the faces and body language of every student at his school; try to impersonate one and he'll throw you out a Goddamn window.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Everyone in the Dark Liege Army seems to have a thing for donuts......
- La Résistance: Are actually the bad guys this time.
- Redemption Equals Death: Fall, after finally getting it through his dumb skull of his that Degiree never betrayed him. He hand over the last of his power to Nora to save the demon and human worlds.
- Sadly Mythtaken: Nora has only one head.
- Well he does have two snakes for tails.....perhaps those count?
- Screw Destiny: After finding out about the past and the purpose of the Cerberus, Nora and Kazuma agree rather to find another way to save the worlds without sacrifice.
- Screw You, Elves!: Kazuma consistently shoots down any insinuations by demons that humans are naturally inferior (see Badass Boast, above).
- Some of My Best Friends Are X: A demon-for-hire says, "Some of my best friends are familiars..."
- Subordinate Excuse: Keini is absolutely head-over-heels for her boss.
- Together in Death: Fall and Deigree.
- Tsundere: Barik disdainfully ridicules Nora at great length for not knowing how to fight in his sealed form, only to become flustered when Kazuma points out that it's totally obvious he's worried about the guy.
- You Have Failed Me: Fall to one of his subordinates after she saves him from an attack, only to have forgotten he could've protected himself. This in more in lieu with his philosophy that "friends are worthless" which she agreed with. So of course by trying to save him, it made her look like a hypocrite.
- Was Once a Man: Every Dark Liege started out as human.
