Makima brings Denji to join Public Safety as a Devil hunter. Having fallen completely head-over-heels for her, Denji wishes to team-up with her. Instead, he gets introduced to Aki, a senior Devil hunter who wants nothing more than for Denji quit. Determined to keep his current life, Denji tries to find a motivation to prove that he does have a good reason for becoming a Devil hunter.
The ending theme for this episode is “Time Left” by Zutomayo.
Tropes that appear in this episode:
- Adapted Out: The episode trims down and rearranges much of the second manga chapter, leaving out Denji's fight with the Muscle Devil on Makima's order. He loses and then regains trust in Makima even faster, both during the car ride to the noodle stand.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Makima's small act of kindness, giving Denji her jacket, makes him fall head over heels in love with her.
- Big "WHAT?!": Aki gives a very loud "HUH?!" when Denji mutters that he's hugged Makimanote .
- Boring, but Practical: Denji kills the Fiend just by decapitating him with an axe instead of transforming.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Aki mentions his to Denji, telling him that his entire family was killed by a Devil in front of him.
- Groin Attack: After being beaten by Aki, Denji fights back, resorting to repeatedly kicking Aki's groin.
- Ignored Epiphany: Denji has some serious second thoughts about Makima when she calls him her pet and implies she'll kill him if he's no longer useful to her. Then she shares her coat and buys him food, and suddenly Denji is back to being lovestruck.
- Innocently Insensitive: When Denji asks Aki what a Fiend is, Aki responds by rudely asking him if he never went to school to not know that. Then Denji tells him that he didn't, and it's noticeable that Aki feels bad for being tactless.
- Love at First Sight: Denji is in love with Makima, a woman he just met.
- Mythology Gag: Makima's office has a framed scan of one of◊ Gustave Doré's engravings illustrating The Divine Comedy. She is shown to own another Doré print, an illustration for Paradise Lost, later in the manga.
- Please Put Some Clothes On: A female-to-male example; Makima puts Denji in her overcoat because his clothes were reduced to partially-shredded pants. She gives him a full uniform once they reach Public Safety Headquarters.
- Porn Stash: The man the Fiend took over had one, and Denji quickly grabs the porn magazines when no one is looking.
- Shout-Out: The animation on Denji concluding that his Goal in Life will be to touch boobs is rather similar to Shinji Ikari's determined look up at the sky in the opening to Neon Genesis Evangelion.
- Waking Non Sequitur: Denji passes out while about to be served udon. When he wakes up he yells "Udon?", only to see Makima brought him to the table already.
- Wacky Sound Effect: A boxing bell ring accompanies all of Denji's kicks to Aki's groin.
