Ever had one of those days when a potential Freddy Mercury double washes up near you by the river? And then he splits in two revealing a naked green-haired baby? Then the baby attaches to you and you can't get him off so you have to keep him only to later discover that the babies the Demon King's son and will electrocute you and potentially kill you if you remove him by force? Then a strange gothic lolita woman, claiming to be the babies caretaker tells you that you are now the babies’ caretaker and that she'll be living with you from now on, fooling your parents into thinking that you’ve knocked her up and are trying to disown your "legitimate" child? No? Never had one of those days?

Oga had that day.

Oga Tatsumi, an infamous delinquent, is a first year attending the notorious Ishiyama High, the "school for delinquents." Ultimately the story consists of Oga trampling and beating powerful delinquent opponents the majority of which are from his school, however this is not where the true story lies. The true story begins as Oga, lazing near a river, notices a large man floating down it, he pulls him to shore only to witness him split open revealing a naked baby boy. As it would happen, this is the son of the Demon King and the future destroyer of mankind and Oga has been chosen by the baby (named Kaiser de Emperana Beelzebub IV or simply Baby-BL) as the one that would raise him. Oga is later joined by the demon maid Hilda who was sent to help care for the Demon King’s son, his rational best and only friend Furuichi and occasionally the strange man from the river, Alaindelon. The story follows Oga as he faces trials; some of his own making and others the product of fathering the future Demon King.

But why Oga, you ask? Oga grew infamous amongst his peers due to his formidable strength and sour attitude which emerged without warning from the woodwork. His journey to the top began recently as a freshman at one of the most dangerous schools around where everyone’s a delinquent and everyone’s looking for a fight (save for Oga's friend Furuichi Takayuki who has proven himself both a weakling and the only rational voice in the manga). It is this strength that was the founding basis of Baby-BL's attachment to Oga, the specific characteristics of the future Demon King's guardian later described as being strong, arrogant and thinking nothing of his fellow man, characteristics Oga possesses for the most part inspired by his violent nature.

The calibre of the battles in the manga can hardly be called battles, a more apt name being simply a fight, although this is what makes Beelzebub so interesting. Beelzebub can deliver an intense fight without powering up, magic or absurd weapons; just two men and their fists (though Baby-BL does lend Oga his power on some occasions, though few) giving the manga a refreshingly authentic taste in comparison to some of the more mainstream fighting anime; however it wouldn’t surprise me if the manga took this path further into the story. I can easily see Baby-BL’s power becoming a larger factor in fights later in the manga, especially as Baby-BL’s and Oga’s relationship develops.

Violence aside, one of the most attractive aspects of the story is the relationship between Oga and Baby-BL. Originally their relationship is that of the resolutely dependent baby and the reluctant father as is proven by the many attempts to pawn the young Demon King off onto other strong characters Baby-BL takes a liking to in a way won’t end in Oga receiving a potentially fatal electric attack from the 15 metre separation rule Baby-BL has developed. However, despite this there are many occasions where Oga attempts to teach the child his own moral values such as “men never leaving their friends behind” and helping Baby-BL to overcome his fear of half-dead cicadas; though his methods are crude, his heart is more often than not in the right place, making Oga seem to have a little more depth. Their relationship is strongly demonstrated in the Toujou arch where their separation makes them realise just how much they’re bonds have grown.

The supporting characters have all proven interesting as well, including necessary stereotypes present in most manga from this genre though each put in situations that make them stand out. To begin with there is Furuichi Takayuki, his best, and probably only, friend in the beginning who provides the necessary reality check in this otherwise wacky world; Furuichi has proven to be quite the ladies man, taking every chance to flirt with the Red Tails, though he’s never succeeded. The Red Tails are the collection of women at Ishiyama High, they are also delinquents and opt for weapons over fists in a fight unlike the male students; they were originally led by Kuneida Aoi (nicknamed the Queen as a result), a skilled swordswomen who first appears when she first meets Oga and Baby-BL in the park dressed in a disguise so that she might walk her baby brother without earning unnecessary attention from gossiping mothers mistaking her for a teenage mother. When she first appears at school, Oga doesn’t recognise her letting him think that the girl at the park and the formidable Queen of Ishiyama High are separate people. Aoi has a crippling crush on Oga and serves as his primary love interest. Another debatable love interest is the Demon Maid Hilda (full name Hildagarde) who has the appearance of a foreigner though dresses like a gothic Lolita and speaks Japanese fluently, she was sent to watch over Baby-BL by his father, the Demon King himself, she acts as a the primary link between the human world and the demon world.

The art style used is common in most fight manga. The art is realistic, though remains animesque enough so that there is still room for comic relief, though still sensible that the fight scene remain intense. The manga utilises shading for the realistic effect though it isn’t strange to see panels in mostly white or black however many of the backgrounds are very well drawn and appear to have had much time invested in them, I largely enjoyed the style and the effort that was put into it.

The jokes were spectacular, the endless comedic possibilities the story line provided was done justice as many situations are seen through the eyes of the amusingly idiotic antagonist. If you’re looking for something serious, then you will find it here, but expect to be thoroughly amused by it as well.

If you’re eager for a violent shounen coated with laughter and wackiness then Beelzebub is the way to go.