Defense Devil

Defense Devil (ディフェンスデビル) is a Japanese manga written by Youn In-Wan and illustrated by Yang Kyung-il. It is serialized by Shogakukan in Shōnen Sunday since April 22, 2009. The story is about a banished demon named Kucabara who decides to become a Defense Devil in order to gather up dark matter which he needs in order to regain his devil powers again.

Plot
Kucabara was recently banished and stripped of his powers. In order to regain his powers, he needs dark matter (ダークマター) which is found from human sinners. He decides to become a Defense Devil in order to get dark matter. A Defense Devil's duty is to prove the innocence of human sinner of his or her crime;once that is done, a Defense Devil shall be allowed to take the sinner's dark matter. Kucabara then must prove the sinner's innocence before a lit. Death God (死神) takes the sinner to hell. One day, Kucabara's friend Funi arrives and tells him the demon world is in dishevel and Kucabara must return to save it.

Production
Yang Kyung-Il and Youn In-Wan first created a one-shot of Defense Devil titled lit. "Devil Advocate Kukabara" (悪魔弁護士 Kukabara) for a 2008 issue of Sunday GX. After the release of the first tankōbon volume, the authors began a blog on the Shōnen Sunday website about their progress with the series. A contest was held in celebration of the second tankōbon volume where 100 winners are given autographed artwork by the authors.

Characters

 * Mephisto Barto Dertov Reffertlark Kucabara (メフィスト・バルト・デルトフ・レファート・ラルク・クカバラ): Kucabara is the protagonist of Defense Devil and the third son of the great demon king. After being stripped of his powers by Legato, Kucabara becomes a Defense Devil in order to make a living. His duty as a Defense devil is to prove a person's innocence to prevent them from going to hell.


 * Bichura (ビチュラ): Bichura is a small imp like creature who was part of a famous dragon family. He was stripped of his powers and banished from the Demon World along with Kucabara.


 * Elimona (エリモナー): Elimona is a seductive devil who runs a store on the border, where Bichura and Kucabara live. She frequently cosplays and tries to seduce Bichura and Kucabara, much to their chagrin. However, she is often turned to for help or advice by the protagonists.


 * Idamaria (イダマリア): Idamaria is a nun who specializes in demon exorcism and is romantically interested in Kucabara. It is later revealed that Idamaria is able to produce Dark Matter from her body willingly. It turns out later still that she is the goddess of hell, Lilith.


 * Shugural Geripita (ゲーリーピーター・シュガル): A proud, sentimental, and analytical Shinigami whose attacks are based on Mathematical formulas. He hates underlying schemes claiming they are against his aesthetics and would even revolt against Legato.


 * Legato (レガート): Legato is the primary antagonist of the series and the fourth son of the great demon king, Kucabara's younger brother. After plotting Kucabara's banishment, he received all of Kucabara's power and was crowned king of the Demon World.

Manga
Defense Devil, written by Yang Kyung-Il and illustrated by Youn In-Wan, premiered in Shōnen Sunday on April 2009 and is currently on-going. Fifteen chapters have been released as of July 2009. The first tankōbon volume was released by Shogakukan on August 18, 2009 and the fifth on June 18, 2010.

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format
These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume.