REVIEW: ‘Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle,’ Episode 7 – “Even More Sleepless Princess of the Castle”

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is one of many Fall 2020 anime adaptations beefing up the roster this year. Billed as a slice of life, high fantasy comedy, Sleepy Princess mixes episodic antics with an overarching story of a damsel in distress that upends every trope, all while barely keeping its protagonist princess in check. By this point in the season, it seems that nothing can stop this purple-haired terror from rampaging through the demon keep’s dark halls. Nothing except her strong desire for more than forty winks. Sleepy Princess episode 7 continues to keep pace with the first half of the series except now, viewers get to see a new location and a brand new “former” demon castle.

This episode kicks off with Princess Syalis once more leaving her cell. The Demon King, Great Red Siberian, and Demon Cleric Leonard (owner of the most hilarious demon name in the series) aren’t surprised. Actually, they’ve grown used to Syalis antics and her routine escapes. They’re yet another part of hosting the Princess of Goodereste in the Demon Castle. Yet Syalis isn’t in her normal haunts around the castle. She’s not in the forest or at the castle’s lake. She’s not even on the grounds, or in any of the special areas.

Princess Syalis is like…actually missing. Cue the Demon Lord raising the alarms. Post-OP, we cut to the “former Demon Castle”, a suspicious name if there ever was one. Viewers are also introduced to Hades, a mysterious character dead set on toppling Twilight. Syalis new captor lacks all of Twilight’s soft boy charm. Instead, Hades instantly comes off as quite full of himself, especially as the former Demon King. It’s a stark change from the castle -and demon king- we’ve become used to.

Yet come what may, Syalis is determined to get her eight hours, and without hesitation, she sets her mind to cleaning her new prison, especially when she lays her head down on the world’s cheapest pillow. Not even Cer, Ber, and Rus -Hades’ puppy demon enforcers- can stop the princess from running rampant through a new demon castle in search of loot. In fact, all it takes is a well-timed bomb and Syalis’ flagrant disregard to get them to turn tail and back down.

A lot of the comedy in this first half comes from the fact that Hades has no clue how much trouble Princess Syalis is. From his perspective, Syalis is Goodereste’s most treasured citizen and his new captive. However, Twilight knows precisely how troublesome the princess is, and when push comes to shove, he helps her get the perfect materials for her brand new pillow.

This leads us into the second third of Sleepy Princess episode 7, which continues Princess Syalis’quest to find a decent living space in Hades’ demonic keep. Where Twilight’s castle is clean and safe, Hades’ is full of traps that threaten to end Syalis’ life at every turn. Worse, the castle isn’t even suitable for sleep, which is all our fabric-crowned Princess cares about. Yet when she stumbles into a volcanic crag and finds someone sleeping in the middle of it all, it looks like Princess Syalis will finally get some rest in her new prison. Said someone is Hypnos, a demon who embodies drowsiness and is essentially a professional sleeper. His calling? Researching where and how to sleep all around Hades’ castle.

Syalis quickly charms Hypnos, thus unlocking the secrets of places to sleep within the demon keep. Over the course of this segment, Syalis learns all the ways tha traps can equal brand new ways to sleep. In her usual ruthless manner, Syalis quickly disarms a number of traps. This soon proves her passion for slumber to Hypnos.

Meanwhile, Demon King Twilight worries that Princess Syalis might be suffering in Hades’ trap-laden keep. However, wise viewers will know that his concerns are in vain. If any human can handle themselves around demons, it’s Princess Syalis of Gooderest. However, it looks like the only thing he can do is stage a rescue. This leads us into the last bit of Sleep Princess episode 7.

In the final third of Sleepy Princess episode 7, we see the culmination of Twilight’s efforts to rescue Syalis from the dreaded former Demon King. It seems the only way Twilight will get the princess back to his castle will through a show of force. Meanwhile, Syalis is in someone’s very gaudy fur closet, paying no mind to anything happening around her. It’s just as fun as when she was in Twilight’s castle. In fact, it might actually make viewers laugh even harder.

Soon, Twilight and his Ten Elders arrive on the scene, ready to rescue their princess! Instantly, they set off with one goal in mind: luring Syalis out of the keep and into their safety. However, candy, Teddy Demons, and nice sheets aren’t enough to lure the princess away from her on-going hunt for the best way to sleep. 

On the other hand, Hades is more than ready. With no hesitation, he sics Cer, Ber, and Rus on the. Only they’re kind of cowards. Still, that’s not enough to ruin Hades’ plans: he’s got the power of anime and magical items on his side! With no hesitation, he gives the rundown of some very trope-y magical items….all while Princess Syalis plunders those same magical goods. To what end? Well…to make a nice neck-pillow and ultimately find her own way out of the castle.

In the end, Twilight’s rescue attempt is a flop. Looks like Goodereste’s princess is more than able to handle things on her own.

Everything about Sleepy Princess episode 7, and the series, by and large, is a delight. The change of pace is refreshing and handled well. This easily could have been a filler episode about the princess being in another castle. Instead, the series introduces an entertaining villain, new characters, and shows that Princess Syalis is still genuinely funny. Additionally, the animation bump is a thing of beauty, showcasing the skill behind this series in a scene that’s expertly scored and ultimately hilarious. Perhaps that’s why it’s easy to crown this as the best episode of the series yet.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is streaming now on Funimation every Tuesday.