I basically read what everyone here is quick to say to laugh at him at having gone from emperor to broomsweep, but apparently he was actually an example of an excellent success at bringing him down to earth with his fellow countrymen. No one here ever mentions this aspect; I only discovered this when I got curious and looked up his wikipedia page.
I kinda want to see an anime about this. Give it a terrible isekai title: “I used to be the ruler of the kingdom and now I sweep the streets”
Do you think Coldplay’s Viva la Vida was about the Emporer of China? Here’s the first chorus:
Hataraku Maou sama if you want the ruler to suffer under capitalism as a Mc burger employee having delusions about ruling earth once he climbs up the ladder while starving, sharing a room with 3 people and being terrified about healthcare costs
Does he have delusions about it? I got the impression that from the outset he seemed content in his new, simple way of life (I think one of his friends/generals seemed to want to go back to the other world for that)
Well he did have delusions at first about it but afterwards he was just content but kept getting dragged into the matters of heaven and hell. That particular general became a NEET hikkikomori and mooched off him and had the least bit of motivation to go back.
Vaguely related, “The Devil is a Part-Timer”
(it’s the same work)
There’s already a biographical film about him, The Last Emperor of China. Was actually pretty good, even shows him becoming a communist. The movie is pro-Dengist and is somewhat harsh on the Cultutal Revolution, however. Not sure if that matters to you.
I was gonna mention this, it shows his reeducation at the end. It’s by Bernardo Bertolucci, who was a Marxist.
It was also filmed on-location in China when the Dengist reforms were happening and the Chinese government wanted the movie made. Really interesting background story because the whole movie is in English.