Confession time—I’m a huge fan of the Devilman franchise and its creator, Go Nagai. From his super robot creations like Mazinger Z, Grendizer and Getter Robo, to his comedy action heroine Cutie Honey, to even his goofy stuff like Kekko Kamen and Dororon Enma-kun, I’m hard-pressed to find more than a handful of entries I don’t enjoy. And the Devilman franchise is often considered his magnum opus.
The legendary groundbreaking action-horror manga finally gets a full anime adaption, but does it live up to the legacy?
Created in 1972, the Devilman franchise started with two projects: a dark superhero anime and a manga fully written by its creator. The latter would create controversy with its horrific stories and images, gory violence, and frequent use of nudity and sexuality, with an ending that stunned everyone. The manga would break so much new ground that later series like Berserk, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Parasyte probably wouldn’t exist if Nagai hadn’t created it. While there were a few anime adaptions of the manga in the 80s and 90s, they were more focused on major chapters in the story or an original crossover, not a full adaption from beginning to end. Now, as a Netflix original, the saga has been given the adaption fans have waited for, bringing the story into the 21st century under director Masaaki Yuasa, writer Ichiro Okouchi and animation studio Science Saru.
Akira Fudo is an average Japanese teenager. He lives with the family of his childhood friend/crush Miki Makimura, is on the track team with her, and is so empathetic that he always cries for the sadness of others. When his other childhood friend, semi-psychotic genius Ryo Asuka, reappears in his life, what should be a happy reunion becomes a nightmare. Ryo reveals to Akira that demons are real, manifesting by possessing human bodies, especially during wild and uninhibited moments. While trying to gather proof, they end up at a sex-and-drug fueled rave which spirals into a bloodbath. In the nick of time, a demon named Amon attempts to possess Akira, only for his pure heart to allow him to retain control of his body, transforming him into the eponymous Devilman. Initially what follows is a monster-of-the-week type of series, as the now more confident and aggressive Akira alongside Ryo try to hunt down as many demons as they can with plenty of action and humor meant for mature audiences. But as the emotional toll of facing the horrors and tragedies that dealing with demons entails, and the growing divide between his inherent compassion and Ryo’s nihilism, can Akira still keep his humanity?
The story is definitely the real star, especially around the halfway point where the direction of the plot shifts gears. My initial concerns about adapting the five-volume-long manga into just ten episodes seem to be unfounded, as the series manages to adapt the most important aspects and plot lines while also bringing it into the modern world; its use of the internet with the paranoia involving demons is brilliant. There is not only gory action, but several tear-jerking moments; a couple near the end actually made me feel close to crying. That said, the series is definitely not for children or the squeamish, which may alter your enjoyment of it, and the ending may stun you. The underlying themes of the series, lifted straight from the manga and enhanced by the modern setting, continue to resonate today.
The voice acting on both the Japanese and English language tracks, but the Japanese definitely edges it out. From the depths of different emotions that Akira shows, to Miki’s strength and compassion, it’s almost always on-point. The only detraction I can think of is when the Japanese language track attempts to include spoken English; that is just cringe-worthy. Thankfully, the music helps you get past that. From the tragic moments to the action scenes, the music frequently helps immerse you in the story. Also, special note has to go to the modern cover of the 1972 anime series’ opening song, which will get stuck in your head for days.
The animation is definitely where a lot of fans, both of anime and Devilman, will be divided in opinion. Unlike previous adaptions that tried to keep close to Nagai’s art style, this one goes for a more surreal style. This can be a double-edged sword because it does help enforce the already nightmarish moments from the manga, but at the cost of some of the details that made the monster and character designs so iconic and memorable. This does lead some extremely creative fights between Devilman and his foes. Granted, fans of the franchise will still recognize major characters, especially among the demonic characters, but some may be turned off whether they’re already fans or not. Also, the animation has resulted in some of the most unintentionally hilarious meme-making moments.
Just… just breathtaking.
Devilman Crybaby is a really good adaption, in spite of minor flaws. If you like your anime dark and mature, loaded with action, as well as filled with deeper themes that will tug at your mind the more you analyze them, then you can’t go wrong with one of the best to come from the mind of one of Japan’s most prolific creators. Just make sure to put the kids to bed and turn the lights down before you turn it on for full enjoyment.
