Written by: Kevin Berge
These alternative Batman stories are getting out of hand. (Image Courtesy of: netflix.com)
Go Nagai's Devilman is a successful 1970s manga that ultimately inspired many popular manga and anime to come, so it was likely a surprise to many when it took until 2018 for a good anime adaptation of the material to emerge, especially coming from Netflix.
I could not ignore the serious hype that surrounded Devilman Crybaby following its release. It became a quiet anime phenomenon, the rare modern anime released worldwide first rather than airing in Japan exclusively to start.
Its animation style was odd, verging on old, and anyone basically describing what the show was about just fell flat. I was too intrigued not to give the show a try and see what this new anime was all about.
The truth is that I had no idea what I was getting into.
I could not ignore the serious hype that surrounded Devilman Crybaby following its release. It became a quiet anime phenomenon, the rare modern anime released worldwide first rather than airing in Japan exclusively to start.
Its animation style was odd, verging on old, and anyone basically describing what the show was about just fell flat. I was too intrigued not to give the show a try and see what this new anime was all about.
The truth is that I had no idea what I was getting into.
Basic Story Set-Up
Akira Fudo is a kind young high schooler who is known for crying whenever he hears about the tragedy of other people. His life is turned upside down when his childhood friend Ryo Asuka, a boy genius, returns and tells him about the truth of the world: demons exist.
Still uncertain of what Ryo wants but trusting in his friend, Akira joins him in a fight to stop demons from taking over humanity and bringing out their brutality. He has no idea just how far the rabbit holes leads in this wild underground.
Still uncertain of what Ryo wants but trusting in his friend, Akira joins him in a fight to stop demons from taking over humanity and bringing out their brutality. He has no idea just how far the rabbit holes leads in this wild underground.
In a show filled to the brim with sexual deviance, this show is real scared to admit this is the true love story of the series. (Image Courtesy of: kotaku.com)
Story Arc Analysis
***This section will contain heavy spoilers. Those who have not seen the series are advised to skip to the Impact and Art Style section.***
Devilman Crybaby comes off as fairly generic at first. There's no real character to latch onto, and the story feels muddled at best. Then Ryo arrives and sets everything in motion in one of the wildest couple minute turn I've ever seen in a show as the bland high school story suddenly turns into a violent murder party with demons.
Akira has to be taken over by a demon in order to become interesting because his old character is simply a kind protective nobody. Becoming Devilman, he starts to struggle with the world and adapt, creating the dynamic that frames the show's odd name. He is this mighty "Devilman", but he is still the kid who cries for everyone but himself.
His moral purity (though certainly not emotional or sexual purity) as a hero is a point of emphasis in the tale. He is the perfect character to take on a demon because he has such a powerful moral compass. While others fall into their own impurity, Akira stands tall because he wants to use these powers to save humanity.
Slowly, the show showcases just how few people are around that are truly good. There are other Devilmen, but even some of them do not sanctify life. Moreover, humanity is brought down in the storm. Ryo reveals the demons and creates a violent, chaotic, and disturbing paranoia that makes the humans as bad as the demons.
There's a nihilistic edge here, but it is ultimately clear that the story has straight motives. Humanity may be corruptible, but Akira proves there is more. He fights for the right to a world that is still human. However, he dies. The only thing that stands the test of time is Ryo's love for Akira, weeping over the bastion of light in the darkness he has fostered.
There is a clear religious allegory in this story about Revelations and the war between God and Satan with Ryo revealed to be Satan in the final act which ultimately emphasizes the nihilistic qualities of the story. Ryo wins, destroys the world, and ruins everything, but God simply destroys and rebuilds, beginning the process once more.
I really liked Akira. I appreciated his relationship with his crush and foster sister Miki Makimura as well as the way they both brought hope to so many who could have been corrupted especially another Devilman Miki Kuroda. There's a great friendship and camaraderie that feels like it can win the day.
Unfortunately, most of that revealed to be a farce. I hated the ninth episode where one by one everyone but Akira is killed by humans who then parade them in the streets. It's too brutal and hopeless. I understand its importance to this story as no one could survive this tale beyond Satan, but it is not a fun tale to experience.
If that faint hope of love is just a trickle in the endless cycle, why did the story connect me to the characters? I hated the anime for convincing me to like the characters and root for them, but I appreciated it for being unflinching in its vision and execution.
Devilman Crybaby comes off as fairly generic at first. There's no real character to latch onto, and the story feels muddled at best. Then Ryo arrives and sets everything in motion in one of the wildest couple minute turn I've ever seen in a show as the bland high school story suddenly turns into a violent murder party with demons.
Akira has to be taken over by a demon in order to become interesting because his old character is simply a kind protective nobody. Becoming Devilman, he starts to struggle with the world and adapt, creating the dynamic that frames the show's odd name. He is this mighty "Devilman", but he is still the kid who cries for everyone but himself.
His moral purity (though certainly not emotional or sexual purity) as a hero is a point of emphasis in the tale. He is the perfect character to take on a demon because he has such a powerful moral compass. While others fall into their own impurity, Akira stands tall because he wants to use these powers to save humanity.
Slowly, the show showcases just how few people are around that are truly good. There are other Devilmen, but even some of them do not sanctify life. Moreover, humanity is brought down in the storm. Ryo reveals the demons and creates a violent, chaotic, and disturbing paranoia that makes the humans as bad as the demons.
There's a nihilistic edge here, but it is ultimately clear that the story has straight motives. Humanity may be corruptible, but Akira proves there is more. He fights for the right to a world that is still human. However, he dies. The only thing that stands the test of time is Ryo's love for Akira, weeping over the bastion of light in the darkness he has fostered.
There is a clear religious allegory in this story about Revelations and the war between God and Satan with Ryo revealed to be Satan in the final act which ultimately emphasizes the nihilistic qualities of the story. Ryo wins, destroys the world, and ruins everything, but God simply destroys and rebuilds, beginning the process once more.
I really liked Akira. I appreciated his relationship with his crush and foster sister Miki Makimura as well as the way they both brought hope to so many who could have been corrupted especially another Devilman Miki Kuroda. There's a great friendship and camaraderie that feels like it can win the day.
Unfortunately, most of that revealed to be a farce. I hated the ninth episode where one by one everyone but Akira is killed by humans who then parade them in the streets. It's too brutal and hopeless. I understand its importance to this story as no one could survive this tale beyond Satan, but it is not a fun tale to experience.
If that faint hope of love is just a trickle in the endless cycle, why did the story connect me to the characters? I hated the anime for convincing me to like the characters and root for them, but I appreciated it for being unflinching in its vision and execution.
Only in anime can the difference between different races be defined by size and color of your eyes. (Image Courtesy of: devilman-crybaby.com)
Impact and Art Style
Devilman Crybaby is a tragedy of humanity, a complete Revelations-esque event of complete revelation into the human soul. From its first episode, it is clear this is a series that revels in its portrayals of sexuality and violence by making them so confusingly omnipresent that they lose meaning.
The sexual is decidedly unsexual. The violence becomes more and more commonplace until it is just a part of the framework. Everything is meant to blend together into a message about the dynamic of demons and humans and the thin line that can divide them.
This is a far bigger war than just humanity vs. demonkind, but it is also far smaller. It is almost an insignificant battle at its core. Using religious imagery of the apocalypse on top of social anxieties about otherness, the show has a powerful (depressing) mix of messages about how similar we can all be in our vileness.
However, there are some great characters here who truly are defined by their love for one another, and that love does pervade all aspects of the story. In fact, love is the doomed force that always seems to be the heroic force against the vileness. It is a light in the darkness even if it feels hopelessly overwhelmed.
The art style of Devilman can be a turnoff at first. It feels crude and even unfinished, but it is so consistently utilized that it gains charm, aiding the series' retro aesthetic. I don't know I would watch many anime with this type of animation, but it works for this show.
The sexual is decidedly unsexual. The violence becomes more and more commonplace until it is just a part of the framework. Everything is meant to blend together into a message about the dynamic of demons and humans and the thin line that can divide them.
This is a far bigger war than just humanity vs. demonkind, but it is also far smaller. It is almost an insignificant battle at its core. Using religious imagery of the apocalypse on top of social anxieties about otherness, the show has a powerful (depressing) mix of messages about how similar we can all be in our vileness.
However, there are some great characters here who truly are defined by their love for one another, and that love does pervade all aspects of the story. In fact, love is the doomed force that always seems to be the heroic force against the vileness. It is a light in the darkness even if it feels hopelessly overwhelmed.
The art style of Devilman can be a turnoff at first. It feels crude and even unfinished, but it is so consistently utilized that it gains charm, aiding the series' retro aesthetic. I don't know I would watch many anime with this type of animation, but it works for this show.
Sub vs. Dub
While still a Japanese production, it is clear with the voice acting that this was a product made for English-speaking audiences as well as Japanese. The voice actors are great with Griffin Burns particularly well cast as Akira.
In general, it is becoming more and more common for me to just default to the English dubs on modern anime because they are so much better than they used to be. The main performance that is improved in Japanese is Ryo as Kyle McCarley's performance does not quite have the same manic edge.
Recommendation: Dub
In general, it is becoming more and more common for me to just default to the English dubs on modern anime because they are so much better than they used to be. The main performance that is improved in Japanese is Ryo as Kyle McCarley's performance does not quite have the same manic edge.
Recommendation: Dub
I may have mixed feelings about the show, but I cannot deny its raps that are actually reflections on the story are phenomenal. (Image Courtesy of: restera.com)
Conclusion
I loved Devilman Crybaby, and I hated it. I was confused by it, and I was driven by it. Thus, I struggle to give a complete grade to the series. I sat down in one sitting and binged the entire show, yet I left feeling strange, both affected and empty. Perhaps, in the end, that was the point.
This is not a fulfilling series to watch. It is dark, violent, sexuality explicit, and utterly absurd, but it has just enough heart to engage with the story. Unfortunately, that heart feels like a false lead, a pull that ultimately is left stamped out by its closing chapter.
Ultimately, I don't think I came in or left with the right mindset to enjoy the experience of Devilman Crybaby. I was not ready for it, so it hurt to watch. I almost gave up early on because it was so jarring, but then I managed to connect with it so much I wanted to treat it like any other anime.
Trying to be critical, this is an extremely well made anime with some of the most hyper-focused in-your-face messages about humanity you will ever see. I just don't think it is an experience that was meant for me as it made me feel ugly and broken by its end. I needed to escape quickly and find something cheery to enjoy afterward.
One day, I may return to the anime and like it a lot more for what it is rather than what it isn't, and I expect many will enjoy the show more than me. I just was not ready for such a vicious, unflinching, and cynical vision.
This is not a fulfilling series to watch. It is dark, violent, sexuality explicit, and utterly absurd, but it has just enough heart to engage with the story. Unfortunately, that heart feels like a false lead, a pull that ultimately is left stamped out by its closing chapter.
Ultimately, I don't think I came in or left with the right mindset to enjoy the experience of Devilman Crybaby. I was not ready for it, so it hurt to watch. I almost gave up early on because it was so jarring, but then I managed to connect with it so much I wanted to treat it like any other anime.
Trying to be critical, this is an extremely well made anime with some of the most hyper-focused in-your-face messages about humanity you will ever see. I just don't think it is an experience that was meant for me as it made me feel ugly and broken by its end. I needed to escape quickly and find something cheery to enjoy afterward.
One day, I may return to the anime and like it a lot more for what it is rather than what it isn't, and I expect many will enjoy the show more than me. I just was not ready for such a vicious, unflinching, and cynical vision.
