New Devilman project marking Go Nagai's 50th anniversary as a creator.
The protagonist Akira
Fudou learns from his best friend, Ryou Asuka, that an ancient race of demons has returned to take
back the world from humans. Ryou tells Akira that the only way to defeat the demons is to incorporate
their supernatural powers, and suggests that he unite with a demon himself. Akira succeeds in
transforming into Devilman, who possesses both the powers of a demon and the soul of a human. The
battle of Devilman and Akira Fudou begins.
(Source: Netflix)
__- I N T R O -__ I had never seen anything related to Devilman prior to this anime but when I saw the trailers and the fact that Yuasa was directing it, I was already on board. So I actually watched the entirety of it in one sitting, it was that good, I couldn't stop until I had finished all of it. So, let's get into the other segments of the review. __- S T O R Y synopsis -__ The story is about Akira Fudo, a wimpy boy with a good heart, one day due to a chain of events he meets his childhood best friend Asuka Ryou who asks Akira for help to go with him to a Sabbath party because he's the only one he can trust and thus explains about the devils and how they can get rid of them by spreading awareness to the whole world. Sabbath parties are where the devils have the highest chance of emerging. So a devil emerges and the place becomes a blood-bath, as Ryou was about to be killed by a demon, Akira starts running desperately towards Ryou and is possessed by the great demon Amon right before another demon was about to eat him from behind, ultimately destroying every demon there, rescuing Ryou and in the process changing physically due to the transformation. His will manages to triumph over Amons' and Akira effectively becomes someone who is neither a human, nor a devil. He is Devilman. __- S T O R Y review -__ The overall execution is fantastic, Devilman: Crybaby does it's share of social criticism, the humans' cowardly nature of being unable to accept anything different from them because they don't feel safe from what is different and always resorting to hostility in result and the recurring theme of keeping your love/faith in humanity despite their flawed nature to eventually get your existence across to them. The themes it covered all got across really well. The show also really likes to play with your heart strings, especially at the latter half of the story. The story's pacing is perfect, it never stops for a single second to waste your time with pointless dialogue, it always gets straight to the point, making it more enjoyable to binge. __- C H A R A C T E R S -__ The characters are all really likable, nuanced with their share of problems, some did go a tad bit unexplored, but that doesn't hold back Devilman's purpose whatsoever. Most of them have a certain amount of psychological depth behind them, as they're characterized with both subtle scenes and In-your-face character development. __- A R T -__ Of course, the art is fantastic, it's Yuasa we're talking about here. He brought his usual style into Devilman, which made it a blast to watch. The extremely vibrant use of colors that's actually used to portray a dark gritty setting is aesthetically pleasing and makes for some really unique scenery. The character design is what stood out the most to me, all main characters look extremely memorable and iconic and have that vibe that they will definitely be remembered as something more than just your typical characters. __- S O U N D T R A C K -__ So what kind of soundtrack does this extremely gritty, gory, violent anime have? Metal? Rock? Nope. SYNTHWAVE!!!!! (A modernization of the 80s Neon synthesized disco songs) And it works great with every single scene, the aesthetic meshes so well with the OST that the chances you will be bobbing your head to the music while watching through out the whole anime are extremely high. It does also have some really touching and hype inducing orchestrated tracks like "Crybaby" and "D.V.M.N" which do not feel out of place with the synthwave that's present in so many scenes and only add up to the many emotions the show's soundtrack will make you go through. __- O V E R A L L -__ As a whole, Devilman: Crybaby is a fanastic anime and proves that a great concept is timeless with it's straightforward dive into the issues of the social construct and other themes, all complimented by it's amazing and unique art style. It became one of my favourite anime.
I wanted to enjoy __Devilman Crybaby__. _Masaaki Yuasa_ seems to me a talented guy. I like his style and I really enjoyed __Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei__. And yes it's true, I haven't seen all his works, I still have to watch his other two acclaimed series, __Kaiba__ and __Ping-Pong the Animation__, but I feel that he knows what he's doing and his skills don't go unnoticed. And still, I feel that with Devilman Crybaby, Yuasa's potential was wasted. img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDkyYTczYTItNzQyMC00ZGU2LThiNjgtZjc4MzFlOGUxNWM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjMxNzQ2NTQ@._V1_SX1777_CR0,0,1777,999_AL_.jpg) img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDFmMTYxOGEtNWFmYS00YWZmLWE5MGQtYTAzNDI2Njk2ODJjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAyODkwOQ@@._V1_.jpg) In its visual and musical sections, Crybaby is successful; none of them may reach an exceptional level and I would even dare to say that the former feels less inspired compared to what was achieved with Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei, but they work. Both aspects feel like a more than necessary breath of fresh air and I'm thankful for being able to experience something different. What happens is that, from my perspective, the anime is not entertaining enough when it tries to be or sufficiently transcendental when its narrative changes its focus to a more serious one. It doesn't find a correct tone and, in the end, its development doesn't feel satisfactory. And it's true, the main theme addressed, related to good and evil, the possible decline of humanity to chaos and its capacity for redemption is cannon fodder for a more nihilistic, cynical, and tragic approach. Therefore one could assign that "bitter taste" to this style, but even there I feel that Devilman stumbles. img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODVlOWI0OTAtYTJkNC00M2I5LWJiMDctZGYyMzNhNzVlMzYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjY5NTM5MjA@._V1_.jpg) img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2U1YjA3NjYtNWQ1Mi00Mzg0LWJjMGItZjc2NGMyYTY5Y2MzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAyODkwOQ@@._V1_.jpg) And yes, I can say that the first episodes are genuinely entertaining, but I can't find anything of value beyond, well, that. The characters don't help much when it comes to praising the quality of the anime. When the chaos runs loose and the blood starts shedding, the events that should elicit an emotional response feel like one more death or one more problem. Another piece that goes off the board, but that is not the King or the Queen, not even a Rook. There is a possible exception to this rule with a member of the cast I deem likeable. But this one is "built" to be lovable and that doesn't stop it from being a one-dimensional character like the rest of the ensemble and no story in retrospect was enough to convince me otherwise. Moreover, those backstories didn't help the last episodes of the anime which were already damaged by the inconsistent rhythm, lack of sobriety and numerous tonal changes. img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzQ2MWMzZmYtYTFkZS00ZGI1LWI4ZGYtZDE3N2Y2MTc5YzMwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjY5NTM5MjA@._V1_.jpg) img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGQyYjNjYzktODA5ZC00NDkyLTlmODItZmQ4OTM4MWE2YjJlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjMxNzQ2NTQ@._V1_.jpg) I have no problem with excessive violence or the constant sex scenes that the series shows, because I understand that they are inherent to its narrative and the idea of "demons arise from human baseness". What I do consider a problem is its lack of focus, inconsistent rhythm, bland characters and its nihilistic approach which, in my opinion, doesn't have enough impact to make me reflect on his message. img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGQxNWE1YTUtNzU2MS00OWRiLTkxOGItMzI0NGFkMjYxYjFiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTgwMDk2NTc@._V1_.jpg) img220(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODRiNjJiODMtMjg0Mi00ZDg3LWE3MzUtZWQ2MWM0MjkxZWQ4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTgwMDk2NTc@._V1_.jpg) Devilman Crybaby stumbles in several ways, but that is simply my perspective. There is genuine talent behind its construction and therefore, I understand the people who really appreciate this anime, because it means that they found something here that maybe I couldn't. Who knows, its message may strike you deeply or you may find it thouroghly enjoyable. Thanks for reading and allow me to apologize for my English. I'll try to get better at it.
Devilman Crybaby - Non spoiler This review will be my first attempt at a spoiler free review. An attempt at convincing you either why this show is great and deserves to be watched, balanced with man this show absolutely sucks and you should keep it away from you. My arguments will hopefully not be too vague as most spoiler free reviews are. Plot Devilman Crybaby is in light of production surprising because it is a Netflix original work, the way that the story is presented is in a very "Western" way. What I mean by Western is the themes and the view toward the foundation of the plot. Demons in this show is viewed with a lens generally not used in Eastern Mythology, Middle Eastern is probably the closest. I found this aspect of the show interesting, because the setting was still Japan. Yet the family we follow is not Japanese or seems Westernised. I thought that it was particularly fascinating that they used the Book of Revelation within the foundation of the plot, now I don't argue this as Western but I do think generally it is seen as Western. I thought the plot was a bit jagged in direction most of the time, but I valued it's lack of direction as a plot tipping point. Especially since throughout most of the show we know little about the villain of the show and his actions. Until it hits us straight in the face. Even though it was very chaotic structurally, oddly enough it fit the theme of the show. The story is significantly linked with the villain and his actions and is very ambiguous for most of the show. But this is not a weakness this is a strength and will be appreciated if you do some investigation behind what people believe about the Book of Revelation versus reality. Characters As I mentioned, from the villain we don't really see much of his actions till the latter half of the show, yet this build up really makes you hate his guts and is implemented well. In all honesty the only characters developed throughout the entirety of the show is the Main Character and Miki with long hair, I valued those characters the most out of the show mainly because they had the most to struggle against. There are a lot of other side characters and supporting characters that had a lot of potential but was never capitalised on. Generally there are a lot of deaths in this show, but I don't think they were unexpected, this show doesn't lie to you even through the characters. I don't think that the value of the deaths are supposed to be something we care about deeply, but rather points us to the impact they have on the Main Character and the plot. The show makes it clear who the important characters are, and I wasn't disappointed by the way they implemented that. As a whole the plot was well integrated with the general established purpose of each character, even the ones you don't care about too much. This is generally how I view those deaths; by the end of the series you value the lack of impact most of the deaths had on you, because it gives you a true view into the characteristics of the villain. Music There is something magnificent about the OST in this show, and its the value they put on rap music. There are multiple scenes that you read dialog of someone rapping within the show, and it is directly linked either symbolically or literally to what is going on in the progression of the story. It is well written and has a massive impact on how you perceive the episode. But don't be surprised when all of a sudden a soothing master piece closes the episode or a rough punch hits you in the ear drum, like a sucker punch to the face. The music was produced well and implemented well into the show to give meaning beyond just sounding great. Art Style and Animation Don't be put off by it, without it the character of the show would not be able to flourish. There is a big impact made by it due to the major theme of the show, spirituality. In life we generally have this view of reality versus fiction/myth and I think the attempt to draw that made an effect weird enough to get the artists to this style. There are times where the animation seems really out of place, and that's okay the show is attempting to draw you away from thinking it to be fantasy at the same time as keeping it a fantasy. Its amazing how the art is able to fit in with the theme so well. To quote The Usual Suspects - "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing everyone he didn't exist." In conclusion I would recommend this if you are looking for a really good depiction of demon "mythology" or "reality" which ever perspective you prefer to view them in. I don't recommend it to people under the age of 20, because of it's themes. Furthermore, I don't think people appreciate the themes if they haven't read the Book of Revelation at least once. I quote C.S Lewis from The Screwtape Letters "It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out." Overall the show is a solid 7.5/10 most of the lost points are due to character development, even though I talked it up and argued for some of its faults, there are still some lost opportunities.
#This review does contain spoilers! Or rather I realized some of the images themselves I included are spoilery! So therefore _pow!_ a spoiler warning just to be safe but it really feels like I was one of the very last people I know of on this planet Earth to actually finally watch this so why am I even talking# ___ ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/9w16IQa.gif)~~~ Devilman Crybaby directed by [Masaaki Yuasa](https://anilist.co/staff/100068/Masaaki-Yuasa) ([The Tatami Galaxy](https://anilist.co/anime/7785/The-Tatami-Galaxy/), [Kaiba](https://anilist.co/anime/3701/Kaiba/), [Ping Pong](https://anilist.co/anime/20607/Ping-Pong-the-Animation/), etc) is a fucking wonderful and goofy ride from beginning to end. Gore, weird sexual shit, and human suffering all over the place. ___Thanks, Netflix!___ img440(https://i.imgur.com/flRxBEl.png) No censorship whatsoever, let's just dive right i--well okay. The blood of demons is like mustard yellow? But I guess that was an actual specific design choice maybe? img440(https://i.imgur.com/XvKyPVb.png) Apparently the blood of demons in the [original manga](https://anilist.co/manga/31474/Devilman/) or other Devilman adaptations is supposed to be/was red but... I get it, it would have been a lot of red on the screen if everyone bled the same. The demons bleed mustard, it's... acceptable, I guess. After all, just because their blood isn't red doesn't make their deaths any less violent than the deaths of the various humans. img440(https://i.imgur.com/i62WG3F.png) But no just jumping right into it, this series was _fucking fantastic._ But personally, I almost had a hard time taking it seriously half of the time? I mean yes, the gore is over the top, and there is certainly a darker tone throughout a lot of the show (not just the end), it was still... almost silly. In a refreshing way. Oh, and I should note that I had zero knowledge of anything Devilman prior to watching Crybaby. ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/1lLcI6A.png)~~~ ~~~img440(https://i.imgur.com/EjQ2EYu.png)~~~ The show is just so openly heavy handed with a lot of the more emotional or darker sequences and/or scenes. As a matter of fact, initially, I was honestly kind of not having this show. img440(https://i.imgur.com/mXMmSHi.png) I was just kind of bored and uninterested for a good portion of the first episode, but then Ryo showed up, snatched away our main character Akira, and then just immediately goes to a nightclub to start an actual bloodbath. img440(https://i.imgur.com/GyLmT87.png) There are just so many big tonal shifts or things that almost felt like they were too silly? Like the fact that the original 70s Devilman exists in the Crybaby version of the universe. Like Akira's entire character after changing into Devilman. Like the rap group. When the rap first started, I just immediately wanted it to stop. But by the end of the show, I realized the rap group actually fitted surprisingly well within the puzzle that is Devilman Crybaby. To be honest, there were plenty of moments that I felt that were very obviously out to get the viewer to feel emotional. A lot of these moments didn't really work for me? img440(https://i.imgur.com/zjeVPWd.png) But that's maybe just me, because I'm assuming not many people who watched this were _actively cheering on for more death._ Unfortunately, going into this, I was very familiar with a [certain series](https://anilist.co/manga/30002/Berserk/) that was heavily inspired by Devilman, so that led to my viewing experience being irrevocably altered. As from the very beginning, I had numerous assumptions about certain characters. Despite this though, I really, really, ___really___ liked a certain character. Ryo. ~~I could take or leave Akira.~~ img440(https://i.imgur.com/XzYAlFB.png) Ryo was just so fucking cool from beginning to end and the fact that there is a character who causes all of the havoc and mayhem of a series by taking his best friend to a nightclub and then starting a massacre with his own two hands (and a broken bottle) is amazing. ~!Also, the fact that he's literally Satan and has indirectly or directly caused the deaths of pretty much everyone Akira loved or cared about is pretty great too. Speaking honestly, I probably should have hated Ryo more as an antagonist what with everything he had done but... he's fucking literally Satan. What else would you expect?!~ ...You know, me saying that I essentially didn't care about the emotional weight of most of this series would make you think I disliked this series. But it's quite the opposite. Like the three main words I would use to describe Devilman Crybaby is goofy, gory, and fun. Yet the series literally ends with... ~!essentially basically everyone dead and the entire world completely destroyed, and Ryo Satan is finally realizing what sorrow is after he bisected the only person he actually cared about. Then apparently God resets the entire world for the whole thing to play all over yet again.!~ img440(https://i.imgur.com/JhDet1p.png) The gore. The [soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiAp85OVaJ4). The demons. The excessive emotion manipulation (_that fucking baton, jesus christ_). The endless amounts of death. The animation that consistently walks the tightrope between goofy and over the top. These are the primary reasons why I loved Devilman Crybaby. As a matter of fact, as far as like action series go, it's certainly up there for one of the ones that have entertained me the most recently. I think no matter what your personal opinion ends up being on this show, you gotta at least admit that it's unique. img440(https://i.imgur.com/VNOgbXG.png) ...I gotta give it a __99 out of 100__. There's just no denying how much enjoyment I actually got out of it. I've more than once said that gore isn't everything but you know... the entertaining and crazy action stacked on top of it made it work in my opinion. It almost feels like I am absolutely restricted from not loving it. Like if it wasn't for some of the purposely goofier stuff (_the fucking rap_) and some of the... sexual stuff, I almost 100% loved this series through and through. img440(https://i.imgur.com/nPquIId.png) Like wow, who knew. An adaptation of an overly violent and dark series with very strange sexual stuff apparently _CAN_ work in 2018. You just need people who want to actually make it. And... people who are actually talented and/or know what they're doing. And... a way around the very obvious limitations that censorship is gonna put on it. And... probably money... and... if the original manga series is actually concluded and not indefinitely in-progress, that... also probably helps. img15(https://i.imgur.com/dWkjMLN.gif) *AHEM.* Devilman Crybaby! Watch it! ~~If you haven't already.~~ As long as you're not averse to horribly violent and/or sexual stuff! And maybe you'll actually respond better emotionally to the story because unlike me, maybe you're not a _fucking psychopath_. Because arguably one of the most messed up scenes of the entire show, I would maybe actually probably describe it with the word _beautiful_. Granted, it's of course also fucking grisly and dark, but it's beautiful! _I love Devilman Crybaby!_ ~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/Ms96nSQ.png)~~~
__~~~Minor Spoilers~~~__ ___ An unorthodox approach to an anime can lead to mixed results. A lot of the people who watched Crybaby loved and praised it as the best show of the year, because it was so odd and different than the usual offering. Others downright hate it because of that same reason. Watching Crybaby was a tough task to be honest. I couldn't find myself being invested into the story. And what exactly was the story? There were bits and pieces of exposition thrown around, a lot of plot lines were being forgotten and being left aside to continue the overarching "story". The pacing is inconsistent and the story is overall a jumbled mess. There are drastic tonal shifts that come out of nowhere. I always feel like I'm left confused and disinterested the more and more I kept watching. They just slapped on a story. Luckily, the anime picks up in the latter half and delivers something more entertaining. Or... that's what I believed at first. I appreciate the allegorical references to the bible, the BGM was pure awesome, the animation was wonky but cool, and the action sequences were quite the sight. But... that was all there was to it. It kept my attention, but nothing beyond that. The ending really hits the spot. Once I realised what it all meant, I still can't find appreciation for the moments that lead up to the severely rushed climax. A climax that's 10 minutes long, appearing right at the end, is not what I would prefer. And here's where I really felt disconnected from the show. The characters. Where's the development? Where's the journey? All I see is someone being the same person they were in the beginning, besides the whole transformation right in the first episode. Akira Fudou, Devilman himself, doesn't really change. And the antagonist? He goes through more of a phase, but I end up disliking him even more, and not in the "good-written villain" kind of way. I couldn't relate to him, I couldn't understand him. He was just... there. Throughout the series, we are introduced to characters that, sooner or later, will eventually die. Nothing was to be gained from being attached to them. Nothing special stood out. So, maybe the anime is just story-driven? Except, there wasn't much of a cohesive plot. That's the main problem. I didn't feel invested. And nothing really considered me otherwise. So many things out of place, so many pointless exposition, so many inconsistencies. Overall, I found _Devilman Crybaby_ to be mediocre. It wasn't horrible. I just think of it as being "there". The journey to finish it was a pain. Focuses a lot on the blood and sex, yet doesn't spend enough time giving it purpose. Even if I appreciated the audiovisual aspect, I still couldn't find myself invested and ended up being dissatisfied as a result. Here come the dislikes.
Devilman Crybaby is the greatest thing about Satan since Little Nicky. Replete with sex, violence, and a weird style meant to be both artistic and balancing to the darker elements, Crybaby is ten episodes of stuff you’d expect from a 90’s OVA or anime series. But it’s a 2018 Netflix release, giving me a modicum of hope that streaming platforms such as Netflix are willing to spotlight anime studios making risky projects such as this that shove aside conventions of our modern age to provide more interesting products. Devilman is the story of Akira Fudo, a normal high school kid whose childhood friend returns from the jungles of South America with tales of devils. Ryo Asuka has some sort of plan for Akira, as evinced by the fact he purposefully takes him to a Sabbath, a big Satanist party full of sex and drugs, and has him be possessed by a devil. Akira is strong enough to not let the evil inside him take over and he becomes Devilman, a pseudo-hero meant to take down evil devils. And that’s just the first episode. As it goes along interpersonal conflicts arise, we see an ideological schism between Ryo and Akira, and it all leads to an apocalyptic third act. Let’s start with the good of Devilman Crybaby: The animation is going to be a make-it or break-it deal for the majority of viewers. The proportions are off, the devils look silly, backgrounds are ugly, the fluidity of some movement works while in other scenes it can look off. The color scheme will sometimes be extremely bright or occasionally become a dreary dark where blood is yellow rather than red. The running animations for devilmen look absolutely ridiculous. But this all works for me. It gives a sense of Frank Miller’s comic book style where the guy isn’t a great artist but he doesn’t have to be because the story is what matters. But for what it’s worth, I loved the style of this animation purely because it reminded me of old independent comic books or some of the mature titles being released in the 80’s and 90’s. I even got a Watchmen-y sense from some scenes. The distortion of the characters and the trippier facets of the animation also help balance out the sexuality and violence. This is an anime full of nudity and some explicit sexual scenes. By using this animation style, they don’t come across as sexy or fan service...they are grungy and ugly. It’s not glorifying the sexuality, it’s actively condemning it as one of the seven deadly sins, as lustful acts with consequences and emotions. So with this mindset I can say that you may hear that this is a sex obsessed anime but it really isn’t. It’s weaved into the fabric of the story in order to comment on morality. The violence is also tempered by the animation. When things look this silly, you can’t take the gore seriously...usually. There are a couple scenes in the series that stick with me due to the way the violence is handled in those compared to when Devilman is ripping the jaw off a demon. This makes some of the important deaths of the late series that much more hard to watch and scarring. In two late series cases the deaths are much more grounded making the extreme use of gore all the more effective. Devilman Crybaby’s unique style is aided by a great OST that combines haunting melodies with synthwave and I guess I’d even consider the free-style rapping (this series answer to The Dark Knights news reports) part of the soundtrack. It’s all good stuff, memorable music that worms its way into your head. Well, with the exception of the opening song. It sucks. And I’ll finish up the praise by saying that I really enjoyed the story. In ten episodes it told a compelling tale with a lot of twists and turns, with an especially interesting third act full of good ideas and memorable moments. But on the flip side: The story is rushed. There are some questionable character moments where more backstory or an extra episode of depth would have done some good. I’m a little disappointed this wasn’t a twelve or thirteen episode series as just two or three extra episodes could have made Crybaby nearly perfect for me. Without that elucidation on certain motivations or dynamics it makes one episode in particular (in which Akira’s parents are the key players) hard to follow. There’s another somewhat jarring jump from the end of the second act to the beginning of the third. The two episodes don’t necessarily require a bridge between them, but it would have helped ease into the very different tone and world of the third act. I took each episode as its own sort of motion comic, so I didn’t quite feel the disconnect between the sixth and seventh episodes, but I can understand that criticism. At ten episodes I understood the plot, I understood character motivations for the most part… Except for Ryo Asuka’s. If there is one major plot issue with Crybaby it’s that Akira never questions what Ryo has to gain by making him Devilman and all of the happenings afterward. And that’s the first question you think he’d ask. It isn’t until much later that we find out who Ryo is, something I intuited for myself early on just to have a motivation for the guy. While I can look past most of the issues of the pacing and plot, this is a glaring problem for a plot that is this enmeshed in emotion. I can’t even invest in Akira, truthfully, when I feel like he’s too stupid to know he’s being played and question the morality of the guy who he spends most of the series with. I’m trying to refrain from spoilers as this is a series that works better the less you know going in. For me, Devilman Crybaby is a mixed bag but one that I appreciate so much I’m willing to look past some of the plot and pacing issues because I enjoyed myself so much. It’s the kind of anime that got me into anime and the sort of thing I’ve actively been searching for over the years, a breath of fresh air in a season replete with more moeblobs and bland action series than you can shake a stick at. But as stated above, this isn’t a show for everyone and nor do I expect it to hold up in the eyes of most viewers. Devilman Crybaby is a niche, cult series; one that I hope a lot of people watch so Netflix continues to take risks and fund anime like this, but one I respect that most viewers won’t be able to get on board with.
As a quick summary, here's a brief rundown: __What I liked:__ - The banger of an OST - The contrast Akira and Ryo's ideals throughout the runtime - The freestyle rap/beatboxing portions of the show - The insane creativity the show displays __What I didn't like:__ - Miki aka the standard tropey childhood friend - The absurdity getting a little out of hand occasionally - The over-reliance on sexual shock value Anyway, enough of the summary. Devilman Crybaby was something that had sort of escaped my attention for a long while, until I recently had some time on my hands and I binged it all out in a day. All I have to say for myself after that is wow what a rollercoaster. I feel like I was just whipped back and forth emotionally and now I don't really know how to feel. To be frank, I haven't felt this way about an anime since End of Evangelion, which Devilman Crybaby really reminded me of, especially the ending. But, that makes sense to a degree, since the original Devilman inspired Evangelion somewhat. Either way, I certainly liked Devilman Crybaby more than End of Evangelion, but they both left me with a definitely feeling of emptiness. As if no matter what anyone does, good or bad, we all end up causing our own destruction. As far as audio is concerned, Devilman is a symphony. Its opening is really unique and cool, while its OST is a banger with its synthwave sounds, with certain hip hop influences. I simply cannot say enough about how good this music is, like its really, _really_ good. Before I move on though, I have to touch on one of my favorite aspects of the music and that's the rap at the beginning of certain episodes and during a few others. Yes, it's really silly and to some, probably cringe worthy, but I personally loved it. The lyrics were always hinting at the meaning of the episode and certain characters backstories and motivations. Even better, they kept it in Japanese even in the dub, which was super cool and much better than some random English dude trying to rap. Just give it a listen: ~~~youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Hovo63hp4)~~~ Visually, Devilman may seem somewhat simplistic, which would be true, but the animation more than makes up for the artstyle being so simplistic. All the fight scenes are gloriously animated and simply a pleasure to watch. Personally, I loved the way they used contrast with Ryo and Akira, even though its a simple thing. __Favorite Character:__ The Rap Gang (Wamu, Gabi, Babo, Kukun, Hie) ~~~img(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aaLmUXb5UXk/maxresdefault.jpg)~~~ I'm not even joking honestly. By the end of the show, these guys turned out to be some of the kindest and most pure characters in the show. Between their protectiveness over Miki and their eventual comradarie with Akira, they just really stole the show for me. But, on a more major note, I really liked most of the characters in Devilman Crybaby. Ryo and Akira's friendship and conflicting ideals being my favorite aspect of the show. It was really endearing to see them stick together through everything, even when Akira disagreed with Ryo's reasoning, he still treated him like his dear friend and, honestly, that's pure friendship. However, their conflicting ideals was a really interesting thing to follow as the show went on. Akira beginning to think more for himself and realize that Ryo was being really shady and inhumane; and Ryo falling farther and farther down the rabbit hole. Akira's incessant righteousness got a little annoying toward the end, when everything went downhill, but that's just a personal gripe, not really an inconsistency with his character. ~~~img(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v1b8KXBs4bs/maxresdefault.jpg)~~~ While still on the topic of characters, I really disliked Miki, not because of her character per se, even though I'm a self admitted hater of childhood friends, but because of how riddled with tropes she was. She was almost literally the morally upstanding childhood friend insert character and it was really annoying. Not that any of those things are inherently bad, she just felt chalk full of overused trope after overused trope. Also she ~!got my boys, the rap gang, killed so I can't forgive her.!~ Anyway, that's just a little tangent of mine. I would say the only other real issue that plagued Devilman Crybaby for me was the rampant sexual content. It's a little absurd how much there is packed into 10 episodes. By no means am I obsessed with censorship or anything, but I just think it was used as too much of an excuse to go insane with the weirdness and shock value of Devilman Crybaby, because, if you boil it down, none of the sexual content was relevant to a great degree. Maybe with one or two characters or scenes, which would be totally fine, but like I've said, I think they just go quite a bit over the top. With all of that said, Devilman Crybaby is insane. Insanely good. It manages to fit a full, concise story into 10 measly episodes, which is more than most 24 episode anime can say these days. I finished this days ago and yet I'm still thinking about the ending and the messages the show left in its wake. I'll say that it made its impact. It definitely isn't for everyone, especially those with weak stomachs and can't handle the rampant sexual content and violence, because the show is truly brutal. I didn't touch on it, but sometimes it's just uncomfortably brutal. Which I'm a fan of, but I can see why others would shy away. Despite all appearances, Devilman Crybaby is truly thoughtful and contemplative in its depiction of human nature and approaching doom. It poses a deep and meaningful questions without words, but by showing the viewer how easily screwed up humanity can be and how easily we can destroy each other. If you think you can take the controversial themes and presentation, I highly recommend Devilman Crybaby.
Netflix has no Standards and Practices department. As long as you don't do anything EXTREME, it's basically the wild west. With this freedom, Masaaki Yuasa has constructed a 10 episode series that, while not the focus of the show, takes on a subject matter that is almost entirely absent in anime: sex. Oh, there's at least one new show every 3 months with nipples in it, that's not what I mean. Japan's pornography laws forbid any uncensored genitalia in the pelvic region, so while you will see anime with female nipples in them (that are almost always marketed towards adults but that's a given) you'll almost never find a show that shows sex. If you go too far, you'll be considered pornography. That's not to say that I want non-hentai anime with uncensored sex, that would be unnecessary, but sexuality can be used maturely and effectively in stories. Masaaki Yuasa knows this and has made two anime that feature sex frequently in their stories: Kemonozume and Devilman Crybaby. I've seen several anime that have nudity in them, usually for only an episode or two but there are only two other anime that I've seen that use nudity more frequently, which are Yuasa's own Kemonozume and High School DxD. DxD is a meh fanservice show that really only uses its nudity to tease rather than to drive a plot. Devilman Crybaby on the other hand has truckloads of nudity, only calming down in the later episodes to focus on the story. A lot of said nudity is used extremely sexually. This show has no fear of the human body, whether masculine or feminine. Sex is used to represent temptation and desire, not just the desire to bust a nut but the desire to transform into a demon and unleash rage. This same theme was used in Kemonozume, although that show had to stay confined with what's allowed to be shown on TV regardless of timeslot. So while sex was prevalent, nothing was really shown past nipples. Devilman Crybaby shows everything short of straight-up penises and straight-up vaginas. It embraces sexuality as something to cherish and not be ashamed of. I'll be damned if I see another new anime use sex as much as Devilman Crybaby for at least another decade. Outside of this show's themes about sex, I would still call this one of my favorite Masaaki Yuasa works. I've seen all of his movies and TV shows and I'd say the only ones I like more are The Tatami Galaxy/Night is Short. While I love how this is one of very few anime to use sex rampantly (and not just nipples, __sex__), everywhere else the show is good but I've seen done better in other Yuasa works. The story/animation/music are all good, but none are peak Yuasa. The story takes a complete tonal shift in the later half that while I did like it, it certainly wasn't the least bit subtle, but I can probably put the blame on the original source material for that. The animation on transformations and such looks fantastic but during the "normal" scenes the animation sometimes feels cheap. Far from the best animation in a Yuasa work. Devilman Crybaby is a great show that I respect a lot. In aspects like sexuality themes and some of the animation, it's Masaaki Yuasa on steroids. In most other aspects it's good, but not special for a Yuasa work. There's nothing wrong with this being your first Yuasa work, and I certainly recommend watching Kemonozume if you loved Devilman Crybaby. Honestly there isn't a Masaaki Yuasa work I wouldn't recommend.
I generally as a viewer try to watch anime as a medium which provides me entertainment along with substance. As such, I try not to be biased about a show and try to understand its themes, symbolism and allegory and try to judge the show for what is. But there are certain shows which make my blood boil and spark animosity inside me. I always believe there's something good in a show, and there will always be some redeeming qualities through which I can acknowledge and appreciate the show and feel content with watching it. But some shows just infuriate me. And to add it, i get more frustrated when I get to learn about toxic fanbase the show has, which is too reluctant to admit it's shows fault. And Devilman Crybaby is that. I wish I could get my time back I wasted on rewatching this shit (Because a dude was like, you aren't deep and edgy enough to get this show, so I rewatched it) So ladies and gentleman welcome to my rant; if you agree with me; thanks for being reasonable if you don't.. IDK what to say. So right of the bat, The premise of this show is quite a cliche and is frequently repeated. Humanity in decline and shackles has been a cherished topic of reasonable people and off-course young-nihilistic-edgelords. But portraying it on screen and compartmentalizing on the concept is really difficult and this is where Yuasa manages to gravely vandalize and tarnish the entire anime. The show doesn't have an iota of an idea as to how to portray a dark and nihilistic setting There's an abundance of sex and gore in this anime which only exists for shock value or to say for the heck of it. The writer clearly is incompetent to write an actually relatable and impactful dystopia narrative, thus they add the obvious cliches called sex and gore and then add some deep meaning or allegory to it and then sell it as being deep. The deep themes conveyed in the anime are true considering how ignorant humans can be at times, but this show just makes a joke out of it and milks it so much that it just becomes unsavoury I will touch upon this later. Moving onto the writing- it's appalling and dreadful because the way this show is structured removes any kind of possible enjoyment anyone can derive from this show. The entire transition of humanity from a relatively peaceful place to a petrifying warlike zone where people are losing their minds; came out of fucking nowhere and it was so quick that there was no way i could find it believable and feel anything but awful about it. A general rule of thumb when writing a dystopian world is to exhibit, a slow buildup where the viewer initially understands the events leading to the doomsday scenario; gradually and slow-paced. Thus the viewer is able to relate with it personally and care about what is to happen and feel the consequences, In this case, they just splattered in some hyper-aggressive mass hysteria and spewed out how irrational humanity is blah blah to add some depth to the story. But what about the world-building and exploration? why; I mean why is the outlook of humanity not deeply explored? so i can even remotely care about its fragile state, Why couldn't we see the gradual decline of government? Why couldn't we see the decline of society and humanity more __INTIMATELY?__. How am I supposed to care for anyone; be they the fucking underdeveloped characters or the sadist, irrational, mindless, and shitfested society and people s if they aren't explored well enough or not even given an insider or backstory and are just being put together for the sake of it and then jump in to cause ruckus out of literally nowhere... As I said earlier, this anime is just a hyper-exaggerated set of cliches paired with some half-assed deep meaning without any substance or exploration to it. Honestly, Racism is a huge issue, but not everyone goes around killing minorities out of hate. Why? Because in our world, people are rational-minded and not like the ones in Devilman. Even in War, where mass killings and hysteria is common, humanity's morality and intellect won't decline that much as it did in this show, to a point where everyone will plant the seeds to their own destruction. Ignorance is a thing, Devilman Crybaby level ignorance? Gosh no. There always will be some sanity left. It's impossible to lose your mind to that level, people in Crybaby were acting like they were on fucking on LSD. In a nutshell unrealistic and lazy writing using cliches to show nihilism and shock value. Moving on to the characters; they can be summed up as; The rebellious Blonde White Surfer Dude who turned into Satan (Claps) The Wimpy Crybaby friend-zoned kid who turns into Rambo and nobody literally notices or bothers to care about it. The out of the league nice girl who is the only nice and rational person, in a world of nutjobs, with titties (edgy shit huh ;), The social critic Esque rappers (They were repetitive but sane enough for me to like them) And who's that girl again? who got stroked and bolted out. You get my point. The character development is subpar and zero and they use cheap tactics and force the audience to feel sympathetic about Akira (HIm killing his parents for emotional impact was a tactic to reinforce sympathy because heck the show is bland and has nothing to it thus the need of these tactics to sell it) and Expect us to feel bad about Ryo after he vandalized everything. Man who wrote this show? Ryo was just terrible. Pacing- The first half drags out, the second half... I talked about that. Rusheddd The animation is horrible. Yuasa's style can be appreciated as being abstract and symbolic, which I'm open to. But what I hate is zero effort being put into drawing faces consistently (seems like most of their budget went into the jiggly squiggly and da assets of the senoritas) I have to say I do carry some bias when it comes to Yuasa's work in general, But I appreciate dark anime and manga (I've watched ergo proxy and planning to watch Parasyte, Berserk and Texhnolyze) But this show is just an overly-pretentious shitfest, which is a prime example as to how not to make a show with nihilistic themes. If you are an edgy teenager, wishing to see Doomsday, in the most watered-down, lazy way and don't have the patience to actually watch well-made seinen shows go watch this. I honestly have nothing against anyone who enjoyed this show, but I personally feel this terrible piece of hot garbage is overrated as hell and should deserve more constructive criticism than blind praise. For what the show stands, it failed to give me the wow factor, thus my final score 13/100
Rating:9.4 Humans' potential for malice/evolution is limitless ~Netero(HxH) Human. What makes us human? Is it compassion or kindness? Love or empathy? If we come from it's antithesis, demon(animal but aye demon should work too);objectively speaking, almost anyone can agree that any form of savagery can be attributed to a demon. Since animals have been known to love and empathize just as humans do in their own impressionistic way, it gets harder for us to understand what being ‘human’ entails. DevilMan Crybaby’s take of what it means to be human, and how humans can be the vilest of the demons, ironically something that they have conceptually created. Bizarre, unorthodox and eclectic seems to be most synonymous with DevilMan Crybaby in so many of its elements. The ambience of this anime was eerie and unique. It’s take on the nature of human beings is similar to that of Shiki and Parasyte the Maxim, but perhaps what makes this anime singular from those two is the way it portrayed its storyline. In this world, surreptitiously, demons live among humans, and typically they take over a human to live among them, with the only exception being the mental forte of the human overcoming the demon’s own will for the reverse to happen. Ryo, a renowned scientist despite being relatively young, after the demise of a fellow scientist who turned into a demon after working with an ancient civilization who were suspected to be demons, tasks himself in bringing demons to the attention of humans. He seeks the help of his old and childhood friend Akira, a highschooler in Japan. Akira is shown to be an empath and is especially sensitive to the plight of others, easily tearing up even for things out of anyone’s control. After coming to know that people have received supernatural abilities and undergone acute changes in personality and appearance after visiting Sabbaths, Akira and Ryo visit a Sabbath. There the unexpected happens and Akira while trying to save Ryo from a demon, unexpectedly takes control of it. Akira becomes a DevilMan, having a demonic body with a human heart. Ryo decides to use Akira to hunt down demons, as they both try to bring the existence of demons into light. Ryo, and Akira are your contradicting archetypal plot driving characters in any anime. They felt similar to Suzaku(righteous) and Lelouch(a greater evil must exist) from Code Geass in many aspects,with the story centered around Akira, who is more righteous here. The other characters these two can be analogized with are Light and L from DN, Slaine and Inaho from AZ.etc. Many of the characters, though distinct, are sometimes bland and undergo instantaneous transformation in personality, but the latter I felt was reasonably justified. Despite the anime making you feel like certain scenes and moods changed too quickly, it only attributed to the bizarreness and made me feel that the characters in it were rightly and sufficiently used to make us think about them a lot even after the scene changed. The rappers in anime with their raps felt like they were breaking the fourth wall, and making us understand the plot and some of the characters to a greater extent, which was really innovative and original, for the genre. Despite the plot feeling like it took foreshadowing to the extremes with an erratic pace, felt succulent and very detailed and is brilliantly portrayed. The vices have been always attributed to demonic behavior and this anime uses everything it could find in humans and demons to depict it in its plot in a very uncanny way. Especially lust, as we see a great deal of sexual conducts, and nudity(almost every episode/hentai). Surprisingly it actually adds on to the feelings of eccentricity, and doesn’t divert us from the plot much, like an ecchi or hentai would. In fact this could be attributed to the animation and music. Moreover, the animation and the music appears to have been the most important elements that help us feel the plot deeply and makes us see everything in a different light than we normally would. The animation seemed to maintain a certain equilibrium with quality and ambience. It wasn’t too detailed, and though I felt sometimes the absence of light made it harder to know what was happening, it was intricate enough to create a unique blend of colors and saturation for a given scene and tone making it aesthetically sombre, while the overall color palette transitioning from a ecstatic, vibrant and eerie mood to a more grim, dour and depressing one by the episode. The soundtrack was flawless, with the extreme mix of techno, satanic and melodic tracks that constantly make the plot have an impassioned and more meaningful impact on us. The entire album reminded me of the album Ken Arai made for Parasyte the Maxim, and judging by the similarities these both stories share, I am thinking that the moods these albums create are perfect for depicting such plotlines. Whatever I felt at the ending is something I can't put my finger around. Was it unsatisfactory? Definitely not. Did it do justice to the rising action? It did in its own way. Perhaps it wouldn’t make me feel ambivalent if it were extended to a bit more time, but was nevertheless a decent finale making me give it an overall 9.4. Despite rating it a 9.4/, I wouldn’t recommend DevilMan Crybaby to a lot of people for many reasons. The biggest one being its extremely depressing scenes, which can be a little too much. The other reasons are obviously the extraordinary amount of nudity,sexual conduct, gore and the bizarreness. But anyone who is into plots with aspects high on philosophy and questions on humanity must most certainly watch DevilMan Crybaby, especially if the warnings appear to be appealing to them.
~~~____Un chef d'oeuvre de violence, de sexe et de psychologie.____ L'oeuvre original de Go Nagai, "Devilman", était deja incroyable, donc lorsque l'on y combine l'univers et l'ambiance de l'animation de Masaaki Yuasa, on obtient un chef d'oeuvre au sens littéral. __Court resumé__ L'histoire nous plonge dans un japon moderne, on l'on suit l'histoire d'Akira Fudou, jeune adolescent pleurnichard qui vit chez son amie, Miki. Lorsque le meilleur ami d'Akira, Ryou Asuka, revient d'un voyage, ce dernier apprendra a notre héros l'existence de démons qui ont la capacité de prendre le contrôle et de fusionner avec les humains. Ces démons ne sont visibles que lorsqu'ils fusionnent avec des humains, ce qui les rend particulièrement dangereux. Ryou emmène donc Akira a un sabbats ou des humains tentent d'invoquer des demons pour se faire posséder par ses derniers, car des rumeurs racontent que ceux qui fusionnent avec des démons et qui arrivent à prendre le dessus deviennent des êtres surpuissants. Malheureusement, ce rite ne se passera pas comme prévu et Akira se retrouvera possédé par Amon, le plus puissant de tous les démons, mais il réussira a prendre le contrôle. Akira deviendra donc un Devilman, un être mi-homme, mi-démon. __Un début qui effraie__ Pour beaucoup de personnes, l'animation et l'omni présence du sexe et de la violence dans Devilman Crybaby sont des choses qui les dérangent beaucoup. Et il est vrai que j'étais moi même une de ces personnes, j'ai du regardé le premier épisodes au moins 3x avant d'apprécier la série et de pouvoir le continuer. En effet, Devilman Crybaby possède une animation très particulière (qui en fait sa force par ailleurs) mais la premiere fois qu'on y fait face elle peut être très dérangeante. Le sexe et la violence sont en effet des éléments très présents dans cet oeuvre, mais là où c'est appréciable, c'est qu'ils contribuent a l'ambiance très "crue" de la série. Le sexe est intégré a l'anime dans un objectif de choquer, et non de faire plaisir au spectateur, comme on pourrait le retrouver dans beaucoup d'oeuvres de la jap-animation avec le fan service. Et la violence est aussi très présente mais bon, elle est si bien amenée que la trouver dérangeante serait synonime de ne pas avoir compris l'oeuvre que Go Nagai et Masaaki Yuasa nous ont offert. Donc pour les personnes qui ne l'ont jamais vu et qui souhaiteraient le voir, ne vous laisser pas intimider par les premiers épisodes, et forcez vous s'il le faut, vous ne le regretterez pas. __Aucune limite__ En effet, cette anime n'a vraiment aucune limite, ce qui permet des explorations de la psychologie humaine très profonde sans pour autant être bateau. Cette absence de limite fait reflet a la présence de violence crue et de sexe, qui se permettent d'être presents grâce a cette dernière. __Une fin digne des plus grandes histoires__ La fin de Devilman Crybaby est une fin incroyable, dans tous les sens du terme, je ne suis pas ici pour spoiler qui que ce soit, mais les personnes ayant vus ce chef d'oeuvre comprendront. La fin de l'anime conclue tout, sans laisser de doute, et nous apporte des théories sur le bien et le mal, sur ce qu'est Dieu et Satan et sur la nature de l'humain, enfin bref, une fin qui boulverse quoi. __Un travail de malade__ L'adaptation du manga original de Go Nagai est signé studio SARU et dirigé par Masaaki Yuasa, un dieu de l'animation a mes yeux. On retrouve Kensuke Ushio à la musique, qui avait aussi produit les musiques de A Silent Voice, et autant vous dire qu'il a aussi fait un travail incroyable sur Devilman Crybaby, car les OST correspondent parfaitement à l'ambiance qu'instaure la série. __Mention spécial au freestyle de l'épisode 7__ Lors de l'épisode 7, on a le droit a un vrai freestyle de la part de personnages secondaires, et je ne pouvais pas ne pas le mentionner, tellement il est bon: youtube(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u--ti4ZcuaU&ab_channel=espritdufeu) ____ `Voila, c'était ma premiere review, j'espère que ça vous aura plus :)` ~~~
spoiler free review! I absolutely love this show. Possibly my favourite anime of all time , although i will admit this show is definitely not for everyone. Its horny, dark and just fucking weird. But thats why i love it. The art style is stunning , the storyline is intriguing , the characters are absolutely amazing and they have really good character development. I could write paragraphs about how much i love Ryo and Akira. Especially Ryo ohmygod im genuinely concerned with myself , the things i would do for that man. The music is on a whole nother level and it adds that much more *flavour*. I dont cry at shows or movies but this one had me bawling, the ending totally broke me. It really made me question human nature and morality as well as think about how insignificant each and everyone of us really are. The biblical references were also done very well. Not to mention the rappers, they were fucking dope. Most of the criticism i hear about this show is the fact that its too gory and there's too much nudity , as well as the fact that the ending came "too fast". Being mostly desensitized to gore, it didnt bother me much but if you cant stand gore i wouldnt reccomend this. About the nudity, it came as a surprise to be but i didnt really mind it , the show is about devils after all. That being said, i dont think this is for anyone under 13. I would reccomend it to older teens and adults simply because i feel it would be easier to relate and understand things at an older age. As for the pacing and sudden turn of events , i think it was done perfectly. It shows how quickly something like that would happen if it were to be real life. It also made the sad scenes hit that much harder. Overall , this show is phenomenal. 10/10 for me. However , if you cant take nudity and gore this isnt for you. If you can , please give this show a go. It is only 10 episodes although each episode will break you even more as it uncovers the dark twisted story. A heads up , dont ever expect to recover from this show lmaoo im still hurting from it. Devilman Crybaby will definitely turn you into a crybaby. Also, petition for devilman crybaby funko pops please? if i were to describe this show in two words it would be masterpiece and absolute painnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
__Spoilers ahead; Feel free to agree or disagree.__ Have a good read! ~~~__Introduction__~~~ Devilman Crybaby is an anime directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Aniplex and Dynamic Planning. It is the fourth adaptation of the classic 1972 manga Devilman, however Yuasa brings a new vision to the work. Released by Netflix in January 2018, Crybaby has not gone unnoticed, being heavily commented on anime and movie websites. The animation has only 10 episodes and adapts the entire manga. ~~~__Synopsis__~~~ Thousands of years ago the Earth was dominated by demons. These beings lived fighting among themselves and merging with other organisms in order to become stronger. God, angry with these creatures, destroys them, but the spirits of the demons remain on the planet. In the present day, Akira Fudou is a member of the track team, along with Miki Makimura and Miki Kuroda, and is the least talented member of the team. However, Akira's ordinary everyday life changes drastically with the appearance of his childhood friend Ryou Asuka, who reveals a terrible secret involving his late teacher's research. Ryou tells Akira about the existence of demons, but these creatures are immaterial and need to possess other beings to have a physical form. According to Ryou, the demons are possessing human bodies and disguising themselves in society. He intends to expose the identity of the demons to the world, but needs Akira's help, so the pair heads to a nightclub, but things get out of control, both are attacked by demons and Akira is possessed, but somehow Akira managed to keep his consciousness and gain the powers of a demon. This is the birth of Devilman, neither man nor demon. Now Akira must face the demons and protect humanity, while at the same time he must hide his identity and fight his demonic impulses. ~~~__Characters__~~~ Akira Fudou: Stereotype of the shy student who is not good at anything. He is extremely sensitive to people's sadness. He lives in the Makimura residence, since his parents are always traveling the world. He is possessed by the demon Amon and becomes Devilman, changing drastically in several aspects. With his new powers, he fights for the safety of humanity. He has feelings for Miki. Ryou Asuka: Akira's long-time friend. He is a prodigious scientist and is very influential in this field. Ryou intends to reveal the existence of demons by applying unorthodox methods. He is responsible for Akira's transformation into Devilman and helps him fight against the demons. Miki Makimura: Popular girl and star of the track team, Miki always sees the best side of people, which is sometimes a problem. She treats Akira like a brother and is often saved by him in difficult situations. Miki "Miko" Kuroda: She is also a member of the track team. She sees herself as Makimura's "shadow" and feels overshadowed by her. Kurado seems to be based on Mikiko Kawamoto from the Devilman manga. Crybaby features other classic characters from the 70's manga, such as Silene, Kaim, Jinmen, Taro Makimura among others, but also new ones, such as rappers replacing Dosu-Roku and his gang of bullies and the athlete Koda Moyuru. ~~~__Audio-visual__~~~ At first glance Crybaby draws attention by its animation style, being inconsistent, poorly detailed and disproportionate. Despite being non-standard, Yuasa adopts similar practice in several other animations such as Kaiba (2008) and Tatami Galaxy (2010). The use of color palette is a point that stands out, for example, the manipulation of the shades of red with black, managed to make the scene of Akira's first transformation into Devilman more emblematic. Crybaby's soundtrack is another _highlight_, making use of Electronic music, Techno, Synthwave and other types, making the sequences much more frenetic. Night Hawk and Strategist are some of the highlights, in addition to the classic Devilman no Uta song. ~~~__My Experience__~~~ It is clear that Masaaki Yuasa molds the plot of Devilman to the present times, as well as giving his personal touch to the narrative and characters. Nevertheless, Crybaby maintains the essence of the original material, i.e. they changed the packaging, but the product is the same. The differences in the anime even improve some aspects of the original. As for the characters, Miki Makimura has more presence and gets her moments in the plot, unlike her original version, which spends much of the manga flirting with Akira and serving as comic relief. These changes can create a more consistent bond between the character and the viewer. It also better establishes the friendship between Akira and Ryou, plus it significantly introduces Fudou's parents. The 2018 adaptation throws social criticism in several moments, especially prejudice, whether in the scene where the rappers are harassed by the police or when Miki, in her childhood, suffers bullying for being mixed-race. The manga is remembered for its violence and sexual content. These elements are present in much of Devilman, and to take them out would be strange. However, Yuasa takes these points to another level, especially the sexual aspects, and gets the dose wrong. The confrontation between Akira and Silene is an example. But there is not an absolute focus on these scenes. As for the demons, in the original version there is an established explanation for possession, since a demon can only possess a human body that has abandoned reason, an important fact in the origin of the devilmen. In the new adaptation this explanation has been dropped, the demons merge with humans left and right, and sometimes create dramatic moments. Some work, such as the end of the Makimura family, while others do not, such as the fight between Akira and Jinmen (Reijirou Fudou, Akira's father), and the weight of this event is quickly forgotten. Devilman deals with many themes, and Crybaby is no different. The work shows how cruel and destructive human beings can be. Thomas Hobbes says that man is evil by nature, for he possesses unlimited power of violence, and uses it to preserve himself or his property. The philosopher was responsible for spreading the famous phrase "man is the wolf of man," summarizing that man is his own enemy, killing his fellow men, i.e. every man is potentially a threat to another man. The anime manages to display such reasoning, so much so that the key factor in the ruin of mankind is man himself. On the other side, the demons, seen as violent and emotionless beings, unite to achieve a common goal, while humanity is divided, obviously there are other variables at work, but the point is that demons can have feelings, as the relationship between Silene and Kaim, being considered by Akira as love. So we can think that there is not a big difference between humans and demons. Another point of emphasis is the use of the media to spread intrigue and hatred. Sociologist Stanley Cohen theorizes that the media acts by distorting the context of those whom society considers to be outside the norm by creating the image of "demons," resulting in the construction of moral panic. Ryou uses such artifice to generate chaos and panic, claiming that individuals with divergent behavior are subject to becoming demons, making them a threat to humanity. In addition to the aspects mentioned, Devilman Crybaby has strong religious themes, especially Christian ones. The painting of the Last Supper in the Makimura residence, the bible, and several others, appear expressively in the episodes. However, the highlight is Ryou Asuka, who embodies the role of Satan.The etymology of the word Satan means adversary or opponent. In Crybaby this being is Akira's adversary, and in the beginning, God's opponent. In the Bible he is considered an "angel of light" who became a rebel. In the anime these characteristics are maintained, being a creature of splendor and provokes a rebellion with the demons to challenge the Creator. In verse 09 of Revelation, it is evidenced that Satan is overcome and cast to the earth. A scene from the first few seconds in the first episode. In Revelation 12:12, it is said that there was joy in heaven, and sorrow for humans, influenced by him on Earth, where Satan acts intensely. In the adaptation Ryou Asuka (Satan) is a great manipulator, since the beginning of the anime he pulls the "strings" and influences the events of the story. Although Devilman has biblical references, these should not be taken literally. In the scriptures Satan is seen as a purely evil being, however his version in Crybaby feels love for Fudou Akira, even though he claims that love does not exist, nor does sadness, yet he finds love and knows sadness and possibly repentance. In the animation you notice that Satan has done the same as God, only this time he annihilates human beings. In the end, God and Satan are not so different, that is, there is no Manichaeism in Devilman. ~~~__Conclusion__~~~ Devilman Crybaby has its differences, however the end result remains the same as its original version, however it has its stumbles, and suffers from the reduced number of episodes, making it quite rushed. The animation may be strange, but with time you get used to it. The unglamorous fights, violence and sexual content may turn some individuals off, Masaaki Yuasa's exaggerations also bother. Devilman is quite divisive in opinion, however, like it or not, it is a source of inspiration for several works, either directly or indirectly.
Devilman Crybaby is a clever show. Utilizing the freedom to depict violence, gore, sex and other mature themes, studio Science SARU reaps the opportunity wisely. Being a tale of mankind facing its inner, obstructed primal instincts while attempting to maintain law, order and morality, Crybaby thrives on its themes. Is there a better way to express this than with extremely graphic content? The demons in this show are vastly used as a means of metaphorizing natural instincts. The urge to reproduce, to eat, to kill: those are the situations where humans meet their demonic sides, being Devilmans or not. We could also see all these morally deviant behaviors spreaded throughout Devilman Crybaby as "sins", which would undoubtedly contribute to the obvious biblical subtext. And I do enjoy some Bible references (even if they're on a superficial level). The overarching plot about this sort of bestiality is what keeps Crybaby from being just some cheap, gory show. It all fits perfectly in the context of the show, and reinforces the chaotic state of affairs that a dystopian, ruled-by-desire world would create. Moreover, the Devilmans offer a middleground between utter bestiality and human sentimentality, morals, ethics and all the normative systems that come with civilization, when survival is not that much of a concern. Akira Fudo, the protagonist, is shown constantly fighting his "wild side": while he is trapped by gluttony, overwhelming libido and fits of extreme violence, he also cares about his family and humanity as a whole. Another valid question about Crybaby therefore is if it reaches any conclusion to these complex moral dilemmas. It mostly doesn't, but that's okay. I see this show not as a way of getting answers about all the questions it raises, but as a case study. What would a primal world be like, in a contemporary setting? How would people act if they accepted their inner demons? I think this is what Crybaby succeeds at showing us. Therefore, I like to see Crybaby as merely a worst case scenario, a kind of experiment on mankind as a whole, and not as a philosophical endeavor of any sort. That is not to say that it doesn't lead to reflections about the themes it depicts constantly, but it's clear that it's not on the show's interest to dive deep into any of that, but rather be a mosaic, an almanac of human society's qualities and plagues. Overall, Devilman Crybaby is a good visual exposure of this messy, sin-filled world that is dormant in ourselves because of the advent of civilization. Don't expect deep answers, but more of a live, no comment coverage of the apocalypse.
"On appelle fin du monde le jour où le monde se montre tel qu'il est : explosif, submersible, combustible, comme on appelle guerre le jour l'âme se donne à sa nature" C'est sur cette citation de Jean Giraudoux que je tenais à démarrer ma critique sur l'énorme baffe qu'est Devilman Crybaby, car il résume à merveille ce que tient à nous communiquer cet anime. 100 % SPOIL Ce que véhicule cette œuvre, est que l'humanité a un côté sombre, qui peut éclore la seconde d'après, si les conditions adéquates sont présentes. Derrière un masque de douceur se terre pourtant une passion presque morbide pour l'image, vu au travers de Ryo et sa caméra, ainsi qu'au travers de ce photographe tentant à tout pris de photographier Miki. Il y a une volonté de montrer, dans Devilman Crybaby, l'aspect répugnant et moyenâgeux que nous gardons au fond de nous. Si l'apocalypse prétend servir de raison à ce retour à la chasse aux sorcières, la réalité est tout autre : nous sommes nos propres ennemis,nos propres démons. Dans cette réadaptation moderne, l'intégration des réseaux sociaux et de la pornographie à outrance servent de vecteurs pour catalyser les pulsions dévorantes de chacun de nous. Si le personnage de Miki véhicule cette facette de l'humanité que nous chérissons, elle sera pourtant démembrée et exposée aux yeux de tous, dans une représentation macabre. Le message est clair : la candeur, l'espoir et la tolérance ne peuvent cohabiter avec notre société dysfonctionnelle. Dans une apocalypse en guise de conclusion, ou la terre s'ouvre de toutes parts pour cracher ses flammes et consumer tout ce qu'elle touchera, on assiste au combat entre Akira et Ryo. Dans une animation démente et aux dimensions titanesques, sur fond de la merveilleuse musique de Kensuke Ushio, ce combat prends une ampleur telle que j'en suis resté bouche bée. Une ode finale à 2 amis d'enfance, aux personnalités opposées. Après une contemplation enfantine du ciel, Akira pose un regard sur ce qui avait été autrefois son seul et unique lien avec ce monde. Dieu pose alors un jugement foudroyant, scindant le ciel pour recréer une nouvelle Terre, où cohabite désormais 2 lunes. En espérant qu'un jour, Akira pourra aller sauver le lapin qui se trouve dessus. Merci déjà à tout ceux qui sont venu me donner leurs avis sur mes critiques, ça me fait grandement plaisir, j'en ai encore beaucoup, vous n'avez pas idée hahaha. N'hésitez donc pas à me donner vos avis, qu'ils soient positifs ou négatifs, j'accepte toutes remarques, si fut elle qu'elle soit construite ! Mon visionnage de Devilman Crybaby m'avait vraiment laissé sur les rotules, digne d'un coup de poing de Dolf Ludgren façon Rocky OC (Combien de gens auront la référence ?)
Devilman Crbybaby was a show I heard a lot of good things about, with many saying it was one of the better shows to come out in the last few years. I was interested to check it out because the art style really caught my eye, while the idea of exploring grittier themes in animation has always been interesting to me. This show was done by the same guy who led the work of Ping Pong The Animation, a fantastically animated show with its own unique style of representing the characters and a similar style of work did a great job in Devilman Crybaby. The art direction was cool, and I feel like it fit the “warped” style of the show’s world. Another thing I enjoyed was the OST, the sound direction was solid overall, the emotional scenes and action scenes had music that suited them well. The themes of Devilman Crybaby, with the religious imagery/references alongside the dark route humanity goes towards in the show (is the most I can say without spoiling I guess) were done well I felt, I could get a grasp of what the show really wanted to portray through these themes, and I think they were done tastefully while also being impactful. Sadly though, this show had quite a few areas I felt it fell flat. Firstly, the pacing, as I mentioned, the show is only 10 episodes long, and I felt like it was very much for the worse here. Unlike something like Ping Pong, Devilman Crybaby’s pacing goes from a strong 0, to 30, to 200. Before we can feel attached to the world and its characters, everything is ramped up to 100, leaving the cast feeling one dimensional and I honestly did not care for them in the end. This links into the issue with character development of the show, it felt like no one really changes for the better/worse, rather that we just get a clearer view at sides of characters that were always there and are just easier to see. Now this is not a particularly bad thing, as Miki Kuroda did end up having a nice arc in the show with this idea of character progression, however it really felt like everyone followed this path. It made characters feel flat and predictable, a lot of the plot twists near the end did not feel like twists, rather it just felt like something inevitable. I think the emotional scenes just did not hit as hard as the writers would have wanted when you combine these factors. Having seen Parasyte the maxim before this show, I was left wondering why something like Devilman Crybaby wasn’t longer in length, as Parasyte does do a lot of similar things, with more time in the oven, resulting in something more impactful (although I feel like it's fair to note that this is based on a very old manga series in Devilman so the comparison isn't the fairest, although a valid one in my eyes). Overall, I found Devilman Crybaby to be a show with some interesting ideas, that sort of fell flat for me. I struggled to get anything out of this show, but there was something in there to be found I feel if it was executed better which is why I understand the people who are fans of it. I wouldn't say the show was something I disliked, but rather disappointed me as I think it could've achieved so much more.
~~~__Elements of Mise en Scène in Devilman Crybaby__~~~ (Note: This is a niche review. I was specifically looking at the setting, costumes, lighting, and depth of space of Devilman Crybaby, not the anime as a whole) Devilman Crybaby, an absolute roller coaster of an anime, magnificently incorporates all 5 main aspects of Mise en Scène. All 10 episodes fill your screen with fast-paced, hard-hitting imagery, so there’s obviously a lot to unpack. The setting of Devilman Crybaby has been updated to an undisclosed city in the 21st century, as opposed to the original story which takes place in the 70s. The world around the main character, Akira, is a grittier, darker version of the real world most of the time. However, it is important to note that during scenes containing drug use and scenes containing demons, the setting is vibrant, confusing, and psychedelic. The main locations in the anime are key to fully understanding the series’ depth. ~!For example, the mansion of Ryo Asuka, the main friend and later nemesis of Akira, is pure white and gives the impression of a sterile laboratory. This goes hand in hand with the white outfit of Ryo. Later in the series, Ryo is revealed to be Lucifer, who is a fallen angel and whose name translates to “morning star” or “light-bringer”. The irony is that pure white and sterile surroundings are completely unfit for someone as malicious as Ryo, but are understandable when looking at the etymology of his demon name, Lucifer.!~ The decor and lighting of Devilman Crybaby are incredibly important as the differences in color and atmosphere help the viewer distinguish between scenes with demons and scenes with humans towards the beginning of the series. ~!The viewer’s first introduction to the psychedelic imagery in Devilman Crybaby comes when the main duo visits a club where everyone is incredibly high on a new designer drug. These neon colors and trippy, epilepsy-inducing visuals continue to be present whenever Akira turns into Devilman in order to hunt demons around the city. However, this stark contrast in animation style between Akira’s home life and life as Devilman is not always present. As the series progresses, it gets more difficult to tell, metaphorically speaking, who the real demons and humans are. The director, Masaaki Yuasa, showcases this ethical dilemma by blurring the line in this former dichotomy. !~ Often, when an anime is being adapted from a preexisting manga, the manga serves as a storyboard for different shots and the positions of characters in them. This is not the case with Devilman Crybaby, though. By completely overhauling the shot composition from the original “Devilman” manga series, the depth of space has been completely revamped and modernized. ~!Whenever there are flashbacks to Akira and Ryo’s past, Akira is always towards the back, in Ryo’s shadow. However, after Akira’s first transformation into Devilman in the first episode, his physical appearance changes as well as his confidence and social demeanor. This is reflected in the anime by Akira being in the center of most shots after this alteration. This also served as confirmation of Akira’s status as the main character.!~
This is my first time writing a review so bear with me, I might be all over the place. Also, spoiler warning, obviously. I recommend you watch this anime, and it's only 10 episodes, so it won't be a long term investment I want to start this off with, I love this anime. The amount of symbolism is astounding, and the writing is incredible. When I first started this anime, I didn't exactly know what to make of it. I was just starting to get back into anime after a break. In the very first episode, many things will already jump out at you. The animation is different from most animes, but I feel like it is extremely fitting for the story. Everything in this anime adds up to a trippy, cyberpunk feel with a heavy religious undertone. Speaking of the first episode, I want to do a little bit of analysis on it. There is a lot of callback to this episode in the future. You are shown foreshadowing for what Ryo will become very early in the show. At first, he is displayed as a cold, calculated thinker, (which he is) but as soon as he starts stabbing people to summon the demon, you are able to see that he is quite unhinged. At the time, it seems as if he doesn't even know if doing this will truly summon a demon. Of course, it does, and Akira merges with Anon. I think that Ryo is an extremely well written character. You can always see the cold, sinister side of him in many scenes. A good example would be something like the scene after Ryo reveals to the world that demons exist. Akira enters his apartment and asks him what he is doing. Ryo coldly responds that killing millions of humans was a necessary sacrifice. The final scene in the anime in which Ryo finally feels sorrow is a powerful scene. I was almost surprised that he was able to feel anything at all, but just like many other things in this show, it was hinted at earlier in the show. In the first episode, Ryo says, >"Love doesn't exist. There is no such thing as love. Therefore, there is no sorrow. That's what I thought." When I heard this line again, I immediately thought back to when Akira fought against Celine. After seeing her merge with the other demon, Akira asked Ryo, "Can demons love?", In which Ryo replied that they cannot. At the end, Ryo finally realizes, that demons can love, and that they can feel sorrow. With his only friend's dead corpse beside him, he sheds tears. This anime does a great job of portraying a dystopian society, in which all is lost. Shots of civilians carrying around guns, with no trust for people walking in front, or behind them. One scene in particular sticks out to me. And that scene is, Miki's death. Despite the fact that I absolutely despise this scene, I also think it is the greatest image I have ever seen in anime. (Or maybe that's just because it's fresh in my mind) When Miki is "passed the baton" by Miko, it really looks like she is going to be saved. She cries out for Akira and imagines passing him the baton. Just about when I think she is going to be saved, a car pulls in front of her with Wamu in the passenger seat. The door opens, and his impaled corpse falls out of the car. A man approaches and chases after Miki as she runs the other way. I watched as the knife was slowly pulled down Miki's spine. I almost let myself cry, but then the next scene is even more emotional for me. Miki's dead body, chopped up into different pieces, put onto sticks and held high like flags. I remember feeling pure angst and rage. This is when I realized that there was going to be no happy ending. One thing I want to highlight is the rapper group that you meet in episode one. They start off as background characters, and you don't think much of them, but they interlock themselves into the story beautifully. First, one of them influences Miko into a demon. But what I found the most interesting about the encounter was the rap itself. I never thought that something like that could ever be in an anime. And it obviously affected Miko profusely. The rest of the group turns from basically background characters, to side characters that you truly care about. Speaking of Miko, she is an incredible character, describing the struggle of being in someones shadow. I think they probably could have done more with her though. They started off strong, but after the whole, "I hate Miki" thing, she turns her back on it and even says that she loves her? This was one of the few things I was disappointed with in the show. Although Miki's death deeply saddened me, I think it would have been interesting if Miko became a traitor right then and there and killed Miki. If you want to make a tragedy, go all in. Give her a line like, "I've been dreaming of doing this for years." and there you go. You would still go on to make the Miki's body chopped up on poles scene, but this time, you know it's because Miko killed her. I want to talk about the soundtrack. Without such an incredible OST I probably would have only rated this anime an 90. How can a soundtrack sound so religious, almost reminding me of something like Death Note, and then turn to incorporate a retro, electronic, and cyberpunk mix? I don't really know how else to describe it, but I loved all of the soundtrack. I find it interesting that there are so many tracks that sound somewhat hopeful. This was part of the reason I thought Miki was going to be saved. Of course, this anime has no happy ending, as it is a tragedy. (My favorite track is Judgement) This anime begs the question, what is good, what is evil? Through the show, you can see Ryo adopt the mindset, that the ends justify the means. Meanwhile Akira takes on the mentality of every life is valuable. I think it is interesting that the creator decided to make Ryo look like an angel, while making Akira look like a demon. Perhaps a reset is the only way to save our flawed existence. I'd like to close off this by saying, I enjoy tragedy anime quite a bit, if it does a good job of immersing me in the story, and feeling for the characters. And this anime is truly, a tragedy. It is despair. This anime can be looked at as a depiction of coming of age and puberty. It even tackles social issues like racism in a sense. I want to write some more, but I'm writing this in place of my research paper for school. I probably forgot a million things I wanted to say, and this is my review literally minutes after finishing it, but thank you for reading.
~~~~~~~~~img220(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/d4a1789c-102f-4363-aba7-77da6daa987e/dc04pgl-ccea081e-e162-414d-bc3d-dc9943c829d3.gif?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2Q0YTE3ODljLTEwMmYtNDM2My1hYmE3LTc3ZGE2ZGFhOTg3ZVwvZGMwNHBnbC1jY2VhMDgxZS1lMTYyLTQxNGQtYmMzZC1kYzk5NDNjODI5ZDMuZ2lmIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.v8qUT8ivuHBT22wFYqkgHzujUv2Eu8pctIkj1QUP3Cg) *artwork by [Bobbytriesatlife](https://www.deviantart.com/bobbytriesatlife/art/Devilman-Crybaby-725813733)*~~~~~~ ~~~~~~__WARNING __ Warning to anyone looking to watch Devilman nothing negative about the series but more so as warning on the extreme gore, violence, and nudity that is made pretty apparant now this isn't a negative of the series rather just something to note for people who aren't able to handle such gore or extreme violence of the level that Devilman Crybaby leans into now on to the review __STORY__ Devilman Crybaby is a story revolving around Akira Fudo a lonely highschool kid who fuses with a devil through certain events and manages not to be overtaken by said devil and is able to keep his personality and identity despite becoming a devil. we see Akira's body and mind go through an almost overnight metamorphosis his personality is more brash and confident and he is onset by urges and wants that he can barely control his dreams are invaded by sexual fever dreams and he unleashes these pent up desires by hunting other devils. I think one of the best things about this show is how it treats most of its side characters with their own relationships and goals over the course of the story some people so cracked and damaged while others are jealous and self loathing that ties well into the nature of the story. Devilman Crybaby is an extreme emotional rollercoaster that drives towards a finality while driving an array of emotions into you its gruesome and bitter to watch as things spiral towards a conclusion that leaves you in a state of mixed catharsis still trying to process everything. some negatives about the show is that not everyone is gonna vibe with the pacing of the show its 10 episodes so obviously the plots gonna go fast and speed past a lot of things without explanation but luckily I never felt as if things needed explaining to me only that speed never let me really take in the peaks of the story ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bora lá familia. Essa é minha primeira review então vai ser bem podre mas vou tentar meu melhor. Tem uns spoilers não censurados então tome cuidado caso não tenha visto ainda. Falando um pouco sobre a animação e a ost do anime, no começo é 100% bizarro a animação do anime, parece um negocio meio tosco meio engraçado mas quando vc se acostuma (o que aconteceu pra mim no meio do ep 3 mais ou menos) parece que aquilo se transforma pra uma animação muito linda, literalmente a animação retrata o anime, ao mesmo tempo que ele é lindo ele é pesado e cruel, assim como a animação que ao mesmo tempo que ela é linda ela é tosca e feia. A ost não tem como coloca em outras palavras a não ser perfeita, soundtrack encaixa perfeita em todas as cenas do anime sem exceção, a música traz o sentimento da cena a tona assim como a dublagem que também está muito boa e muito bem feita. Sei nem como descrever direito sobre esse anime, cara simplesmente fantástico, tudo que ocorre nele, simplesmente tudo mesmo. A maneira como o anime aborda a fragilidade humana e o quão facilmente podemos ser explorados e influenciados é simplesmente sensacional. Devilman crybaby na minha opinião é um dos melhores animes que já assisti na vida, em algumas avaliações alheias eu li sobre o anime ser bem rushado e não explorar muito a profundidade dos personagens, porém na minha visão eu acredito que a maneira em que 6 episódios abordam que tudo vai ficar "bem" e que o mundo vai ficar um lugar melhor, e de repente nos últimos três simplesmente vem um apocalipse jogado na sua cara, vc fica em um estado de choque pensando "EITA PORRA" e depois vem aquele pensamento "e agora vei?", sem falar em todas as cenas em que os rappers apareciam e retratavam a realidade na maneira do freestyle deles retratando toda aquela realidade que fica escondida e nunca é mostrada, retratando todo aquele preconceito que é sofrido devido ao estilo de vida deles e suas aparências, e não somente isso como eles também falam sobre a violência e as drogas. Isso me trouxe uma euforia pra assistir o próximo episódio e o próximo e o próximo e o próximo mas quando vc vê simplesmente acabou, morreu todo mundo e é isso. Caraaaaaaa isso me trouxe um vazio fodido mano, pesquisei sobre o final do manda pesquisei reviews vi muitas avaliações do anime e mano, o buraco que devilman crybaby deixou no meu peito acho que nunca será preenchido.... talvez isso que o faça ser um anime tão bom na minha opinião. Menção especial para o episódio 9 que porra é esse episódio, como um negócio tão horrível e tão macabro pode ser tão lindo ao mesmo tempo cara, o akira mudando todo seu objetivo de proteger os humanos pra simplesmente "fodam-se" mano esse episódio 9 é perfeito sem sombra de dúvidas, e depois a cena pós créditos deles andando de moto juntos, eu queria muito que o akira tivesse chegado a tempo meu deus como eu queriaaaaaaa, mas ao mesmo tempo eu sei que se ele tivesse chegado o anime não seria o que ele é. Bom nem sei se minha review fez muito sentido mas espero que eu tenha conseguido passar um pouco da ideia do que eu senti assistindo devilman crybaby. resumo : anime bom da porra fodase
It feels like an adaptation of the biblical story of Job. The story of Job is basically that of a successful and wealthy man who's so pious and god-loving that God boasted about him to Satan, and Satan replied by challenging God, telling him that Job wouldn't be so pious if he had not been blessed with such a good life. God takes up Satan's challenge and puts Job to the test by sending Satan to corrupt Job without ever harming him. Job ends up basically having his entire family killed, losing everything he had, and still withstood the test and worshipped God, so he was rewarded 2-fold of what he lost. That's essentially how I interpreted Devilman Crybaby's story, only now, the vehicle for the story is a bunch of a highschoolers in a relay race. Story-wise, I think that the lore is fantastic (if you love biblical lore), the storytelling is mostly good because you get to see real-life/relatable "taboo" behaviors, which showcases the moral decay and the way it connects it to the "demons" in the story, however a lot of what's going on is slightly too extreme or not concealed enough. That's a direction the author wanted, but I would have preferred the "demons" to be more restricted in their appearances/powers/public display. It's a bit too "hollows from Bleach" and not "biblical demons" enough, at least for me. The story could have benefited from a more realistic depiction of demons. The way "chaos" ensues is very grounded in reality; the way the plot tries to show how humanity would react to the unfolding of the story is also well presented and interesting to watch. There's also some key shocking scenes that convey emotion very well. The ending is also very biblical and well done. Art-wise, the art is conflicting. On one hand, the animation can be very captivating and hectic; you get a sense of speed/movement, but on the other hand, it can be extremely overly-simplified at times, almost looking like some Flash game. Character-wise, the reason why it's called "devilman crybaby" becomes very obvious, and the main character fills the role very well. Other characters feel a bit too superficial and stoic (i.e. the family). More depth could have been added to their surrounding, HOWEVER, I can still see it as a fair design choice because it focuses the lens on what is essentially the relationship between the main character and the antagonist. What was intended is ambiguous but it did bother me a bit. Overall, the fundamental story is fantastic, the storytelling is fair, but the art, characters and portrayal of demons could have been much better. Fairly enjoyable and captivating, but has its fair share of flaws.
#~~~ Devilman Crybaby is a show that my Dutch buddy Jim has been pestering me to watch for a little under a year, while I force him to watch... everything else.~~~ ~~~img440(https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RpAlzm-vGv1eS-nrEgUQi8Oj57w=/0x161:1516x1000/1200x800/filters:focal(637x419:879x661)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58408379/Screen_Shot_2018_01_22_at_9.23.07_AM.0.png)~~~ I instead put it off and waited. What I watched, eventually, after coming around to it, fucking *floored me*. I've watched pretty much everything big from Yuasa that isn't Eizouken and Kaiba, as far as I know. So, if you've ever watched: Tatami Galaxy, Walk On Girl, Lu Over The Wall, Ride Your Wave, Ping Pong, Eizouken (haven't seen this yet), and Mind Game, you may know that Masaaki Yuasa, the masterwork of a creator that he is, is generally pretty PG. I think there might be some willies in Mind Game, and Tatami Galaxy is Tatami Galaxy, but these are pretty much all pieces of media you could watch with your family and be content. ___ And then I watched Devilman Crybaby. And let me tell you, it is explicit to the point of absurdity. Good explicit, so it's not creepy and weird like a lot of other anime, but still incredibly explicit. This isn't to harp on it, it just has to portray... a lot of tits & pussies due to the story that it tells. And I fucking love it. Let me tell you, nothing could have prepared me to see Yuasa's animation stylings on just actual fucking. Mind you, this show isn't horny, and it isn't creepy and weird, it's a secret, scarier third thing. But to address the meat and potatoes of the show... it's fucking amazing. I have not watched the original Devilman, as I will guess that I don't commonly have the taste for 1970s animation, and given its rating I feel it's not worth the trouble. Devilman Crybaby, though, it deserves the absurdly high rating it gets - it's a Yuasa show, I wasn't surprised, but it was still insanely good. Starts with debauchery, and has plenty of things that I'm sure on a watch through I'll point at the screen at. now, I am awful at describing shows; this doesn't really have a clear genre I can define it as, as with a lotta Yuasa stuff, but if I had to guess it's... action/supernatural/horror/maybe romance(???) It's very difficult to describe. I know that it was cool as hell, and that it had some of the best fight scenes I've ever watched (though i haven't watched many fighty shonen shows), and I know that it was worthy of praise and I could recommend it to anyone that isn't underage, my family, uncomfortable with gore, uncomfortable with very common explicit nudity, and isn't someone I happen to know who watches only Slice of Life and Romance shows and harbors opinions I don't even understand, and I know it kicked absolute ass and has so much animation that I'm going to set as my wallpaper - befitting Science Saru. Anyway, watch Devilman Crybaby. I bet I'm one of the last sorry fuckers who *hasn't*, and I'm mostly writing this to throw into the aether, but if you haven't? Do it. It's really good. Really, really, really good. Also, a lot of the music is outrun-ish electronic, which is the kind of genius I'd expect from [Kensuke Ushio](https://anilist.co/staff/119254/Kensuke-Ushio) (Science Saru's music guy), but hearing the original 1970 Devilman theme remade in electronic was still really cool. Everything about this show breaks the norm, and I'm confident that it only got to release because Cable TV isn't a thing anymore. Also, it's got gay sex, so +10 points bringing it to a total of 109.
I think my love for dark fanatsy in anime started with Devilman Crybaby, I've gone on to read and
watch the original adaptation and so far I haven't been disapointed.
Firslty, the graphics are amazing, Being fluid-yet-exaggerated comibned with Yuasa's limited colour
palettes aid the telling of the story. In some places - espeically the fight scenes - aren't as
impactfull if they were done with more time placed on them. Although, I wonder if Yuasa did not do
this on purpose the lack of stress on the fights being symbolic of the plot.
Secndly, the soundtrack, the music, everything about it added to the story and set the mood and the
scene, with all of them being now added to my spotify playlsit and the side character rapping just
added to the music.
Most importantly, the plot itself is everything a couple lines on a brief synopsis; guy in white suit
brings bestie to a club and there may or may not be a demon. The majority of this anime I think is
loved by those who are patient enough to get into the anime and able to enjoy the underlying themes
and notice the small easter eggs hidden throughout. Thoguh it's not for the light-hearted dealing with
death, violence, gore, humour and sex all packed within the first couple of episodes. However, they
are used as a tool from graphic sexual images changing quickly to violence and gore, all the way back
to running on all fours as to down play the impact to the viewer and only when reflecting back at the
end do you realise the true meaning. One of the most interesting parts of the series is the dealing
with the struggles of human fragilitiy and the darker parts of human nature reflected on by the people
who surronded our main character.
Now onto a couple of things I didn't like as much. I wish this series was longer! I feel like
everything was crammed into ten episodes and would have benefited greatly if both the themes and
charcters where explored more in-depth (this may also be me acting selfish). Another is at times the
writing seemed very awkward and drew away from the plot as it begun to unfold.
My favourtie quotes; "Love doesn't exist. There is no such thing as love. Therefore, there's no such
thing as sorrow. That's what I thoguht." and "Even the strongest or the fastest humans are no match
for the vast majority of the animal kingdom. Weapons and vehicles are what brings out the best in
human beings." Is it a suprise both of these are from Ryo? Not really to me his chracter feels like an
oxymoron as a whole which is why he is one of my favourites depsite his ... many faults.
Devilman Crybaby was too hyped for it's own good. # __(Spoilers ahead.)__ ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/ScPhEej.jpeg)~~~Having in mind that this ONA was only 10 episodes long, my critiques might not seem fair to everyone. But it's the way I saw it, how I took it in and in the end, my review might not make people happy. However, given the hype it got, and how people kept trying to make me see it, I was more than disappointed with this series. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/KoUweXD.png)~~~Characters: Let's get into some of the main characters or the characters I (was supposed to feel) connected to. I want to clarify. The characters were greatly written. The following ones (and some I don't even mention) had amazing backstories and really great endings (considering all the gore and drama) - but even though I can admit that... I did not care for a single one of them deeply enough. Devil knows why. Anyway: __Akira Fudou__ - our main character. I have to admit, the crying was well done. I loved that it was something so unique to him, as crying for other people. It felt fresh. (Yet Miki saying it would make a world better place if we all were like that was... stupid.) "I'm not devil, I'm DEVILMAN" was a beautiful look into the man's psyché. Akira refused to kill humans, hated those who killed them. He fought the demons who killed his family... but once he was Miki dead, he forgot his own words, killing the "real demons". It made perfect sense and I love the writers for that. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/HWMwxvh.png)~~~__Ryo Asuka__ - second mand character, of more importance. Akira and him are total opposites, which always works great. He was the source of humanity's fall, he started the war, he made Akira get possessed by Amon. Driven by "love" towards Akira, wanting to keep him by his side forever... Being crushed in the end, on the cliff where they met... Fantastic. Another well written character. __Makimura Family __(Miki, Taro, mom & dad) - I put them into one category for one specific reason. I did not feel sorry for even one of them. I blame all the things I hated about this anime, so it wasn't a suprise. Miki was a sweetheart. Innocent soul, stupidly falling in the hands of a pervert who was photographing her naked. Someone who loved her close friends and family, someone who only wanted the world to be good, someone who fought until the very end. Miki never gave up, made a lot of unconventional friends in her life and her end was just as tragic. Taro, her younger brother. I don't know how he became a demon. I have no idea. The thing only made me feel with the mother, who upon finding out, took Taro to the church, took care of him and din't leave his side, even though she knew her son or her were doomed. Her death was sad, but felt predictable and not really that emotional. When the father found Taro eating his wife... well. It was a beautiful emotional scene, that left both my eyes dry. Despite the father screaming "you're no longer my son" yet not being able to kill Taro... meh. ~~~img150(https://i.imgur.com/g6exWrj.png) img150(https://i.imgur.com/R8KPJpv.png) img150(https://i.imgur.com/yjSp5OA.png)~~~ Honorable mentions: __Miki Kuroda__ - this girl... this poor poor girl. __Moyuru Koda__ - my gay boy <3 I love him with all my heart but at the same time, whatever. __Kamigaku Track Team Manager__ - GOAT. My favourite character of them all.~~~img500(https://i.imgur.com/zNokDqN.png)~~~Story: Ryo Asuka a young man with a plan takes his childhood friend Akira Fudou to a Sabbath party to prove that devils do in fact exist. Demon prince Amon possesses Akira, changing his physical appearance, strength and lets him transform into a devil freely. Akira becomes a puppet of Ryo's plan, used as the other pleased. Two friends stand on opposite sides of the war between demons and humans - Ryo has his own view of morality, of necessary sacrifices and Akira refuses to let people get killed for no reason. Close friends and family of Akira's are in a mortal danger, and despite Akira's best intentions and his best efforts, he isn't able to save anyone, nor himself. The writers really did say "tragic end for you! tragic end for you! tragic end for everyone!" . ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/148kmnU.png)~~~Music: Probably the best thing about this whole ONA. I am not a big fan of techno/house/rap... but I enjoyed it all. Openings and endings weren't enjoyable enough to not skip them all the time, 5/10. The freestyle rap that came up almost every episode was entertaining and the words did stick with me for a while 8/10. The fighting techno music 10/10, I was practically waiting for it to jam to it. Animation: We love different approach. I found the animation "funky" in a way. I enjoyed seeing the bodies move. I did not enjoy the silly expressions, the sweat animation or the blood animation. Art style was very different, very unique, but I was not a fan. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/HWMwxvh.png)~~~Entertainment value: I watched the first episodes with my mother, which made me greatly enjoy it. I laughed so hard everytime she looked up, seeing people have intercourse, or seeing Miko moan. My mother provided a wonderful commentary that made me enjoy DC a lot. The other day, when I was finishing it alone, I was bored to death. I felt no emotions, just wished it would end already. That being said, I never felt like those 25 minutes of runtine were dragging. The new episode coming came always like a suprise, I expected more. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/oLaPeo1.png)~~~Conclusion: Devilman Crybaby was not a wasted potential, but if there was some kind of a parallel universe or "alternative" with the characters, I would rather watch that. ONA itself left me rolling my eyes, cringe and yawn - which is never a good sign. I bet there are many people who will love this, but for me, it was a miss. ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/4YptzdT.png) img220(https://i.imgur.com/AqKoH8A.png)~~~
# Come usare i demoni per parlare dell'umanità ~~~img220(https://s4.anilist.co/file/anilistcdn/media/anime/cover/medium/b98460-Kstii1LFQtcv.jpg) ~~~ I demoni sono in procinto di invadere il mondo e l’unico apparente modo per sconfiggerli è unire il cuore del liceale __Akira Fudo __con il corpo di un demone, è questa la premessa di un’opera che è rimasta nella storia dei manga e che ha avuto una vicenda singolare per le trasposizioni. __Netflix __alla produzione, l’operazione nostalgia di rispolverare un’opera di trenta e passa anni fa, la cosa che solitamente viene da chiedersi in questi casi è: ce n’era veramente bisogno? Per rispondere, basterà guardare al caso specifico: un manga di cui prima trasposizione si è presa molte libertà, con edulcorazioni che hanno tolto buona parte del suo afflato innovativo e nichilistico. Netflix deve aver sondato una certa insoddisfazione trascinata nel tempo e ne è uscito forse uno dei pochi anime che, dopo più di cinque anni, rimane ancora chiacchierato e famoso nella storia degli anime autoconclusivi usciti negli ultimi dieci anni. A cosa si deve, dunque, questo circolo virtuoso? Oltre al nome del manga di __Go Nagai__ e alla maggiore coerenza allo spirito dell’opera, si deve al personale coinvolto dallo studio __Science Saru__, di cui punta di diamante è naturalmente __Maasaki Yuasa__, regista di opere come Ping Pong The Animation e The Tatami Galaxy. Yuasa sceglie di realizzare una trasposizione così diversa attraverso i magheggi di un vero artista complementare al mangaka, perché fonda le sue scelte su un’analisi critica del fumetto che l’ha portato a dichiarare di aver voluto portare più sesso nell’ opera perché se Nagai avesse potuto, avrebbe fatto la stessa cosa. Non stupisce più di tanto, perché stiamo parlando degli anni 70: anni in cui le rappresentazioni violente erano viste come meno pericolose del sesso, in misura minore ancora oggi è così, mi sento di essere d’accordo con l’analisi di Yuasa giacché Devilman mostra spesso dei nudi e un sabba dove è più o meno implicita l’idea di un’orgia, Crybaby ne dà però ulteriori chiavi di lettura laddove queste scene vogliono comunicare la sregolatezza e i bisogni fisici che spesso muovono umani che, se portati all’estremo, concorrono a trasformarli in demoni. Devilman Crybaby non è quindi il classico calco filologico in opposizione alle licenze artistiche, ma è un esempio di trasposizione dove i cambiamenti non sono basati su mere ragioni di semplificazione e velleità mainstream, ma è il tentativo di rispettare lo spirito dell’originale senza mancare di uno spirito proprio e indipendente, adeguato al medium ma anche alla propria visione di come l’opera dovrebbe essere. Crybaby è infatti debitore di una deformazione grafica tipica delle sperimentazioni post-anni 90, la grandezza di Yuasa è però nel fatto che il suo tratto visivo non è classico neanche negli anni nostri, distinguendosi per una fluidità e un dinamismo che ben si adattano ad una storia che vede i demoni non come le classiche figure uniformi, imponenti e “pipistrellate” ma come alieni deformi e vibranti. L’ anime nasce tra le altre cose in un periodo diverso con un pubblico diverso, più dominato dagli occidentali in quanto prodotto da Netflix con tutto ciò che ne consegue per esempio nel modo più schietto di trattare i temi LGBTQ+ (già accennate nel manga), ma anche probabilmente nella sensibilità del protagonista, di cui natura piagnucolosa è ancora più accentuata rispetto al manga, dove comunque era già di suo inconsueta. Un altro esempio di modernizzazione è il riferimento alla cultura rap degli amici di __Miki__, che serve a Yuasa per preparare il campo dell’insoddisfazione della società dal contesto più “piccolo” della controcultura giovanile al contesto più politico-bellico degli ultimi episodi, il che fornisce alla storia, nonostante la laconicità un po’ eccessiva, una maggiore concretezza nei confronti dei disagi che prova chi non si accontenta della mediocrità, dello sfruttamento e del conformismo~!, è quasi una rappresentazione dell’anticamera di pensieri che porta a diventare un devilman, un morbido avvertimento dei rivolgimenti nichilistici degli ultimi episodi.!~ Tutti questi sviluppi non sarebbero stati concessi ad un medium generalmente abbastanza conservatore come quello degli anime se non fosse memore dell’esperienza remunerativa di altre trasposizioni shōnen altrettanto cupe e ambiziose come Death Note e L’Attacco dei Giganti, nonché di altre opere che mettono l’azione in secondo piano rispetto ai contenuti e l’estetica come Cowboy Bebop e Neon Genesis Evangelion, insomma Crybaby raccoglie ciò che era già innovativo ai tempi e lo aggiorna, ne estremizza alcuni aspetti con le novità del nuovo millennio, laddove era già molto avanti con i tempi l'idea di una storia che indora la pillola con il pathos e l'azione (coreografata bene anche qui) mentre parallelamente i temi filosofici si dipanano un po' "alla luce del sole", un po' come sotto-testi. Anche da queste parole, può sembrare che Akira sia un tipico eroe shōnen dal cuore puro e misericordioso, povero di sfumature ma la serie gioca di sintesi nel compendiare alcuni fondamentali dettagli indiretti che rendono la faccenda più complessa: ~!1) La lacrima facile di Akira che rompe un modello giapponese ma anche in parte nostra della mascolinità contegnosa in contrapposizione al pianto come debolezza, ancora una volta l’idea del sentimento come qualcosa di salvifico, contrapposto ancora una volta alla mancanza di comprensione e di empatia sia dell’umanità che dei demoni. 2) La lacrima si connette con un’altra delle grandi caratteristiche di Akira: l’idea dell’adolescenza e della condizione di devilman come un “sentire” più di tutti, che è ciò che rende il protagonista speciale: contemporaneamente uno di tanti e primo araldo che riunisce gli altri devilmen attraverso le sole forze di volontà e la potenza dei gesti mossi dal puro sentimento, in quella bellissima scena in cui apre le braccia davanti alla “caccia alle streghe” per salvare altre persone, è una scena unica dell’anime di grande impatto, quasi da icona civile come una foto di protesta civile, è uno struggente momento cardine che dona un piglio emotivo ed eroico che fa molto bene alla storia e che espande ancora di più le caratteristiche del protagonista, anima e nome della serie stessa. 3) L’immaginario oscuro di un personaggio così buono che ci dà un messaggio inquietante e in controtendenza, laddove la luce viene vista come qualcosa che si corrompe quando è a contatto con i propri lati negativi, Akira ci insegna invece che la luce senza oscurità diventa nient’altro che un’altra forma di oscurità, perché l’eroismo sorge dall’esperienza del contrario, dal potere che si ottiene e che ci mette alla prova tentandoci, con noi che decidiamo ciononostante di non abusarne. 4) L’idea metanarrativa e citazionistica del primo anime di Devilman che esiste nell’anime e che si incarna in Akira, ciò lo rende una sorta di ricettacolo di un mito, un ideale vivente che, da figura singolare che sembrava originariamente, diventa solo uno di tanti devilmen, da lui chiamati all’azione con l’esempio, è l’unico del gruppo che acquisisce una forma simile a quello che noi immaginiamo tipicamente come demone (ancora una volta, un archetipo vivente) ma il fatto che pianga spesso e che abbia un viso a volte quasi tenero grazie allo stile di Yuasa dona curiose sfumature che nel manga non ci sono. 5) Un personaggio così nobile accentua il messaggio della serie sull’intrinseca natura ingannevole, scettica e ingrata dell’umanità e si contrappone dialetticamente all’estrema freddezza di Ryo. Akira è una figura ingenua che si contrappone sia agli umani e ai demoni nella sua disposizione ad illudersi. E la serie vuole dare il messaggio che siano proprio queste caratteristiche normalmente considerate difetti che l’umanità dovrebbe, almeno in parte, recuperare (qui c’è tutta la filosofia shōnen che possiamo trovare per esempio in un Dragon Ball o un One Piece). Dall’altro lato, l’eroe shōnen è ammantato di luce perché vive in un mondo migliore e pieno di persone che recepiscono e premiano la virtù, Akira è invece un eroe che vive in un mondo più vero del mondo reale, con tutto ciò che ne consegue con il suo comportamento e il suo immaginario.!~ La grandezza della serie, coerentemente al manga sta nell’ evitare un moralismo troppo semplice per andare più nel profondo nel simbolismo culturale-estetico e nel messaggio, nobile e costruttivo per tutta l’umanità anche quando sembra darci solo un monito e l’idea di non credere nella nostra capacità di guarire come società dai nostri difetti radicati, moltiplicati dalle logiche di gruppo. Nel suo nichilismo, la serie mostra sì una complessità maggiore nell’ umanità contrapposta alla gratuita crudeltà dei demoni, ma vede queste attitudini dell’umanità anche come negative, laddove tendono ad essere conformisti e dittatoriali, tarpando le ali a chi non apprezza la società e che non si accontenta, ai quali rimangono due possibilità: 1) Criticare la società per motivi frivoli, cedendo alla propria natura animalesca ed egoista con la trasformazione in demoni. 2) Criticare la società per battersi affinché migliori, quindi cercando la solidarietà e l’impegno civile dell’umanità~!, è questo che permette di trasformarsi in devilmen, conservando il meglio dei due mondi, ad eccezione di chi vorrebbe questo mondo di pace ma segue i demoni per codardia, è quest’ultimo un aspetto dell’ anime che aggiunge al manga e che, insieme all’interessante personaggio di Miko, sviscera meglio ciò che muove questa razza ibrida: il fatto di aver compreso e fatto pace con le proprie contraddizioni, ma da cui non si esaurisce il discorso morale. !~ Devilman Crybaby, coerentemente al manga, è una serie piena di profondità e una delle serie più sintetiche e semplici che ci siano, in qualche caso anche troppo, laddove pochi episodi in più avrebbero potuto migliorarla ancora di più. ~!È un’allegoria sull’umanità, i suoi vizi, i suoi valori e la scarsa lunghezza, la genericità dei riferimenti culturali e generazionali precisi, anche la scelta di armonizzare un revisionismo “straniero” e laico con l’immaginario cristiano gli permette di mostrare un Satana più complesso, diverso anche esteticamente: più angelico ed ermafrodita, che si oppone a Dio per un sentimento di ingiustizia piuttosto che per mera ambizione, è quindi mosso nonostante tutto da buone ambizioni nella sua furia nichilistica, quasi darwiniana (sembra vedere nei demoni una maggiore correttezza nella loro legge del più forte), ciò è corroborato dal suo sentimento amoroso che potremmo vedere come un sottotesto LGBTQ+ presente già nel manga, laddove Satana ha per buona parte del tempo un aspetto maschile in cui sembra identificarsi e acquisisce, comunque, un aspetto androgino su cui viene calcata molto la mano. Per quanto non sia una novità il fatto che Satana non abbia un genere e che sia ciononostante sempre stato associato a qualcosa di maschile nel doppiaggio e nell’estetica, questo aspetto ha una carica espressiva tutta contemporanea, con una coesistenza di seni, aspetto effeminato e tratti virili, un carattere e dei valori molto anti-classici. Se Akira sceglie di coltivare i propri sentimenti e rimanervi coerente, Satana è il contrario: colui che ha vissuto da umano ma che è rimasto un demone perché ha soppresso i propri sentimenti, rilasciati temporaneamente solo quando era troppo tardi, in quel finale eccezionale che è contemporaneamente un trionfo di nichilismo nella morte di tutti i buoni, una constatazione di impossibilità dell’umanità di redimersi, e un’ involontaria vittoria dei valori di Akira su quelli di Satana, che diventa all’ ultimo più simile all’amato, in una commovente sconfitta per tutti.!~ Se il manga ha il vantaggio di avere avuto un maggiore impatto storico a causa della congiuntura temporale più favorevole e del fatto che Crybaby è uscito tanto tempo dopo, l’anime ha avuto il vantaggio di aver potuto dare una visione più libera (entro i termini di un budget e di alcuni paletti soprattutto temporali, comunque giocati facendo di necessità virtù) e moderna di una storia che nel manga è a volte leggermente didascalica nel narrare tutti i grandi aspetti di storia con dei monologhi piuttosto che con dialoghi o immagini, con qualche dettaglio un po’ invecchiato male (ad esempio la trattazione della comprimaria Miki, più stereotipata e frivola nel manga, benché anche nell’anime sia uno dei personaggi meno interessanti), difetti che in parte compensa mettendo più informazioni sui demoni rispetto all’anime, che è meno “cerebrale” e più “di cuore”, sebbene di poco. In conclusione, mi sento di dire che entrambe le opere siano due capolavori per motivi diversi, pressoché alla pari per quanto io preferisca, per i motivi sopra citati, Crybaby che sfrutta proprio questi aspetti “di cuore” per comunicare delle ulteriori chiavi di lettura, rimanendo anch’esso nella storia del suo medium per la sua profondità.