Review of Devilman: Crybaby

January 2017: "Looks like you've angered all 7 fans of Devilman" January 2018: "Looks like you've angered all 7,000,000 fans of Devilman" Devilman is a series that has had merely a cult following for most of its life. The manga hasn't had an English release until one was announced for this year, and the only Devilman media we got was a series of OVAs made in the late 80s and early 90s. (They feature an infamously hammy dub that you have to see to believe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubSdfYqCgK8) However, now that it has a remake on Netflix, people can now eat it up like candy. It's art style is veryunique. It is not quite at Unlimited Budget Works level, except maybe at episode 10, but it is usually very well animated. Though, it occasionally gets ...experimental... which may throw some off.

One of the best things about Crybaby is its pacing. Normally, a 12 episode anime would be spread hopelessly thin with filler that only an anime with 24 episodes or more would be able to pull off. However, this anime manages it's 10 episode run by keeping the plot going as plot events keep building off each other and with characters that serve a purpose. I expected the rapper gang to be throwaway characters and, watching the dubbed version, it would have been a shame to see a talented actor like Johnny Yong Bosch wasted on a side character. However they ultimately become key characters later in the story and part of a big climactic moment.

Speaking of the characters, they are all likeable and unlikeable in their own ways. Both Akira and Ryo have their own unique capcity for kindness and on the flipside, their own unique capacity for being an asshole. One of the standout characters is Miki, who despite being one of the few major characters without any real powers, manages to actually make herself useful, which can't be said for other Muggle characters *cough* Madoka *cough*

Another thing that it pulls off well that many anime don't is its use of mature content. A typical trashy ecchi show or 80's schlock OVA is often off-putting because the amount of nudity and violence doesn't often match the setting. However the unforgiving nature of Devilman's setting, with the danger of demons, drugs, and debauchery at every turn, rather than a high school setting with every possible person being horned up for no damn reason other than to be edgy, it makes sense that it doesn't shy away from showing this stuff.

Overall, Devilman is a series that feels very fresh in a wave of by the numbers anime. While not the only fresh series of the past five years, of which I would include JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Your Lie in April, and ironically enough, probably Go! Princess Pretty Cure as well, but it is definitely among the standouts.