Review of Devilman: Crybaby

So I've watched Devilman: Crybaby. And I wasn't ready for it. I've never heard about Devilman manga or previous adaptations. I didn't even know that Crybaby was in production until it came out on Netflix few weeks ago. For the first time I've bingewatched a show - I've finished at 4 AM and couldn't sleep for almost an hour, it hit me that hard. First, I would like to talk about what stands out the most in Devilman - its artstyle. Masaaki Yuasa is known for his incredibly experimental animation and style. And I think he was the best choice for a director of this series. Originalmanga was published in 1972-1973. It still holds up to this day, especially the finishing message, but Yuasa modernised it to be even more meaningful in 2018. What is also important Yuasa added a very important theme to the show - very motion centered theme - and I think it wouldn't work so well if it wasn't created in his incredible style. So I just want you to know that the artstyle isn't just a shell, it's also meat of the story.

And what a story it is - at first it looks like a hyper sexualised, brutal, demon hunting narrative but it's so much more - war, massive hysteria, discrimination, acceptance, love and humanity at its absolute worst. But what is also important - this amazing story is driven by cast of truly great characters, which weren't so fleshed out in the original manga. Not only main characters but also the supporting ones received a lot of care from the creators.

What must be said - Devilman: Crybaby isn't anime for everyone. If you don't like/accept gore, violence, body transformations, nudity and sex then you can have a hard time watching it. These things aren't here for a shock value, they are very important part of the world building.

Does Devilman: Crybaby have any flaws? In my opinion there is one scene in the second half of the show that is just... awkward. It's very emotional, but it's also directed in a weird way, especially when you look at the rest of the anime which is directed perfectly. But it's just this one thing.

I give 10/10 only to things that touch me. And everything in Devilman: Crybaby just demolished me emotionally. As I said earlier - I wasn't ready for it. Every single element of this show resonated with me so well - animation, artstyle, story, themes, characters, music (I still cry when I hear two particular songs). For me it's the Anime of the Year 2018 and I don't know what kind of masterpiece we could receive to beat Devilman.

I highly recommend this series. Become a crybaby just like me.