BLOOD WORK: SUSPENDED ANIMATION: DEVILMAN ~ CRYBABY

"Step into Devilman's world, but beware. You might not like what you see."

DEVILMAN: CRYBABY, a Netflix Original Series, recently dropped on the streaming service provider this month. Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, one of the directors for ADVENTURE TIME and several other wild anime projects, Crybaby closely follows the original Devilman manga by author Go Nagai published in 1972-73. It is the first animation project to faithfully cover Go Nagai's original story from beginning to end.

Wild surrealist animation, disturbing graphic imagery, and brutally ultra-violent, Devilman: Crybaby is not for the squeamish or weak hearted. This show isn't for everyone. Yet, at its core, there is a message everyone the world over should hear. For being a product of the 1970's the story of Akira Fudo and Miki Makimura is strikingly relevant today and perhaps will continue on throughout the years as a timeless story.

DEVILMAN and ME

(memories of an old timer... feel free to skip down to the plot synopsis)

The appeals of Devilman are quite obvious to anyone who knows me. First off there's the mix of the super hero and horror genres (which doesn't receive enough love in my opinion). I love the concept of using evil to fight evil. This quality is paralleled in many of my favorite characters such as Ghost Rider (who also debuted in 1972), Etrigan the Demon (who, no way, also freaking first appeared in 1972 the very same month as Ghost Rider?! ((sorry, my mind was just blown))), Blade, Spawn, Dante (from the Devil May Cry video game series), and others. I also love monsters and of course there is a wild array of horrifying monsters populating Devilman's rogue gallery.

Wow, Devilman, Ghost Rider, and Etrigan all debuted the same year in history... there must be some cosmic significance to 1972 pertaining to demon-possessed heroes. Or it could be just an amazing coincidence.

I remember the early days of the "Anime Invasion" in the mid 90's. Manga Entertainment had a promo reel in front of their VHS tapes that previewed the Devilman OVAs. The promo caught my attention, obviously, as I have never forgotten it. Next I was at a Rob Zombie concert when I was a high schooler. Rob Zombie played the song Supercharger Heaven and, while the song played, two movie screens on either side of him ran clips from the Devilman OVA's! It was incredible (both the song, which repeats "Devilman! Devilman!" through the chorus, and the images of Devilman on screen!) I decided I had to watch this anime. It wasn't until freshmen year in college when I finally bought the DVD (thanks to my buddy, Chad, for buying it for me).

There was this taboo feeling like I was watching something unholy, that I shouldn't have been watching. I was both disturbed and completely enthralled. From that moment on I have been a Devilman fanatic.

THE PLOT

Demons, the once dominant species on Earth, have returned. Incorporeal at first, once a demon possesses a host, either human or animal, they are able to transform into their true bodies and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting human race. Ryo Asuka, a mysterious and brilliant young man, learns of the demons return. Ryo endeavors to reveal the demons insidious plot to humanity. While gathering evidence, Ryo's best friend, Akira, becomes possessed. Akira's innocence and pure heart overcame the demon's will allowing Akira to access all of the demon's power yet retain his humanity. Together Ryo and Akira wage a war against demonic kind.

WHAT I LIKED

Short but Sweet Complete. There have been several anime productions of Devilman, the first of which deviated extensively from the original story. The others were far more faithful but only depicted certain chapters of the story, never the full story. Crybaby, for the first time in animation, depicts the original story from beginning to end faithfully. Western fans of Devilman, such as myself, have never been privy to the whole story, either in the manga or in animation (save for a live action movie which left something to be desired). Seeing the whole story presented for the first time is incredible. (I know it sounds stupid to say that having a completed story is a positive but this is a special circumstance). The series consists of ten 23 minute episodes, quick and easy, moving along at a quick pace.

The Score. Simply put, the music for this show is perfect. It's epic. It's haunting. There is a choral accompaniment for most of the series that lends the images on screen heightened gravitas. And with the choral accompaniment there is a biblical quality as well as a tone of blasphemy which is the essence of Devilman. I love it.

Intensity. Devilman, no matter which iteration you're watching, is a vicious and harrowing experience. If you are unfamiliar with Devilman the violence and sex on display in Crybaby will be quite striking (it was jarring even to me who was expecting it). Crybaby doesn't hold back its punches. It churns your stomach, makes you feel emotionally uncomfortable, pulls on your heartstrings, and flat out makes you disgusted. It's all by design. The action is intense and the stakes are high.

Cultural Relevancy. I don't mean to get preachy but tucked inside this crazy horror spectacle is a very real message. The core of Devilman has always been about the nature of humanity. Love and Hate. Fear and Prejudice. Coming face to face with the darkness inside ourselves and not letting it defeat us. Devilman shines a light on these sides of humanity and the anime captures this message beautifully. It isn't until the last few episodes, the build towards the climax, where this message is the most potent. The horror of fear and hate is grotesquely displayed and makes one feel disgusted upon seeing it. Conversely the love you feel for characters like Miki and Akira is so strong and enchanting. You wish more of humanity was like Miki. Confronted with as much hate and fear in today's world as we are, the story of Devilman feels more relevant now than ever before.

And lastly, the characters are expertly adapted from the original story. Miki, Akira, Ryo, and all the rest of the cast have been perfectly preserved in this new adaptation. There are plenty of modern updates but they only aid the character depictions. While I love the monsters, horror, and intense action, if Miki and Akira weren't done right then the story wouldn't work. And Crybaby works. It's these characters and message that are the soul of Devilman and the reason why this story has endured for over 50 years and will continue to endure for years to come.

NITPICKS

Anime Style. If you are familiar with more extreme Japanese animation styles then you should have no trouble embracing the appearance of Crybaby. Go Nagai's artwork itself is of a particular style, yet the look of Crybaby is something far different than Devilman has ever looked before. The scenes with humans characters are easier to adjust to but many sequences with demons and Devilman himself are rather surreal. All this is to say that the animation style employed here may take some getting used to. Once you've acclimatized to the animation nothing will hinder you from bingeing the hell out of this series.

OLDER DEVILMAN ANIMES

As a fan of Devilman for sometime, I can't help but compare this anime to all the previous anime iterations. Frankly, Crybaby is probably my least favorite in terms of animation style. That's not to say that Crybaby itself is bad, far from it in fact. To be clear, Devilman: Crybaby is excellent. However, my personal preferences lean more toward previous animation styles, for example, the animation style employed in CYBORG 009 VS DEVILMAN (also on Netflix!). If you have the mean I highly recommend watching the Devilman OVAs (Devilman: The Birth & Devilman: Demon Bird Sirene) and AMON: THE APOCALYPSE OF DEVILMAN as these are my favorite Devilman animes. Cyborg 009 Vs Devilman is good too and so is the alternate universe anime DEVIL LADY (a variation of the story had Devilman been a woman).

THE VERDICT

Brutal. Graphic beyond most you've ever seen. And surprisingly sweet at times. Devilman: Crybaby is a harrowing tale of good versus evil. Not for those with delicate sensibilities or for the easily disturbed. Within all the violence and graphic content is a frighteningly accurate reflection of the world we live in today, the evil human beings are capable of, as well as the good we are capable of and can aspire to. The story of Akira Fudo is a timeless tale, fantastic and extremely imaginative, containing pure truth at its center. Step into Devilman's world, but beware. You might not like what you see.

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 9 out of 10