Devil May Cry Review: Adi Shankar and Netflix Have a New Anime Hit

NetflixAdi Shankar has found a lot of success with Netflix in the past with releases like the Castlevania franchise and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. These anime releases are notable as not only are they adapting fan favorite video game franchises, but also “remix” what was seen in the original games for a new take on the story. With Shankar’s vision steering the ship for both of these projects, there was quite a lot of intrigue when it was announced that the creator would then be taking on the fan favorite Capcom series, Devil May Cry, with a new anime.

Devil May Cry has had a number of video games released through Capcom, and has even had plenty of new takes of its own. Some were successful such as a previous anime adaptation attempt, and some were less so such as the DMC title completely reinventing the original games. So there was naturally a curious aura surrounding this new anime adaptation for Devil May Cry as it was promoted with rocking Nu-Metal tracks, and seemed much different from Shankar’s other offerings.



Thankfully, the differences here make for a very fun show to watch with a vibe perfect for Devil May Cry. NetflixWhile Devil May Cry has told its story through video games, this new series has a different story of its own. It remains faithful in the demons and creatures that it uses throughout, but it picks and chooses some highlights from across the franchise to craft and entirely new narrative.

For example, things begin when a mysterious White Rabbit attacks a group of soldiers in an attempt to claim a mysterious sword. It turns out that this is the Sword of Sparda, a mystical sword that when fully unlocked would tear down the walls separating Earth from Hell. The only ones who can stop it are Dante (Johnny Yong Bosch), who is wearing half of a mystical amulet needed to do the deed around his neck, and Mary (Scout Taylor-Compton), a soldier who is out to kill all demons by any means necessary.

The narrative might be drawing some influence from various points in the original games’ timeline, but there are new elements introduced to mix it up. The White Rabbit, for example, comes from a manga adaptation of Devil May Cry 3 and had a completely different kind of story. It’s this attention to detail that makes for a fun new kind of experience, but at the same time might push more dedicated fans of the games away.

There are characters or enemies they might recognize spread throughout the series, but they are involved in a much different capacity than seen before. Through all of this, however, Devil May Cry is also full of a very playful spirit. Dante as a lead can be hard to pin down through most media as it’s hard to gauge just how much he cares about a particular situation.

We’re introduced to a Dante who has left demon hunting missions midway through due to boredom in past, and casually takes out some dangerous enemies with a cool flare. But thankfully, when things get serious, so does Dante. It’s still his version of “serious” which maintains a playful tone on the outside, but it’s clear that things are impacting him on a deeper level.

It’s here where the anime really starts to shine. There’s a lot that can be praised about how Devil May Cry looks and sounds. It moves with a very cool level of fluidity.

Each of Dante’s actions are clear that he’s having fun during fights even with the most intense stakes on the line, and Dante’s quips never get old. Bosch’s performance for Dante is really an intriguing balancing act too as through anyone else, Dante would have more annoying qualities. But through Bosch, there’s a humanity through even the most joking of lines.

It’s legitimately making Dante cool rather than having characters outright say he’s being cool (although that does happen on more than one occasion). NetflixBut through all of the bravado, there’s an emotional core to Dante and the entire Devil May Cry anime that beats at the center of it all. Though there might be some massive set pieces featuring Papa Roach’s “Last Resort” that see Dante using a motorcycle as an axe, the real draw is what comes in between each of these action sequences.

It’s clear that Dante is doing all of this to compensate for the huge gap in his heart. The loss of his family has left him isolated, and the only way he can make up for this is to fight back against the world itself. But that’s a grueling task of its own, so he masks it through humor.

Counter that to Mary’s story (otherwise known by Dante as “Lady”), and Devil May Cry gets to showcase different sides of this conflict with the demons. It’s a very real and bloody world that humanity is walking into with all of these fights, and even someone with enough skill and technology like Mary doesn’t have a full grasp of the entire situation. She’s then manipulated further by the mysterious Vice President Baines (the late Kevin Conroy), and it’s soon made clear that there’s a lot more going on.

Dante isn’t the only one not fully aware of his place in both worlds, and that’s fleshed out over the course of the season. Devil May Cry delivers on the kind of bombastic action and fun that you would hope to see from such an anime series, but it really surprises in how much depth there actually is. There’s an episode deep into the season that’s nearly dialogue free, and it is one of the most emotional episodes in the entire run.

It’s the kind of episode that pays off some of the teases throughout the first few episodes, and even has a distinct change in art style to help hammer it home. It’s just one of the many creative ways this series flexes its muscles.Devil May Cry might not be completely adherent to the story told in the games, but it’s not like it’s thrown it all out either.

Instead, the anime chooses to use some of the best aspects of the story to provide its own kind of experience. This helps to truly highlight what makes Devil May Cry so special in the first place. There’s a juxtaposition between Dante’s flippant actions and the violent world he’s a part of, and that spirit carries through the entire anime successfully.

It’s just a fun watch that you’ll want more and more of. Netflix and Adi Shankar have another smash hit universe on their hands with this one. Rating: 4 out of 5Devil May Cry is now streaming on NetflixThe post Devil May Cry Review: Adi Shankar and Netflix Have a New Anime Hit appeared first on ComicBook.

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