Why “Devilman Crybaby” Was Worse Than I Expected: A Review and Thoughts After Watching the Entire Series

Click here for the Japanese version of the article

I finally watched it…! It’s the Netflix-exclusive *Devilman Crybaby*!

I seem to recall it being quite the talk of the town back then for actually adapting the original *Devilman* all the way to the very end!

That’s because, until now, there had never been a single adaptation that faithfully brought the original story to the screen all the way to the end (Huh? The live-action version?).

I hate to say it myself, but I usually try to find the good points and enjoy things in my own way… but this one is terrible (though maybe that’s because my expectations were high since it’s a Netflix production…).

I was excited when I first heard about it, but once I actually watched it, I was disappointed… honestly, it’s pretty awful.

I’m really sorry to have you here, but if you find this unpleasant, please turn back, or leave a critical comment after reading the whole thing.

Conclusion: Terrible, not worth watching, a disaster

Better late than never, but I finally watched the “Netflix Devilman”! It was released in 2018, I think, so it’s been 6 or 7 years now! I finally watched it!

Why hadn’t I watched it until now…? It’s not because I’m broke and it was on Netflix, a paid streaming service…

It’s because I just couldn’t get past the fact that the character designs were completely overhauled and the setting was modernized.

Personally, I really wish they’d just adapt the original manga directly into an anime… but I guess that’s just a pipe dream…

I’ll get straight to the point… It’s terrible… Terrible… Way too terrible… How did it turn out like this? Honestly, watching each episode was pure torture…

But I figured I couldn’t judge it until I’d seen the whole thing, so I forced myself to watch it all the way through…

Netflix! The very same Netflix! They said, “We’re going to make a Devilman that’s true to the original!” so I had incredibly high hopes… but I’m so disappointed… it brings tears to my eyes.

The live-action Devilman is way better. At least with that one, I can accept it as a completely different thing, and I could even feel some love for it in parts.

There were a few moments that made me go, “Whoa…!” and some good changes, but overall, it’s terrible.

Of course, I know there are plenty of people who give it high ratings… but it just wasn’t for me.

For the record, I’m still a huge Devilman fan. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reread the original manga.

Of course, I’ve watched every single Devilman adaptation, and I’ve read both Lady and Jack!

While I have my reservations, I’ve chosen to interpret them as “this is actually pretty good in its own way” and enjoy each one for what it is.

However, even setting those aside, the Netflix version of Devilman is terrible.

Below are my thoughts and analysis on the Netflix version of Devilman! Expect major spoilers ahead!

Ep 1: I immediately feel hopeless

The story begins with a flashback to Akira and Ryo’s past. They’re both around 5 or 6 years old, I guess?

Akira, a young boy grieving over a stray cat that died… He’s such a crybaby… Is this where the title comes into play? (Come to think of it, the live-action version also started with a flashback to their childhood, even though the original manga doesn’t have any flashbacks to their past.)

In response to Ryo’s cold remark about the cat’s death, Akira says something meaningful: “Ryo-chan is crying too!” ← I wondered what this was all about, but I interpreted it as Ryo putting on a cold front to hide his own tearful nature. Deep down, Ryo wants to cry too, but he’s suppressing those feelings for Akira’s sake.

The scene shifts to the present day.

The story is set with Miki, Meiko, and Akira all belonging to their high school track and field club.

Miki is the track team’s ace, known as the “Witch of Kamioka Academy.” She’s somewhat of a celebrity—she’s appeared in gravure magazines and is apparently an influencer on social media.

Meiko was depicted as a cute, curvy girl with a ponytail. In the original work, she’s a delinquent girl who appears partway through the story and was a victim of the Demon’s indiscriminate fusion, so this is quite a change (though I don’t mind this adaptation).

Akira is also a member of the track and field club. He’s incredibly sensitive—so much so that he even cries when he sees news reports of murder cases.

Also, the track and field coach is already depicted as a demon… He ate an insect in an instant with his long tongue, so maybe he’s a chameleon demon? Will he end up fighting Devilman later on?

On her way home from school, Miki gets hassled by some weird rapper she doesn’t really get… I guess these are the delinquents who replace Dosroku and Kodou Masashi from the original manga? Maybe this change is because “yankee” culture isn’t really a thing anymore in the Reiwa era… but why a rapper?

Just then, she gets into a car, and Ryo Asuka suddenly appears…! “Come with me!” It seems like it’s been a while since they last met.

Ryo’s entrance in the Netflix version was pretty intense. In the original manga, he had this brooding vibe and seemed to appear rather slowly, but in this adaptation, he’s become a strangely cheerful and carefree character… It feels a bit off… I wish they’d just stuck to the original…

And then there’s Akira’s reaction… “Ryo-chan?” I can’t believe it—in this anime, Akira actually calls Ryo “Ryo-chan”! Somehow, Akira feels a bit childish before the fusion in this version.

Also, in the original, the delinquents just left after he fired a single shot, but in this anime, he goes on a full-on machine gun rampage, [barararararara]. They really went all out with that!

Ryo puts Akira in the car, leaves Miki behind, and drives off somewhere…

Ryo then starts talking about various things. In the original manga, he talks about his own father, but in the Netflix version—maybe because Ryo himself is a professor—he doesn’t have a father.

Instead, he starts telling the story of how Dr. Fikira, a fellow researcher he was working with deep in the Amazon, died. Wait, “Who the heck is Dr. Fikira?!” He’s probably meant to replace Ryo’s father from the original manga, Professor Asuka… Why did they change it? Wouldn’t it have been fine to keep the father character?

Apparently, Dr. Fikira tried to obtain demonic powers but failed.

Ryo continues. He says demons are spreading throughout the world—manifesting in athletes who suddenly gain superhuman abilities or people who become violent and unrecognizable. The world is aware of this, but out of fear of causing a panic, they haven’t made it public…

So Ryo decides to gather evidence of demons on his own and expose them to the public! But since he’s scared to do it alone, he came to Akira.

Unlike the original story, he doesn’t try to become a demon himself and fight; instead, he tries to gather evidence against the demons.

“You’re the only one I can trust! Let’s work together to find proof of the demons!” Akira—who must be incredibly gullible—doesn’t even suspect Ryo, and just goes along with him as they suddenly sneak onto the dance floor together.

No, no, no, no—what the hell is this? What happened? Give me a break. I’m just like, “What the hell is this?”

It should be great to open the door with resolve! Where did the original story go? This is really terrible…

In the original, this is where it would turn into a ghost story—they’d put on headgear and take their time building up the terror… it would build up slowly but surely… but that whole part has been completely cut out… Personally, I thought this part was pretty crucial for giving credibility to the theory that “demons actually exist!”…

The sense of tragedy that was in the original is nowhere to be found… There’s no scene where he sheds tears and resolves to become a demon himself… On the contrary, what should have been the Asura Hell where two people fight alone has turned into him spouting nonsense like, “If I make it back alive, everyone will thank me!”… What the hell is this... It makes me want to cry.

Honestly, this is a level of adaptation I just can’t forgive... This isn’t Devilman... At this point, I’m already declaring it a total flop.

But I can’t judge the work without watching it! I’ll do my best to keep watching...

Ryo-chan figures out that the Sabat Party is where demons are possessing humans,

and then he starts saying that demons love blood and goes on a rampage... He’s totally gone off the deep end now. Well, this part was pretty similar in the original manga, too. Akira gets dragged into it and gets beaten up… Then, suddenly, the fusion with the demon begins!

Ryo gets crushed by the demon and is about to be devoured—he’s in a life-or-death crisis! Akira tries to save him, but he’s about to get eaten himself… So Akira transforms too!

Devilman’s design itself is really cool, and the scenes where he goes on a rampage were amazing… but that’s exactly why it’s such a shame… After all, Devilman is a series that’s supposed to carefully depict the process of his creation…

And from Ryo’s perspective, turning Akira into a demon seems to have been a miscalculation… Well, I guess he did infiltrate the party venue to gather evidence that demons exist. I get that it was a miscalculation, but is this series trying to pick a fight with the original manga?

Also, maybe just a little? The camera angles in the anime feel like they’re trying to be sexy. This is just my personal opinion, but I really don’t think we need this kind of thing.

Since it’s the Netflix version, I expected the censorship to be pretty relaxed, so they wouldn’t have to change the original story that much, and I was hoping to see a proper Devilman anime based on the original… But my impression after watching the first episode is, honestly, quite disappointing… I don’t mind the parts where they’ve modernized it… but it’s so different from the original that it’s going to take me a while to get used to it…

While I was watching, I was debating whether to stop watching or not, but since Devilman looked so cool, I’ll give it a little more time.

By the way, after the fusion, the original had a tragic scene where Ryo got caught up in it and died, but that wasn’t included here either (even though that would’ve been a great way to wrap up the Birth Arc… though you can tell right away that he’s alive).

Ep 2: It was nice to see some school life, but…

The title of Episode 2 is “One Hand Is Enough”! This is a famous line from the original manga, spoken by Akira when he—having become Devilman and undergone a personality change—knocks out a delinquent who gets in his way early on with just one hand!

I wonder how the Netflix version will handle this line?

Episode 2 begins with the school as the setting. Akira, with his changed demeanor, is surrounded by girls who squeal with excitement. Since this part was handled rather briefly in the original manga, I’m glad the anime expanded on it. The past OVA versions didn’t include that kind of “reward” either.

In the Netflix version, in particular, not only his facial features and hairstyle but even his bone structure and jawline have changed completely—he looks like a totally different person.

He devours the lunches he receives from his female fans one after another, eating like the protagonists of Dragon Ball or One Piece.

He also shows a side that’s way too hardboiled, like using the audiovisual room to openly watch adult videos at full volume.

I’m pretty satisfied to see scenes where Akira, who’s pretty wild at school, gets everyone around him involved and becomes the center of attention. This feels like classic “Narou-style” storytelling! It’s a really great adaptation! The scene where he goes on a rampage at school after the fusion is something I might have wanted to see in the original manga too.

On the other hand, Akira has too much power on his hands. He goes and picks a fight with the rappers from Episode 1 and beats them up... which ties back to the title with the line, “One hand is enough.”

That part is the same as the original... The title was resolved pretty early on in the story... But picking a fight on his own... that doesn't really seem like Akira...

To reiterate, the delinquents from the original have been reimagined as a group of rappers. Well, I guess that's what happens when you adapt it for a modern setting? After all, there aren’t many delinquent gangs left these days.

On his way home from school, Akira heads to Ryo’s hospital on the motorcycle Ryo sent him. Just like in the original, Ryo is alive and well.

Ryo’s secretary brings him a meal. Her name is “Jenny”… They’re making zero effort to hide it here—it’s blatantly Psycho Jenny, isn’t it?

There, Akira and Ryo devise a plan to track down and defeat the Demon.

Off he goes!

Akira rushes to the scene where a human is being devoured… It seems the victim was someone he knew, and he sheds tears… He really hasn’t lost his kind heart, has he?

He stretches his arm out incredibly far, attacks the demon, and tears it apart… It would be rude to point out, “Did Devilman even have the ability to stretch his arm like that?”… This is probably just animation flair.

However, a reporter catches him transforming into Devilman…!

If this continues, Akira’s true identity will be exposed to the public…! What are you going to do, Devilman!? And with that, Episode 2 comes to an end.

Ever since he took down the rapper with just one hand, the entire story has been an original development.

Honestly, I don’t mind them fleshing out the original story or updating the language a bit to suit modern times… but I really didn’t ask for original storylines… The part at the beginning where Akira becomes the talk of the town with all the girls screaming was fine, though…

By the time I got to Episode 1, I actually thought halfway through, “Maybe I should just stop watching this,” but if I set aside the fact that it’s a Devilman adaptation, I suppose I could say this is interesting in its own right…

However, those pointlessly erotic scenes are truly unnecessary… I don’t want that kind of thing in Devilman… I like erotic content, but when it has nothing to do with the story, it’s really not needed…

Well, it’s not in the original manga, but since he’s been caught, I’m curious about what happens next, so I’ll watch Episode 3 too.

Ep 3: Exhausted by the Runaway Erotica...

It starts with some nonsensical rap. Well, if the only change is that the delinquents have become rappers, that’s totally fine.

The title of Episode 3 was “I Filmed It.”

It starts with a reporter who’s been stalking Miki and trying to get her to do lewd things—only to have his true identity exposed. A completely original plot twist… I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn’t read the original manga first.

Ryo gathers information by paying homeless people and the like.

While all this is going on, for some reason, that reporter ends up getting possessed by a demon before we know it.

The reporter, possessed by a demon, invites Miki into his home...

There’s even a scene where he secretly films Miki in the bath, but I really don’t need that kind of thing... I’m disappointed every time these sexual scenes pop up here and there... It just feels unpleasant (though Miki taking a bath in someone else’s house is Miki, I suppose).

The reporter then attacks Miki while she’s bathing. Apparently, he’s Agwell from the original work.

After that, Akira rushes over… but the one standing there is Miki, possessed by Agwell…

Of course, thanks to Ryo’s backup, the ambush on Akira fails… but the erotic scenes just keep coming from there. It’s really sickening… Why can’t they realize that this kind of pointless eroticism only lowers the quality of the work…

That’s when Ryo gets pretty brutal! He shoots and kills the reporter, who was supposed to have turned back into a human, and also kills anyone else who might have learned the secret.

And since Miki might have learned the secret too… he tries to kill her as well.

Ryo’s famous line from the commercials, “Live with me, or die with that woman!” comes up here. There’s no scene like this where the two of them clash in the original work, though…

Episode 3 ends here

In the original manga, Sirene would take advantage of Akira’s moment of complacency—now that he’s certain of victory—to launch a surprise attack, but that doesn’t seem to be happening here.

The original storyline is fine, but there are these pointlessly erotic scenes that really kill the mood…

I’m seriously debating whether to keep watching… If it weren’t for that, I think it wouldn’t be so bad… But since that final confrontation leaves a lingering impact and I’m curious about what happens next, I think I’ll give it a shot.

Ep 4: The Disappointing Jinmen Arc

From here on out, it’s getting pretty tough to watch, and I’ve stopped caring about the subtitles…

Things were heating up last time, but conveniently enough, Miki doesn’t remember a thing, so Ryo decides to wait and see how things play out.

The scene then shifts, and Akira gets a call from his mother.

His mother’s name is “Kaori,” and she’s a doctor. She seems to be close friends with Makimura’s parents as well.

She flew back to Japan to see Akira. I had a vague feeling this was coming at this point… but sure enough, she gets taken out by the Demon…

It really reminds me of the Sirene arc in the OVA.

Of course, Jinmen makes an appearance. Is this an homage to the OVA? In the OVA, I’m pretty sure Jinmen’s voice actor was Takeshi Aono, and he did a great job.

Sure enough, Jinmen appeared before Sirene. It was the same in the OVA, but maybe his appearance was too early in the original manga?

Tears pierces through Jinmen and defeats him... but unlike the original, there was no line like “You're going to die too, aren't you?” when he peeled off the shell... nor was there the melancholic final poem, “Death Mask of Sorrow”... I really liked that part... It's such a shame...

And as expected... even Netflix couldn't bring themselves to sacrifice the young girl, Sachi, could they? Instead, Akira's mother ends up being the one sacrificed every time...

The battle with Jinmen is over, and the scene shifts to Miko’s part.

It turns out Miko’s real name is actually Miki. However, we learn a somewhat pitiful backstory: since there’s already an incredibly talented Miki on the track team, she was given the name “Miko” to distinguish her. It seems this has become quite a complex for Miko.

And then Miko gets attacked by a demon!!! That’s where the episode ends.

What?! Miko gets attacked? She was already in a pretty precarious situation, so I wonder what’s going to happen to her? The plot is completely different from the original manga, but it’s definitely keeping me hooked… So, let’s tune in next time!

We’re not even halfway through yet, but it’s getting pretty hard to watch… I don’t remember exactly, but I think this is around the time I started using “2x speed” when watching the videos.

Ep 5: The recreation of the Sirene arc from the original manga was great!

Akira just can't control his urges... and his libido is through the roof! I was totally blown away by that wet dream where he soaked the entire ceiling while he was asleep! Honestly, that scene was kind of refreshing to watch (lol).

It seems his X-ray vision has gotten stronger too, since he can even see Miki naked… (Seriously, we don’t need this pointless erotic development.) I mean, this X-ray vision wasn’t even foreshadowed at all to begin with… (If I had to guess, is it a parody of Go Nagai’s other manga, *The King of the Superhuman*?)

The scene takes place at school.

Miko appears, having blatantly transformed into Devilman, and her vibe has completely changed. Although she was attacked by a demon last time, it seems she somehow managed to take control of its mind! Her appearance has also turned into something like “Tomb Raider.” Apparently, becoming Devilman has given her confidence, and she wants to prove to Miki that she is the true Miki by competing against her in track and field. She’s fired up, declaring, “I’ll beat you in the official competition!”

The scene shifts to Ryo Asuka. Surprisingly, we finally get our first glimpse of his secretary’s face. Just looking at her face, she’s got a seriously intense psychogenic vibe… I feel like they could have made her a normal beauty here… but the production team seems to really enjoy going over the top (Personally, I think they could have toned it down a bit, so I’m a little disappointed. I’ve read the original manga, and I felt this was a bit too explicit).

Then, they investigate athletes who have dramatically improved their records and seem like completely different people. It seems Ryo’s plan is entering its second phase.

Aki, unable to suppress his beast-like urges, heads to the red-light district to blow off some steam, where he’s approached by Sirene in her human form.

They go into a private room and get all tangled up… (I really don’t need this kind of stuff), but suddenly she grabs Aki with her claws and flies off into the sky.

In the original manga, he wouldn’t transform into Devilman at this point, but in the Netflix version, he transforms just like that. There’s no support scene from Ryo either.

Kaim is positioned as Sirene’s partner from the start and has a human form as well. He’s pretty cool and handsome.

After transforming and growing wings, Akira somehow falls right back down… Is he still unable to use his powers properly?

Then, Devilman’s left arm is severed by Sirene’s remote-controlled claw attack.

That’s where the famous line from the original manga, “Oh, beautiful moon…” (which normally comes before the attack), is inserted here. This is exactly what I love! I want to see an anime adaptation of the original manga! I really don’t need weird changes that stray far from the source material or unnecessary erotic content!

Then, rather abruptly, Sirene ends up with her own claws piercing her stomach, Akira rips the feathers from her head, and the scene escalates into a mid-air sex scene.

I’d like to say “another weird adaptation…” here, but according to Gekiman, the mid-air sex scene was actually part of the original author’s initial concept. In a way, this might be a touching moment because it means the adaptation has finally brought that vision to life.

Also, I feel like Sirene was a bit stronger in the original work… but in the Netflix version, she gets taken down pretty easily.

There’s no way Kaim could just stand by and watch that happen. He transforms into his demon form! He unleashes a thunderbolt! Just like in the original, Kaim, resigned to his own death, tries to fuse with Sirene.

He delivers the famous line to Sirene: “Even covered in blood, you’re beautiful…” That’s it! This is exactly what I’m looking for! Give us more of this!

Kaim… it’s so heartbreaking… Sirene’s true love is Amon…! Even if he’s second best, he’s devoted to the woman he’s madly in love with…! Risking his life…! Just like in the original, Kaim is such a man! So cool! Way too cool, Kaim-aniki! This is the kind of Devilman I want to see!

I’ll say it again, this is exactly what I’m talking about! This is what I want to see in an anime! I don’t need any of those weird, inexplicably erotic changes.

The battle was mostly faithful to the original manga.

Just when they were about to cross the finish line, Kaim and Sirene stood there looking so dignified… It ended right as Akira wondered, “Do demons have love too?”… Seeing Akira’s perspective on demons shift a little made me go, “Oh!”

Before watching, I was curious about what would happen to Sirene, given all the foreshadowing, but it wrapped up in just one episode.

That wraps up half the story! Only 5 episodes left!

I wonder if the next episode will be about the spider at school...

Ep 6: Ryo's Plan Begins to Unfold

Starting in Episode 6, Professor Raizuma—the “misunderstood professor” famous from the original manga—makes his appearance.

Ryo has a conversation with the track athlete he mentioned earlier, the one whose performance suddenly improved after a drastic personality change. His name is Koda. Just to reiterate, unlike in the original manga, Ryo is a university professor, an expert, and somewhat of a celebrity.

And that track athlete... apparently he’s gay. What is with this confusing, pointless added backstory... Stuff like this really kills the mood... Disappointing... What on earth are they trying to be considerate of...

Ryo’s plan was to expose the track athlete’s true identity during a live TV broadcast and make the existence of demons known to the whole country.

It was to make people realize, “Maybe my neighbor isn’t human, but a demon?”... Seriously, everything from Ryo’s personality to his actions has completely changed from the original work.

It seems he plans to expose the truth at the track meet that both Akira and Miki are participating in. I’d forgotten, but come to think of it, Akira is on the track team too.

Ryo makes Koda drink a suspicious liquid… Koda goes berserk, but it turns out he wasn’t a demon after all—he was actually Devilman. Realizing this, Akira tries to reason with him during the race

“Maybe we can understand each other...!” thought Akira... This part isn't in the original manga, but it's a thrilling development! However, Ryo doesn't change his plan... It is carried out mercilessly.

It seems he can't even hear Akira's desperate pleas, and he tramples and devours everyone present.

Just as Ryo planned, he has succeeded in making the existence of demons known to the entire world.

And while the TV broadcast was canceled, they’re using an online show to spread the word—that’s just how things are these days.

What madness…

In the original manga, Ryo gave up and just went with the flow around the time of the Demon’s indiscriminate fusion, thinking, “This is impossible!”—it felt like he’d completely lost it… but up until then, I was actually rooting for him.

In the Netflix version, it’s all very calculated…

Ryo calls Akira to ask if he’s taken care of Koda, but Akira lies and says, “I’ve already taken him down.”

Thinking Koda still has a chance to turn back, Akira decides to try and save him, so he hides Koda without telling Ryo.

That’s where it ends.

Are they not going to do the spider episode from the original manga…? Are they going to weave it in somewhere?

In the original, the Demon’s true identity is revealed through its indiscriminate fusion, but unlike the source material, Ryo’s calculated crime has plunged the world into chaos.

It’s a shame they cut the entire scene where Zenon declares war on the world… That scene—with its sense of despair, or rather, the moment it completely shifts the atmosphere of the story by drawing the whole world in—was one of my favorites… I’m truly disappointed.

And then there’s Koda… Will he go berserk and be defeated by Akira as a Demon…? The suspenseful, heart-pounding developments just keep coming!

I was thinking about stopping halfway through, but somehow the story has really picked up steam!

Will Akira be able to save Koda? Or will Koda be consumed by the power of the Demon?

The slice-of-life segments end with Episode 6, so starting next time, it’s the Armageddon arc of the final war, right?

Ep 7: Could Tare-chan Really Turn Into a Demon?

Now that demons have been acknowledged by society, the world has changed. And all sorts of speculation is flying around.

Amidst this, a rumor spreads that there’s a way to tell if someone is a demon by pulling out a strand of their hair (is this some kind of homage to *Parasyte* or something?).

But every time they need to explain the current situation in the story, they do it through rap… Can’t they do something about this? Is it just the director’s personal preference or something?

Everyone in the world is becoming increasingly suspicious…

It looks like we won’t be seeing the Demon Special Attack’s forced fusion or Zenon’s declaration of war scenes after all… It’s truly a shame…

Come to think of it, was Zenon even depicted in this anime? In the original manga, Akira saw him in a dream right after the fusion, but is he not even appearing in this anime? Zenon

Let’s get back to the topic. Humans still have no way to tell whether a Demon is a Devilman or just a human. The world is in chaos.

But even that is all part of Ryo’s plan.

In the original manga, Ryo gave up early on and concluded that as long as Akira survived, that would be enough.

But in the Netflix version, Ryo hasn’t given up. Humans are being sacrificed, but Demons are also being hunted down. To a bewildered Akira, he states flatly that this is a necessary evil.

And then there’s Koda, who was saved by Akira. He jumps between buildings like Spider-Man. It seems he’s doing pretty well.

It appears Akira is trying to gather Devilmen behind Ryo’s back. It’s the formation of the Devilman Army!

The scene shifts to Miki. While Miki is walking alone, she gets hassled by some weird guys.

That’s when a group of rappers comes to her rescue. I guess this means the rappers are taking the place of the delinquent gang that wasn’t in the original manga.

Miko and Koda meet.

In the original manga, Miko’s body transformed, giving her the ability to spit out a corrosive liquid, but it seems different in the Netflix version.

She overpowers Koda with overwhelming strength. With strength like a stag beetle… Miko is seriously impressive.

And now the scene shifts to Miki’s mother.

Wow! This is another development completely absent from the original manga: Miki’s younger brother, Taro, has had his body taken over by a demon… Seeing him unable to control the demon’s impulses as he mauls a stray dog, his mother is left bewildered… I mean, seriously, if you think about how his mother must feel, it’s enough to make your heart sink… (In the original manga, it was Tare-chan, but here it’s Taro.)

Ryo declares that humans are doomed to self-destruction. “For now, we must simply watch over their fate... Humans have no way to fight demons...!” he declares to Akira.

But Akira retorts, “Humans do have the power to stand up to demons!” and tells Ryo to gather the Devilmen to fight.

However, Ryo snaps back, “I didn't turn you into a Devilman so you could do something like that!” (Huh? In the Netflix version, they didn't fuse him to become a Devilman in the first place, did they? I feel a bit of a contradiction in his statement.)

At this point, the two part ways… and the famous line from the original manga, “It backfired on me…” is uttered.

Incidentally, it’s said that even the author, Go Nagai, didn’t realize the true meaning of this line at the time. Apparently, it was a line spoken unconsciously by Ryo, who is Satan. And there wasn’t that scene where Ryo is confused, saying, “I’ve become so obsessed that I’m going to end up threatening humans”… Personally, I thought that was a pretty important scene… Too bad…

After that, Miki’s mom flees with Tarou, who has turned into a demon! Next comes the appearance of the Orb of Light from the original manga, and Ryo gets totally freaked out—and that’s the end of this story.

What’s going to happen to Tarou? I have a really bad feeling about this…

Ep 8: The Dream Battle Against Zenon! Akira's True Identity Is Revealed!

A scene is inserted where Ryo, seeing the orb of light appear, laments, “Everything was going according to plan until now... Damn it!”

But then, Ryo himself begins to question his own actions... He recalls that on the very day Akira became Devilman in the first episode, at that very moment, he had ordered, “Amon! This is your chance! Possess Akira!”

This is totally Satan, isn’t it? Or rather, Amon possessed Akira on Satan’s orders… Though it’s a bit sad for Amon since he ended up having his consciousness taken over as a result…

The scene shifts to Miki’s dad

He takes Taro with him to search for his missing wife… but when he finds her, he sees a completely transformed Taro eating his mom… He probably couldn’t suppress his demonic urges… It’s understandable… He was still just a child… To end up eating his own mother, who was trying to protect him… That’s just too much to bear…

Along the way, Akira comes to the rescue, but he’s too late, and Miki’s dad is shot by the Devil Special Investigation Squad…

And so, Makimura’s dad… and mom… Tare-chan—no, Tarou-chan—are gone… Akira blames himself for not being able to save them…

Well, but if they hadn’t done this, in the original story, his parents would have been tortured, and Tare-tan would have had her head chopped off… So in a way, maybe this was for the best…

And then, finally, he appears! Demon King Zenon! He shows up right here!

And so, Akira vs. Zenon! A dream matchup that was impossible in both the original series and the spin-off has finally come true! I thought, “This is intense!” But it ends pretty quickly. I kind of wish we could have seen a little more of their battle…

Akira is being overwhelmed… Just as another demon is about to deliver the final blow, Psychogeny arrives and declares, “You must not kill Fudo Akira… It is His will…”

Then Koda, who has been watching the entire scene, declares, “I’m siding with the demons!” It’s true that even if his heart is human, it seems impossible for him to survive in human society, so it’s not surprising he made that decision. That said, to betray Akira, who saved him…

At that point, Ryo tries to trace his roots based on his past experiences and look for evidence of his first professor, but that’s when he’s taken away.

When Akira wakes up, it seems Miko has been taking care of him. That’s when he reveals to Miko that he is Devilman… and their true identities are exposed to each other.

Then, he returns home with Miko to where Miki is waiting. Miko really plays a big role in this story, doesn’t she! I don’t mind this kind of thing at all!

The setup is that Akira was injured while trying to save Miko. The rappers were also holed up in the house with them.

There, Akira tells them, “My dad, my mom, and Taro have all died.”

Miki locks herself in her room… Well, of course she would… It’s just too painful…

Then, an emergency news bulletin comes in from the government! Ryo is appearing on the broadcast! The developments from there are mostly the same as the original manga: they air Akira’s transformation scene nationwide, plunging the world into even greater chaos.

It’s painful to watch Akira’s hopeful expression right before the announcement… Up until this point, he still firmly believes that Ryo is on his side…

Even though his dad and mom aren’t there, this part of the story is the same as the original manga…

So Akira tries to explain to the rappers that “I’m not a demon!” but they point their guns at him and pull the trigger…

BANG!!!

And that’s the end of this episode. Wow, what a killer cliffhanger! Or should I say, a “trigger-happy” one? Just kidding.

Ep 9: An Unexpected Escape!? The Episode I Most Want You to Watch

After the TV broadcast, there’s some commotion, but the situation is resolved when Miki trusts and accepts Akira.

And, naturally, a police car arrives at the Makimura house right away.

Akira tells the rappers to look after things while he’s away, as he’s heading out to meet Ryo.

On his way to meet Ryo, he witnesses humans mistreating other humans.

So Akira blurts out, “If these guys were really demons, you’d all be wiped out in a single blow!” That’s something I’ve always thought… This is the moment in the Netflix version where you just want to shout, “I’m so glad you said that!”

Ordinary humans have no chance against demons, after all…

Here comes a development not found in the original manga: Miki takes to social media to make an appeal to the whole world... declaring that “Akira Fudo is not a demon—his body may be that of a demon, but his heart is human”...! This is so moving...!

She emphasizes that he’s the kind of person who can’t cry for himself, but can cry for others.

Is this where the title comes full circle? In a way, this might be the highlight of the Netflix version.

So, the boys who empathize with him gather around Akira... and the people who were being oppressed are set free...

You’d think they’d wrap things up with a touching finale right here… but of course, Devilman wouldn’t let that happen!

Koda, who was supposedly saved by Akira, bursts in and gets in the way…! How could he… that’s awful… to repay a kindness with betrayal…

Then it’s time for the rematch with Zenon! And after a fierce, intense battle, Akira actually wins! He totally knocks Zenon out! That was so satisfying! Just seeing that alone made it worth sticking with the Netflix version of *Devilman*! …or so I think.

From there, the story moves on to the part where the mob attacks the Makimura family.

But before that, there’s a heartwarming scene showing the strong friendship between Miko and Miki.

Unlike the original manga, Miko has transformed into Devilman and is on Miki’s side this time, so I wonder how this will play out? Of course, the rappers are on their side too!

This is probably the part that makes even those familiar with the original manga feel a bit on edge, isn’t it? The ending probably won’t change, though…

Believe it or not, Miki climbs onto the back of Devilman-ified Miko and escapes the Makimura residence!

Whoa! You’ve got to be kidding me! An escape like that!?

This deserves a standing ovation! Miko did an absolutely amazing job! Actually, this is something I’ve been thinking about ever since I was a student. I always thought, “If Akira is going to leave the scene, why doesn’t he just leave a replacement Devilman by Miki’s side to protect her…?” This time, they’ve made my wish come true!

This is truly Netflix at its best!

But then, the pursuers catch up, Miko lets Miki escape, and dies right there... and Miki too... (I knew the outcome wouldn’t change, but thank you for letting me dream for a little while)

I can’t say I didn’t feel a bit off seeing Miko—who was a Devilman—lose so easily to a human (especially since she was the one saying things like, “I’ll take you down with one hit!”), but oh well… I’m satisfied just having seen Miko in action.

Then, just like in the original manga, Akira rushes into the scene where things have turned into a chaotic free-for-all, declares, “You humans are the demons!” and burns everything to the ground, bringing this story to a close.

Miki and Miko both exited the story in this episode, but Miko really was treated well in this Netflix adaptation! There were hints that Miki might meet a tragic end, but as they spent time together, their bond deepened, and it was moving to see her try to protect Miki until the very end.

I want to give Miko a round of applause…! Well done!

Final Ep: An Evangelion-style Armageddon

Akira arrives at Ryo’s side… “Why did you betray humanity?!” he demands of Ryo.

In response, Ryo says, “It’s not like that, Akira…” and immediately transforms into Satan, beginning to explain the origins of the Demons.

The face-to-face scene between Akira and Ryo, which was originally quite brief, has been significantly extended in this adaptation.

When Akira challenges him to a fight, Satan taunts him, “You’ll die!”… but Akira retorts, “I’ll defeat you! Even if I die, I’ll drag you down to hell with me!”

They really don’t get it! At the very least, the creators of this anime don’t understand how I feel! ← Like they’d know, lol

He’s not supposed to come out and say he’s Satan right there on the spot! There’s supposed to be a scene where Akira mutters “Satan…” as he’s leaving, and Satan glances back at him briefly before walking away… That’s where the melancholy comes in, and it’s great… But they haven’t recreated that atmosphere from the original manga at all! It’s a total disaster! They really don’t get it! Ryo in the Netflix version talks way too much!

The silent scenes are what make Devilman great!

By the way, in the OVA version of “AMON,” those silent scenes were brilliantly portrayed at the very end… That was divine directing.

In response to Miki’s call, the Devilman Army has come to Akira’s aid. As the Devilman Army gathers, the Hindu ascetics don’t get a single scene!

In Satan’s conversation with Psychogene, there’s a line like, “God is coming back soon, so we have to destroy humanity first…” But that kind of thing is really unnecessary—they should have left that to the viewers’ imagination! It really kills the appeal of the original work... It’s so sad...

And so begins the battle: the Demon Corps vs. the Devilman Corps.

For some reason, the depiction of the Demons attacking humans before the apocalypse made me think, “This feels a bit like Evangelion...” But the scene where Satan activates his AT Field gave me a real shock... Isn’t this going a bit too far?

Then Akira slams his right fist into Satan with all his might! Since the original manga barely depicted the battle between Satan and Devilman, adding scenes like this to fill in the gaps might not be a bad idea.

Even Psychogeny, who seemed invincible in the original, gets thoroughly beaten during the war! This might be another scene that feels satisfying.

In the final battle between Satan and Devilman, they fight in space, just like in the *Dragon Ball: Battle of Gods* movie! Just like Gear 3rd in the Enies Lobby arc of One Piece, Devilman enlarges his body and attacks Satan! He puts up a good fight!

From a certain point on, the battle really does feel like Dragon Ball! There are plenty of fast-paced, intense scenes, like when a subordinate Devilman instantly replaces Akira’s missing body parts on the spot!

This part is intense!

…And then, the final showdown!

ーーー

ーーーーーーーーー

As for the final scene, Satan talks way too much... Just like in the original manga, it should have ended cleanly with Satan’s monologue, hinting at Akira’s death by showing his missing lower body...

But in the Netflix version, they’ve inserted all sorts of flashbacks and way too many unnecessary lines... This completely ruins what makes Devilman great... The ending should be clean and simple!

...

By the way, Koda, who sided with the demons, gets taken out by Akira in a flash before he even gets to fight Satan properly… What the hell was his purpose?

This is just my imagination, but if he’d acted as a shield for Akira and said, “Akira! You’re the one who helped me regain my human heart! This life! I wouldn’t hesitate to give it up for you!” before dying in a spectacular blaze of glory, that would’ve been intense. Instead, he’s just handled so sloppily…

Seriously, what was Koda even there for? What was all that banter up until now? I really don’t get it.

Summary: My Thoughts After Forcing Myself to Watch Every Episode

When I first heard the news that Netflix was finally adapting the entire series into an anime, I was thrilled… Given that it was Netflix, I had high hopes that they would “faithfully adapt *Devilman* and turn it into a major global hit!”

However, after actually watching it, I was left feeling quite disappointed.

Even with the live-action Devilman, I managed to find things to enjoy and personally rated it as “not that bad,” but as for this adaptation, I’m absolutely certain I’ll never watch it again.

Just to be clear, I didn’t think it was right to review this series without watching the whole thing, so I forced myself to finish it… but I’m truly disappointed.

If I weren’t writing a blog post about it, I probably would have stopped watching after about two episodes… it’s that bad.

I definitely think the production quality is high, and I did have a lot of fun with it, but this isn’t the Devilman I know… All I can do is hope for another Devilman anime adaptation that stays true to the original.

I’ve heard news that the Netflix version of Devilman wasn’t exactly a success, and given this content, I can see why.

While the original storyline did keep me on the edge of my seat and was somewhat entertaining, overall, it’s still a disappointing work.

I know saying this will probably give a bad impression, but if I had to rate this series, I’d give it about 20 points.

I think the theme of this series was supposed to be conveying the message that “it’s not good for a human to become a devil at heart,” but that aspect wasn’t depicted at all.

It’s so bad that I’m left wondering, “Why on earth did Netflix even make this into an anime?” The live-action Devilman is far better.

There’s no depiction of Satan’s benevolent side, and the explanation for why Akira is treated specially is incredibly flimsy… It’s at the level where you have to ask, “Why did they even make this into an anime?”

In the original manga, Akira focused his efforts on building the Devilman Army, but in this anime, the Devilman Army is just suddenly formed out of nowhere…

There were a few scenes here and there that made me go, “Oh…!” but my overall rating for the Devilman series is quite low.

If you’re going to watch this, I recommend watching the OVA versions: “Birth Arc” and “Siren Arc,” as well as “AMON: Devilman Apocalypse.”

Unless you’re a die-hard fan, it might be worth watching just out of morbid curiosity.

People who don’t know the original might be able to dive into the series without any preconceptions and enjoy it, but as a fan of the original, I really can’t recommend it… The real Devilman isn’t like this at all… Sorry for being such a picky fan.

I also watched Tsugio Okada’s commentary video on YouTube, and apparently, since Netflix produced it, they made this Devilman with a global audience in mind… Mr. Okada apparently stuck with it until episode 4, but he gave it a scathing review… In other words, it wasn’t made for fans of the original manga who’ve known the series for years, but rather as an anime aimed at people all over the world who haven’t even heard of Devilman yet… Hearing that, the nonsensical and unnatural changes to the setting suddenly made a strange kind of sense to me.

If I had to point out a positive aspect, it would be that Miko got to shine. In Devilman spin-offs, whether live-action or AMON, Miko tends to get pretty favorable treatment.

I know I’m repeating myself, but it just wasn’t for me. I was only able to finish it because I watched it at double speed. With the reporter subplot and all that extra original content, they could have used that time to carefully depict the creation process, the formation of the Devilman Army, or other aspects…

Also, the animation was great—Devilman moves so fluidly.

Oh, and there was no spider storyline in the end. I thought they’d expand on that in the Netflix version.

The scene where Akira tried to save Koda was intense, but it was a shame how sloppily it was handled afterward.

Given this level of quality, I feel like five episodes total would have been plenty.