The Devil May Cry series is no stranger in the world of video games. Originally a concept for Resident Evil, the first entry in the series released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2001, and has since grown into a multi-media franchise loved by millions.
Since the first game, the series has spanned four direct video game sequels, multiple side games, a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei, and the main character Dante, among others, have appeared in different fighting games and crossover titles such as Project X Zone. Not only that, the series has received multiple canon novel and manga releases, and a "filler" anime series that covers a wide variety of stories.
In short, the series has become quite large since that initial release way back on the PS2, and because of that, it wasn't really that shocking when Netflix announced they would be releasing a new series based upon it. However, what that series would exactly be was a big unknown, and concerns were instantly raised when it was revealed Adi Shankar would be leading the project. After seeing how much of a departure his Castlevania series was from the source material, many wondered if the same fate would befall Devil May Cry, and, if so, how it would be handled.
Well, now the series is out, and I finally had the chance to sit down and give the show a chance. As someone who has played every Devil May Cry title, played the crossover games featuring Dante, read most of the books, and watched the original anime series, I decided I would go into this one with an open mind and judge it on its own. Of course that is a little easier said than done, and for the sake of this review I will attempt to cover both angles. Unlike the original anime series, this one is a show non-fans can jump into completely blind, but on the other hand, die hard fans may in fact have some issues with it. If that makes the series good or bad however... Well, that isn't so black and white.
The Story:
Devil May Cry takes place in a version of our world, where monsters from another world have seemingly infiltrated it. After a mysterious man dubbed the White Rabbit hires a group to steal a mysterious sword, he himself steps in during the heist, kills everyone, and simply takes the sword for himself. He didn't need the help, but instead he used the nightmarish scene to send a message to the world; demons exist, and he is about to put his "plan" into action.
The news of this incident quickly reaches the President of the United States, along with the Vice President, and the two put a plan of their own into action. They deploy their secret group of Demon Hunters called Darkcom to not only go after the White Rabbit, but also track down everyone who might possibly know something. This leads them to bringing in a man named Enzo for questioning, who then spills the beans about the sword that was taken, the legend of the hero demon named Sparda, and his own connections to the sword for hire Dante. Dante has an amulet that the White Rabbit is also after for some reason, and Darkcom can't allow it to fall into his hands.
Leading the charge of Darkcom is a young vulgar lady named Mary, who hates demons more than anything else, and will stop at nothing to track them down and take out the White Rabbit. She enlists a group of volunteers to go after Dante and his amulet, and upon encountering Dante for herself, she quickly realizes he is anything but normal.
Unknown to Dante, he is half demon, and the amulet the White Rabbit wants is much more than a simple hand-me-down passed on to Dante from his late mother. His encounter with Mary is ultimately what shapes his fate for the rest of the series, and sees him getting pulled into Darkcom's fight against not only the White Rabbit, but his demon underlings he has brought with him. However, it isn't just Dante's amulet the White Rabbit is interested in.
As for Dante himself, up until this incident he has been working as a mercenary. With Enzo has one of his main contacts for jobs, he takes on whatever gig floats his boat, and especially takes the time to take care of incidents that may involve demons. While the show itself does not take the time to fully dive into this background and explain his past, there are multiple quick flashbacks which confirm the "core" of Dante's story from past novels, manga, and games is still in tact, and these past events have helped shape who he is today. He doesn't fully understand his own past however, and before coming face to face with one of the White Rabbit's demons, he was simply a man trying to deal with the scars of losing his family, and taking on whatever work he could to survive.
But all of this is only scratching the surface...
References:
Although Devil May Cry can be watched by newcomers and fans alike, there is a lot here that only long time fans would understand. (And not just Devil May Cry fans.)
Characters from the games and novels are seen throughout the entire series, with most of the main demon enemies actually being bosses from past titles (with the exception of the White Rabbit who appeared in the manga instead). Dante himself gets to use some of his alternate weapons during these fights, and some of his moves are direct callbacks to things we have seen him do. Dante's inhuman speed which causes time to slow down for him is something that was first mentioned in the original Devil May Cry novel, and has been featured during Matrix like scenes in the game. Dante's love for Strawberry Sundaes was also originally introduced in the first novel, and has been a mainstay for his character going forward. Even his favorite cafe featured in the anime returns as well, along side his favorite waitress. All of these things are familiar to fans of the series, and the references do not stop there.
The character of Enzo was also featured in the first novel, and served as Dante's original point of contact when it came to taking on mercenary work. While he never appears in the Devil May Cry video games, he was a huge part of Dante's life initially, and went on to be a character featured in the Bayonetta series after Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya left Capcom. He eventually got replaced within Devil May Cry itself by Morrison, who was featured in both the anime and Devil May Cry 5, but until then, he was one of Dante's closest "friends." Enzo himself also references back to Resident Evil and the Raccoon City incident, but this is simply Capcom fan service and appears to have no true impact on the story. A Street Fighter arcade machine can also be seen, and a Classic MegaMan Bobble Head makes a quick appearance as well.
Other references in the show includes the quick callbacks to different character's origin stories, and world background information in general. As mentioned before, these events are not fully elaborated on, but enough is shown to prevent newcomers from being confused. Fans will be familiar with what they are seeing however, but they will also realize that not everything is 100% as they remember. So while the context is there, it isn't a full copy and paste from the original source material. (But we'll be getting to that later.)
The Animation:
Devil May Cry uses a mixture of 2D animation and CGI to tell its story. To be completely blunt, while some scenes look really nice, others come off simply as being a bit awkward. There is a clear drop in detail when the series shifts from 2D to CGI, and some of the action scenes do look better than others. There is an unsurprisingly large amount of graphic violence across the series as well, but what is surprising is how detailed it can actually be. It is scenes like this where a lot of work was clearly put into the show, possibly for shock value, but sometimes the events leading up to these still shots cannot compare.
It isn't extremely jarring, but there is no denying that there are other series out there that handles their CGI content better, and it is noticeable when the level of detail drops in a scene. On the other hand, there are some moments that are very well done overall, and it is times like these that make one wonder why the entire show couldn't have been animated the same way. Additionally, the character designs are different from the source material, which might take some getting used to if you are a long time fan. Overall, there isn't any real issues with the animation in this one, but I thought it was important to point out the use of CGI, and how inconsistent it can be.
The Music:
Taking place in the 2000s, the new series features multiple well known tracks which were popular during the time. The scenes where they are used often come off as a 2000s AMV, and honestly do fit the scenes they are used in. Papa Roach's Last Resort, as weird as I thought it was initially, especially fit the scene very well. Was it cheesy? Yep. But did it somehow fit Devil May Cry? I never thought I'd say this, but yeah, it is exactly something I would expect out of the series. The new song Afterlife by Evanescence was also a great addition, and somehow Limp Bizkit's Rollin' grew on me as well.
While some fans may not like the inclusion of a Dante version of Devil Trigger, as there are other songs that were FOR Dante that could've been used, I didn't find myself getting too many mixed feelings from it. The scene it was used in made sense, but the song was clearly used because of how popular Devil May Cry 5 was. What was weird however, was hearing American Idiot.
On one hand I love the song, and thought it was fitting for how it was used. Rewatching the scene I find myself laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing is, but at the same time it leaves me feeling very... I don't know... Weird? The first time I watched it, it was the moment I fully saw just how much of a departure this series was from the source material (not that it wasn't obvious before). Not only that, but it left me questioning what Season 2 will be like, and if Season 2 will even follow the source at all. Of course this isn't the song's fault, but the event happening feels like it happened just to use it? Or possibly, the original meaning behind the song was always a driving force for the show's story? And if so, that is not Devil May Cry. Even though I’ve replayed this clip over and over again, I can’t deny it.
Changes to the Characters and World:
It was pretty clear that Devil May Cry would not be a 100% faithful adaptation, and it becomes pretty obvious just how much some of the characters have been altered, and how different even the world itself is.
The first thing many fans will notice is the fact that Dante is now being voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch. Bosch first entered the spotlight when he took over as the Black Ranger in the original Power Rangers series, and eventually went on to become a well known voice actor. His first real voice over role was none other than the classic anime Trigun, and over the years he has been cast for countless roles. His experience with Power Rangers and voice acting is what eventually lead him to take on the role of Nero in Devil May Cry 4, and has since been associated with the character by fans. He is a great actor no doubt, but seeing him in the role of Dante may rub people the wrong way. This is not the issue with Dante however, and it is not Bosch's fault for how the character is written. As an actor he does a great job, but Dante himself is undoubtedly missing "something."
Looking at the past novels, manga, original anime, and games Dante is featured in, there is a side to him that is completely absent within this new adaptation. The entire show seems to only focus on his "goofy" side, and never really dives into his past trauma. While the original source material sees him laughing hysterically as he slaughters demons one minute, only to then turn around and enjoy a meal at his co-worker's house and play with his kids immediately after, the Netflix series never has such scenes. Dante is nearly always in his "playful" mode, or simply comes off more like Devil May Cry 4's Nero (which having the same voice actor doesn't help). It isn't as noticeable in the earlier episodes as Dante has less screen time, the later parts of the show make this much more obvious. His insults and jokes are also much more self-aware this time around, and do not always line up with what we've seen in the past. The Tony Redgrave part of his life seems to also be missing from this adaptation, as he does not have his iconic guns Ebony & Ivory, but instead continues to break every other gun he uses. (This part of his character hasn't changed.)
Overall Dante just doesn't fully feel like the Dante we know, and that is a bit strange at time. It doesn't make the show bad by any means, especially for those new to the series, but fans might be put off by this... But at least he hasn't been changed as much as Lady.
Mary, aka Lady, has always been a bit of a hot head, and her tragic past of seeing her mom die to her father's actions has not changed. What has changed however is the fact that she is now a part of Darkcom, and a government lapdog. She is extremely crude, drops f-bombs every chance she gets, and her harsh treatment of Dante goes even further than what was seen in Devil May Cry 3. Just like in the game the two end up having to work together, but their dynamic is quite a bit different with her constantly being "superior" to Dante due to her position. It is a very much different take on her character, and she never truly has that moment where she casts aside her feelings on what she thinks a demon is. There are traces of it, but this is mainly due to the major alteration done to the Devil May Cry world in general.
The final character to really see a massive change is none other than the White Rabbit. Those only familiar with the games will not know who this character is, but he was the main focus in the Devil May Cry 3 manga. His original origins as a stuffed rabbit being controlled by a demon are mentioned as a throw-away line at the start of the Netflix series, but the show itself takes him in a completely different direction. This new direction not only alters him, but it alters the origins of every boss character that appears within the show, and is related to this new version of the world in general.
While the world in the original Devil May Cry canon is broken up between the Human and Demon World just like in the Netflix series, the Netflix series takes it in a completely different way. Here the Demon World isn't just filled with monsters and creatures hell bent on destroying humanity, but instead it is filled with those who simply want to survive. In their eyes humanity is in the wrong for wanting to stomp them out, when all they want to do is find a better place away from the true nightmares that lurk within their world. This new outlook completely alters everything about the core story, and is what the show mainly focuses on. This effectively means characters like Lady are in the wrong, and then you have the Vice President leading Darkcom against the demons as a part of "God's will." It paints religion in a similar light to as how the Castlevania Netflix series handled it, and it is not what Devil May Cry has ever been about.
Of course, the idea of demons not being evil isn’t completely new to the series. There are multiple points in the main series where Dante admits that humans can be more evil than demons, and that the demons who have learned to love may still be better than humans; as in this world demons are born evil, while humans choose to be. Many demons do side with humanity and escape to the human world to live in peace, but they are the minority and tend to stay hidden in the shadows. They are unique, and characters like Dante, and even Lady, can see just how special they really are. Initially it appears the Netflix series will be going the same route, but in the end the way it is portrayed misses the mark… And that is what will lead to a Season 2 with possibly even less connections to the source material.
Should you watch it?
So here is the tough question. Is Netflix's version of Devil May Cry worth watching? Well...
Devil May Cry is both a fun ride, and a disappointing departure for fans. The initial few episodes seem to capture the fun of the series and offers quite a bit of fan service in the process, but the longer the show goes on, the more obvious the differences become. Dante does not fully feel like Dante, Lady's direction is especially weird, and there are plenty of missed opportunities where they could've shown more to these characters. It is great seeing people like Enzo again, but a lot of the new side characters do not fully fit in with this world.
Darkcom seems to be a reference to Capcom and their Captain Commando character, but they feel quite a bit off being in a Devil May Cry show. It was great getting to hear the late Kevin Conroy one last time playing the Vice President, but he gave off obvious bad guy vibes from the start, and is clearly just a setup for what will be in Season 2. The only real twist the series has to offer is regarding some additional backstory, which is told in an episode that features some pretty unique animation and storytelling. While not everyone may appreciate the almost completely dialogue free episode, it did a great job telling its tale.
As for the action scenes, again they too are pretty mixed. There are some cool moments here, but some are a bit awkward to watch simply due to the CGI. It doesn’t ruin the experience, but you can’t help but to naturally notice the change in style once the CGI kicks in. Some of these fights do contain some genuinely funny moments from Dante also, which is always a plus, with my personal favorite being a gunfight he gets into pretty early on. It’s times like these where he does feel like everyone’s favorite silver haired mercenary, but again, this isn’t always consistent.
I honestly found myself enjoying the initial episodes more than the second half, but there wasn’t a single moment that actually turned me off or prevented me from continuing. I do like that the show contains more references to the extended media and not just content from the games, and I like that it is designed in a way that new fans can get into it; however, I still wish they could’ve done more to remain faithful to the core of the series while telling their new version of the story.
That being said…
Devil May Cry is a series I would recommend giving a chance. There are moments that will upset the fanbase, and that is understandable, but the show still has fun moments as well. Nothing was really too surprising in it, but it is an easy show to sit down and watch just for the pure entertainment. I can easily see myself returning to it again in the future, but it isn't something I would call a personal favorite, and possibly might even choose rewatching the original anime over it.
Those who start with the Netflix series will find it as a good introduction to the series, and it may even encourage them to go back to the source. Be that by reading the novels, manga, watching the original anime, or by playing the games, they are all viable options, and something many may find themselves wanting to do. This original source material is the true gem here (although also not always perfect), and anyone who enjoyed the show at all should not miss out on it. Although, that also might make it hard to return to the Netflix series…
Either way, go into Devil May Cry on Netflix with an open mind, and enjoy it for what it is. If you can’t get past the changes, then feel free to drop it at any time. It is disappointing for a long time fan, but again, I still liked it for what it was… Although I’m still really mixed on that ending.
Post a Comment