Devilman Crybaby is a new anime that is available to interested individuals through Netflix. It is centered on the concept of a protagonist with a human’s conscience in a demonic form, which explains much about the name. So far, Devilman Crybaby has received respectable reviews, meaning that it could be worth checking out by people who don’t mind some darkness in their entertainment media. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Devilman Crybaby:
1. Based on Devilman
Devilman Crybaby is based on a Go Nagai manga called Devilman. For those who are unfamiliar with the name, Go Nagai is one of the most famous manga artists on the planet, which makes sense because he was influential enough to shape multiple genres. In fact, he tends to be credited with the creation of the super robot genre with Mazinger Z.
2. Not the Happiest Story
Go Nagai’s stories can get pretty brutal. As a result, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that Devilman didn’t have the happiest story. Without revealing too much, suffice to say that the series involves humans struggling for survival against ancient demons, meaning that it should be concerning when one learns that it didn’t end on anything resembling what can be called an uplifting note.
3. Devilman Crybaby Is a More Direct Adaptation
Devilman Crybaby isn’t some kind of reboot. Instead, it is a rather direct adaptation of the Devilman manga, though there are some changes such as a modern setting as well as some changes in character motivation.
4. The Crybaby Refers to the Titular Character
The titular character is indeed a crybaby in the sense that he is very prone to tears, which is the result of a very strong sense of empathy for the suffering of others. In fact, it is amusing to note that in the Devilman manga, he had the nickname of the Fire Alarm of Higashi Elementary because of how much he cried.
5. The Titular Character Becomes a Fusion of Demon and Human
Speaking of which, the Devilman in Devilman Crybaby refers to the protagonist as well, who becomes possessed by a demon but manages to retain his own personality because of his purity of character. With that said, he does not come out of the experience unchanged, as shown by how he picks up some of the demon’s personality traits such as pride and courage.
6. Not the Sole Devilman
Since the protagonist managed to come out of the possession as himself for the most part, it should come as no surprise to learn that the process is repeatable. As a result, he isn’t the sole Devilman that shows up in the series. Something that becomes very important when humans become hard-pressed by the demons.
7. The Protagonist Lacks Sideburns
One of the quirks about Go Nagai’s stories is that his protagonists are famous for their very prominent side-burns. Unfortunately, while the protagonist in the Devilman manga had these side-burns, his counterpart in the Devilman Crybaby anime series does not, perhaps because it is out of step with the more modern setting of the anime.
8. Demons Can Have Loved Ones
It is interesting to note that while demons are not exactly very fond of humans, they are perfectly capable of having loved ones. As a result, one of the more notable antagonists is the lover of the demon that was subsumed by the protagonist. Said antagonist is caught between two competing motivations. On the one hand, she wants vengeance; on the other hand, she is also holding out hope that she can revive her lover in some manner.
9. There Are Angels
Since there are demons, it stands to reason that there are angels as well. With that said, interested individuals should not expect the angels to serve as the cavalry riding in to the rescue of a beleaguered humanity. Certainly, the demons are not exactly what humans would consider to be good, but that doesn’t mean that their opponents are what humans would consider to be good either.
10. There Is a Time-Loop
There is a time loop happening in Devilman and its related series. It is what enables various characters to make appearances in more than one of these series, which can make the whole thing more than a little bit confusing to say the least.
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