Devil May Cry (2007)

An in depth breakdown of the DMC anime series. Reviewing the show episode by episode, highlighting the key differences between show and games/game world and analysing some of the shows best and worst aspects.

A poster for the show

So, Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is a ‘one and done’ outing directed by Shin Itagaki. As one might expect, the series follows Dante and co. as they hunt demons working out of the titular Devil May Cry store. Apparently set between the first and third video game, it does raise a few complications (something I’ll get too later) in terms of pure narrative sense and logic and is, as such, probably best seen as a standalone piece. Anyway the following will review the episodes one by one and then breakdown some of the key diffeeences between show and games whilst examining the ‘timeline’ of the series in all its formats.

Episode 1 - Devil May Cry

Titled after Dante’s store and the name of the wider video game series, the first episode was a little unremarkable and I say that with the upmost respect. Kicking off with a cold opening of Dante slaying some Demon’s plaguing a local bar, Dante and Morrison are later met by Patty - a young orphan who is being hunted by those with the intent to take her estate. In a wider sense it introduces a lot of the shows key players and has some truly striking visuals, be that landscapes/environment, bits of the creature design and so on but it’s little more than a generic pilot. I appreciate it and what it achieves as well as some of the setup it does to create some long term arcs and character establishment. It creates some of the interplay between characters which is present throughout, Sid, who ultimately becomes the villain and so on. It’s nothing groundbreaking and a bit of a generic start but after al it is the expectation of a pilot, the sort of ‘Elevator Pitch’ if you must.

Episode 2 - Highway Star

Personally this was the real hook for me. I‘ve had some experience of the video games but this best demonstrated the unique style that is native to the IP. Though I can’t stress enough how apart the show and games are, there are clear elements carried over: the outlandish plot elements, metal score, high stakes and breakneck pace it marks a trend for the series going forth - while I found the show overall to be a strong ‘7 out of 10’ type of content, the 12 episodes come in small clusters of quality, from average to stylish and then others demonstrate more narrative quality etc. It’s a bit of a shame they’re imbalanced in such a fashion but you can enjoy the self-contained narratives a lot more than I initially gave them credit for. Here, Dante is commissioned by Lady to kill a possessed motor cycle, plot terms that’s largely it but the way in which it’s realised is what’s impressive. It manages to give stakes to the contract and you can see the effect this villain is having on locals and one individual who’s searching for his lost brother.

Episode 3 - Not Love

The third episode sees Dante enlisted to protect the mayor’s daughter from a suspected demon in the form of a man she’s dating. A common reception to the show is theres a lot of vapid and shallow elements, honestly I can see it. Whilst seeds of the over arcing narrative are planted and do eventually come good its one of many ‘throwaway’ episodes that offer little substance - don’t get me wrong they add some character etc. But I felt it was the wrong way to approach it. The supporting cast aren’t even on a ‘fool’ level so don’t really offer much to our lead, Dante and personally I’d have approached it with more of a niche in mind and made the show a better tie in to improve its quality.

Episode 4 - Rolling Thunder

Trish’s debut episode sees the first point in the series where the main cast are united. Lady, hired by a priest is tasked with hunting down a demon who has control over electricity and has been causing minor havoc in the local area. By the finale, Lady is aware she was enlisted to hunt Trish and is bought up to speed by Dante on the pairs past dealings. This really stood out, it implemented a lot of the stylish action sequences that have become synonymous with the series in all its formats but more importantly here, there was a lot of character on show all of which was very well written. Whilst on that point, it is worth noting the comedy aspect of this episode. There’s a strong presence Of the Male Gaze in this episode and the Lady/Trish dynamic is a little over fantasised but Dante’s absence adds a lot of depth to some characters who really need it. All ending with this little joke that sees Dante foot the bill for a number of outfits, it was one of the better examples of levity throughout the 12 episodes

Lady and Trish ready to ride to the sunset

Episode 5 - In Private

A love story where our lead plays Cupid. It is in hindsight another standout episode for reasons of narrative charm and was a bit of a welcome break offering a different perspective on the narrative as Dante and his peers become secondary characters for this outing. Isaac stalks Dante in an attempt to emulate the Demon Hunter and win over his love Cindy, a waitress in the frequently visited cafe. We have a bit of a rule of threes and more of a comedic tone with Isaac’s attempts at winning his love over falling on deaf ears and showing him up slightly. It ultimately offers another look at a more dormant and unnoticed side of Dante’s life and that different perspective in a narrative sense is welcoming. The action also had a different spin, watching as more of a voyeur, you oddly manage to get more of a grasp on the temporal and geographical unfolding than what is typically possible from the generic perspective. More of an upbeat tone it’s a bit of a needed stepback before focusing in on a narrative thread that ultimately sends the series home.

Episode 6 - Rock Queen

Speaking solely from memory, and despite this episode effectively serving as a filler episode, it really impressed me in a manner of which I didn’t expect and is one that really stands out from the pack when going over the series. With episodes being referred to as ‘missions’ to both add a little charm and create a house style for the series, this is the best embodiment of that sentiment, in a narrative sense as an isolated feature, the mission is just something Dante must undertake as a means to keep afloat and it is more of an inconvenience to all, opposed to anything impactful. I think that also applies to the bigger picture - it’s more of a chance to just be stylish rather than impactful which is, in many ways the essence of the combat aspect of the video games. Dante undertake a contract to protect a group of treasure hunters from the possessed demon of former rockstar Elena. Throughout the show I can commend it for choosing to have its own identity and be more of a casual depiction of Dante opposed to his more boisterous, hyper-masculine persona in any of the games and there are ways in which it tries to show horn in a number of key traits - the music in this episode being one example - it gives a more relatable account of the silver haired lead and I found that it at times to be more favourable and accessible than some of the early video games, though it does complicate the timeline in a fashion that would make the X-Men films blush, I can possibly forgive its choppiness and flaws and can certainly enjoy the outright popcorn entertainment value which is perfectly captured by this frenetic, ‘metal’ episode.

Episode 7 - Wishes Come True

Here’s another one of the episodes where there is a large amount of variety in the content type, once again Dante takes more of a backseat as the plot revolves around a one off, throwaway character. A Djinn plagues the town in this case, operating in fine Death Note fashion as it grants the wishes of murder and the darkest desires of the souls of which it latches upon. In the process of handling this this beast, the Demon Slayer gets himself arrested to to clear an innocent man and terminate some demonic prison guards. Dante eventually subdues the Djinn though the mask is stolen by Sid and his quest for power is strengthened. The setting was different here and allowed for a unique set piece, it’s another example of a more comedic outing and would perhaps be best considered as filler.

Episode 8 - Once Upon a Time

Sid, the villain, comes more to the forefront of this episode as he creates an elaborate ‘test’ of Dante’s abilities by putting him against a demon summoned by an obsessive ‘old friend’ whilst confronting his past simultaneously. It offers a bit more of a dive into the back story of Dante an aspect which was a major factor in the most recent video game instalment and is something thats a key part of the Dante and Vergil dynamic. This was a bit of a drag to watch, thankfully the episodes are far from long but it was difficult to really click with any of the narrative as it felt as even Dante was out of place. It culminates in a confrontation and is really the first sprinkling of any kind of narrative through thread but feels almost too little, too late.

Episode 9 - Death Poker

Another ‘throwaway’ episode which sees Dante on the hunt of King, a demon who preys on the souls of losing gamblers. With the aid of Lady, Dante plays the game and tricks the killer demon as he manages to ultimately beat the destroyer. Another interesting premise, it was fun to see the plan enact and play out in depth which was a bit ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ type of thing and allowed for a lot of character depth to really shine through.

Episode 10 - The Last Promise

The final singular episode once more sees Dante take a back seat. Did summons demon brothers Baul and Modeous to the human world in an attempt to strike down the owner of Devil May Cry. The majority of the episode sees the brother’s in conflict with each other as they battle over their goals and clash in terms of personality. Modeous is more of a human lead than Baul who is quickly slain by Dante after he attempts to gain possession of the sword ‘Rebellion’. It sees Modeous also killed in action after being bound to avenge his brother and gives a look into the whole underworld backstory that is often glanced over during this series.

Episode’s 11 and 12 - Showtime! & Stylish!

The final two episodes adopt more of a serialised framing and approach in more of an - 11A and 11B opposed to different episodes and was a neat way to end the series. Nina, a sorceress who’s power is waning enlists Dante to protect her pendant which is lusted after by many a demon which she can no longer defend herself from. It’s revealed that Nina is the mother of Patty, the ‘orphan’ who’s been helping around the Devil May Cry store and has occupied a large chunk of the supporting cast. Simon, an associate of Nina’s is revealed to have been Sid all along and he’s been in it for his own gain of earning more power. By the closure of episode 11, Nina and Patty are reunited and Sid and Dante trip to the demon world to face off. Recreating AJ iconic series image that has Dante impaled on his own sword, Trish and Lady are left to defend the town from the spawn of the underworld as Sid becomes embellished with new power. The climactic face off sees Dante slay the series villain and seal off reality from the land of the dead - closing nicely as Trish, Lady, Morrison and Dante head to a new contract while Patty cleans the store, with the promise of a new norm.

Ultimately, the series is serviceable, and if you’ve not been exposed to the stellar video games, it might well be an entertaining watch! However I feel it’s not quite got the same characterisations as what you get from Capcom. I appreciate that the latter games, especially the fourth which is where Dante really comes into his own but still - there’s a lot of that charm present through the whole game series and I feel it’s a little lacking here. I will say however, that on the flip side there’s been many a plaudit to it’s depiction of Dante in what appears to be a depressed state and frankly I can get on board with that. His high functioning personality suffers mood swings and he frequently suffers episodic slumps, it’s genuinely quite a good portrayal of that state and something I, as well as many others can appreciate. Vergil’s missing presence is felt at times, it’s like a Batman/Joker situation, they’re two sides of the same coin and require each other, including his twin would’ve allowed for a lot more narrative lee-way and perhaps more of an engaging story. It’s ultimately a matter of managing expectations.

My only real issue with the series is the fact that it desires to both have its cake and eat it too in a narrative sense. It complicates things by including certain characters such as Lady who, canonically doesn’t appear till Devil May Cry 3 whilst also wanting to mess around and establish its own cast. The desire to fit between the video games really lets it down and boxes it into a corner that lacks anything majorly interesting to consume, especially if we’re talking about it’s own merits.

If I were too go all postmodern and break the fourth wall here, it’s one of those where reviews are almost worthless. It has its own merits, ironically it’s very stylish, has a lot of deep characterisation and many other traits but is likely to fall into a small section of appreciation. You’ll either appreciate it for its own merits, enjoy it as an addition to the games, or as a good companion, or outright dislike it cause it contradicts something that was originally so high quality. It’s a complex situation but I’d still worth a watch regardless! It’s free to view in full on YouTube and certainly worth your time!

Jackpot!