Jan 12, 2018
There's been talk about whether or not Devilman: Crybaby is anime of the year, and each time this is mentioned there's a hesitation because being released in January, it seems too early in the year to tell. Well I'm going to tell you this IS AOTY. There hasn't been a new anime anywhere near this good since Masaki Yuasa (same director) did Ping Pong in 2014, and I'm not just a Yuasa fanboy; trust me when I tell you is so good it made me reevaluate other similar, recent favourites (Inuyashiki, Parasyte) when it does everything they do but better, deeper with far less flaws
...
and in less than half the runtime.
Of course the anime is flawed, and everything Digibro and Pewdiepie (yeah, Pewdiepie became an anime reviewer for this series) said about the mishandling of the last two episodes struck true with me; nevertheless I feel like this anime outdoes others that I've rated highly to such a degree that the flaws still can't bring this below a 10 unless I were to dock points from every other anime I've ever reviewed.
The story is literally biblical, and executed so well that it stands next to those 2000 year old stories, which you have to admit are pretty good stories to have lasted that long and justifies it's place as an extension of them. What I'm saying is that when you try to write a story that is in some way based off the greatest stories of all time: religious ones (Judaeo Christian, Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian etc.), you really have to take a serious dramatic stance and execute well or it comes off cheesy; your story is either a 10 or sub 5, there is no in between. This one's a 10.
Art: Yuasa. Normally I'd just say "need I say more" and that'd be my justification, but others have correctly pointed out that the anime diverges from Yuasa's normal vivacity at times to rather still or boring shots. My argument to that is the same as my argument for giving the anime a 10 overall; it's high points are so high that the low points can't bring the average below a 10.
Sound: Harkening to Gurren Lagaan and Space Dandy, DmCb has a unique soundtrack that mixes a techno daft punk vibe with terrifying, powerful and ancient sounding opera to give us something that perfectly embodies a modern take on a biblical story. Once again the anime does Parasyte but better with "Crybaby", the fresh new "Next to You".
Character: With only 10 episodes, this anime is a masterclass in making a character feel real in a short amount of time. With a fairly large cast for such a short anime, everything from short subtle moments of realisation- seeing your missing friend's glasses in someone's purse, to fairly long substorylines are used to give every character at the very least motivation and believability. Even the demons who are generally explained to be "pure" creatures with no motivations outside of a desire for violence and sexual fulfilment have exceptions who make us wonder about the true nature of these terrifying creatures, which of course reflects back to the nature of ourselves as humanity.
Enjoyment: When everything else is a 10, how could I not feel a 10 for enjoyment? Well, with this anime especially, you might find that every category is almost perfectly executed, and yet find yourself retracting from the very brutal, bleak, and at times pornographic nature of the show itself; it might not be to your taste. In my case however, the show is well within my tastes and again the revolting, yet real and visceral nature of what the show deals with justifies the manner in which it deals with it. You can't have a show about the horrors of human nature and our existence without REALLY showing those horrors.
Overall: You already know it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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