Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

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Majin Gojira
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Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Majin Gojira »

I had to make a topic about this series.

Netflix's first fully original anime is absolutely amazing. It's as trashy and heartfelt as its source material was 44 years ago, and is a visual treat on top of that.

I enjoyed it so much it's almost hard to put into words. It's hard not to spoil a 44 year old manga that was influential for everything from Berserk and Evangelion to giving CLAMP their first publication, but I'm putting a warning there anyway.

And warning for the show, because oh my god goes it earn that TV-MA rating. More extreme than anything else aired on US TV that even the super arty stylization cannot fully blunt.

Some differences from the manga that I particularly liked
- How Satan's plan remained basically the same, but with the reveal being more refined for the internet age.
- The end of the Makimura's was somehow worse than what happened in the Manga and it was all the better for it. Them being explicitly Christian and Miki herself being "Half-breed" as plot elements really worked.
- "Actually, I'm Satan"
- The Crying thematic element
- Miki being the one to inspire the creation of the Devilman Army.
- The entire "Devilman coming out" thing and positive gay representation in the series.
- Sirene and Kaim getting expanded roles.
- Jinmen being just as terrifying even with the changes to his 'character'.
- Akira's attempted martyrdom for other humans.
- The Gang, all of them. That as some really good rapping. Apparently, they hired a legit rapper for that.
- Miki and Miko's storyline.

But I think the world of this series so far. What do you all think?

Just brace yourselves for it.
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TheFeniX
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by TheFeniX »

I've been putting it off a bit while we get settled into the new place and I didn't want the toddler to waltz in while I was watching it. Looking forward to giving it a go.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by LadyTevar »

I have heard that it suffers from bad animation and translation. Can you tell me what your opinion is?
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Majin Gojira
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Majin Gojira »

The animation can be off early on, but the thing to understand is that it's HIGHLY stylized. Like "Samurai Jack Cranked to at least a 10" highly stylized. "The opening is actually a Rorschach test with figures based on the main demons" stylized. this series doesn't care about looking real, it's about the feelings within.

Minimal line, vivid colors, and very fluid. Nothing aside from one little bit in the first episode stood out as "off model", but it's... very loose overall so I can see why some people would not like it.

I've only had the chance to watch the dub so far, and it's pretty damn solid.

With two exceptions.

There's a rap artist in the Japanese cast who lends his beats to the series. He's a good rapper, no questions about that. Like, the lyrics are translated well, and even in the original language, they have a lyrical flow to them.

And aside from one plot-relevant rap, none are translated.

So, suddenly, random Japanese with subtitles crops up and that can be a bit jarring, but fully translating a rap so that it works well is damn hard. So, they did it the one time it mattered to save a bit on the budget. I can understand that.

But it makes me want to watch it in Japanese more.

The other was one odd instance of translating "Humans" to "Mortals" which . . . appears to have been intentional since it's also in the episode title (the titles are drawn from quotes in the episodes). So, I can't really argue much about it.

I can't say more than that since I have yet to do a deep comparison between the dub and the sub since I don't speak Japanese to any real extent.
ISARMA: Daikaiju Coordinator: Just Add Radiation
Justice League- Molly Hayes: Respect Hats or Freakin' Else!
Browncoat
Supernatural Taisen - "[This Story] is essentially "Wouldn't it be awesome if this happened?" Followed by explosions."

Reviewing movies is a lot like Paleontology: The Evidence is there...but no one seems to agree upon it.

"God! Are you so bored that you enjoy seeing us humans suffer?! Why can't you let this poor man live happily with his son! What kind of God are you, crushing us like ants?!" - Kyoami, Ran
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Q99 »

Oh, I missed this thread! Absolutely loved it- to an extent, the sex and gore is beyond what I normally go for in a series, but something about this worked, maybe the stylization and gonzo-ness gave things a sense of larger-than-lifeness that made it click all the more.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Vendetta »

Majin Gojira wrote: 2018-01-09 07:52pm
But it makes me want to watch it in Japanese more.
Why not do so in the first place? Netflix isn't shy about offering different audio tracks.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Q99 »

Yea, the option's there- that said, I think the english voice actors do a fantastic job, it's just the raps that stand out.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by TheFeniX »

It's pretty good. Nothing aside from the rapping has thrown me off, thankfully it's still in Japanese and very rare.

Way over the top, mostly in a good way, but I'm not going to overjudge the sexploitation. It doesn't do much original work except the violence and nudity, which while not new has fallen out of favor. But then again, Deadpool did nothing new and was great. I refuse to bing watch it, so I'm only about 3 episodes in since starting Monday.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Q99 »

Oh, it does stuff new, in a sense. That ending was the first of it’s kind in anime- and if you think it reminds you of another series, it’s because the ending was first put out in manga form in 1972-73 and inspired the creators of Evangelion, berserk, etc..

As for the over the topness of it, that, for me, gave it a sense of gonzo unreality that made it work stronger as a metaphor. A lot of bloody/shock value stuff doesn’t work nearly as well for me, and I think the stylization is why this one clicked.
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by TheFeniX »

Well, as of 3 episodes in, there's nothing all that new, just what I would consider "long forgotten" in some areas. The plot itself is pretty straight forward and I have no complaints here.

And it's getting harangued on review sites due to a combination of anime snobs and people with extremely thin skin. Sure, it's not Ibsen, but after a long week of getting kicked in the urethra, sometimes I just want to see some anime boobies and horrific violence. Complaints also talk about how a lot of the backstory isn't spelled out and I'm like "Yes, my favorite part of anime has always been stupidly long pointless info dumps or 'do ho ho, I've actually been holding back my power level' type bullshit." What the fuck is wrong with people?

Though as always, the Japanese obsession with food continues to make me laugh.
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Majin Gojira
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Majin Gojira »

Vendetta wrote: 2018-01-28 08:17am
Majin Gojira wrote: 2018-01-09 07:52pm
But it makes me want to watch it in Japanese more.
Why not do so in the first place? Netflix isn't shy about offering different audio tracks.
I have no Idea what I didn't. Normally, that's what I do.

That said, the Dub has the best transliteration I've seen in a while.
ISARMA: Daikaiju Coordinator: Just Add Radiation
Justice League- Molly Hayes: Respect Hats or Freakin' Else!
Browncoat
Supernatural Taisen - "[This Story] is essentially "Wouldn't it be awesome if this happened?" Followed by explosions."

Reviewing movies is a lot like Paleontology: The Evidence is there...but no one seems to agree upon it.

"God! Are you so bored that you enjoy seeing us humans suffer?! Why can't you let this poor man live happily with his son! What kind of God are you, crushing us like ants?!" - Kyoami, Ran
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Majin Gojira
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Re: Devilman: Crybaby (spoilers)

Post by Majin Gojira »

TheFeniX wrote: 2018-02-02 11:46am Well, as of 3 episodes in, there's nothing all that new, just what I would consider "long forgotten" in some areas. The plot itself is pretty straight forward and I have no complaints here.

And it's getting harangued on review sites due to a combination of anime snobs and people with extremely thin skin. Sure, it's not Ibsen, but after a long week of getting kicked in the urethra, sometimes I just want to see some anime boobies and horrific violence. Complaints also talk about how a lot of the backstory isn't spelled out and I'm like "Yes, my favorite part of anime has always been stupidly long pointless info dumps or 'do ho ho, I've actually been holding back my power level' type bullshit." What the fuck is wrong with people?

Though as always, the Japanese obsession with food continues to make me laugh.
Devilman is a standard hero story until about episode 6/7. Then the shit hits the fan.

Fewer boobies after that, unfortunately.
ISARMA: Daikaiju Coordinator: Just Add Radiation
Justice League- Molly Hayes: Respect Hats or Freakin' Else!
Browncoat
Supernatural Taisen - "[This Story] is essentially "Wouldn't it be awesome if this happened?" Followed by explosions."

Reviewing movies is a lot like Paleontology: The Evidence is there...but no one seems to agree upon it.

"God! Are you so bored that you enjoy seeing us humans suffer?! Why can't you let this poor man live happily with his son! What kind of God are you, crushing us like ants?!" - Kyoami, Ran
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