Devil May Cry (TV, 2007)

Written by JC DuBois | 30 August 2007

Overview

Ok, so everybody knew that sooner or later, someday, it had to happen. Capcom is infamous for its video-games-come-anime, and with the wild popularity of the series in question, it was only a matter of time. I didn't think it too likely that I could expect much out of it, either, but I still dutifully picked up Devil May Cry when it came through on my feeds. It's not that I've ever been a real big fan of the DMC game series. The first one was fun, decently made, and overall a good play. The second and third... not so much. Still, Dante manages to be quite the character, and I figured I'd be in for a couple good laughs, maybe a passable attempt at a storyline... Probably not, but it wasn't like I had much better to do.

Review

Devil May Cry the anime takes place after games 1 and 3, though the jury is still out on whether or not it happens after 2 as well, or the soon-to-be-released 4th installment on the game series. Dante doesn't need much introduction, of course; he likes guns and swords, he doesn't mind being impaled by sharp, pointy objects, and in general he does an awesome job of kicking demon ass. Also present are Trish, the demoness clone of Dante's mother from game one, and Lady, the rocket-launcher toting tomboy from game three. In addition to these two lovely ladies is Patty, a young heiress introduced in the first episode that Dante is hired to protect. Rounding out the cast of regulars is Morrison, Dante's 'agent' that brings new jobs into him.

Things are, apparently, just as busy as ever for Dante, with the series opening on the ever imperturbable Dante dozing and Morrison admonishing him about his ever mounting debts. To this end, he is hired to protect Patty, an orphan that was discovered to be the heiress of a considerable fortune, on her way to claim said fortune. Needless to say, they have some trouble getting there - Dante's sort of trouble. One thing that bugged me at first about this series, but is starting to grow on me a bit now... Dante never twitches. To anything. He's afflicted with a nearly permanent casual disinterest about anything and everything, and when he does shake it off, usually it's to be just as casually blunt about something. It's not that he has a lack of personality... just that he works too damned hard at keeping it hidden.

Luckily the series has Lady and Trish to pick up the slack. Their first meeting is... interesting. I'll leave it at that. Interesting. It was nice of the writers to not start them all out together, and I have to admit that the character dynamic between the three is not quite what I was expecting - that is to say, bland. Actually, overall I have to admit to being surprised that there's any depth at all to the Devil May Cry anime. As I said in the intro, I just wasn't expecting a whole lot, and that's as much because the game series hasn't really had a lot going for it story wise as it was because this is a video-game-to-anime conversion. I know that they can work - Shuffle!, anybody? - but usually they don't pan out as well as DMC has been.

Up until about episode seven, the series was primarily episodic, with some hintings of an extended plot. That plot seems to have gotten into motion now, after the events of seven and eight. However, I suspect that the writers might have run themselves a bit short on time, as the series itself is only twelve episodes long. Hopefully, that just means that they're planning on a second season - I have a nasty feeling that it means a rushed ending, which would be a pity considering the base that they've setup thus far.

The animation values for Devil May Cry have been fairly high thus far, on a par with Claymore and Murder Princess. Fights are smooth, although they have a surprising tendency toward avoiding the impact shots and showing more of the aftermath. I have to admit that this habit rather surprised me - Devil May Cry, after all, is a game series sold on Dante's ridiculous combat prowess; to have the cuts and bullet holes happen off screen and then pan into the results doesn't seem right. To be fair, though, the animators do seem to be refocusing the fight scenes a bit over the last couple episodes. Visually, character designs and outfits have been pulled directly from their game incarnations. Trish is still poured into that lightning-bolt split bodice, and Lady still wears something approaching a Catholic school-girl's uniform... if it were long enough to fully cover her.

The voice acting has been pretty good thus far, and I'll admit that Dante's actor certainly suits the air of perpetual boredom that the character has been projecting on screen. While Trish has only appeared a couple times in the series proper thus far, her voice actress is dead on the role, but Lady's seems just a bit off - not sure why, either. There's something just a touch pensive about the way she's been tackling the role, and Lady just isn't... pensive. Still, pretty good overall. The series music has been rocking, though. The opening theme has no vocals, just a good hard guitar jam that manages to evoke both action and a general sort of sadness that suits the opening credits. The closing theme was actually quite a bit gentler than I'd have ever credited Devil May Cry with being, but surprisingly enough, it suits the series. In-episode themes stick to DMC's history of rock and high-energy stuff that carries along the scene.

Overall

I'll admit it, I've been pleasantly surprised by how good Devil May Cry has turned out. There have been better series this season - Claymore, Murder Princess, and Project Ice all stand out - but DMC has been consistently among the episodes that I've liked each week, and has done a better job of keeping continuity not only with itself, but with the game series than I'd have given it credit for. Especially given just how fractured the game continuity can be. Dante could use a bit more... oomph in his character; the laid-back, perpetually sleepy character we see for the majority of the episodes doesn't suit the character we've come to know in the games. Still, kudos for a lot better series than I'd have expected. Go ahead and take a look at this if you like good action, and especially if you're a fan of the Devil May Cry series.