Akira Fudou leads the life of a typical high school student. After a chance encounter with school bullies, he is rescued by his childhood friend Ryou Asuka. Ryou and Akira catch up over the course of an afternoon that ends with them crashing a party at a nightclub. Initially uncomfortable with the environment, Akira is shocked when violence provokes some of the club's partygoers to transform into demonic monsters. He and Ryou are only saved from the encounter thanks to the intervention of a great demon known as Amon. Amon possesses Akira, and the two together form the powerful Devilman—a being that, due to the influence of Akira's strong empathy for his fellow man, is resolved to keep the human race safe from the threats of demonkind.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Donwun
This is one of the first animes i ever saw and considering it’s themes it’s clear to me now that when I began my anime journey this anime in particular probably had a profound effect on my young mind for both good and bad reasons. Storyline Akira Fudou is your typical kind hearted high school student. He looks after cute little bunny rabbits while at school and has a nice girl friend (not dating) that he lives with since his parents are away on an excavation in the South Pole. One day while walking home from school Ryo, an old friend from Akira’s childhood turns up out ofthe blue and demands that Akira follow him as he has something very important to discuss with him.
After Akira agrees to hear him out Ryo starts to explain the horrifying details of what had recently become of his father who was a scientist.
Ryo’s father seemed to have gone mad after investigating the existence of demons.
At this point I should mention this first movie is somewot slow placed while the foundation of the story is being laid down. It’s a bit of a drag but stick with it as things start to spice up soon enough.
Ryo takes Akira back to his father’s study where a lot of his research is being kept. Here Akira gets to actually SEE some of the crazy revelations Ryo’s father discovered.
After that, all hell breaks loose…..why…because due to their snooping around with demon research / artefact’s, they get the attention of actual demons who start to chase them down.
So after some more entertaining chase / demon encounters Ryo & Akira come to the realisation that the world will soon become exposed to the threat of a global demon outbreak…..so the question is what can they do to stop it…
Well that’s the best part which I am not going to spoil for you…let’s just say it involves performing a certain ritual that involves alcohol, debauchery and violence.
Since the name of this anime is Devilman it should be obvious at some point someone or something will become the Devilman….and no surprise to anyone who has seen the cover art who it’s going to be.
So after DEVILMAN IS BORN true insanity ensues and Holy Shit the last 10 minutes of this anime is hardcore violence at its best.
So yeah, in summary the first half of this anime is mostly explanation and build up for the last 15 minutes of pure awesomeness…..It was kinda worth the wait but sadly just after it starts getting really interesting its over……and at the time I watched this there was no way for me to know there was a part II so I was like Goddamn it I wanna know what happens next!
Then luckily for me 2 weeks later (at the time 1993) on Channel 4 part two was broadcast….which I have also reviewed
Animation
Keeping in mind this is late 80’s animation it is pretty decent…I mean the character designs look a bit cutesy at first but when the demons get involved things change quite dramatically.
The standout thing for me in this movie is the strange opening sequence, the return to the strange opening sequence in the middle of the movie and the super gory action sequence at the end.
Compared to today’s standards it’s not top notch but I feel it has still aged pretty well and is still very watchable.
Sound
I like the music in Devilman…its got a melancholy feel to it. The English dub is really quite comical to me but not in a bad way…I mean, re-watching this now I can understand why some people may find it korny but overall I think it works out very well. Devilman in particular say’s some really funny shite when he’s killing demons…certainly not the sweet boy Akira he was before.
Overall sound is pretty decent…compared to the original Jap language it’s a bit spicier which worked out well enough in my opinion
Characters
Devilman has an extremely small cast, which works in its favour. There’s pretty much Akira / Devilman, Ryo, Miki (barely) and the various demons Akira and Ryo have to face.
For such a short anime I think the characters are developed well enough…In particular you get good foundation for Akira’s character which is the most important thing.
Enjoyment
I enjoy this anime on two levels, the first being nostalgia. I remember how confused and weird I felt about rooting for a demon to suceed…..this was way before the more recently accepted anti-hero boom we are surrounded by today.
The second level is the action in this anime is pretty hardcore, animated decently, barebone and VERY enjoyable to watch.
It’s a short fun crazy ride… I have enjoyed this title for many years and overall still find it of a high standard even after all these years.
Value / Final Thoughts
Over time Demon protagonist’s have become more common place in movies (Hellboy) and especially in anime, to name a few: Hellsing, Vampire hunter D, Inu Yasha, the cast of Saiyuki, Chrono from Chrono Crusade etc. So Devilman kinda loses the anti-hero shock value it had around the original time it was made.
But like I said before being very young and coming from a Christian upbringing in particular made this anime quite the shell-shocker.
I was hesitant to write this review at first as I did feel a lot of my praise for it would come from nostalgia but after re-watching it I am now reassured it is actually a quality title that still holds up to this very day
It’s short and sweet, thought provoking and many do hail it as a cult classic.
Surprisingly though I found more reviews for this anime on IMDB that on various anime sites….however the manga is vastly more popular than the anime incarnations.
Planet Tyro Rating: Solid B
Devilman Franchise Blog: http://bit.ly/157LdCG
planettyro.com
bibi-fan
For any fan of the recent Anime Devilman Crybaby and wondered if you should give this OVA a try, this review is for you. At this point, you’ve probably seen a couple “Devilman dub is gold” or “Devilman dub is a treasure.” The sheer quirkiness of some of the dialogue has made these videos become incredibly popular. After it being brought to your attention, you might wonder is Devilman: Tanjou-hen worth watching? Story (5/10) The story of Devilman: Tanjou-hen (also known as Devilman: The Birth) is much the same of the devilman you already know. Akira, young weak boy meets up with his good friend Ryo. Ryotells him about the existence of devils, turns him into devilman. We all know this basic plot, it’s the premise of Devilman Crybaby, but it’s the summary of Devilman: Tanjou-hen. In Crybaby, there was plenty of time to go beyond the basic premise and tell the story, Tanjou-hen on the other hand seems to act more of a prequel. Of course, it is important to note that Tanjou-hen has a sequel, but rating it on it’s own values shows that the plot is shallow.
Furthermore, the entire OVA, save for the last fifteen minutes, serves as buildup for the OVA, but never managing to go further than the premise. The pacing of the OVA suffers because of this fact, too long when there is no action and right when the OVA gets to a part with high intensity it ends.
Speaking of the pacing, there are some real weird moments of Akira and Ryo just standing and staring at each other. Not an intense mid battle stare, just standing there. There came a point where it became uncomfortable as a viewer as it seemed that the stare passed the ten second mark, which is an awful long time to stare.
Of course, the story that it does include is well done and enjoyable. The story does not gain praise nor scorn. It’s mediocre at best.
TLDR: Not much to speak of on the story, the premise of Devilman is what you get and no further. Pacing issues.
Art (7/10)
It’s always hard for an old anime to age well, and especially looking in the retrospective it is easy to be critical of art. That being said, I will try my best to put bias aside and give a fair review.
The art for this OVA was good. The landscapes at the beginning are nice, albeit run of the mill. I think where the art shines through is when the characters faces are drawn. There are some very quirky lines in Tanjou-hen and the visuals accompany it. While I’m sure that people will say that the lines are bad, and therefore so are the visuals, it is important to remember: regardless of what you thought of the lines the art did a good job representing it. One of the notable, yet unimportant, characters of the show was the goofy gangster. His movements and facial expressions mimicked how his character was weird and mocking. Even Akira’s facial expressions were very good in more comedic moments. The monsters were creative and interesting. What I think took away some of the points that the art earned was again the weird stare downs. When flashing between two characters faces with no change in expression, it is hard to get new information.
TLDR: Nice art for the time, landscape was run of the mill, but the characters motions and facial expressions shined through. But again the weird stare downs were a problem for me.
Sound (6/10)
There were few times when I actually noticed the sound/music in the OVA, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It fit the show well, but it didn’t hold any particular impact for me. There were moments that I would hear soft creepy music playing in the OVA (there is a lot of that type of music) and would think, that’s nice. It didn’t distract me from the show, but it definitely added to the experience, even if in a minor way.
TLDR: It was Fine.
Character (7/10)
The characters of Devilman are iconic, and while Tenjou-hen misses some of the nuances that might have been there in another adaptation, it still nails these fun characters on the surface. Akira is still weak and Ryo is still an asshole, but each has a bit of humor attached to them. Akira’s desire to escape situations, disbelief, and awkwardness that lead to the comedy in his actions and reactions. For Ryo, it’s his dry nature and sarcasm that carries the moedy.
TLDR: No nuance, but fun characterization with humor.
Enjoyment (8/10)
I truly think that enjoyment is the most important category for this show in particular, especially if you are tempted to watch this show after watching a youtube video or two on the dub. I personally watched the dub, because of the youtube videos I watched as well as that was the method that was most accessible to me. I think watching this is a bit similar to Ghost Stories as there is no genuine reason why it's good, but you enjoy it nonetheless and you can’t say the dub isn’t entertaining. If you’re willing to watch a whole fifty minutes worth of an OVA to catch ever nugget of gold in the dub, to listen to every single casually dropped curse word, then this OVA is for you. If after watching a single youtube video, you think had enough of Tanjou-hen, then I wouldn’t go on to watch the entire OVA.
TLDR: The quotes from this show make it so enjoyable
Overall (7/10)
The OVA was something good and incredibly enjoyable for me, but was nothing spectacular. If you are wanting to watch the OVA in a serious fashion, I don’t particularly recommend it since that is not the part of it I enjoyed the most. If you are looking for laughable moments in an otherwise serious series and don’t mind spending 50 minutes to further immerse yourself in the world of Devilman and some of the memes behind it, then go for it, the OVA is for you.
TLDR: If you’re in for a fun time, go for it. Don’t expect anything too serious or phenomenal.
piogloogy
If you are a tad bit cracked in the head and you are a fervent Go Nagai fan like me, this film may be the most faithful interpretation of his work that you will ever see. While the film adds and subtracts a tad bit of scenes, it is as if many of the panels and dialogue from the first volume of Devilman are literally animated onto the screen. The animation is a little wonky at times but is overall, very good for 1987. And true to Go "My Father Died" Nagai's work the film is sort of awkward and the dialogue is down rightbizarre at times. However, it still manages to create that depraved, trippy, unnatural atmosphere that colorizes Nagai's horror manga.
Shura-shurato
well....i´ll guess it was COMPLETLY my mistake that i took this anime quite ´lightly´ back in 1999,as a 13 year old to find this kind of anime in a bargain bin on vhs and at first it din´t look that scared, till i watched it afterwards, in those days it was like `anime´s forbidden fruit´ to younger kids . The ´anime master of horror´ Go Nagai ( with respect ofc) seemed already made a t.v series of devilman in the 1970´s and a movie called Devilman v.s Mazinger Z wich both i never saw aired and over the decades made short horrorstorie´s or ova´s likeViolence Jack that was some sort of culthits among older animefans like this one . The story itself to me was quite interesting ( although the 1st 5 min or so with the demonic slaughter intro made me a bit wondering), it was´nt too complex luckely, though it really started to be very dark for me .Animationwise it´s sooo 80´s u can´t miss it with some faults here and there as usual but at parts well made, i like handmade anime its just how u look at it today.Furtheron in the story after some gruesome scene´s some Makai ( demons) turn up to silence the two protagonists and at that point the late 80´s tracks start to kick off, but only for moment, moving on to the last 15 min of the ova. After seeing some good action scene´s and saw the explenation of the story, i remember the bit in the rockdisco where a socalled´ ritual supposed to be held , and that one of the two protagonists wanted to start to kicking it off by slashing everybody for a certain reason ( no i´m not gonna spoil THAT much) and well.... the violence was soo damn filty, soo much red and soo much brutal demonslaughter i almost choked out for a minute and was totally scared afterwards, i hardly slept . i had had first some sort of filthy disgust against akira ( the main person) because WHY had he killed those demons so brutal and inhumane, but seeing the 2nd ova part even how sickminded and terrified i was i understood part of why he turned into a sickening demon, together with the ova series and short movie wich came years later, that are overall softer somewhat. but man oh man did i had a harsh time with ths one, thumbs up
iBlewupthemoon
So, you've probably seen Crybaby if you found out about this. The big question is "How's the OVA's?" The answer? "Eh?" This OVA takes basically the first part of the manga where our wimpy hero becomes the hero that Japan deserves, Devilman, and drags it out ad nauseum. Crybaby had the right idea condensing the part this OVA adapts to a single 20 minute episode, because its littered with boring exposition and flashbacks that you are likely to skip. Despite the lengthy runtime, we don't get a whole lot of development from our main characters, much less side characters like Miki, who were absolutely spoiled inthe Crybaby adaptation
However, the presentation is actually pretty good. Action scenes are smooth and have surprisingly good impact and it still looks really good despite being from 1987. Not to mention the delicious amount of gore. This is the 80's after all.
If you are to watch this, watch the dub, because the excessive swearing and one-liners is what most of the enjoyment of this otherwise mediocre late 80s slugfest comes from. However, when the characters aren't being more hammy than a Boar's Head, particularly during parts with exposition or parts where the plot is making an attempt to be serious, the delivery is quite wooden. At these points, the Japanese dub is actually much better, and some parts where the dub overdid it, such as the "I'M DEVILMAAAAAAAAAN" scene, the original actually sounds really cool. But the original language, without the swearing and overacting, just makes the underdeveloped characters and plot in this simultaneously bloated and thin OVA more obvious.
So just pop a cold one, turn your brain off, and enjoy the condensed 80s in this pretty fun romp.
Abdallah_Rhim
🔻مراجعة اوفا ديفل مان الأولى 🔻 (devilman : the birth) ديفل مان واحد من الأعمال اليابانية العريقة و المؤثرة على الصناعة لمؤلفه غو ناغاي مؤلف جريندايزر و مازينجر و عدة أعمال أخرى ، و تتحدث هذه الأوفا عن الصراع بين البشر و الشياطين و كيف ان الطريقة الوحيدة لمواجهة الشياطين هي أن تصبح شيطان لأن البشر مهما بلغ تطور اسلحتهم لن تصبح نداً للشياطين كما وضح ريو لأكيرا في حوار دار بينهما . شخصياً هذا اول عمل متعلق بالديفل مان لكن لدي بعض المعلومات عن السلسلة و تم حرق بعض الأشياء عليّ 🔴 التقديم تبدأ الأوفا بمشهد يعرض قتال بين الشياطين ويبدو أنه في زمن قديم ، و هذا القتال يريك منذ البداية كمية وحشية الشياطين حتى بين بعضها البعض . اما الشخصيات فرأينا مشهد يظهر فيه البطل اكيرا فودو و هو يجد ارانبه التي يعتني بها قد قتلت الا واحد كان في حالة رعب و طريقة ضمه الى صدره و امساكه بالأرنب تعكس شخصيته اللطيفة و بعد مهاجتمه من قبل الجانحين ظل ممسكاً بالأرنب ما يجعلنا نرى حس اكيرا بالعدالة و لا ننسى وجود حبيبة له ما يرينا انه ايضاً إجتماعي . اما الشخصية الرئيسية الأخرى ريو فظهر و هو يطلب من اكيرا المجيء معه و عند تدخل حبيبة اكيرا اخر سكين و هددها فيه ما يعكس شخصيته العدوانية و طريقة مشيّه التي تبدي عدم الإهتمام الا بما جاء لأجله
و برأي هذا التقديم كان ممتاز 👌
🔵 علاقة ريو و اكيرا
بالنسبة لي علاقة الشخصيات الرئيسية التي تشكل فريق تكون جيدة عندما تكون هذه الشخصيات تكمل بعضها . مثال بسيط من عمل اخر علاقة موب و ريغن بإختصار موب يحتاج لريغين كمعلم و ريغين يحتاج موب لمواصلة مهنته . فدعنا نرى هل علاقة ريو و اكيرا جيدة؟
ريو يحتاج محاربة الشياطين إنتقاماً لوالده ووضحنا أن الطريقة الذي سيعتمدونها هي أن الشيطان يستطيع هزيمة الباقي و لكن لكي يستطيع البشري السيطرة على قوة الشيطان ان يتحول يجب أن يكون شخصاً ذو قلب نقي و لديه حس بالعدالة و هذه صفات اكيرا
و بالنسبة لأكيرا فكان ريو مجرد صديق قديم منذ البداية و بسبب شخصيته الطيبة اراد مساعدته لكن بعد أن اشتد الخطر ما جعله يستمر هو ادراكه أن المخلوقات التي قتلت ابواه هي شياطين بعد أن صدق وجودها و إنتقاماً لهما أستمر بمساعدة ريو . و تم اخبر ريو اكيرا ايضاً ان الشياطين ستعود لإستعادة الأرض و هذا سبب إضافي لإستمرارهما
🟠 الإنتاج
جيد جداً بالنسبة لي و لا اقول هذا بسبب سنة الإنتاج بل هو فعلاً جيد المشاهد الدموية و المؤثرات الصوتية تدخلك الجوّ و الإهتمام بالتفاصيل في داخل الأجساد المقطعة و تمزق الثياب رهيب و رسم الملامح في المشاهد التي تجمع ريو و اكيرا تعكس شخصيتهما خصوصاً العيون و هذا جانب لا يبدع فيه الأعمال الا القليل
🔺️ خاتمة 🔺️
اوفا ديفل مان الأولى مميزة جداً . لم اشاهد نسخة كراي بيبي لكن الناس تفضلها عليه حسب ما رأيت و لم يظهر حتى الأن أي مشهد يوحي بالشذوذ
سبب تقييمي لها بتسعة هو أني فعلياً انتظر تويستات اتوقع تظهر في الأوفا الثانية و اذا ظهرت لن يكون من العدل إعطائهما نفس التقييم ، و تطور اكيرا لم ينتهي بعد
و ربما بعض الرسومات العارية لكن كانت بشعة فعلياً و لا تثير أي شخص لول
🔻Devil Man ova 1 review 🔻
(devilman: the birth)
Devil Man is one of the ancient and influential Japanese works on the industry by its author Go Nagai, author of Grendizer and Mazinger and several other works. This OVA talks about the conflict between humans and demons and how the only way to confront demons is to become a demon because humans, no matter how advanced their weapons are. You will not be a strong enemie for demons, as Ryo explained to Akira in their conversation. Personally, this is the first work related to Devil Man i have watched , but I have some information about the series and some things have been spoilet to me
🔴The beginning
This OVA begins with a scene that shows a fight between demons and it seems that in ancient times, this fight shows you from the start how brutal the demons are even between each other. As for the characters, we have seen a scene where MC Akira Fudo appears while he finds his rabbits he takes care of appearing in horror, the way he holds him on his chest and holds them reflects his cute personality. He is also social and has a girlfriend. And when Ryo comes to take Akira with him, his girlfriend intervenes, but Ryo takes out a knife, which reflects his aggressive personality, and the way he walks reflects his indifferent personality as well. And in my opinion, this presentation was excellent 👌
🔵 Ryo and Akira friendship
For me the friendship of the main characters who make up a team is good when these characters complement each other. A simple example from the work of another friendship Mob and Reagan. Mob needs Regin as a teacher and Regin needs Mob to continue his career. So let's see is Ryo and Akira good friendship? Ryo needs to fight demons to avenge his father and we saw that the way they would adopt is that the devil can defeat the rest, but in order for a mortal to control the power of the devil to transform, he must be a person with a pure heart and a sense of justice and these are the characteristics of Akira .
For Akira, Ryo was just an old friend from the beginning but there was a reason why he continued his friendship with Ryo after the danger increased, and we see that he knew that demons killed his parents and this was one of the reasons why he continued with Ryo's plan. Ryo also tells Akira that the demons will return to take back Earth, which is all the more reason for them to continue
🟠 Animation and sound effects
This aspect was excellent even though this OVA is old. The sound effects and scenes of bloody ruptures were extremely accurate. And the way Ryo and Akira were drawn to reflect their personalities in some scenes, this is something we don't see in some other anime.
🔺️ Conclusion 🔺️
The first Devil Man OVA is very special. I haven't seen the Crybaby version, but people prefer it. According to what I saw, no scenes suggesting homosexuality have yet appeared
The reason I rate it with 9/10 is that I am actually waiting for the twists I expect to appear in the second OVA, and if they appear, it would not be fair to give them the same rating, and Akira's evolution is not over yet .
And maybe for some nude drawings but it was really ugly and didn't excite anyone lol .
Cooltaff12
Back when the original TV series was airing, there wasn't any real adaptation of Devilman. Sure the original TV series existed, but it went on a different path than the manga. However in 1987, we finally saw an OVA that promised us to follow more closely to the manga. Was it any good? Well, it depends on how you watch it. If you watch it with knowing what Devilman is about, then you have an interesting and entertaining adaptation. But if you watch it as an introduction to Devilman, it might just be an introduction and nothing that special. Unlike Fist of the North Starthe movie and Macross: Do you remember Love which not only introduces itself but also retold the story, Devilman directly following what was shown in the first chapters with no real finally. Then again, those two where movies who had to summarize several episodes under two hours, while this was just one OVA in less than an hour. Hell this OVA is called “The Birth”, so you can’t expect much than an origin story.
But I digress.
This OVA dumps allot of exposition. Which would be good if there WAS more than just two OVAs created. Yes, this is one of those OVAs where it’s only two episodes. So you should probably see this as long episode rather than anything else.
Because of this, the OVA sets up a decent atmosphere of both Horror and Suspense as demons can pop up at any moment. It helps as Akira has to man up and fight back. The story might be not as good as it could had been, it still presents what we should know and it does it well. Some people might say that this is played way too fast as this takes place during one afternoon. But considering the extremes Akira faces and how they are pushing him to a corner, you can’t really blame it.
As you might expected, this movie has a good enough of gore. It’s that type of 80’s gore that everyone likes. Uncensored, but not polished.
If I had to compare this to the source material, this isn't as crazy or humours and makes the situation look darker than what it was originally portrayed. But I think it’s decent as this tries much to contrast to the TV-series.
And you can tell by its design. The design is spot on. When I think of Devilman, this is the version I think off. Not that the TV-series was bad, but since this adaptation demanded a menacing look, this is the closest version to match the manga. The characters themselves are fun to watch, with Akira trying to be reasonable and Ryo who is an extremist. Too bad they won’t leave much of an impression unless you know who these characters are. The voice casting is good, exactly what I would think when I hear these characters. Akira is voiced by Zarbon, which actually is fitting when you think about it.
But for the LOVE OF GOD, don’t expect the same quality for the English dub. Let me just say that they might missed the point that these characters aren't delinquents with foal mouths.
So if you ever wanted to get into Devilman but can’t find the first chapters, this is the way to start. If you feel like that this one didn't hooked you up, then the next one will defiantly help you out.
k-nain
In my opinion the anime was magnificent. (9/10) Story: Without spoiling i can tell you that the plot is very interesting.Its plot is something similar to Berserk's eclipse but in a good way for the main characters. Undoubtedly if you don't like the gore genre its not for you. There is a bit of romance which continues in the other ovas. Art/Sound: It was published more than 30 years ago so the art/sound isn't that good but for its time it was normal. While watching it you will feel like you are in the 80-s or you are watching Michael Jackson's music video. Character There is big character development in this ova andcontinuous in the other 2 ovas.
Enjoyment:
If you are fan of manly animes that's probably for you.
Furthermore if you are having a bad day it will surely make it better.
Overall:
It's a horror anime that will probably scare the sh*t out of you but you won't know when you have watched all of the parts.And if you still don't know the order to watch all the ovas that's the way:
1. Devilman: The Birth
2. Devilman: The Demon Bird
3. Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman
Kain
Its a very dark and weird anime. This is the first one of the movies. Its where you see how he becomes devilman. Its not really that good of an anime but its ok to watch if your a little bored. You should have watched this one before seeing the next two movies because you see how hw gets to know his girlfriend. Defintely see this one if you want to see the sequels which have some good action scenes and a ok story;)
devilfatbear
I noticed there are a lot of Devilman reviews that don't get a passing grade. So I'm going to attempt to be the one that break past the marks. Devilman is similar to other anime. There is one driving plot and characters have common traits, but Devilman has a special predicament that makes it irresistible. It has the scary demon theme, the insertion and deletion of fear, the cold hard sweat of anticipation and excitement. There are demons planning to take over the world. One man's normal life is shattered and there is no return. After pushed by his friend, he has to accept the jobas Devilman. It is a dangerous ritual right at the demons' lair. He who fights the demons for eternity, slipped into darkness, protecting the world from destruction, this is Devilman. You'll find it very enjoyable.
JuneNephthys
This is the volume of Devilman that sparked an on-going obsession with the franchise! This brutal, beautiful, and utterly phantasmal addition to the continuity is a wild ride from start to finish! It's a great way to introduce Go Nagai's most famous narrative, and to this day, Umanosuke Iida outshines many modern, sakuga directors with his wash of color and experimentation! If you have the stomach for violence and gore, "The Birth" is a must-see for any anime fan! ⚠️ This review of Devilman: Tanjō Hen will contain spoilers ⚠️ —Story/Characters This anime starts off in the realm of the ethereal, showing groves of gossamer fairies in thewake of the prehistoric era! And then that plot device, gets shown later, when the blithely naïve Akira Fudō gets chided into putting on an ancient relic (it makes me wonder if the character "Frank" from "Donnie Darko" was inspired by the demon relic's design)! And then the audience is tour de force'd into watching a group of angelic beings being brutally ripped apart. That and the scene with Ryō Asuka's father going off the deep end, instantly got my adrenaline pumping.
"The Birth" is a like a pulpy, '80s car-ride — where, along with Akira being taken along at knife point by his old friend, Ryō — we, with fresh eyes, are experiencing all of these new things (along with the innocent, Akira)! Sadly, despite both of the OVA installments being absolutely stunning, Miki Makimura doesn't get as much of a presence as I would have liked. In "The Birth", she's just the kind-hearted girl in the scenario and in "The Demon Bird", she's more of a glorified fanservice spectacle, though her presence does have an interesting purpose in the groundwork for that installment!
Masaaki's "Crybaby" replicates the Satanic sacrifice disco (with 200% more LSD in the mixture), but I still found the scene in "The Birth" OVA to be more poignant and gripping... especially, since there is the scene at the end where the bereaved Akira has transformed back into a mortal and is cradling Ryō's lifeless body! The first OVA also does a really great job at making Ryō appear as both a horrible psychopath, which is used to foreshadow later events, and also invokes sympathy, because his father was deeply submerged in the deepest darkness.
While I prefer "The Demon Bird" for a variety of reasons, the likes of which I'll explain in that review, "The Birth" is one of the best "origin story" animations that I have ever seen. The shot composition is genius in the way that it flops between the demon realm and the human world, to ultimately have Akira struggle with his own inner-demons! Much like Marvel's "Spider-Man" — Akira Fudō is less of a grandiose superhero and more of a person that gets thrown into the fray, and has to constantly struggle to salvage his humanity out of a pit of constant turmoil and trauma!
—Technical
Luna's Favorite Works by Each Respective Creator = ✅
Umanosuke Iida (director), notable works:
* CB Chara Go Nagai World ✅
* Devilman: Yochō Sirene-hen ✅
* Hellsing (2001) ✅
* Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (eps 6 to 11) ✅
* Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team — Miller's Report
* Tide-Line Blue
* Towa no Quon 1: Utakata no Kaben
Commentary: Brilliant director, Mr. Iida had a real eye for saturating colors together and has used color theory to his advantage throughout his filmography. Along with the wonderful key animation shots in all of his productions, he also is good at using a striking color imbalance to make the audience feel something, depending on what he was trying to convey mise en scène! Mind-blowing choreography in each respective installment of the OVA series, I don't think anyone has done Devilman better than Mr. Iida! Legendary work on the OVA series, rest in peace, Umanosuke Iida, you will be missed! An irreplaceable visionary!
Kenji Kawai (music composition), notable works:
* 009 Re: Cyborg
* A-Ko: The Versus
* Akachan to Boku
* All That Gundam
* Bakuretsu Hunters
* Barakamon ✅
* Biohazard: Vendetta
* Blue Seed
* Burn Up! ✅
* Busō Chūgakusei: Basket Army
* CB Chara Go Nagai World ✅
* Chibi Neko Tomu no Daibōken: Chikyū wo Sukue! Nakama-tachi
* Corrector Yui
* Cosmos Pink Shock
* Cyborg 009: The Reopening
* Dragon Fist
* Esper Zenon
* Eyeshield 21: Maboroshi no Golden Bowl
* Fate/stay night ✅
* Fate/stay night Movie: Unlimited Blade Works ✅
* Fūjin Monogatari
* Geisters: Fractions of the Earth
* Girlfriend (Kari)
* Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! ✅
* Groove Adventure Rave
* Gunparade March: Arata Naru Kōgunka
* Hakuouki Movie 2: Shikon Soukyū
* Hana no Asukagumi! 2: Lonely Cats Battle Royale
* Higashi no Eden ✅
* Higurashi no Naku Koro ni ✅
* Hime-chan no Ribbon
* Hyper Police
* I: Wish You Were Here
* Iczer-Girl Iczelion
* Innocence ✅
* Jinki:Extend
* Joker Game
* Jūsenshi Gulkeeva
* Kidō Keisatsu Patlabor ✅
* Kōkaku Kidōtai ✅
* Kurogane Communication
* Kyūketsuhime Miyu ✅
* Mahō Senshi Louie
* Maison Ikkoku ✅
* Majū Senshi Luna Varga
* Maroko
* Mermaid Forest OVA
* Metal Fighter Miku
* Mezame no Hakobune
* Mob Psycho 100
* Musekinin Kanchō Tylor
* Kidō Senshi Gundam 00
* Mutekiou Tri-Zenon
* No Guns Life
* Oira Uchū no Tankoufu
* Ranma ½ ✅
* Ryūō no Oshigoto!
* Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarō ✅
* Seirei no Moribito
* Servamp
* Shōka
* Shōmetsu Toshi
* Starship Operators
* Subete ga F ni Naru
* Tachiguishi Retsuden
* Taiho Shichau zo The Movie
* The Sky Crawlers
* Tōken Ranbu: Hanamaru ✅
* Towa no Quon
* Twilight Q
* UFO Princess Valkyrie
* Vampire Princess Miyu ✅
* Wakaba*Girl
* World Trigger
* Xi Avant
* YAT Anshin! Uchū Ryokō
* Zetsuai 1989
Commentary: Mr. Kawai haunting score for "Devilman" is on par with his work in "Vampire Princess Miyu", Studio Deen's "Fate/stay night", and "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni"! Such a prolific composer in the industry! He creates a wonderful atmosphere for both OVA installments! Wonderful work!
Good Seiyū Work = ✅
Really Enjoyed the Seiyū's Performance = ✅ ✅
One of Luna's Favorite Performances OF ALL TIME = ✅ ✅ ✅
Show Hayami as Akira Fudō (or "Devilman"), notable roles:
* Ayanami, 07-Ghost
* Takashi Sugurono, 7 Seeds
* Gail, A-Ko: The Versus
* Baron Riks, Akai Kōdan Zillion
* Tenzen Yakushiji, Basilisk: Kōga Ninpō Chō
* Doctor Kiriko, Black Jack 21 ✅✅
* Sōsuke Aizen, Bleach ✅✅
* Shion, Boku no Chikyū wo Mamotte ✅✅✅
* Kei Katsuragi, Chōjikū Seiki Orguss
* Klein Sandman, Chōjūshin Gravion
* Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, Fairy Tail
* Tokiomi Tōsaka, Fate/stay night ✅✅
* Adalbert von Fahrenheit, Ginga Eiyū Densetsu ✅✅
* Rommel, Gundam Build Divers
* Lord Gremory, High School DxD
* Nobutsuna Naoe, Honō no Mirage
* Jakurai Jinguji, Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle ✅✅
* Vanilla Ice, JoJo no Kimyō na Bōken
* Ashram, Lodoss-tō Senki ✅✅
* Maximilian Jenius, Macross ✅✅
* Makoto Yamamoto, Musekinin Kanchō Tylor
* Yasha-ō, RG Veda ✅✅
* Mitsuhide Akechi, Sengoku Basara
* Masami Eiri, Serial Experiments Lain ✅✅✅
* Vector Prime, Transformers Galaxy Force
* Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Trigun ✅✅✅
* Kazutaka Muraki, Yami no Matsuei ✅
Commentary: I absolutely LOVE Mr. Hayami's voice and by far, he has been the greatest Akira Fudō in all of the anime adaptations! He IS Devilman to me! He has such a powerful, masculine voice! I would compare his performance as Akira Fudō to his roles in "Boku no Chikyū wo Mamotte" ("Please Save My Earth") as Shion and in "Trigun" as Nicholas D. Wolfwood! Truth be told, he was my favorite actor in "Serial Experiments Lain" — his performance as the megalomaniacal, Masami Eiri, is both horrifying and the peak of excellence! Amazing work!
Yū Mizushima as Ryō Asuka, notable roles:
* Toshio Ōtomo, Creamy Mami ✅✅
* Chang Changku, Cyborg 009 VS Devilman
* Shukumaru, Fire Tripper ✅
* Isamu Kurogane, Hyaku Jūō Go Lion ✅
* Shō Fukamachi, Kyōshoku Sōkō Guyver
* Luigi, Super Mario Bros.
* Clow Reed, Tsubasa Chronicles ✅✅
Commentary: Mr. Mizushima has a particular voice that calls forth the image of "handsome", when you hear it! He has a very commanding presence; so much so, that I ended up paying more attention to his character in "Creamy Mami" than to the lead love interest! I would compare his performance as Ryō Asuka to his characterizations of Toshio Ōtomo (in the aforementioned "Creamy Mami") and Clow Reed ("Tsubasa Chronicles"), both are more of his bishōnen-archetype roles! Great job!
Jun Kōyamaki as Miki Makimura, notable roles:
* none
Commentary: Ms. Kōyamaki isn't credited to any other anime role, that I could find, but she has acted in live action roles (under the stage name: "Makoto Sumikawa"). I have conflicting information on whether she was Marina in "Anderson Dōwa: Ningyo-hime" or not — some sources have Ms. Kōyamaki credited in the role and others have Fumie Kashiyama listed. She is known for her live action roles in shows like "Kamen Rider Black RX" and "Jikū Senshi Spielban" — her career was more centered around television dramas, with a foot slightly dipped into the anime pool. Her version of Miki Makimura is the best, in my opinion, she gives off the aura of a wholesome, everyday girl... this characterization of Miki even reminded me of some of the pure-spirited Ghibli girls, like Nausicaä. Great job, it's a shame that she didn't get a chance to voice in more anime productions!
Conclusively, "The Birth" straddles the line between corporeal existence and the otherworldly. For anyone itching to get into the Devilman franchise — I would NOT suggest "Crybaby" but instead, would recommend "The Birth" to get you started! It gives a really solid introduction to Akira Fudō, Ryō Asuka, and Miki Makimura — and it is also a treat for the eyes! You can probably tell from my passionate diatribe that I'm going to rank "The Birth" a 7/10, it is truly emotionally captivating and stunning in its delivery!
Rating: ★★★★☆
Remand
First it takes place in the modern world, then it takes you to the forest. Ryo brings news the demons are awakening. Fudou Akira is your terrified guy. Ryo is obsessed with something grand. He takes Akira to the forest. The timing of the demons were terrific though. It's a well-balanced mix of horror and demons. Underpopular, but not worth much.
xokker7
If you are interested in watching Devilman this is the best route if you don't like reading. I say this because this is easiest the best Go Nagai adaptation without deviating or doing seemingly weird changes which Devilman anime suffered the most from. It changes some things to be more 80's and it pretty much works. The only thing common in Devilman adaptation is that the soundtrack kicks ASS! The OST featured in this anime is very great and fits the Devilman story well. The shot composition and animations are on point, giving you the best Devilman experience other then the legendary manga.
shinigami1987
STORY: Pretty good origin of the character. Though it can seem a little long-winded and you can't help but feel that there should be a little more of Devilman himself in it. ART: Gory as hell...if you like that sort of thing. I personally do, but it may not be to everybody's taste. SOUND:What you'd really expect for it's time. You'll either love or hate Devilman's voice.
CHARACTER:
Some depth there. Main character's human form and his love interest pretty typical for the genre in it's time.
ENJOYMENT:
Loved it. Love the backstory. The concept. The Protaganist. Everything. Started to get a little impatient from waiting to see the 'hero' in action though.....but when I did I enjoyed it.....though I will admit the action didn't last as long as I would've wanted it to.....considering three 45 minutes or so of build up to it.
OVERALL:
Didn't know much about the character before but after this I can't wait to see more. A great introduction to the franchise.....and if you like the idea of Japan's answer to Ghost Rider......then I strongly recommend it.
barcaman101
I'v heard a lot about the devilman title over the years,some good ,some bad needless to say after this ova ill be watching a lot more of it in the future. Akira is your typical high school teen,one day after recieving a beating from thugs he gets an unexpected visit from his old friend Ryo who seems visibly on edge and insist that akira comes with him . Ryu tell akira about how his father commited suicide when he was driven to madness due to a strange demonic artifact and his research into the demonic realm. Akira then learns about the demons past and how theyintend to take over the world once again and that the only way to fight a demon is with a merger of human and demon in order to acquire the demons powers.Ryo tells akira that for a demon to posses a human without the human being taken over by it ,the person must be pure of heart and that akira is the perfect choice.And so the two put in place the retual for demons merger but can they fuse with the demons without being controlled themselves ?.
Develman isnt for everyone,those that like a more deep and complex plot wont be able to appreciate this as it is pretty straightforward.The animation carried an eighties charm that I really liked but younger viewers probably wont.There was some nice dose of violence and gore along with some unintentional humour from the diologue.Overall quite entertaining.
BerserkerGapher
Honesty this movie(dub that is) is ironically one of the funniest things ive seen. Just the line delivery is so over the top that it carries the movie. The pacing is actually pretty decent tho but that probably due to short running time. A lot of things bugged me tho like how the music never fit any of the scenes. I had a hard time telling if a scene was supposed to be scary, badass, funny, or sad because all the music cant empahaise anything and when it can the voice acting ruined it. The characters were kinda forgettable and the story was reallybasic. There wasent a lot here but damn this movie is entertaining for all the wrong reasons.
