Summary
- Devil May Cry series on Netflix by Adi Shankar brings non-stop action, capturing Dante’s cool personality.
- The animation in the series, especially in Episode 6, is outstanding and emotionally powerful.
- While the narrative takes a detour from the games, the story base is solid, with well-written characters and intriguing backstories.
Adi Shankar is the incredible mind that gave us the Castlevania animated series on Netflix. To this day, it’s considered one of the very best video game TV adaptations. After Adi Shankar took an exit after finishing off the original Castlevania series, fans started to wonder what the creator would have for them next. That’s when he announced the TV adaptation of the legendary video game series, Devil May Cry.
The series was put into production back in 2018, and after a long wait, the much-awaited TV adaptation of Devil May Cry has been released on Netflix. The first season features eight episodes, each one offering fans an action-packed experience. The series wastes no time and straightaway introduces you to the demon-killing machine that is Dante. The world of Devil May Cry undoubtedly has great potential, and, as expected, the way Studio Mir brought this world to life through an animation style that is beyond our imaginations.
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Netflix’s Devil May Cry Is A Non-Stop Action-Packed Experience
The Action In The Animated Series Just Never Stops
The world of Devil May Cry is massive and complicated, and Dante’s origin story is no different. So, one would imagine that the Netflix series will take its time to establish the narrative before jumping onto the battlefield with big guns. Surprisingly, that’s a big NO for the Devil May Cry anime as the series straightaway takes you in the middle of an action scene. Dante’s entry in the first episode instantly gets you hyped for the rest of the series. The way Dante’s gunshots sync with the music during the first fight is pure brilliance — that’s enough to tell fans that they are in for one hell of a ride.
Studio Mir has honestly outdone itself with Devil May Cry, as the animation in the first season is simply top-notch. The action-choreography and the animation don’t hold back from giving you over-the-top action. The series doesn’t ever forget that it’s based on a video game series that is known for its action. The animation had to do DMC justice by not being clunky or grounded during crucial moments. Dante is possibly one of the coolest video game characters, and not that he needed a boost, but the Netflix series adds more spark to his personality. The action scenes and the animation beautifully complement Dante’s quirky personality. Even two powerful demons in the story acknowledge that Dante is “cool” when our boy throws a bike at them mid-air. Of course, the show could have done a better job with Dante’s Devil Trigger (it does feel underwhelming at times), but it’s always fun to see Dante pulling out crazy stunts in his human form.
The animation doesn’t stay constant throughout eight episodes, and yes, it does make some bold choices, especially in Episode 6. The sixth episode is the standout episode for most fans, not only in terms of animation but also because of its incredible direction and music. It’s the only episode that doesn’t have any fancy action; instead, the backstory of the two main characters in the episode packs a heavy emotional punch.
The animation switches to a completely different style in episode 6, which beautifully complements the emotions we go through while witnessing the parallels between Mary Arkham and the White Rabbit. There’s little to no dialogue in the sixth episode, so it’s basically a visual treat where the animation and the music do most of the storytelling. We are still early into 2025, but what we saw in Episode 6 of Devil May Cry is possibly one of the best animations this year so far.
Devil May Cry Doesn’t Neglect The Story Beats For Its Action
The Show Sets A Solid Story Base For The Fans
Of course, the Netflix series takes a complete detour from the video games in terms of narrative, but that doesn’t mean the story isn’t good. It’s understandable that some fans wanted the series to stay faithful to the video games, but there are several fans who wanted to experience a new take on Dante’s journey. As expected, the Netflix series does a pretty solid job with the story and establishes a strong base for more seasons.
Eight episodes aren’t much to introduce every character from the DMC series, but the characters we do see in Season 1 are well-written. It’s hard not to fall in love with Dante’s cheeky personality. However, it’s agreeable to some extent that the show could have done better with Dante’s backstory. It’s hard to look past Dante’s brazen personality and relate to him on an emotional level.
I’ll take any job that pays, especially if it involves killing demons. Just as long as I don’t have to care – Dante.
On the other hand, the backstories of Mary and the White Rabbit are the major highlights of the first season. The parallels that the series draws between Mary and the White Rabbit are extraordinary. While you understand why Mary hates all demons, you do feel bad for the White Rabbit. The story very subtly puts forward a point — not all “good guys” are perfect, and not all “bad guys” are evil. There’s an instance in the series where you actually feel like screaming at Mary for not pulling out her gun. At the same time, you feel for the White Rabbit for facing the consequence of Mary’s blind hatred for demons.
The show’s beautiful writing makes you wonder if the White Rabbit, the story’s villain, is really a bad guy. The Rabbit got bitter because of all the losses he experienced ever since he was a child. He simply wanted the demons to have a chance at survival, and the U.S. Government robbed them of that opportunity. In the end, he is left with no choice but to bring down the barrier between the two worlds and balance the scales.
While the Netflix series gives you back-to-back action sequences, it doesn’t rush the narrative. Of course, we do learn about Dante’s brother, Virgil, but the mystery around that character remains until the very end. The true villain of Season 1 was the White Rabbit, and while the series establishes more powerful half-bloods and demons, it doesn’t let them steal the spotlight from the Rabbit. Of course, that doesn’t mean the story of Devil May Cry is perfect — the story does hit its low and get predictable at one point, but it does make up for it with episode 6. The viewers will get more invested in the Rabbit and Mary’s journeys after learning their origins.
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Season 1 of Devil May Cry is not without its flaws, and it does have weak points in storytelling and character building. Dante’s Devil Trigger, for instance, felt rushed and underwhelming. The son of Sparda was way more fun with the sword and guns than he was in his evolved form. But despite that, the first season of DMC establishes a strong ground for what’s ahead in Dante’s story, especially with those little teases of Virgil and Mundus. We do want to see this new take on Dante’s story until the very end, but for now, all we can do is wait and see if the community will get another season of the animated series.
- Release Date
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April 3, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Alex Larsen
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Johnny Yong Bosch
Dante (Voice)
