Revisiting Devilman Crybaby - My favorite anime

My experiences with anime throughout my life have been quite limited, however, I have a deep respect for the medium and recognize that it has given me some of the most incredible fictional stories I've ever seen. Gems like Death Note, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and films like Akira and Perfect Blue have profoundly altered the way I see art and shown me that animation is one of the formats with the greatest potential for creating art worldwide.

However, I can't think of a piece that has affected me as much in my adult life (for the better) as Devilman Crybaby, a Netflix original anime that premiered in 2018 inspired by Gō Nagai's Devilman manga, and which to this day I tend to revisit whenever I feel a little lost in life.

And starting from a fairly "typical" premise (the idea of a sentimental man who becomes a demon to save the world), the reality is that Devilman Crybaby contains within it one of the most powerful allegories I've ever seen, blending optimism and love for the human race with a stinging critique of its darkest aspects, recognizing that we are often worse than the "demons" we demonize.

This message wouldn't be so powerful if it weren't accompanied by a brilliant visual finish, which uses distortion and "ridicule" to create its own language. The character and setting designs are characterized by being minimalist, expressive, and vulgar, taking exaggeration to another level.

The soundtrack, the dialogue, every aspect of Devilman Crybaby comes together to create a masterpiece that recontextualizes the manga's most iconic elements and organically brings it into the 21st century. It's fast-paced, shocking, and violent.

I've always found it brilliant when modern art uses elements of Catholicism to tell stories. Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of my all-time favorite forms of media, for a reason. Devilman Crybaby follows this line of thought, giving us 10 beautiful chapters and a devastating ending that will make us question our entire existence.