I have decided to watch the original series before moving on to Crybaby, because they are both on my watchlist and I find with these adaptations it is best to save the most loyal version for last.
- I can tell this show is going to be very goofy from the opening alone. I was aware that Devilman was always kind of a psuedo-superhero concept, but it's really leaned into here with the named abilities and all. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I have trouble with the 70s brand of animated campiness.
- Also these demons being material beings just chilling out in a single iceberg feels very ridiculous but I suppose that's par for the course for 70s villain-of-the week plots.
- This first episode kind of skips over the character arc that is supposed to be the driving force of the series, that being Devilman developing a fondness for humans through Miki. Miki herself doesn't even seem to have much personality beyond 'pretty girl in distress.' I'm hoping we get some flashbacks and some proper character development because I want to care, I really do.
- The limited animation is charming but it has weird moments. Sometimes a close-up will just be a single cel wiggling above the background, which is distracting. And I understand that coloring urine with a flat yellow is gross but the flat whitish-blue doesn't look too great either? Why have a character wet himself on screen if you can't draw it for practical reasons or because of personal sensibilities? Just a very odd moment.
- That said my view of this first episode is not overwhelmingly negative. The first villain being a shapeshifter allowed for excellent creativity and well-choreographed fight scenes for a show with such limited animated. It is fun, if nothing else.