Devil May Cry - Netflix Review

Devil May Stream

In a way, I remember Devil May Cry 5 well. For one reason or another, perhaps because of Bayonetta, clips and music from the game made their way into my YouTube feed. I had no idea what I was looking at the time but it looked really cool. My interest didn't last long though. I didn't know if I would actually like playing it as much as I did watching it, knowing my poor timing and combo game. Plus, my attention shifted to the quickly approaching Pokémon Sword & Shield. It popped back up in my sphere thanks to a SomecallmeJohnny marathon a while back, but that was it. 

When I learned that Netflix would add Devil May Cry to its slowly but steadily increasing line of animated gaming series, the 2nd time the series would get an animated adaptation, I made sure to write that down. These series, like the Tomb Raider one, have been really good so I felt it would be worth a watch. 

Was it worth a watch? Let's talk about it and find out! 

Dante is a 20-something superpowered mercenary who spends his days hunting down demons in his own uniquely, theatrical, way. This simple existence is interrupted when a demon terrorist with a Rabbit head, aptly called the White Rabbit, sets up an ambush to steal Dante's necklace. The demons are no match for Dante but the attempt attracts the attention of the government-backed demon-hunting militia Darkcom, its leader Vice President Baines, and its top operative Mary Arkham or 'Lady' as Dante dubs her.  

Reluctantly thrown into a conflict not of his own making, Dante slowly comes to realize that he did not get roped into this by accident. If he is to come out on the other end alive, he has to face the dark truth of his origins that he has been avoiding all his life. And he's not the only one who has a reckoning coming their way...

When you zoom out, the main plot here is a story told many times. A reluctant hero gets begrudgingly pulled into a 'save the world scenario' and learns more about himself along the way. It's everything that they dress this narrative up with, the characters, the themes, the action etc., that makes this such an enjoyable ride. 

When it comes to our characters, this series goes for an unexpected twofer. It's not just Dante who's in the spotlight. Lady gets just as much, and in ways, even more, attention than our white-haired, smirking demon hunter. There is a lot of focus placed on her and her development, has more or less an entire episode to herself, and is arguably more important to the narrative than Dante. 

The White Rabbit´s beef is with DarkCom and thus Lady, not Dante. It´s Lady who is put through the wringer the most and who has the most growth from episode to episode. The existing DMC fanbase doesn't seem to like this version of her much but for me, she's the best character in the series. Why? Her character development. She starts out as this very narrow-minded and aggressive woman with a black-and-white perspective of the world that slowly breaks down. To quote Avatar Aang: "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.". 

I do agree that she swears way too much; it grows tiresome quickly. I'm very torn about her part in the cliffhanger as well. Crossing my fingers that will push her in a direction that doesn't seemingly walk back her character development from these initial 8 episodes. 

Lady might not be superhuman but she can definetly give Dante a run for his money.

That I like Lady the best isn't to say Dante isn't a bad or boring character - far from it. He's as much the skilled, flashy and smug but good-hearted man that I understand he is. Be it slaying demons or simply interacting with Lady or Enzo, he's just a treat to have on screen. He's a very cool and likeable dude whose psyche this series digs a bit into it. The trauma of losing his family is brought up more than once and is pivotal to Dante coming to terms with his demon heritage. Something he initially is too disturbed by to even admit is a possibility - offering weak excuses even he doesn’t believe. 

Yet, this stuff doesn't have the same impact as the mental baggage Lady is dealing with. It's in character to be more 'casual', to get through emotional moments with something of a pun and a smirk but that doesn't make for the most compelling watch at times. Couple that with him reacting to events more than driving them and you get a show that couldn't find a good balance between its protagonists.

Don't worry, I don't have such long-winded tirades about the rest of the cast. The White Rabbit, Vice Presiden Baines, Enzo - they all fill the role they're meant to play well without much surprise or deep character work. They are mostly entertaining to watch just by their personalities and by how they represent the series' themes. You'll pick up on those themes, like trauma and redemption, easily when you choose to watch the show. And Lady's DarkCom crew, you ask? Whatever you think will happen when you're introduced to them happens. The only surprise to me was that it took longer than expected. 

I was also surprised by the voice cast. Not that I was expecting bad things, we have good performances all around, but because of the last-minute announcement that the late-and-great Kevin Conroy lent his talent to this series. Watching his very last work gave this season just this extra drop of, well, specialness. He sadly didn't finish recording all of his lines before his passing but luckily there's only one line where I noticed that it wasn't Kevin. Ian James Corlett did a good job recording those final few lines. 

Jumping to something else, this series has quite a slew of nods and references packed in its script. I have never played any DMC games (yet) so the only references I got were from other games (shout out to that Resident Evil easter egg) or from stuff I recognized through pop culture osmosis. A visit to the DMC Wiki post episode 8 taught me that not only are all the major demons straight from the games but this season could be considered a loose adaptation of Devil May Cry 3. It has the same core narrative with the necklace, has Lady as a big part and more. Pretty neat, especially for the fans I imagine. 

Let's do another jump: the action sequences puzzled me at first. They were fun and flashy but also rather reserved. It doesn't start with Dante taking on demons in extravagant ways: the show builds up to it and those heights don't seem to compare to the action heights of the games. Looking back at all 8 episodes I get why this choice was made though. It fits the type of story they wanted to tell best. It's also not like these more reserved fights weren't fun to watch in their own way - but Dante on a motorcycle fighting demons on the highway is definitely where the magic is at. 

Dante during the motorcycle sequence. Not that he himself is 2D but the bike and words are not. 

I have a similar sentiment about the music. The opening theme is not my favourite. At all. It's very rap-heavy and I am certainly not a rap fan and that is the song you hear the most. Luckily, the deeper we get into the series, the better the music gets. The song from the trailer makes an appearance and the above-mentioned motorcycle fight is serenaded by a new rendition of 'Devil Trigger'. One of the tracks I listened to on repeat back in those YouTube days. 

Animation too has a glaring, repeated, issue. I like the style they went with here. It's nice and smooth and looks very much like the overall style of the games. It doesn't have that 'Young Justice S3-4' style of animation that leads to some awkwardness in faces and proportions that fellow Netflix series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft suffers from a bit. It's more anime than Western animation, is the best way to put it. 

I especially adore what they did in episode 6. That is a very stylistic outing in more ways than one. It's a nearly wordless outing with different animation styles for the two realms it explores and it works wonders. Alongside episode 5, an episode full of tension that juggles its two protagonists best, are my favourite episodes here.

However, it over-relies on combining 2D animation with 3D models for its demons and bigger action scenes. Just like with the new Witcher movies, these two elements don't mesh well. It just doesn't look good, obviously doesn't look good, and is thus very distracting. 

Conclusion

Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a really enjoyable show. It’s a stylish and surprisingly thoughtful adaptation that, while never quite reaching the spectacle of the games, captures their charm and energy. It delivers cool characters, slick action, and a story that digs deeper into its characters and themes than you might expect—though it does sometimes struggle to balance co-protagonists Dante and Lady.

The animation can be hit-or-miss, especially with the clunky 2D/3D blending, and I wasn’t too fond of the music choices but when the show puts its best foot forward, it clicks. It all builds to an unexpected cliffhanger that, whether you love it or not, keeps you hooked and sets up a lofty and dark season 2.

Will the ambitions it sets pay off? Time will tell. But for now, I can wholeheartedly recommend Devil May Cry to anyone even a little curious.