Devil May Cry, the review of the animated series: irony and action between demons and music
Another important video game brand makes its appearance in the Netflix catalog: the adaptation of the Capcom game, created by Studio Mir, relies on rhythm, action and music to tell the exploits of the protagonist, Dante.
The entertainment world is hungry for brands, for consolidated works to propose in different forms, with a continuous exchange from one media to another: Indiana Jones has recently convinced in the video game version (also on PS5), and many video games are arriving in the form of films and series.
A very busy period of adaptations, from Minecraft in theaters to the imminent The Last of Us 2 and Until Dawn, waiting for Zelda announced for 2027. Last but not least, Devil May Cry makes its debut in the Netflix catalog.
This is a historic video game series, which debuted on PlayStation 2 in the now distant (at least in video game terms) 2001, branded Capcom and characterized by a well-developed exploratory soul to accompany its main action-adventure (or hack and slash) component, the gothic print look and the heavy-metal music that serves as a backdrop to the action. A title that immediately made itself noticed at the time of its release, gathering many fans around it and continued for five chapters until 2019.
It was inevitable that it would find a way to the screen again, after a parenthesis in a manga between 2005 and 2006 and a first animated series in 2007, and it did so again in serial form thanks to Studio Mir, the Korean reality to which we owe the two films set in the world of The Witcher, just to stay in the Netflix house, and the appreciated X-Men '97. In short, positive premises.
Hunting Demons in the Netflix Series
The adaptation of Devil May Cry is handled by Adi Shankar and Alex Larsen, two authors who declare themselves fans of the series and its characters and who, for this reason, have approached this work to respect the fandom of Capcom games and the high expectations. The two authors outline in the Netflix series the bloody context in which threatening and sinister demonic forces try to open the portal that separates their world from that of humans.
At the center of it all is an amulet divided in two, but above all the figure of the protagonist Dante, a hybrid between the two worlds for being the son of a human and the demon Sparda, a mercenary hunter of these evil creatures, unaware of the delicate and unique role he can have in the destiny of both worlds.
The charm of Dante and the style of the series
Albino look with light eyes and hair, always ready with a joke (which the irony of the series embodies well), preference for swords and cutting weapons but without disdaining even firearms, Dante was a charismatic protagonist and capable of breaking through the screen in the games, and he confirms this in the animated series. The authors also dedicate quick flashbacks to the character's childhood to convey to the viewer the depth that his iconicity deserves, to make him capable of conquering new fans who will get to know him directly in this version.
The character design of the series is, in fact, good, also and above all concerning its monstrous component, with a more than dignified general visual approach, net of the obvious compromises necessary for a series of 8 episodes. The style of the project was worked on right from the opening credits made with a very intriguing visual style that follows recent trends in animated media.
Action and music for Devil May Cry
"I work better with music" says Dante putting a song on the jukebox before starting a fight, and the musical component is central in Devil May Cry, consistently with what happens in the games: music with hard sounds, Metal, which accompany the action and characterize the series, but which are also interesting ideas for a playlist to put together focused on this musical genre.
However, if the action is predominant, seasoned with the right amount of irony and over-the-top situations, the balance between moments more tied to the single episode and a common thread to be carried forward throughout all eight episodes also works. An adaptation that works in making and placing the protagonist Dante at the center of the action with his ironic streak and cool approach to combat, which we hope to see further developed in the future.
Conclusions
Irony, action and Metal music characterize the adaptation of Devil May Cry in the Netflix series created by Studio Mir. The look and the approach to the character are right, and the balance between the different monsters to face and the horizontal development of the series is well constructed. It can also conquer new spectators compared to the already numerous fans of Capcom video games. And that's no small thing.