Anime general discussion

[Rares]

Devilman: Crybaby
Rumor has it that it achieved this name for it's ability to turn viewers into crybabies. I will not deny some things were shed from my end.

Spoiler

Jeez, where do I even begin. Okay, I'll start with the bad. I didn't quite like the animation at times. I thought it was a bit too funky and too stylistic at times for my taste. I also thought things got a little too NSFW at times. I see the themes they were going for, and of course with a series involving the philosophical idea of human nature and demons, there is going to be some of that. But I feel like at times it was a bit unnecessary, then again I suppose one could make the argument that the excess of certain things was part of a point.

Okay with that out of the way, I still can't get over it.


I really like a good tragedy. Maybe it's because I hate myself, maybe it's because tragedies progress characters in really compelling ways, maybe it's because sometimes I feel like a (good) tragic ending has a bigger impact on me than everything tied up in a neat bow. But I feel like the problem with a lot of tragedies is their inability to distinguish tragic elements, and bad things happening, or when it comes to the ending, the difference between a tragic yet satisfying conclusion, and just giving a "bad end".

The way I see "edge" in fiction, is comparable to a spice. You can use it to flavor up the story, you can have a really spicy dish, but you can't create a dish from spice. It needs other ingredients. Now Devilman: Crybaby by this would be a very "spicy" show, but what I'd say keeps it from being too edgy, is keeping the protagonist consistent. He's always consistent, he's a good hearted character despite his situation, it's the situation around him that is dark. In doing so, a grounded human element is kept, along with the other things that happen. Sometimes I feel these darker series have a way too nihilistic outlook on things, or have the droll "Humans are just as bad as the monsters!" outlook. I find that to be rather boring since it's used too much these days. Here though, that element feels far more balanced and evened out, because the show also reminds you of the good in people, despite the madness, before returning to it.

There's just so much I want to break down in this, I'm just fascinated with analyzing some of the details and things left up for interpretation, because this feels like one of those series with a lot of elements purposefully left to be thought about, especially in terms of how the ending is done. It's one of those things I really enjoy sinking my teeth into and thinking about the story elements of it, but it is an intense ride for sure.

Oh and the music is really good.



My recommendation of it? I think it's really good, but I only recommend it if you're actively thinking about watching a tragic story, with lots of dark elements that you want to spend a lot of time thinking over, with it leaving an impact on you. It is not a fun watch. I don't mean to say you need to really sit down and analyze it, because it also is pretty casual being a Netflix show. But it just leaves such a heavy impact after watching, especially towards the end. It's one of those stories that will really beat you. And that means it's definitely not for everyone at all. But if you're in the mood for something like that, it'll give you a lot to think over with it.