The Boys proved over the past two seasons of live-action insanity, the franchise is now heading back into the drawn realm - albeit this time animation, rather than comics. The Boys: Diabolical contains 8 episodes – 7 set within TV continuity, 1 within comic book canon – and all tell standalone stories themed around Compound-V, from cosmetic experiments to Homelander's very first mission.
And it isn't just the subject matter that changes. Each The Boys: Diabolical installment is penned by a different writer, and boasts its own unique animation style. The spinoff's broad visual palette spans time and culture to deliver a varied menu of artistic imagery, encoming old-school classics, traditional anime, and much more. Of course, every influence is given an obligatory "The Boys" twist. That means blood, guts, poop, and other bodily fluids best not mentioned.
With The Boys: Diabolical giving a whistle-stop tour of art styles, which altar does each story worship at? Which shows and influences were tossed into the mix to give Amazon's very first The Boys spin-off its animation inspiration?
Laser Baby's Day Out
One of the easier animation styles to decipher, The Boys: Diabolical's "Laser Baby's Day Out" Jellystone, Wacky Races, and New Looney Tunes.
An Animated Short Where Pissed-Off Supes Kill Their Parents
Delivering nothing less than the title promises, "An Animated Short Where Pissed-Off Supes Kill Their Parents" brings The Boys: Diabolical's animation crashing into the modern day. Here, the characters and environments are drawn in the modern cartoon sitcom style of a Rick Sanchez mishap. That's due to the input of Justin Roiland, who co-created the cult sci-fi cartoon series and co-writes this episode of The Boys: Diabolical. "An Animated Short Where Pissed-Off Supes Kill Their Parents" is also drawn by Mighty Animation, who worked on Rick & Morty season 5.
I'm Your Pusher
The Boys: Diabolical doesn't just mine influence from the world of cartoons. "I'm Your Pusher" is penned by Garth Ennis – original creator of The Boys comic books. Rather than copy a specific animation style from past or present, Ennis' contribution honors the aesthetic of Darick Robertson's comic artwork. When Billy Butcher and Wee Hughie appear, it's the authentic versions rather than animated likenesses of Karl Urban and Jack Quaid, and the same goes for Homelander and Queen Maeve. Every frame feels like it could've been a from the comic series, but few evoke Robertson's style more than the wide-eyed, sweaty image of a sky-high Great Wide Wonder. His maddened expression is a dead ringer for similarly unhinged gurns pulled by Homelander, SwingWing, and various others on the printed page.
Boyd In 3D
The episode least connected to wider The Boys lore, "Boyd In 3D" doesn't necessarily pay tribute to any specific animation style or iconic cartoon. The episode is written by Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. However, the "Boyd In 3D" visual tone owes more to the episode's chosen studio, Folivari. The French animation house has produced Stinky Dog and Ernest & Célestine, both of which utilize a rustic art style where pencil strokes remain visible, mirroring comic book art. The same approach is used in Folivari's The Boys: Diabolical output.
BFFs
Written by and starring Awkwafina, "BFFs" is about a young teenage girl who imbues herself with glowing blue Compound-V, inherits the power of bringing poop to life, then commands it like a fecal magician. The super-colorful, wet-look animation (appropriate, considering this episode's themes) brings together a range of influences. There's a sprinkling of anime and Saturday morning cartoons, but perhaps also a heavy dose of the Korean animation seen in Steven Universe – especially in the color palette and rounded character designs. Directed by Madeleine Flores, The Boys: Diabolical's "BFFs" episode bears a visual similarity to Bee and PuppyCat, which Flores worked on as both an artist and writer.
Nubian vs Nubian
Dragon Ball Z, but the Japanese flavor is balanced out by stylistic choices you'd sooner find in western superhero cartoons. That's likely down to the episode's director, Matthew Bordenave, who has been involved in numerous DC and Marvel projects during his animation career.
John & Sun-Hee
Not only is "John & Sun-Hee" the episode of The Boys: Diabolical most likely to trigger tears (which is weird, considering the guy who wrote it also sang "Jizz In My Pants"), but it also brings the most striking visual imagery to Amazon's spinoff. Steve Ahn (director) and Studio Animal introduce an authentic Korean influence into The Boys' world; a calmer change of pace from the franchise's typical visual bombast. Watching "John & Sun-Hee" (through misty eyes), it's hard not to sense influences from Japanese anime too. Sun-Hee's monstrous transformation conjures memories of Akira, while there's a whiff of Studio Ghibli in the color palette and musical accompaniment.
One Plus One Equals Two
In its eighth episode – a Homelander origin story, no less – The Boys: Diabolical finds a visual style of its own rather than drawing from elsewhere. Similar to "Nubian vs Nubian" but with the anime influence toned down, "One Plus One Equals Two" is another example of gorgeously rendered superhero action, this time without making overtures toward any specific style or genre. Were there to be a fully-animated season of The Boys one day, this is probably how it'd look.
Diabolical Season 2's Animations Could Nod To Pixar and Roger Rabbit
The Boys: Diabolical season 2 hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but it's thought to be on the cards. Creator Simon Racioppa is certainly speaking as though it's impending, and one update he's given (via Disney Pixar-style animation, as well as more nods towards kid-friendly animation styles like Hanna-Barbera as seen in "Laser Baby's Day Out." Several animation styles were toyed with but unused in season 1 of Diabolical, including a Roger-Rabbit-style episode and a wholesome one that deliberately didn't include any of the usual The Boys' bleak gory themes. If and when The Boys: Diabolical season 2 hits Amazon in the future, it will no doubt continue pushing the boundaries of taste in animation just as The Boys has done with live-action.
