Netflix has been finding a lot of success with its animated video game adaptations, and while Devil May Cry isn't the streamer's best, it won me over by the end. Based on the video game series of the same name, Devil May Cry begins like a cut scene, spending an arduously long time explaining the rules and magic system of its world. The exposition is important but too repetitive and obvious, making Devil May Cry choke on its pacing from the start. However, the glimmers of originality and unexpected depth in the series' final episodes were a pleasant surprise.

Within the anime genre and contemporary adult animation, it isn't enough to be visually dynamic and have incredible fight scenes. This is a baseline requirement to bring audiences in and make them care about the series. Devil May Cry quickly achieves this baseline, and it's easy to like the show's classic protagonist, Dante, voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch. He's powerful, witty, and a little immature, making him attractive yet approachable, two qualities vital to his character archetype. His foil, Mary (Scout Taylor-Compton), is also a familiar character type, but the pair develops some depth throughout the episodes.

I Wish Devil May Cry Got To The Meat Of The Action Faster

Devil May Cry Has A Compelling Story, But It Takes Its Time Getting There

Though the references to hell, Dante's Divine Comedy, and other religious texts are the most obvious, it can't be ignored that Devil May Cry likely wouldn't exist without Trigun. From Dante's stylization and aesthetic to the gun-oriented action sequences, the influences of other animes are all over Devil May Cry, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fans of the genre will appreciate this and fully enjoy the visuals of the show, which get gorier and more experimental as it progresses. However, it's difficult to wait for these more exciting elements to make an appearance.

It was in episode 6 that Devil May Cry finally caught my attention and maintained my interest until the end of the series. Though this is far too late in an eight-episode season for a show to get its bearings, the last third of the series made up for this failure more skillfully than I thought it would. Devil May Cry still lacks the necessary character development, especially in the demon-hunting Dante, to be considered a truly great TV show, but it proved to me that it does have something special to offer.

Though the needle drops can lean more into goofy territory than dramatic, this helped me accept the more comedic aspects of the series.

It's impossible not to talk about the soundtrack of Devil May Cry, which fully embraces the emo tone and horror elements of the story. Though the needle drops can lean more into goofy territory than dramatic, this helped me accept the more comedic aspects of the series. Devil May Cry doesn't care that it's full of whiplash changes in tone and tension as long as it successfully makes its point. This isn't an uncommon facet of the genre, and I understand why Devil May Cry didn't want to be defined solely by horror or humor.

The White Rabbit, Devil May Cry's first villain, but certainly not the only one, is one of the few characters who demonstrate depth and layered motivations. Though his desire to bring the demon world into the human one is immediately characterized as the big bad of the series, Devil May Cry encourages us to understand the White Rabbit, even if we can't fully empathize with him. The emotional journey we go on with the White Rabbit outpaces our connection to both Mary and Dante, which is disappointing and an error any additional season needs to correct.

The Larger Message Of Devil May Cry Has Surprising Depth & Nuance

Devil May Cry Doesn't Shy Away From Making A Political Statement

The juxtaposition between the rather juvenile humor, standard character archetypes, and the intensity of season 1's conclusion is a little shocking. Though the stakes are high throughout Devil May Cry, the series ups the ante and creates an ending bleaker than I was expecting. However, the series doesn't struggle to effectively set up season 2, even if its last-moment twist was one I could see coming from a mile away. If Netflix does renew the project, I would be interested in seeing where it goes.

Critiques of American imperialism and exceptionalism are at the forefront of Devil May Cry, which takes its narrative much more seriously than Dante takes his duties as a demon hunter. I wish I felt as strongly about Dante and his revelations as I do about the White Rabbit and the show's overarching themes, but it keeps Dante at arm's length with his humor and devil-may-care attitude. However, Devil May Cry is bigger than just Dante. There's a cohesive project there that needs a little refining but has definite potential.