Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a chaotic, blood-soaked callback to the early 2000s, and despite misgivings going in, I loved it. The series blends nostalgia, hyper-stylized action, and a surprising dose of emotional depth into a concoction that, oddly enough, feels cohesive and works. Helmed by Adi Shankar, known for his work on Castlevania, the series takes Capcom’s iconic hack-and-slash franchise and translates it into a fast-paced, eight-episode anime that feels both familiar and refreshingly bold—and much deeper than I expected from the trailers and teases we got up to this point. While Devil May Cry doesn’t entirely escape the pitfalls of video game adaptations, it delivers enough thrills and character-driven storytelling to leave fans eager for more.
A bit of backstory on myself: I have loved the Devil May Cry series since the second game was released all the way back in 2003. I never owned a PS2 as a teenager, but I would go over to my friend’s house and spend countless hours trying to master the complex combo system and overcome the many over-the-top bosses the series enjoyed throwing at the player.
From there, I was hooked on the franchise and have played every game up to this point. I even enjoyed the 2007 anime adaptation by Studio Madhouse. So, let’s just say I walked in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, ready to see if this new show could capture even an ounce of what the series is known for, and despite all of that, I was blown away.
At its core, Devil May Cry follows Dante, a cocky, demon-slaying bounty hunter armed with his twin pistols (Ebony and Ivory) and an early 00s-style attitude we all know and love. This version of Dante is the youngest iteration we’ve seen yet—a brash slacker with a penchant for snarky one-liners and an undercurrent of vulnerability. Although, don’t worry, he still has his iconic white hair. Johnny Yong Bosch’s performance as Dante is pitch-perfect, balancing the character’s boyish charm with the emotional weight of his mysterious past.
“While Devil May Cry doesn’t entirely escape the pitfalls of video game adaptations, it delivers enough thrills and character-driven storytelling to leave fans eager for more.”
Bosch’s portrayal grounds Dante in a way that makes him more than just a caricature of 2000s “edginess,” even when he’s tossing out quips mid-battle. Some of the most fun moments come when you get a glimpse of the character trying to form his identity, as we see in other iterations of the character, even testing out one-liners to see what works in moments.
While I love the tone and characterization set by other visions of Dante, the way Adi Shankar sets up the story—a character who is a bit less jaded and still trying to find himself—works well and gives more room for the audience to learn and sympathize with who he is at this point in his life.
Devil May Cry wastes no time setting its tone. The opening credits feature Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’,” immediately plunging viewers into a world dripping with early-00s aesthetics. From there, it’s a whirlwind of demon-slaying carnage, government conspiracies, and personal vendettas. The story centres on Dante’s possession of an ancient amulet capable of opening the gates to Hell—a MacGuffin that draws the attention of both DARKCOM (a militarized anti-demon agency) and a suave yet sinister White Rabbit leading an underworld uprising.
Alongside Dante is Mary (aka Lady), a no-nonsense member of DARKCOM whose dynamic with Dante provides some of the show’s best moments. Their banter oozes with energy, offering glimpses of depth beneath their archetypal exteriors and just a hint of sexual tension that, thankfully, never gets explored during the series’ eight-episode run.
While they are both very much what we would expect from a show like this, or any early-00s edgy anime, Adi Shankar manages to inject depth and true pathos into what they are doing and who they are as characters. So much so that I did not expect Devil May Cry to delve as deeply into emotional territory as it did, but I am so glad it had the gumption to push the story there.
The first half of the season struggles under the weight of exposition and wanting to appear as edgy as possible. With multiple factions vying for control and a sprawling cast that includes fan favourites like Lady and Kevin Conroy’s Vice President Baines, the narrative feels overstuffed at times. The pacing drags as it struggles to set up its world while teasing future plotlines and potential battles. Thankfully, once the groundwork is laid, Devil May Cry hits its stride in the latter half. The action sequences—always a highlight—become more meaningful as they’re tied to character development and stakes that feel earned.
“I did not expect Devil May Cry to delve as deeply into emotional territory as it did, but I am so glad it had the gumption to push the story there.”
While I may love the fact Devil May Cry strives to be more than just a dumb action series, the visual battles and action are where the series truly shines. The animation by Studio Mir is stunning, capturing every slash of Dante’s sword and every bullet fired with kinetic energy. The combat sequences are stressful and inventive in the best possible ways, often oscillating between campy swagger and gut-wrenching brutality.
Yet it was a near-dialogue-free episode, set to original music by Evanescence, that told the contrasting backstories of two of the series’ characters that sold the show for me. It was a bold choice that was beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure and a daring move by the series creators that gave emotional depth and context to the chaos we’ve seen up to this point. It easily could have failed in the hands of a lesser creator or studio, but from the art style and animation to the choice to go dialogue-free, it worked—and had me nearly in tears at the end. It was one of the best episodes of TV I’ve seen all year.
Despite its bombastic exterior, Devil May Cry isn’t afraid to explore deeper themes. Beneath the gore and one-liners lies a story about identity, loss, and the blurred lines between good and evil. Dante may be a wisecracking antihero on the surface, but his journey reveals layers of pain and self-discovery that make him compelling beyond his flashy exterior. It is a show that pushes the boundaries of the source material but somehow makes it all work, giving something that, while true to the original concept, feels fresh, new, and compelling.
The series also doesn’t shy away from political undertones. DARKCOM’s militarized response to the demon threat echoes real-world anxieties about government overreach and fear-mongering in times of crisis, which felt a bit too real and often uncomfortable to watch. These themes add an unexpected layer of relevance to what could have easily been a straightforward action romp, making the series feel incredibly modern, even with the early-00s feel to most of the proceedings.
In many ways, Devil May Cry feels like Netflix’s answer to its own Castlevania. While it doesn’t quite reach the same heights—particularly with the narrative—it carves out its own space as a stylish, unapologetically fun series that honours its source material while pushing it in new directions. I loved what Devil May Cry delivered in this first outing and honestly cannot wait to see where the series takes us next.
