Devilman...
Years ago, Devilman was available in subtitled only form from Dark Image and in dubbed only form from Manga. I wasn't really happy with Manga, so, I picked up the subtitled only version from Dark Image...
Devilman is one of the few series that starts out "so so" and gets better later on. Fifteen years separate the production of each of the two volumes, so, there are some differences in the animation and story. But, overall, Devilman still manages to hold up reasonably well. Still, in the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep it in my archive. I had the subtitled VHS version. I gave Devilman a 3 out of 5.
Demons, once trapped in the glacial ice of the Earth, have been unleashed on mankind after centuries of non-intervention. Only two men have the ability to stop them, the cool-headed Ryo and the fearless Akira who, as Devilman, possesses the body and strength of a demon but with the heart and soul of a human.
Volume 1
The Birth
Normal life in modern day Tokyo is unexpectedly disrupted for a young high school kid named Akira. First his parents go missing, then his pet rabbit is viciously slaughtered and finally his best friend, Ryo Asuka, reveals a terrifying secret - something that guarantees that Akira's life can never be the same again. Ryo's late archaeologist father left him a dark and sinister legacy, knowledge of which may only condemn Ryo in the same way it condemned his father - to an eternal sentence of suffering and torment. However, Ryo understands that his legacy also has the power to salvage the human race from torturous damnation at the hands of demons. But, whoever kills a demon must become a demon - and only one who is pure of heart can possess the body of a demon... only one like Akira!
Volume 2
Demon Bird
In The Demon Bird, Akira is confronted by more deadly horror as obscene and twisted creatures struggle to take control of the world. Miki, his girlfriend, is brutally attacked by the fiendish water demon Gelmar while Devilman takes on Jinmen, who carries the tortured souls of his victims embedded in his gruesome shell. But the combination of human and demon makes Akira a formidable force... until he meets the vicious talons of Siren, the invincible Demon Bird!
Devilman is one of the few series that starts out "so so" and gets better later on. Fifteen years separate the production of each of the two volumes, so, there are some differences in the animation and story. But, overall, Devilman still manages to hold up reasonably well. Still, in the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep it in my archive. I had the subtitled VHS version. I gave Devilman a 3 out of 5.
