Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Devilman: The Complete TV Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Devilman is an action-adventure genre classic. The series has a dark and complex aesthetic. Created by Go Nagai (Cutie Honey), Devilman was broadcast on TV Asahi. Licensed for release in North America by Discotek Media, Devilman features exceptional animation produced by Toei Animation (Dragon Ball, Fist of the North Star). Produced by Shinichi Miyazaki (Cutie Honey, Hurricane Polymar), Devilman has plenty of exciting genre elements for fantasy and action-adventure fans.

Akira Fudou (Ryouichi Tanaka) transforms in to the creature known as the Devilman after a life-altering accident occurs in the Himalayas. Now in the form of a fantastical demon, Akira must face his demons inside and out. After spending time living with the Makimura family, Devilman begins to learn more about himself and his relationship with humankind.

Discovering a deeper love for humanity than he expected, Devilman learns that he is more than a mere demon monster. Devilman might be the only hope standing between humanity’s destruction and the survival of human kind. As Devilman faces off against Xenon and an assortment of evil demons seeking to destroy the planet, Devilman fights for the human race.

The series is one that has a compelling central protagonist. Devilman is a character who aims to be a hero of the tale and yet is the type of hero many would consider as being of the antihero variety. A character with a complex background and with a demonic figure, Devilman is not the usual sharp superhero that audiences might expect. The series is part of a Japanese anime genre that is well explored with this creation. The series might remind one of the more recent comic-book universes created with Hellboy.

The character shares a few similar traits with Hellboy (and this is something genre fans will appreciate). It is fascinating to have a lead character who looks like a demon – and who audiences may view as a monster with a grotesque figure – but with a more complex character narrative than meets the eye. Genre enthusiasts will appreciate this component of the production and find it adds a nice aspect of depth to the series. Audiences looking for cookie-cutter heroes with sharp chips can look elsewhere.

The series animation is one of the most vital and essential elements of the production. Devilman is a beautiful looking production with a number of great layers to the aesthetic of the series core. The art style is creative and fun. Under the chief animation direction by Takeshi Shirato (Star Blazers, Mazinger Z), Devilman has plenty of creative energy on display.

The team of animators involved with making the series come to life helped to shape the production with a distinctly creative aesthetic that fits the world and tone of the series. This is not a typical bright and cheery production with a light aesthetic of Marvel comic-book characters or the like. The aesthetic is darker and more complex looking than that and has a level of sophistication that accompanies it as a result.

The character designs by Kazuo Komatsubara (Galaxy Express 999, Getter Robo) are compelling as well. The character designs are essential to the storytelling. What would Devilman be without the fantastic aesthetic for the central protagonist? The character design for Devilman alone is one of the essential ingredients for the series. Though some might consider the character to appear grotesque and horrific, others might find a sort of bold wonderment to the design.

The score composed by Goh Misawa (Jungle Kurobe, Aim for the Ace!) is an entertaining component of the series. The score provides the genre storytelling with some fun charm and adventure. The music is engaging and action oriented. The score certainly manages to imbue the series with the right notes for success. A worthwhile effort by Misawa.

The chief screenwriting by Masaki Tsuji (The Fantastic Adventures of Unico, Flying Phantom Ship) is impressive and helps the production find a good balance of drama and action. The action element certainly is enhanced by the scripting. The series has a good sense of adrenaline-packed fun and Devilman is more entertaining as a result.

Under the chief direction of Hidenori Yamaguchi (Candy Candy, Pink Lady Monogatari: Eiko no Tenshitachi), Devilman is a well-directed series. Yamaguchi and the other filmmakers created a compelling visual aesthetic for the production. Devilman has a compelling art style and the directing brings forth some interesting results. Action fans will especially be drawn to Devilman for its sense of adventure.

The action scenes are one of the focal components of the series. This was an area that the creator Go Nagai excelled in. Some audiences find these elements of Go Nagai productions to be over the top but there is something appreciable about the type of action style infused in to the work of Go Nagai in his works. Later era Go Nagai adaptations sometimes struggle more with conveying these aspects than classic anime. The action sequencing for Devilman is impressive and worthwhile.

Devilman: The Complete TV Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Devilman is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. Devilman looks quite impressive in high definition. The encoding is certainly noteworthy.

The animation looks nice and satisfying on the release. The encoding showcases the art style in an effective manner. The nice aesthetic of the production is certainly well preserved by the excellent encoding from Discotek. The colors benefit the most from the presentation. Color reproduction is impressive and engaging. The aesthetic of the series is one that makes a solid impression and the animators work is well reproduced with the release.

Devilman: The Complete TV Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 soundtrack (with English subtitles). The lossless audio sounds nice and crisp on the release. Given the limited dynamic range of many Japanese anime productions of the era, it is wonderful that the release has a nice and clean sounding soundstage.

A impressive soundtrack and one that capably preserves the score and dialogue for the presentation. The music by Goh Misawa has a nice sense of vitality and depth for a production of its age. Discotek Media did a great job with the audio on the release. Well done.

Devilman: The Complete TV Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release is presented with a nice o-card slipcover. The slipcover adds a nice element of prestige to the release. The collection looks great on the shelf. This is a nice touch by Discotek Media and Blu-ray slipcover fans will appreciate the added collectible element of the collection. In this day and age (with streaming) it is always nice for distributors to add a little extra collectible touch – though the main draw of physical media remains the superior presentation, these little collectible elements make the package even more appealing.

Disc 1:

Pilot Film (HD, 2:17) is a short pilot for Devilman.

Disc 2:

Title-Free Openings (SD, 2:19)

Title-Free Endings (SD, 3:53)

Disc 3:

Devilman Memorial (SD, 59:32)

Devilman: The Complete TV Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Devilman is not a typical hero. The series explores a otherworldly character with an appearance that might recall more recent genre fare – such as the genius of Hellboy. Fans of dark anime with quality animation and compelling storytelling should consider checking it out. Genre enthusiasts are the target audience for Devilman and there is no doubt that this audience will enjoy the series more than most.

The Blu-ray release from Discotek Media features an excellent video and audio presentation. This is a solid looking encode and the audio sounds crisp on the release as well. The set also includes a nice selection of extras, including the original pilot film and the Devilman Memorial video. The release includes an attractive slipcover as well. A nice and well-rounded release and one that fans of the series will be glad to pick up. Discotek Media continues to demonstrate why it is one of the best companies releasing anime on home media. Recommended.