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Introduction
The Anime World: Hey, Jitendar! There’s a new anime coming out!
Me: Hmm, I’m listening.
The Anime World: It’s from Manga Entertainment, a complete series collection.
Me: Value for money as usual.
The Anime World: They’re releasing it on Blu-ray on the same day as the DVD.
Me: I don’t have a Blu-ray player.
The Anime World: Luddite! Anyway, it’s about this demon hunter with an arsenal of arse-kicking weapons.
Me: So?
The Anime World: No, but the thing is, he’s half demon himself, he’s really quirky, always broke, he likes pizza, and there’s loads of cool characters, and they all hunt demons to send them back to hell.
Me: Yawn. How original!
The Anime World: But this is different, it’s based on a series of Console Games!
Me: Oh $@*% off!
The Anime World: and… it’s animated… by Madhouse Studios?
Me: What?
The Anime World: Madhouse Studios.
Me: … … … Gimme! Gimme it now! What are you waiting for? Gimme!

You see, I have all the time in the world for anime that comes from the auspices of Madhouse Studios. Their reputation for high quality, imaginative and visually striking work always somehow transcends the subject matter. Whether it is a game adaptation, a harem anime, sci-fi, horror, cyberpunk, or something completely different, you can be guaranteed that the end results will satisfy your aesthetic needs, even if the story doesn’t live up. Something like Hellsing Ultimate may prove to be more style than substance, Shigurui was as close to a video nasty as you can get, and still be passed by the BBFC, and I’ve recently reviewed the first volume of X, which wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I have to say that even their least satisfying anime has always left a lasting impression on me after the end credits have rolled. And when they get it right, as in Black Lagoon, Gunslinger Girl and Paranoia Agent, then you’re talking about some of the best anime ever made. I’m willing to take a chance on any anime with Madhouse Studios listed in the end credits. Which is why I approached this adaptation of a console game, rubbing my hands with glee, and popcorn at the ready.

Manga Entertainment release all 12 episodes of Devil May Cry, spread across three DVDs, loaded with extra features.

Disc 1

1. Devil May Cry
Dante, owner of the Devil May Cry demon hunting business, finally has a job that may help him claw his way out of debt. He has to ensure the safety of heiress Patty Lowell, keep her alive long enough so that she can get to her late father’s mansion, and claim her inheritance. The problem is that she’s the result of her late father’s dalliances, and his brothers, who stand to inherit the lot if she doesn’t show up, aren’t above a little underhand scheming to make sure she doesn’t. Still, it looks like a simple enough job for Dante, until he hears a voice in his head, “This girl’s life is mine!” Then the demons start crawling out of the woodwork.

2. Highway Star
Patty’s making herself at home, and cleaning the premises. She thinks that a more inviting appearance will help draw the punters in. Of course the sort of clients that need the services of a demon hunter, aren’t too bothered about the soft furnishings. Then the last client that Dante wanted walks through the door. Lady is a strong demon hunter in her own right, and Dante’s in debt to her up to his eyeballs. Which is why she can twist him around her little finger when it comes to jobs needed doing. This time it’s the Devils Biker Gang terrorising the highways. Except that they are called the Devils, they are in fact human, and Dante can’t do anything to humans.

3. Not Love
It seems like a match made in heaven, a young heiress, daughter of the city mayor, is out walking one night, when she trips and falls. But there is a handsome young Good Samaritan, with a healing touch, and an ability to soothe sprained ankles. Naturally the young woman, Angelina, and the young man, Brad fall in love. But there’s no happy ending where the Mayor is concerned. First he imposes a curfew, then he locks his daughter up and posts a guard, and finally he hires Dante to kill Brad. Of course if anyone has a supernatural healing touch, he can’t be anything other than a demon.

4. Rolling Thunder
A church is being terrorised, its congregation attacked, and the terrified priest has hired Lady to take out the despicable demon, a statuesque blonde woman who shoots lightning from her fingers, and fires two guns. Their first rooftop encounter is inconclusive, although both try their best to kill the other. Their second in a clothing boutique is a little less violent, although a little more catty. Lady decides to call in part of that debt, and enlist Dante’s help. It’s just that description of the demons sounds awfully familiar to Dante.

Disc 2

5. In Private
A young man has a thing for waitress Cindy, except that she doesn’t like the eager puppy dog type. She prefers to chase, rather than be chased, and she points out a likely customer as the sort of man she goes for, in the hope that he will buck his ideas up. She points to Dante, who is currently enjoying a strawberry sundae at the bar. The trouble is that young man gets the wrong message. Rather than work on his image, he decides to follow Dante, and prove to Cindy that her ideal guy is in fact a creep. He has no idea what he is letting himself in for.

6. Rock Queen
Dante isn’t too protective of his equipment, kicking a jukebox into submission when it stops working. But Patty is surprised to see one record venerated, and even framed on a wall. It’s an album by Elena Huston, a voice talent that could even make a half demon like Dante feel. Coincidentally, his next job involves protecting a group of treasure hunters as they explore a previously hidden store of LP records. Only one of those pristine LPs is in high demand by a rather familiar sounding demon.

7. Wishes Come True
When a demonic looking genie offers a fisherman a wish, it’s bound to be a double-edged sword. Sure enough, not long after a distressed young girl is at Dante’s business asking for his help in getting her brother out of jail. Kerry was arrested for murder after his best friend Claude disintegrated. Now he’s locked up in the notorious Devil Prison, from where no one has ever escaped alive. Of course to get Kerry out, the first thing that Dante does is get himself arrested.

8. Once Upon A Time
Now Dante’s past is knocking on the door. Earnest was best friends with a boy named Tony, 20 years ago on Morris Island. Then a fire ravaged the island, killing most of the residents, and the survivors blamed Tony and his mother, who both had no choice but to flee. Earnest believes that the fire was started by demons, and he’s determined to clear Tony’s name. It’s an obsession that has claimed his life for the past two decades, and he believes that Tony is actually Dante.

Disc 3

9. Death Poker
Another damsel in distress calls on Dante to save her loser husband. Paul is a gambler, and since he regularly started losing the shirt off his back, their marriage has fallen apart. She wants Paul saved, but Dante isn’t interested, not until he hears tell of a demonic gambler named King, a gambler who brings death to all who lose against him. Soon Dante is on an exclusive shipboard casino, playing high stakes poker, with his very soul as the ante. The trouble is, there’s a reason why Dante owes so much to Lady, he’s a lousy gambler.

10. The Last Promise
There’s a tall powerful demon in town, dressed in white, gunning for Dante, and looking to take his soul. At the same time, Dante encounters a mysterious demon all clad in black, who shares an appreciation for strawberry sundaes with him. As fate would have it, black and white are brothers, and it all has something to do with Dante’s father Sparda, and the power he possessed. Meanwhile, the schemes of demon snitch Sid are coming to fruition.

11. Showtime!
Yet another damsel in distress shows up at Dante’s door, with a demon-attracting pendant that is causing her all manner of trouble. The pendant is Nina’s family legacy, and it’s been entrusted to her to safeguard. But of late, more and more demons have been showing up looking to steal it for its hidden powers. Nina has been advised that Dante would be a better guardian for the pendant, apt as he is to slaughter wayward devils. But at the last minute, Nina changes her mind. Meanwhile, Dante and Patty have been annoying each other more than usual, and Patty has opted to go for a sulk. Suddenly the orphan sees her mother on the other side of the street. And that’s all that demon snitch Sid needs, Patty, her mother, the pendant, and an altar that opens a portal to the underworld, bestowing ultimate power on him, and bringing about the end of the world.

12. Stylish!
The conclusion

Picture
Devil May Cry takes a roundabout journey to the UK DVD market, from the Capcom games to the Madhouse animation studios, the ADV distributor to Funimation, and now finally to Manga Entertainment in the UK. It’s worth the run around though, as the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer is really quite splendid, showing few of the usual standards conversions issues, and generally clear and sharp throughout, with smooth and dynamic animation. The only flaws I could see were some compression artefacts around fast, frenetic motion, although in this case it was only during Trish’s electrical discharges (a common problem with animated lightning effects), and a degree of colour banding in some scenes. That said, for a show with more than its fair share of darker scenes, a lack of clarity was never an issue. With any luck, there will be nothing to complain about if you opt for the Blu-ray release.

It’s a Madhouse anime, and that does mean something exceptional, with distinctive and memorable characters, smooth and detailed animation, and impressive world designs. They’ve taken the 3D game characters and given them a traditional 2D spin, but they do remain eminently recognisable. The animation is of high quality throughout, and indicative of a high, and lavishly spent budget.

Sound
You have the option of DD 5.1 English and Japanese, along with optional translated subtitles. That’s with the exception of disc 2, where you get a signs track as well. The signs track is redundant however. Devil May Cry is set in an English speaking country, all the shop signs and on screen text is in English, and there’s no need for a separate signs track if you are watching the English dub. In terms of audio, this is a hi-spec show, with plenty of action and excitement to test your speakers. The music is suitable for the anime, moody and atmospheric. As always I opted for the Japanese version, and was more than happy with my choice. However, I did have more than the usual interest in the English dub, especially as many fans will be coming from the games to the anime. Unfortunately, it seems that the only point of continuity between the two media is the voice of Dante, Reuben Langdon, credited here as Justin Cause.

In another minor disappointment, the constraints of anime dubbing, and perhaps the set way of doing things in an established ADR studio, has resulted in a standard anime dub for the show. It’s well acted, appropriately cast, and perfectly enjoyable, until you play the games. These discs have the cut scenes from Devil May Cry 4 in the extras, and I got to sample some of the English voice acting there, and I found the script, and the characters to be more freewheeling, and improvisational. There’s a Joss Whedon-esque irreverence to the dialogue in the game, it reminded me of the sardonic quippery of Angel, and had that approach been carried through to the anime, Devil May Cry may really have stood apart. As it is, it’s just another anime dub.

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Extras
Devil May Cry’s extra features are spread evenly across all three discs, although there is something of a divide between the anime and the console game in terms of content.

Disc 1

There is an interview with Toshiyuki Morikawa (Dante), who talks about his character and the show for about 5 minutes.

There are about 6 minutes worth of promos, for both the 4th game and the anime. You get the clean credits of course, and 2 snippets of preview footage for Devil May Cry 4 from the E3 2007, and the Tokyo Game Show ’06.

Finally, you get to see 2 cut scenes from Devil May Cry 4 in their entirety.

Disc 2

This time, the disc conveniently separates the extras into console game and anime categories. All you’ll find for the anime are the textless credits once more.

For the console game, Devil May Cry 4, you’ll find the short and long trailers, as well as the next four Cut Scenes from the game, all in all about 10 minutes of footage for the lot.

Disc 3

The extras conclude with one final 4-minute Cut Scene from the game, two more trailers, and a repeat of the textless credits for the anime.


Actually come to think of it, the discs aren’t so much loaded with extras as they are just lightly sprinkled. All those menu selections amount to not much of weight in the end.

Conclusion
Devil May Cry certainly isn’t at the cutting edge of anime storytelling, it doesn’t break any new ground for the medium, and it certainly isn’t the next big thing. In addition, if you are expecting something particularly gory, dark and disturbing, a fair expectation with a title like Devil May Cry, then you’ll probably be a little disappointed at the rather middle of the road action anime approach to the spookiness, with demons showing up, only to be dispatched with a hail of gunfire, or sliced apart by unfeasibly large swords. There’s nothing creepy or insidious, or even the slightest bit spooky about the otherworldly menace in this anime, despite some occasionally over the top bloodshed. Devil May Cry is on the other hand, the most fun I’ve had watching an anime in ages. It’s a show that you can sit down to, put your brain in neutral, and simply enjoy it for the fun blast that it is.

The set-up is pretty simple, with your universal theme of good versus evil. The twist being that the good guy, Dante, is half demon himself, and choosing to side with the human world, he’s seen as a traitor more often than not. As such, he’s more a moody antihero, very much in the Angel vein, and he’s quirky too, with a passion for pizza and strawberry sundaes. He’s a hard up demon hunter, owner of the Devil May Cry Company, but the show gives of more off a private detective vibe, with various clients paying him for his services. He’s a poor gambler, always in debt, and always grouchy. Early on, he encounters orphan Patty, who quickly makes herself at home as a cleaner, and general gofer, intent on brightening up moody Dante’s existence. His trusty agent Morrison is the man who brings him all the lucrative cases, while Lady is the fellow demon hunter who basically owns Dante, given how much he is in debt to her, and who usually winds up taking most of the money he earns, or makes him work for her by beating him at cards. Trish is Dante’s ex-partner, pretty enigmatic in this show, but appearing from time to time to make life interesting. It’s a nice, eclectic collection of characters, well written, striking and quirky. In every episode, you can also be guaranteed that there is a demonic villain to be defeated, and over the top violence will occur.

Given that this is your basic set-up, what’s surprising about Devil May Cry is the sheer variety in the episodes. This is far more than just a monster of the week show, there’s no sign of laxity in the scripts, and never a temptation to simply rinse and repeat what has come before. Including the final two-part story, there are eleven, wholly different stories here. Each of them is interesting, and each of them unique. We start off with Dante working as a bodyguard, then there is a spooky highway ghost story, a little romance, Lady and Trish’s first explosive meeting, a rather demonic rom-com episode, cursed rock and roll, an evil wish granting genie, a look at Dante’s childhood, and a game of poker. It’s rare to see such variety in stories, given such an average premise, and there really is a lot to appreciate in such a short run series, far more than in shows that are twice the length. There’s even something of an ongoing plot if you think to look for it, starting from the first episode, but really only coming to the forefront for the final two. A hint of continuity is a nice plus in a show that is otherwise shamelessly episodic.

Above all, Devil May Cry speaks of quality. That it’s a quality animation goes without saying. I would expect no less from Madhouse Studios. But the stories are smart and entertaining, and the characters are rich and engaging. If I do have a nitpick, it’s that there is not enough of Trish in it. She’s an inscrutable character, Dante’s ex-partner, who has all the kick-ass demon busting moves down pat, and her appearances are always electrifying, literally so. It’s just that I would love to have learned more of her history with Dante, but alas, I think that’s confined to the first Devil May Cry console game. There is a brief moment where I wonder if it’s a little unfair to have so much love and attention given to a show that really does sit in the middle of the road. But when the end result is this enjoyable, it’s a petty complaint. Devil May Cry is awesome fun. Everyone should have room in their life for fun. Everyone should make room on their shelves for Devil May Cry. Don’t forget the Blu-ray.

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