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Having sold 7 million copies of their Playstation game franchise Devil May Cry, it seems Capcom figured this would be a good time to turn it into an anime. The result is a very bloody 12 episode action series that has started airing on WOWOW, Thursday nights at 23:00 JST.
The direction is handled by Itagaki Shin, previously failing miserably with Black Cat and not making too good of an impression with the recent 6th (onsen) episode of Gurren-Lagann, so only the gods know where it will end up. Most likely with a terrible ending. Our dubious saviour takes the shape of Inoue Toshiki, in charge of series composition, who has a solid list of credits on great shows like, uh… on shows like SumomoMomomo, Tenjou Tenge and Kiba. Yeah. Well, he also managed to squeeze out Death Note and Galaxy Angel, so we might get lucky.
Since the games were apparently (I haven’t touched them) about shooting demons with big guns, the anime obviously had to turn out the same way, so we’re treated to a fancy trench coat-wearing hero called Dante, who likes nothing better than to run around with his two big guns (and a sword!) and squash evil demons. Realizing this doesn’t make for a very good plot, the producers gave Dante an office and he calls himself an “Odd Job Man”. From the first episode and its preview, we can surmise that it will be episodic, where random people show up at his doorstep and ask him to perform a mission, followed by Dante smashing demons with lots of blood squirting. I’m afraid I also have to inform you that he’s accompanied by a blonde little girl for no good reason whatsoever, other than to please people like, well, me.
Production quality is high, with excellent and smooth animation by Madhouse, aired in pleasant HD along with 5.1 channel sound, to enable you the bloodiest possible experience. The most interesting aspect of Devil May Cry lies in the voice cast, however. This is practically an all-star cast, featuring none other than Morikawa Toshiyuki as Dante. You’re bound to have heard him as Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII at least. His loli sidekick is played by Fukuen Misato (Yin in Darker than Black), and later episodes are likely to flesh out the rest of the character gallery, played by Ootsuka Akio (Batou in GITS:SAC), Tanaka Atsuko (Major Kusanagi in GITS:SAC), and Orikasa Fumiko (Rukia in Bleach), while the first episode also featured Yukana (CC in Code Geass) and Hisakawa Aya (Youko in Juuni Kokki).
Those of you who are familiar with the games may find this a terrible show, since there are likely to be things that are different in the anime, while those of you who loved Hellsing may say it’s a rip off, but as a complete DMC virgin and Hellsing hater, I found Devil May Cry to be fairly entertaining. It is a dark, gory action show with a weak episodic plot, but it’s still decent enough to keep me hooked until I’ve had my fill of voice acting, and I can’t wait to see what particular vocal performance we’ll get from Fumiko this time. I do get the feeling it’s more of a marketing trick for the upcoming 4th game than an attempt at making a golden anime legend, though.
Reminds me of: Hellsing
Hey patrik thanks for the review hope to catch this anime soon… but I do agree the anime may be more of a marketing gimmick for the upcoming game cause CAPCOM is trying to milk all their games in anyway they can
The first ep wasn’t anything special – the only parts I liked are two or three short action scenes. Hopefully the rest will be better, or I (and probably many other people) won’t watch more than the first 3 or 4…
Despite all the jazz about the guns they are actually quite useless in game. They do crap damage and all the bosses can block them.
Dante had an office in the game as well that always got thrashed.
played the game (dmc,dmc3), watched and read hellsing.. sorry but its not like hellsing at all (btw, im not a hellsing fan either.) couldnt undrstand which part of dmc reminds people of hellsing or even thought it was a rip off of hellsing (dante’s a half devil not a vampire, plus he carries not just two guns but a HUGE sword as well).. dante’s more cooler and spunkier than hellsing were.. i think im gonna like the anime just fine, trust me, us gamers wont complain if dante’s antics and attitude were just like in the game was.. but since the production quality are high, i highly doubt the producer will tone down dante’s from its original game version. now gonna wait for DMC4, well people will still drool over the next release of dmc series with or without an anime release for the so call marketing gimmick.. after all, this is CAPCOM that we are talking about, same people who brings us street fighter, power stone, rockman/megaman etc…
SPARDA!!
He has an office in the game and his pretty much an odd job man (who specializes in demon killing)n the game as well.
Well, at least he isn’t his 3rd counter-part that’s for sure…
*watches DMC Ep 1*
Strawberry sundae… What???
Well it appears to be one of his semi-cocky personality. Though not as young or cocky as DMC1 or (definitely not) DMC3 (the cockiest personality).
DMC can remind anyone of Hellsing because of two reasons. They both have 1.guns and 2.coats.
Never played the game, but looking at the artwork, it may peak my interest.
Well the only part i know for sure isnt in the game is Dante’s blonde sidekick. I mean where the heck did she come from? Never saw her in the games… or am i really blind?
….guns and coats, thats it? lol.. then wouldnt gungrave’s brandon heat also fit that category?
It’s a crime to not play the DMC games. Well, aside from 2. My God, all it was was a lack-luster cash in so easy my Grandma could finish it. DMC3 made up for it and then some, though.
I’m excited for this, being a pretty avid fan, and it’ll be a nice distraction as I anxiously await for DMC4.
well, because she isnt in the game.. it seems that all the games (dmc, dmc2, dmc3) has the same case here, girls suddenly appear out of no where.. ; )
Dante is a pretty cocky and confident character, the anime shows an older version of him compared to the games, kinda how I imagine Dante would have developed with 4 on the horizon. (I think 3 is a prequel (young and a jackass), then 1 then 2(which is the crappiest of the series).
The games themselves actually did follow a semi decent plot line. 3 was my favorite gameplay wise and heck the story was interesting at least from an origin perspective along with the conflict with his brother. It’s kinda on the level of the early Megaman X games (before it got out of hand).
Dante is nowhere near comparable to Alucard. Actually I think his character is a step up in refinement over Alucard who’s just crazy crazy.
As already mentioned in another comment, he does work out of his office in the game series, though, the anime delightfully can use it to turn the series into something episodic…In the games themselves, he only really hangs out there a couple times, and usually is stuck in a chain of events rather than a single day job.
As for the little girl, I highly doubt she’ll make a return appearance. If she does, well, I’ll be kind of disappointed, because the “restricted access” scene would probably become a running gag.
As for what I like about it so far, as an avid DMC fan…The return, and also development of his food obsessions. Strawberry sundaes were an interesting choice to go with, also, I couldn’t help but think “Yes, this is definitely DMC” when he ordered a pizza.
The stylistic scenes that Madhouse decided to go with (again, the restricted access scene, but also when Dante swings his sword and a shower of blood paints a smear across the wall) are also pretty awesome. It makes me wonder if they’ll top them.
haha.. will I have played almost all DMC 1,2,3 *waiting for 4*, it’s great that they have an anime for it, it sad that is only 12ep, dante sure is fun, haha.. in the game he used to destroy stuff and blame monster for it XDDD, but in the anime he seems caring *he make sure that the girl, don’t see him killing/trashing*, I’d say this is an improvement from the game/and manga!
I really pity his past, it explain his character!
can u post the official site? i heard there are only 10 episodes.. just like the chapters in the games.
oh nvm i found the official site link .. lol thnks anyways!
you are insane if you dont follow this
Well, from the screen shots, the animation looks nice.
probably the only reason to watch
wow, they made an anime for devil may cry, maybe capcom should make one for onimusha as well. anyways, it looks very good and sounds ok
Uhm…errr…you are planning to blog DMC…I hope. 😉
More screenshots at: http://blog.xuite.net/natakugaia/rzsuisei/12100739
I hope it more sword-slashing that shooty.
looking at those screens, hope we’ll get to see devil transformations sequence soon out of this 13eps..
First of all, why even bother commenting about this anime in the blog when you HAVE NOT even played the game?
Might as well drive in the freeway, blind.
I have played and own all Devil May Cry games (1,2,3 and 3 special edition). I am a hardcore Devil May Cry fan.
If people have notice, Dante’s office is the split image from the DMC3 game. It is perfect in every detail. Go play stage 1 of DMC3 and you can compare it yourself. Capcom and Madhouse got it right to every single detail. From the drum set to the office door, they are truly paying respect to the game.
As for the new characters, it is to be expected. Minor characters are needed to support the lead role. As you know, the DMC franchise rarely had minor characters that were his ally. Devil May Cry is not a story-driven franchise to begin with, so don’t expect some riveting storyline. This franchise was solely built on kicking ass with style. All I’m saying is, for those who have not play the game at all, don’t expect the series to impress you with the storyline. Action, yes…Story, no.
You can’t argue with the quality of animation. It should be kept this way since Capcom is most likely funding the project and the series is only 12 episodes. I think it was appropriate for Capcom to create a new story because it’s better to keep the games out of the anime. Why spoil something that was good from the game by possibly wrecking it within the anime?
It will be very interesting as the series continues next Thursday. Morikawa Toshiyuki decided to portray Dante’s bad-ass side more than his smart-ass side. For now, it’s safe to say that Capcom is doing all they can to preserve the legacy of Devil May Cry.
Lastly, their attempt in humor is very light (which is how it’s supposed to be). It was funny to see how Dante was more into the disappearance of his Strawberry Sundae than Patty dressing up his office.
Oh…I forgot to mention this. I don’t know where people are getting the idea of comparing Devil May Cry to Hellsing. That idea is beyond me…
DDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Personally, I really liked the Black Cat anime. I guess most fans were unhappy with how much it deviated from the manga, but it was a solid anime and didn’t leave nearly as many questions and plot holes and random/pointless characters as the manga.
Having watched first episode, I cant understand how to someone this looks similar to hellsing. I have played all dmc games and i have read all of hellsing manga(as much as there is, for now) and i dont see how someone could compare Dante to Alucard.
Alucard was morally complex character with his own VERY different view on the world and his own VERY different philosophy. It was dramatic character, created by actions in the past. Actually i can say, that he was sad and fatallistic character. He was one of these antiheroes, who had a pretty tragical past and were painfully tormented by the memories of their pastShow Spoiler ▼
While Dante is completelly different type. Dante is more of these coldhearted cocky bishonen types. While Dante understands on what true pain is(as the happenings in past). He is not as morally conflicted character as Alucard.
That said, I pretty much like both characters and I think, that they are too different to be compared more
As for anime – animation was okay, storyline seems ..uhh…Well i hope, that we atleast will see some characters from games and atleast part of Dante’s Origins…
I actually enjoyed it XD. It does remind me a lot of Hellsing like you said though.
Part of what made the games so fun is that YOU were doing all the badass stunts yourself. The game was 100% user input, and not the “OMG mini-game time”-fest that God of War was. To me, the anime doesn’t seem quite AS cool because it isn’t ME doing the stunts or making Dante do horribly badass things–it’s the director putting Dante through the paces, so he’s going to have to make Dante do some pretty fuckin’ amazing stuff (read: don’t do what Bakuretsu Tenshi and Trinity Blood did, just holding two guns is NOT stylish) to keep me hooked.
A friend pointed out to me that while Dante is cool, he is in fact a very manufactured form of badass (dual-wielding pistols: check. Giant sword: check. Trenchcoat: check. Silver hair: check) he is in fact a very charismatic character despite his all-too-familiar qualities, so there is one really solid pro for this series. Besides, since when did anybody ever play Devil May Cry for the story?
HELL YEAH! the guns in those games are all for show, after part one, that game turned into certified ASS CREAM!!!.god of war owns devil may cry!! but i’ll still check out the ep, curiose as to how dantes voice sounds
Its easy to compare to Hellsing with a casual glance. Two half monster warriors in red coats with two huge guns going around fucking demons up is central to both series. If you watch Hellsing for more than 2-3 episodes or have played a DMC game you realize they are pretty different though.
Anyway, this doesn’t seem monstrously entertaining. Maybe I’m expecting too much because I’ve been waiting for another killer tv show to come out and entertain me since I found this season a massive let down compared to the last one (only new show i picked up was Darker than BLACK and I haven’t watched it in weeks). Plus, being based on a video game it has a well noted glass ceiling it will likely hit. Gungrave snuck past the limitation of being a pile of shit but I don’t really think it was more than decent and this show probably wont be either.
“HELL YEAH! the guns in those games are all for show, after part one, that game turned into certified ASS CREAM!!!”-
You never played the third game, did you? XD
God of War’s got some things over DMC, and DMC has a few things over GoW. They’re both great games, but I prefer actually DOING the badass things in-game instead of just mashing random buttons and WATCHING Kratos do them (as I mash buttons).
I don’t really see the similarities between Alucard and Dante aside from their fashion sense and taste in oversized weaponry. It’s a shame the Hellsing anime never really delved into Alucard’s past; it does sound interesting but for some reason the anime, and as far as I know the OVA (only watched the first one so far) leave it rather ambiguous so we really never see what motivates Alucard. That said, Hellsing is nicely animated but its story and characters always left me cold and uncaring for what actually happens to said characters (also why I never watched the OVA past 1).
Getting back on topic, DMC ep 1 was fairly entertaining, though the plot was a bit silly. The running gag with the strawberry ice cream got old fast but Patty’s precocious personality made up for it somewhat. I wonder if she’ll be a recurring side character. The action scenes were nicely animated, but the anime does lose something from the games in that the viewer isn’t the one actually making Dante do all those cool moves, as someone else mentioned. Still, I’d keep watching the series and see where it goes. MadHouse certainly is a busy studio these days. Death Note, Claymore, and now DMC. I even liked their older series Texhnolyze (even if it was weird and ambiguous as all out hell).
i just watched the trailer…that was enough for me.
So what’s your beef with Black Cat? I thought it was pretty good. Not awesome, but definitely not a complete failure. I love the random blond little girl too. What is up with the giant sword? Is he trying to compensate for something?
NO WAY BRO!!! part three IS the reason for my harsh criticisim.. all that pointless powering up for dumb moves, different styles?? for what?? beat the crap with trickster! then the pacing is all wack! “a person would have to be some kind of fiend to waste their life trying to level up those weak styles, TALK ABOUT BUTTON MASHING ,NIGGA PLEASE!! GoW has like 3x the moves dante has. . . but i digress ..SORRY this is an anime site, went off on a tangent there….DMC is the original button masher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJfoSG-Vfqk
Any regular action game that lets you basically Roman Cancel is good in my book. DMC:Guilty Gear::GoW:Mortal Kombat. XD
dmc > gow interm of combo and button meshing.. guns are a critical asset to have if you wanna rack up the combo counts.. clearly you guys havnt been getting a lot of S class (dmc3) i see.. iirc, they also help whn dealing w/ the vampire lady, the ones whr you get your guitar weapon.. lol, seriously i thought it was THAT guitar when the guy throws dante his guitar case.. ;p
from the looks of ep2, we’ll get to see Lady (more mature than from dmc3 i see..). and somehow Trish is also goin to appear.. and maybe we’ll get a family reunion, *cough* Virgil *cough*.. Sparda and mrs. sparda flash back are also a WELCOME! 😉
from the animation aspect, its good but i hope to see more combo moves.. story wise was interesting so far.. bet patty is starting to fall for dante (as usual..). just hope she’s not an annoyance to dante what so ever.. just hate it whn that happens.
omg, devil form of dante IS A HUGE wellcome too! oh did anyone notice, dante’s using his custome from DMC1, but his sword from dmc3? imho, dante’s custome from DMC3 was better, shows more of his muscular body..
about the dmc = hellsing thing, ive come to a conclusion that only those that nvr played dmc games think that way.. so i forgive you guys ;p (so go play some DMC today!!)
SPARDA!!
LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE AWESOME!
i’ll give you this “Anonymooo”. you got good taste. but i’ll own u in guilty gear!!
I’m sure you will. I love the game, but I’m not exactly competition material.
After watching this episode, I’ll be sticking with the series. It’s enjoyable and a nice “turn-your-brain-off” series.
whoo hoo an now we c Dante kick ass with out us usin the ctrls
Animation & style is pretty good. but wtf, a loli sidekick?! I would’ve preferred an adaptation of the games instead. At least Dante’s “bad-ass” personality is intact..
Alas DMC has landed as anime. A must watch this summer… that goes to the gamers of course. But this anime got the potential
I wonder if that little girl really is a loli sidekick. All I can tell from the first episode is that she’s a client. Whether she’ll ever be seen again, I have my doubts. The things that really throw me are the obsession with strawberry sundaes and that other guy who seems something like a business partner… Since when does Dante have a wealthy manager-type guy, let alone one who seemingly lords over him with wealth?
They really played up the guns, which are hardly the powerful weapons in the games, but I guess this first episode has him dealing with small fry, so I guess I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.
Are you or Omni going to blog it? It would be awesome if u did. I love the the game’s and the anime. But was a little disapointed with Dante’s voice I thought it would closer to his voice in the games sence I’m use to hearing him like that. Other then that I loved iot and can’t wait till epi 2. Hopefully some blogger’s will blog it till the end.
huh…this Dante actually reminds me a bit of the first novel version mixed in with ..one of the games. :D;; As another fan of the series I’d say it’s pretty faithful to the series with all of Dantes little quirks.
r u guys not blogging dmc or something? i was looking forward to it