However, it is questionable how well can it cope with the tastes of today and not be cast aside as a mere superheroic work with horror elements. In the review Toole writes, "DEVILMAN crybaby is both a thorough depiction of Go Nagai's dark, violent story and a fresh angle at the same time-purists might complain that the geniuses at Science SARU get too creative and goofy with the classic look of Nagai's blocky and muscular characters, but the remarkably creative visuals will keep your interest any time the story starts to waver.Considered to be the author's most iconic work, Devilman has created certain standards for works to come after it and could be considered a pioneer in that respect.
Mike Toole of Anime News Network reviewed the series giving both the sub and dubbed version a rating of B+ praising the animation style and the unique way the classic characters are presented, but criticized the series for losing much of its story structure in the middle of the series. If not, it’s a binge that will leave you wanting to purge." Rob Salkowitz of Forbes wrote a very positive review of the anime stating, "If you can stomach the extreme visuals and neck-snapping tonal shifts, Devilman Crybaby will leave fans of contemporary adult-oriented animation wondering what the hell they just saw, mostly in a good way. But if “Crybaby” presages what’s to come from Netflix’s investment in anime, it’s going to be an interesting year for the medium." The Japan Times contributing writer Matt Schley gave the series four stars out of a possible five writing, "The 10-episode “Crybaby” starts off strong and ends with a bang, but sags a bit in the middle, and the series’ ambition occasionally exceeds its production values - and there’s some pretty cringe-worthy English voice acting in the Japanese-language version. There’s something striking about an anime that can toe this fine line with such seeming ease." Eric Thurm of Decider magazine gave the series a more lukewarm review, describing it as the "grossest show on TV", but still recommended that readers at least watch a couple of episodes for Yuasa's unique art style. The combination makes the show much easier to consume, and every tonal change stands out the more so for it. Īllegra Frank of Polygon referred to the series as Netflix's first anime masterpiece, praising the visuals, tone and use of humor through the show writing " It’s a peak example of director Yuasa’s brand of balancing surrealist art and a real love for young people. The series received 80% on Rotten Tomatoes from 5 critics.
The series is more of a direct anime adaptation of its source material than previous works, covering the entire span of the manga. Succeeding in doing so, Akira transforms into Devilman, possessing the powers of a demon but retaining the soul of a human.
Believing that the only way to defeat the demons is to incorporate their powers, Ryo suggests to Akira that he unite with a demon. In the series, Akira Fudo is informed by his best friend, Ryo Asuka, that an ancient race of demons has returned to take back the world from humans.