DEVIL MAY CRY SEASON 1

Netflix's Devil May Cry is a chaotic, blood-soaked callback to the early 2000s, and despite misgivings going in, I loved it.

- Brendan Frye

The series blends nostalgia, hyper-stylized action, and a surprising dose of emotional depth into a concoction that, oddly enough, feels cohesive and works. Helmed by Adi Shankar, known for his work on Castlevania, the series takes Capcom's iconic hack-and-slash franchise and translates it into a fast-paced, eight-episode anime that feels both familiar and refreshingly bold—and much deeper than I expected from the trailers and teases we got up to this point. While Devil May Cry doesn't entirely escape the pitfalls of video game adaptations, it delivers enough thrills and character-driven storytelling to leave fans eager for more.

A bit of backstory on myself: I have loved the Devil May Cry series since the second game was released all the way back in 2003. I never owned a PS2 as a teenager, but I would go over to my friend's house and spend countless hours trying to master the complex combo system and overcome the many over-the-top bosses the series enjoyed throwing at the player.

From there, I was hooked on the franchise and have played every game up to this point. I even enjoyed the 2007 anime adaptation by Studio Madhouse. So, let's just say I walked in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, ready to see if this new show could capture even an ounce of what the series is known for, and despite all of that, I was blown away.

At its core, Devil May Cry follows Dante, a cocky, demon-slaying bounty hunter armed with his twin pistols (Ebony and Ivory) and an early 00s-style attitude we all know and love. This version of Dante is the youngest iteration we've seen yet—a brash slacker with a penchant for snarky oneliners and an undercurrent of vulnerability. Although, don't worry, he still has his iconic white hair.