Fresh past the three episode rule, Devilman Crybaby continues being relentlessly unprepared to disappoint. That’s a fancy way of saying that this anime is kicking some serious ass in the “it’s got my attention” department!
This episode was an immediate continuation of the last, with Ryo and Akira head-to-bleeding-head as they argue over the fate of a naked and unconscious Miki. While on the subject, I feel like Devilman Crybaby handles nakedness a little better than most shows – it doesn’t feel awkward or unnecessary. But then again, maybe that’s because they spent the first three episodes jamming the human anatomy down my throat. Erm…
Anyway, of course Akira was bound to have his human emotions and thus it was typical to see him attempting to save Miki from Ryo. However, Ryo’s laser-like focus to both the mission and Akira is admirable – he is willing (not that it’s much skin off his back) to eliminate anyone and everyone that threatens the defense of humanity they are trying to accomplish. And that means the protection of Akira’s identity as the Devilman.
So much for that though, right? I loved the ghoulish expression on his dad’s face before he began his massacre aboard the bus – the repetitive screaming of “Darling” as his mom tries to come to terms with what she’s seeing. The icing on the cake was the demon at the end. At first, the faces upon its body that screamed for salvation seemed like a solid way to fuck anyone up – but when its seen that Akira’s mom is still able to speak with him and guide him toward the right decision, I knew the demon’s tactic would be futile. And beyond that, the demon was utter trash when compared to the powers of Amon.
The reference made between Akira’s running and always catching up to his parents played perfectly. I loved the foreshadowing of it in the beginning, and thus appreciated it even more as a young Akira runs as fast as he can toward his parents and catches up – only to have to thrust his fist through his mother’s face and kill them both in order to save them from the clutches of demon possession. Talk about a big ole “damn”. But it sure was a great set of scenes to watch.
Taking a step back, the rapper Mayuta spits a session that had me captivated. This anime has really given me nostalgia for some Samurai Champloo, as I loved seeing subtitled Japanese rap. The words tend to not rhyme much at all but the flow is undeniable, which allows it to sound like poetry without actually sounding like typical singsong hiphop. And Mayuta’s was particularly awesome, as he laid out his nervousness in the only way he could in order to speak with Miko. “Somebody like me so I can like myself more” sent chills running down my spine. I feel like my adoration for Mayuta and Miko will take a sour dive, however, with the sudden appearance of a demon on the dance floor.
All in all a sweet episode, as I’ve come to expect from the series. Plenty of action, the emotion and plot were developed thoroughly, and most importantly, we were able to see Akira in full-on Devilman Crybaby mode (tear streams and all) at the expense of his parents’ lives. Oh well, can’t win em’ all.
Ephemeral Fixations 