Devil May Cry (TV series): Difference between revisions

By /

 

Line 202: Line 202:

With the announcement in June 2025 of ”[[Devil May Cry 5]]” exceeding 10 million sales and a report from Capcom in September 2025 revealing that the game was the company’s best selling game between the period of March to September, many attributed the boosted sales and success over more recent games such as ”[[Monster Hunter Wilds]]” as a result of the Netflix show bringing additional attention to the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/devil-may-cry-5-monster-hunter-wilds-capcom-latest-financial-quarter|title=After Devil May Cry 5 outsells Monster Hunter Wilds in Capcom’s latest financial quarter, publisher’s share prices tumble|first=Dom|last=Peppiatt|work=[[Eurogamer]]|date=July 31, 2025|accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=June 13, 2025|title=First Half Report Fiscal year ending March 31, 2026|url=https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/explanation/2025/2nd/explanation_2025_2nd_01.pdf|website=Capcom|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref> In April 2025 Brett Cardaro of ”CBR” claimed in regards to the initial boost in sales “whether fans liked the anime or not, there’s no denying that it had a positive impact on the franchise’s popularity.”<ref>{{cite web|last=Cardaro|first=Brett|date=April 8, 2025|title=Love it or Hate it: Devil May Cry’s Netflix Adaptation Just Saved The Franchise|url=https://www.cbr.com/devil-may-cry-netflix-anime-helped-game-popularity/|website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref> Lincoln Carpenter of [[PC Gamer]] similarly attributed the boost in sales to the show, though noted that the frequent discounts for the games on ”[[Steam (service)|Steam]]” were likely another contributing factor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Lincoln|date=April 8, 2025|title=The Netflix bump is working its magic once again, sending Devil May Cry rocketing up the Steam top sellers in a $20 franchise bundle|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-netflix-bump-is-working-its-magic-once-again-sending-devil-may-cry-rocketing-up-the-steam-top-sellers-in-a-usd20-franchise-bundle/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref>

With the announcement in June 2025 of ”[[Devil May Cry 5]]” exceeding 10 million sales and a report from Capcom in September 2025 revealing that the game was the company’s best selling game between the period of March to September, many attributed the boosted sales and success over more recent games such as ”[[Monster Hunter Wilds]]” as a result of the Netflix show bringing additional attention to the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/devil-may-cry-5-monster-hunter-wilds-capcom-latest-financial-quarter|title=After Devil May Cry 5 outsells Monster Hunter Wilds in Capcom’s latest financial quarter, publisher’s share prices tumble|first=Dom|last=Peppiatt|work=[[Eurogamer]]|date=July 31, 2025|accessdate=August 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=June 13, 2025|title=First Half Report Fiscal year ending March 31, 2026|url=https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/explanation/2025/2nd/explanation_2025_2nd_01.pdf|website=Capcom|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref> In April 2025 Brett Cardaro of ”CBR” claimed in regards to the initial boost in sales “whether fans liked the anime or not, there’s no denying that it had a positive impact on the franchise’s popularity.”<ref>{{cite web|last=Cardaro|first=Brett|date=April 8, 2025|title=Love it or Hate it: Devil May Cry’s Netflix Adaptation Just Saved The Franchise|url=https://www.cbr.com/devil-may-cry-netflix-anime-helped-game-popularity/|website=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]]|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref> Lincoln Carpenter of [[PC Gamer]] similarly attributed the boost in sales to the show, though noted that the frequent discounts for the games on ”[[Steam (service)|Steam]]” were likely another contributing factor.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Lincoln|date=April 8, 2025|title=The Netflix bump is working its magic once again, sending Devil May Cry rocketing up the Steam top sellers in a $20 franchise bundle|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/the-netflix-bump-is-working-its-magic-once-again-sending-devil-may-cry-rocketing-up-the-steam-top-sellers-in-a-usd20-franchise-bundle/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|access-date=November 27, 2025}}</ref>

It was nominated for “Best Adaptation” at [[The Game Awards 2025]], but did not win.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Claire |date=December 11, 2025 |title=Here are all The Game Awards 2025 winners |url=https://www.polygon.com/the-game-awards-2025-all-winners/ |access-date=December 11, 2025 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>

was nominated for “Best Adaptation” at [[The Game Awards 2025]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Claire |date=December 11, 2025 |title=Here are all The Game Awards 2025 winners |url=https://www.polygon.com/the-game-awards-2025-all-winners/ |access-date=December 11, 2025 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>

==References==

==References==

2025 animated television series

Devil May Cry is an adult animated urban fantasy action television series created by Adi Shankar and animated by South Korean Studio Mir. Based on the Japanese video game franchise of the same name by Capcom, the series follows the demon hunter for-hire Dante as he attempts to foil a demonic invasion of Earth headed by a demonic terrorist called the White Rabbit while also coming into conflict with the soldier Mary Ann Arkham.

The first season premiered on April 3, 2025, on Netflix.[1] One week after the first season’s release, the series was renewed for a second season,[2] which is due to premiere on May 12, 2026.[3] The series has received positive reviews from critics.

While being hunted by the government organization Dark Realm Command (DARKCOM) under Vice President William Baines, Dante, a demon hunter for-hire, comes into conflict with a demon-obsessed terrorist called the White Rabbit who seeks revenge on the human race.

Voice cast and characters

[edit]

  • Zeke Alton as Dr. Fisher, a paranormal scientist at DARKCOM
  • Jon Gries as Hopper, the President of the United States
  • Robbie Daymond as Vergil, Dante’s twin brother[6]
    • Marcel Nahapetian as young Vergil
  • Benjamin Abiola as Anders, a DARKCOM agent and newly recruited member of Mary’s team
  • Sunkrish Bala as King, a DARKCOM agent and member of Mary’s team
  • Fryda Wolff as Ninja, a DARKCOM agent and member of Mary’s team
  • Leilani Barrett as Patriot, a DARKCOM agent and member of Mary’s team
  • Tina Majorino as Sentry, a DARKCOM agent and member of Mary’s team
  • Kenny Omega as Sly, a demon disguised as one of the mercenaries hired by DARKCOM to capture Dante
  • Jason E. Kelley as:
    • Arnold, a mercenary acquainted with Dante
    • Bruce, a mercenary hired to capture Dante
  • Erica Lindbeck as Kalina Ann, Mary’s deceased mother
  • Ray Chase as:
  • Kari Wahlgren as:
    • Eva, the deceased human mother of Dante and Vergil
    • Echidna, a plant serpent demon working for the White Rabbit
  • Jason Marnocha as Cavaliere, a demon knight working for the White Rabbit
  • Roger L. Jackson as:
    • Plasma, a shapeshifting demon working for the White Rabbit
    • Griff, a DARKCOM agent who Plasma assumes the appearance of
  • Donovan Patton as Bloodstryke, a demon minion who serves the White Rabbit
Having previously voiced his nephew Nero in the games, Johnny Yong Bosch voices Dante for the series.

In late 2018, Adi Shankar announced to produce the TV series adaptation of Capcom‘s Devil May Cry for Netflix.[7][8] Alex Larsen was hired as a writer for the series[9][10] which consists of eight episodes.[11][12][13]

In September 2023, the first-look teaser was released during Netflix’s Drop 01 livestream.[14] Shortly after, Dante‘s long-time English voice actor, Reuben Langdon, revealed that he was not asked to reprise his role.[15] As a self-proclaimed fan of the series, Adi Shankar said he cosplayed in response to the game, which attracted the company in charge of the games. Shankar brought parallels between Devil May Cry and the comic book Iron Man in terms of popularity and wanted to give it a revision inspired by Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy.[16] According to Shankar, the series is considered to be part of a shared “Bootleg Multiverse”, alongside Castlevania, Castlevania: Nocturne, and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix.[17]

On April 10, 2025, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]

In September 2024, it was announced that Johnny Yong Bosch would be taking on the role of Dante.[4] On March 11, 2025, a trailer with additional cast members was revealed with one of them being Kevin Conroy in a posthumous role as William Baines following his death in November 2022.[5] Due to Conroy’s death, Ian James Corlett assumed the role of Baines partway into the series, filling in unfinished dialogue.[18] In 2023, Tony Todd was cast in an undisclosed role.[19]

By September 2023, a first-look teaser trailer was released along with the news that Studio Mir from South Korea would be producing and animating the series.[14][20] A second teaser trailer was released on September 19, 2024.[21] In January 2025, the intro sequence, which featured the song “Rollin’” by Limp Bizkit, for the series was unveiled. The first season premiered on April 3, 2025.[1] The second season is due to premiere on May 12, 2026.[3][22]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 96%, based on 25 reviews with an average score of 7.9/10.[23] The website’s critical consensus reads, “Honoring its source material’s flair for the bombastic, Devil May Cry slices and dices its way into the animation medium and makes a bloody memorable first impression.” Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 77 out of 100 based on 7 critic reviews, indicating “generally favorable” reviews.[24]

Aidan Kelley of Collider gave the series a score of 9 out of 10. He dubbed the series “one of the best new animated shows of 2025”, comparing it favourably to Shankar’s previous work on Castlevania and that it “goes above and beyond to deliver a brilliant animated series that is as thematically rich as it is wildly entertaining.”[25] Daniel Kurland of Bloody Disgusting gave the series a score of 4 out of 5. He praised the action sequences and wrote, “There’s strong enough artistry behind the action and battle choreography that makes this adaptation a sheer delight.” Kurland then commented on the art style by stating, “There are some really creative art direction and stylistic choices that make the series a visual triumph.”[26] Kambole Campbell of The A.V. Club gave the series a rating of B−. He noted that “Shankar’s spin on Devil May Cry is mostly a fun love letter to the qualities that made it popular” and praised the soundtrack, specifically mentioning its licensed music and an original song from the rock band Evanescence that plays during the sixth episode, which he described as the “show’s best episode.”[27] Rendy Jones of RogerEbert.com similarly praised the episode and wrote that “Everything pays off in the sixth episode, a chapter guided by silent visual storytelling that incorporates various animation styles and some aptly fitting needle drops. It is one of the year’s best TV episodes to date, a bold move that proves why these studios hire Shankar for their adaptations.”[28]

Rafael Motamayor of IGN gave the series a score of 8 out of 10. He concluded his review by stating, “Adi Shankar and Studio Mir craft a fun video-game adaptation that doubles as a deranged, bonkers, and bold homage to and indictment of ’00s Americana. If nothing else, it contains some of the best animation you’re likely to see this year.”[29] Brett Cardaro of CBR gave the series a score of 8 out of 10. He commended the performance of the voice cast, stating that Dante’s voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch “is actually the perfect person to play him in the anime” whose “cocky one-liners are often as genuinely entertaining as they are in the games” and that the White Rabbit’s voice actor Hoon Lee gave a “standout performance” and was a “surprisingly amazing character.” However, Cardaro was critical of the use of CGI animation and noted that “The action is mostly great, but one way it’s held back is by the appearances of some of the demons created using CGI. The fight choreography is consistently solid, but the CGI models just don’t do it justice.”[30] Isaiah Colbert of io9 criticized the depiction of Mary, or “Lady”, but praised voice actress Scout Taylor-Compton for her performance and wrote “There’s a lot to love about Lady, which is why its so disappointing to witness any sense of poignancy of her quieter contemplative moments or badassery being upended by her cursing so god damn often.”[31]

Joshua Fox of Screen Rant was more critical of the series from the declared perspective of a Devil May Cry fan. He commented on the quality of the writing, stating that “my issues with Devil May Cry’s writing are compounded by what became the biggest sticking point: the political elements” before elaborating on how the series’ commentary on the war on terror was “completely out of place” for the franchise. Fox also noted that the series “doesn’t work because of how poorly it portrays old and new characters alike”, specifically mentioning how Dante and Mary compare unfavourably to their video game counterparts.[32] David Opie of GamesRadar+ in contrast was critical of the series for being too devoted to the games. Opie rated the series 2.5 out of 5, stating that though the series was able to capture the spirit of the games, “there’s little depth beyond that” and that the greatest issue was that the show was “very much stuck in the past, rather than paying homage to it”, failing to update the series for modern audiences. Opie was similarly dissatisfied by the series undermining its more positive moments through lacklustre presentation, claiming “it feels like Devil May Cry is trying to convince you of Dante’s coolness, rather than simply showing it” and found the action to be a “run-of-the-mill scrimmage” when compared to the choreography of Castlevania.[33] Louis Kemner of CBR listed the series among the most disappointing anime of the 2020’s, stating that though it “delivered the goods with moments of good animation and solid characterization” it was overshadowed by low quality animation and CGI and how it “deviated from the source material enough to not feel like a true adaptation of the games.”[34]

With the announcement in June 2025 of Devil May Cry 5 exceeding 10 million sales and a report from Capcom in September 2025 revealing that the game was the company’s best selling game between the period of March to September, many attributed the boosted sales and success over more recent games such as Monster Hunter Wilds as a result of the Netflix show bringing additional attention to the series.[35][36] In April 2025 Brett Cardaro of CBR claimed in regards to the initial boost in sales “whether fans liked the anime or not, there’s no denying that it had a positive impact on the franchise’s popularity.”[37] Lincoln Carpenter of PC Gamer similarly attributed the boost in sales to the show, though noted that the frequent discounts for the games on Steam were likely another contributing factor.[38]

The series was nominated for “Best Adaptation” at The Game Awards 2025.[39]

  1. ^ a b Wales, Matt (January 30, 2025). “Devil May Cry’s animated Netflix series gets April release date, Limp Bizkit opener”. Eurogamer. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  2. ^ a b Squires, John (April 10, 2025). “Netflix Announces Devil May Cry Season 2 With Official Poster”. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b The Game Awards [@thegameawards] (December 12, 2025). ““Afterlife.” Evanescence. Live at #TheGameAwards. Devil May Cry Season 2 coming May 12, 2026″ (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b Aguda, Patrick (September 19, 2024). “Adi Shankar’s Devil May Cry Animated Series Premieres 2025”. Operation Rainfall. Retrieved September 19, 2024. Johnny Yong Bosch, the voice actor behind Nero in the Devil May Cry video games, voices Dante in the animated series.
  5. ^ a b c d e Reyna, Leo (March 11, 2025). “Netflix Finally Reveals Full Trailer for Devil May Cry in Major Anime Update”. Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on March 11, 2025. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  6. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (March 11, 2025). “Vergil is out for blood in the latest trailer for Netflix’s Devil May Cry series”. The Verge. Archived from the original on April 23, 2025. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  7. ^ Bootleg Universe (October 29, 2018). “The success of Castlevania created this opportunity”. Instagram. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Griffin, David (November 16, 2018). “Devil May Cry Series Joins Castlevania in New Multiverse from Adi Shankar”. IGN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  9. ^ TechRaptor (October 13, 2021). “Adi Shankar talks Future Projects and Mental Health”. YouTube. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  10. ^ McKeand, Kirk (November 18, 2021). “Netflix’s Castlevania producer opens up about his PUBG and Devil May Cry projects”. For The Win. USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  11. ^ Hernandez, Rafael (November 6, 2021). “‘Devil May Cry’ Anime Will Star Dante and Vergil, Span Multiple Seasons”. Collider. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  12. ^ Robson, Daniel (November 5, 2021). “Devil May Cry: The Animated Series’ Story Will Be Told Over Multiple Seasons, Stars Dante and Vergil”. IGN. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Valentine, Evan (November 5, 2021). “Netflix’s Devil May Cry Anime Will Be “Multiple Seasons”“. ComicBook. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Nolan, Liam (September 27, 2023). “Castlevania Producer’s Devil May Cry Show Gets First Look Teaser”. The Escapist. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  15. ^ Kaser, Rachel (September 27, 2023). “Netflix reveals Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry shows are in the works”. VentureBeat. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  16. ^ “Devil May Cry – Entrevista IGN Fan Fest 2025”. IGN. February 26, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  17. ^ Griffin, David (November 16, 2018). “Devil May Cry Series Joins Castlevania In New Multiverse From Adi Shankar”. IGN. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  18. ^ “Instagram”. Archived from the original on April 8, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  19. ^ @tonytodd54 (December 1, 2023). “Just got cast in yet another @netflix animated project! After #DragonsBlood #MastersoftheUniverse & #Devilmaycry” (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ White, Peter (September 27, 2023). “‘Devil May Cry’ Anime Series, Based On Videogame, Set At Netflix From Adi Shankar”. Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  21. ^ Rayna, Leo (September 19, 2024). “Netflix Reveals Explosive Debut Teaser Trailer for Capcom’s New Devil May Cry Anime Series”. Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (August 21, 2025). “Anime NYC: Netflix Previews New Seasons of Blue Eye Samurai, Sakamoto Days, Devil May Cry & More!”. Animation Magazine. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  23. ^ “Devil May Cry: Season 1″. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  24. ^ “Devil May Cry: Season 1″. Metacritic. OCLC 911795326. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  25. ^ Kelley, Aidan (April 3, 2025). “Devil May Cry Review: Adi Shankar’s Castlevania Follow-Up Is Even Better Than the Games”. Collider. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  26. ^ Kurland, Daniel (April 3, 2025). “Netflix’s Devil May Cry Hits a Bloody Bullseye With Hellbeasts, Brutal Battles & Buffoonery”. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  27. ^ Campbell, Kambole (April 3, 2025). “Devil May Cry bashes the politics—and embraces the pop culture—of the early aughts”. The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  28. ^ Jones, Rendy (April 3, 2025). “Netflix’s Devil May Cry Adapts Hit Video Game Series with Artistic Flair”. RogerEbert.com. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  29. ^ Motamayor, Rafael (April 3, 2025). “Devil May Cry Season 1 Review”. IGN. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  30. ^ Cardaro, Brett (April 3, 2025). “Devil May Cry Won’t Be The ‘Best Show on Netflix’, But Longtime Fans Hit the Jackpot With Adi Shankar’s New Adaptation”. CBR. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  31. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (April 3, 2025). “5 Things We Liked, and 2 We Didn’t, About Devil May Cry“. io9. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  32. ^ Fox, Joshua (April 6, 2025). “I’m a Huge Devil May Cry Fan, And That’s Why I Have a Big Problem With Its Anime”. Screen Rant. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  33. ^ Opie, David (April 3, 2025). “Devil May Cry review: “Netflix’s anime adaptation is dated and clunky, but does capture some of the anarchic spirit of the original games”“. GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  34. ^ Kenmer, Louis (October 6, 2025). “The Most Disappointing Anime of the 2020s (So Far), Ranked”. CBR. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
  35. ^ Peppiatt, Dom (July 31, 2025). “After Devil May Cry 5 outsells Monster Hunter Wilds in Capcom’s latest financial quarter, publisher’s share prices tumble”. Eurogamer. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  36. ^ “First Half Report Fiscal year ending March 31, 2026” (PDF). Capcom. June 13, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  37. ^ Cardaro, Brett (April 8, 2025). “Love it or Hate it: Devil May Cry’s Netflix Adaptation Just Saved The Franchise”. CBR. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  38. ^ Carpenter, Lincoln (April 8, 2025). “The Netflix bump is working its magic once again, sending Devil May Cry rocketing up the Steam top sellers in a $20 franchise bundle”. PC Gamer. Retrieved November 27, 2025.
  39. ^ Lewis, Claire (December 11, 2025). “Here are all The Game Awards 2025 winners”. Polygon. Retrieved December 11, 2025.

Must Read

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top