Devilman Crybaby

TV review by Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media
Devilman Crybaby Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Ultra-violent animated series is way too intense for kids.

Netflix Drama 2018
Rate TV

Parents say

age 16+

Based on 26 reviews

Kids say

age 16+

Based on 61 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate tv

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Devilman Crybaby is an animated series based on a manga series about a battle between demons and humans. The levels of mature content in this series go far beyond even anime aimed at adults. Most worrisome is the mix of sex and violence, with brutal events occurring at parties in which participants take unnamed drugs in capsules, cavort with each other sexually, and are then killed in very bloody ways by demons.There are too many stabbings, bludgeonings, beheadings, and eviscerations to count. Human characters are frequently cannon fodder as characters painted as heroic claim they're fighting to protect humanity, yet don't seem to mind who's killed during battles. Expect to see graphic sex: intercourse with moaning and thrusting, group sex, mouths to genitals (no genitalia are visible, but there are lots of bare breasts and buttocks). Unnamed drugs with Molly-like properties play a role in this series' plot -- characters take pills indiscriminately. Language is mild: "damn," "hell," "boobs."

Community Reviews

ElToggo1995
ElToggo1995 Adult
October 25, 2018
age 17+

An awful review of a good anime.

Anyone who actually knows about Devilman at this point knows that it is not for the younger crowd. The problem is that the reviewers of Common Sense Media are all such little snowflakes whose prude ideals are so out of whack that you could get a better review out of a soggy piece of cardboard. Joyce especially has proven she is the sycophant to end all sycophants. Clearly she was so shaken by the sight of a pair of breasts in Devilman Crybaby the message the anime was trying to make went right over her head. The eschewing of empathy, trust, and love can lead to terrible repetitious tragedy. It goes without saying Common Sense Media, a misnomer if there ever was one, is not a place anyone should look for an unbiased review. I can say that by all means that this is not a family friendly fare. Mature audiences obviously.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
Haxxlim
Haxxlim Adult
May 26, 2022
age 16+

This title has:

Great messages
See all 26 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on the manga series Devilman by Go Nagai, DEVILMAN CRYBABY meets up with sensitive teen Akira (Koki Uchiyama), whose normal life is overturned after he's visited by a mysterious friend from the past, Ryo (Ayumu Murase). Ryo has learned that demons have always existed in the world, but have recently made an evolutionary leap -- they can now hide inside a human body, and are intent on waging war with humanity. Knowing that humans are helpless in the face of the cruel and powerful demons, Ryo presents Akira with a novel idea: He should allow a demon inside him yet keep his humanity intact. And so Akira becomes Devilman, a being with a demon's power but a human soul that's humankind's last chance.

Is It Any Good?

With extreme levels of sex and violence and plot points that will mystify Western viewers not familiar with Japanese anime conventions, this series is for mature anime fans only. Devilman Crybaby wins points for sheer oddness. Animated movies and shows frequently have a "good against evil" plotline, with heroic figures standing in between humanity and certain apocalypse. But styling the bad guys as literal demons is a departure, and Devilman clearly delights in dispatching the demons as violently as possible in set pieces that are almost balletic in their bloody brutality.

However, other aspects of Devilman's plot are more puzzling: "pseudo-Satanic" parties at which partygoers gulp pills and have group sex, a running star who's repeatedly referred to as "the witch of high school track," and a strange drug that seems to make humans more vulnerable to demonic possession. Complex and otherworldly, these and other parts of Devilman will strike viewers as either weird or complex and fascinating, depending on their taste. But the heart of the series is in the moments when Akira must battle various demons, when hacked off heads and limbs fly through the air, blood spurts in fountains, demons ooze out of human crevices and tower to great heights. It's strange stuff, and it's not for kids, but if over-the-top anime is your thing, this unusual series may be too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about who Devilman Crybaby is aimed at. Is it for kids? Is it typical for American animated shows to be family-oriented? Is this also true in Japan? What other adult animated series or movies have you seen? Does this show have more or less mature content?

  • Families can also talk about the violence in this series. How does watching super-violent content make you feel? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Have you read the manga series on which this show is based? How does this animated series compare? Does it enhance your enjoyment of a movie or TV show to have read the book it was based on?

TV Details

Our Editors Recommend

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate