Parents' Guide to

Devilman Crybaby

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

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

TV Netflix Drama 2018
Devilman Crybaby Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 25 parent reviews

age 18+

Devilman

Make no mistake, this is not just the best anime of all time but perhaps one of if not the best show of all time. It is deep, fast paced, enthralling and shocking. While this show is truly a masterpiece and I see the violence and sexual content as no issue and can likely be viewed by anyone of any age as long as they are not usually bothered by that kind of thing, children and the vast majority of teenagers will just not understand the show’s connotations and level of depth. That said if they are mature then it’s fine. Only reason not to watch it is if you’re not mature enough because you won’t get as much out of it.
age 16+

This title has:

Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (25):
Kids say (67):

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.

TV Details

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