This is one of the first animes i ever saw and considering it’s themes it’s clear to me now that when I began my anime journey this anime in particular probably had a profound effect on my young mind for both good and bad reasons.
Storyline
Akira Fudou is your typical kind hearted high school student. He looks after cute little bunny rabbits while at school and has a nice girl friend (not dating) that he lives with since his parents are away on an excavation in the South Pole.
One day while walking home from school Ryo, an old friend from Akira’s childhood turns up out of
...
the blue and demands that Akira follow him as he has something very important to discuss with him.
After Akira agrees to hear him out Ryo starts to explain the horrifying details of what had recently become of his father who was a scientist.
Ryo’s father seemed to have gone mad after investigating the existence of demons.
At this point I should mention this first movie is somewot slow placed while the foundation of the story is being laid down. It’s a bit of a drag but stick with it as things start to spice up soon enough.
Ryo takes Akira back to his father’s study where a lot of his research is being kept. Here Akira gets to actually SEE some of the crazy revelations Ryo’s father discovered.
After that, all hell breaks loose…..why…because due to their snooping around with demon research / artefact’s, they get the attention of actual demons who start to chase them down.
So after some more entertaining chase / demon encounters Ryo & Akira come to the realisation that the world will soon become exposed to the threat of a global demon outbreak…..so the question is what can they do to stop it…
Well that’s the best part which I am not going to spoil for you…let’s just say it involves performing a certain ritual that involves alcohol, debauchery and violence.
Since the name of this anime is Devilman it should be obvious at some point someone or something will become the Devilman….and no surprise to anyone who has seen the cover art who it’s going to be.
So after DEVILMAN IS BORN true insanity ensues and Holy Shit the last 10 minutes of this anime is hardcore violence at its best.
So yeah, in summary the first half of this anime is mostly explanation and build up for the last 15 minutes of pure awesomeness…..It was kinda worth the wait but sadly just after it starts getting really interesting its over……and at the time I watched this there was no way for me to know there was a part II so I was like Goddamn it I wanna know what happens next!
Then luckily for me 2 weeks later (at the time 1993) on Channel 4 part two was broadcast….which I have also reviewed
Animation
Keeping in mind this is late 80’s animation it is pretty decent…I mean the character designs look a bit cutesy at first but when the demons get involved things change quite dramatically.
The standout thing for me in this movie is the strange opening sequence, the return to the strange opening sequence in the middle of the movie and the super gory action sequence at the end.
Compared to today’s standards it’s not top notch but I feel it has still aged pretty well and is still very watchable.
Sound
I like the music in Devilman…its got a melancholy feel to it. The English dub is really quite comical to me but not in a bad way…I mean, re-watching this now I can understand why some people may find it korny but overall I think it works out very well. Devilman in particular say’s some really funny shite when he’s killing demons…certainly not the sweet boy Akira he was before.
Overall sound is pretty decent…compared to the original Jap language it’s a bit spicier which worked out well enough in my opinion
Characters
Devilman has an extremely small cast, which works in its favour. There’s pretty much Akira / Devilman, Ryo, Miki (barely) and the various demons Akira and Ryo have to face.
For such a short anime I think the characters are developed well enough…In particular you get good foundation for Akira’s character which is the most important thing.
Enjoyment
I enjoy this anime on two levels, the first being nostalgia. I remember how confused and weird I felt about rooting for a demon to suceed…..this was way before the more recently accepted anti-hero boom we are surrounded by today.
The second level is the action in this anime is pretty hardcore, animated decently, barebone and VERY enjoyable to watch.
It’s a short fun crazy ride… I have enjoyed this title for many years and overall still find it of a high standard even after all these years.
Value / Final Thoughts
Over time Demon protagonist’s have become more common place in movies (Hellboy) and especially in anime, to name a few: Hellsing, Vampire hunter D, Inu Yasha, the cast of Saiyuki, Chrono from Chrono Crusade etc. So Devilman kinda loses the anti-hero shock value it had around the original time it was made.
But like I said before being very young and coming from a Christian upbringing in particular made this anime quite the shell-shocker.
I was hesitant to write this review at first as I did feel a lot of my praise for it would come from nostalgia but after re-watching it I am now reassured it is actually a quality title that still holds up to this very day
It’s short and sweet, thought provoking and many do hail it as a cult classic.
Surprisingly though I found more reviews for this anime on IMDB that on various anime sites….however the manga is vastly more popular than the anime incarnations.
Planet Tyro Rating: Solid B
Devilman Franchise Blog: http://bit.ly/157LdCG
planettyro.com
Alternative Titles
Japanese: デビルマン 誕生編
More titlesInformation
Type:
OVA
Episodes:
1
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Nov 1, 1987
Studios:
Oh! Production
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
50 min.
Rating:
R+ - Mild Nudity
Statistics
Ranked:
#35042
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#3977
Members:
31,581
Favorites:
320
Resources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 18 / 18
Sort
Your Feelings Categories Mar 20, 2012
This is one of the first animes i ever saw and considering it’s themes it’s clear to me now that when I began my anime journey this anime in particular probably had a profound effect on my young mind for both good and bad reasons.
Storyline Akira Fudou is your typical kind hearted high school student. He looks after cute little bunny rabbits while at school and has a nice girl friend (not dating) that he lives with since his parents are away on an excavation in the South Pole. One day while walking home from school Ryo, an old friend from Akira’s childhood turns up out of ... Jan 31, 2018
For any fan of the recent Anime Devilman Crybaby and wondered if you should give this OVA a try, this review is for you. At this point, you’ve probably seen a couple “Devilman dub is gold” or “Devilman dub is a treasure.” The sheer quirkiness of some of the dialogue has made these videos become incredibly popular. After it being brought to your attention, you might wonder is Devilman: Tanjou-hen worth watching?
Story (5/10) The story of Devilman: Tanjou-hen (also known as Devilman: The Birth) is much the same of the devilman you already know. Akira, young weak boy meets up with his good friend Ryo. Ryo ... Jan 9, 2018
If you are a tad bit cracked in the head and you are a fervent Go Nagai fan like me, this film may be the most faithful interpretation of his work that you will ever see. While the film adds and subtracts
a tad bit of scenes, it is as if many of the panels and dialogue from the first volume of Devilman are literally animated onto the screen. The animation is a little wonky at times but is overall, very good for 1987. And true to Go "My Father Died" Nagai's work the film is sort of awkward and the dialogue is down right ... Nov 1, 2013
well....i´ll guess it was COMPLETLY my mistake that i took this anime quite ´lightly´ back in 1999,as a 13 year old to find this kind of anime in a bargain bin on vhs and at first it din´t look that scared, till i watched it afterwards, in those days it was like `anime´s forbidden fruit´ to younger kids .
The ´anime master of horror´ Go Nagai ( with respect ofc) seemed already made a t.v series of devilman in the 1970´s and a movie called Devilman v.s Mazinger Z wich both i never saw aired and over the decades made short horrorstorie´s or ova´s like ... Mar 6, 2018
So, you've probably seen Crybaby if you found out about this. The big question is "How's the OVA's?" The answer? "Eh?"
This OVA takes basically the first part of the manga where our wimpy hero becomes the hero that Japan deserves, Devilman, and drags it out ad nauseum. Crybaby had the right idea condensing the part this OVA adapts to a single 20 minute episode, because its littered with boring exposition and flashbacks that you are likely to skip. Despite the lengthy runtime, we don't get a whole lot of development from our main characters, much less side characters like Miki, who were absolutely spoiled in ... Jan 3, 2018
In my opinion the anime was magnificent. (9/10)
Story: Without spoiling i can tell you that the plot is very interesting.Its plot is something similar to Berserk's eclipse but in a good way for the main characters. Undoubtedly if you don't like the gore genre its not for you. There is a bit of romance which continues in the other ovas. Art/Sound: It was published more than 30 years ago so the art/sound isn't that good but for its time it was normal. While watching it you will feel like you are in the 80-s or you are watching Michael Jackson's music video. Character There is big character development in this ova and ... Feb 13, 2016
Back when the original TV series was airing, there wasn't any real adaptation of Devilman. Sure the original TV series existed, but it went on a different path than the manga. However in 1987, we finally saw an OVA that promised us to follow more closely to the manga.
Was it any good? Well, it depends on how you watch it. If you watch it with knowing what Devilman is about, then you have an interesting and entertaining adaptation. But if you watch it as an introduction to Devilman, it might just be an introduction and nothing that special. Unlike Fist of the North Star ... Apr 20, 2008
Its a very dark and weird anime. This is the first one of the movies. Its where you see how he becomes devilman. Its not really that good of an anime but its ok to watch if your a little bored. You should have watched this one before seeing the next two movies because you see how hw gets to know his girlfriend. Defintely see this one if you want to see the sequels which have some good action scenes and a ok story;)
Mar 26, 2014
I noticed there are a lot of Devilman reviews that don't get a passing grade. So I'm going to attempt to be the one that break past the marks.
Devilman is similar to other anime. There is one driving plot and characters have common traits, but Devilman has a special predicament that makes it irresistible. It has the scary demon theme, the insertion and deletion of fear, the cold hard sweat of anticipation and excitement. There are demons planning to take over the world. One man's normal life is shattered and there is no return. After pushed by his friend, he has to accept the job ... Jan 24, 2021
This is the volume of Devilman that sparked an on-going obsession with the franchise! This brutal, beautiful, and utterly phantasmal addition to the continuity is a wild ride from start to finish! It's a great way to introduce Go Nagai's most famous narrative, and to this day, Umanosuke Iida outshines many modern, sakuga directors with his wash of color and experimentation! If you have the stomach for violence and gore, "The Birth" is a must-see for any anime fan!
⚠️ This review of Devilman: Tanjō Hen will contain spoilers ⚠️ —Story/Characters This anime starts off in the realm of the ethereal, showing groves of gossamer fairies in the ... Apr 24, 2022
🔻مراجعة اوفا ديفل مان الأولى 🔻
(devilman : the birth) ديفل مان واحد من الأعمال اليابانية العريقة و المؤثرة على الصناعة لمؤلفه غو ناغاي مؤلف جريندايزر و مازينجر و عدة أعمال أخرى ، و تتحدث هذه الأوفا عن الصراع بين البشر و الشياطين و كيف ان الطريقة الوحيدة لمواجهة الشياطين هي أن تصبح شيطان لأن البشر مهما بلغ تطور اسلحتهم لن تصبح نداً للشياطين كما وضح ريو لأكيرا في حوار دار بينهما . شخصياً هذا اول عمل متعلق بالديفل مان لكن لدي بعض المعلومات عن السلسلة و تم حرق بعض الأشياء عليّ 🔴 التقديم تبدأ الأوفا بمشهد يعرض قتال بين الشياطين و ... May 30, 2021
If you are interested in watching Devilman this is the best route if you don't like reading. I say this because this is easiest the best Go Nagai adaptation without deviating or doing seemingly weird changes which Devilman anime suffered the most from. It changes some things to be more 80's and it pretty much works. The only thing common in Devilman adaptation is that the soundtrack kicks ASS! The OST featured in this anime is very great and fits the Devilman story well. The shot composition and animations are on point, giving you the best Devilman experience other then the legendary manga.
May 19, 2014
First it takes place in the modern world, then it takes you to the forest. Ryo brings news the demons are awakening. Fudou Akira is your terrified guy. Ryo is obsessed with something grand. He takes Akira to the forest. The timing of the demons were terrific though. It's a well-balanced mix of horror and demons. Underpopular, but not worth much.
Dec 18, 2012
STORY:
Pretty good origin of the character. Though it can seem a little long-winded and you can't help but feel that there should be a little more of Devilman himself in it. ART: Gory as hell...if you like that sort of thing. I personally do, but it may not be to everybody's taste. SOUND: ... Oct 21, 2020
Honesty this movie(dub that is) is ironically one of the funniest things ive seen. Just the line delivery is so over the top that it carries the movie. The pacing is actually pretty decent tho but that probably due to short running time. A lot of things bugged me tho like how the music never fit any of the scenes. I had a hard time telling if a scene was supposed to be scary, badass, funny, or sad because all the music cant empahaise anything and when it can the voice acting ruined it. The characters were kinda forgettable and the story was really
...
Aug 5, 2012
I'v heard a lot about the devilman title over the years,some good ,some bad needless to say after this ova ill be watching a lot more of it in the future.
Akira is your typical high school teen,one day after recieving a beating from thugs he gets an unexpected visit from his old friend Ryo who seems visibly on edge and insist that akira comes with him . Ryu tell akira about how his father commited suicide when he was driven to madness due to a strange demonic artifact and his research into the demonic realm. Akira then learns about the demons past and how they ... Nov 29, 2023
This OVA is faithful to the manga and features plenty of bloody demon fight scenes, male and female nudity, and enough gore to fill a dump truck. Although the show has some rough spots and unsettling writing at the beginning, it ended up being better than expected, at least among gory action movies.
Devilman begins slowly with tension building, but the first episode lacks substance until the end. In terms of the storyline, the episode mishandles Akira's moral dilemma. It is tragic to merge with a demon to save the Earth, but the chosen method is completely out of character. Despite a slow start, the movie ... Feb 2, 2019
Devilman: The Birth is the first of 3 80's/90's OVA's that adapt roughly the same material as Netflix's terrible Devilman Crybaby. This OVA is somehow both worse and better than Crybaby at the same time, and I'll explain how. First of all the artwork/animation is actually quite good. Despite being made in the late 80's the anime still looks good today because the character designs are very detailed, unlike the 2018 Crybaby. Unfortunately, BECAUSE the art is more detailed, when something very violent/gory happens it makes you sick to your stomach, more so than Crybaby made you feel with its lack of detail in the
...
|