Crybaby Is Berserk's One True Heir

Netflix has had a strong set of original and exclusive anime offerings across over a decade of niche hits. The platform is not shy about pushing the envelope with its animated content, and no more is this the case than with Devilman Crybaby, the anime that put Science SARU on the map.

Devilman Crybaby debuted to acclaim, taking the already controversial Go Nagai manga and bringing its modern dark fantasy to a new audience. In doing so, it inadvertently challenged the other big fantasy manga and anime franchise, Berserk, in an earnest yet relentlessly brutal show. In doing so, viewers on Netflix found a whole new way to be astounded yet devastated.

Netflix’s Greatest Berserk Rival Is Still Worth Watching

Devilman Crybaby seems like an odd matchup to Berserk, at first. The former takes place in the modern day, while the latter is a dark fantasy rendition of a quasi-European setting. But beyond the more obvious parallels, in their mutually brutal violence sparing no innocents, they also share a compelling set of heroes.

While Guts as a mercenary went on an initially dark path of vengeance after the events of the Eclipse brought on by Griffith, he’s shown tremendous personal growth in later arcs of Berserk. Devilman Crybaby’s Akira Fudo, meanwhile, begins as a meek, compassionate boy handed immense power, but at the expense of his perceived loss of humanity.

Akira Fudo, following the events of the first episode’s Sabbath party, unites with the demon Amon and, while a massacre unfolds, his fight-or-flight response kicks in, prompting him to transform into the form commonly referred to as his Devilman form.

Both Guts and Akira share interesting journeys, with their humanity still shining despite immeasurable personal loss. They’re also juxtaposed against a charismatic yet callous friend, Griffith for Berserk, and Ryo Asuka for Devilman Crybaby, whose reckless actions and enormous power push the world to slip into ruin. Berserk fans will feel right at home watching Devilman Crybaby.

Devilman Crybaby Is the Modern Remake Berserk Fans Can Only Dream of

Akira and Satan laying together in Devilman Crybaby.

While Berserk would not translate to a modern setting the way Devilman Crybaby has, it’s no secret that the anime has had no good adaptations outside of primarily the Golden Age Arc. The 2016 anime is a rough experience, and beyond the awful 3D CG animation, its other problem is, unexpectedly, that it often holds back its darkest moments.

This is nothing new; Berserk’s 1997 anime and Golden Age film trilogy omitted Wyald, who had some utterly wild scenes in the manga. Berserk 2016 attempts to present more of the depths of human depravity, and despite the Bowels of the Holy Ground scene, it still holds back on other explicit details. Devilman Crybaby, however, doesn’t show these limitations.

Both anime regularly feature the depths of human corruption, but Devilman Crybaby’s concise 10-episode narrative presents the ultimate extents of this, bringing about total annihilation in the process. The world is bright and pleasant in the minimalistic first few episodes, but as things take a turn, humanity’s fears run amok in a brutal, malicious spectacle by the finale.

In terms of each series’ depictions of sensitive subject matter, it’s hard to declare one more intense than the other. But across Devilman Crybaby’s entire run, it’s dedicated to shocking, even heartbreaking massacres (do not get attached to any characters) and no shortage of adult themes and sexual content. Again, Berserk fans will feel right at home.

But beyond simply appealing to the edgy fans craving a nihilistic treat, much like with Berserk, Devilman Crybaby is a powerful emotional experience. Akira Fudo’s compassion is especially striking as he pleads his humanity to a world that scorns and fears him. It’s cruel to watch the world collapse, but it makes grim sense, and the visuals improve with every progressively darker scene.

None of this is to say Devilman or Berserk is the better series, although the former predates the latter significantly. But the handling of this series, featuring Science SARU’s wonderful visual style and Kensuke Ushio’s composition, at least makes a strong case that Devilman Crybaby is easily the better modern anime. Hopefully it’ll be Berserk’s turn to step up next.