Summary
- The 2007 Devil May Cry anime series is set between the events of the first and second games in the franchise.
- The anime features notable cast members such as Toshiyuki Morikawa and Atsuko Tanaka.
- The 2007 anime series had a mixed reception, focusing more on characters than exciting combat sequences similar to the games.
While most anime fans couldn't go very far without encountering the news about Castlevania showrunner Adi Shankar's Devil May Cry anime, or even the series itself after it was released on April 3, very few are aware of the fact that Netflix's Devil May Cry isn't the first time Capcom's iconic videogame franchise has been adapted into an anime. In 2007, staff at perhaps one of the biggest studios at the time, and definitely one of the anime industry's most influential in the 2000s and 2010s, produced an adaptation of the franchise that quite frankly, deserves more love.
Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is an interesting permutation of the Devil May Cry franchise that was quickly snapped up by Funimation long before the platform's demise.
Devil May Cry Anime Season 2 Confirmed
Adi Shankar and Studio MIR's Devil May Cry anime already has plans for a second season.
Plot and Background Information
Set Somewhere Between the First and Second Game
Devil May Cry: The Animated Series (2007) is set somewhere in between the events of the first and second games in the franchise, and is based on the manga and novels. In this series, Dante runs his devil-hunting business, Devil May Cry, while under constant financial pressure. While the series had an overarching plot, the 12 episodes were mostly self-contained, and saw the introduction of franchise heroines like Trish and Lady, whom many will also know from her main role in the 2025 series. New characters introduced in DMC 2007 include Patty Lowell, an orphaned girl Dante saves in the first season and takes care of in a father-daughter dynamic, and Morrison, a man who is something of an agent for Dante, taking care of matters of business and giving advice.
Devil May Cry: The Animated Series was produced by staff at Madhouse, the legendary studio that gave us titles like Death Note; NANA and Death Parade, with Shin Itagaki, the director of the 2005 anime adaptation of Kentaro Yabuki's Black Cat, at the helm as director; Kingdom season 3 through 6 character designer Hisashi Abe served as chief animation director and character designer; scripts were the combination of efforts from Bingo Morihashi, Shōtarō Suga, Toshiki Inoue and Ichiro Sakaki; devil designs were done by Yutaka Minowa (animation director, Code Geass: Akito the Exiled) and Makoto Awano is credited as animation producer. The cast of Devil May Cry: The Animated Series was particularly star-studded, and included the following:
- Toshiyuki Morikawa (Julius Novachrono, Black Clover) as Dante
- Akio Ōtsuka (Dimple, Mob Psycho 100) as Morrison
- Atsuko Tanaka (Major Motoko Kusanagi, Ghost in the Shell franchise) as Trish
- Fumiko Orikasa (Rukia Kuchiki, BLEACH) as Lady
- Misato Fukuen (Himiko Toga, My Hero Academia) as Patty
The English dub cast had some familiar voices as well, with:
- Reuben Langdon, voice of Dante in the video games, reprising his role
- Chris Ayres as Sid
- Hilary Haag (Teletha Testarossa, Full Metal Panic!) as Patty Lowell
- Luci Christian (Hestia, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?) as Trish
- Melissa Davis (Shiina, Angel Beats) as Lady
- Rob Mungle (Mr. Invader/Lum's Father, Urusei Yatsura 2022) as Morrison
Devil May Cry Anime Season 2 Confirmed
Adi Shankar and Studio MIR's Devil May Cry anime already has plans for a second season.
How Does The 2007 Series Hold Up?
A Mixed Bag For Fans of the Devil May Cry Franchise
One of the strongest aspects to Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is its characters and character dynamics, with Dante's personality being similar to his demeanour in the games, but with some differences. For one, Dante's financial illiteracy is a main aspect of his personality in the series, as he constantly gambles away his earnings despite being a horrible gambler, as well as his childish palate characterized by a love for sweets and pizza (hold the olives). Both Trish and Lady act as foils to his character, getting off on the wrong foot in their initial meeting but coming together as friends who constantly tease Dante.
The dynamic between Dante and Patty is also positive, showing a softer side to the usually cocky and derisive Dante. Unfortunately, while character interactions are some of the best in this series, there was more emphasis on combat, and, given what the series is adapting, the expectations are high, but it doesn't quite live up to the exciting combat we see in the games as there isn't as much of it. The gore and horror elements remain quite strong; however, and this adaptation comes with a lot of personality and a unique atmosphere – elements that are apparent in the 2025 Netflix adaptation, albeit to a different effect entirely.
Comparing the Two DMC Anime Adaptations
Which One is Better?
Stylistically, these two versions of the Devil May Cry anime adaptation are like night and day. While the 2007 version has more of a "monster-of-the-week" format, the 2025 adaptation leans more into giving us a plot line that each episode contributes to unfurling. The original anime definitely had an overarching plot, but the series followed the day-to-day a lot more, and for many fans, this version captured the feel of the games and leaned into the Devil May Cry story more. Redditors have described the 2025 version as a "fan-fiction", one that has more allusions and nods to the original games, which aligns with Adi Shankar's description of the series as part of his "bootleg multiverse", indicating an understanding of how titles like Castlevania and Devil May Cry are derivations of the video games on which they're based rather than outright retelling their respective stories.
One of the things that adds to this idea of the 2007 being more centred on the games is the fact that Reuben Langdon, legacy voice actor of Dante from the games, played Dante in this version, while Johnny Yong Bosch; known for playing Ichigo Kurosaki from BLEACH and Nero in the Devil May Cry games, played the main character in the 2025 version. Where the 2025 version leans into its inspiration from the games is in its flair, over-the-top action, and its rock and metal soundtrack full of licensed songs from artists like Limp Bizkit and Evanescence adding to the atmosphere, but the story is overall an anime-original. Where the original anime failed in the action department, it still boasted more convincing demon models and designs than the CGI we see in the 2025 version; perhaps the one thing that holds it back in the visual department. The 2025 Devil May Cry is almost non-stop action, while the 2007 version is more of a slower burn that focuses more on the characters. Those who are die-hard fans of the story may be inclined to choose the 2007 version, while casual fans and neutrals will find the 2025 to be a lot more entertaining and more appealing visually.
Devil May Cry [2025] is available to stream on Netflix, while Devil May Cry: The Animated Series [2007] can be found on Crunchyroll.