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While most anime fans couldn’t go very far without encountering the news aboutCastlevaniashowrunner Adi Shankar’sDevil May Cryanime, or even the series itself after it was released on April 3, very few are aware of the fact thatNetflix’sDevil May Cryisn’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 Seriesis an interesting permutation of theDevil May Cryfranchise that was quicklysnapped up by Funimation long before the platform’s demise.
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 Serieswas produced by staff at Madhouse, the legendary studio that gave us titles likeDeath Note;NANAandDeath Parade, with Shin Itagaki, the director ofthe 2005 anime adaptation of Kentaro Yabuki’sBlack Cat, at the helm as director;Kingdomseason 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 ofDevil May Cry: The Animated Serieswas particularly star-studded, and included the following:
The English dub cast had some familiar voices as well, with:
How Does The 2007 Series Hold Up?
A Mixed Bag For Fans of the Devil May Cry Franchise
One of the strongest aspects toDevil May Cry: The Animated Seriesis 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 earningsdespite 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 theDevil May Cryanime 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 theDevil May Crystory more. Redditors have described the 2025 version as a “fan-fiction”, one that has more allusions and nods to the original games, which alignswith Adi Shankar’s description of the seriesas part of his “bootleg multiverse”, indicating an understanding of how titles likeCastlevaniaandDevil May Cryare 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 fromBLEACHand Nero in theDevil May Crygames, 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 2025Devil May Cryis 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 lotmore entertaining and more appealing visually.
Devil May Cry [2025] is available to stream onNetflix, while Devil May Cry: The Animated Series [2007] can be found onCrunchyroll.
