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Devilman japanese movie review
Completed
Devilman
0 people found this review helpful
by Yoyo Jae
Mar 8, 2023
Completed
Overall 10
Story 10.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10.0
This review may contain spoilers

Humans who are demonic and demons who are humane ... no "black and white" to this story

WOW I am giving this a 10/10 because it I found it so profound. The pace of the movie is a bit slow so I upped the playback, but still, it is not bad for a 2004 production. I thought the acting was a bit average ... but it didn't bother me because the story line was so compelling (for me anyway). I thought the visual FX were pretty good too for back then. There are slight differences between the movie and the anime (which I finished watching before I watched this movie), so I want to read the original manga (published in 1972) as this story has a hell of a lot to say about humanity; good and evil; god and demon etc. It reminds me a bit of Alice in Borderland ... I just love that kind of in your face mental / psychological challenge. Given the themes to this movie I found it rather ironic that the actors playing Ryo and Akira are brothers \(^ᴗ^)/

I thought the movie was very existential ... what is it to be human ... are all humans the 'same' ... should there be some distinction made between them (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ... do ALL lifeforms have the right to live or only 'designated' lifeforms ... and if so, who gets to designate and by what right (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ ... if there is a 'Satan' then who and what is 'god' ... if 'god' hates and has favourites then what kind of god is it ... is it just another entity with its own vested interests (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ ... so much to think about.

Seeing humanity release their own inner 'demons' like crazed rabid animals, makes you wonder who the real demons are ... killing indiscriminately and justifying that with a perverse hypocritical sanctimoniousness and irrationality ...it is just sickening. The devilmen had more humanity than the humans do. The movie is like a conglomerate telling of human history repeating itself ... the witch hunts ... ethnic cleansing ... religious purging ... political purging ... mob murders ... the vigilante groups ... bullying because of 'differences' ... humans have been doing this throughout its history and sadly has NOT learned anything in the process ... not 'advanced' in anyway.

The portrayal of mob psychosis and its blood soaked results is a terrifying portrayal of humanity and how easy it is for people to slip into that demented state. Is there another course of action (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ ... beautiful Miki and Miiko ... human and devilman ... emanate a type of acceptance and kindness that sees lifeforms not by their designation but by their heart ... seems to me that kind of approach to life can go a long long way to reducing the collective misery on themselves and other inhabitants of the planet ... but how come they have it but others don't ... is it something you are born with or can acquire (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ.

The ending was poignant ... the pure demon did not want to lose the human/devilman and the young human child and devilman woman come out from the rubble and walk into the future ... I wonder how they will go ... what will they do differently and is that even possible (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ ... they are kind of like a new "Adam and Eve" walking in hell.

I wonder if what we think of as 'human' is not so much a human body, but more of a "quality or state of being" that can be expressed regardless of the form an entity takes ... human, demon, animal, plant etc. (•ิ.•ิ)ゞ
Anyway, this was a profound and poignant movie and, for me, definitely rewatchable.
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