The Devil Lady - The Awakening (Vol. 1)

Rating:
Summary: We make our own hell . . .
Review: I borrowed this first volume of Devil Lady and the second volume from an anime-loving friend. From the very first episode, I was hopelessly and helplessly drawn into the world of Devil Lady. It revolves around a model named Jun who is slightly different from the rest, a difference shown in her eyes. When a blond-haired woman named Ran Asuka follows her and lures her into a demonic encounter, she finds out just how different she really is. (Come on, being part demon does tend to make you pretty different.)

The point is that my heart ached for Jun, seeing her horror at what she was becoming and what she was being forced to do with her new abilities. Like "Cat," the first episode of the second volume, "Shark" gave me a look at twisted love, only it wasn't twisted into hate; it was twisted into murderous obsession.

Devil Lady is quite a horrifying anime. It isn't horrifying just for the sheer amounts of violence; it is horrifying because of the brutal look into the darker aspects of human nature. If that doesn't manage to scare you off, then you'll like Devil Lady a lot.

Rating:
Summary: With Friends Like These...
Review: In 1972, manga creator Go Nagai was approached by a Japanese TV network about the possibility of a series based on one of his comics. Nagai suggested that a new series of his, 'Devilman' might be just what they were looking for. This marked the beginning of a 38-episode run that was not only a success, but also set an indelible stamp on Japanese horror for some time to come. Twenty-five years later, in 1997, Go Nagai's dark, twisted, and polymorphously perverse images were reborn in a different guise. This time as 'Devilwoman.'

Jun Fudou is a successful fashion model, lushly attractive and in demand. Her best friend is young Kazumi Takiura, another model who, for a younger generation. Into this happy-go-lucky life-style intrudes Lan Asuka a member of the mysterious 'human alliance.' Asuka tricks Jun into a confrontation with a demonic creature, and the model discovers that she also has demonic powers, and perhaps, relishes the killing. At least until she returns to human form. As the episodes progress, Asuka explains that Jun is 'neotenic' - progressing toward devil-hood, but still retaining her human soul.

Initially, Asuka is the dominant to Jun's submissive, issuing commands, leading Jun from kill to kill, but gradually Jun begins to show glimpses of independence and anger. How this will end is unclear, but Asuka's fascination with Jun and her powers has a self-destructive touch to it. The relationship that suffers the most from Jun's secret is the one with Kazumi, who will shortly lose her parents to a devil attack and moves in with Jun. This is another explosion waiting to happen in some future episode.

The story line is extremely dark, well beyond the typical noir horror atmosphere. The script often flirts with sexual variations as well as typical monster goings on. That and a great deal of what is politely referred to as 'fan service' makes this a heavily loaded series. The series is rated for 17 plus, and I have to concur. If you are looking for redeeming social values, Jun's conflict between her human and devil nature is all there is in this first DVD. Because of her submissiveness I found her character less sympathetic than it should have been, with the first episodes following a kill/cry pattern that only hints at becoming something else in the later tales.

Two technical issues keep this from being an enthusiastic recommendation. First, the art and animation are completely retro in look. It seems a shame that 1997 technology should be used to recreate a 25-year-old 'low-fi' look. So much of the action is put in the shadows that it is almost impossible to make out what is happening, occasioning much fiddling with the contrast and brightness settings. The worst sin, though, is the English dubbing. I have seen plenty of anime where the dubbing is weak or clumsy, but this is the first time that I felt the English script was completely misleading. Stick to the Japanese with subtitles for a much more enjoyable and sensible experience.

I found it an interesting set of episodes despite these flaws, although what would have been original in 1972 (or even 1982) has become a bit hackneyed in 2003. Since good direction could have avoided this problem, I am inclined to recommend waiting for further episodes to see how the interpersonal and spiritual problems are developed before considering a decision to purchase.

Rating:
Summary: With Friends Like These...
Review: In 1972, manga creator Go Nagai was approached by a Japanese TV network about the possibility of a series based on one of his comics. Nagai suggested that a new series of his, 'Devilman' might be just what they were looking for. This marked the beginning of a 38-episode run that was not only a success, but also set an indelible stamp on Japanese horror for some time to come. Twenty-five years later, in 1997, Go Nagai's dark, twisted, and polymorphously perverse images were reborn in a different guise. This time as 'Devilwoman.'

Jun Fudou is a successful fashion model, lushly attractive and in demand. Her best friend is young Kazumi Takiura, another model who, for a younger generation. Into this happy-go-lucky life-style intrudes Lan Asuka a member of the mysterious 'human alliance.' Asuka tricks Jun into a confrontation with a demonic creature, and the model discovers that she also has demonic powers, and perhaps, relishes the killing. At least until she returns to human form. As the episodes progress, Asuka explains that Jun is 'neotenic' - progressing toward devil-hood, but still retaining her human soul.

Initially, Asuka is the dominant to Jun's submissive, issuing commands, leading Jun from kill to kill, but gradually Jun begins to show glimpses of independence and anger. How this will end is unclear, but Asuka's fascination with Jun and her powers has a self-destructive touch to it. The relationship that suffers the most from Jun's secret is the one with Kazumi, who will shortly lose her parents to a devil attack and moves in with Jun. This is another explosion waiting to happen in some future episode.

The story line is extremely dark, well beyond the typical noir horror atmosphere. The script often flirts with sexual variations as well as typical monster goings on. That and a great deal of what is politely referred to as 'fan service' makes this a heavily loaded series. The series is rated for 17 plus, and I have to concur. If you are looking for redeeming social values, Jun's conflict between her human and devil nature is all there is in this first DVD. Because of her submissiveness I found her character less sympathetic than it should have been, with the first episodes following a kill/cry pattern that only hints at becoming something else in the later tales.

Two technical issues keep this from being an enthusiastic recommendation. First, the art and animation are completely retro in look. It seems a shame that 1997 technology should be used to recreate a 25-year-old 'low-fi' look. So much of the action is put in the shadows that it is almost impossible to make out what is happening, occasioning much fiddling with the contrast and brightness settings. The worst sin, though, is the English dubbing. I have seen plenty of anime where the dubbing is weak or clumsy, but this is the first time that I felt the English script was completely misleading. Stick to the Japanese with subtitles for a much more enjoyable and sensible experience.

I found it an interesting set of episodes despite these flaws, although what would have been original in 1972 (or even 1982) has become a bit hackneyed in 2003. Since good direction could have avoided this problem, I am inclined to recommend waiting for further episodes to see how the interpersonal and spiritual problems are developed before considering a decision to purchase.

Rating:
Summary: June can tear your tear your throat out
Review: This is an awsome dvd and so clean and visual, considering the toppic at hand. Devil lady is avery different from devil man both dvds are good but devil man is tearably chopped up and incomplete but still good. The big difference between the two is, devil man is more supernatural and devil lady is more biolical. The scene when june becomes the devil lady for the first time is gut-renching but when she becomes a giant demon and cuts off wolfer's head, is a moment of glory. i have only perchased two volumes. But if you like Go Nagy and revenge violence does not bother you then this is the series for you.

Rating:
Summary: Modeling and the High Price of Exposure
Review: When I first picked up Devil Lady, I really didn't know what to expect. I knew that there were five time-uniformed portions of a rather large puzzle here, that Go Nagai (Devilman) had been behind this production and that The DevilLady looked a little like Devilman because of this, and I had heard that this was supposedly an enjoyable horror piece. Well, after a rocky beginning that took a bit of time introducing the ongoing concepts that will plague the series, I found that the enjoyable part was very true and that despite a barren DVD (it comes with cards telling you about some enemies, but that's about it), it was well worth picking up.

The DevilLady revolves around Jun, a rather beautiful fashion model that has an indescribable "something" about her, making her seem different when the camera is focused upon her and those beautifully mysterious eyes. Despite her success, however, everything is far from perfect in her life. Even as a child she has found herself feeling very different from everyone else, like she really didn't belong, making her feel very much alone. Now she seems discontent with the work that had sated her for so long, finding everything except her friendship with a high-school aged model without purpose. This all changes rather suddenly as she finds herself being followed by a blonde-haired woman on night, one that finally comes to her at home rather suddenly and, in a very life-altering manner, explains the duality in every personality and a bit about a gene that has allowed a further step to take place in the evolutionary ladder. This leads Jun to a startling revelation about herself and the beast within her, showing her just how different she really is and what that could possibly mean to the salvation of mankind.

Without really going into the individual pieces themselves (for fear of spoilers), all of the episodes revolve around the concept of becoming and hunting that which has lost the spark called the human soul while making time to remember Jun and the horror she feels. This is what makes the series complete, the feelings trapped within the shell that is becoming something far more than human, something more powerful as each transformation begins, that wants so much to keep itself tethered to humanity and at least one person it loves. Combine this with the characterization added to Jun and a support "cast" that manages to stand out from the background, plus the questions posed to Jun becoming more complex as time marches on, and you'll see that The DevilLady has the ability to increase in sometimes drastic proportions and make a very enjoyable beginning to a series.