Devil May Cry (Netflix) – A Stylish Symphony of Action and Emotion

Rating: 8/10 ⭐️

I came for Adi Shankar, not Devil May Cry. I’ve never played any of the DMC games, but after falling in love with Castlevania and being thoroughly impressed by Captain Laserhawk, especially for how it reimagined characters I grew up with, I knew I had to check this one out. And I’m glad I did. Devil May Cry might seem like a straightforward demon-slaying action fest at first glance, but beneath all the stylish gunplay and slick animation is a surprisingly emotional story that caught me off guard.

The setup is classic—an enigmatic demon known as The White Rabbit is tearing through rifts between worlds, bringing demons to Earth and trying to retrieve a powerful sword once wielded by the legendary demon Sparda. Sparda, a rare ally of humanity, sealed the rift between Hell and Earth, and now his son—our snarky, effortlessly cool protagonist Dante—is unknowingly carrying the key to unleashing chaos again: an amulet worn around his neck.

To stop the threat, an interdimensional security firm called DARKCOM, secretly funded by the Vice President, sends a team of elite mercenaries led by the formidable Mary Ann Arkham—aka Lady. She’s one of the show's highlights, all grit and grace, holding her own against Dante and even managing to take him down at one point. But the game changes once Dante is captured by the White Rabbit, who reveals that Dante’s not some superhero mutant—he’s Sparda’s son. It’s a wild identity drop, but what really makes the show memorable is Episode 6: The First Circle.

That episode hits different. We dive into haunting backstories—Mary’s dark past involving her father’s obsession with demons, which begins after a traumatic incident on the subway where their family is nearly attacked by a demon. Her father, once a rational man, becomes consumed by paranoia and obsessed with demons. He grows increasingly unstable, isolates himself, and conducts disturbing experiments, slowly losing his humanity and becoming the very thing he feared. When he murders Mary’s mother, Mary is forced to confront the horror he has become. In an act of desperate self-preservation, she burns the house down with him inside, ending the nightmare but carrying the scars with her.

The White Rabbit’s heartbreaking journey begins when he is introduced as a nameless, bullied orphan shuffled through a cold, uncaring foster system. Constantly tormented and feeling invisible, he stumbles upon a mysterious rift that pulls him into the demon realm. There, he is saved by a group of lesser demons who treat him with kindness. These demons live humble lives, trying to survive in the poisonous atmosphere of Makai. For the first time, the boy finds connection and comfort. When a demon child dies due to the toxic air, he vows to help. He builds a device that extends the duration of rifts, allowing safe passage to Earth. But during one of these crossings, DARKCOM agents discover them. A monster follows through the rift, and DARKCOM bombs the building, killing everyone. Gravely injured, he implants an artificial heart that pumps demon blood through his body, transforming him into an artificial demon. From the ashes, the White Rabbit is born—scarred by grief and seeking revenge.

In the Demon Realm, the animation style shifts to a soft, storybook-like aesthetic with pastel lighting and rounded character designs, setting the section apart visually and tonally from the rest of the series. When I realized the boy’s story was actually the White Rabbit’s origin, I immediately rewatched the episode. It reframed everything. His pain, his actions, his revenge—it all made sense. He wasn't just a villain. He was someone who found family in the most unlikely place and was shattered when they were ripped away from him.

By the final episodes, the story leans heavily into moral ambiguity. DARKCOM, now fully aware of the demon realm, begins an aggressive invasion into Hell using the White Rabbit’s rift device. Meanwhile, Dante is betrayed by Lady and cryogenically imprisoned, and his twin brother Vergil—now aligned with King Mundus—emerges as a powerful new threat. It’s a chilling cliffhanger that sets up an explosive second season.

The music choices also deserve a shoutout—from Limp Bizkit’s Rollin’ in the opening to Evanescence’s new track Afterlife, and even American Idiot by Green Day—it’s got that perfect early-2000s, angsty, stylish vibe that fits the show like a glove.

Devil May Cry was a quick watch, but one that left a lasting impact. While not flawless—some supporting character arcs beyond Dante and the White Rabbit could’ve been more fleshed out—it remains bold, stylish, and surprisingly heartfelt. For me, it’s a strong 8/10, and I’m definitely in for whatever Season 2 has in store.