Devilman and all-all-all

What do you know about the "Divine comedy"? Surely the fact that this is a monument of world fiction, that it was written by the Italian poet Dante Aligieri at the beginning of the 14th century. And, I believe that this is all that you know. Perhaps you also knew (or guessed) that over the past centuries, she influenced many writers, composers and artists. But did you know which of the game developers inspired the "Divine Comedy"?

Someone, of course, will remember games like Devil May Cry, where the protagonist and antagonist are named after the heroes of the poem: Dante and his guide of Virgil, the famous ancient Roman poet. Someone may remember the game Dante’s Inferno, inspired by Dante’s "hell"-one of the three parts of the "divine comedy", and an animated film for its motives

Well, if we talk about any other games or even about manga and anime: did you know what influence it had, for example, on mass culture in Japan?

Earthly life, having passed to half, I found myself in a gloomy forest.

A small retreat

So, okay, I perfectly understand what to talk about the modern pop culture of Japan, manga, anime and not at all mentioning Osamu Tazuka will somehow be wrong. Since this legendary Creator stood at the origins of modern manga and even put his hand to the development of anime. Very famous in Japan. And the rumor says that he even wanted to work with him "Space Odyssey 2001»Kubrick himself.

But, of course, one of his most famous works is Devilman, the appearance of which was preceded by manga Maō dante. It was he who created her under the influence of the "Divine Comedy".

The idea for the manga came from the episode of the "Divine Comedy", where Dante and Virgil traveling through hell are Lucifer, whose body is half immersed in the ice.

The painful power of the Lord’s breasts heeded half of the ice; And in growth is closer to the giant than Lucifer’s hands with a giant; For this part, you yourself would have calculated what he is all the same to go to the ice .

"Divine Comedy", hell, song 34, 28-31

This image from the poem became the basis for Maō dante. According to the plot, in it there is an ordinary Japanese guy Ryo Utsugi in the same way finds an ancient demon named Dante. He rescues him from imprisonment, after which Dante takes possession of Ryo’s mind, breaks into the outside world and begins to create chaos. Ultimately, Ryo still manages to control the demon and take his mind under control.

A small retreat

So that you understand how “the poem Dante’s poem“ hooked ”the Nagai: in 1994, the manga“ Divine Comedy ”came out behind his authority, where he adapted her plot in the form of a comic book. Moreover, some personnel were clearly redrawn from the illustrations of Gustav Dore for the publication of the "Divine Comedy" of 1861.

Illustration of Gustav Dore

Excerpt from manga g nagai

Maō dante began to be published in the magazine Bokura Magazine in 1971. But it just so happened that the magazine was soon closed and the story of Ryo Utsuga remained unfinished. Around the same time, they became interested in manga TOEI Animation and planned to transfer her to television. In the process of adaptation, they first changed the appearance of the protagonist so that he was more like a person – as a result, they also changed the plot.

The manga later was released one remake – Shin Maō Dante (1994), the authorship of Akira Fugi. And in 2002, a restart of Go Nagai under the name was released Neo Maō Dante, as well as OVA, film adaptation of the original manga of 1971.

Are Wa Dare Da Dare Da Dare DA

The television series, called Devilman, https://noidverificationcasinos.co.uk/btc-casinos/ began to go out on the Japanese television channel Net (now TV asahi) July 8, 1972. Around the same time in Weekly shōnen magazine The manga began to go out: the first issue was released on June 11, 1972.

What can you say about them. Sometimes it happens that manga and anime are somewhat different from each other. In the same case, manga and anime differed from each other so much that it is time for them to consider them completely different products with the same name.

The animated series, despite a couple of times flickered nude, rare pantrashots and even a couple of scenes that could be called cruel, was clearly aimed at the children’s audience and was an ordinary superhero show in the Tokusatsu genre . For the most part, he was quite frivolous.

Ophening of the 1972 series

The plot almost always developed approximately the same: the leader of the demonic clan, Lord Zenon, sent one of his henchmen to deal with the Dodant man and/or threaten humanity. But Akira Fudo turned into a man-man and, with the help of his specialists, defeated the enemy. Since the series at ten appeared some stronger “boss”, which Akira also won. And further on the new. The series lasted on the air of only 39 episodes, after which it was closed.

Well, the manga, although I went out in the magazine for teenagers, was much darker and tougher.

While the anime looked like this.

. manga looked like this.

Brief manga tie

An ordinary Japanese guy named Ryo Asuka learns about the existence of demons and that they can attack humanity. The only way to cope with them is to get their strength: for this you need to cause a demon and a merger with it. But this is very dangerous, because the demon can capture the mind and then you can turn into a demon yourself. Ryo’s father conducted a ritual of calling and merging, but in the end he became a demon and died.

The only way to fulfill a successful merger is to fulfill it with pure thoughts and heart. Then Ryo decides that his friend Akira Fudo is a suitable candidate for this ritual.

And although the manga begins relatively simple, in the future it begins to acquire more serious and gloomy tones, with discussions about the nature of man and humanity, and that understanding of justice can also be relative. In general, there are a lot of things to happen there. Despite the rather gloomy tone and at times rather tough scenes, Devilman I went out in a magazine for teenagers (oh these harsh teenagers of the seventies!), therefore was a sufficient success and many were remembered. The story generally impressed a bunch of people, since it is still remembered. Among the impressive were Hideaki Anno. Rumor has it that he looked towards Devilman when creating the Evangelion.

Thoughts out loud

Besides, what Devilman is the spiritual heir to his same Maō dante, And that means “Divine comedy”, to some extent, something like Nagai, it seems to have gathered in Tedzuki. One of the antagonists in the manga is a siren, outwardly very reminiscent of Bemu from Astoboy Osama Tazuki. So, even though Tadzuka had nothing to do with Devilman, But without him it could not do.

The Last Day on Earth

Since the release in 1972, the manga became quite cult, later several related works came along it, both the authorship of the GO NAGAI and from other authors. To date Devilman Distolled over the world with a circulation of more than 50 million copies. Of course this is not a level Dragon Ball or One Piece with their hundreds of millions of copies sold, but nevertheless, manga is still sometimes found in the lists of the best sold, although not in the first places. In general, Devilman now is a whole franchise, which includes many media products. Here are just some of them.

In 1979, manga came out "Shin Devilman ", in which Akira and Ryo traveled in time. Manga came out in 1997 Devilman Lady, where the main characters were Jun Fudo and Ran Aska. Anime based on this manga came out in 1998-1999. In 1999, manga came out "Neo Devilman"that complements the ending of the original manga. Is a collection of stories drawn by different authors. In 2007-2009, a prequel came out to Devilman, called "Akuma Kishi ", where it is told about Amon, Siren and others in the distant past. In 2012-2013, by the fortieth anniversary of the series, manga was released Devilman Grimoire. From 2014 to 2020, manga came out "Devilman Saga ", in which the action was transferred to a near future (2025). And in 2023 the manga also came out "Devilman Gaiden: Ningen Senki".

On NES, based on manga, in 1989, the game Devilman was released (although the character’s spriting looked like in the 1972 anime). In 2000, Survavel-Corror with the same name entered the PS1 and PC in Japan. There was also one Live-Action film that was released in 2004.

Basically, all these projects are prequels, spin-offs, or restarts. And no Devilman 2 no, what is the whole logical after all (light spoiler!) the finale of the original manga did not imply a continuation. Although if we talk about the continuation. In general, everything is a little difficult here if you do not delve into the details. In general, the manga that will now be discussed can be considered this continuation. In a way.

Cruel Jack

Why "in some way"? Yes, because there is more than its part, almost nothing of what is happening in the plot indicates any connection with the "Dyavol man". In addition to rare moments, as in the picture below.

Yes, at this point, all friends with the original manga should be very surprised. For those who are not familiar, I will explain that this is Ryo (a character from Devilman). In the "Cruel Jack" he appears relatively early, somewhere in the first arches, but at the same time he does not play a serious role in the plot. So, in fact, it could be considered as a kind, Camo from the past works of Nagai. After all, there are a lot of such cameo through the manga: this is Omorai-kun and the leader of the bikers gang named Dante (and later another Dante will appear, only this time a demon), and a huge blind black man Jim Mazing (understanding what is being sent), the characters of Mondo and Tatsuma (migrated from manga Gakuen Taikutsu Otoko), Enma kun, Hani Kisaragi and many others.

The only difference from all of the above that these "Ryo" and "Miki" appear quite regularly. But Mondo and Tatsuma also appear exactly as regularly, and on where more important roles. So for a long time it may not be entirely clear what global role Ryo plays in the plot. And only almost at the very end of the manga, the reader finally explains what kind of connection is with the "Devilman" and that Ryo is here for a reason.

A small retreat

And from time to time in this destroyed region, in different places, a mysterious giant appears. He is much larger and stronger than an ordinary person. People call him "cruel jack". He himself says that he has no name. The people are afraid of him because there is rumor that he brings problems with him. Has a giant knife with it, which, on occasion, is fighting. At times he is accompanied by two: a teenage boy and a woman, sometimes in the form of birds. His goals are unknown.

Most of the time in the manga does not trace any central through plot at all: by and large it is just a set of different plot arches taking place in the canteen. In some general picture, they begin to take shape somewhere in the second half. The manga also contains a fairly large amount of cruel (sometimes extremely cruel) and frank (sometimes almost hentai) scenes.

And in the "Cruel Jack", in fact, there is no main character, who follows the story. Although everything begins with the story of Ryu Takuma (his arch goes the first), but soon he practically ceases to appear in the plot. It also happens with many other characters: they either appear on one or two story arch, or, for example, as in the case of Saburo Tenma disappear almost until the end of the plot. Mido Tatsuma and Satoma Mondo appear quite often in the first arches (but after the arch with the storm of Eldorado, their presence raises questions), but they also disappear at some point for a long time.

Jack himself is present in almost every arch, but for the most part on the second roles. In general, the main character can only be called the Kanto region itself (just like Silent Hill), because it is always present and, mostly, this is a story about its revival.

Big franchise like Devilman, "Cruel Jack" did not. For his reasons, only a few books were published, such as: Tokyo Metsubo Hen (1986), Kanto Slum-Gai Hen (1987) and Violence Jack: Golden City (1995). There were also Rebut Shin Violence Jack and remake Violence Jack 20XX. In addition, three OVA: "Violence Jack: Harlem Bomber"(1986),"Violence Jack: Evil Town"(1988) and"Violence Jack: Hell’s Wind"(1990) – film adaptations of some plot arches from manga.

Thoughts out loud

It seems to me quite interesting, it seems to me that some similarity of the “cruel Jack” (1973) with another franchise looks, in which there is a destroyed world and a laconic hero that travels around this world – “”Mad Max"(1979). The similarity is also that exactly like Jack, Max is also not always in the center of the plot. In general, this is most likely just a coincidence: I do not think that George Miller was aware of the existence of this manga. But at the same time it is interesting that they have not only similar concepts, but also names are similar.

And since I remembered the "Mad Max", then here is a mystery. What happens if you take: the world that has survived the global cataclysm (for example, nuclear war), wasteland, gang and brutal appearance of the protagonist, and then mix all this?

You は shock!!

It will turn out Hokuto No Ken, He Fist of the Northern Star, He Fist of the polar star. Cult (especially in Japan), with megatons of pathos, a story about how epic men epic fought with other epic men, and about the heir to ancient martial art called Hokuto Sin Ken, named Kensero (or just Ken).

Manga behind the authorship of Tetsuo Hara (drawing) and Buronson (plot) began to be published in Weekly ShōNen Jump in September 1983. And almost immediately became a hit. It was thanks to her in the early 1980s that Jamps greatly raised the level of his sales. Subsequently, she held a leading position for three out of five years that she was published. At the moment, more than 100 million copies have dispersed the world around the world, making it one of the most successful manang in history.