Devilman (デビルマン, 悪魔人間, Debiruman) is a 1972 manga series by Go Nagai, who considers this to be his masterwork.
it is one of the most influential mangas of all time.
History
In 1972 after Demon Lord Dante's success, Toei Animation desired to make an similar anime like it but with a more human-hero. Go Nagai came up with an "evil vs evil" concept that he later made an edgy manga of (with more violence and nudity). Devilman was published in manga form one month before the TV series began airing. It became a classic in Japan. The manga is mature, and deeper story since the age group of the readers was higher than the TV series. A few chapters of the Devilman manga reached American shores due to a licensing deal through the Glenn Danzig (The Misfits ) owned Verotik comics. A remake was created in 2004 as a live-action movie, but failed worldwide.
TV Version
Devilman from the TV series
In this media, young male Akira Fudo is killed on a trip to the Himilayas with his father and the demon Devilman takes over his body. Akira is killed in a cave and the main character of this series is some demon who is sent to cause trouble on earth to pave the way for the demonic invasion. Devilman falls in love with Miki Makimura and her tough no nonsense ways and is distracted from his duties. The other demons try to kill Miki but Devilman kills them to protect Miki. The series ends after 39 episodes and it ends with Devilman revealing to Miki Makimura his true identity (which she thinks is just a trick by a demon so she doesn't believe him) and beating a tough demon (named God and with the same powers at Devilman). He is more violent in this media and Miki has to stop him when he gets out of control. The series also has more comedy (like nudity or urination of little boys or Lala).
Manga/OAV
Devilman as shown in the OAV
In this media, Akira's parents are killed on a trip to the arctic and he lives with Miki Makimura's family. Ryo Asuka tells Akira that he needs to come with him and tells him about demons. After a talk with Ryo, Akira decides that he must be possessed to save the world. After a ritual/party with music, booze and semi-nude women, Akira is possessed by Amon, one of the strongest demons, and kills the demons. Later, Akira fights Gelmer, Jinmen and Silene (who was Amon's GF) and the combined form of Silene/Kaim (after a hard battle) before it is revealed that Ryo has demon power. Later, when the demons are attacking mankind, Ryo tells Akira to stay out of the war (which he doesn't) and goes on TV to expose Akira as a demon (with a home video of the nightclub thing...only Akira wasnt a celeb). Miki gets killed by a mob who thinks that they were demons because Akira was with them and Akira murders them all. Akira gets together with an army of devilmen and fights a 20 year war with Ryo (who turns out to be Satan) and gets split in half, with Satan later feeling bummed out after killing the one he loved. The OAV's only went for the first 2 volumes and changed a few things like order of events and some events/characters. The dub done by Manga entertainment was filled with unneeded profanities.
Movie
The feature length version of the manga version of Devilman, tells a condensed altered version of the manga of the 70s and is seen as not well done.Unlike the anime versions, the movie covers the last battle between Akira/Ryo and shows a possible opening for a sequel (Violence Jack), with great emphasis on CGI.
Plot Summary
Going in a different direction then from the manga, or OVAs the movie has Akira Fudo and Ryo Asuka as classmates, childhood friends, and rivals. Leading normal school lives Akira gets beat up by the local bullies, Miki Makimura defends her classmates against bullies, the local pervert records and spies on Miki, and Ryo shears off students fingers with clippers.
Happy Birthday, Devilman
Ryō invites Akira to his father's research center where they have discovered demons living deep in the earth. Unlike the manga and anime versions the demons are encased in giant sperm cells that infect human bodies. Amon takes over Akira and becomes Devilman. A Demon with squirming livers and bug wings gets killed by Devilman. Asuka is shown early on also to be a "beautiful" Devil and grabs Akira by the arm.
Akira wonders about his humanity when he is interrupted by Silene. Fighting explodes between the two when she finds out that Amon is absent in Akira's memories. Akira is beaten, but is saved by Ryō.
Miko the plain Jane of the movie is teased by her classmates. Her only friend being Miki. Miko becomes a Demon and is run out of her school and has her house vandalized. Miko alone in the world befriends a young boy named Susumu. Killed by his mother turned demon in the original, in the movie we have Miko killing both parents and saving the boy.
Along the way Akira befriends an original character whose fingers were sliced off by a homicidal Ryō. He reattaches his fingers and spends the rest of his life drawing Ryō and having constant dreams about him. Jinmen eats him and Devilman kills Jinmen without much dialog between the two. Akira learns of the existence of Satan from the dying Jinmen.
Demons Uprising
As the world panics at the rise in Demon activity a special task force called Demon Busters is formed and begins torturing citizens looking for Demons.
Ryō takes Akira to a DB shootout with a mansion holding Demons and possible occult followers. Everyone in the house walks out in the front yard one by one like lemmings and get gunned down. Ryō gives an Uzi to Akira and tells him to help him defend the Demons. Akira refuses and finds out Ryō is King of the Demons, Satan. Ryō manages to destroy the Demon Busters.
Miki takes Akira to the church to talk about getting married and making babies. Go Nagai makes a cameo appearance here like Stan Lee does in his superhero movies. Panic and mayhem enthrall the world anyone and everyone is suspected of being a Demon and innocent people are killed.
Armageddon
Miko and Susumu show up at the Makimura residence and are given food and shelter. Local pervert boy calls the DB on them and Miko and Susumu run off. Akira sacrifices himself as the Demon for the good of his family and Miki, and is shot a million times by the DB. Due to the panic of having a Demon being fostered in the Makimura household the neighborhood gets together and has a lynching. Akira revives and goes home to find Miki beheaded. Distraught he carries her head off to the local church where he encounters Ryō.
Angry at Ryo for leading his life into Hell he squares off against Ryo and they transform into their respective alter egos. Satan and Devilman have one final battle that turns the entire world into a blazing inferno as the souls of the damned rise up in fleshy pillars of nudity. After Satan kicks out Devilman's guts he falls to a small rock isle floating in the middle of the ocean. Ryō sits next to him and walks down memory lane with Akira, much like in the manga.