DEVILMAN(1972-1973)

//Summary - Level-B2//

Devilman (1972–1973) follows Akira Fudo, a kind boy who fuses with the demon Amon to fight against demons trying to reclaim Earth. Guided by his friend Ryo Asuka, Akira becomes Devilman, keeping a human heart within a demon’s body. As fear spreads, humans begin killing each other, mistaking innocents for demons. Ryo is later revealed as Satan, who secretly loved Akira. After humanity is destroyed, Akira leads the Devilman army in a final battle against Satan. Akira dies, and a grieving Satan realises too late that his war repeated God’s mistakes, just as angels arrive.

Manga Story:

1)
The year is 197X. Akira Fudo, a quiet boy who attends school with Miki, the daughter of the Makimura family he's staying with, learns from his best friend Ryo Asuka one day that Earth's indigenous humans, known as "demons" (devils), have awakened from a two-million-year slumber and are attempting to reclaim the Earth from humanity. The only way to fight the demons is to acquire their supernatural powers, and Ryo proposes merging with them.

2)
However, merging with a demon is only possible if one completely abandons reason. Even if the merger is successful, if one's will is not strong, the demon will also take over their mind. Ryo learned this when his father, who was researching demons, committed suicide after merging with a demon and nearly losing his mind.

The fusion seemed difficult, but when the demons nearly killed Akira, he abandoned his rationality. He successfully fused with Amon, one of the demons, to become Devilman, possessing the body of a demon and the mind of a human.

3)
The demons sent assassins one after another to defeat Akira, who had transformed into Devilman, but Akira defeated them. One day, however, a strange phenomenon occurred frequently: people transformed into monsters and suddenly died. This was the result of the demons' indiscriminate self-destructing fusion attacks, which they had begun to use to instil fear in humans. Eventually, Zenon, the demon king, declared war on all of humanity and launched an all-out attack, engulfing cities around the world in flames.

Ignoring Ryo's warnings, Akira went alone to battle the demons, but he collapsed from exhaustion. Just as he was about to be killed, the demons received a message from Satan, the Great Demon God and God of demons, telling them not to kill Devilman, and Akira was freed.

4)
Realising that he cannot fight alone, Akira decides to organise the Devilman Army by gathering those who survived the indiscriminate fusion and transformed into Devilman. However, when a renowned scientist announces that "demons are actually humans dissatisfied with modern life," the government begins slaughtering innocent people in the name of demon hunting.

5)
Meanwhile, Ryo, feeling uneasy that things are progressing exactly as he feared, returns home to reconfirm the origins of the incident. There, he learns that his father had not been researching demons and that a boy named Asuka Ryo had already died in a traffic accident. Confused by this shocking revelation, Ryo is approached by Psycho Jenny, one of the demons who has invaded his house, who tells him, "I've come to pick you up!"

6)
A few days later, to instil fear in humans who were beginning to realise that demons no longer attacked, Ryo showed footage of the moment Akira merged with a demon on television, prompting people to "kill countless demons disguised as humans."

After his true identity is revealed and he is forced to leave the Makimura home, Akira confronts Ryo about his betrayal. Still, Ryo replies, "I merged Akira with the demons not to protect humanity, but because I wanted to live together with them in the next demon era." Akira realises that Ryo is the Great Demon God, Satan.

7)
The Demon Special Investigation Team brutally murders the Makimuras after being tortured, and a mob of townspeople brutally murders Miki. Losing Miki, his last hope, Akira becomes disillusioned with humanity and decides to lead the Devilman army in a decisive battle against Satan's demon army, vying for dominance over the Earth. Satan, too, knows that a showdown with Akira is inevitable.

8)
Satan erased his own memories and assumed human form, exposing human weaknesses and providing the demons with material for strategic planning. The only miscalculation was that Satan, who was androgynous, fell in love with Akira, resulting in the birth of Devilman, the demons' enemy.

9)
Twenty years later, humanity is destroyed, and Armageddon, the final battle between Devilman and the demon army, begins.

The battle eventually ends, and Satan speaks to Akira as he lies beside him. The demons who once ruled the Earth were tried to be destroyed by their creator, God. However, Satan rebelled and fought on the side of the demons, ultimately winning. He then fell into a long sleep to prepare for the next battle with God.

10)
When he woke up, he could not forgive humanity for ravaging the Earth and decided to destroy them. However, this was the same foolish act God had attempted, and he regretted the destruction of humanity. After finishing his speech, Satan apologises to Akira, but Akira, who had lost half his body, has already passed away. As Satan quietly sheds tears at the loss of Akira, an "army of angels" approaches.

DEVILMAN(1972-1973) - Wikipedia

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%87%E3%83%93%E3%83%AB%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3

[Official] Devilman Episode 1 "Resurrection of the Demon Tribe" <1970s Anime>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5czOP0l4Ek

July 8, 1972 - "Devilman" Ending Theme, "Today, Somewhere Devilman," Devilman Ending Theme (English Subtitles)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkasJ34N2eA

[Devilman Full-Length Edition] A Complete Explanation of Go Nagai's Legendary Manga! We'll cover everything from the manga, Anime, homages, and behind-the-scenes stories!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM_ZYQOPlGE

[Devilman's Trap] The Amazingness of Go Nagai's Apocalyptic Masterpiece and Things to Consider When Purchasing the Volume

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpnSzGTiTuE

Batman - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman

Add info No. 1)

Showa-era manga and anime endings with total death: "The worst ever" and "A huge shock"

https://magmix.jp/post/223521

Manga "Devilman"
Among the manga works of the Showa era, Go Nagai's "Devilman" is arguably the most devastating ending.

Serialised in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 1972, this dark fantasy follows the protagonist, Akira Fudo, a human who gains the powers of a demon and battles his demonic enemies.

Akira is staying with his beloved Makimura Miki, but in the final chapter, the Makimura couple, who have been taking care of him, as well as Miki, are brutally murdered. Furthermore, they weren't killed by demons themselves; rather, due to the betrayal of his best friend, Ryo Asuka (who is actually Satan), the Makimura family is mistaken for a group of demons, leading to a "demon hunt" by humans.

The Makimura family's final moments were brutal, with the couple dying after being tortured, their son beheaded, and Akira's beloved Miki also being beheaded. Desperate at their tragic circumstances, Akira cried out, "I've become a devil!" "This! This! This is the true nature of the human I gave my life to protect!" Akira had become Devilman and continued to protect people from demons, but it was the humans he tried to protect who had brought him misfortune.

Humanity eventually destroyed itself through fear of demons, and Akira continued to fight Satan for 20 years, but in the end, he too died with the lower half of his body gone. This extremely unrewarding ending has made this a legendary work, hailed as "the worst bad ending in manga history" and "a work that clearly shows the evil nature of human existence."

Add info No. 2)

Devilman: Was the ending of the final episode a terrible one? What are the differences between the original manga and the anime?

https://anime-comics.com/debirumann-saisyuukai-812

Devilman, TV Anime Synopsis

Devilman (Akira Fudo), a human high school student who possesses the intent to cause chaos in the human world, falls in love with Makimura Miki and decides to betray his hometown to protect her. Devilman's battle with assassins unleashed by the demon tribe continues, giving the story a strong heroic feel.

Devilman, Original Manga Synopsis

"Devilman" is a Japanese manga series published in the 1970s that tells the story of Akira Fudo's battles against demons. One day, a friend proposes merging with a demon to fight. Akira loses his sanity and is possessed by a demon named Amon, becoming Devilman.

He forms the Devilman Army and battles demons, but when it is revealed that demons are actually disgruntled humans, the government begins a demon hunt. When Miki, the daughter of the Makimura family, is killed by a mob, Akira decides to fight the demon army led by Satan for dominance over the earth.

However, in the end, humanity is destroyed in the final battle between the Devilman Army and the demon army.

Add info No. 3)

Anime "Devilman" ~A thorough introduction to why the final episode was deemed "terrible" and the cancelled live-action version~

https://en-mado.com/anime/devilman/

Synopsis:

Akira Fudo was an ordinary high school student until his best friend, Ryo Asuka, informed him that "demons are trying to control humanity." Demons possess humans, taking over their bodies and plunging the world into chaos. Ryo suggested that Akira become "Devilman," a being with demonic powers but a human heart.

Akira merges with the demon Amon and awakens as Devilman. He throws himself into a fierce battle against demons to protect humanity. Akira struggles to protect Miki Makimura and her family, but humans, driven by their fear of demons, eventually view Devilman as a threat and attempt to eliminate him.

In the battle, Akira loses his friends and loved ones and is eventually drawn into an all-out war between humanity and demons. Akira takes on the final battle, but a shocking outcome awaits him.

Opening
https://youtu.be/xNFMOurmRfU

Ending
https://youtu.be/Y781OrYbJKI

Why the final episode is considered "terrible":

Towards the end of the story, humans, driven by fear of demons, turn violent and attack Miki, her family, and her friends. The mob brutally murders Miki, her head impaled on a spear, and displays it in a brutal display. Akira struggles to save her, but it is too late. Seeing Miki's horrific state leaves him in despair. This scene is so powerful that it's been described as "traumatic."

The conclusion of Akira and Ryo's (Satan's) battle:

In the final battle, the Devilman army is defeated one by one, and Akira is ultimately defeated by Ryo (Satan). Satan loved Akira but felt he had no choice but to fight, harbouring complex emotions. Akira's eventual death leaves Ryo tormented with deep regret and grief. The fact that the one Satan defeated was the one he loved leaves a profound shock on viewers.

A Hopeless Ending:

Even after Akira's death, the destruction of the Devilman army, and the end of the battle between demons and humanity, nothing remains on Earth. The Earth collapses, and Ryo (Satan) is the only survivor. As Ryo rests beside Akira's body, he weeps and declares, "I loved you," but Akira is already in a hopeless situation, never to return. Considering Satan's feelings after killing his loved one with his own hands, the story leaves viewers with a heavy, tragic aftertaste.

Human Foolishness and Cruelty:

In the story, it is "human fear and hatred" that creates more tragedies than the threat of demons. Far from resisting demons, humans become suspicious of each other, fighting and killing each other. The brutal murder of Miki and her family by a human powerfully conveys the message that "humans themselves are the greatest threat." This revelation of "human nature" leaves a hefty and painful impression.

In the end, everything ends in vain:

Even though Akira risked his life to protect humans, humans repaid his kindness with evil, resulting in the annihilation of the Devilman army and Akira's death. There are no "winners" in the battle between demons and humans; the ending leaves only a sense of emptiness. The ending leaves viewers with a heavy question: "Were Akira's efforts and battles in vain?" This hopeless ending is a primary reason why it's considered "terrible."

In other words, the final episode of "Devilman" wasn't just "sad," but also powerfully emphasised themes such as "human stupidity and cruelty," "regret over killing a loved one," and "a meaningless battle." For many viewers, the ending was "shocking" and "heartbreaking." This "bad aftertaste" is the primary reason the final episode is considered "terrible."

The Truth Behind the Series' Cancellation:

The publisher pressured Go Nagai, saying he should "consider the social impact," and the series ended with the final episode. Go Nagai has stated that he "wasn't able to depict the true ending fully," and regrets that the original manga ended prematurely.

The original Devilman manga was criticised for its violent, religious, and sexual depictions. In particular, scenes such as Miki's death and the transformation of humans into demons became socially problematic, resulting in a flood of strong protests from PTAs and educational institutions.

Add info No4)