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Although Demon Lord Dante (Maou Dante, literally Dante the Satan) wasn’t animated until 2002, Go Nagai created the original manga more than 30 years ago. Teenager Ryo Utsugi is haunted by nightmares involving demons, nightmares that are linked to a string of grisly murders of young women. A sinister cabal is plotting to resurrect Dante, “a bigger devil than Satan.” As the plot grows in complexity, it becomes increasingly hokey and unintentionally hilarious. A Satanist steals the Holy Grail (and a menorah) from a cathedral in Milan; Dante reveals he was Judas Iscariot; various Satanists appear as fish in an aquarium to discuss their problems; and God speaks directly to Ryo’s father. Despite the prominence of Nagai’s later work (Devilman, Cutie Honey, Getter Robo, etc.), Demon Lord Dante ranks as part historical curiosity, part Golden Raspberry candidate. (Unrated: suitable for ages 16 and older: nudity, minor profanity, violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, tobacco use) –Charles Solomon
Here’s one you don’t see everyday. An anime that deals with biblical conflicts, such as God vs Satan. The plot for Demon Lord Dante itself is fairly interesting, so this could be getting even better in Vol. 2.
Now, while the plot is good, the characters tend to suffer from being rather plain (or stereotyped.) Ryo himself is the typical strong-but-silent loner type, Saori is the cute and supportive sister, etc. But then again, you have to take into that the anime’s based on a manga that’s 30 years old. That may be the reason why the animation’s not the best either.
Anyway, Geneon’s DVD of this series is really good, despite the fact that some may not want to buy it. The menus are creepy and atmospheric and lots of extras. I didn’t like the English dub though (and I usually prefer dubs.) Most of the characters sounded too monotone or flat-voiced. And Ryo himself sounds too young and cheerful for his character. (In Japanese, he voice is more deep and emotional.)
But enough of my rants. In short, if you can handle lots of blood and religious conflicts or if you like Go Nagai’s work, you may find a good horror/action anime here. If you’re more into the Love Hina/Fruits Basket/Chobits crowd, you may want to stick to those series, because this one is far different from those.
but I bet it is evil. “Oh, the humanity!” hahahaaa that was the funniest review I have EVER seen!! Please, oh PLEASE let it be real!! I can’t stop laughing! I almost want to buy the product to see what makes some people so excitable!! Again, I REALLY hope that review was real and not a joke, it will keep me in stitches for sure!