Ask John: Will There Be More Devilman Anime?

Question:
Will there ever be more anime of the original Devilman story? While both Go Nagai and Devilman are very popular names among hardcore anime fans, there still has yet to be a complete, faithful anime adaptation of the original Devilman manga. The 1970’s Devilman TV series was far from faithful to the manga. The OVAs (both the originals from the early 90’s and 2001’s continuation, Amon: Apocalypse of Devilman) were highly faithful to the manga, but so far have not come close to the story’s conclusion. At this point, I am wondering if there will be more anime of Devilman and, furthermore, what exactly keeps them from making more. And why do you think a franchise so popular among hardcore anime fans has not been adapted into more anime?

Answer:
I can only make speculations; predictions based on a combination of observed facts and instinct. So I’ll provide my guess, but there’s probably no one, including even Go Nagai and Japanese animators themselves, who can be absolutely positive about what anime will and won’t be produced in the future. In brief, my instinct is maybe. I know that sounds like an irresolute answer, but it’s my best guess. I don’t believe that the odds of seeing more Devilman anime are especially strong. At the same time, I’m not prepared to call the franchise extinct.

The recent release of the Kikoushi Enma OVA series proves that anime based on manga by Go Nagai are still viable in the Japanese market. Furthermore, the similar Bio-boosted Armor Guyver was recently revived, proving again that there is still interest in Japan for dark, organic, transforming anti-hero anime. Devilman anime has had a significant longevity, first premiering in 1972, and most recently appearing as the 2000 Apocalypse of Devilman OVA. So it wouldn’t be surprising to see a new installment eventually produced in such a long lived franchise. However, the 2004 live action Devilman movie was so poorly executed and received that it may have, in a manner of speaking, poisoned the well. The film was the deserving grand prize winner of Japan’s 2004 Bunshun Kiichigo Awards for worst motion picture of the year. The terrible live action film may have given the Devilman franchise such a black eye that the film and anime industry are hesitant to approach the property again. On the other hand, Devilman may become a viable property again after the dull and idiotic live action film fades from memory.

In either case, there’s probably not a raging, unquenched desire to produce new Devilman anime in Japan’s production industry because, as you’ve admitted yourself, Devilman is a franchise popular with a small core of devoted followers. The Japanese and international audience for Devilman anime isn’t big enough to encourage the anime industry to rush new Devilman anime into production. The fact that the franchise does have a cult following may keep the possibility for more anime alive. The fact that there’s only a small market for new Devilman anime, and potential negativity toward the title spawned from the poorly received live action film may hinder the chances of eventual new Devilman anime.