Akira has always been a little weak and blends into the background, so when his childhood friend asks for help uncovering devils, he agrees. The pair head to Sabbath where many gather for debauchery and to be possessed by devils. When the devils begin to wreck havoc in their new living hosts, Akira agrees to merge bodies with a devil in order to save his friend. Though he now has a voracious devil inside him, he still has the heart of a crybaby.
As a revival of the original Devilman series, Crybaby gives it a fresh new face and reaches a whole new generation of anime fans. However, while it stumbles in some places, it remains a fine adaption. If you are looking for more anime series like Devilman: Crybaby, give these a try.
Anime Like Devilman: Crybaby
For Fans of Horrific Monsters
Kemonozume
In this world, a race of cannibal monsters called Shokujinki prey on humanity, and it is the job of elite monster hunters called Kifuuken to stop them. However, Toshihiko Momota, a Kifuuken warrior and son of the organizations leader, ends up falling in love with Yuka, a beautiful woman who also happens to be a Shokujinki.
As these series had the same director, you can see his very notable and distinct style in both shows. However, they also share similar plots about being set in a world where horrific monsters walk among us, but differ in some key respects. It is actually best to think about Devilman as a more refined version of Kemonozume.
Parasyte
One night, sixteen-year-old Shinichi Izumi was peacefully sleeping when a race of parasitic aliens descended on Earth. One parasite infects Shinichi, trying to get to his brain to take over his body, but ends up getting stuck in his right hand. Unable to relocate to the brain, the alien, named Migi, now has no choice but to learn to coexist with Shinichi in his body in order to stay alive. Unfortunately, the other parasitic aliens are not so friendly with humans or to parasites that failed to complete their mission.
Both shows are about an unseen world of horrors that is going on in the background. While it is presumed that the devils have been around longer than the aliens in Parasyte which suddenly appeared, both cause increasing havoc on the world as the shows go on. To stem the tide, you have a main character that is technically afflicted, but fights for the right side.
Tokyo Ghoul
The citizens of Tokyo now live in fear of vicious creatures called ghouls that blend in alongside humans and feast on their flesh. One day, Ken Kaneki, a shy college student, meets a girl called Rize who is also an avid reader like him. Unfortunately, as he finds out on his first date, Rize turns out to be a ghoul. Just when she is about to eat him, Kaneki is saved, barely clinging to life. In the process of surviving this attack, Kaneki finds out that he has now become a ghoul.
Both Devilman and Tokyo Ghoul feature stories about a meek characters being dragged into the violent underworld that has consumed their town, but they didn’t know about. By happenstance, they become combined with these monsters. However, while Akira aims to fight for good, the classification of Kaneki is a little bit more grey and focused on survival.
For Fans of Monsters Fighting Monsters
Zetman
This is the tale of Jin Kanzaki, a young man with the ability to transform into a super being known as ZET, and Kouga Amagi, a young man with a strong sense of justice and uses technology to fight as ALPHAS. Little do they know, these two rivals are headed for a clash.
Zetman and Devilman have always been pretty comparable. They are both about characters that can transform into monsters. While they try to have good intentions, they have to constantly battle not actually becoming a monster themselves.
Blue Exorcist
Humans and demons have always been separated by two different worlds, humans in Assiah and demons in Gehenna. The only way to travel between the worlds is by possession, which is how Satan, the ruler of Gehenna, wages his war. Blue Exorcist follows Rin Okumura, a somewhat trouble teen and son of Satan. However, while his father wants him to help conquer the human world, Rin decides to become an exorcist to fight him instead.
Let it not be confused – Blue Exorcist is aimed at a younger audience and doesn’t have as much gore and no nudity. This is much unlike Devilman, but the similarities are in the characters who discover, or otherwise become, a supernatural creature and then decides to fight their own kind.
Hellsing Ultimate
In this world, there are monsters that lurk in the darkness. Ones waiting to devour everything you are and hold dear. To stem the tide of this darkness is the Hellsing Organization. Commanded by Integra Hellsing, the organization’s powerful military force dedicate their lives to fighting monsters. However, their most powerful weapon is the vampire, Alucard, who turned against his own kind in service to Hellsing. Now with his new vampire assistant Seres at his side, he must battle not only monsters, but anyone that stands in Hellsing’s way.
While the means in which they do so differ, the pact Integra makes with Alucard and the agreement Akira makes with Amon are similar. While they are incredibly powerful beings they can be somewhat controlled so that their powers are used for not the evil means they want, but otherwise.
For Fans of Influenced By the Original Devilman
Berserk
Gutts has been a mercenary for as long as he can remember, caring for nothing but moving to the next battle. One fateful battle puts him at odds with the rapidly rising mercenary group, the Band of the Hawk. Their charismatic, idealistic leader Griffith soon makes him join by force, but the bond he forms with the Band of the Hawk may very well mean the end of the world.
You may not note the influences of (the older version of) Devilman on Berserk until the end. The monster designs have certain visceral similarities in both series, and in truth Devilman can actually help you understand some of the characters in Berserk a little better.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
The world is on the brink of destruction following the landing of the Angels, massive monsters that want nothing more than to kill and destroy. The only hope lies with the select few that can pilot government agency Nerv’s special Evangelion-type mechs. The pilot must be compatible in order to pilot the Evangelions, and for Nerv leader, Gendo Ikari, one of those compatible few is his son, Shinji. With the fate of mankind on his shoulders and fights that often mean death for the pilots, is 14-year-old Shinji up to the task?
Anno has flat out admitted that Devilman was one of his influences when he created NGE, and you can see some of that play out in the religious and philosophical themes. They also share similar plots of saving the world and doing so with great anguish.
Do you have any more anime recommendations like Devilman: Crybaby? Let us know in the comments section below.
