Amazon.com
The violent fantasy-adventure Devil May Cry (2007) is based on the popular Playstation 2 game. Dante, the taciturn, perenially broke anti-hero of the program, lives on pizza, beer, and strawberry sundaes. He spends his time slouched on a couch reading trashy magazines. But when someone brings a case to the Devil May Cry Detective Agency, he goes into action--he needs the money. Everyone's problems can be traced back to the demons that infest wherever it is the show takes place. Using pistols and a broadsword, Dante swiftly reduces his foes to so much demon tartare. Rounding out the cast are Lightning and Lady, two allied demon fighters, and blonde orphan Patty. When the original Devil May Cry game was released, critics complained that the characters were underdeveloped, a problem that carries over to the series. Dante may be murderously competent, but he's so understated, he leaves a vaccuum at the center of the show. He lacks the complexity and appeal of his obvious models, Spike Speigel in Cowboy Bebop and Vash the Stampede in Trigun. Lightning and Lady exist only to provide fan service shots, and Patty's obnoxious fussing seems to be someone's notion of comic relief. Devil May Cry will appeal to hormonal adolescent boys and hardcore fans of the game; viewers in search of a stylish, engaging anime series should look elsewhere. (Rated TV MA: suitable for ages 16 and older: considerable violence, violence against women, grotesque imagery, profanity, potentially offensive religious and sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon