“Jackpot, Netflix: Devil May Cry Season 1 Is a Stylish, Bloody Love Letter to PS2-Era Horror”

Dante’s back—with guns blazing, swords swinging, and a soundtrack straight outta Hot Topic.

Let me start here: Devil May Cry is one of the most important franchises in my long-standing love affair with action horror. From junior year in high school into my early college days, this was the game that kept me riding with PlayStation while everyone else was jumping to Xbox for Halo or going full-sports with Madden and NBA Live. But for me? There were only two games that mattered—Devil May Cry and God of War.

And while I still love God of War, DMC hit harder. Why? Because it was everything I loved—80s-style Japanese manga energy, gothic demon mythology, shoot-em-up meets samurai swordplay. A genre mashup that defined my taste in film and storytelling even now. So when Netflix dropped the anime adaptation, of course I had to check it out.

The Game Lore Is In There (You Just Gotta Look for It)

First things first, this is definitely an adaptation of the games—Capcom roots all day. But it’s also doing its own thing. And surprisingly, I’m cool with that. Showrunner Adi Shankar and Studio MIR pull threads from all over: the games, the manga, and brand-new storylines.

• White Rabbit, the villain? Not from the games—he’s actually pulled from the DMC3 manga and given a full-on tragic origin here.

• Agni and Rudra (the red and blue elemental twins)? Yup, straight from DMC3. I fought them. I remember. Combine their swords into one after the boss fight? Absolutely.

• Echidna, the plant demon with Venus flytrap vibes? From DMC4. Her floral-based attacks are ripped right out of the boss encounter.

• Cavaliere Angelo? One of White Rabbit’s elite knights. That flying, armored demon you see? He’s from DMC5—brutal boss fight.

• Lady (Mary)? Voiced by Scout Taylor-Compton here. She’s DMC3 canon—fights Dante, doesn’t trust him because he’s half-demon, but becomes a trusted ally.

So yeah, they did their homework—even if they also took some creative liberties. I see you, Enzo. I see you, DARKCOM (even if you’re not in the games). They reimagine things, but you can feel the reverence in the DNA.

Dante Still Got It

Johnny Yong Bosch voices Dante, and it’s the perfect fit. He’s still got the smirk, the one-liners, the trench coat, the twin pistols Ebony & Ivory, and that chaotic energy that made him a PS2-era icon. And yes—he says “Jackpot.” Thank God. Would’ve thrown something if he didn’t.

Now… About That Music

Here’s where I gotta keep it a buck. The music? Mixed bag.

I grew up in a nu-metal band. Loved that sound at the time. But the intro track? Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’”? Nah, man. I’m good. That song was played out in 2003, and hearing it as the Devil May Cry theme made me laugh out loud in the worst way. Netflix, I appreciate the nostalgia—but if you’re going nu-metal, go hard. Give me Fear Factory. Give me Deftones. Hell, give me Pantera or Sepultura. Not Rollin’.

That said—Power Glove’s score? Straight flames. The synth-laced remixes of classic DMC tracks like “Devil Trigger” and “Bury the Light”? Beautiful. Felt like late nights on a PS2 with no memory card, refusing to turn the system off. That’s the energy I wanted more of.

The Verdict

This show surprised me. It didn’t give me exactly what I wanted, but it gave me something I didn’t realize I needed—a fresh take on a beloved world that still honors the old heads who stayed up late in dorm rooms running through DMC3 like it was gospel.

The writing digs into themes that feel timely: abandonment, orphanhood, identity. It hits with real-world weight without losing the wild, demon-slaying, combo-heavy spectacle that defines the series.

So yeah—music issues aside?

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Can’t wait for Season 2. Just… maybe switch the soundtrack up. And don’t be afraid to get weirder. Because Devil May Cry at its best? Is stylish, fast, brutal, and bizarre. Just how I like it.