Devilman

Description

From Seven Seas:
Hordes of demons, once thought entombed forever in the underworld, have now returned to Earth. Evil and corruption begin to seep into our world, as demons seize human hosts. Mankind’s only hope for salvation is to use the demons’ power against them–and only a pure-hearted man like Fudo Akira can do so without losing his humanity. Once little more than a crybaby, Akira now wields the terrible power of a devil, yet holds the innocent soul of a man - Devilman.

Type

Manga

Related Series

Neo Devilman (Spin-Off)

Violence Jack (Sequel)

Devilman G (Alternate Version)

Sirene-chan (Spin-Off)

Devilman Saga (Alternate Version)

Devilman Tai Getter Robo (Spin-Off)

Devilman Tai Yami no Teiou (Spin-Off)

Shin Devilman (Side Story)

Devilman (HIRATA Mitsuru) (Alternate Version)

Toujin Devilman (Spin-Off)

Amon - Devilman Mokushiroku (Side Story)

Akuma Kishi (Prequel)

Devilman Lady (Alternate Version)

Cyborg 009 VS Devilman - Breakdown (Spin-Off)

Gekiman! (Spin-Off)

Devilman Gaiden - Ningen Senki (Side Story)

Mao Dante (Alternate Version)

Associated Names

Debiruman

デビルマン

Groups Scanlating

Latest Release(s)

v.3 c.Afterword by 5MENP 2 weeks ago

v.2 c.Afterword 2 by 5MENP 1 month ago

v.1 c.Afterword 2 by 5MENP 2 months ago

Search for all releases of this series

Status in Country of Origin

5 Volumes (Complete, by Kodansha in 1972)
2 Volumes (Reprint, by Akita Shoten in 1972)
2 Volumes (Reprint, by Daitosha in 1989)
4 Volumes (Bunkoban, by Kodansha in 1993)
5 Volumes (Kanzen Fukkokuban, by Kodansha in 1993)
5 Volumes (Bunkoban, by Kodansha in 1997)
2 Volumes (Bunkoban, by Daitosha in 1998)
3 Volumes (Deluxe Edition, by Kodansha in 2000)
1 Volume (Aizouban, by Kodansha in 2008)
4 Volumes (Bunkoban, by Kodansha in 2009)
4 Volumes (Kaiteiban, by Kodansha in 2012)

Completely Scanlated?

Yes

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1 (OVA/Crybaby)

Ends at Vol 2 (OVA) / Vol 5, Chap 53 (Crybaby) (Different Settings and minor changes to the plot)

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

1 topics, 3 posts

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User Rating

Average: 7.9 / 10.0 (431 votes)

Bayesian Average: 7.8 / 10.0

16%

19%

27%

19%

Last Updated

June 8th, 2025 2:12am PDT - 6 days ago

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Genre

Action Horror Mature Mystery School Life Shounen Supernatural Tragedy
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

Usagi Yojimbo

Shin-Urotsukidouji

Amon - Devilman Mokushiroku

Bones

Digital Devil Story (Novel)

Recommendations

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Akita Shoten (1972)

Daitosha (1989, 1998)

Kodansha (1972, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2012)

Serialized In (magazine)

Shuukan Shounen Magazine (Kodansha)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

Seven Seas (2 Vols - Complete; print)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #827

(-9)

Monthly Pos #1606

(-240)

3 Month Pos #2715

(+269)

6 Month Pos #2859

(-243)

Year Pos #3056

(-763)

List Stats

On 241 reading lists

On 478 wish lists

On 989 completed lists

On 35 unfinished lists

On 187 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

Thoughts about series

6 years ago

User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

Cheesey, but bare through the first few volumes.

by likalaruku1
7 years ago

Rating: 7.0 / 10.0

It's give-& take. The characters are compelling, but the dialogue is camp cheesy up to the 11s; I'm not sure if it's the translator's fault, or Nagai's. There's lots of drawn-out exposition & characters referring to themselves in the 3rd person.

The first few volumes are a slow burn, then things pick up when everything goes to hell. In the last two volumes it becomes like X-Men crossed over with the Salem Witch Hunt & The Black Plague. This is where the story really shines.

The art in the first volume is terrible, even by 70s standards, but the demon designs are cool, especially Siren & Jinmen. The art does improve per volume.

Some would say the series is horribly sexist, but Nagai's female characters are savage, brutal, strong, violent, vengeful, sassy, bold, sexually liberated, non-virginal, unmaidenly, physically capable of self defense, & heroic, something even shoujo mangas rarely depict women as being.

There's also some unique humor, like when Akira/Amon blows up a demon's head with his eyebrow, or when Miki screams for help while pummeling hoards of monsters with her briefcase.

It's a true tragedy where anyone can die no matter how important they are to the story, & it succeeded in making me genuinely care about the characters before they met their ends. Though I've heard that Akira & Ryo show up in the spinoffs, though those might take place at the same time. I haven't read them yet.

Kill la Kill is as much an homage to Kekko Kamen/Cutie Honey/Devilman Lady as Apocalypse Zero is an homage to Devilman. You might also enjoy Kyonyuu Dragon.

I've skimmed through Devilman Lady before reading this, & I can tell Nagai's art gets a lot better over time.

... Last updated 7 years ago

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Devilman

by shadowspark2
7 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

With the recent release of Crybaby, I decided to check out the original work to get a more holistic understanding of the manga which inspired so many other authors. This 5 Volume work is indeed a classic and is very much still enjoyable today, but I hesitate to rate it any higher than a 7. It was, of course, influential at the time, and in terms of importance it is definitely a 10, but the story has not aged too well.
It's worth the read for anyone who really considers themselves a fan of manga as a medium due to its importance in the industry, but in the end, it simply isn't that enjoyable anymore. The recent adaptation of Devilman Crybaby is much better for anyone who simply wants to experience the story, and it even has several improvements over this; however, they both suffer from having a somewhat rushed ending and too short a runtime to really get you to connect to the characters.

The fate of Akira Fudo and those closest to him is a story worth going through, and while I believe that there are better manga out there, the twists and emotional moments of this one are still very hardhitting. I suggest watching Devilman Crybaby BEFORE reading this.
At only 10 episodes/5 volumes you really don't need more than 3 hours to consume either the manga or anime, and it is a story that deserves to be experienced at some point.

... Last updated 7 years ago

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I recommend you read

by achyif
7 years ago

Rating: 9.5 / 10.0

Surprisingly good despite being obviously dated. A classic, yet somehow there's been nothing quite like it since.

This is a story that I'll be thinking about every now and again.

... Last updated 7 years ago

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Eh...

by FormX
12 years ago

Rating: N/A

It became really stupid, real fast, considering it was only 5 volumes.

It may have been an iconic starter for the fight evil by becoming evil type series, but more recent works are better.

There was a pretty good build up, and it seemed like the mangaka wanted to go somewhere with human nature, and then everything just went... splat.

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Dark thriller you need to read

by ncrdrg
14 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

I read this manga based upon a recommendation on a forum. Wow! I'm not the the type of guy to like old mangas very much but Devilman really blew me away. The art is pretty dated but fits this dark manga quite well. It's very hard to let go as the story keeps you interested throughout all 5 volumes.

Hard to believe a 1972 manga could be so good.

... Last updated 14 years ago

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Changes

by kaloo
16 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

While an enjoyable, and great piece of work it does suffer from a rather radical shift in tone midway through. Still the series is enjoyable and entertaining. You'll have a hard time putting it down and once you're done you'll wish there was more.

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What a ridiculous manga!

by Laclongquan
17 years ago

Rating: N/A

I dont hate it precisely. I just found its one characteristic so annoying I cant bear.

Naive!

What a effing waste of bandwidth and time to dl and read this 5 volume piece of maulk.

But I guess fans of horror/tragedy manga will like it. It has one overwhelming quality of its genre after all: Irrationality.

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Dark, wierd, shocking

by Telengard
17 years ago

Rating: 8.0 / 10.0

Read the whole set in one long sitting, and what a treat! The style of this manga was very off putting at first, but I gradually adjusted to it. It's fast paced and packed with action. The characters are drawn to be easily recognizable, but the very cartoon like style diminishes their impact somewhat. Don't be dissuaded by the amateurish looking art though, because the story is epic, and I don't use that word lightly. It made me think about the concept of absolute evil, and the evils done by man to his fellow man. I wondered about the nature of friendship, and the need to protect those close to one's self. The plot is magnificent, and progresses so quickly and dramatically that you may wonder if you've missed something. Highly recommended for all serious fans of horror, supernatural, and action.

... Last updated 17 years ago

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So glad

by AKLR
17 years ago

Rating: N/A

So glad this has got good frequent scanlation now (the only Go Nagai series to do so, which is rather depressing).

Great series, bleak violent, philosophical and with 1940's-60's style art which gives it a resemblance to Astro Boy

... Last updated 17 years ago

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Go Nagai's best work...

by Megamx4
17 years ago

Rating: 10.0 / 10.0

I'm a huge fan of just about every Go Nagai series, but this is the definitive highlight of all his work in my eyes. Bloody, dark and always leaving you guessing. This is true horror at its finest!

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