Masaaki Yuasa and the Animation of Devilman: Crybaby (Mary Lee Loves Devilman: Part 7)

When anime fans make fun of bad animation, they tend to point out frames where characters are drawn “off model” – meaning that they’re way off from the model sheets that dictate what each character should look like. It’s important for artists to stick to these guidelines so the show can keep a clean and consistent look. But what if the director doesn’t want the animation to look clean and consistent? What happens when the art style takes a turn... for the surreal?

If that director is Masaaki Yuasa, then you’re in for one hell of a wild ride. He’s the mad genius behind Mind Game, The Tatami Galaxy, Ping-Pong: The Animation, and (of course) our favorite depression-fest Devilman: Crybaby. His animation style is abstract, with the trippy visuals favoring expressiveness over accuracy. So, today, we’re going to take a closer look at the bizarre animation of Devilman: Crybaby and how Masaaki Yuasa somehow made it work so well.

This article was written for Honey's Anime, so please read it on their site.