Devil Lady

Not to be confused with She devil or Devil Woman (disambiguation).
Devil Lady

DVD cover art for Devil Lady
デビルマン レディー
(Debiruman Redī)
Genre Action, Horror, Yuri
Manga
Devilman Lady
Written by Go Nagai
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Weekly Morning
Original run 30 January 1997 – 6 July 2000
Volumes 17
Anime television series
Directed by Toshiki Hirano
Studio TMS
Licensed by
Network Mainichi Broadcasting System
Original run 10 October 1998 – 9 May 1999
Episodes 26

Devil Lady (デビルマンレディー Debiruman Redī, Devilman Lady) is a Japanese action horror manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. It was originally serialized between January 1997 and July 2000 in the manga magazine Weekly Morning. Seventeen bound volumes were published by Kodansha for release in Japan. The story focuses on Jun Fudo, a teacher who is attacked by demons while accompanying a group of students on a school trip. In the midst of the assault, Jun transforms into the Devil Lady and defends the survivors of the initial attack, killing the demons with her new-found strength. Jun, now the Devilman Lady, fights for the sake of humanity to protect them from the devil beasts and their creations.

The manga series was adapted into a twenty-six episode anime series; the anime aired in Japan on Mainichi Broadcasting System between October 1998 and May 1999. ADV Films licensed the anime series, and released six DVD volumes between January and August 2003, as well as a complete boxed set in 2004.

Plot

Manga

Jun Fudo was a teacher who raised her younger brother, Hikaru, while their father was away in the United States. One day, as she and a group of students go on an outdoor trip Jun begins to experience unusual nightmares. Far worse things were about to happen to them, however, when a group of demons, martial artists in human form, in a nearby chalet attempt to rape Jun and the female students in their demon forms. As she was being violated, Jun felt her soul being ripped apart, and, because of this, a terrifying transformation occurs turning her into the Devil Lady. She protects the girls who have survived the demon attacks and kills the demons with her newfound strength. Suddenly, a woman named Lan Asuka appears and says that she was the one who had awakened the sleeping beast within Jun.

Confused by her transformation, Lan Asuka, and her father's sudden appearance and experience, things became too complicated for Jun to understand. Through Professor Fudo's knowledge, he tells a tale of a strange phenomenon that occurred in shantytowns years ago. It was known as the "Devil Beast Syndrome" in which its inhabitants would transform into demons and rape women before eating them with no memories or intelligence of their previous lives and additionally giving them enhanced strength with other abilities.

Professor Fudo does not believe that their "Devil Beast Syndrome" transformation was supernatural, but was actually the next stage of human evolution, calling it "Nature's way of dealing with mankind's overpopulation". He also says that few people were genetically engineered to retain their conscience should the "Devil Beast Syndrome" occur in them, Jun being one of them. With Jun now becoming the Devilman Lady, she will fight for the sake of humanity to protect them from the devil beasts and their creations.

Anime

Jun Fudo is a beautiful supermodel who is idolized by many. She also has a dark secret that not even she knows about at first, for within her lie the genes that hold the next step in the evolution of mankind, the same blood as the beast-like superhumans that terrorize the city. Unlike the rest of them, however, Jun has managed to hold a tenuous grip onto her humanity, and she is recruited by the mysterious Lan Asuka, member of a secret organization within the government, aimed at controlling, if not eliminating, these berserk destroyers of mankind. Jun, as Devilman Lady, must now exterminate her own kind, but it is unclear how much longer can she keep her sanity in a situation she never chose to begin with.

Characters

Manga

Jun Fudo (不動 ジュン Fudō Jun)
Lan Asuka (アスカ 蘭 Asuka Ran)
Is a secret agent intent on stopping devil beasts.
Akira Fudo (不動 明 Fudo Akira)/Devilman/Devil Mask
Akira Fudo appears for the first time as an ethereal being in Lan Asuka's room accusing her that she was the reincarnation of Satan.
Ryo Utsugi (宇津木 涼 Utsugi Ryō)/Dante
In this storyline, Ryo Utsugi is the re-incarnation of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri.
Aoi Kurosaki (黒崎 あおい Kurosaki Aoi)
Aoi Kurosaki makes her first appearance in the 3rd Volume of the manga and she is described as Jun's mortal enemy while competing for the Olympics, as no matter how hard Jun tries to win, Aoi is faster. However, she is actually in love with Jun and the only way she thinks to express it is through rivalry. Her transformation into a devil beast started gradually when she was still young, as a result of her hatred for her step-father who sexually abused her. However, the devil beast had a personality of its own and would tease and mock Aoi.
Vlava
Vlava is the deity of a fictitious European country. He resembles a lot to the Cretan minotaur with having a head which looks like the head of a cow. When Vlava and his followers descend to hell with Jun, he meets with Jinmen and forms an alliance with him to eliminate Devilman, who is protecting Jun. He is killed by Devilman in hell. Later on in the story, he reappears on Earth and joins with Dante's Devil Beast army.

Anime

Jun Fudo (不動 ジュン Fudo Jun) Voiced by: Junko Iwao (Japanese); Shawn Sides (English)
Jun is a successful and well-endowed supermodel in Tokyo when the story begins. She is a quiet and timid person who seems to avoid most social interactions, with two exceptions: she is generally open with her manager and very friendly with an aspiring teen model named Kazumi. She is found by a woman named Lan Asuka, who forces her to confront a werewolf-like monster called a devil beast. As it tears into Jun, her powers awaken and she becomes a devil beast herself. She defeats the beast with her powers and reverts to her human form. Asuka speaks of her membership with a military unit known as the Human Alliance, whose purpose is to hunt down and kill all those who are affected with Devil Beast Syndrome. Asuka gives Jun an ultimatum; if Jun does not hunt for them, she will be hunted by them. Jun has no choice but to obey Asuka from that point on.[1] However, she finds that it is not only Asuka's ultimatum that keeps her following Asuka's orders, but also something about Asuka that she cannot defy. As the series progresses, she becomes more independent.
Devil Lady/Devilman Lady
Jun's alter ego, Devil Lady, is the exact opposite of Jun. She is loud, violent, and temperamental. Her unforgiving and aggressive nature tends to make all of her battles very graphic. As Devil Lady, all of her senses are greatly increased and she has night vision. Her ability to heal is also highly amplified, bordering on regeneration. Her strength allows her to bend and twist steel girders, without struggle. She is able to fly via large wings that unfold from her back, and she can generate high-voltage electric currents to destroy her enemies instantly and form blades of energy around her arms or elbows to neatly slice through almost anything. Her most powerful ability is the giga-effect, which allows her to become a giant and fight other devil beasts that have grown in the same regard; while in this form, she can fly, and emit electricity from her hands similar to Great Mazinger's Thunder Break. In her empowered form, she can turn the wings on her head into razor sharp blades. Aside from the way she can retain her human conscious, her giga-effect ability is what many people and devil-beasts alike are after.
Lan Asuka (アスカ 蘭 Asuka Ran) Voiced by: Kaoru Shimamura (Japanese); Siân Rees-Cleland (English)
Asuka is the woman who scouted Jun for the Human Alliance, and is a high-ranking government official. She is a cold, aggressive, and manipulative woman, who cares nothing for the people who work for her. When she forces Jun to confront the devil beast Wolver, she has no concern for Jun's survival; her theory that Jun is a devil beast is based only on a hunch.[1] As the series progresses, however, even though she is cruel to Jun, she cares about Jun's safety. She seems to have different intentions from her organization and does a great deal of work without their knowledge. Later, it is revealed that she is New Jerseyan in origin.[2]
Kazumi Takiura (滝浦 和美 Takiura Kazumi) Voiced by: Kazusa Murai (Japanese); Camille Chen (English)
Kazumi is a young and aspiring teen model and fan of Jun's, who she laters meets during an audition when she entered the wrong building. They become close friends, with Jun acting as a big sister or mentor. Kazumi's parents are brutally killed by devil beasts who also try to kill Kazumi because they consider Jun a traitor and seek to punish her by targeting people close to Jun. Kazumi is later taken in by Jun, and is unaware of Jun's night life, although she strongly suspects something is wrong. As the series progresses, the relationship between Kazumi and Jun gradually progresses into an almost romantic one.
Dr. Jason Bates (ジェイソン・ベイツ Jeison Beitsu) Voiced by: Ryūsei Nakao (Japanese); J. Hudson Brownlee (English)
Bates is a scientist working at the Samuelson Labs in New Jersey, and is the current head of all Devil-beast research. He visits Japan to witness Jun's battles for this research, he expresses his views that the Devil-beasts are not evil and how he sympathizes with them. Later during Jun's battle with a Devil-beast in a television studio, she is saved by Bates, a Devil-man like Jun.[3] Bates is the first devil beast before Jun to retain human faculties and to be used for the side of humans; while in this form, he possesses immense strength, two sharp horns on his head similar to Gaiking's, and can gain the physical attributes of other devil beasts by consuming their blood. However, unlike Jun, initially he lacks the giga-effect ability, and he sometimes acts as though he would prefer to give in to his beast side and run amok like all of the others.
Kiyoshi Maeda (前田 清 Maeda Kiyoshi) Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki
He is Asuka's personal secretary and also Jun's driver. Although he works for Asuka, he is more morally concerned with Jun's status not only as a human but also her demon side and he tries to help her as much as he can. As the storyline progresses, he ends up getting caught in a conspiracy that may end up getting him killed and a shocking truth is revealed as he learns more of Lan Asuka's past and the future that she will unleash.
Tatsuya Yuasa (湯浅 辰也 Yuasa Tatsuya) Voiced by: Naoya Uchida
Yuasa is Jun's long time modeling agent who has been there for her when she goes for auditions. He has a wife and daughter who loves him. After Jun's first devilman experience, Yuasa started to get worried about Jun. As the story progresses, Yuasa feelings for Jun grew and is falling for her.
Satoru (サトル) Voiced by: Mami Koyama
A child who acts as the leader and organizer of the more militant Devil-Beasts whose intention is the genocide of all humans. Satoru is a clever and dangerous foe who Jun has underestimated several times. He considers Jun a traitor to his kind and he will use all of his resources to make her life a living nightmare. Unlike other characters in the series he is not referred to by name. Although he first appears in episode 3, he does not return until episode 14, assuming the role of the main antagonist up until the final episodes. His powers include morphing into a butterfly, a highly resilient body, butterfly wings, summoning crow guardians, levitation, mind control, and disabling electronics by thought.

Devil beasts

Also referred to as demons and beast creatures, the devil beasts are highly evolved carnivorous predators that have evolved from humans. Devil beasts can morph into humans when not actively hunting and can become stronger by consuming them. Some devil beasts can become much larger in size, this being referred to as the giga effect in the series and is caused by chemical reactions via electrical pulses in sensory organs.

Crusaders

Four bird-like devil beasts commanded by Satoru in the last third of the series with each possessing the ability to control a specific element. In episode 23 all four of them fuse with Satoru to become Giga Satoru.

Media

Manga

The Devilman Lady manga was written and illustrated by Go Nagai, it was serialized between January 1997 and July 2000 in the manga magazine Weekly Morning. Seventeen bound volumes were published by Kodansha for released in Japan.[4] The manga was published in Italy by d/visual.[5] The manga storyline is a much more violent and sexually oriented than the anime. The manga shows a depiction of many of the characters being tortured and raped, as well as scenes of graphic dismemberment and heavy use of blood and gore.

The manga starts with Jun Fudo, a highschool teacher, taking a trip with a group of students. While there, a group of martial artists staying nearby take a strange interest in the girls. These men are actually demons and after changing into their true form break into the cabin to rape the girls. One gets Jun and violates her. She feels her soul being torn apart and transforms into Devilman Lady. With newfound powers and strength she kills all the demons and protects the girls from any further harm.

Anime

General

A twenty-six episode anime series adaptation was produced by the animation studio TMS Entertainment and directed by Toshiki Hirano. The anime aired in Japan from October 10, 1998[6] to September 29, 1999. ADV Films announced it had licensed the series in July 2002,[7] with the first volume being released on January 7, 2003.[8] The Devil Lady anime's storyline is almost completely different from the manga, featuring only two characters from the original manga, Jun Fudo and Lan Asuka.

Production

When creating the Devil Lady anime, many concepts and characters were changed from the original manga, which was much more violent and sexually oriented. Jun, as a character is much tougher and braver in the original manga; she is also a teacher.[9] The character Kazumi also never appeared in the original manga, her looks are based upon the character Miki Makimura, Akira Fudo's female friend in the Devilman series.

Jun's two forms are also a tribute to both versions of Devilman. While her regular sized form is similar to Devilman (including satyr-like hairy legs) as he appears in the original manga, her Giga Effect form is a tribute to the 1972 anime version. In giga mode, she is a giant as tall as classic giant robots or monsters of the 70s, sports turquoise skin and yellow eyes, and does not have any body hair, which are all elements taken from the television version of Devilman.

This "disease" is a strange affliction that plagues the Devil Lady universe. While it may stay dormant within a user for years without a symptom, once they begin to become apparent there is no cure. An individual with D.B.S. will usually transform into a monstrous creature with awesome powers and little to no control over themselves. The transformations always seem to have something to do with the users inner feelings or strengths (cat lovers may become cat-like, swimmers may become fish-like etc.), those that retain their greater human faculties have the ability to control when and how they transform. It takes a great deal of damage to kill someone with D.B.S. Lastly, is the giga effect. Presumably any devil beast with enough control is able to "Go Giga" or to mutate into its most powerful form, which always seems to include a dramatic size increase (sometimes the size of a skyscraper).

Later as the syndrome becomes more wide spread, it is learned that the syndrome is not passed as a virus but as sensory data. Simply being around a devil beast and experiencing it with any of the five senses is enough to become one. Additionally, being around a particular devil beast for a long amount of time will make a person become a devil beast of similar design (for example, Kazumi grew wings almost exactly like Jun's). It also becomes apparent that simply becoming a devil beast is not enough to make one act monstrous, and that the ones Jun was forced to dispatch were merely more volatile individuals incapable of accepting their change.

By the end of the series, it is revealed that the devil beasts are merely the next stage in human evolution, which is completely inevitable. The idea that this change would be negative and disastrous is proven false and ends on an optimistic note with Jun walking past two little girls who are playing and both have tails.

Episodes

# English title
Japanese title 		Original airdate
01 "Beast"
(獣) 		October 10, 1998
Jun Fudo just seems to be going through the motions in her photo shoot, although the photographer seems to think she is doing wonderfully. Jun is later attacked by a werewolf which awakened the Devil Lady in Jun. After fighting the werewolf Jun meets Lan Asuka, a mysterious woman and member of a secret organization within the government, aimed at controlling, if not eliminating, these berserk destroyers of mankind. 
02 "Blood"
(血) 		October 18, 1998
Jun is called upon to handle more than she ever imagined. She exhibits abilities that were unimaginable by the Human Alliance (HA), to meet an unexpected challenge. Jun still cannot believe what is happening and wonders if it was all just a nightmare. 
03 "Wings"
(翼) 		October 25, 1998
The devil-beasts cannot understand why Jun holds onto her inferior human side, and now seek to punish her for it. They find out about those close to Jun, picking Kazumi Takiura as an easy target. While Jun is able to find out in time to save Kazumi, she is unable to stop the beasts from brutally killing Kazumi's parents. 
04 "Seed"
(胚) 		1 November 1998
Jun is still reeling from previous incidents, and reflects on how she was different from others. She falls into self-pity, as she is seemingly being held captive by the HA, the very organization that utilizes her to destroy other beasts. Jun is leery of people in shadows, thanks to her last encounter. A new beast with an unusual characteristic is discovered. 
05 "Shark"
(鮫) 		8 November 1998
Thanks to Asuka, Jun has an unplanned reunion with an old friend from high school, Aoi Kurosaki, Their friendship did not last as Jun and her ex-classmate had a difference of opinion on what the relationship should be. Meanwhile, Kazumi feels a little left out, however Jun's encounter only strengthens her bond with Kazumi. 
06 "Cat"
(猫) 		15 November 1998
Jun experiences a love-hate relationship firsthand, when she meets Hitomi Konno, a competitive supermodel who idolizes her and loves cats. 
07 "Fog"
(霧) 		22 November 1998
With each transformation, there is an increased risk that Jun will lose her human side. Recent events take Jun's thoughts back to the story her grandfather told her about the Grim Reaper hoping she would go to bed, leading only for Jun's curiosity to increase. 
08 "Enemy"
(敵) 		29 November 1998
The HA continues their attempt to keep the general population from discovering the devil-beast phenomenon. A broadcaster attempts to release the news of the devil-beasts. Jun is introduced to Dr. Jason Bates, an American from the Samuelson Lab. Jason has come to observe the giga-effect, which transforms the devil beasts into giants. He does not believe that beasts are inherently evil and that devil-beasts can hold on to their human soul. Jun's confrontation with the broadcaster does not go as planned, as a devil-beast in a television studio nearly kills her. However she is saved by Jason, revealed to be a devilman just like Jun. 
09 "Eyes"
(眼) 		6 December 1998
Jun dwells upon her previous failure and the disappointments of Asuka and Jason. While looking into a store window, Jun feels someone watching her. Jun finds herself in the park in a photo shoot. Kazumi is interviewed and photographed. She also meets Shiro Sakazawa, a private investigator who has an interest in what happened to her family. Those around Jun begin to question her sanity when she seems to continually feel watched. 
10 "Flames"
(炎) 		13 December 1998
A large fire at the Sakura Housing Complex looks suspicious, as firemen are surprised to find a survivor in the rubble. Jun disagrees with Asuka upon believing that the survivor is a devil-beast since survival would have been impossible otherwise, especially much to the fact that this survivor is a child. The Biochemical Investigations Team decides to study the child to find out the truth. Kazumi reviews a videotape that was sent by Sakazawa, remembering his earlier comment she wonders about Jun. Moreover, Jun's frequent and sudden departures don't help Kazumi's confidence in their relationship. 
11 "Box"
(箱) 		20 December 1998
A department store executive disappears after being falsely accused. Unfortunately, he is not the only one who disappears. Jun is called in to handle this situation in an all too public department store building, all just in time for Christmas. 
12 "Faces"
(顔) 		10 January 1999
Jun has recurring visions of a devil-beast world. After running into Jason in the streets, Jason invites her to a cavern bar, where he accuses her of enjoying the kill, and yet calls her weak mentally and physically. The authorities are finding victims with their face missing, while Jason still obsesses over Jun's and some of the other devil-beasts' ability to manifest the giga-effect. Asuka's orders reflect her belief that devil-beasts in the giga-effect are no longer in control, endangering Jun's life. 
13 "Rope"
(縄) 		17 January 1999
Jun has a photo shoot with inexperienced model Takai, a high school student that is more intimate than usual. Jun shows interest in a phone call that Tatsuya Yuasa receives during the photo shoot. After the photo shoot Jun, acts inappropriately with Takai and shows regret. Jun later sees Sakazawa speaking to Kazumi and Yuasa in separate incidences. She concludes the man is a nuisance. Asuka picks up Jun and tells her they are going for a ride in the country. She tells Jun they have found a victim with one-third of the blood drained from the body. 
14 "Home"
(家) 		24 January 1999
Sakazawa remembers his life before the beast obsession. Kazumi goes missing and Jun becomes focused on finding her. Meanwhile, Kazumi realizes she has been used, but is not quite sure for what. The HA has their hands full with another beast, and receives unexpected help from Jason. The battle between the beast factions now begins to accelerate. 
15 "Crows"
(鴉) 		31 January 1999
Kazumi's conversation after a photo shoot plants the seeds of remembrance regarding her parents' death. Bodies begin to show up on top of lamp posts, utility poles and other odd places. Sakazawa's warnings replay through Kazumi's mind. Crows show up in the oddest places. Kiyoshi Maeda chauffeurs Jun while Asuka is away doing more research on the devil-beasts. Kazumi once again becomes noticed by the devil-beasts. 
16 "Voice"
(聲) 		7 February 1999
The dead bodies on top of traffic posts continue. The HA begins to have trouble keeping the secret of the devil-beasts. Maeda gets directly involved in the fight against devil-beasts. Kazumi's voice is a godsend to Jun. 
17 "Hunger"
(飢) 		14 February 1999
Satoru continues to recruit beasts to his cause, and his statement that Jun is hated by the humans seems to be manifesting itself. Also, Jun appears to be losing control of her beast side. She calms down and regains her human consciousness when Asuka returns. 
18 "Body"
(軀) 		21 February 1999
The battle between humans and devil-beasts is worsening. And Asuka's behavior is drawing the attention of the HA. 
19 "Fetters"
(枷) 		28 February 1999
Kazumi is still getting used to the idea of the beasts in the open. She worries about being able to trust other devil beast other than Jun. Yuasa is surprised to see Maeda after their last conversation, and Maeda becomes more suspicious of Asuka. The battle with the beast is no longer a secret, as Yuasa and Jun temporarily relive a normal work day. Yuasa's wife and daughter, Satomi and Mayu evacuate to a train, however a beast appears and wrecks the train. It is up to Jun to come and save Mayu from the beast. 
20 "Corpses"
(骸) 		7 March 1999
In America, Asuka gets a new private secretary, Captain Izume Kogure. Jun grudgingly meets some old acquaintances as well as a new more powerful associate of Satoru's recruited devil-beasts. Maeda discovers Asuka's secret past. Jun and Satoru have a battle of the wills. 
21 "Signs"
(印) 		21 March 1999
Maeda discovers the truth about the RNA Transmutation Innoculation and informs Jun. Kazumi becomes closer to her new friends, but still wants to be with Jun. 
22 "Wish"
(願) 		11 April 1999
Jun receives help from an unexpected source, that of Kazumi, when defeat is imminent. Kazumi remembers her first meeting with Jun. Hostility increases between humans and the devil-beasts, as Satoru continues to round up his army. Izumi is concerned about Asuka. Jun inspires a fond childhood memory in Kazumi, causing Kazumi to want to help Jun in any way she can. 
23 "Life"
(命) 		18 April 1999
Jun is legendary among the gentler beasts as the champion of their kind. Kazumi's influence inspires hope in her recently found friends. They expect Jun to rescue them. Asuka's plan becomes more apparent. Jun faces a beast with unexpected strength. 
24 "Heart"
(心) 		24 April 1999
Jun befriends a new young companion who understands Jun's past too well. Unfortunately, Chiyoko does not understand why Jun had to do all that she did. She does not understand the fine line that Jun must not cross. 
25 "God"
(神) 		2 May 1999
Beasts are being kept like prisoners and Kyoko, Misaki, Takae and Takeshi try to avoid extermination in the beast prison. Asuka sends a not so friendly welcoming party when Jun returns to Tokyo. 
26 "Man"
(人) 		9 May 1999
Asuka was revealed to be the child of God and she appears all over the world to make everyone accept that fact. Jun awakes in a place and sees all of the demons trapped in a tower forged of demon bodies, she also finds Kazumi trapped in the tower. Jun decides to forge her soul with the force from the Demons, which Kazumi also lets her absorb her in order to help in the final battle with Asuka. 

See also

References

  1. 1 2 TMS (October 10, 1998). "獣". Devil Lady. Episode 1. Mainichi Broadcasting System.
  2. ↑ Yuri Anime> Devilman Lady. Yurikon LLC. 2004-05-28. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  3. ↑ TMS (29 November 1998). "敵". Devil Lady. Episode 8. Mainichi Broadcasting System.
  4. ↑ デビルマンレディー（１７） [Devilman Lady (17)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Devil Lady 01". gpmanga.it. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Latest Japanese Releases update". Anime News Network. October 29, 1998. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  7. ↑ "AD Vision News from Anime Expo". AnimeNation. July 8, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  8. ↑ "New AD Vision DVD Announcements". AnimeNation. October 15, 2002. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  9. ↑ Nagai, Go (1997). "Chapter 1". Devil Lady, Volume 1. Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-260790-2.

External links

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