Devil's Line Review: A fusion of the realistic world of vampires and human drama

"Devil's Line": A dark fantasy that depicts the boundary between vampires and humans

■Overview of the work

Devils' Line is a TV anime series based on the manga of the same name by Ryo Hanada. It aired from April 7 to June 23, 2018, and consisted of 12 episodes. It was broadcast on AT-X and TOKYO MX, and each episode was 30 minutes long. It was animated by Platinum Vision and directed by Yoshinobu Tokumoto. The original work was serialized in Kodansha's Morning Two and gained popularity as a dark fantasy work that explores the coexistence of vampires and humans.

■ Story

Graduate student Taira Tsukasa was unsure of his future career path, but he lived an ordinary life with his classmates Miwako and Akimura. Miwako was engrossed in the rumors of a blood-sucking incident broadcast on the one-segment TV, but Tsukasa had recently felt someone's gaze on him. Who was the owner of the gaze staring at him on the street corner, on the train? Meanwhile, Tsukasa was saved from a vampire called a "demon". His savior was Anzai Yuuki, an investigator from the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Division F Team. Although Anzai is half "demon" and half human, he had never felt the desire to drink blood before. However, after meeting Tsukasa, Anzai felt the urge to drink blood for the first time. Was it the awakening of Anzai's demon instinct, or... In this world, "certain people" live among humans, and they have extraordinary physical abilities and suck human blood. Those who know of this call them "demon" and fear them. In response to the blood-sucking incidents by "demons," the police have secretly formed an investigative team specializing in demons. The Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Division 5 - among its members are "demons" who have no experience of drinking blood, who are assigned as investigators. Yuuki Anzai, a member of the Public Security Division 5's Team F, is half demon and half human, but he has never felt the desire to drink blood before. While investigating a series of violent blood-sucking cases, Anzai meets a graduate student named Tsukasa Taira. After saving Tsukasa from a "demon," Anzai feels an urge towards her that he has never felt before. Is this the awakening of Anzai's demonic instincts, or...?

■Explanation

"Devil's Line" is a dark fantasy work that depicts the coexistence of vampires and humans. The story progresses from the perspective of Anzai Yuuki, an investigator of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Division 5, Team F, which specializes in vampire cases. Although Anzai is half demon and half human, he has never felt the desire to drink blood. However, after meeting a graduate student named Taira Tsukasa, he feels the urge to drink blood for the first time. This encounter is the center of the story, and through the relationship between Anzai and Tsukasa, the boundary between vampires and humans and the difficulty of coexistence are depicted. The society of vampires and the problems they face are also depicted in detail, providing viewers with deep insight. The anime faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work, while incorporating unique perspectives and direction, making it a work that can be enjoyed by both fans of the original work and new viewers.

■Cast

・Yuki Anzai/Yoshitsugu Matsuoka ・Tsukasa Taira/Yui Ishikawa ・Hans Lee/Ryohei Kimura

■ Main staff

・Original story: Ryo Hanada (serialized in Kodansha's Morning Two)
Director: Hideaki Nakano; Series Composition: Takeshi Konota, Ayumu Kuo; Screenplay: Takeshi Konota, Ayumu Kuo; Character Design: Chisato Kawaguchi; Chief Animation Director: Chisato Kawaguchi, Toshimitsu Kobayashi; Action Animation Director: Yasuhiro Saiki; Prop Design: Tomokazu Sugimura; Art Director: Masaki Mayuzumi; Color Design: Aiko Yamagami; Director of Photography: Shigeki Asakawa; Editor: Yoshiko Kimura; Sound Director: Tooru Nakano; Sound Effects: Eiko Morikawa, Yuki Hayashi; Sound Production: Pony Canyon Enterprises; Music: Natsuna Shibue; Music Production: King Records; Animation Production: Platinum Vision; Production: Devils' Line Production Committee

■ Main Characters

Anzai Yuuki is an investigator with the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Division 5, Team F, who specializes in cases involving "demons." Although he himself has the physical characteristics of a "demon," he has never had a desire to drink blood, and there are many mysteries surrounding his origins.
-Tsukasa Taira is a first-year doctoral student. After being saved by his friend from a demon, he gets to know Anzai and begins to have special feelings for him.
Lee Hansu is a half-human, half-demon with long silver hair and heterochromia. He has no fixed address, appears and disappears unexpectedly, and has an easy-going personality. He always carries human blood with him, so he never becomes violent due to his desire to drink blood.

■Subtitle

・Line.1/Dark Side (2018/04/08)
・Line.2/Safe House (2018/04/15)
・Line.3/Paradox (2018/04/22)
・Line.4/Monster (2018/04/29)
・Line.5/Plan B (2018/05/06)
・Line.6/Dramatic (2018/05/13)
・Line.7/Chaser (2018/05/20)
・Line.8/Offline (2018/05/27)
・Line.9/Command (2018/06/03)
・Line.10/Ego Defense (2018/06/10)
・Line.11/Ouroboros (2018/06/17)
・Line.12/Devil's Line (2018/06/24)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Period: 1-24
Eclipse
・Lyrics: Noriyasu Agematsu (Elements Garden)
・Composer: Noriyasu Agematsu (Elements Garden)
・Arrangement/Jin Fujima (Elements Garden)
・Song: Shouta Aoi・ED1
・Period: 1-12
・As if it melts softly・Lyrics: Yoshishio・Composition: TSUGE
・Arrangement: TSUGE
・Singer/Miyano Mamoru

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Devil's Line" is a work that skillfully incorporates the fantasy element of vampires, while also being a deep human drama. In particular, the relationship between Anzai Yuuki and Taira Tsukasa symbolizes the boundary between vampires and humans, posing many questions to the viewer. The vampire society and the problems they face are also depicted in detail, providing viewers with deep insight. The anime faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work, while incorporating unique perspectives and direction, making it a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the original work but also by new viewers. In particular, the depictions of the vampires and the action scenes are worth watching and have great visual appeal. In addition, the theme song and background music also liven up the atmosphere of the work, and it has received high praise overall.

■ Recommendation points

"Devil's Line" is a work that skillfully incorporates the fantasy element of vampires, while also being deep as a human drama. In particular, the relationship between Anzai Yuuki and Taira Tsukasa symbolizes the boundary between vampires and humans, and poses many questions to the viewer. The society of vampires and the problems they face are also depicted in detail, providing viewers with deep insight. The anime faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work while incorporating unique perspectives and direction, making it a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of the original work but also by new viewers. In particular, the depictions of the vampires and the action scenes are worth watching and have great visual appeal. In addition, the theme song and background music also liven up the atmosphere of the work, and it has received high praise overall. Recommended points include a story depicting the coexistence of vampires and humans, deep characters, impressive action scenes, and beautiful music. It is especially recommended for those who like vampires and dark fantasy.

Related information

The original manga for "Devils' Line" is serialized in Kodansha's "Morning Two" and is also available in book form. Related goods and soundtracks are also available for sale, making them must-have items for fans. In addition, the latest information and event information is updated regularly on the official SNS and website, so be sure to check them out.