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Devilman manga was first produced in 1972. It spanned 5 volumes and 1352 pages. This extremely violent manga with a story stood out and was an instantaneous hit. The manga was so popular that it became its own anime series in that same year. The television series aired from July 1972 to March 1973.

Two Devilman OAVs were released (1987 and 1990) that contained more violence than the TV censors from 1972 would allow. They cover the origin of Devilman as well as his epic battle with Siren. Except for a few minor details, they are faithful to the classic manga.

The story is brilliant. It's not hard to see why Go Nagai considers this his life's work. Often times, you see the effect of conflict on the most innocent of people. You also see that life is difficult for Akira, especially now that he's got Amon's power. As with most of Go Nagai's works, Devilman was a target of protest by the PTA.

The main character of Devilman is Akira Fudo. Akira is rather timid and tries to avoid conflict. He lives with his childhood friend, Miki Makimura, since his parents are away on business. She likes him, but finds it difficult to confess her love to someone so reserved. Ryo Asuka is a cool guy that Akira has known for a while.

Akira's life changes after Ryo tells him about the existence of demons. Ryo tells Akira to wear a demonic mask and it gives him visions of the way the world that demons ruled. The only way to beat a demon is to become one. Since Akira's soul is pure, he might be able to control any demon that tries to possess him.

Ryo takes Akira to a satanic nightclub. Ryo randomly attacks the people in the club to attract demons. Various clubbers turn into demons and Akira is possessed by Amon, the Lord of War. Devilman is born.

Devilman is a force that fights against the demons in order to save mankind. He finds himself pitted against the hordes of demons under the control of Lord Zenon, but later he finds out that there is a greater force behind Zenon ... Satan. Devilman ends after a clash between Satan and Devilman in Armageddon. The epic story does not end there. Violence Jack takes place after the events in Devilman.