However, the dub is not without its points of friction for purists. The show’s names are anglicized (Ryo’s pronunciation of “Akira” becomes harder, less fluid), and some of the poetic, almost biblical cadence of the original Japanese is lost in favor of more direct, punchy lines. Furthermore, the sheer speed of Yuasa’s animation means that sometimes the English actors have to cram syllables into tight mouth flaps, leading to moments that feel slightly rushed compared to the original’s natural pacing.
Griffin Puatu as Akira Fudo gives a career-defining performance. He masterfully walks the line between gentle, crybaby weakness and monstrous, sorrowful strength. His transformation is not just physical; Puatu’s voice shifts from a soft, hesitant tenor to a guttural, pained roar during his Devilman battles. Crucially, he nails Akira’s defining trait: his tears. When Akira cries, Puatu’s voice cracks with genuine, unforced vulnerability, making the character’s innate humanity believable even as he rips demons apart with his bare hands.
In the landscape of modern anime, few shows have landed with the visceral, gut-punch force of Masaaki Yuasa’s Devilman: Crybaby (2018). An adaptation of Go Nagai’s seminal, ultra-violent 1972 manga, the show is a torrent of sex, gore, body horror, and profound despair, all wrapped in a uniquely fluid, expressionistic art style. For English-speaking audiences, the choice between subtitles and dubbing is often a matter of personal preference. However, Devilman: Crybaby ’s English dub is not merely a functional translation; it is a surprisingly effective and essential re-interpretation that captures the raw, operatic agony of the original while making its chaotic rhythm accessible to a Western ear. Devilman- Crybaby -Dub-
Ultimately, the English dub of Devilman: Crybaby is not a replacement for the original; it is a parallel performance. It recognizes that the show’s core themes—the pain of empathy, the terror of the other, and the tragedy of love in an inhuman world—are universal. By investing in a passionate, skilled, and emotionally vulnerable cast, the dub achieves the highest goal of localisation: it makes the story hurt just as much in English as it did in Japanese. For a first-time viewer overwhelmed by the show’s intensity, or a returning fan looking to appreciate the raw vocal talent, the dub offers a terrifying, beautiful, and deeply helpful way to hear the cry of the devil.
Despite these minor flaws, the Devilman: Crybaby dub is a powerful achievement. Why? Because it allows a viewer to look at the screen without being chained to the bottom of it. This is crucial for a show where the visuals are the primary storytelling vehicle. The haunting, fluid demon designs, the shocking stillness of a character’s death, the abstract, trippy rave sequences—these require your full visual attention. A good dub frees your eyes to witness Yuasa’s artistic chaos without missing a beat of emotional context. However, the dub is not without its points
The true test, however, is Ryo Asuka. Kyle McCarley, known for more stoic roles like Mob in Mob Psycho 100 , takes the character on a terrifying arc. He begins with a cold, rational, almost clinical tone—a strategist who sees people as pieces on a board. But as Ryo’s god complex shatters into the revelation of his true identity as the angel Satan, McCarley’s performance fractures beautifully. His final, anguished scream of Akira’s name is not a mimicry of the Japanese version; it is an equally devastating, uniquely American take on cosmic regret. It is a performance that understands Ryo’s tragedy: that his love was always real, but his methodology was monstrous.
The first hurdle for any dub of Devilman: Crybaby is the sheer, relentless energy of the source material. Characters don’t just speak; they scream, sob, whisper, and pant over a thumping electronic score by Kensuke Ushio. The Japanese cast, led by the legendary Kōki Uchiyama as Akira and Ayumu Murase as the devilish Ryo, delivers a performance of frantic, raw emotion. A lesser dub might have sounded stiff or mismatched. However, the English voice cast, directed by Michael Sinterniklaas (a veteran of One Piece and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure ), meets this challenge head-on. Griffin Puatu as Akira Fudo gives a career-defining
The dub also excels in its localization of the show’s infamous supporting characters. Kiko (Miki’s rival) and the rap duo Miko & Taro speak in a colloquial, often profane street slang that feels organic rather than forced. This choice is critical. Devilman: Crybaby is a story about the primal, ugly nature of humanity—our fears, our sexual desires, and our capacity for mob violence. The English script does not sanitize this. The dialogue in the infamous “Sabbath” party or the final, devastating massacre at Miki’s school is sharp, brutal, and uncomfortably modern. It translates the show’s central thesis—that humans are the real monsters—directly into the vernacular of contemporary fear.