Devil May Cry season 2 review: "This is a new and improved version of what's come before"

Ahead of Devil May Cry's return to Netflix, showrunner Adi Shankar promised that "Season 2 is a vvvvveryyyyy different show." As a fan, your mileage for such a bold statement is going to depend entirely on how you felt about season one.

Critics raved about that first run almost unanimously, present company excluded, with many declaring it to be an audacious love letter to the video games that inspired it. Longtime Capcom lovers were a little more mixed, however, as some didn't appreciate how the show would occasionally sideline or weaken Dante (Johnny Yong Bosch) compared to his regular power level in the games.

Shankar seems acutely aware of this, reassuring fans in the same tweet that Dante will level up this time around: "His skills improve and you’ll see him embrace more of the iconic badassery fans of the game expect."

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Still, that perceived lack of "iconic badassery" didn't stop season one of Devil May Cry from being viewed for over 20 million hours in the first week alone on Netflix. It was no surprise then when that inevitable season two renewal shot into view quicker than anything fired by Ebony or Ivory.

That brings us to where we are now, except things aren't looking so hot for Dante, even with Hell now officially in the picture.

Brothers in arms

The last time we saw the Legendary Devil Hunter, he had been cryogenically frozen by Darkcom, separated from his sword and amulet. The timing couldn't have been worse, not with the President's plan to invade Hell and claim it for America. Oh, and there's also the matter of Dante's long-lost brother, Vergil, suddenly returning to do the work of bad guy King Mundus.

As such, season two really does feel like a "vvvvveryyyyy" different show at first. With Operation Inferno underway, the premiere is a bloody mess, deliberately so, as soldiers fight to colonise the underworld. Lady (Scout Taylor-Compton) takes centre stage here in the brawl that ensues, although it's not long before she's competing for space with Vergil (Robbie Daymond), who's just as cocky as Dante, except he's way more serious about it.

Dante himself is almost nowhere to be seen in the first episode, which is pretty bold for a show that relies so heavily on the charm that the "Wacky WooHoo Pizza Man" brings. In his absence, the flaws of the previous season come even sharper into focus, channeling adolescent urges that feel like a noughties throwback in the worst way possible.

But thankfully, it's not long until Dante does return with a swish of his signature red coat and white mane. As a result, Devil May Cry immediately comes back to life for what turns out to be a new and improved version of what's come before.

Like they did in season one, the animators toy with different styles occasionally, including child-like scribbles and 90s-style anime when the story calls for it, while Dante plays around with quips and weapons alike. It's still corny, of course. Not even Dante can get away with lines like "Don’t write, don’t call… Long distance must be pricey from the demon realm," but way more of the jokes do land this time around.

While the first season tried too hard to convince us of Dante's inherent swag, season two feels much more confident in that respect, trusting in the natural appeal of the character that's done him well in the 25 years since he first air hiked his way onto PS2.

There's a scene early on that captures this best, where Lady and Nell Goldstein, a character from the light novels, watch in awe as Dante flips his pistols into the air, reloading them with the kind of video game physics you'd never see in real life. It's definitely included to remind us that we're supposed to admire Dante for being Dante, but with fewer scenes like this in the episodes that follow, this becomes more of a bridge between the two seasons, segueing into a more mature second outing.

To hell and back

Ok, "mature" might not be quite the right word. Devil May Cry is still silly at points, lacking the sophistication of Shankar's previous efforts like Castlevania and Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix. Yet efforts to ground the action and aura farming really pay off here, thanks in large part to the full introduction of Vergil and what that means for Dante.

Multiple flashbacks dig deeper into the trauma that's embedded within this familial bond, pitting the brothers against each other even as they both continue to mourn the loss of their mother. It's hardly subtle – just look at scenes where child versions of Dante and Vergil play-fight wearing their same signature red and blue colours – but there's an emotional throughline now that carries this show through its weaker moments.

Watching Dante and Vergil argue about who their lost mum loved more is almost as heartbreaking as the picture frame depicting them all together that each episode ends on. Bosch and Daymond bring that dynamic to life with relish, and the rest of the voice acting across the board ably balances the show's often camp dialogue with all the gravitas that apocalyptic demon fighting calls for.

It's not all backflips and severed body parts, though. Perhaps the most joyful moment of the series so far comes with no dialogue at all, set to the Noughties anthem “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne. As Dante says at one point, "We work better with music," and that's true of the show as a whole, which expertly mines noughties nostalgia via Korn and Papa Roach to cheesy yet exhilarating effect.

You won't believe the audacity behind this season's use of Evanescence, especially when the guitars kick in from one of their biggest songs.

In a prior press release, Shankar declared that his mission for season two "was to capture the feeling of a 2000s film franchise entry where the audience can’t predict the next turn." While there are some surprises along the way, many of the story beats are rather predictable, especially when it comes to the lessons that Dante must learn to overcome what's holding him back.

Still, fans who felt season one nerfed our hero will definitely be happier this time around, and the heightened emotional stakes represent a big step up, bringing us a more mature Dante, and therefore a more mature show in the process. Season two is "vvvvveryyyyy different" in all the right ways, although there's still work to do when it comes to the somewhat inevitable third season that's probably shooting our way sooner rather than later.

Devil May Cry season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. For more check out our list of upcoming video game movies and shows, or fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best shows on Netflix.