"You haven't changed at all, Akira."
In spite of its violence and overt sexuality, DEVILMAN crybaby has its heartwarming moments.
Warning: Spoilers Off applies to these pages. Proceed at your own risk.
- Borders on Tear Jerker but the bond between Akira and Ryo before all of... that happened shows how much they care about one another. It's nice to see them be openly affectionate, with Akira trying to have Ryo relax and act their age and Ryo being protective of Akira, both before and after he became Devilman.
- Even though they live apart, Akira's parents never stopped thinking of their son, sending him new running shoes on a regular basis and contacting him whenever they can. When Akira's father becomes possessed by the demon Jinmen and devours his mother, she gives Akira the encouragement he needed to slay the demon, even after dying and having her soul absorbed by the demon.
- Kukun's heartfelt rap that he made on the spot for Miko. Throughout the episodes, we learn that she feels inferior to Miki and, even though she cares deeply for her friend, it's obviously hard for her not to feel bitter about it. This makes Kukun's actions all the more sweet and poignant because he tries to form a genuine connection with her that has nothing to do with Miki and attempts to cheer her up. Too bad he decided that going to a Sabbath would be a good idea...
- The relationship between the Makimura family and Akira. He's not related to them by blood but that doesn't stop them from giving him love and affection: Taro obviously adores and respects him, Miki is supportive and caring and the parents treat him as if he was their own child. Akira's parents may not have been around much but they made a really good choice on who they left their beloved son with.
- Miko's Love Confession to Miki in Episode 9. She may have been jealous and bitter over thinking that she could never be as good as Miki but, in the end, she realized that she never truly hated her and what she felt most strongly was love, helping her regain her humanity. It's quite a touching moment and even though it was not meant to last, the second time she declares her love this was met with an enthusiastic response from Miki affirming the same.
- There's a rather astounding moment that stands out even for this series. After Ryo outs Akira to the world and he escapes the Makimura home in his Devilman form, he witnesses a group of humans being stoned by an angry mob. Akira flies down to try and stop the people from being killed and reason with the mob. The people refuse to believe Akira no matter how much he pleads and start throwing whatever they can at him. Akira stretches out his arms to shield the innocent people behind him, asking why they hate and kill each other in an anguished voice, and by then Akira is in tears. The mob jeers and mocks him for crying and continue their assault, but Akira refuses to yield. He stands his ground and takes the punishment, still silently weeping. But then, starting with some children, the mob soon dies down in its hatred. For the briefest of moments, humanity ceased being a hateful race and species and showed love and compassion instead, which for a series like Devilman is AMAZING.
- Juxtaposed with the above scene is Miki reaching out to social media, telling the world at large that the Akira she knows is one of the kindest people she ever met. Most of the replies are hate mail, ranging from questions as to whether she is sane to straight-up death threats, from all over the world in every conceivable language. Then, little by little, comments of support come trickling in, with many going as far as to say "I am a Devilman". Whether these are actual Devilmen or humans whose hearts had not grown hard is not known, but the show of solidarity is nonetheless inspiring.
- Then in the next episode, an entire army of Devilmen gather and pledge their support to Akira, touched by Miki's message. They know that they'll die in the battle — and they don't end up winning — but they're still prepared to defend humanity to the end.
