Devil May Cry episode six from Netflix gives us some crucial backstory. Pain begets determination. We finally get to see what caused Mary to be so antagonistic towards demons. Yes, the attack at the subway was traumatizing, but the corruption of her father clearly had more of an impact. We also get the backstory for White Rabbit.
Turns out he’s a human who was adopted by demons. That’s an interesting twist. And it shows that his indifference towards humanity’s potential suffering if he succeeds is born from humanity’s indifference towards him. That should be a lesson for us all. Be nice to people because you never know who’s going to try and bring about the apocalypse while wearing a bunny costume.
The Most Stylistically Interesting Episode of Devil May Cry
The animators and sound designers should be praised. So much was conveyed in this episode without a word spoken. Having an episode that is almost completely lacking in dialogue forces the audience to observe more than they would normally, which can lead to a strong emotional connection to the work. While I wouldn’t necessarily want multiple episodes like this, one a season would be acceptable.
As for the artwork, the differences in animation between Earth and Makai created an interesting contrast. It goes to show that Mary, despite her ignorance, has a stronger sense of reality than White Rabbit, who has escaped into a childish delusion. She’s more willing to see things as they are. This bodes well for her character arc.
Savior vs. Defender
This is how Mary and White Rabbit see themselves. White Rabbit is determined to lead his family to salvation, whereas Mary wants to protect others from having to experience the trauma she endured. Both are trying to do good. Unfortunately, circumstances have put them on opposite sides.
The very thing Mary is trying to protect people from is what White Rabbit is trying to save. True, the refugees that White Rabbit brings over aren’t necessarily evil, but Mary doesn’t know that. All she’s experienced are dangerous demons who try to do harm to innocent people. There was, potentially, a chance for an open dialogue. And then a giant monster appeared, and that all went out the window.
I’d like to say that if Mary had kept her cool things could have worked out differently but, we all know that’s not true. Even if she had managed to keep her group from killing the refugees, Baines wouldn’t have been open to starting a dialogue and would have ordered them killed anyway. This doesn’t excuse Mary’s action, of course. Just makes them somewhat irrelevant.
Even in Hardship, There Is Joy
Both Mary and White Rabbit have traumatic childhoods. Witnessing her father’s descent into madness, her mother’s death, and her father’s demise clearly left deep wounds that she still hasn’t recovered from. Meanwhile, White Rabbit was abused by his foster family, neglected by the State, and eventually wound up trapped in Hell for years.
Despite all of this pain, however, both of them found moments of joy. They still had love and friendship. They both found something worth holding on to. Something that would allow them to endure the hardships they faced. It’s a nice message. Even in the bleakest of times, there is still good in the world. All you have to do is look for it.
