A little over a year since the series premiered on Netflix, Devil May Cry returns to the platform this month with a sophomore season poised to take things to a whole new level. Based on Camcom’s video game franchise of the same name, Adi Shankar’s adult animated urban fantasy action series uses the games as a springboard to create its own distinct narrative, with an overtly political message. Devil May Cry: Season 2 sets up a long-awaited confrontation between Dante (Johnny Yong Bosch) and his twin brother, Vergil (Robbie Daymond), all while new foes take center stage in a brutal brawl between the American military and Mundus (Ray Chase)’s demon realm.

DEVIL MAY CRY SEASON 2: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? 

Opening Shot: Lady sits before a cryogenically frozen Dante and wishes she could catch him up on their ever-changing world, but can’t linger because she has a war to end. The fight between mankind and demons is about to reach a whole new level, and Lady seems to hold humanity’s fate in her hands.

The Gist: At the end of Season 1, Dark Realm Command (DARKCOM) lieutenant Mary Ann Arkham, aka Lady (Scout Taylor-Compton), betrayed half-human, half-devil demon hunter Dante (Johnny Yong Bosch) by helping the U.S. government capture and freeze him. Now, under the command of the fanatically religious DARKCOM commander, U.S. Vice President William Baines (Ian James Corlett), the American military attempts to destroy Hell by launching a full-scale attack on the demon realm. The true puppet master here, however, is DARKCOM founder Arius Von Enhrenberg (Graham McTavish), whose massive wealth, sharp mind, and aid from a demonic double-agent called Jester (Ray Chase) help him pull out all the stops to have Lady successfully steal the powerful ancient Arcana Chalice artifact from the throne room of the cruel demon king, Mundus (Ray Chase). With this Chalice, Arius now possesses all four pieces of the Arcana weapon that he claims is the only thing capable of destroying Mundus.

Lady is disturbed to realize that Arius and Baines sacrificed thousands of American troops as mere cannon fodder and diversions so she could steal the Chalice, leading her to grow increasingly disillusioned with DARKCOM as she realizes that Dante was right about its dark true nature. Unfortunately, Arius continues to hold all the cards, including a potentially life-altering secret about Lady’s father. He promotes Lady to give her the illusion of autonomy to push her towards inadvertently sending Dante on a collision course with his twin brother, Vergil (Robbie Daymond). Once presumed dead in the Uroboros-incited attack that killed his mother, Vergil has been “saved” and reshaped by Mundus as his devoted right-hand man/demon. Determined to serve his Lord Mundus, Vergil takes Arius’s bait as he enters the human realm to retrieve the Arcana, setting up a reunion of Sparda’s sons with expectations of a volatile, world-altering outcome.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Devil May Cry: Season 2 continues to carry the political message and graphic violence reminiscent of The Boys and Invincible. You may also be reminded of other animated action titles like Castlevania, Hellsing, Trigun, and, of course, the original 2007 adaptation Devil May Cry: The Animated Series.

Our Take: After looking into the fan responses towards Season 1, Devil May Cry is much more controversial than I could have imagined. Many lovers of the video game seem to hate the series for its character choices, exposition-heavy writing, and sometimes ham-fisted political allegories. The more generous DMC gamers seemed to give this series a pass as a non-canon alternate universe, but generally, there seems to be a sense of betrayal and anger when it comes to Adi Shankar’s direction and decisions. If you’re a diehard fan of the game, then no matter what the show does in Season 2 or beyond, it probably won’t win you over, and you’re better off not engaging with this series at all.

However, if you’re like me and have never played the Devil May Cry games, you may very well enjoy this series for what it is. When they aren’t using CGI, the animation looks great, with arresting action sequences full of movement and visceral visuals. The references to God, politics, and American exceptionalism are never subtle, but to me, they do add an interesting layer to the drama at times, or at the very least provide a reason for why humans want to fight demons in the first place. After watching Season 1, I felt that Season 2 was already better from the first episode, thanks to Lady’s character growth, some elevated writing, and intriguing new characters. Some may say these things had a low bar to clear, but improvement is still improvement, so why not just shut your brain off and enjoy?

Performance Worth Watching: The first episode shows that Lady has clearly grown a lot from the angsty, mostly unlikable, cussing machine she was in Season 1, and I sincerely hope she continues to deliver epic action, personal growth, and redemptive moments throughout the rest of Season 2.

Sex And Skin: No sex or skin in this episode, but plenty of gory violence

Parting Shot: Lady once again sits before Dante’s cryogenic chamber, this time fondly recalling the Season 1 finale moment where he suggested she join him on his journey to reclaim his mother’s amulet, working together as a dynamic duo. She puts her face in her hands, clearly regretting betraying him, before looking back up, appearing determined and ready to take action.

Sleeper Star: Vergil is immediately an intriguing character who makes you want to keep watching to learn more about him and his backstory.

Most Pilot-y Line: College football player turned DARKCOM soldier, Tom Remington Jr. (John Omohundro), certainly causes a bit of cringeing when he boasts, “Ha, gotcha, you demon-blooded bitch. The devil ain’t got shit on Uncle Sam!” … Only to get his butt kicked by Vergil shortly thereafter.

Our Call: If you’re a fan of the video game franchise, then you’ll likely want to skip this series just on principle, but if you’re new to the world of Devil May Cry or a returning Season 1 viewer who loves exciting action and doesn’t mind a slightly underwhelming plot, then give Season 2 a shot and STREAM IT.

Maddy Casale is a Chicago-based writer and comedian who covers everything from animated series to Hallmark movies. Follow her on Duolingo @MCasale.