![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
My favourite parts about Ryo is that he was meant to die. That's not a joke.
When Go Nagai began the Devilman manga, he added the Ryo character just as a catalyst to make Akira into Devilman, and to give the long explanation about demons at the beginning. He was supposed to die at the end of Volume 1. Guess what? He actually does die at the end of Volume 1. It isnt said officially, but the way Akira holds him as if he is really dead, I think he was meant to die here. But Volume 2 swings around and he is alive again. Because in his one Volume of existence, Ryo instantly became the main character of Devilman. Not the protagonist, but the character upon which the story hinges most heavily. That is how good of a character he is!!!
For the first 2 volumes of Devilman Go Nagai was really just making stuff up without an idea of an ending or story structure, that's the reason there is so little foreshadowing or the plot twist, that is the reason that the second half of the story has such impact! The lack of foreshadowing and explanation for things (plus the Bible allusions) are what I think gives Devilman its "modern myth" appeal. And what gives Ryo such duality. He is difficult to describe- he's the original bishounen but he isn't in line with that trope at all, he is the villain and a victim, he is crude and elegant, he is emotional and heartless. He has wonderful sideburns. Everything I love about him!
Long live Ryo Asuka!
When Go Nagai began the Devilman manga, he added the Ryo character just as a catalyst to make Akira into Devilman, and to give the long explanation about demons at the beginning. He was supposed to die at the end of Volume 1. Guess what? He actually does die at the end of Volume 1. It isnt said officially, but the way Akira holds him as if he is really dead, I think he was meant to die here. But Volume 2 swings around and he is alive again. Because in his one Volume of existence, Ryo instantly became the main character of Devilman. Not the protagonist, but the character upon which the story hinges most heavily. That is how good of a character he is!!!
For the first 2 volumes of Devilman Go Nagai was really just making stuff up without an idea of an ending or story structure, that's the reason there is so little foreshadowing or the plot twist, that is the reason that the second half of the story has such impact! The lack of foreshadowing and explanation for things (plus the Bible allusions) are what I think gives Devilman its "modern myth" appeal. And what gives Ryo such duality. He is difficult to describe- he's the original bishounen but he isn't in line with that trope at all, he is the villain and a victim, he is crude and elegant, he is emotional and heartless. He has wonderful sideburns. Everything I love about him!
Long live Ryo Asuka!
