Go Nagai: In the long period of 26 years [1972] from when it was first serialized to the present [1998], the main reason so many people support this [Devilman] as my masterpiece must be, this work shows a different face of society, taking antisocial elements in, with a firm grasp of true intentions, flip sides, and inconsistencies, right? This might not be exactly right, but as for the truth, I think the reason I draw is to depict things beyond their face value. Rather than the bright side of things, the dark side. Devilman is the symbol of that dark side.
Doesn’t japanese society revolve around the constant hiding of unpleasantries? Though occasionally things might take the form of a crime, most of the time the usual is that there are shady things you never see. But nowadays, the accepted norm is to not be normal. Like that shady side is appearing on the surface... Taking that sort of sensibility, there might also be people reading with the expectation of encountering that darkness.
Lately, it seems that there are a lot of people who go into the world of Devilman for the cool characters. Those kinds of people are expecting “gasthly” things from Devilman. And, that’s exactly the way the original manga reads. So those kinds of people get right into it. They must be attracted to the outlaw-like qualities. It could be that they seek out a world more violent than your everyday world.
Looking back on human history, there are wars and such with that level of brutality. As time passes on, people who support war still emerge in societies. This sort of thing causes history to repeat. It might be peaceful now, but that doesn’t keep us from getting dragged into things. Right now, there’s a feeling like we’re approaching that kind of era. Little by little, we’re growing nearer to the world of darkness. People should read Devilman as preparation for living above this era, especially since there are times when men can’t follow change. It’s that I want Devilman to live on as food for thought.
Is not that I want such an era. Everyone, if it’s avoidable, I want to say for us to avoid it *laughs*. I just want Devilman to be read with that kind of consideration. – (x)
