The Boys Presents: Diabolical Early Review

The Boys is arguably one of the wildest series on television and a celebration of excess. It’s amazing what it has gotten away with thus far, though being on a streaming platform definitely helps, but imagine what it could get away with when animated. With animation, the possibilities are endless as the medium allows for more freedom creatively. When it comes to The Boys Presents: Diabolical, an animated spin-off short anthology series set in the world of The Boys. Though it may seem different on the surface, it still very much has the same edge. An anthology in more than just story, each of the season’s eight episodes employ a different animation style and different writing and directing teams, each spanning multiple genres. That being said, just like the main series, this one will also not be for everyone, boasting that same level of violence and profanity. Running at roughly 15 minutes per episode, the season is a quick watch with some arguably faring better than others. In the end, there is a consistency among the whole season that was commendable.

For those wondering if they should watch the original series before this one, that answer is not necessarily for the most part. Some episodes do add some context to certain characters. The Boys Presents: Diabolical has something to offer for everyone as it’s clear to see the vision of each writer and director. Just like the original series, episodes range from action, comedy, drama, and anywhere in between. The better episodes tended to be the most unhinged but there were still some nice surprises to be had, without giving too much away. Perhaps taking the adage of leaving fans wanting more to heart, the short running times were appropriate for the plots of certain episodes while others could have used more time, either for development or simply for finishing too abruptly. Most of the episodes would have been better served under a longer format.

Nevertheless, for a series of animated shorts, the production value was still very high across all the animation styles used over the course of the season. Going from a classic and modern approach, to a comic book style, and a cartoonish and traditional anime style, each episode was beautiful to look at as each style matched each plot, speaking to the level of collaboration between the respective writers, directors, and animators. Some will tug the heartstrings while others will have viewers fall out of their chairs laughing. Meanwhile, despite the different styles, what they all had in common was plenty of over-the-top violence which was only fitting.

The voice acting was also on point across the board with each episode having their own casts for the most part. Some actors from the original series make appearances but the new cast were also impressive. Episode 7 in particular was a standout while episode 8 will make viewers appreciate the original series even more. 

At the end of the day, The Boys Presents: Diabolical is a fun watch and a promising and inventive expansion of the world of The Boys. The potential is there for even more compelling stories granted it could attract that same level of collaboration. We are so ready for The Boys to come back.

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.