Did a HRtP lunatic Makai route no bombs test run.
As I imagined, the late stages are absolutely horrible for scoring, and not any easier to survive on than their Jigoku equivalents. If anything, harder. Also, Makai 19 gave me what, two lives for perfecting it - yes, comboing every single panel on the level gives you considerably less than a half-assed Jigoku 19.
13 continues, 11 vs. Sariel - and that's after watching Donut's video and realizing that her second form is a joke, and learning how to do her shooting star phase, and understanding how to survive the sweeping bullet curtain when it comes to the corner you're on, etc, etc, fffffff Sariel.