Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

After watching this series for a second time, I can confidently say this anime deserves a 9/10. Some people cringe when they hear the term "arc based" but the was darker than black goes about executing its arcs, (each of them being only 2 eps long) will have you glued to the screen. Characters develop every so slightly after each subplot and subsequently come together to end the series. The concept of contractors and dolls is wonderful in my opinion the one gripe i have with the series is that they never explain why they came into being. the "gates" just suddenly appeared, but if you dont mind staying in the dark about that the rest of the series is solid. i've heard people complaining about the ending too, that it was abrupt and rushed. I'll admit it might have been a little rushed yet the actual ending to the story satisfied me completely. There isn't much here as far as romance goes, but there are a few relationships portrayed in the anime they don't really take them anywhere. That aside, you dont go pick up a series titled "darker than black" and expect to see honey x clover all over again. Musically this show is awesome, the background music fits so well it spices up almost every scene in fact I'm downloading the OST at the moment. Moving on to the characters, i think theyre wonderful, initially you feel distanced from all of them as if you're simply watching everything go on from a security camera, and you'll probably end up hating some of them *cough hwang *cough* but its easier to sympathize when u learn more about them. I love the way hei changes from "deadly assassin" to "helpless exchange student" in the blink of an eye, i know the concept of heroes with masks is overused, but trust me hes not just another peter parker. That about wraps it up, now get watching !!!

Using my rating system: Style - Brilliant. This show was extremely stylistic. The character designs and art was amazing. The animation was well done, the choreographic sequences well thought out. 3 out of 3 for this. Character - Very good but not quite perfect. Character development was one of the strongest points of Darker Than Black. In the first season there was character development in almost every episode, albeit most of them centering around disposable characters who were either immediately killed off or sent away. The last episode was a nice touch in that it brought back all of the dead or gone characters and gave all of them something to say, and what they said was in character as well. In particular, Huang's development from someone who despises contractors for killing his best friend into someone who sacrifices his life for contractors after learning the truth about his former best friend was very nicely done. However, we don't really learn all that much about the main character, Hei. All we know is that he loves his sister and hates Contractors. It would have been better if the series focused more on Hei, rather than one-shot characters. So overall a 3 out of 4 for lack of character focus. Story - This is where the anime falls short. The story is actually quite nonsensical. So-called "Gates" appear out of nowhere, along with Contractors. None of this makes any sense and no attempt is made to explain this. There are vague references to particle physics but I think that only serves to increase the confusion even further. In summary - people randomly gain superpowers along with the power to suppress their feelings, but these people will all disappear when a certain natural artifact is destroyed. Hei prevents that artifact from being destroyed, thus saving the Contractors from extermination. Then there's the deal about Amber being the first contractor and the meteor shard being able to grant any wish inside the Gate...you know what, nothing makes any sense. 0 out of 3. Overall 6out of 10, dropped 3 points due to lack of character focus and nonsensical plot.

What do you get when you cross the X-men with anime? You get Darker than Black, an interesting little story about super powered humans and their never ending war against humans. Is it any good? Let's find out. Story: Super powered humans known as 'contractors' are wreaking havoc and have been for quite some time in Tokyo. Each of these "contractors" have a unique super power that they use for their own personal gain. These contractors are presented in an interesting manner and the story behind them is the Anime's main story. Talking about it without spoiling anything is near impossible, but I will say it is an intriguing tale that unfolds rather nicely and at a brisk pace. 10/10 Art: Stiff and limited animation combined with some "been there, done that" art give the series a bland look. The characters themselves are well drawn/designed but not much can be said about their bland city scapes. The fight scenes look nice, though. 6/10 Sound: Some electric guitar riffs and the ocassional classical score set the mood here. The voice acting is very good, but the actors don't have much to work with, since the lines are delivered in a deliberately stoic way. The english dub is by far one of the best dubs I've heard along with one of the catchiest theme songs (Howling by Abignon Boys School). The one used after the season's half way mark (A song by Ane Cafe) is pretty catchy, but the first one personified the series better. 9/10 Character: Some well designed albeit stoic characters drive the story forward. The characters here are very interesting, well developed and entertaining. Each of the contractor's special powers helps to personify them very well as well as the "payment" they have to make after using their powers. 10/10 Overall: 8.8/10 PERSONAL REVIEW: Here's where I write my shamelessly biased opinion: This anime is great. I mean GREAT. It is one of the best animes I have seen. A friend of mine recommended it to me and my expectations going into it were lower than low. I watched it with a scowl on my face but I was quickly won over by this show. The characters were what really got me. They are deep, interesting and very entertaining. The main character (Hei) is a very intriguing person which is developed quite nicely throughout the series. The story is also great. It's mysterious and well paced. Most Animes pace their stories very very slowly, but Darker than Black manages to keep things moving without much filler. It's not a funny show in the least, but midway through we're introduced to a detective and his obnoxious little wench assistant. The detective serves as good comic relief since his story is interesting and he's a good character, but the little pink haired she-troll is cringe inducing. My verdict: Watch this. Seriously WATCH THIS SHOW. But DON'T watch its second season. It's horrible. Personal score: 10/10

Well I just finished Darker than Black and enjoyed the series quite a bit, although I was a bit disappointed at the ending. Story wise it is solid, although like many animes, the intensity does not pick up until half way through the episodes, with the main plot taking a backseat to side plots. However, this was not entirely a bad thing, as I feel the main strength of this anime was in the characters and their individual stories. The action in this anime is solid as well, with many stealth, infiltration and fighting scenes throughout the anime, and the art is well drawn, if not spectacular. The music in it is good too, integrated well in scenes throughout the episodes. I recommend this to people who like action, mystery plots that also have a touch magical power to it. Animes I have watched that are most similar to Darker than Black are probably Ghost in the Shell and Trinity Blood. Overall i give it an 8/10!

Main This is one very well put together anime that caters to the viewer on several levels: aesthetically, intellectually and philosophically. I'm not sure how such a great series like this manage to fly under my radar or not manage to get much media attention but I actually stumbled across this series on one of those video websites like, YouTube or Stage6. But as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be a good one...and then read the reviews about it which confirmed it. And I too would most definitely recommend it to anyone who was interested in this show or to anyone who would like to watch a really awesome anime that delivers the perfect combination of lots of action, intrigue and humor. Art-Style I liked the way this series looked. Everything about it was just so very neatly drawn and clear and clean-cut looking. When it was sunny, it was sunny and nice, when it was gloomy...it was gloomy and nice. A lot of splendid artwork was done throughout this show, from the people/characters to the various cars driven to a lot of the city scenes and horizonscapes and even the night sky, which is integral to the story. The animation was done by one of the many, many mega-anime companies [that I have a hard time keeping track of] so the art is virtually flawless. This is an action oriented series so there are a lot of fight scenes....some with a lot of quick, intricate movements for the hand to hand battles and others that are a whole lot more grandiose and breath-taking since they involve using various super powers. Either way, there is no way you will not be impressed by any of these action sequences. There is also considerable gore.....which to me, is what makes anime so great. Sound Unfortunately, the music of both OPs and Eds left me uninspired. It was just horrible......actually inconceivable to use such utterly boring, forgettable, vanilla sounding J-POP music for this series. I can and will never be able to fully express how completely un-befitting that music that was for this show. Had this is a show taken a page out of either Ghost in the Shell's or Cowboy Bebop's book and used either a techno or jazz and blues music format, it would have been awesome, and the series would have been perfect. Actually, if the viewer listens closely to a few of the BGM tracks playing throughout some of the action scenes, you'll hear some jazz reminiscent of Bebop. Story This story is probably one of the most original and by far most awesome I have come across in a while! Many have said that it is not and that it has copied some American TV shows or X-Men which is preposterous since animes have always dealt with themes involving super powers and the only thing I see similar to X-Men is that they both have a black female who can manipulate the weather. Either way I rarely watch American TV and I loved X-Men, so to me this show was simply kick-a__! Darker than Black is one of those shows that does not have just one simple story, it's more than just about one young man's journey to find his missing kid sister. There are several layers and story lines to this series and even greater more diabolical plot beyond those... and it's all done so very well. Anyone could walk away from this show drawing from it any number of satisfactory conclusions. So there is a lot more to this anime just having a cool sounding title because it is one of the rare few animes that have successfully combined the philosophic and intellectual nature of a Ghost in the Shell with the emotional artistry of a Cowboy Bebop. Cast/Characters Character design was very good, it stayed within what I call “traditional” anime format which is: large even-spaced eyes, pointy chin, glossy spiky hair. I prefer anime characters to stay along that line. Tho there were quite a few that were a bit different but still nice to look at and what I would consider attractively drawn by anime standards like, Huang or the crotchety old landlady or the fat opera singer lady of destruction. Yes, they were all very attractively drawn. I also think each of the personalities of the characters were done very well, [very good voice acting!] backgrounds and profiles were given the opportunity of fully develop. Some of the personalities you'll instantly like while others will grow on you over time even the people who you think are bad guys are really somewhat OK and likable or at least you'll find sympathetic. Worth it or NOT? A totally awesome show! Don't let this one pass you by! Even if it didn't get a lot of press time like a bunch of the other animes, even if this doesn't get played on any TV Networks like, C/N's Adult Swim, this doesn't mean the show was not good....it's probably due to the violence and gore. And even if you've seen a thousand X-Mens and X-Men-like shows, you should still watch this one because it's cooler, has more humanist elements, has gore, more philosophical....and because it's anime.

I'll keep this brief and short. This show redefined what anime was to me when I first watched it. This show really opened up the idea of what the medium could be, as a mature thought provoking medium. The characters I adored, the story and world were mysterious. The dub for this show was utterly fantastic, even though I almost exclusively watched subs. It's not perfect, it contains many flaws, but overall the package to me exceeds those flaws by some and then more. This show is not for everyone, especially these days, but it is my favorite of all time and will remain so.

"If you pretend to feel a certain way, the feeling can become genuine all by accident." A Review of "Darker Than BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha": I gave this show a lot of flack when I began watching it. In essence, the show bored me. Darker Than BLACK is not a show one goes into planning to watch an episode or two every couple days. In all honesty, the best way to watch this show and get the most enjoyment out of it would probably be to binge watch the entirety of it in a day or two. However, despite the many flaws that Darker Than BLACK has, my opinion of it has changed drastically since I started it. Darker Than BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha (or Darker Than BLACK: The Black Contractor) follows the struggles of Hei, a human with supernatural abilities that put him under the label of 'Contractor'. Contractos are basically humans with super powers who are hired by other people or organizations to perform dangerous tasks, which more likely than not means killing someone. There are a lot of elements of mystery in this show such as 'where did these powers come from?' and 'how do random everyday citizens deal with these contractors?'. Unfortunately, this is Darker Than BLACK's downfall. The shows spends so much time trying to promote this feeling of mystery and a dark mood that is completely forgets to explain anything well enough to be full comprehended. For example, the main portagonist's ability isn't even fully explained until several episodes into the show, which is after we've seen him use said ability many times. There's just so much in this show that is left unexplained or not fullt flushed out that it makes the viewer feel stupid, as if they missed something very obvious, and I really don't like that. However, one thing I will give the show props for is having mini-arcs that take up 2 episodes each (3 for the final mini-arc). It's really nice knowing that not only will the arc be more flushed out than one crammed into a single episode, but it also allows you to plan your watching of the show easier so you don't need to worry about excessive cliffhangers. I would like to say the characters are the force that drive this show, but that wouldn't be completely true. Instead I'll say that the force driving the show are the SUPPORTING characters, which is not something said often and not something I'm entirely sure is a good thing. The supporting cast changes almost every mini-arc, but it works out because their stories are very flushed out in the two episodes that the appear in, so there isn't much need for more development. The problem in this show exists with the main characters. It's not that they are porrly done or that they're bad characters as a whole, because they simply aren't. The issue is that they receive far less development and have less of an impact on the story than many of the supporting characters. In fact, for the first several arcs, Hei feels like a supporting role in his own show, like a vigilante who just sort of appears when called upon. This doesn't apply to all main roles, however, as the characters of Misaki and Huang actually get backstory episodes and do experience good development. So if story and characters don't make a show, one must rely on sound and animation. And luckily, Darker Than BLACK handles these exteremely well. Starting with the openings, both "Howling" and "Kakusei Heroism: The Hero Without a Name" are very energetic themes that make you excited to watch the show, and for me were the driving forces to continue the show at some lower points towards the show's start. The soundtrack is good elsewhere too, and while there aren't really any tracks that specifically stick out to me, they did their part of making the show enjoyable to watch. For animation, this is what I believe to be the high point of the show. There are many actions scenes related to the superpowers of various contractors, and they are all done amazingly. I also like how the show sticks to it's title and uses a very dark color palette. It adds a lot to the atmosphere and makes the viewing experience all the more surreal All in all, should you watch Darker Than BLACK? Well...it depends. Lots of things aren't explained until at least halfway throught he series and even then aren't explained to their fullest potential. As stated before, this show did turn itself around from the dullness of the beginning few arcs, but it took almost too long to get there. If you intend to watch this show, try your best to binge it, because that is how I think you will enjoy this show to it's fullest potential. Positives: +Opening themes are both entertaining to listen to and fit the show very well +Episodes divided into 2-episode mini-arcs +Supporting cast is very well done and make each mini-arc worth watching +The soundtrack is very fitting +The animation is handled perfectly, especially during action sequences +Very interesting story and concept +Nice, fitting ending Negatives: -Nothing is explained until at least halfway through the show and -because of this, the beginning feels very slow and tedious -Main characters aren't really that great most of the time -Pacing. Pacing. Pacing -Everybody dies (obviously an exaggeration, but don't get too attached to anyone) So, Darker Than BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha did a 180 on me. I definitely started out disliking this show greatly and it frankly bored me. However, after giving it more time to develop after the halfway point, it showed that is was a very competent series with an intriguing story and a variety of good characters. With solid animation and sound throughout, I can now definitely recommend this show, as long as you are willing to give it a chance to grow on you, as opposed to going in expecting to be instantly wowed. And that's why Darker Than BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha gets a 7 out of 10.

Darker Than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha is like a chocolate box, but not for the reasons you think. You watch episodes after episodes knowing that you should stop there but continue because you want to empty the box. The anime isn't "bad" itself, I would have not given it a 7/10 otherwise but .. There is absolutely no happiness in this anime, but I won't say there's sadness too : The story is like an empty shell, and every aspects of the anime is like this. It feels like there's a lack of everything, nothing's finished. The story lacks of relevant passages. Characters have no personalities even if some aspects of the anime are around this, you don't find the characters cool (or bad-ass or cute or whatever you want/like) because everytime something "breaks". It is like everything is 85-90% completed ; but what's missing is the most important. Art is correct and Sound is as good as it is bad; sometimes you just wonder why that kind of music is playing. I watched it entirely because I wanted to see the end, I even watched OVAs and season2 but that's for an other reason ; different approach on characters. I rated it 7 'cause despite of everything I said, things matches. It is not like a deep story ruined by characters or charismatic characters lost in a non-sense story. I got an average enjoyment of this anime, maybe pulled to the top by unrelated-to-story passages.

More dystopian future... Yes please! In terms of story this anime is worth a watch, because even though it does have some of the stereotypical elements for this genre of anime it has a twist of mystery to it that lends to a somewhat unique strength, and weakness. The fact that mystery is tied in to the story makes it somewhat difficult to immerse oneself in to the story initially, but it also ends up adding an extra dimension to the plot and making it interesting. In terms of interaction with the characters, this mystery is what allows for the further development of the characters as the story progresses, and makes what at first seems like a simple struggle between good and bad into something far more unsure and intriguing. The characters are interesting and relatable, and one of the strengths in the story is the fact that it is able to incorporate an appropriate if not masterful touch of comedy that does not seem out of place. This is one of the few series that makes the plot truly believable and the characters truly human and relatable. There will be emotional connections made with the characters' struggles. In terms of the mood, this anime is exceptionally dark and serious. This is something I have not seen done in a captivating way often, but it is done here. This is anime is for those looking for something serious, dark, and interesting. The only issue is some may need a little patience and perseverance to get into it. Although not high priority, it is a worthwhile watch.

We live in a deterministic world. From the moment we were born, there lay a set of rules waiting for us that outlined the clear distinction between right, and wrong. We have thus grown accustomed to justifying our actions through these predetermined “guidelines”. But what happens when the world one day begins to forget these rules? What becomes of our morals? What becomes right...and what becomes wrong? And more importantly, will there even a distinction between the two? Darker than Black is the end product of a seed that has grown to envelop the entire plot, a seed of which all actions and consequences branch from, and therefore as a result, a seed of which all characters are ultimately intertwined with. That seed, is rationality. More precisely, Darker than Black ponders on the question "is rationality merely an excuse to justify one's actions?" And to answer that question, it had to effectively dance in the flames, while holding a double edged sword. This is because the series takes a very clever, and unique approach when addressing the above question. It begins, by tossing the viewer into a world of confusion, of which behind each character's actions and consequences, there lies no explanation, no motive, no purpose, no emotion. Or so it seems. Rather, certain pieces of information have been purposely left out in order to engage the viewer's own curiosity and imagination. You'll notice that the rationality of much of the opening portions of the series is really up to your own interpretation, and that you’re challenged with the task of determining which rationality from which character is “correct”. This lack of distinction between the “good” and the “bad”, and instead in its presence, the viewer’s interpretation of “rational” and “irrational” is characteristic of Darker than Black, and is also prevalent throughout the plot. So in other words, we can say that Darker than Black withholds certain information key to character development (motives, purpose, background, etc), that otherwise is normally given in other animes, in hopes of engaging us to view the characters and the environment in a much more different perspective. Does it work? Yes, and for two different reasons. First, it’s because as the series progresses, though only slightly as if the creators wish to only offer you a taste of the truth, small details are indeed revealed regarding each character's past and purpose. And what this does, is that it allows the viewer to quickly immerse themselves within a plot of hide and seek, looking for and piecing together the bits of information given one by one. Ultimately, we’re able to better understand the rationality and ideals that each character abide by, and a comparison with the viewer's own interpretation formed during the earlier portions of the series is made. Hence you will find your position behind each character change as the series progresses, and as you begin to understand them better, what may have seemed to be a mindless killer may slowly begin to appear as a soulful figure. This slow journey of “realization” of each character’s true colors is one of the defining factors that makes Darker than Black not only so grasping of one’s attention, but also so memorable. In fact it's quite analogous to how one would eat at a luxurious 3 Michelin Star restaurant. By eating small cuts of a stake slowly rather than eating it whole in one bite, it allows one to better savor the "flavors.” However, the second and more important reason, is that by putting a lesser and slower emphasis on each character in terms of character development, it allows for the series to put a much larger emphasis on the environment. Therefore the characters become only the tools of which a melancholic, sentimental and believable setting is built upon. Consequentially this also gives the series the flexibility to focus on themes such as discrimination, betrayal and self-worth in a much more dark and realistic manner than otherwise would be the case. As opposed to the traditional upbeat, justice oriented mindset often incorporated in comics and some animes, Darker than Black portrays the gloomier truth of how a world actually responds to the introduction of a set of unique individuals with inhuman superpowers. And how aside from chance, there would’ve been nothing that set those individuals apart from you and I. There is no sense of justice, righteousness, or respect. Rather, corruption begins to run high as countries begin the new “arms race.” The individuals themselves slowly become nothing more than the tools of others, given either the option to work for unnamed organizations in hopes of obtaining the slightest essence of purpose, or to wander an aimless life shunned by society as a result of their uniqueness. Many choose the former, and as time goes by, they begin to lose their “human” aspects, degrading emotionally until only their core principles are left. These principles range from honor to love to negligence, and the story progresses through us observing how they contribute to either the downfalls of some, or the triumphs of others. Notice how the story therefore turns into one told through the environment and the interactions of a large base of characters, rather than the personal development of a set few. Plot progression occurs more through us understanding more about the world of Darker than Black and the personalities of its inhabitants, and less through the personal emotional development of the main characters. An unique plot requires an unique story telling method. Now recall earlier of my analogy of the “double edged sword.” That wasn’t meant to simply be an attempt to hide a metaphorical meaning behind a linguistic decoration like the title of the series. Rather quite literally, the anime’s story telling method works both to its benefit as well as to its detriment. After all, there’s a reason why the category “character development” exists in a review. It’s because it brings meaning to the plot. To the climax, the final realizations, the ending itself. By straying away from the traditional method of prioritizing character development, the series failed to state the “reason behind it all”, the “message of the plot” if you will. I felt no magnitude of importance from the final scenes of the series because lack of character development had led to an absence of a feeling of accomplishment for the changes the characters had undergone. Yes, I was shown an unimaginably believable world filled with characters of all personalities. But what am I supposed to conclude and learn from this? That the world is a dark place? That lack of purpose leads to the degradation of oneself? And if so, that’s hardly a worthwhile achievement after a 25 episode series. In the end, Darker than Black was a series who’s compelling story grasped me from the start, but at the same time distanced me with its hollow characters both main and supporting. It felt as of the creators took the goal of creating “mysteriousness” just slightly too far, and ended up with characters that simply lacked substance. Coupled with the lack of character development overall, it ended with an “empty feeling” rather than a satisfied one. Nevertheless however, its creative portrayal led to a game of imagination with my mind, and its dark atmosphere secured its place as an anime that questioned and depicted a world that was both emotionally stimulating and unforgettable.

When I initially watched this as it came out, DtB struck me as a very slick action series with an intriguingly noir main cast. I was a little turned off by the WTF ending and pseudo-astrological techno-conspiracy babble. Recently I discovered several mentions of it on TVTropes, under tropes that I don't recall seeing in the series, so I decided to rewatch it, especially since season II is upcoming. Once again, I'm reminded of how tightly and gracefully choreographed the action is. But this time, I realized that DtB's true forte is in the telling of its characters' stories. The series handles character development with a deft but loving hand, showcasing in very humane ways their longings, inner struggles, losses and nebulous but persistent relationships. If one accepts the technomumble at face-value, as simply a manner of world-building, a stylistic backdrop, then the show becomes a meditation on the larger themes of identity, grief, personhood, redemption and loneliness. In this way, it is similar to Mushishi, in that the mushi simply serve as an excuse to delve into the circumstances and consequences of what are often heartbreakingly human failures. Seen this new light, DtB is really a series worth watching.

Finally, a series that addresses how people with super-powers would be viewed by the government: a threat. STORY: Darker Than Black is a perfect mixture of action, mystery, and superpower fiction. It takes place in a world much like our own, except there was an incident leading to the existence of "Contractors" who are imbued with powers like electrical blasts, possession, freezing, weather, etc. Each contractor must pay a price after using their powers - which can range from fun (like drinking), nothing major (baking), annoying (smoking for a non-smoker), or terrible (drinking the blood of children). The Contractors are also said to be purely rational, although it is difficult to see that 100% the case and one ends up wondering if it is more of an initial manifestation state that is later reinforced by expectation. There are also "Dolls" that are emotion-less telepathic like entities that can monitor Contractors but do not seem to exhibit any personality. The story starts off as a mission-of-the-week type series involving the protagonist who serves a mysterious, seemingly-criminal entity called the Syndicate, but evolves into a Contractors v. Normal main series that is quite enjoyable. The story line is meant to be dark, but not existential bleak dark. Think instead dark but fun. Art: Top notch work by Bones. This studio tends to put out the best stuff. The fight scenes are great! Sound: Great, as it follows the storyline - whether action packed or melancholy perfectly. Character: Almost all of the characters are well developed, not just the protagonist. Even characters that originally seem like a one-note get fleshed out nicely and usually surprisingly. Enjoyment: This is my all-time favorite anime series. In my view it beats everything I've seen. I've been looking for a better anime series, and after watching Geass, Gundam, Eureka 7, Gurren, Phantom, Bebop (saw it before), NGE, and others I have yet to find one. If Bones decides to stop after the OVA's it's currently putting out I'll be bummed. Overall: The best of what anime has to offer, don't miss this one!

Darker Than BLACK, A wonderful show. All in all, it's quite breath-taking. The first few episodes are a little boring, but they're all worth it. After those few first episodes, the show got a bit more intense. Also made everything more interesting. I loved how the creators made every new character relevant the the whole series, instead of the character coming and leaving after some small section. Each character had an important role, and somehow helped the series get the the end. The plot was lovely. It kept going, and there was plenty of action, with the same amount of talking. Not too much of either. The art was fantastic. Everything looked real. When someone walked, it actually looked like they were walking. Not like they were sliding across the street. The sound was just great, too! The background music didn't really seem to be there. The music perfectly fit the scenes, so it seemed like the sound was just coming out of nowhere. The opening songs and ending songs also fit the show. They matched the suspense of each episode. I will never get enough of the DtB Characters. They all had their own distinct personalities. They all looked wonderful. They were all unique in their own way. The only thing that was the same in some characters was in the dolls, which had the same eye shape. My enjoyment was wonderful! I loved the whole series. After each episode, I wanted to continue watching, even if I had to sleep. I didn't want it to end. The only 'flaw' to me was that the ending was a bit unsatisfying and didn't explain the rest of the details that the creators partly mentioned throughout the series. Overall. Darker Than BLACK was magnificent. I loved just about everything about it. Definite re-watch.

Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha falls into the realm of mediocrity, grappling with inconsistencies throughout its run. While the pacing remains steady, allowing for adequate character development, the animation suffers from uneven execution. The action sequences are visually appealing and dynamic; however, the remaining scenes are flat and uninspired, particularly when it comes to poorly animated vehicles that noticeably age the series. The character designs are rather plain, failing to leave a lasting impression. The narrative, while intriguing, builds up to an unsatisfying conclusion that fails to deliver and falls short of expectations. In summary, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha boasts a commendable cast of well developed characters but comes up short in other areas.

Darker than Black can be quickly summarized in two words: electric batman. If that sounds like your kind of show, ignore the rest of this review and watch it. Unfortunately, Darker than Black doesn’t have much to offer besides its action and fighting scenes. The “story” doesn’t kick in until the second half of the show, opting instead to do mini-arcs in the first half. I frequently mention this, but this style of story-telling is terrible. It’s impossible to get invested in characters that are only around for three episodes, and it feels like the world resets every time a mini-arc ends. Why would I care about the tragic death of a character when I’ve only known them for a brief amount of time? It’s practically insulting. The second half is not much better, either, because of how much it meanders. The story is so shrouded in mystery that it is difficult to tell what the goal is. And, unfortunately, mystery is only interesting when there is pay-off, and I can tell you right now that there is virtually no pay-off for anything that happens in this show. You're going to be left extremely unsatisfied and with dozens of unanswered questions. The characters barely develop throughout its two cours, mostly staying completely static. I found the MC to be borderline unlikeable, but I see how he could appeal to some. If I were to suggest how to fix this anime, I would cut the first half of the show entirely. And then I would significantly tighten the focus of the second half. Even then, I think you would need to redo most of the characters to be more developed, unfortunately. Again, if “Electric batman” sounds good to you, go for it. Otherwise, I would potentially stay away.

Critical Review of Darker than black Darker than Black is a show involving people who have abtained superhuman powers from a place called Hell's Gate. The show revolves around a medium-small cast of people which includes a contractor, a doll (also a product of Hell's Gate), a human, and a cat which was a contractor that lost his body. The shows arcs are generally 2-3 episodes long with an underlying main plot which flows throughout. The start of the show is somewhat confusing with an unclear main plot and little to no character introduction. The first scene lends to the idea that the show will revolve around a dark city which has been plunged into a war that many of its people don't understand. As you go along in the first couple of episodes you learn of contractors and their powers as well as their remmumerations which is explained more clearly as the show progresses. As the story continues through its short episodic arcs, the viewer learns more about the individual characters and their unique atributes that seem to make their characters who they are. Although the overall story is sometimes muddled, the way that it is told is very interesting as the world around the characters develops. The generally realistic character design with the darker backdrop of the world that they live in makes for a show with an almost perfect mix of action, suspense, and mystery. It also has points in its story where it breaks from its seriousness and presents a lighter story. The way that this lighthearted arc is set into the story does not seem unnatural and instead gives another side of the characters that cannot be seen if the scenarios they were a part of were always as serious as the story. This anime does a great job of creating meaningful action and adding it into its intricate episodic plot. There is never a moment where the action seems forced and each fight seems fresh. The animation of the action sequences is very well done as a high budget product of Bones studio. Each one of the protagonists contributes to the fighting in their own way and the viewer should never get bored of the fights. The OST does a decent although not amazing job of contributing the artistic appeal of this show. The OST involves many genres of music which seem to be implemented fairly well as you may hear jazz, orchestral, or even rock throughout the show. Some of the drawbacks of this anime is that it is episodic and sometimes difficult to follow. At many points in the anime the main plot is not very clear and there is not really a set goal for its characters or a direction in which they must head. This is fleshed out towards the end of the show but may be hard for a viewer to sit through if he is not interested in any of the characters or artwork. Although this is not necesarrily a drawback, the structure of the show does not revolve around one singular character. Although Hei is often the focus, a two episode arc may switch to another set of characters with little to no influence from someone else. This may set a viewer off if they are interested in only one character as the show makes it a point to give plot to multiple influences. As the story comes into its final 3 episode arc, the previous 22 episodes and their mini arcs tend to come together as the main plot finally reveals itself. All of the mini arcs do their job of presenting characters, scenarios, and background before the final arc pulls together everything that had been revealed prior to the arc and finally focuses on a core plot which revolves around Hei, Yin, Mao, and Amber. Without spoiling, the ending is very symbolic and the rest of the story was merely a lead up of tensions and backdrop for the finale to bring together in a wistful and heavyharted climax. Overall, this receives a 9; if only for its artwork and pure enjoyment. There are some themes although they are not fleshed out very clearly. The characters each have an interesting and unique piece to them and character design receives an 8. The ending brings an otherwise secondary main plot into a riveting ending which garners the overall story a score of 8. This show should be watched by those who enjoy intense action sequences and somewhat dark subtext and plot.

Story: This anime was written and directed by Tensai Okamura who is responsible for animes like Sword Art Online or Soul Eater. The story is inteligent with not so many boring scenes. The story unfolds gradually with us getting to know more of the protagonist's back story from episode to episode. I criticize the detective episodes which I found boring. Main Characters: Heii (BK201) as main protagonist is "emotionless" killer and man who gained contractor powers. I've found him pretty decent , very well made and of course he was really good killer. For these reasons I quickly started to favor him and his back story. Yin , Mao and Huang they are also the main characters of the anime but they just support the main character Hei. Yin is emotionless doll , Mao is contractor without body and Huang is simple human. From these 3 I really started to like Yin in the end. Misaki Kirihara is also one of the main characters but I think of her as Sakura of Naruto XD simply, useless. Animation: Studio Bones showed us that they can make a pretty decent show like it was with Noragami or Fullmetal Alchemist. Animation is fluent and natural even with Heii's spiderman strings :D Music: To be honest I don't remember the ending or opening one day after watching this anime. There is the main problem. The music was shapeless , BUT one of the OTSs ,the total eclipse, was one of the songs that when you hear it ,you've got the goosebumps ,because you know that s**t is about to go down. I know that my english isn't the best but I hope I helped you with your next anime choice. It's my first review so I would be gratefull for your comments and constructive criticizm , good or even bad.

Darker than BLACK is an interesting series brought to us by animation studio BONES. It's also an oddity in anime where the battles are more interesting than the actual show. Read further for my explanation. Unlike most anime, most of Darker than BLACK's episodes are almost entirely two-parters. The plot is usually the following: Hei (in his "college transfer student" Li persona) interacts with people (talking to his apartment neighbors, go shopping, etc.), then talks to Mao, gets a mission from Huang, does it, meets someone, some plot occurs, Yin may/may not show up, and the contractor of the arc dies or gets away. On its own it doesn't sound like much, and you'd be right. Hei is a cool, versatile character, but he's also a bit dull in his Black Reaper. The other leads - stoic doll Yin, grumpy human Huang, and talking cat Mao - fill up the quartet. My personal favorite was Mao, who occasionally lighten the mood with some humorous insight/reactions. Huang's interesting in that he is the only one of the four who is 100% human, but he's often pushed aside amongst the other cast members. Yin's character design stands out quite a bit, and her later character development actually explains quite a bit of her past, more so than I thought the show would. One of Darker than BLACK's biggest strengths/weaknesses is the commitment you're required of the show. If you want to learn more about Hei, Yin, and Huang, you're going to have watch the entire series from beginning to end, since a good chunk of their backstories (save Yin's) aren't revealed until nearly the end. This isn't a bad thing, because it gives you a reason to continue watching the series. At the same time, the show can be a pain in times to sit through; no matter how much I tried, I couldn't get into the main plot of the series. Not only does the focus of Hei and his past jump around to several different views more than I thought was needed, but it's also not very gripping. I found myself more interested in the simpler stories, etc Huang's past relationships, and even the humorous detective Gai and Kiko. I know Hei is the main character, but his past just eats up so much of the time in the series, the other main characters barely get an episode or two about themselves. Mao is brushed off almost completely! This isn't helped by policewoman Misaki's storylines, which are often entangled into (or shown in-between) Hei's missions, which only brings about even more names/terms to remember. It might be confusing at times, but fortunately Darker than BLACK's battles are pretty good, especially the Contractors Hei fights against. Not just their powers, but the fact that each Contractor's abilities come at a price. Some are of them are quite costly, while others are light-hearted and even humorous. (One Contractor has to kiss people upon using her abilities. Yes, I'm not joking.) Sure, most of these powers have been seen in American comic books - X-Men especially - but the Contractors' prices for the use of their powers adds quite a bit of flavor to the series. While Darker than BLACK is many things, one thing it's not is pleasant. Deaths happen periodically, and few of the Contractors introduced in an arc live past it, much less are ever seen again. Even the more light-hearted episodes have their dark turns in them. Except for Mao and some of the daily scenes with Hei dealing with his rowdy apartment neighbors, Darker than BLACK's only other consistent source of humor comes from self-proclaimed "best detective in Japan" Gai Kurasawa and his assistant, the bubbly, pink-haired, anime/manga fantatic Kiko Kayanuma. They clash more than a bit with the typically serious tone of the show, but they also at the same time provide a nice break from the series' drama. As earlier mentioned, the art is pretty solid in Darker than BLACK, courtesy of BONES. The characters are all pretty easy to tell apart with few exceptions, and some designs (like Yin and Amber's) are colorful and quite memorable. The animation isn't stellar, but it never gets embarrassing or awful. The music score by Yoko Kanno perfectly fits the series' mood and never feels out of place, even in the more lighthearted scenes. The Japanese voice acting is pretty standard, with the exception of the late Tomoko Kawakami as Amber. Amber was one of Kawakami's final anime roles before her unfortunate 2011 death, and it's good to know that one of her final anime roles was a very solid one. Darker than Black looks like the kind of thing I would have tried when I was getting into anime. It takes elements familiar to Western geeks - superheroes, spies and syndicates - and colors these concepts with interesting twists and details, adds cool animation and music, and drops it in a weird urban post-apocalypse. It feels like a safe choice for any casual fan

Story 9/10 the reason i gave the story a nine is because there were a few fillers and sometimes the show went a little fast without you comprehending what just happened. but overall i loved the plot Characters 10/10 i loved the way this anime developed its characters. most of them, at first, seemed like horrible characters. like they had no emotions. but as the show progressed you started to understand them better and actually enjoy them. my favorite character in this anime was Hei. he actually progressed the most. Art 10/10 each and every character had its own style in this anime. and by looking at their style of clothing you actually understand their personalities. i loved the way yin dressed. and i was amazed about how much i loved the way Hei looked when he was the black reaper. overall, i loved this anime. but honestly, even though it was excellent, i don't think it needed a second. i started watching the second and was like this is crap. that is why you should just feel satisfied with the ending it gave you in this first season. but hey, that's just my opinion.

Superpowers, noir, action, suspense, and secrets. These are the ingredients to the recipe for Darker Than Black. This anime is undeniably familiar when it comes to it's concepts and some blatant influences, but it's not completely unoriginal, and it's not bad either. Story - 8/10 The story of Darker Than Black is based around Hei, a super-powered agent working for a shady organization known as The Syndicate. The show takes things from here and slowly, very, very slowly, details and opens up the plot, setting, and backstories of characters. This is done in an episodic structure similar to Cowboy Bebop or Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex; with some quality episodes outside of the main plot, but also a little bit of filler too. The central concept of the universe this anime takes place in is Contractors. Years prior to the beginning of the story, a world-changing event occurs and the result was Contractors. These people, not considered human or capable of emotion, have powers that come with a "contract" price to pay every time they are used. This concept is a unique take on super-powers and it becomes something of an event every time you get to see a new Contractor. I mentioned things open up slowly, and it wasn't a problem for me, but it definitely will be for some. You better be ready to pay attention when you're watching Darker Than Black, because all but one episode are two-parters. Lots of stuff is left unexplained for periods of time but when it comes time to get to the details, there is no shame in the time the show takes to get into it. This was something of a drawing point though. The mystery of everything that is going on and wondering about it is part of what makes watching this anime so interesting. Interesting may be the buzz word that goes off in most people's heads often during the course of most episodes. The main complaint I could have with the plot here is that it gets so interesting that I found myself clamoring for a bit more. It was good, but felt like it could have been better at the same time. The last episode leaves lots of things inconclusive, a risky note to end a story on. There are also lots of flashbacks, and it's not always obvious what time the story is taking place. Animation - 9/10 I'm a fan of Bones' animation. This isn't their best work and it may not be the most fitting for the serious tone of the show, but I'll be damned if it isn't high quality. Character design stands out very often, with plenty of unique people to look at and Hei's mask being something that immediately feels iconic upon seeing it. Action scenes are full of breathtaking moments and polished movement flowing through great scenery in a usually dark color palette. All the powers you see bring a nice level of variety to the stuff Bones gets to pull off with the animation and they do get quite creative at times. The only thing to knock with the animation here is the style seems a little unfitting for the tone of the show. For an anime called Darker Than Black, with such a serious tone, I think something apart from the safe standard approach could have paid off big here. Sound - 8/10 Yoko Kanno composed the soundtrack, which is usually all there is to say. This isn't her best work either but it's above average for sure. The opening themes are great, the ending theme is pretty basic, and the bulk of the OST that plays during episodes ranges from decent to amazing. Many of the tunes get repeated like with most anime, and it's for better with some and for worse with others. Most of the main songs that you'll recognize hearing are for better though. There's also some very high quality music in the final episodes that probably should have been used more often. It's a very good soundtrack but at times it feels unfitting, with some songs that seem like Cowboy Bebop throwaways. The voice acting overall is pretty good. There aren't any specific performances that stood out, it's more of a top to bottom solid cast than anything else. Characters - 8/10 This is where things get odd. A common note people tend to make with Darker Than Black is that lots of characters other than the main cast seems to develop better. I'm inclined to agree. Even lots of the one-off Contractors seem to be extremely interesting in certain episodes. I think the problem here is that when it came time for backstory on the main characters, it was a good starting point, but backstory isn't always enough. Huang for example, isn't a Contractor, isn't really a main character, but turns out being very well developed with backstory episodes and changes that can't go unnoticed as the show goes on. Misaki Kirahara and Mao on the other hand, two characters with potentially the most interesting viewpoints of the show (one is a cop tracking Hei, the other is trapped in a cat's body) and more plot importance don't get nearly enough time in comparison. This wasn't a problem with the protagonist Hei, as the entire duality of his undercover and Contractor persona was fascinating and becomes important to the resolution of the show itself. Yin however, had a fantastic arc on her backstory which remains one of my favorites of the series, but her character never really goes anywhere after this, and the episode was at the halfway point of the show. It's weird because the portrayal of Yin is that she's the second most important main character but it never really feels like that's the case. I could go on about people like November 11, Amber, Havoc, and others, but it becomes apparent early on that while characters you can enjoy who develop are plentiful in Darker Than Black, it may not be the ones you expect. It makes scoring this category difficult, because there are plenty of interesting personalities, but the ones that feel like they should be more important aren't. Overall - 8/10 Drawing clear inspirations from things both within anime and outside it, Darker Than Black is an admirable attempt at bringing so many ideas to the table that it would seem difficult not to enjoy it on some level. There are crazy fights, a puzzle surrounding the story, and even some humor, though the latter was something I found lacking given the business-like nature of the show. At it's core Darker Than Black finds strength in the animation of it's action scenes and the mystery of it's plot.