Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

Darker than Black is one of those rare anime that isn't adapted from anything. It's been adapted but it started as an anime. It was written by Okamura Tensai in 2007. Okamura has been involved with several anime, some good and some terrible, but this is the only series I've seen that he did the writing for. So, let's see how he did. The plot is pretty simple. There's a gate in Tokyo from some kind of incident that's never explained. What's important is that, because of the gate, several humans have developed super powers, some have become living dolls and the stars have become artificial. The artificial stars each correspond to a different super powered human called contractors because they have to pay a particular price when they use their powers. The episodes mainly follow a small group consisting of two contractors, a doll and a human working for a mysterious group called the Syndicate. It's similar to Bakuretsu Tenshi in that there's an over-arching plot but most episodes have very little if anything to do with it. Most of the series involves two part episodes of the main group going on various missions. The action sequences are solid and the episodes are usually interesting but there are a few issues. The biggest being the ending. It's very anti-climactic and some of the elements leading up to it are very weakly executed. Another issue is that some of the episodes are pretty weak. Like Bakuretsu Tenshi, this is primarily a character driven anime. The major characters are very well developed and have a lot of interesting facets. None of them are truly noble or heroic. All of them do some pretty terrible things but they're all very sympathetic characters who are just in bad circumstances. The fact that they do do some terrible things makes them seem more realistic and compelling. The only real issue is that some of the supporting characters are flat and very much extraneous. The art varies. Usually it's really good. It has a dark tone, well defined characters, and good backgrounds. Sometimes that changes. They have one episode in particular involving a contractor who blows people apart but all they show after he's done are people with neat holes through them and a little bit of blood. It looks really obviously fake. The target audience for this is young adults. There shouldn't have been an issue with them making this sort of scene more realistic. If they really didn't want to, or the network standards stopped them from doing so, they should have avoided showing the bodies up close so frequently so it would be less noticeable. There are other scenes like that throughout the series where the art suffers, but there really aren't many. The voice acting is good, particularly from Mizuki Nana and Kiuchi Hidenobu. There are a few actors who give very emotionless performances but there's an obvious story reason for it and they do a good job of it. The music is mostly good, although some of it is a little weak. The yuri factor is a 1.5/10. There are a few scenes that seem a little homoerotic but there are very few and none of them go anywhere. My final rating for Darker than Black is a 7/10. It's a good anime. If you enjoy character-driven, episodic anime such as Bakuretsu Tenshi you'll probably enjoy it as well. If you want something with a more solid over-arching story, you'll probably want to watch something else.

The story is set at a time when giant no man’s land known as Heaven’s Gate and Hell’s Gate suddenly appear into the world. It is not literally a gate per se but a very huge piece of land mass completely non-habitable at the opposite side of the Earth. Mysterious things came into being with its appearance. The place itself is feared so much as it led the humans to create a massive wall around it in order to hide the fearsome unknown inside it. Also with it are the appearance of the fake stars (replacing the real ones) and the appearance of the contractors, dolls among others. The story focuses on the contractor Hei and his group, being agents of a mysterious organization known as the “Syndicate,” they do detective works, assassinations, intelligence gathering, and in many circumstances fight with other organizations. The beginning was very confusing as not much is explained to the various mysteries revolving the world of Darker than Black, the pacing is more like a snail pace and the series are divided into several arcs each having at least 2 episode that are interdependent from the other arcs, it could very well be standalones but each offer hints that when sum up together actually tells the story. While some arcs may be a bit uninteresting, there are several others – the one that focuses on the actual story are very well done. The pacing eventually gets better during the middle part of the series with the introduction of some key characters and groups that will become the main focus of the series towards the end. The mysteries surrounding the Gates is actually the series strongest element in my opinion, almost nothing at all is revealed about it but the series actually spend a lot of time with the characters and organizations trying to solve the mystery behind it, some of which will succeed and others will not but it all comes with a prize and I applaud this setup because I’m with the people with the mentality that some mysteries are better not explained (let the viewers imagine the rest), explaining it only kills the enjoyment, the thrill, and the tension that comes with it. The animation is conveyed in a more serious tone. The background art is rather bland but there is something about it that will make the viewers says that it is done in style and of high production values. The same thing can be said with the character designs; the characters are designed in such a way to appeal to the more mature audiences. The animation is fluid and life-like especially the movements of the characters and the fights scenes are very creatively choreograph which sometimes can be visually impressive. Both the Opening and Ending Themes are great, very catchy and enjoyable to listen. The soundtracks on the other hand are pretty decent which are good to listen when watching the series. As for voice acting, the actors did a pretty good job giving life to the characters they portrayed in the series. I especially like the voice of Kuichi Hidenobu as Hei, he made Hei into someone very cool sounding as well as a dependable. Almost all the characters in Darker Than Black are likeable. Hei as the main character has some very good character development. At first he is very cold, lifeless, emotionless, but as the story progress, he eventually started showing emotions and more human character. The same can be said for the other characters on his group, at first they all act like every day is just another day of work but as bits of their histories are eventually revealed, they all acted looking for each another especially in their most challenging times. My favorite character beside Hei is Yin, she is called a "doll" also being cold at first, lifeless, emotionless at first but her development is also quite spectacular on the end. The series boast some really huge number of characters, all-in-all they did a very good job in portraying their respective roles be it major or minor ones. The idea of contractors doing "remuneration" as payment for using their powers is a very refreshing concept. I particularly like it because it post several limitations to the users which generally mean that they cannot just go around and fight as they will adding a more realistic feel to the fights and made the characters more vulnerable instead of being invincible and all powerful. This check and balances made the series a great find. The series is full of mystery, action, secret organizations, sci-fi concepts, and great characters, add to it are good production value, nice animation, a well designed story and a carefully constructed plot. As a whole, Darker Than Black is very solid and fun to watch amidst the slow pace in the early parts of the story and an ending that leaves a lot to be desired which comes up pretty open ended. As for my final note, the series is recommended for viewers with interest on the aforementioned themes above.

Darker than Black is one of those shows that make me appreciate anime. This original, smart, and fast-paced show is able to create a believable world, full of special powered assassins who roam the streets of Japan called Contractors. Story: Instead of trying to explain the whole story to you, Darker than Black takes the viewer right into the action. As the story progresses, you learn more and more about the world occupied by these assassins, such as what Heaven and Hell's Gate are. The first half of the series is split up into 2 episode segments where the infamous contractor BK-201, otherwise known as Hei, a contractor stuck in a cat's body named Mao, a seemingly emotionless doll named Yin, and their supervisor, Huang, carry out various missions. The second half is where all the climax reaches it's point and everything becomes clear. Darker than Black has a gripping and marvelous story packed with action and tension!!! Art: Darker than Black has really good artwork, even for an anime. Bones must have really cared about this show, because the artwork is top notch. Sound: In order for any movie or television show to be really good, there needs to be amazing music. Just look at Death Note, Batman, Star Wars; all contain memorable soundtracks. The same holds for Darker than Black. Also, both opening songs are extremely memorable and were well chosen for this show. Character: Darker than Black has an expansive universe with more characters than I can remember; my two favorite characters being Hei and Jack Simon (November 11). All the characters in Darker than Black are unique, quirky, and interesting. I highly recommend this anime to everyone. In fact, I actually purchased the complete series, something I do for only my favorite series.

The first season of Darker Than Black was one of the best anime I have ever watched. Story: The story here is pretty simple at the beginning yet it is one of the best out there. There are contractors that appeared after Hells Gate who have inhuman abilities for a certain price. They work for a secret organization called “the Syndicate” and the rest is a mystery. Hei is one of them, the anime starts with him doing different missions (each mission is unique and interesting) and then it kicks it up. Later you get to learn more about the past, Hei’s team mates, Syndicate and their plans. The way they tell this story is amazing, the suspense is awesome with many mysteries. Characters: The presentation of the characters is also done almost perfectly. Each one of them is unique and realistic compared to other animes. Most of the main chars carry some memory/mystery from the past that make them one of a kind. They are designed well and deep, great art work too. Animation: The animations are flawless to me, clean, well made and high quality. The action scenes are very detailed and enjoyable. Now you can get it in HD 1080p so it looks even more amazing. Conclusion: This is definitely an anime that would fall in my top 5, its great from all points of view, great story, development, keeps you interested and a lot more. One of the best things I like is the mysteries behind the characters and the story. It leaves you with many questions and suspense.

DTB starts off with a great two episode introduction, which exposes the various premises and general state of things with contractors, dolls, hell's gate, fake stars, etc. The story is divided into 25 episodes, usually with every two episodes constituting a story involving the main character, Hei, and his interactions with other contractors, dolls, and people. Many of these stories contain flashbacks highlighting and explaining parts of a character's past. The series contains a central plot involving the appearance of contractors, hell's gate, and a mysterious event involving heaven's gate that occurred in the past. This, however, is usually kept in the periphery, mentioned only briefly from episode to episode despite being the gravity of the whole story until the final. The main plot is foreshadowed and explained a little halfway through the series in a two-parter analogous to cowboy bebop's jupiter jazz: while spike's past is one of the most important things of the story in cowboy bebop, the plot follows various mini-events that occur, hinting at what's going on halfway through the series, and concluding with the finale. this is similar to what happens in DTB. The episodes not related to the main plot, however, are almost always interesting and enjoyable. There are some really cool ideas in this anime, my favorite being the motif of Hei's dissonance between cold rational and emotion. He is a really great product of the show in terms of character development, and the finale does a great job of coming to terms with this theme. Some other ideas seem underdeveloped though, such as the replacement of stars w/ fake stars, and the strong concentration on Hei distracts from other characters (such as Amber) who I wish were developed more. The fight sequences are pretty cool. The animation for them is done well, and though the duration of the fights are usually pretty short, it's always interesting to see the different contractor's abilities and obeisances, and how they relate to the characters themselves. The show is not action-driven though, and the fight sequences really serve mainly to complement the characters/story. Probably the most frustrating thing about this anime is the vague introduction of the premises, which should have been explained more sufficiently and earlier on. I went through the series (25 episodes) in about 4 days. Some episodes are better than others, but overall its a great anime worth watching with some interesting ideas worth thinking about.

Story: ~ [ 9/10 ] Ten years ago, “Hell’s Gate” appeared around Tokyo. This mysterious field caused the stars in the sky to disappear and extraordinary powers to awaken within humans. These humans, called Contractors, use their powers for their own ends but only at the cost of a personal remuneration. In this world of the supernatural, Hei, a Contractor himself, Yin, a blind “Doll”, and Huang, a no-nonsense enforcer, work for a mysterious syndicate bent on unlocking the secrets of Hell’s Gate and eliminating any other Contractors that get in their way. Character: ~ [ 10/10 ] Hei, Yin, Huang, Mao, Misaki Kirihara are all very great. More I can't say. xD Sound: ~ [ 10/10 ] I really really love the songs. They are perfect. Specially the first OP, the music is great. Results: Who has not seen DTB, this should be up. It is really a great anime. Who likes Sci-Fi, Mystery ....this is the right anime for this Genre. ^^

Watched this one long time ago and recently, due to really atrocious state of interesting shows to watch, I spent some time rewatching it. It's an old by now but it's still refreshing feeling when you run into adult themed anime which deals with emotion and is not afraid to create conflicts in the story and make you root for antihero. Characters are easily the best thing this show has to offer. They are deep, well developed and interconnected in ways that are not immediately obvious. They have their own desires, conflicts and issues they must deal with. Whole arrangement gives viewer immense satisfaction in discovering more about this world whose sky has lost its stars. Everything else is pretty good at showing its age. Action is not awesome but serviceable. Art is good but so obviously older style, same with sound design and music. Overall, great and entertaining show well worth your time. It has a little bit of everything to keep you entertained. Everything apart from nasty fan service and lustful gazes of females whose boobs are bigger than their heads.

Darker than black is Japan's version of X-Men in an anime series form. They both share similar concepts like "mutants" and "contractors", and neither show explains how an individual gains supernatural powers. But I'm not here to make comparisons, because frankly, I like DtB more. Story: "Bearing the sins of the children of earth, the moon began to consume it's light." The story is told in an episodic form, with 2 episodes covering one short arc. To be honest, the first episode in every arc is a bit boring because there's more dialogue than action. (I found myself dragging my feet to watch the first couple of episodes until you reach the end and realize that what you watched was a masterpiece) And when there is action, it's orgasmic with wonderful choreography and animation. That's not something you see usually. You'll find yourself asking a lot of questions, a few will be answered later on but most will go unanswered. But that does NOT affect your enjoyment of the series. I guarantee you will be confused with the numerous terms and words thrown at you and you'll have to use the dictionary("Remuneration" was a word I didn't know) or search on the wiki to see what they mean. Although it doesn't bother you when you finally understand them or not. You may worry if the story has a good closure, as anyone worries whether the main character will actually fall in love in a RomCom, I assure you the story ends with a satisfying conclusion Art: The art is well done and there are a range of different and distinct character designs, but kept simple. (Not like those disproportional eyes in relation to other facial features). Hei's attire is pure badass, a simple black trench coat and a white mask with a purple bolt to represent his power(hint: It's electrifying people). Many people compare him to batman, which he does look like slightly, with less emphasis on his theme (Batmans got well, bat ears and a bat logo across his chest) like an assassin should. (I swear April looks just like storm from X-men) Fight scenes are beautifully choreographed as said before, and the different contractor powers unique to each character are sexy. Gotta love that blue outline and glowing red eyes when contractors activate their power. MHMMMM WEI'S BLOOD DISINTEGRATION POWERS SNAP SNAP SNAP coughroymustangcough. Sound: Yokko Kanno is the composer responsible for the music in this series. She's a renowned composer famous for her music and DtB is no exception. The jazzy themes that play during fight/chase scenes (e.g. see: Go Dark) are different from intense classical music you may usually hear during most of those kinds of scenes, but they fit well nonetheless. Some standout pieces are: "Go Dark", played during fight/chase scenes, "Yin No Piano", a piano piece that would be considered Yin's theme, and finally "Nobody's home", which plays initially at the end of the second episode(where a certain contractor's dead body is found by the police in a river) and during sad scenes. When it first played, it gave me chills down my spine, and that was when I knew this series was gonna be good. Both openings aren't too bad either, and the second one's pretty catchy. Hope y'all enjoy the music. Character : Hei is a badass and fun to watch. That's all. (JK They're all great) There are also many additional side characters such as comedic relief Gai and his assistant who was hilarious, April, July and November 11. One could argue that the presence of the police officer Misaki was unecessary, but I say it's to provide a different perspective through the eyes of an ordinary human. She also helps explain some detail the viewer will likely need. Enjoyment I enjoyed this series so much I occasionally fantasize about being Hei, swinging from buildings with his grappling hook and electrocuting bad guys. Ain't that great? Thing is to be Hei takes a lot of effort, you gotta be a gymnast, be able to do parkour, martial arts, throw knives AND be a contractor. Sigh. Overall "If you pretend to feel a certain way, the feeling can become genuine all by accident."- Hei This series is good and there's no need to pretend to feel it. So go watch it! It would be great if there was a third season, or a movie, or a game, just give me more...

WOW, this anime dates back to when I was just 9 years old. The year 2007 brought up some awesome shows like Death Note, Naruto Shippuden, Kaze no Stigma etc. including this post's topic Darker than Black. With 25 episodes it got an overall rating of 8,31 and ranked as #202, what I don't get, because personally I would give it a 6,5. Why? Let's discuss... Plot and Storyline: I am sorry if there are fans of this anime that are reading this but I really didn't like this anime. It tired me and I was about to give it up a couple of times. It was because the whole time something was going on but I didn't know why. Every episode was kinda the same without any goal or reason. Trough the whole anime a tiny spark of what the main character is trying to reach keeps flashing but it literary just matters in the last 5 episodes. Besides, the last 5 episodes made the show. In the beginning of the story you meet Li, a guy that moved from China to Japan to study there. But Li or better known as Hei or even BK201 just wants the outside world to think that. See, 13 years ago two gates appeared, the Heaven's gate in South America and the Hell's gate in Japan. (Just to make things clear, the whole series is about these gates but nobody knows what they are or when exactly they appeared. This is the biggest plot hole I ever came across). With the appearance of these 2 gates special people with powers called Contractors and Dolls emerged.(What brings us to one more plot hole, with whom did they sign that contracts?). The thing is Contractors are merciless killers with no emotions and Dolls are just dolls with powers, they are being controlled. Hei is also a Contractor and that's about the whole story. Let's move on to the Characters... Characters: In the series it's said that the dolls and contractors are emotionless, but I don't think so. They've been just told so and that's it. However you still don't get to meet any character because of that. I analysed two of the main characters but it's really hard to say something special about them... Hei: BK201 is his code name in the police. He really is a merciless killer but deep down there you can see a spark of good inside him. That tiny spark was lit by the flames of his past, that vanished with the destruction of the Heaven's gate in South America. He is trying to understand what really happened there and he will find out but in the very end... Misaki: The Section-Cheff of the Foreign Affairs Section 4 who is investigating matters that concern Contractors. She is a hard-working young lady that gave her life a full-time job. She tried to escape it a couple of times but no. She always keeps coming back to her suit and gun. What she really proved in the end is the humanity she believes in. At least someone. Animation: When I heard Haven's and Hell's gate, I imagined it kinda like a spirit portal in Avatar: Legend of Korra, but instead it came like Attack on titan. The gate as I saw it was nothing else than just an area surrounded with huge walls. Boom, interest ruined. When it comes to the character looks and screenplay I liked it. Just the eyes of some characters including Hei were strange somehow. What's more the animation and diversity of the Contractor powers were great. Nine out of Ten for animation. Conclusion: See when I watch anime I am usually sad because it's ending. Well this time I was just glad that it finished. An anime shouldn't be like this. All the plot holes, (and I am not talking about some background stories of supporting characters) really just made me tired. Maybe some flashbacks from the past and 10 episodes less would have made it better. I think the makers had no idea of what they were doing. Still the main reason why I was so disappointed is that I searched for a good anime about powers. I got powers, but that alone is not enough. Good thing Naruto is still airing. A bit of action can't fix that much of a plot hole. Sorry Darker than Black but you're not a favorite of this AnimeGirl....

The first season, and the majority believe that it's the best season. You get to see Hei being ridiculously good and what he does, giving you a sense of awe. Whenever he shows up, your heart starts to race because everything had lead up to that moment and you know he's going to make something happen. Seriously, watch this show. It has gore and violence, but nothing any more excessive than what the story allows. Something I really have to note, Hei, is not invincible or unbeatable like other protagonists who just blindly punch enemies into submission. The protagonist often retreats just like the antagonist. Often is key here, and when he does, you realise that something about him is... different. EDIT: Updated for accuracy and details Story: Excellent, while some might not like how it ended or how information was revealed, it never needed to be revealed in any other way. We see things happening through the eyes of Hei, and Misaki, who you could say are on opposite sides, but you don't know who's good and who's bad until the end. I thought the story was perfect, but I have to give it a 9 simply because some things won't please everyone. Hei was a killer when he was younger, before he ever got any powers, because of his sister, but continued even after she disappeared. He's an interesting character and he's one of my favourite to watch simply because I'm constantly impressed by what he says or does, and how well he fights. He's not indestructible, but he is usually tactical. But! Every special power user, or contractor has to pay a kind of price, from eating a flower to drinking blood in one disturbing case. The thing about this show is characters and character development, but I'll get into that later. Art: They save most of their money for the fight scenes, and it's worth it. It's amazing to watch people fight up close where the slightest touch could result in someone's head being blown off. Sound: Perfect, I love the voice overs in English, I love the sound effects, environment sounds and audio tracks. As soon as the Black Reaper shows up, music kicks in and an intense fight follows. Enjoyment: I've watched this show 3 times already and still love it. The OVAs are great too and generally have to do with Hei and Yin's relationship Once again, some people may not like how it ended. I just wish it never did end. Easily above 9.5/10, which after rounding, 10/10

So what happens when you expose a group of people to a supernatural and unexplained phenomenon that breaks out of blue in our small small world? Sometimes they die. Sometimes they get insane. Most often they obtain supernatural powers. At a glance Darker than Black is same old formula: an unexplained occurs, people magically obtain equally magical abilities and then Professor Xavier, pardon me, someone with enough brain figures out a way to brings such people together and put them to good use, for better or for worse. And then some choose path of evil, some choose path of good and some choose to be a superpower for hire. In Darker than Black it's mostly the latter. Plot. Like I mentioned above, Darker than Black may seem like an old formula but yet it has new taste to it. And so two mysterious anomalies known as Hell's and Heaven's Gate appear out of blue in two distant parts of the world, rendering areas around them into completely isolated areas somewhat akin to silent zones. What's more, somehow natural stars are gone from the sky. Meanwhile more and more people start manifesting supernatural abilities. As Darker than Black starts, there is little known initially about either Contractors, or Gates, or the link between the former and the stars. What makes this anime different from others with same concept is that the nature of Contractor is defined by word itself. They have to pay - sometimes severely - for the powers they use. And so following a contractor BK201/Hei who's working for mysterious syndicate we learn more about the world, the contractors and their types and his own personal quest. There is no linear plot from point A to point B whatsoever. The story is, by and large, quite episodic, built in 2-3 episode arcs. What ties all these episodes together is Hei's personal quest rather than any particular events. That being said, the episodes offer diversity. We have episodes that focus on main characters, those which focus on supporting characters and those which are there just for the sake of humor. I can't say that in the end we learn everything, but most important questions will be answered - and rather satisfyingly at that. Art. The art is very solid, offering clean designs and vivid, lively colors. The surroundings are rendered beautifully, with full attention to light effects. Special effects pertaining superpowers are done well: nothing extraordinary but quite nice, with smooth animation. The character design is not exactly breathtaking but it's memorable enough. Sound. The soundtrack composed by Yoko Kanno is absolutely fabulous. Darker than Black sports a wide range of ambient music, ranging from airy jazzy tunes to gorgeous instrumental pieces, my favourite being Yin no Piano. Battle and action themes are adrenaline-filled and will please rock lovers. The voice acting is great, especially for the protagonist. You can always hear the switching of his personality, each "mode" having a very specific manner of speech and voice tone. Characters. I loved practically all the characters, and this anime presents quite a party of truly different ones. There's quiet and perpetually melancholic medium, there's an awkward cop, there's a perverted middle-aged detective, there's a Bond-like agent and much more. Hei/BK201 undoubtedly steals the show with his unidentified personality; his professional and private personalities being like black and white and you'll be always wondering who he truly is, why he is like that, and whether he was the same prior the events of anime. The antagonists of the series could be sympathized with, which in fact makes certain episodes only more dramatic. Overall. DtB is a truly interesting anime which manages to combine a solid plotline with episodic narration. It has action, it has mystery, it has drama and it has humor and it has some bittersweet romance, believe it or not. Most importantly it's a classic, winning formula with a little fresh twist that definitely deserves your attention.

In four word : confusing yet brilliantly intirguing. (review in short at bottom) Story : at first Darker than Black starts out really well in terms of story, introducing the characters and building up to the climax ect. But I found that at one point they threw a few too many confusing terms at you such as anti-gate matter particles ... so much so that I got a bit confused when the ending came around. However by the time the series had ended I had a basic understanding of the ending. Despite the confusion it is possible to follow the story and completley enjoy the characters and their exploits. 7/10 Art : I frankly love the drawing style of this series, all the characters are very well drawn and all of the individual techniques of the contractors are portrayed well. Another highlight of this series is the animation, because this series is quite heavily combat based you should expect great fight scenes. Darker than Black doesn't dissapoint, the fighting excells with fluid and precise animation. 9/10 Sound : Darker than Black has some pretty good music (especially opening one , Abingdon Boys School - Howling). Both openings fit the series well along with the endings. Even the osts are very impressive and match the dramatic and light parts of the series. 8/10 Character : for a resonably short series it's quite impressive how much development each character gets for example you have Hei's past at war, Yin as a child and Huang getting decieved by a woman. All of the character development leads to an intersting and entertaining plot. Darker than Black has a large amount of interesting minor characters, even if you don't get much information on them you still get the enjoyment of witnessing their powers as a contractor.8/10 Overall/Enjoyment : overall this series is a pleasure to watch and is quite mentally stimulating. It has great art and sound along with a host of interesting and individual characters. You may get a tad confused but it's easy enough to rewatch for a better uderstanding. A smart and well developed series. 8/10

Story: The story does a great job of pulling together the characters presented at a steady pace. By the 15th episode you can feel the gravitational pull between the characters and the main themes and story arcs begin to be explored. Contractors are heartless and logical, Dolls are intuitive and expressionless and humans are...well...human, lol. All parties mentioned are pushed to the limits of morality, self-interest and evolution/change. The beauty in the story to me is its ability to make you feel and pull for two people on opposing sides. The paradoxical nature of the interactions leave you in a gray area of morality without the appalling feeling of choosing the better of two evils. The realness hit me to the core and when I finished the first season I was ecstatic to find more. I dove right into the OVAs and the second season, but I'll save that for when I write those reviews. The last point I will make is that the story does a great job of not being overly predictable or redundant. Art: I enjoyed the character designs, the colors and tones. Sound: I enjoy Yoko Kanno's work and that holds true for the score used in Darker Than Black. A couple of tracks that come to mind are "Water Forest", "Go Dark", "Guy", "Contractor" and this one song that is not on the OST. It comes on when you first meet November 11, its also heard in a few random action sequences. Character: I gave character a 10 and story a 9 because I fell in love with so many characters. The story as a whole was great but the characters themselves are written extremely well and I felt genuinely interested in what was on the horizon for each character as their individual stories proceeded and intersected. Enjoyment: I give it a 9 because I feel this anime is a 9.5 and a 9 in no way takes away with how much I enjoyed this anime. I do plan to re-watch this series multiple times. Definitely an instant classic in my library. Overall: I stand by my 9.5 that I stated earlier. I think I can't give it 10s across the board because I feel too bias and I feel that I need a season 3 or some more OVAs to satisfy my interest. The music and art frame the anime and live true to the name. The story and characters pull you in and keep your interest. I enjoyed all the action, the trippy/cool powers contractors and dolls have. An overall great experience! Thanks for reading. This is my very first review. I'll be back to finish off the Darker Than Black Gaiden and Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor reviews. Peace

Story - The plot is really quite incomprehensible. Gates, contractors and dolls are never adequately explained. They never explained WHY they wanted to get rid of the contractors, some of whom are under their employment. Hei somehow magically learns to use his sister's ability to alter matter on a quantum level at the very last minute and changes all antigate particles into gate particles, thus saving all contractors from genocide. There seemed to be some kind of overarching theme in this series that can be only described as "people with superpowers are still people!" which seemed rather bizarre and irrelevant to just about everything. Art - The art is amazing as expected from Bones. The series is very well animated and does not skimp on action scenes, which have excellent choreography although are relatively short compared to some shounen series. The character designs are excellent. Sound - Not great considering it's Yoko Kanno who has done some great pieces in the past. The jazzy music fits neither the action nor the talking scenes. Track 24 is possibly the only one that captures the mood of the series. Character - The characters are not exactly cardboard cutouts but neither are they very well fleshed out. For starters, we almost never see Hei truly relaxed. He always wore a "nice guy" persona whenever he wasn't wearing the white mask of doom. The same is true for most other major characters in the series. Minor characters such as Havoc and Shihoko are developed fairly well for two episodes, where they're relaxed and spill out their true thoughts, and then they're killed off and have no bearing on the story ever again. It's quite frustrating to invest two entire episodes in a quite likeable character only to see them killed off for the rest of the series, especially when the main characters were developed nowhere to the extent as these one-shot characters were. Enjoyment - I thoroughly enjoyed this series, even though I couldn't relate to any of the characters and I thought the superpowers were really badly used. I especially enjoyed watching the development of characters like Havoc and Shihoko, which made me feel frustrated when they were killed at the end of their two-episode arcs. Overall - Very enjoyable even with all its flaws in character development, story and sound.

Darker than Black is one of the best of its kind. The anime covers not only incredibly visually pleasing action sequences, but a good story to boot (something I find difficult to see meshed together). One of the most crucial elements in creating an action anime is to be sure the viewers like what they'll be seeing a lot of: action. Darker than Black, a product of Aniplex, never disappointed me once. The fights are fluid, speeds wavering between slow and quick, and seldom include distractions. They're made expertly to keep the interest of the viewer in tact, and they never last too long. Say goodbye to three episodes of the same battle in the rain, because this anime keeps fights short and sweet- only frequent. I thought the action sequences would be enough to appreciate, but I was pushed further into my gratitude with the accompanying music. Yoko Kanno, musical composition for Cowboy Bebop (and a whole lot more), was the mastermind behind the art here, and oh how it shows. A few of the songs, sound similar to what you may have heard in Cowboy Bebop, or hear if you've never seen the show, even bringing back the incomparable crackled voice of Mai Yamane. With the quality of the production being high, high, high, all that's left is to dig into the story itself. While the characters play typical roles of another action anime you may have seen (go on, pick one), they manage to be clearly defined characters, rather than just stamps for the sake of the plot. While some recurring side roles may be a little weaker, I feel it's safe to say they aren't too bothersome. The focus veers away from their roles anyhow. I was greatly impressed with the story. While at first, I felt the plot was left with a few holes, and kept quiet and vague just because that's what action anime typically does best, I found as the story progressed, that it's all done of purpose, and with very good reason. I'm staying away from summaries and spoilers here, so I'm going to cut it short, but I was overwhelmed with joy at discovering an action anime that keeps it's motives hidden to reveal them when it makes sense to be revealed. Frustration played little to no part in my watching of the show. Granted, there may be some weaker points, such as; why does it take until the last six episodes to start gently laying down the point to why things have been going on (a little more information might have been helpful before, but at least I wasn't left in the dark, or pummeled at the very end, right?), or why did that man's hand suddenly become a fourth the size of his face (the wonderful animation flaws of Aniplex. I'm pretty sure I spotted a mystery dot appearing and disappearing for a few seconds on a white wall, too). But for an action anime, I still remain impressed. Good work, Darker than Black! -shoujokiss7

First off you must trust me when i say, Darker Than Black, is one of the Amine that you are better off not watching. If you condemn yourself to such a miserable action, it'll be a waste of your precious time doing laundry or anything trivial for that matter. Originally I had Darker Than Black on my Dropped List, however due to its excessive occurrence on people's favorite list i decided to give it another chance. And Oh God i wish i hadn't. Starting with it's pathetic Story, Hell's and Heavens Gate appear and alongside their appearance the appearance of contractors and certain beings called dolls. You soon feel the presence of an organization also know as the syndicate lurking in the shadows, several other factors emerge such as foreign intelligence, foreign organizations, all these playing the role of disrupting the peace in the city of Tokyo. All this happening without the knowledge of the citizens, thanks to the process of Memory Erasal, which you do not capture a glimpse off , through the entire series.You lose track of whose working with who shortly after the beginning of the series, and things starts to mess up. Several Unanswered Questions and Unjustified Events start to pile up, and you innocently believe that all these will be answered later on in the series. You realize your falling flat on your face towards the last 4-5 episodes of the series where you thought its time things got clear, and they don't. In the end you will sit for a few minutes trying to figure out what the hell did just happen. Overall all the writer really messed this up. His inability to conduct reasons for the events that occur throughout the series, and the lack of consistency of the story line is crystal clear. In my opinion the writer sought interest in various big ideas within several different Anime and tried to mold them all into a single storyline, which in turn turned out to be a serious failure. The storyline and it's many details and unanswered questions, proved to require a lot of work and time to attend too, therefore it was decided to lay off matters with a quick and irrelevant finish. Concerning the Art, am not that much of an expert,however i can say they've done a good job throughout the series, except for the times when they used Computer Generated Images for cars and vehicles. About the Music well its the most decent thing about the series. Various soundtracks serve the role of emphasizing the impact of events onto you. Another major failure in the series are the characters. Although stated numerous times throughout the series that contractors and dolls have no soul therefore have no emotions, they are the ones that show most emotions. I don't know what the writer wanted to accomplish with this paradox, however it will leave you in a state of dilemma questioning the actions of each character. Another major detail i should point out is the unjustified behavior of the characters, you simply wont get the reasons behind their actions, or the basis behind their relationships. Well i must admit, if it was not for the few and brief (and i emphasize both) moments of pleasure, the level of enjoyment would have been 0. In the end i know many of you will hate me for this review. however i gave my honest opinion about it. I forgot the excessive Pizza Hut product placement.

Before you watch the anime, it'll probably make more sense if you speak mandarin. Remember that Hei means black in Chinese and Bai means white. Overall: Animes similar to Darker than Black are truly very rare. It is unique with its mind blowing awesomeness. It doesn't try to buff itself with ridiculous power ups like Bleach or Naruto, but rather uses its great storyline to keep the viewer interested. It explores the idea of conscience in humans while mixing in amazing action scenes, original antagonists with unique and non-cliche abilities. Character: Most character are developed enough to make you sympathize with them, those who aren't developed are undeveloped for a reason. At least it feels that way rather than leaving the viewer wondering why they were there in the first place. Sound: I loved all four ops and eds,they are bands that had performed for mainstream animes like Bleach, Naruto and Gundam Seed Destiny. If you liked the anime, you will almost definitely love the music. Art: Because it is relatively new, it has great action scenes and they're not completely computer generated that leaves you with a cheap sense of over budgeting like blassreiter. Story: Amazing, anything i would try to use to support would be considered a spoiler. But still, the character development in the main characters are amazing and the ending is original. Its not a plushy forced ending to make u happy, nor is it an failed attempt at originality that makes you wish you had dropped it, the ending is...

Before I write this I want to state that this is my opinion and that you may agree or disagree at your own will. Review: Darker than black was one of my favorite anime for a long time until I rewatched it. When I saw it for a second time I was pretty disappointed by how much I didn't realize it wasn't that good. The initial plot was awesome where all of these contractors with special powers did different contracts for money but then the plot that our character is wrapped up in is pretty lame. If you want to watch for the fights then have at this anime the fights are well done with excellent animation. The intro fits the anime and is pretty catchy at points. Character wise our MC is badass cold hearted guy but his plot in the story I think is done pitifully. The side characters are almost pointless. His potential love interest is cool. She is pretty much just like him but is hilarious at points in the show. Others aren't really important. If you can make it through just season one stay here don't go to season two. I thought this show was ruined for me after the last episode but then I watched the OVAs but and that was tough because it ruined me emotionally but then season two came along and just ruined the show entirely for me. All in all Darker than black was pretty good it had it's ups and it's really down low points in the anime but it is defiantly worth checking out.

STORY The storyline is really great. maybe you will be confuse about the storyline. What is this / t\what this for ? who are they ? and etc. but after you watch till 6 eps, you will find out that the story tell about Hei with his friends and their power with sindicate. And real mission (the only one) of Hei. The episodes fit together into a continous story, why did it happened and etc. the story is unpredictable too which one makes you wanna watch this till the last eps. ART The style is not really realistic,but for me the art is realy awesome. It's tell you the visual is match with the mood of it's char. and I'm sorry I can't write a review of ART. I don't really understand abour ART, but AA the art is awesome for me. SOUND The seiyuu/character voice actors fitting for the characters they portrayed very well. I love the seiyuu for Hei, Yin and the black cat. They play their char well and makes me feel that he / she is fit with their age, not too old / too young. The background music fitting for the story and atmosphere, with the effect of it's situation. oh btw I didn't like the opening song. I don't know why but it's not match with the opening animation. AAAAnddd, yeah I love so much Tsukiakari by Rie Ru @ the ending song of this anime. It's really fit with the animation. CHARACTER the character designs unique, but I found that Amber look similar with C.C from Code Geass. Hei appareance are good looking, the old man and 4 / 5 chars found similiar with char in a\other anime. for me, I guess so. but all char got their self unique. ENJOYMENT I really enjoy watch this anime, and I'm gonna watch the S2 season . and I hope there's a possibility to make a 3rd season of this anime. Like Code geass I really hope the adventure of Hei and their abilities not end in the 2nd season. Score ***** Min : For me I love pair Hei and Yin or Hei and Amber. if you (the prod / storywriter) add more romantic by situation scene in this anime, it will be more awesome. Show us that the Dark Reaper has a feeling with ladies there. ^^ b

Good vibe-out anime. Don't come into this expecting an engaging, understandable story, because it's not. This show blasts you with dates, events, terms, and factions a mile a minute and none of them are well-explained. If you try and understand everything, you probably won't enjoy it. But there are times when it's really fun, mainly Hei swinging around on ropes knifing and shocking the shit out of people. Beyond that, don't expect much. Great to play in the background, wouldn't watch actively until the action starts.