Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

This anime has a great action plot with twists. Hei is an awesome character, he is a kick-butt assassin with no mercy. The second season has a pretty good plot also plus the relationship that builds between Hei and Yin is interesting since it was said dolls don't have emotions (WRONG lol ) but the way it ends in total kinda bums me out. Anyway, I would recommend DTB; when you watch it, you wont regret it.

What happens when some people gain supernatural powers while losing all emotions and remain solely with pure logic? In the world of DTB these are contractors. In an effort to survive, normal humans bind them under paid contracts and use them as spies or hitmen. This is the basic storyline of the series. I found the series pretty interesting. Although slow paced to begin with as the story progresses it takes you with it. The story opens a lot of questions but fortunately they are all solved by the end and if you really like the story you can always continue with the second season. The characters are interesting and have their stories revealed in a way that fits the story perfectly. Introduction of new characters is consistent with the plot but not frequent. I would not recommend it to people who don't like sci-fi or far reached scenarios. But if you are a fan of the genre and you are looking for a pleasant short series that wont leave you dissapointed you should watch it!

I won't bother with the synopsis and get straight to the review, hope you find it useful. Story: The first 22 episodes of the series are made of eleven 2 episode story arcs, each focusing on one or two characters. These stories are undoubtedly the best part in the darker than black franchise. 2 episodes give just enough time to tell a well developed story, and I'm always surprised how much the series be accomplished in merely 2 episodes. The content of each arc are never repetitive and have something new to offer each in arc. The last 2 episodes of the series that deal with the final showdown are rather disappointing in comparison, and left a lot of unawsered questions , and the second season does little to help and add more to the mess. The back story of Hei was only briefly touched on through segments of flashbacks, even though it was essential to understanding the character. The anime had perfect chance in episode 23 for flashbacks, but instead we were given a "day before war episode" where nothing really happened. Characters: The main character Hei has the cold distant deameanor all slick assasins in anime have, but combines depth and sensititvity while keeping his coolness intact, making him easily one of my favourite anime Characters. Even though his persona as a kind, introverted partimer completely differs from his persona as a ruthless assasin ; his action makes you realize they are undoubtedly the same person. There is also a large cast of supporting character, and most of them are surprisingly fleshed out given the amount of screen time they had. Personally, I find it hard to dislike any of them. The anime never waste anytime when it comes to characterization, despite being an action anime, the series focus more on the character interaction instead of fighting. One thing that deserves mentioning is how easily characters die in the show, which is pretty fustrating. Just when you start to sympathisze with the characters, they get stabbed to death by ice pricks, dissapear into dreams or bleed to death on the street. I don't know if it's to show the unpredictabily of death or if the producer are too lazy to deal with accumulating amount of side characters. Action: As most reviewers will tell you, DtD have great action scene with fluid animation, that are well choreographed. Compare to other contracter hei's electrical power are less spectacular, causing him to be overwhelmed most of the time during a fight. Forcing him to act like a genuine assasin using his wit and stealth. preventing the fight scene from degenerating to mere comparison between power level. Overall DtD is a very enjoyable anime, despite it's disappointing ending. You might have to watch twice it to know what's exactly going on in the story, but the character interaction and fight scene itself are very enjoyable even if the story is hard to follow. If you enjoy dark anime, that does not dwell into the realm of emo-ness and melodrama, definitely give this a try.

Be warned, this review may contain /spoilers/. Darker Than BLACK is an anime produced by BONES, released in Japan in the year 2007. The anime centres on its four main protagonists, during several, short story arcs. The four main characters are Hei, Yin, Huang, and Mao. They all have Chinese names – these are codenames. The only actually Chinese person in the group is Hei (whose name means “black” in Chinese). Yin is Finnish (her name means “silver”), Huang is Japanese (his name means “yellow”), and Mao’s nationality is unknown (his name means “cat”). All the characters have different personalities and distinct ways of acting. Huang, Hei, and Yin’s histories are all touched on in the first season of Darker Than BLACK, while Mao’s receives less attention. His background is only touched on in depth in the second season (Ryuusei no Gemini). The side characters are also interesting, with their own personalities and motives. In particular, I like Kirihara Misaki, a policewoman who could be called the main character of the “opposing” force to Hei and his team. Darker Than BLACK has an interesting setting; futuristic Tokyo, where the appearance of “Hell’s Gate” has caused beings called “contractors” and “dolls” to emerge into the world. Contractors are individuals with special abilities, such as the ability to create lightning or teleport, and they can use these powers at will. However, they must perform their remuneration during or after they use their power – this can be anything from eating cigarettes to breaking one’s fingers, and is usually associated to something the contractor has previously done. There are some contractors (like Mao) who have fulfilled their contract and therefore do not need to perform their remuneration, although this is rare. Contractors are very logical individuals – they have detached themselves from their emotions and any ties they had with family members and friends. Dolls are spiritual mediums that have the power to “see” using specific mediums, like glass or water, while being invisible to others. They have no emotion whatsoever and are incapable of making decisions for themselves. It has been shown that dolls are “manufactured” and sold as products and goods, particularly in underground organizations like the mafia or yakuza. Hei and Mao are both contractors. Hei can produce and conduct lightning, and Mao can possess the bodies of animals. Notably, Mao lost his human body and is therefore stuck in the form of a black cat. Yin is a doll whose medium is water. Huang is the only human in the group – he hates both contractors and dolls and makes the point of voicing this periodically. Hei is an interesting contractor, since he doesn’t have a remuneration and still makes most decisions based on human emotion. Reasons for this are revealed near the end of season one. In the first episode, we are introduced to Li Shungsheng, a gentle student from China, who is actually a masquerading Hei. Things get complicated when we learn Hei works for “the Syndicate”, a mysterious organization with an unknown agenda. Darker Than BLACK is primarily a series of short, two-episode story arcs, with the longest one being three episodes, at the end. Although it is told in such a fashion, it never feels episodic – the plot manages to interconnect the various arcs into a bigger plot. The arcs are something like threads in the tapestry that is Darker Than BLACK, with every character being introduced for a reason – to further the plot and so that we may learn more about our four main characters. The arcs are interesting enough to catch the viewer’s attention and cause is to want to push through the end, to see how exactly the stories are connected. The characters develop as the series go on, Yin in particular. From an emotionless robot she becomes something that could be called a “human being”, albeit a quiet one. Hei also shows signs of development, which is something even the characters point out. Huang and Mao are somewhat static characters, although Huang’s lack of development is a given when you find out his past. All the characters are realistic and life-like, and all are interesting in their own right. Watching Hei juggle his real persona and the personality of Li Shungsheng at the same time is amusing and adds some comic relief to an otherwise very serious and dark anime. Darker Than BLACK makes you think. Overall, Darker Than BLACK is a fluid, interesting, emotional ride that takes you on a rollercoaster through the depths of the human mind, prejudice, and relationships.

NOW THAT I 'VE LOST IT........ This show is based on the near future in Tokyo.PANDORA V.S Police. Contractors VS HUMANS. Main question is could they co-exist with each other? Watch and see...it won't fail. " I know I can Kill" Powerful words from the beginning I started watching this show I automatically fell in love with the main character,Hei. When you first see the picture of this show you may think it's scary,quick note and correction it's a lot of suspence. Non-stop action until the end this show doesn't fail to entertain. "The truth exits beyond the gate" and it literally does.The music you just can't get enough of the fist opening you just get justo to it and somewhat like the 2nd opening. REMINDER: Don't let " Contractors",confuse you it's just a fancy name for superhuman people. NOT a tool. "Dolls" are what contarctors use to help them with on their job for instence killing someine or trck down where that person is. They say they have no feelings . But it depends on you. The Characters in DARKER THAN BLACK are awesome characters you can relate too. You may love and hate them once an a while but you must admit there powers are RAW!! My favorite characters are Hei, Yin ,Mao and July.

So "Darker than Black" drew me in by the title."Darker than Black"?That's a pretty cool title.Anywho,this series is okay,for a series that explains little to nothing, has almost no character development and is a little overall confusing, it does a good job to entertain. The story is pretty complicated to begin with. Some explosion occurs five years prior and we lose Latin America(might be the other way around though 'cause I'm forgetful)and then the sky disappears and they build a gate around Tokyo to keep them away from some forbidden area. Oh and some supernatural beings that look like humans appear that are called "Contractors".We enter the life of one; Hei and his adventurous of fighting and killing pretty graphically other contractors. I can say it's pretty interesting, the episodes are in arcs and only midway to the show they start to have some little consistency and follow some story. Other than that it's just Hei going along with the orders he is given to "eliminate" some useless material. Pros: So let's start with the art. The art is pretty, it's obviously on a low budget but however it manages to be nice to look at.Character design is nice and very beautiful.The art's a bit strange though since they supposedly lost their sky and have a counterfeit which at nighttime is green.Yes people,green,the sky is green at night with lots of fake stars. There is one element I really liked that I only noticed it when it actually started to happen it real life.The element of rain.It rains a lot for a large amount of episodes of this series and not for dramatic reasons,it just rains. Like Hei steps out of his house to go buy some groceries and it starts raining.The rain added a very mysterious and cool atmosphere to the show. It has very enjoyable action, nice movements,interesting opponents. The opponents actually have a personality here other than the usual we see in such genres and most of them are very likeable. The characters are fairly interesting,Hei is shady,literally,he shows a different personality according to whom he speaks to.He really is this gloomy,serious dude but to most he is this shy,clumsy and polite fellow who always says hello.Yin is promising but we don't get much about her. Huang is much more likable then at first.The cop lady is forgettable and rather annoying.Her presence serves nothing at all to the show.To be honest all the contractors are much more interesting then the "normal" people. The music is okay, the OP is nice, done by the Abington Boys School,they usually have nice tracks.The EDs are forgettable.The OST is okay,it has a variety of music from jazz, to pop to rock. Cons: There isn't much explained,ever.Like you watch the whole thing expecting something to happen but it doesn't.Even the last episode is like...totally random.I mean literally, it's just random. There is some comic relief by a detective and his secretary?(I'm not sure what she was).They were pretty random too, like you have all this gore and fighting going on and then them who look like they came out of Lucky Star or something.They added nothing to the story either,it seemed that the plot was aiming for something more serious but these guys just blew that away. The use of CGI is annoying.It's used for the cars, but you see a lot of cars here and everytime I just wanna bang my head against the wall it's so bad. The characters are ALL promising but none of them get the attention they deserve.Okay Hei does,but you really don't understand anything by what they give you! Overall you have this promising plot that looks likes it's going somewhere but doesn't(and I heard the second season is just a different arc) and promising characters that are left hanging on a cliff.This story tried to be good, it succeed in many things but failed in many others.It really is all over the place, like the final episodes are so darn complex, it's like the writer wanted to say all these things but didn't have the time so tried to explain everything is one episode of 20 minuets. Darker than Black is enjoying and if you choose to watch this you will be entertained there is no doubt about that.But don't expect anything too deep and don't expect any conclusion 'cause nothing is ever concluded or explained.

Darker Than Black is one tight package. It's a highly enjoyable series with an intriguing premise, a plethora of send-ups to the rich history of anime, spot-on art direction and a set of story arcs that are vast in scope yet end before overstaying their welcome. The premise of the story, where in select humans are given super powers in a catastrophic accident, is not particularly unique. However, the show manages to tackle the same topic that many have before without feeling stale at all. Although the idea is not new, Darker Than Black manages to stay fresh by examining the dilemmas of its rich cast of characters in believable and interesting ways. Nearly all of the the characters have fleshed out back-stories, many of which are very compelling. Even characters who initially seem 2-dimensional and unlikable, like the syndicate affiliated Huang, come into their own and become extremely sympathetic. The story even has a sense of irony and poetic justice, as the "contractors" (as these super humans are called) must make payments for their powers. This may consist of smoking a cigarette, aligning objects into obscure patterns, composing a poem, or a whole plethora of bizarre and sometimes fitting punishments. The reason for these payments, like many other aspects of the plot (including the catastrophe that gave these individuals their powers) is kept fairly vague. It's a decision for the better undoubtedly, as it creates an air of mystery and confusion throughout the series. It's best to not dwell on the things that are unexplained and simply enjoy the narrative as it unfolds with the scarce explanation that is provided. Really, I still don't know exactly what the story was about, and I'm completely fine with that. All I know is that it was a pretty damn good ride- one that I won't soon forget. The other piece that makes Darker Than Black so enjoyable is the quality of art, music and voices. Bones studio, most famous for their Fullmetal Alchemist adaptations, are behind this series and bring their accomplished and highly professional look to it. Character models are consistent and expressive, backgrounds are atmospheric and convincing, and there is nary a moments of weak animation to take you out of the experience. The overall visual tone is extremely even too, avoiding the pitfalls of low-budget middle sections that many series find themselves in. Opting out of cartoonish anime "shorthand", the series is a decidedly serious looking one, if not necessarily always as serious feeling show, as moments of levity are strategically placed throughout the narrative. Darker Than Black, for all of its strengths, does leave i bit to be desired. I haven't watched the second series yet, but honestly a series should stand on its own without using the possibility of a second as a crutch. Without revealing anything, I will say that it doesn't end on its strongest foot, leaving you a bit high and dry. Also, I kind of with things had gotten a bit more bizarre and surreal. There were certainly signs pointing in that direction, and even plot elements that would make contextual sense for things to get more psychological. This isn't the mindfuck that it could have been, but I suppose not all things can be. One can dream.

'mkay.. darker than black. to be honest, i wasn't at all excited when i started watching this. but when i finished the first episode, i had to see the next, then the next then the next... okay, to cut it short, i didn't notice i was done with the whole season. yeah, it was that interesting. i can't think of an anime similar to it right now, but i think there is... BUT Hei is so cool! haha. i like to patronize weird but strong characters. Hei reminds me of L Lawliet from DN because of their eyes... okay, they're both cool but Hei is supernatural.. wait, L is supernatural too, right? i mean, his mind is... okay, enough of that. if you like action and supernatural (and astronomy), you really should view this! it goes a bit gore-y but compared to others, it's bearable. i just got a little caught up by the plot. @__@ but i think, you'll eventually understand. i'm slow to pick up so i think understanding wouldn't be a problem for you. ehe. i think that'd be all for now. owaru :)

Fist review eva :P story: 9/10 The story is really great, we got introduced to our protagonist hei without really knowing a lot of things of him. his intentions and his history remains hidden till later so we get a air of mystery in him. the series work around sets of two episodes feacturing some mini-stories. Art: 8/10 While not my favorite type of art, it doesnt bothers me. actually is quite good but nothing outstanding. sound: 8/10 Same here nothing outstanding. the music was good but nothing so catchie that i wanted to learn to play it or get the song. characters 10/10 The series really shines over here, each character has a incredible story behind. mabie the only lack would be that some of them didnt get enought time for their arc :/ enjoyment: 9/10 i really enjoyed this series, maybe not enought to say it is one of the best series ever made but still outstanding. Overall: 9/10 i would recomend the series to anyone who enjoys thrillers, conspirations and action. however i would say it almost complety lacks of comedy.

I recently finished watching the series. Unfortunately, I never was able to see episode 24, so this made episode 25 harder to understand. I was, however, intrigued by the idea of the Contracters. It made me wonder how that would affect people if it happened in real life. All in all, I really enjoyed watching it and will watch it again in a heartbeat.

It was one of the best animes I have ever watched and will last like it for a long time I suppose. With a great story and great musics, It is very enjoyable to watch. Characters and the relation between characters are also wonderful. Even there are some mid episodes which just tell a different part of the story about the same thing does look bad, as you are missing your Hei, but they are also fun. The only bad thing is that how it ends. Actually it's not even an end. It was like, just wait a year or two and you will see the rest of the story. Above this, it's great!

=-= Darker than BLACK =-= Story : 8/10 I've seen or at least heard about series with super-powered assassins and all that stuff. When I first saw DtB's synopsis I can't say I was very ecstatic on watching it. But, I'm glad I was wrong because the show's story was pretty original. Contractors, hired assassins who are said to not have almost any emotions,and could kill someone with absolutely no remorse.But, Hei (or Li) is different than the rest of the contractors. Not a bad start for a story :) Art : 8/10 Nice art, no real "major flaws" in the character design, or stuff like that. I can't say that the outline of the contractors when using their powers is very appealing though.Other than that little annoyance, everything is okay. Sound : 7/10 The first opening...didn't like it. The second one was a lot better, but not outstanding. I liked the ending with the beach a little. The voices were good, but nothing special. They just did their job.Sound was ok, but not the series' forte. Character : 8/10 The characters were pretty interesting and quite original. Like a talking cat, a chinese skinny-glutton or an old "nice but at the same time grouchy" man. The police lady kinda bugged me a bit, because she was pretty annoying. There were a few other characters that I didn't really like, but the rest were fine. My favorite DtB character is Havoc. Enjoyment : 6/10 Well, I kinda dragged myself into watching this show. And at about the half-point of it, I was barely watching one episode a week. So, I can't really say I enjoyed watching it, as I was waiting for the ending to come faster. But, I have to admit that the last couple of episodes really kept me into it. Overall : 7/10 Overall, it was fine. That's all I have to say. It was a "worth-watching but nothing special"- kind of series. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Black Lagoon or Speed Grapher.Or even Ergo Proxy.

Darker than Black had everything I usually enjoy: a mysterious world, supernatural powers, secret organizations, a badass protagonist, and an atmosphere that often reminded me of Gotham City. The visuals and soundtrack are still excellent, and Hei is easily one of the show's strongest points. Unfortunately, the execution never matched the potential. The pacing is painfully slow, and the episodic two-episode cases rarely feel important to the overall story. Most of them ended up feeling like side quests rather than meaningful progression. The characters were another disappointment. The series keeps teasing interesting backstories and mysteries but barely develops them or provides satisfying answers. By the end, I realized I wasn't emotionally invested in most of the cast because I never really got to know them. My biggest issue is the ending. I don't mind some ambiguity, but finishing the series with so many unanswered questions made it feel incomplete rather than intriguing. I can see why some people love this anime. Its atmosphere is unique, the action is stylish, and the world itself is fascinating. But for me, it feels like a wasted opportunity. It had all the ingredients to become something special, yet it never reached that potential. 5/10 feels fair. Good visuals for its time, a solid soundtrack, and a few enjoyable action scenes.

Since I'm kinda obsessed with such genre, my rating may be a little bit subjective. I really liked the story. It's original and pretty interesting too. It may not have the clearest explanation of what is going on, but we can get it well enough. What ruined the overall experience, at least for me, was the poor characters design. Every "important" character of the show is standing out somehow. Elven ears, ridiculous hairstyle, weird clothes... Or everything combined. MC with his tasteless outfit and naruto-run was especially, ridiculously comical. Despite all that, they're all still pretty forgettable. But well, okay, maybe the main part is the story itself. Unfortunately, not. The story takes only the smallest part of what this show is all about. In the end, we have a very good idea, but also a very poor implementation. Subjectively it's 7/10 since I was really enjoying watching it, but objectively it has too many flaws and I cannot go beyond 6/10

I liked Darker Than Black quite a bit more than I thought I would. Often with this kind of anime it feels to me as though the overall tone is very immature and aimed at troubled teenagers who want to see gratuitous violence for the sake of gratuitous violence. Fortunately, this wasn't one of those anime and it even has a bit of depth to it. Art- The art is very average and doesn't ever stand out as being a show stopper, for better or for worse. I feel the anime looks perhaps a tiny bit older than it actually is but it's definitely not ugly. The action scenes, which there are plenty of, are very fluid and flow very nicely. A couple of the character models for unimportant side characters are a bit wonky but there's nothing here that would make me want to detract points. Sound- Solid voice acting all around in the English dub but no standout performer who really nailed it other than perhaps Colleen Clickenbeard. For those unfamiliar, Colleen Clickenbeard does her work behind the scenes more often than not, but she's actually a wildly talented voice actress and she delivers a great performance for the couple of episodes in which her character is relevant to the anime. Christopher Sabat, Robert Mccollum and Luci Christian also give strong performances as minor characters. The voice that stood out to me as being the worst was most definitely Barry Yandell as Doctor Schroeder, as I feel the voice did not fit the character at all and was likely a miscast. Character/Story- There are a lot of positive things to say about the story. The pacing is generally very good. Darker Than Black opts for an interesting structure in that it opts for two episode arcs, which are largely independent from each other and often feature different characters but they almost all factor into the bigger picture story in one way or another, and they execute this approach very well. Doing it this way the main story is continuously developed while simultaneously showcasing various side characters, as the overall cast of this anime is quite large, and it also keeps it fresh in that we're not stuck in one location or on one subplot for too long. Hei is a very likable, layered protagonist who didn't remind me of other male leads, which is a great thing. It's easy to cheer for him and want to see him succeed even given some of the extreme actions he takes. The supporting cast around him is also reasonably developed and layered. This show is good about not overloading you with cookie-cutter, one dimensional characters as far as the main cast is concerned. While there are splashes of humor, mostly in the form of side characters who are clearly not intended to be taken seriously, the anime never goes too far down this road and it's very self-aware, therefore by and large the content here is on the darker and more serious side. This anime is not afraid to develop and subsequently kill off characters, which is always appreciated. There is no "main character armor" present here. The overall balance of action, character/plot development and lighthearted moments is very, very good. The show simply feels very polished. It's an easy and exciting watch for the large majority of its 25 episode ride, with one minor nitpick being that it feels like it briefly starts to lose direction in the middle, but just as quickly it gets itself back on course. Some plot elements are never fully explained, but it's never egregious enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the viewing experience. Enjoyment- I enjoyed watching this show from start to finish and was never bored or feeling like my overall opinion of the show was changing. Did I prefer some arcs to others? Of course. But I don't think there were any bad arcs or noteworthy low points of the show. Overall the quality of the product here is high. Overall- Unique, polished action anime a bit on the darker side and not blatantly aimed at children, Darker Than Black turned out to be very good, despite my initial expectations. I'd definitely recommend watching this one to fans of the genre and I'd happily watch it again in the future. +Great pacing +Balance of action/character development/lighthearted moments +Character depth/world building +Strong voice acting +High entertainment value -Unanswered questions/plot elements -Too many characters, resulting in certain characters disappearing for many episodes at a time -Slightly rushed ending OBJECTIVE RATING- 8.5-8.75 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT RATING- 8.5-8.75 MAL, please fix it so we are allowed to give half ratings. This show is too good for an 8 but just the tiniest hair short of a 9.

a very good anime, loved it from start to finish. i had tons of different emotions and was really communicating with my screen. what really got me, was the diversity of characters and i could really bond to a lllllot of them (also there were a couple of annoying characters, but that's how life is, right). the concept of people having special abilities and literally paying for them every time they use these abilities, each person in a unique way, is so cool and innovative. i didn't like, that a lot of questions weren't answered and some events just unfolded with a touch of "ok this is 100% surreal now and we don't have an explanation yet so pls don't ask questions and just enjoy". that's why i am pinning my hopes on season 2. ☼

Darker than black, a cup of coffee may taste bitter at first. However, after a few more sips, the honey tongue blends in with the darkness, diluting the coffee from bitter to bittersweet. **Water forest music plays while I speakth of dis philosophical quote. Story: 9 The story establishes its social and political setting torn between human-superintended factions known as syndicates and supernatural-power-possessing humans, who look just like all other humans, known as Contractors. Contractors have originated from the opening of the "Gate" in South America, five years before the time of the story. Some work for syndicates, and most have been dispersed in society, unknown to the general public. The MC, Hei, is one of the Contractors who belong to a syndicate and carries out orders which often involve assaulting contractors from other syndicates and eliminating contractors who are unaware of their abilities. Personally, I love how "Darker Than Black's" episodic storytelling reveals details about its established society before driving the main plot. The first twenty episodes introduce many subplots of Hei carrying out orders for his syndicate, reflecting on the nature of contractors and syndicates. I do think they could've been better paced because certain parts are somewhat bland and vague, but regardless, the writer's done a great job to familiarize the audience with his/her creation and eventually develop the story to conclusive finish. Trust me, you will be flushed with the satisfaction of a wholesome conclusion which ties up all the main events in the episodic episodes. Just gotta make sure you get the main gist of the story before you reach around episode 20! Oh! I'd also like to mention that the comic relief is well placed and there are some pretty hilarious moments including Mao's kitty dreams and Hei's bra shopping scene (I ship Kirihara and Hei xD). Art: 9 I really like the character designs! They accurately reflect the characters attitudes and ideals, like Alice Wang's rich-thug look and Kirihara's pink lip gloss of justice -- coming from the top of my head... Sorry I'm not that great at expounding art, but well, you'll understand what I mean when you watch the anime. I do have a bit of a complaint about the over-stolid eyes of Yin and Hei, and although I understand the artist is purposely giving them an indifferent look, they could, in my opinion, look profound and indifferent at the same time if their eyes were more intricately designed. It's not too big of problem, however, since both of them are indeed profound characters. Sound: 9 On every episode, I wait until the end just to listen to a deep, philosophical prologue narrated by the chief of Public Safety Bureau, Ms. Pretty Kirahara in a Chinese dress, backtracked by the nostalgia-evoking "Water Forest". There are also other memorable soundtracks throughout. The names of which I do not remember, but they are played in moments such as when Gai Kurasawa is fighting over a ridiculous argument with his weaboo trash assistant or when Hei and Nick are staring up at the fake stars. The OPs and EDs are just so-so but its soundtrack is memorably nostalgic and bittersweet, so I will give this one a 9. Character: 10 Like I have mentioned a sentence ago, the writer makes a deft use of depressing but beautiful backstories to appeal to the audience. They are key instruments to expounding character traits, which I think are outstandingly well-done like pork tendon. I especially loved Huang's revelation of his backstory with Shihoko, and although I can't really you who they are without avoiding spoilers, he, like most of other characters' backstories (including the minor ones!) in the story, evoke bittersweet feelings darker than black. Characterization is really the treasure of this anime, as multiple main characters like Hei are given facets of contradicting attitudes such as sarcasm/humour and seriousness. Not to mention, best detective Gai Kurawasa and his weaboo trash assistant is the best comic duo ever (kyaa). Oh, the blonde thug of the yakuza is a funny guy, too, although he kinda sucks at making decisions. Oh well. Enjoyment: 10 I think I have went through enough detail to tell you that this anime has been a very enjoyable experience for me. It doesn't leave me hanging on a cliff like "Boku no Hero Academia", it doesn't require me to turn of my brain like "Maze Runner", and it doesn't induce my hibernation like "Five Centimetres Per Second" (It is a thematic masterpiece but at the same time it really is slow af). It gives me just the right amount of enjoyment, allowing me to digress its portrayed themes of prejudice, social divides, instinct vs. rationale etc. into my world while grasping my interest with its bittersweet and momentarily comical tone -- a nice balance indeed. Overall: 9 "Darker Than Black". Man, I just love this anime. I can't talk enough about the anime's dark roast coffee blend of bitter-sweetness! It definitely has its flaws, but they're so insignificant compared to its great control of plot, satisfying ending, and memorable characters and themes. "Darker Than Black" is worth the watch. You might even become a better and more insightful person once you watch it!

Super-Powered Spies and a Corny Guy, This series is practically a modern classic in my opinion, Bones knocked the vast majority out of the park. The animation is slick, the character design is somewhat generic but excellent for portraying action and emotion. The voice acting is fantastic and the story is highly intriguing. The twists truly threw me for a loop, the writing is clever for the most part and the concept is unique with a really cool main character to follow. The only genuine issue I have is the tonal juxtaposition between the main story and the light-hearted filler-ish episodes with a certain incredibly cheesy detective and his stereotype secretary. They do grow on you after a while but the transition initially was pretty jarring, annoying and broke up the story somewhat unnecessarily just as things started to get truly interesting. It's one of my favorite shows from the mid-2000s, but not without its flaws. Darker Than Black is an 9 out of 10 from me.

Sigh. I guess I expected way too much from this series. It is the first series that I have watched where I felt like it was wasted potential. There were so many things and so many directions it could have gone to have made it a better story and more enjoyable to watch. The first thing I have to point out because it's been on my mind from the beginning to the very end of watching this first season on a 2 day span. Pizza Hut. I can't stop thinking about it. There were signs everywhere. Would I have enjoyed the show more if I ate from Pizza Hut? Possibly. I don;t know and I guess I'll never find out. If anyone knows if it's more enjoyable that way, please don't hesitate to inform me. This anime can get interesting at times it can intrigue you, in fact if you stick it through, I m sure you will. I'm such your curiosity will allow you to wonder and to ask lots of questions. But you know what? "F**k you!" said this anime to it's audience, "I won't answer any of your questions." Followed by a, "You will watch what I show you and you and there's nothing you can do about." SO many of my questions have still been unanswered. Nearing the end when the contractor were fighting the humans, I saw so much abilities and potential usage of said characters and abilities that it could have been way better. Honestly I don;t know why this anime got such a high rating on MAL. I'm not the kind of person to judge an anime so harshly. Yeah this feels harsh to me, and I was entertained a very few amount of times so i wont disregard that.. BUT... this just goes to show that darn... well I guess it must be a regional thing for it to have gotten such a high ranking. Since I've already watched the first season and since I like to follow things through to the end, I will be watching the sequels as well.. I hope it gets better though. Overall 6/10... it's fine.

My first review! Darker Than Black is one of the classics IMO and will always be one of my favourites. It may be a bit difficult at first to get into but it is completely worth it!! If you're into dark atmospheres, interesting story lines, give this one a shot; you'll love it!! Story: 8 First, the story. I gave it an eight because the plot was exciting and riddled with plot-twists but still managed to fit the anime's previously-mentioned atmosphere. It is about these superhumans called Contractors, each one with a special type of ability for which s/he must pay a price, sometimes even with their bodies or health or even lives at risk. It was made for an incredible manga/anime, which DTB definitely is! But then again, I didn't give it a 10 because personally, I didn't think the story was unfolded properly to be easily understood, so for the first few episodes I found it a bit difficult to follow up without a few guidelines. Also because I hated how they introduced amazing characters with interesting backstories and personalities, and killed them off or got rid of them in the same or the next episode. Oh well, maybe it's just me. Not gonna criticise the fanservice because a) it wasn't too heavy and the characters didn't have to do anything far out of place IIRC to show it.) Art: 9 I loved the animation, it was different from most anime I saw and I found it great, amazing actually!! Keep in mind that it wasn't produced in this decade, but it still delivered for amazing action scenes and excellent backgrounds and looks overall. Sound: 10 I easily gave it a perfect ten because nothing was wrong with the voice-acting, it was simply amazing. Moreover, its opening/ending soundtracks easily made one of the best collections. They chose great bands for great songs. I found the background music to be so good and fitting for every scene it was used in, whether it was sad, exciting, suspenseful, comedic, anything! Character: 10 The different powers, personalities, remuneration methods, and the syndicate/contractor/doll variations are all very big important elements of this category. Let's start with the main character: Hei, a contractor who outside his job acts as a transfer student named Li Shunsheng, from China. Since he's not a real contractor, he is able to have emotions much like humans and a could-be-called-complex personality, he's likely to judge any situation he's put in through both logic AND emotion, unlike the usual contractors who can only do so through logic. This is such an interesting addition to the story. The other main characters and supporting ones are also great, with intriguing backstories and without noticing I became very curious as to know how each character that's a doll or contractor came to be that way. Overall, awesome characters that are sure to have you hooked. Enjoyment: 7 The confusion was a bit too much for me, so it was hard to watch at first (as I've mentioned earlier) but when I got further into it, I couldn't stop. It was incredible. Overall: 10 Overall..... Outstanding. Hope my review was helpful.