A new and deadly breed of covert agent walks the streets. Known as Contractors, these assassins and spies wield bizarre supernatural powers to carry out the dirty work of others. They thrive in the underworld, between rumor and reality, their loyalties always in question. One among these operatives is more mysterious than the rest – The masked killer BK201, the Black Reaper. His true identity and intentions remain unknown, but as his path weaves through the shadows and alleys of Tokyo, blood is spilled on both sides of the law. It’s a new age of confusion, and the rules of engagement have changed.
Buy “Darker Than Black: The Complete Series” For Only $41.99
April 6, 2008
#1
This is a great series! I watched it online as it was released (very hard to wait for every episode!). Beginning with my favorite musical composer Yoko Kanno (escaflowne, cowboy bebop, macross, RahXephon, Ghost in the shell), and a story by my favorite team Bones (rahXephon, Scrapped Princess, Wolf’s Rain, Fullmetal Alchemist, Eureka Seven, Xam’d: Lost Memories), as well as a top notch voice acting cast (Japanese at least, I haven’t watched in English).
The story (don’t worry, no spoilers) is set in a future where 2 gates have opened; One in Japan, and one in South America. World governments are trying to figure out what these gates are, and what the correlation is between these gates and the emotionless contractors which have shown up at the same time. Hei (a contractor working for the syndicate) is trying to find someone he loved and lost, while trying to protect his new love. All the while he is being pursued by a government agency. Action packed, and will keep you guessing, in a creative and interesting world.
Other notes: While this season was awesome, there is a 2nd season (Ryusei no Gemini) which is exciting for the most part, but has a very disappointing ending. It is a short season(12 ep), that follows a different main character and may be a filler series similar to “Fumoffu” as a part of “fullmetal panic”, or “The Endless Summer” is to Haruhi. But I am not sure if there will be another full season, or if Gemini managed to kill the series. While Season 1 explains a great deal of what is going on (which is a part of what makes the show interesting), Gemini raises a bunch of questions, and then quickly ignores them all to wrap up the plot in the last 2 episodes.
April 6, 2008
#2
I really enjoyed the “Darker Than Black” anime series. This an interesting and involved Sci-Fi story that has a lot of violence, action, and humor.
No spoilers from me, the storyline is set in the near future, the “Hell’s Gate” has opened in Tokyo (and another in South America), all of the stars in the sky have been replaced by fake stars that are representations of “Contractors” (see below). The episodes somewhat slowly bring us up to speed on the back story of people with special abilities, like “Contractors” (remorseless assassins with special powers that come with a price), “Dolls” (basically blank humans who can be implanted with temporary memories/personalities or who can perform specific functions like remote sensing and observation), and hybrids are thrown into the mix as well.
There are several groups of players interacting, including a special police unit that tracks “Contractors”, The Syndicate (including the main “Contractor” Hei/Bk201/The Black Reaper), various governments (references to French, Americans, and British spy agencies), and other criminal groups (all employing “Contractors”).
As the storyline unfolds it becomes apparent that not all “Contractors” follow the stereotype and we learn something about Hei’s motivation for why he does what he does. There are a lot of call backs to events in earlier episodes and key characters get developed nicely.
The animation was passable overall. It has some truly beautiful artwork in some scenes and some of the flattest animation in others. There was anime style blood and gore, but far less than I have come to expect.
The series wraps up all of the major plot lines by the end and it looks like there is a second season soon to be released.
Overall this is an interesting series, recommended for fans of the genre.
CFH
April 6, 2008
#3
It is now the future. Ten years ago, two Gates, areas where mysterious and often deadly events occur, formed (Hell’s Gate in Tokyo and Heaven’s Gate in South America) and with them came the birth of Contractors (psychics who use their powers in exchange for a loss of emotions and for a specific price) and Dolls (emotionless beings who can send out their searcher spirits to track others).
The story of Darker Than Black follows BK-201 (alias Hei, Li Shengshun, the Black Reaper, etc.), a masked, cable-wielding Contractor with an affinity for electricity, in his work for a shady Syndicate with unknown goals. While he seems to follow the Syndicate’s orders, he appears to have other priorities that come before it, as it looks like he’s searching for someone…
Darker Than Black is divided into multiple two to three episode arcs, connected mainly by the cast of recurring characters. Each arc focuses on a different group of characters, including Hei’s fellow Syndicate members Yin (a silver-haired Doll), the gruff Huang, and Mao (a Contractor who can possess animals) as well as Hei’s pursuer, the policewoman Misaki Kirihara, and of course, a cast of minor characters. Like in most episodic or arc-based anime, some arcs are great while others could be better.
Darker Than Black is an action series at its core, and a good deal of violence occurs as Hei deals with the Contractors he meets with in each arc. I’d suggest watching the first five minutes or so of the first episode on Funimation’s website before purchasing this, as it gives you a good idea of what to expect. The violence might not be quite on the level of, say, Elfen Lied or Baccano!, but it is still worth mentioning.
The animation and art in this series are fantastic. It was animated by Studio BONES, the ones responsible for Fullmetal Alchemist, RahXephon, Eureka Seven, etc., and Darker Than Black has equally good production values. The animation is fluid in the series’ action scenes, and the characters are never noticeably off-model. The characters have very appealing character designs, and both those and the setting are incredibly stylish.
The sound in this series is also great. The music was composed by Yoko Kanno, the person behind Cowboy Bebop’s score, and it doesn’t disappoint. It ranges from calm piano pieces to more energetic themes played during tense situations, and none of it grates on your ears. The opening and ending themes fit the series as well, with the first ending, “Tsukiakari” (“Moonlight”) being a personal favorite. Unlike many anime, the English dub track on Darker Than Black is consistently good. Hei’s English voice actor, Jason Liebrecht, goes from cold and calculating in the character’s Hei persona to sweet and kind as his cover Li Shengshun, and the other characters receive equally good voice acting. The Japanese dub is fantastic as well, and it really doesn’t matter which language you choose to listen to.
In the end, the one main problem I have with Darker Than Black apart from a few mediocre arcs is its ending. It is very confusing and open-ended (I personally think it was a bit rushed) and isn’t the best ending such a good series could receive. Just a note: while the series consists of 26 episodes, it ends on episode 25, with episode 26 being a sidestory OVA. The real ending leaves the world of Darker Than Black ready for a sequel, and in fact, one just finished in Japan, Darker Than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini (Gemini of the Meteor). Unfortunately, this sequel doesn’t really solve any of the lingering questions from Season 1, but this does mean that you shouldn’t feel too upset that it hasn’t been licensed yet.
On whole, Darker Than Black is a visually appealing action series that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the genre. For me, it was worth tracking down the individual volumes when they came out, and this complete series provides the same experience for a cheaper price.