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Post by Lyss on Oct 24, 2010 23:35:59 GMT -5
Darker Than BLACK Anime Review 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.
First opening theme. HOWLING by abingdon boys school. Second opening theme. Kakusei Heroism ~the hero without a name~ by An Cafe. First ending theme. Tsukiakari by Rie fu. Second ending theme. Dreams by High and Mighty Color. Total Episodes: 25
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.
9/10 stars
Credits This review was written by me, Lyss. Please do not redistribute without my permission, or claim as your own. Thank you. Darker Than BLACK is the property of BONES.
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Post by Deko on Jul 28, 2012 9:35:13 GMT -5
Oh man, I finally watched this about a month ago. So good.
Have you seen the sequel, Gemini of the Meteor? And if so, how does it compare to the original series?
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Post by Kronos on Jul 28, 2012 11:17:20 GMT -5
It's been in my instant queue on netflix for a hot minute, and I watched the first episode and got kind of bored. Maybe I'll get back to it this week since you two like it so much!
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Post by Lyss on Jul 28, 2012 14:24:36 GMT -5
@deko: I'm glad you liked it~! c: As for Gemini of the Meteor (I usually call it Ryuusei no Gemini, in case I might confuse you somehow later on!), I really, really enjoyed it. Then again, I do have a penchant for adoring "bad" anime (Black Rock Shooter OVA/TV series, Blood-C, and X the Movie being some other examples) so my opinion may not count. >_>; Most people who disliked the second season usually gripe on the fact that Hei isn't as "main" of a character as he was in the first season (a girl named Suoh takes this honour instead) and that Hei's appearance/demeanour has changed. However, given what happened to Hei, it's a pretty darn realistic change, so I really see no reason for complaining about Hei's...transformation. Pretty much anyone would become depressed after what happened (and yes, "what happened" is a spoiler, so I'm not giving out that information). In any case, I really recommend you to watch the second season, since you enjoyed the first, and tell me what you think! I'd easily put the second season on par with the first one. Also, after watching Ryuusei no Gemini, you should watch the four Gaiden OVA episodes, which fill in what happened to Hei between the first season and the second season. The reason you should watch the OVAs after the second season is because they were released after the second season.
Kronos: I'd really recommend you to do so! o: It may not be your cup of tea (since you got bored), but it's worth the try anyway! It's quite an excellent anime, one of my top favourites. c: [/sup]
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Post by Deko on Jul 28, 2012 18:14:56 GMT -5
I will definitely check it out, Lyss. Kronos, that's how it was for me too. It took me a couple of tries before I actually watched the whole series through.
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Post by Lyss on Jul 29, 2012 16:44:33 GMT -5
That's great~! :3
I find it amusing how I never found Darker Than Black boring, yet you both need/needed a few tries before you got into it. xD'' [/sup]
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Post by Ape on Jul 30, 2012 3:56:48 GMT -5
I loved the first season, it was so damn good and enticing. I watch the OVA, and I'm about to watch the second season. Hope it's just as good.
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