Darker Than Black: Kuro no keiyakusha

I'd give a 8.5 if I could. This anime has one of the most cool characters I've seen in anime, Hei. The dude's attitude carries this show, but that's not to distract from the other characters. All of the main four, even the girl who rarely says a thing (I really enjoyed the episode focused on her) are a blast.

The series is done in hour long vignettes, something not normally done in anime... and it takes the creators a little bit to get used to it. The first 7 or so episodes of this show were average and forgettable, but give DTB time and it finds it's place. Keep in mind, the beginning episodes are still necessary viewing for the mood and background it sets.

So is the beginning rough? Yes. 7.9 worthy? Hell no!

I know many a anime viewer such as myself who see's a score under a eight and thinks the show is a pass, but listen up. DTB IS NOT A PASS. This shows has everything to love in a anime and the ending WILL leave you satisfied.

I love these characters, I feel the thought in the writing, it is complex and has a philosophical message. This one moment near the end delivers some of the best symbolism I've seen. Truly this show is a powerhouse; a world in it's own. Even characters who come in for a few episodes have a grand purpose in the study of Hei.

Do not miss this show, it will have a impact on you and entrance you in pure coolness.

8.5/10

I came across this anime accidentally, I do not watch a lot of anime, in fact I rarely find an anime that I can truly say I enjoyed immensely, but Darker than Black is definitely an exception to this.

I will admit after the first episode I wasn't completely convinced. It was vague and left me feeling a little jilted, but I found out the series runs in a two episode story arc, so of course I was confused. I watched the second and was intrigued. I had to know what happened next. I kept watching and I was left with the same feeling of anticipation. The good kind of anticipation when you know something really satisfying is going to happen.

Not only is the story great but the art and animation is fabulous. Very clean and smooth, the movements are fluid and fight scenes are very enjoyable to watch. The character designs are unique, even characters that look similar are distinct. The characters' designs are not the only good thing about them, they are also dynamic with their own personalities and almost every character is likable. I have to say it was actually the style of art that prompted me to watch this show, and it was a great decision on my part.

Although the ending may seem vague and leave questions unanswered, don't worry, the is a sequel on the way.

Overall, there is no lack of good things in this show. It is hard to describe which is something I find a good quality.

This is what the American series Hereos could have been like if it was written for adults.

It features super-powered people who are real people, their powers come at a real price and not a token moral price as is used in children's comics.

The story unfolds gradually with us getting to know more of the main character's back story from episode to episode.

The powers are interesting as is the background of fear and manipulation and the fact that it finishes is one series rather than dragging on to squeeze extra money out of the idea is appealing.

The plot is intelligent with no bad or annoying episodes and the ending is surprising and consistent, there is a small bit of comic relief but this is a dark story.

I hadn't watched any anime in years but this one dragged me in from the first episode and I didn't regret it.

I got into Darker Than Black because of its creators- Tensai Okamura has made some real nice works before, notably Wolf's Rain. In that series, he also worked with Yoko Kanno, the composer of some of the best soundtracks I have heard in my life, most importantly Cowboy Bebop. However, this series isn't as good as those mentioned earlier, but it is still good.

The problem with DTB is that it starts bad. It's just confusing, we don't know what's going on and we don't know the characters, so it's hard to care about them. Not only that- what I expected that would save the series, the music (I believe that music is as fundamental as anything else) wasn't that great either. Kanno's music just didn't stand out, and even the opening and closing themes weren't hers.

However, if you have patience, there's a point where we get to know the characters. Some story arcs get really interesting and when a episode ends, you will want to see the other to know what is going to happen. And it gets fun and turns out to be a nice experience. However, I would only recommend it to anime fans- not the general public. There's still a lot more series in the same vein of DTB that are much better and you should see them before this one.

This show hits many of the marks that would in hindsight classify it as a pillar in the anime genre. The show has character, style, atmosphere, and thrilling action sequences backed by a sleek killer soundtrack composed by none other than Yoko Kanno.

The issue with the show, however, is it comes short on a couple different axis', those being a cohesive narrative and lackluster character development.

While the shows starts off with episodic story arcs that finish and end per one to two episodes (which are imo the best parts about the show), around the second half of the season, the show then goes deep into this convoluted overarching narrative that in the end falls flat on it's face. By the finale, your left scratching your head at what had just happened exactly, as the show gives little time to dwell and explain what was happening. It's as if in Cowboy Bebop, the last 4 episodes they discover a plot that a government was trying to commit mass planetary genocide and they had to resolve this crisis in 3 episodes time.

Hei is our lead man in this adventure, and while his stoic and mysterious nature is interesting, some episodes it felt as if he had no personality at all. During the end of the season, they recap on his past and why he holds animosity towards certain other characters, it felt as if one issue resolves while another is just left with more questions than answers.

Overall, the show has all the style and character to get in the upper echelons of it's media contemporaries, but unfortunately falls short in mostly in substance and narrative focus.