Anime Review - Darker than Black

Mephisto · Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:03 pm

Darker than Black Review

Genre: adventure, drama, mystery, science fiction, supernatural
Episodes: 25

For someone who enjoys the dark, the mystifying and the supernatural, it came to no surprise I would pick the anime aptly titled Darker than Black to watch. While the show is definitely one for the older masses - a conglomeration of philosophy, blood and death, emotionless pragmatism - it nevertheless manages to create an amazing story that questions what it means to be human in a short span of 25 episodes.

Set in Tokyo in the near future, the world has changed significantly with the sudden appearances of two mysterious ‘Gates’, and with them the unfeeling and horrifyingly rational individuals known as contractors. Darker than Black follows the path of one of these ‘so-called’ emotionless killing machines, Hei (Chinese for Black), and his work for the ominous Syndicate. Working alongside him are Yin (Chinese for Silver), a medium known as a ‘Doll’, Mao (Chinese for Cat), a displaced contractor turned cat, and Hwang (Chinese for Yellow), a cynical and disenchanted former police officer -- as the anime progresses and their stories become apparent, we see definite changes among them as they grow to become less cold and more humane than they were at the start of the series.

The backdrop of the anime is already comprised of an interesting multitude of ideas and concepts. Contractors are individuals with access to supernatural powers born from the existence of the Heaven’s and Hell’s Gates – they are able to generate electricity, freeze liquids, teleport, ignite material, manipulate gravity among others – while at a specific cost, determined at the time their ‘contract’ is made. These remunerations range from the simple (Smoking) to the obscene (Self-mutilation) to the unbelievable (Aging). They further lack emotion and think pragmatically, being selfish and self serving – though this ideal is put on the line later on. Then there are the Dolls, seemingly lifeless mediums able to traverse among a specific material, acting through these ‘surveillance specters’ – though the question of whether they are ‘alive’ or not is something that is debated even within the anime. From the onset we question these designs, wondering how and what they are – drawing us more into the story and the history surrounding the ‘present’.

Darker than Black is rather unique among anime (or from the ones I have watched) in being completely pieced together from 2 episode arcs and cumulating with a final 5 episode one. While this structure makes for lengthy and interesting singular plots, the problem resides in how some arcs eclipse others in terms of quality and engagement. The latter episodes certainly did not have as much impact as some of the earlier ones – but don’t let that stop you from watching them, as many elements of each small arc arrive in some small way in the finale – from the minor villains, to human experimentation, to the hidden agenda behind the Syndicate’s work. The ending itself, while satisfying some questions, also raises many more of them, and major questions such as ‘What are contractors’ and ‘What really happened then’ spring alight as quickly as the credits begin rolling. These enigmas are never fully answered and we’re left hanging thinking about what the truth might be.

The character and story development does not suffer from the episodic nature of the arcs. Character growth, ideology and history certainly make some breakthroughs in episodes solely dedicated to their sake alone – however, even outside of these, we can see what makes them tick inside, their agendas, and often why they are as they are. Even the minor villains in some arcs get their point across – we see them more as humans rather than story fodder. Why the father pushes away his daughter, why the daughter betrays her closest friend, why a young man betrays the yakuza for the sake of a Doll – they are not purely happenstance but actions that are deliberated and emotional.

The animation itself wonderfully dark and appreciative – the quality is maintained consistently throughout the series albeit some small bits. Regardless of these small flaws, the action sequences, the glowing and lighting and, especially, the powers displayed, are nicely done.

The music too is well done and fitting – the decidedly dark and loud openings really caught the eye, but the slower endings suffered in comparison. Though when you have Japanese pop-rock in the form of ‘Howling’ by ‘Abingdon Boys School’ and ‘Kakusei Heroism ~The hero without a name~’ by ‘An Café’ beginning of the episode, you tend to miss out of the more serene and ballad like endings of ‘Moonlight’ by ‘Rie Fu’ and ‘Dreams’ by ‘High and Mighty Colour’. The soundtrack during the anime is well presented as well, with the music matching the atmosphere throughout the series – especially in episodes 13 and 14 is where it did shine a lot more than anywhere else in the series with its composure alongside its disquieting storyline.

While I personally recommend Darker than Black, I must also point out to the avid viewer that there are times when story and development seem rather a tad slow – in the end however, it surely adds to the final product as we see characters grow and change, questions become overturned and more secrets and powers are revealed. Not to mention the philosophical dialogue that runs behind the series, though if you were watching more for the action, you’d tend to question it less and enjoy watching the battling contractors more closely. A definite watch for fans of the genre – others, watch at your own leisure and begin to ask more questions.

Anime Review - Darker than Black

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