DARKER THAN BLACK: KURO NO KEIYAKUSHA

DESCRIPTION

CAST

SPECIAL ComedyDARKER THAN BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha - Sakura no Hana no Mankai no Shita
MANGA ActionDARKER THAN BLACK: Kuro no Keiyakusha

REVIEWS

• 

  Michiel

  84/100
  DtB, delivers well on its own premise. The visuals of the show are good and the characters make it worth the watch.

  The story Darker than Black, delivers well on its own premise. A sense of attachment that gives the already sorrow setting a rugged feel to it. The characters fit nicely in the surroundings, where the four members accent each others characteristics graciously. The world itself gives you the feeling that it's balanced which is in complete contrast with the "main" character who does not feel balanced at al. Which in turn keeps you interested in what he is doing, notifying you why you should pay attention to him.

  The visuals of the show are good, if not great. I've never felt that something is out of place or does not work in how the world is moving. The differences in characteristics when the characters show their true colours feels genuine and gives them a bit more natural feel. A decent amount of background visuals while something is happening in the focus area also makes the world feel real and accents what is happening in the foreground.

  The characters individual stories and quirks makes the show worth the watch. Each character has his/her motives and reasons why they move and act. When a character makes a choice or move, eventually you'll understand why or what it is they did. It feels as though there was put a lot of care into the reasoning of a character. Not just for the "main' character but also every other character in the world. Except there are a few characters where they felt a bit out of place because of their eccentricities. But that can easily be explained by saying "I don't know enough about the world to understand any and every character that walks around".

  If you have been able to read the whole review I'll leave you with a gift. There are multiple ways to watch a show, you can enjoy the story, the visuals, the characters. But when you see the whole picture that the author is trying to portray it get's it's own personal meaning. Something only you may be able to understand. Or not.

  All in all a good watch. I give this show/anime a 84 out of 100. I would even go so far as to say that I would watch it again if enough time has passed and no other anime can keep my interest.

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• 

  0215MADman

  74/100
  A good show worth checking out that just wasn't for me.

  I am convinced this is someone's favorite anime. I can see people completely vibing with this. It has good characters, good world-building, a good score (not even close to her best but a Yoko Kanno score is still a Yoko Kanno score). The show looks like a Yoshitoshi ABe show animated by Bones. Clean and clear, but still has that darkish tone.

  This show is EXACTLY what I want out of adult animation. It's about a vigilante who takes down organizations of people with superpowers, and everything is given a down to earth tone. A realistic show with adult themes that is, well, dark. Also, I respect a show that isn't afraid to show blood while also not wanting to have Hellsing levels of violence.

  However, being down to earth and going for an adults-only crowd (not in its content mostly, but in the way it tells its story) comes at a cost and that is that this show is boring. I thought it was going to be an ongoing plot about Hei's life living in that apartment complex while also living a double-life as a vigilante. Heads up, do not get attached to characters in this show. Not because it's like Danganronpa where your favorite character can just up and die at a moment's notice, but because this show is primarily episodic where every week (or actually every 2 weeks, I'll get to that in a bit) Hei goes against another part of the overall crime syndicate in Tokyo. This show is more about themes than an actual ongoing plot. I couldn't get attached to any of the characters and I don't think I have a "favorite episode".

  This might sound like a petty thing, and trust me it didn't factor into my score, but I don't think this show should have been half-hour episodes. I get that with anime your show can't be composed entirely of hour long episodes, but the first 22 episodes of this show are all 2-part episodes. So I essentially watched 11 hour long episodes, plus 4 more bonus episodes (yes I watched the OVA). Honestly, I think it would have helped the show if every episode was an hour long. It sure would be daring, and also more similar to how live-action dramas are structured.

  I'd say give the first two episodes a watch (don't watch this show in odd numbered chunks, that's weird) and if you are REALLY into it, I highly recommend that you keep watching. As for me? I'll struggle to even consider watching the second season.

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• 

  monfernova

  73/100
  A blast from the past - Bones makes good work of the animation to deliver a super-power filled noir tale.

  Introduction/Background: This was one of the first series I ever ended up watching in 2010 and thus, is held fairly close to my heart.I remember thinking Hei was pretty badass, the use of superpowers was actually fairly competent and physics based, and the action choreography was also good. I revisited this series in 2015. While many aspects of it retained their beautiful quality, I observed that certain aspects can't necessarily hold or captivate an audience. It is definitely a product of its time, for better or for worse.

  Plot: 5/10

  The plot is serviceable. It gives a basic narrative to follow along with, while having an episodic format, so that the main plot either subtly ties in, or takes centre stage a few times. The episodic nature is in service of worldbuilding, and it paints a dark world decently well. However this isn't the type of show where you'll be at the edge of your seat, anticipating the next narrative beat with baited breath.

  Characters: 8/10

  DtB Season 1 has some good, nuanced characters. The development and/or vices of the main cast of characters is more subtle than it is pronounced, but we do get to see how they act in various scenarios and this is done pretty well. Our main protagonist for example, is painted as a deadly cold blooded killer within the first scene. However, the analysis of his actions and internal struggle show anything but that over time. Since these reviews are to be non-spoilery I won't delve into the others too much, but even one-shot characters usually receive some sort of poignant development to service them and make them feel at least two dimensional.

  Animation: 9/10

  Bones delivers some stunning animation. For 2007, you'd be hard pressed to find something with this much attention to detail (for series, not movies) in choregraphy between hand-to-hand combat and use of abilities, stuff like FMA 2003 comes to mind and this too is from Bones. (Edit: I have been in discussion and it seems I worded this poorly. There are other series from 2007 with stunning animation, most notably TTGL. What I should have said is less to do with specific animation and more to do with attention to detail.) The series as a whole shows consistency here, although a point has been taken off for perhaps not going all out for general non-combat scenes. But this is few and far between.

  Soundtrack: 9/10

  Simply amazing. Yoko Kanno does amazing work as usual, and this soundtrack is accessible enough that it appeals to a wide demographic. Expect a lot of hard rock, jazz and jazz/funk fusion. It is also a vast and massive OST for a 26 episode series (the other seasons and OVAs all have their own OSTs too). There is amazing classical music here too - basically Yoko Kanno flexes her breadth of compositional ability to create a soundtrack perfect for a noir thriller, but also for an action-packed espionage series.

  Conclusion:

  Darker than Black has aged decently well, while perhaps being too laser-focused on the dark tones of it's world; at the cost of missing out on a large section of the watching demographic. But it is steadfast in sticking to its roots and manages to deliver a moody and unforgiving narrative for its harsh world.

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