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Darker than Black version 1
(First five episodes)
Darker than Black is set in a world where
certain people have been given powerful psychic abilities due to the
appearance of the "Hell's Gate" in Tokyo. Unbeknown to the public, these
people are called Contractors who are being monitored by the government
in order to ensure that their powers are kept in check.
The series revolves around Hei, one of the
world's most powerful Contractors who is only known as BK201 and is
assisted by his companions, the blind doll Yin and Mao the talking cat.
The storyline feels like it has been taken directly from a Manga story
due to the mix of superhuman powers and that of the supernatural and is
your classic Anime tale as it has a variety of strange and otherworldly
facets thrown into the mix.
The key to the series is that these
Contractors must "pay" to use their powers, generally through self
mutilation or some other obsessive task. The characters are quite
interesting and dynamic, whether it's the dark Hei who keeps his secrets
close to his chest or the blue haired Yin who plays the Ying to Hei's
Yang. Of course, for comedic value, the talking cat is definitely a
strange creature yet is heavily focused from Anime lore.
The animation is quite impressive and
"dark" for this series that uses great character designs and some
impressive background environments that goes hand in hand with the
majestic musical score by Yoko Kanno.
The only problem with Darker than Black is
just when the series starts to go into high gear, it ends and you will
definitely need to purchase the next instalment of the series. The
special features include art galleries, cast auditions and your standard
anime extras which neatly rounds out this Anime series.
At the end of the day, although it doesn't
add anything new to the genre, it seems the creators stayed on the safer
path which most fans of this genre will enjoy. Darker Than Black v1
features all five episodes from the series and boasts twists, drama and
that classic anime experience which is definitely for those anime fans
who love the supernatural in the modern world.
DVD Special Features
Second episode commentary
Art Gallery
Cast auditions
Textless opening and closing
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