Ranked #116

D.Gray-man

On the surface, D. Gray-Man sounds like just another shonen anime with an organization of good guys with special weapons fighting evil monsters. Yeah, that's the base of it, but DGM turns into something more, something deeper than many other shonen anime series. In fact, I feel that it sneaks around seinen territory.

While the setting is standard shonen all the way, you'll find yourself surprised when watching this show. It starts off a bit slow, with many fights, small arcs (~1-4 episodes) and nothing special to it. However, it quickly picks up, and some way into season 2 or 3, DGM starts to show its qualities. The story soon blends in action, emotions and last but not least, realistic power-ups. The story is overall more deep and serious than most shonen anime, and builds up and only gets better towards the end, where it meets it demise with an unfortunate canceling, which, together with its slow start, may ruin the experience of the show for many.

The characters are without a doubt the strongest point of DGM. I mentioned earlier that DGM is sneaking about in seinen territory, and the reason for this is the characters. They don't think "You bastard! I need to suddenly get stronger so I can defeat you" and get stronger and defeat the bad guys. The characters here aren't all about brawling against the evil guys. They have emotions. Emotions which they have to face. And that's what makes it into a semi-seinen series; it's a bit more character-driven and not so much plot-driven.

The animation quality of DGM is also astounding. There's a lot of detail put into the environments, and character designs are great too. Special effects are really great, and the same can be said about lighting effects. When you consider that DGM is a bit dark and serious, the coloring is really great too; it's just as dark as it needs to be to fit in with the series.

The soundtrack is definitely the weakest point of DGM. The background music isn't especially memorable, and not really great. I hope they decide to get a new soundtrack soon so I can get something better. Also, using the same stuff for 100 episodes is a lot. OP and ED themes are okay though, and I like the more heavy style of the OP themes - it fits with the tone of the show. Voice acting and sound effects are great though.

Final thing which I should mention is that the fillers in DGM are actually good. "What fillers?" you may ask if you've watched the show. To be honest, I asked the same question when I first heard that there was a lot of filler in the show. The thought never even came close to my mind. So that's a plus.

All in all, I feel that DGM mixes shonen and seinen into something special and unique. It may not appeal to all shonen fans, but those of you who like more serious action anime will enjoy DGM even more.

To 'Not Helpful' voters (and you 'Helpful' voters too): Feedback greatly appreciated =)
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This is my review of the episodes which I have seen which is up through 58.

Im not going to dull people with a summary of the story its on anidb and other such websites and they do a better job than I would. However if you want a short summarized version of what Im going to say, here it is: Want a series that start out as typical shounen series that transform into a powerful epic that twists and turns in unexpected ways? Then I would recommend D.Grey-man.

The story starts off pretty good, but takes some time before it kicks into overdrive so be prepared. I found myself liking the series, but for the first 40 episodes or so it felt pretty mediocre after that point the story starts to flesh out and go in some pretty unexpected directions. I felt probably one of the stronger points of the story was how episodes which appeared like fillers at first turned out to introduce important characters which return again and play very important roles in terms of the story. At heart though D.Grey-man is still a shounen so dont watch it if you absolutely hate these types of series, but it has a different taste than other series such as Naruto or One Piece.

The Animation is top notch and it improves as the series progresses. Characters facial expressions are superb especially when considering the huge cast of both good and bad guys. I love the unique look that the bad guys bring to this anime: evil, yet at the same time they are appealing in their own way. The same is also true of the good guys cool but, at times, ridiculous. Any filler episode had at least average animated action scenes. However whenever the series gets to the story pertinent battles the action scenes are stepped up a notch.

The sound is by far the most troublesome area. All the intro or ending songs are excellent and fit the series very well. However during the actual episode the music is far less memorable. Not that it is absent or that it is per say bad, but there was never a moment where I really noticed it particularly like I have in other series. The sound effects themselves are alright, but there are several characters with really annoying sound effects attached to them when they use their abilities and that is by far my biggest complaint worth noting.

The characters are by far D.Grey-mans strongest point. They have an absolutely lovable cast. From the main characters to the side characters there hasnt been a single one I found annoying or wishing they would go away. Quite the opposite I found many times hoping these characters would make a return and too my surprise many did. The series takes its time to flesh out as much as possible all the characters, of course with the emphasis being on the side characters, but I felt satisfied with all of the side characters back stories as well. It really doesnt get much better than the characters, in terms of growth and depth, than in this series.

The Enjoyment of this series is really watching the characters grow. This in my opinion is where D.Grey-man strongly resembles most other shounen series, but not in a bad way seeing as I love these types of series. The story is there in the back of your mind, but in the usually the focus is on the characters. I have found that as the series has progressed I began enjoying it more and more much like an acquired taste.

Overall D.Grey-man does start out like a standard shounen. However after the first 40 episodes I found it getting increasingly more fun to sit and watch. And while its hard to say what the future will bring the series is entering what I would consider the second story arch and it has gotten really good, much in the same way that Bleach or Naruto did. So basically if you like shounen then you will dig this series, but if you typically dont go for those type of series I would still recommend giving D.Grey-man a try because it does vary from your typical series enough to make it a unique experience.
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When i originally wrote this review (after watching the 72 episodes that had aired at that time), D.Grayman was #42 in "Popularity" on myanimelist.net and a very Popular Manga (#10). The show had a score of 7.8..BUT You might have noticed that the score and popularity you now see is much higher reason being the anime starts off fairly slowly and takes a while to kick into gear and progress the plot. But once its does you just might be a fan...

The Story has a very original plot. When I started this anime I immediately liked the concept of chosen humans + "innocence" = akuma (demon) butt-kicking "Exorcists"! I knew nothing about it but i decided to watch it based on its good animation and I was not disappointed at all. The characters and their uniforms/weapons all look outstanding!

I found that all of the op. and end. songs are excellent songs that you wouldnt mind listening to each episode. Normally I would skip songs but I listened to all of D.Gray-man's because they really do suit the anime and sound good! Background music could be a bit better tho...

Character is one of the best aspects of the anime. Each and every character is Amazing! Each main character is lovable, unique, strong, nice-looking and they all have mysterious pasts and secrets. I have found fan clubs for even the evil characters. You wont find out about the evil characters until late in the anime but they are surprisingly loved as well. There might be a few characters you dont like but those would likely be side characters..all the main characters are great! The development of the ALL the characters through out the series always amazed me...

Try not to give up on this anime too early...after watching about 30 episodes I started to get a little bored... But since I loved the characters and was curious about the plot I decided to go read the manga. I was instantly hooked and it became a favorite! The point is that at the start of the anime there are a lot of filler-type episodes (especially before episode 38). Dont get me wrong, these are not the typical useless filler episodes. All most all these episodes are either action-packed or show some character development.
Even in the most serious of times there are humorous moments and great weapons/abilities/battles..

D.Gray-man finished with 103 episodes and not many fillers..In my opinion do not be disappointed with the end of the anime. There are many amazing battles that lead up to the climatic end but a lot of things are left unexplained. I don't think its confirmed but I am expecting a second season in the future after a lot more manga chapters are released (when the anime ended, it was very close to manga and i guess they decided not to go into fillers...)

Overall this anime is excellent [9-10] and covers almost every genre;
A worthy watch! It can be compared with the popular shounen anime Naruto and Bleach but I found more interest in D.Gray-man which is a bit more serious and in depth. (And a lot less out-stretched if you know what I mean...)
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D.Gray-man is a shounen/action/adventure anime. It aplies the typical formula: long episode range with 19-20 minute animation, practically endless storyline and a main lead that predominates over all. It plays a lot with religion, this is what actually makes it really interesting.

Like in almost all shounen animes the first episodes seem to be interesting. This is because you don't know anything about the world in which the events are going to take place or about the protagonists of this story. So meet Allen Walker, a 15 year old boy who has the power to see Akumas (means demons, mechanical killing machines is the term aplied in this anime ) and haves an anti-Akuma weapon to free the souls that hold them. This weapon works powered by "Innocence", a misterious susbstance that haves a cubic form, it was supposedly created by God. Only those compatible with it can use it, can become "Exorcists" and join the Black Order to fight the Millenary Count, who is destined to destroy the world.

The plot develops in a 19th century, mostly, european demography. Of course you get to see some regions of Asia as well, but the settings are usually european. Past the first 10-15 episodes probably most people who aren't used to watch shounen-type animes will easily get bored. D.Gray-man haves a "Inuyasha-10000+Pearl fragments" feeling, but it does not develop that slowly. There are 140+ Innocence pieces to be found... well actually no. Some of them are already in posession of the Black Order and the events focuss troughout the first 40-45 episodes on only this objective, but then it drastically changes.

From episode 50 the ambience changes will be totally obvious: the objetives will change, the battles will get more ferocious and the story will truly advance. D.Gray-man is as average anime up to espisode 50, then it touches the realm of a masterpiece.

Artistically speaking I would define D.Gray-man as varied. You'll see lots of characters: enemies and companions. If I take the Akumas as an example the artistic design is poor on episodes 1-20, these are level 1 Akumas. Then the Akumas evolve into level, now here you can see what I'm talking about: variety and creativity. As the anime develops you'll witness more crazy and unthinkable tranformations and evolutions. The protagonists are very well designed, the weapons of each one of them somehow reflects their own and unique personality. The fighting scenaries are beautiful and the "bosses" are more than fearsome, in a funny way.

UVERworld, Abingdon Boys School and Sowelu are just some of the artists you'll come across on the opening and ending scenes. This translates into a amazing sound experience that will glue you to the anime fron the opening to ending sequences. The BGM's are well executed in the anime an add more suspense, spice up the action and ultimately transform good fights into epic confrontations. Definitely one of the strongest points D.Gray-man achieves.

The characters are typical shounen-based. You have the strong-willed never-surrender-even-if-I'm-almost-dead Allen Walker (main lead). His female companion and most probable romantic parther Lenalee. The "rival" character: Kanda Yui. And other companios that will be added to the "party" as the storyline progresses. One thing I didn't like was the lack of airtime that some of the most interesting characters have (generals). You get glances of them at some point in the anime but they do not appear as part of the plot until later on and for such a short amount of time that it really feels like a waste once you get to finally see them on action. Also you don't get almost any character development troughout the first half of the anime; here episode 50+ becomes again a turning point in which characters develop at a very good speed in a 40-50 episode range.

To be honest I was about to drop the anime at episode 20. My friend told me "to keep on going, you won't regreat it once you get to episode 50". Surely I didn't. The twists in the story started here, continued until the end and made D.Gray-man really worth my time. Anyone should watch this, it isn't your average shounen anime, you'll understand why once you dig into it.

The end is actually inconclusive so I guess the studio might be making another anime (second season?) to continuate this one, due to the great popularity this and the manga have. I really hope so because there are still many things that need to be explained and I just can't wait for that moment. read more

I think D.Gray-man is one of those animes you don't expect to be a masterpiece, yet you fall in love with it the more you watch it. To be honest I even liked the fillers in this series, actually not knowing they were fillers because I read the manga after I saw the anime (and desperately wanted to know what happens next).

The story is a bit stereotype, at least the main plot, but there are so many wonderful stories and moments it makes it very unique.

I can't say a single bad thing about the animation. Of course it's not that great as manga, but they still did a great job with reproducing the amazing manga-ka's style.

The music is probably the worst part of this anime, but still good. It's a bit plain and sometimes even boring, but you got attracted to the plot anyways, so you don't have much time to listen to it. XD

Characters are just the best. I love the fact we don't know much about them, yet we have to love them.

Don't get discouraged by the lenght of this series, it's definetely worth your time, especially if you like typical shounen genre with something original to it! read more

The D.Gray-man series has a very supernatural, and biblical themed background story that will certainly interest those of you wanting to get away from mecha, ninja, or other typical genres.

The story is set in an industrial Western world with several countries in Europe and Asia featured, to the extent that you could draw a parallel between D Gray Man and Fullmetal Alchemist. Allen Walker, the key character, is intent on becoming an "Exorcist" under an organization called the Black Order that combats the antagonist, the Millennium Earl, who's rotundity and nonchalance that I think at times does not appropriately suit the sinister image of the villain. A good portion of the story revolves around the Black Order's missions to obtain the divine substance know as "Innocence," which grants users power to combat the Akuma ("devils"), minions of the Millennium.

In the Black Order, Allen meets the easy-going Lenalee, the hilarious commander Komui, the carefree Lavi, and the uptight Kanda. In describing the characters, however, one-word adjectives simply does not suffice. A strong point of this anime is the character development of Allen and several of the supporting cast, including the many characters that are introduced throughout the series.

You will find a bit of unconventional biblical elements and old medieval folklore, an instance of which is one of the initial villains - the vampire Arystar, whose story is a bit unique and becomes a supporting character later in the series. The story of Noah and the Arc is prominently featured, modified into the background of the antagonistic Noahs, elite servants of the Earl.

Regarding the music of D.Gray-man, the opening and ending themes were quite memorable and catchy. Although many people were indifferent to the soundtrack, I personally thought it contributed greatly to the melancholy tone of the story that frequents the plot. The stand-alone piano tracks were very beautiful, especially the "14th's Song" that was featured much later at a pivotal point in the series.

As a final word, I reiterate that D.Gray-man may seem like your typical shounen anime, but provides quite a refreshing, supernatural story and setting. read more

"Akuma: monsters born from dead souls mistakenly recalled by their loved ones to the living world."
"Exorcists: those who aim to destroy akuma and retrieve the Innocence scattered around the world."

So. At first look D.Gray-man may seem like a typical shonen anime. The main character is probably going to be a hot-head who wants to get stronger and stronger for a certain purpose... usually to protect his friends.

But.
D.Gray-man is not like any shonen anime I've ever seen. In fact, it's got something much more than most.

--STORY--

You may be thinking "Hmm... a guy with a deformed arm... Full Metal Alchemist?"

Well, no, actually.

D.Gray-man's plot may seem like it's going on the same path as FMA at first, but it transforms into something completely different.

I love the plot. At first (since I don't normally watch horror anime) I thought it was a little creepy, but it was an addicting kind of creepy. I couldn't get enough of it.

Though in the beginning I thought it was going to be typical shonen since there's talk about "finding all of the Innocence", I was a little skeptical about watching DGM.
But, after a while, that passed and it grew into something much more.

Of course, there's that issue of fillers. Darn fillers ruin a lot of anime sometimes, but I couldn't tell when there was a filler when I watching DGM. The fillers are actually good. Really.

I don't want to spoil the series, but let's just say that once you start watching DGM, you'll never want to stop.


--ART--

I loved the animation. At first, it starts off okay, but during the third and fourth season, it really kicks into gear.
The characters match the manga really well, and stayed true to Hoshino-sama's character design.
The lighting and scenery are utterly beautiful. There are too many beyond words places that this anime visits.

--SOUND--

The sound is good, but I found the background music boring at times. It's used over and over again--but the background music is still good.
The OP's match the anime extremely well.
At first when I heard the ED's, I really didn't like a lot of them. Listen to the ED's a couple of times, and you'll fall in love with them.


--CHARACTERS--
First of all, the main character,Allen Walker, is the exact opposite of most main shonen anime and manga characters. Allen Walker is the polite and klutzy type who just loves to eat, but there's much more to him than meets the eye, just as there is with the other characters.

Of course you have to have the comic relief, Lavi, who can still fight.
You have a guy who just seems to make you laugh every time you seem him, Yu Kanda.
You have a girl who can kick some serious butt, Lenalee.
You have a really... weird but cool adult figure, Komui.
And, of course, there's kick-ass villains who you just want to love--but you have to keep reminding yourself that they are evil, and WILL kill your favorite main characters.

I found it extremely hard to NOT hate any of the characters.

And... there was something else that caught my eye about these characters.
They seemed REAL.
This anime focuses on the characters more than the plot, even though the plot is almost as interesting as the characters.

--OVERALL--
I really enjoyed this anime.
I think that every anime or manga fan should watch/read DGM.

It's my favorite anime--and D.Gray-man always makes me sit on the edge of my seat, tear up, and put a smile on my face.

I hope that D.Gray-man does the same to you.

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D.Gray-man is one of those "hit or miss" shows, for me it was a bit of a miss, but some hits.

Story - 7.4/10 (C)
The tale begins with the introduction of Allen Walker, a young man with a strange power to send demons packing. His adventures in the Black Order, his encounters with many different types of Akuma, and his relationships with his fellow Exorcists are shown.
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The beginning felt a tad awkward, it was a little on the comedy side (When Allen goes to the Black Order), and for a show like D.Gray-man, it didn't really fit. It took me a few episodes (and some motivation) to get me into it. It was a moderate experience, some good turns, some bad ones. I liked how the filler episodes (yes, there were filler) didn't feel like filler, but more of a depth in character views (Ex. Lenalee, Allen, Miranda). Then there were a couple of "Naruto"-long fights, that really didn't have to be that long. Overall, it was a pleasant ride.

Animation - 7.0/10 (C-)
The animation was far from what we see today, but it doesn't mean that it was THAT bad. The OP sequences were great, however the ED sequences were just a bunch of pictures moving in cool angles. The fights were a mixture of both good and bad. But for the most part, the animation doesn't really change.

Sound - 7.5/10 (C)
The OP/ED themes were really a great step-up than most animes, and i really enjoyed some of the lighter, lax music it had. The trouble of it was, sometimes it got to lax that it started to get boring fast. Mainly, the rest was just a mix of great tracks (Lala's Lullaby from one of the earlier episodes was a great, moving song) to plain tracks.

Characters - 8.4/10 (B)
I can honestly say, none of the D.Gray-man characters will disappoint you. We have the polite and respectful Allen, the protective and light-hearted Lenalee, the mysterious and sometimes shady Kanda, the cheery, upbeat Exorcist Lavi, and the pessimistic time-user Miranda. Each character will leave you feeling the same way they do, and each character brings a uniqueness that leaves you wondering how it can be done.

Enjoyment - 7.3/10 (C)
For the most part (and that same phrase you keep reading in this review), it's a mixture of some good elements and some bad ones. I really enjoyed the light-hearted actions and the teary-eyed moments of the first season, the second season got more intense with the arrival of the Noah Clan, and the rest is ok. The animation needed a good tune-up though, and some better choices of BGM.

Overall - 7.5/10 (C)
The Good:Great character backgrounds, interesting way of presenting each episode, the filler episodes make you feel like it's not filler

The Bad:
Lackluster animation, combined with lackluster BGM made the show more towards a "good" rating. Some episodes left you scratching your head more than others. read more

Where can i begin with this anime?
At first i gave it a try through recommendation and was surprised that instead of being the regular action anime it had a deeper storyline and plot which cannot help but to draw people in and fascinate them.
It is different from any other and i think its one of a kind, the character design and how all their different personalties link to their own personal struggles in this anime capivate the heart and definately get you thinking.
It has its funny moments were i can't help but nearly cry with laugher which i think just goes to show how good this anime is!
The characters really do make it the great anime it is though some scenes you'll be close to tears whereas the next you'll be on the edge of your seat shouting FIGHT! at the screen!
As you can tell i'm thoughly enjoying this anime as i go along and as the twist and turns in the storyline continue i just keep getting more hooked to this anime.
Near enough every aspect of this anime is outstanding, i also have to point out another thing the opening songs at the beggining are amazing i've loved every single one so far.
I can't wait for more episodes to come out and i just hope that it stays this great and doesn't start to run itself out.
It's a definate must watch 10/10

I've stayed with this anime if it wasn't great i wouldn't write this and I hope that my opinion has been a tiny bit helpful read more

If Hollywood going to film this anime into live-action (well, hopefully not, they tends to ruin the greatness of anime) I’m positively sure that it would be directed by Mr. Tim Burton. The anime is quite similar to his works. The dark, gothic, and edgy.

Even though the story is typical shounen anime, it’s fun to watch the whole drawing things. Black, white, and grey are the main color use in the anime, but doesn’t make the artwork dull, instead it makes the late 19th century setting to be stronger.

The main antagonist, Earl of the Millennium looks non-threatening at all. With his massive grin and high top hat, he very much like Joker from Batman, or Oogie Boogey man from Nightmare Before Christmas.

Even though I’m not up to date with this series, but I love it a lot. It got good storyline, great weapons and fights, adequate humor, good plot and twist.
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