Ranked #117

D.Gray-man

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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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

Ahh. Hoshino Katsura's D.gray-man. She states this great story just popped into her head one day after a day-dream, and the title was conceived out of randomness. Well, I did some research and D.gray-man may very well stand for Dorian Grayman, the mythic man destined to walk the earth forever. Yes, this series has me that obsessed. D.gray-man did not make a epic first impression on me, but along the way I fell in love with the unconventionally dark and gothic plot line. Now, it's on my weekly viewing list. I've always had a weird feeling the first episode was a filler. Now, I can't watch a fight scene without cheering for "yuu-chan" and lip synching his lines during that epic fight scene. To be truthful, I actually saw the first episode, got bored, dropped the series. BUT later, I Flipped through the manga, got hooked, stayed up all night with a bottle of strawberry kool-aid and some aspirin. The third-fifth episode has the potential to make emo kids seem less emo. The first episode covers the life of a character you will never ever see again in the series- a female police officer. It gave you a brief and unsatisfying taste of the plot line. Okay, young boy named Allen Walker, a weapon on his arm, wants to protect everyone and save the world...exorcist...demon machines called akuma...etc. Just a shallow anime spawned from shonen jump franchise, right? WRONG!

After Allen Walker, 15, British exorcist, martyr complex saves the first episode, we get an introduction to the cast. One female character is introduced (Lenalee) and makes the male fans wonder if there will be potential for romance. Kanda Yuu, another male exorcist get into a scrap with Allen Walker. Then comes Lavi Bookman, Miranda and Krory. Then, the story just gets deeper and you wonder if the pope will agree. Honestly, the concept of innocence "god's crystal" is introduced. The antagonists are introduced- according to the exorcist is the unltimate source of evil, but has a human side that is not so evil. It makes you wonder more about life in general. Watching D.gray-man spent me more brain cells than trying to figure out Full Metal Alchemist's theory of equivalent exchange in terms of love. All the characters in D.gray-man are there for a reason, whether comic relief or advancing the plot. be prepared, you may fall in love with every one of them. All in all, the music used is nothing to scoff at. The voice actors and actresses fit their roles perfectly. "Sweet" Allen, "Shy" Lenalee, "Ice Queen" Kanda, "Boyishly good looks" Lavi all have wonderful seiyuus. Oh, and the fillers are to some point, tolerable. Don't worry, they are like episode-30 to 40 something. And they are only there because the producer strayed away from the manga's path. (Unlike those horrible 200 Naruto fillers, I only forgive because of shippuden.) If you don't like the anime, don't blame the series. The anime is never produced by the original author, always read the manga before judging the anime. In most cases, the original manga is the masterpiece and the anime is a spin-off the masterpiece.

D.gray-man is perfect for boys and girls alike, and the best part? Your little brother/sister won't get the plot= epic win. But don't just take my word for it, go read the manga and watch the anime yourself! read more

D Gray Man is possibly the best Shonen anime I have ever watched. Its theme and style match that of most standard shonen - an organisation, the Black Order, using specialised weapons to destroy monsters, in this case, Akuma (aka Demons).

While this is relatively ordinary, it is executed amazingly well. The story develops in such a way that the characters personalities and emotions actually shine through in such a way that doesnt appear in your average shonen anime - such as Bleach or Naruto.

Another distinguishing factor is that in DGM, the fillers are not quite as horrible as one would expect. Obviously, filler episodes are still inferior to canon material, but much of the early filler offers pure entertainment and humour - despite a lack of connection to the overall storyline. A couple of filler arcs towards the middle of the show actually give some good (well, acceptable) levels of action and a half good story, again, a largely distinguishing feature compared to typical shonens.

Now, the main point is not the fillers or the unoriginal basic story - the main point of DGM is its amazing characters. Even after 103 episodes many of the characters still have so much more story to reveal, but at no point does the character development feel slow or dull. Especially in the first 20 episodes, you see some significant changes in characters which both make sense relative to the situation, and are not so overly different that it annoys you. One character who is underdeveloped, admittedly, is Kanda. Hardly anything is known about his past - I almost wonder if the anime skipped an arc focused on him...

The Openings and Endings are all above average, especially the openings. Any anime with an UVERworld opening is automatically going to succeed in this category : )
The overall soundtrack is pretty good, one song around episode 93 is amazingly good. I got the third OST for that song alone. The nicest thing about this song is that it is sung by the main character's voice actress!

The worst thing about DGM is that it ends, and ends with so much more left to go. The manga continues to run, and die-hard fans like me are spending every day desperatly awaiting a new series. DGM deals with this sudden ending quite well, but leaves too many questions - making the wait unbearble and forcing many viewers to switch to the manga.

The second half of the series is far better than the first half, partially due to less fillers and partially due to a bigger storyline involving something other than hordes of low level demons.

tl;dr : WATCH THIS NAO read more

I remember this series from about 2 years back and i watched the first episode and thought it's good but not really for me, then later in 2009 i saw it around and the praise it got and decided to watch it.

Honestly this anime has earned a spot in my top 10 anime list i loved the series, the story was great and intriguing, the comedy was there but not forced like some shounen animes and the animation was top notch.

The characters from the main character to the slightly side characters were all great, the abilities of the characters were great as well including the generals, during this anime there were some moments that brought a slight tear to my eye and i liked that not many anime's i watch can do that.

i loved the openings and endings and i would probably rewatch this series again. read more

D. Gray-Man has been reviewed a lot of times also it gets a lot of media attention so I'm just gonna try to make this a short review. D. Gray-man is a great anime for all ages whether it's the Pokemon tykes or the more hardcore otaku, this show will entertain you on some level. I would say that this show is on the same level as Naruto or FullMetal Alchemist. I'm assuming there's gonna be a sequel, otherwise the ending leaves much to be desired.

The animation is also on the same level as Naruto or FMA, it is very good in some parts with a lot of attention to the graphics and special effects. Other times it's average or it gets simple [only when they get humorous, though]. There is no breath-taking scenery or anything, it's shounen anime so it's more action based; expect characters with cool weapons, freaky looking monsters, a lot of light shows and big explosions.

I watched the Japanese version created from a mixed bag of fansub groups, which was OK for the most part though some of the dialog appeared kinda cheeky and I'm not sure that those words were the true meaning behind the Japanese audio. But I'm still grateful for any work that a fansubber does. The soundtrack is also a mixed bag of goodies and not so goodies. I especially liked the last ED theme song because she hit that freaky, high-pitched Mariah Carey note, that was cool. The OST is worth getting because it has Pop, Rock, Techno and Rap.

Solid story though I do have issues with the ending...also it does drag on in some areas with some battles spanning a few episodes. This is typical of shounen anime so I should have expected as much but if you are new to shounen anime then it might annoy you and you just want the plot to move along. Even so it's still a great show worth watching because if you liked Naruto or FullMetal Alchemist then you are going to like this show! It's like Naruto because the exorcists are like the ninjas from Naruto, each has their own brand of majic skills, that the fights last a few episodes. It's like FMA because it is an epic adventure quest; FMA was looking for the Sorcerer's Stone and these guys are looking for a similar artifact. Plus the Noah people are very similar to the Homunculi from FMA. All three shows are very similar in the fact that they are a perfect mix of action, adventure and humor.

Lots and lots of characters! About 7 - 10 key characters and then there's an endless list of supporting characters: good guys, bad guys and bystanders. I will say this though, for all their globe-trotting and border-hopping and meeting new faces....you never see a brown face or a black face, not even Allen's childhood friend who was supposedly “Indian.” you did get to see that “token” Asian face but that's about it. So that to me was kind of a set back, I will take off a point or two. If it wasn't for Lavi, I might have scored lower but Lavi is by far the best guy in the series [IMHO]! He's cute, he's funny, optimistic and a major risk-taker....he gets major points in my book. But if Lavi's not your guy there are PLENTY of bishounen to choose from. Allen and Kanda are also very cute and therefore makes this show fun to watch for those who are into bishounen.

So yeah, may be a long show but it's definitely worth watching! You don't have to worry about it losing steam like so many of these long-ass, never-ending anime shows [i.e. InuYasha...anyone?] read more

D. Grayman is about a a boy named allen walker who is cursed with the ability to see akuma or demons.He joins the Black order to fight these Akuma with the use of special weapons known as innocence.The story focuses on the lives of the individuals in the order and their encounters.

The story of this anime is amazing. It's one of the best i've seen(possibly the best). It has a very unique feel to it for a shounen anime and inculcates a lot of drama which makes the anime so gripping. For a shounen anime it has a good mix of comedy,drama,action and adventure, not so much romance but this combo has worked wonders for this anime. The story is not cliche at all and can be a bit dark at times but it helps to contribute to the realism in it. So if you think this is your typical shounen anime where the bad guys losing an everybody goes home happy, guess again. The anime is filled with twists and turns at every point and gets better and better as the story progresses.

The art was fantastic. Details are drawn out well and the dark setting creates an excellent atmosphere. The vivd colours help to bring out focal points in the story. all the characters are drawn so well and the chibi versions now and then add to the comedy.

The sound was not the best part of the anime. Though the opening and closing songs were great and really suited the anime. The background music here and there did help to bring out the atmosphere but i think more could have been done in this area.Nonetheless, a commendable effort in this area.

The characters are the best part of the show. The character development in the show is astounding, best i've seen. All the characters have good depth reagardless of how little showtime they get, the producers ensured that each character had ample elaboration on.The flashbacks help to create depth in the haracters and show us the reasons for their determination or lack there of. It is a very realistic anime and touches on a lot of human emotions and institutions such as friendship, duty, family and so on. The characters portray these themes very well. Plus the weapons they get are freaking cool!

What else can i say, besides that the anime was the bomb! The comedy was not too lame and the fighting was awesome. The drama was gripping and leaves you wanting for more. I think another good thing about this show is that you get to empathise some of the characters, with so many different personalities in the various characters you are bound to be one of them.

Overall,out of all my favourites so far, this one would be at the top. The storyline, characters, animation and sound interwoven create a master piece that is not to be missed. If you think all shounens are easygoing , try this one out...it'll definitely show you a different story to other shounen. My praises would go on and on but alas i should stop.This anime is a must see. If you are interested in knowing what is going on after the anime you can always read the manga..it's a good read as well. I hope another season wil continue from where they left off cause the manga is way ahaead of the anime. read more

This anime is one of the few awesome anime that you must watch in your lifetime. The plot has many unexpected twists which can keep you captivated for a long time. I love it how Katsura Hoshino(the manga creater of D. Gray-man) puts so many different questions you wanna find out and then you find them out later when you watch it. There are many comedy scenes after some very surprising and dark events which make a perfect balance. The plot seems like it had been planned out for a long time.
The art has a really cool goth theme but doesn't make it look bad. Sometimes when the characters fight or have a strong resolve or something around that, they put a nice glowing highlight in the eyes which make it look awesome.
D. Gray-man osts/ed/op are the best I've ever seen. Wada Kaoru(person who make the music for D. Gray-man) make it fit perfectly. The ops and eds have a D. Gray-man feeling and has a great beat.
The characters are really nice too. Allen is awesome! :D It's nice to have a variety of personalities in an anime. If you only started watching D. Gray-man, don't stop it'll get even better around the 50s and up! :D read more

I for the most part liked this anime, in some parts it felt like the story was going to fast and didn't give enough detail to the characters......but most of the story was pretty continuous. The story has a gothic feel to it, but yet it does not strain far from the shounen genre. Yes it only has 103 episodes and it ends in a awkward way that makes you read the manga if you want to continue the story. So if your not a big manga reader and your like your anime to explain everything that happens in the manga i don't think this is the anime for you. read more

I've watched 80 episodes of D. Gray Man and to be honest, I'm loving it.

At first the story seemed so cliche and fix but they've raised the line with the latest episodes. It changed my view on this anime. After 40or 45 episodes later anime was finally getting excited! And now its 80 and the excitement level is on the roof!

I must say that "The Noah Clan"s story and "Excorcist"s stories are getting more and more amazing. The way that it tells the religion-based lines,this anime has a unique way of telling stories, you'll be amazed.The characters and their rare-seen stories,character designs,costumes! Everything is just great. A must watch anime.

So .. a slow anime at the begining unfortunately but after you get the hang of it,you cant help but watch the rest... read more