Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha


Darker than Black

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: DTB
Japanese: Darker than BLACK -黒の契約者-
English: Darker than Black
German: Darker Than Black
French: Darker than Black
More titles

Information

Type: TV
Episodes: 25
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 6, 2007 to Sep 28, 2007
Premiered: Spring 2007
Broadcast: Fridays at 01:25 (JST)
Licensors: Funimation
Studios: Bones
Source: Original
Genres: ActionAction, MysteryMystery, Sci-FiSci-Fi
Theme: Super PowerSuper Power
Duration: 24 min. per ep.
Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 8.051 (scored by 441897441,897 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #5902
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #174
Members: 963,696
Favorites: 16,613

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8.05
Ranked #590Popularity #174Members 963,696
Add to My List
Episodes: /25

Synopsis

It has been 10 years since Heaven's Gate appeared in South America and Hell's Gate appeared in Japan, veiling the once familiar night sky with an oppressive skyscape. Their purposes unknown, these Gates are spaces in which the very laws of physics are ignored. With the appearance of the Gates emerged Contractors, who, in exchange for their humanity, are granted supernatural abilities.

In the Japanese city surrounding Hell's Gate, Section 4 Chief Misaki Kirihara finds herself at odds with an infamous Contractor codenamed Hei. Called "Black Reaper" in the underground world, Hei, like his associates, undertakes missions for the mysterious and ruthless Syndicate while slowly peeling back the dark layers covering a nefarious plot that threatens the very existence of Contractors.

From the mind of Tensai Okamura comes a sci-fi thriller taking the form of a subtle exposé on a war in which political positions and justice have no sway—a war waged exclusively in the shadows.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Darker than Black was awarded Best Original Anime of The Year by GoGoplex, a popular magazine for teens. In the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival, it was one of the jury's recommendations from the category "Animation Division/Long Animation."

On January 21, 2016, it was announced that Funimation Entertainment, the North American distributor for the anime, no longer holds the license for this season.

Characters & Voice Actors

Amber

Supporting
Kawakami, Tomoko
Japanese

November 11

Supporting
Inoue, Kazuhiko
Japanese

July

Supporting
Asai, Kiyomi
Japanese

Havoc

Supporting
Shindo, Naomi
Japanese

Kurasawa, Gai

Supporting
Matsumoto, Yasunori
Japanese

Staff



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Opening Theme

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1: "Howling" by Abingdon Boys School (eps 1-14)
2: "Kakusei Heroism ~The Hero without a Name~" by An Cafe (eps 15-23,25)
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Ending Theme

1: "Tsuki Akari" by Rie Fu  (eps 1-14)
2: "Dreams" by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR (eps 15-24)




Reviews

Jul 23, 2024
Darker than Black has got to be one of my favorite adult-oriented anime out there.

As the title suggests, this series deals with the morally grey, and dark parts of the underworld crime scene. DTB takes place in a dystopian world where certain people have powers, known as “contractors” and “dolls.” An important aspect of the show is that “contractors” don’t have emotions, and act as rational beings, however, our main character, Hei, seemingly has both powers and emotions.

The series is episodic, with each one bringing the viewer a step closer to understanding the implications of such people and appearances of powers in the world.

What ...
May 25, 2023
Mixed Feelings
Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha falls into the realm of mediocrity, grappling with inconsistencies throughout its run. While the pacing remains steady, allowing for adequate character development, the animation suffers from uneven execution. The action sequences are visually appealing and dynamic; however, the remaining scenes are flat and uninspired, particularly when it comes to poorly animated vehicles that noticeably age the series. The character designs are rather plain, failing to leave a lasting impression. The narrative, while intriguing, builds up to an unsatisfying conclusion that fails to deliver and falls short of expectations. In summary, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha boasts a commendable ...
Feb 17, 2021
Summary: Darker Than Black is a neo-noir crime thriller that has some nice pieces, but is held back by an incoherent story and a lack of progression in either the characters or the plot. It's structured as a series of 2 or 3 episode arcs, and many of the arcs are filler and don't link back to a single unified story, leaving the season as a series of floating, unconnected pieces that are fairly unsatisfying in the absence of a central story.

Positives:

+ Many of the arcs are strong individually. They're relatively compelling, if simple, crime thriller plots, and the action is good. ...

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