Check✔
•A city overrun with nifty characters that have x-men like powers?
Check✔
•Nice mysterious lore with strange in-world concepts?
Check✔
•A clear-cut answer to ANY of these "mysterious" concepts and a sense of finality to our protagonist's existence?
Don't hold your breath.
Darker and Black felt like a show that was onto something worthwhile but ultimately never got around to proving it. The ingredients to make something great was clearly there but by the end, all we got was a show with ambitious ideas that did nothing but let it dwindle away into nothingness. Does that mean it isn't worth the investment? Well, yes and no. If all you wanted was a cool-ass electric Batman beating the mercy of God into x-men characters, then DTB certainly delivers. However, if you wanted more than the beat-em-up action happening on the surface and actually cared about the complete package hinted at in the background, then you'll walk away empty-handed.
Long story short, Darker and Black had the goods, just not the means necessary to deliver them.
**THIS REVIEW WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY PIZZA HUT**
Instead of reciting the synopsis, I'll get straight to what the meat of the show consists of.
The story follows a series of mini-arcs with each addressing a new conflict. In each of these conflicts, the main group that contains our characters is assigned a task to fulfill by a crime syndicate, with our protagonist, Hei, being the foot soldier to carry out the missions. The syndicate, for a majority of the show, remained a faceless organization, and in the confines of the kind of show being presented, that isn't really a bad thing. They were omnipresent and ominous, guiding their pawns across the chessboard, with Hei simply being another piece in the game. This syndicate was in constant conflict with other underground organizations, which lead both sides to dispatch "contractors" (superhumans) to do their bidding.
These clashes play out like a feud war being carried out in secrecy, due to the governing bodies of the city covering up the existence of "contractors" and "dolls" in fear of civil unrest. Since law enforcing authorities from the CIA to the local police are constantly trying to apprehend, gather, and suppress information about these occurrences, every episode hits you with a blitz of energy and nonstop action. That, of course, results in a narrative that's constantly on the move, which is a good thing for action junkies and those seeking out easy-to-consume entertainment. Also, while all of this is going on, we are also given clues as to how the world operates in regards to the contractors, dolls, and a phenomenon that's simply dubbed "Hells Gate." While it's a gradual occurrence, after some time, these mini-arcs eventually converge to create an overarching one. Its story structure is similar to that of other shows like Ghost in the Shell: SAC and Psycho-Pass.
Seems pretty straightforward right, so where do the problems start?
Well, despite the consistent pace, since everything is told in a semi-episodic mini-arc format, there isn't really any true progression to talk about. Sure, we get to see the backstories of our main characters unfold and find out more about the show's lore, but as far as a sense of direction, DTB was scatterbrained. It aimlessly meandered about with no sense of purpose or clear destination, even after one seemed to present itself in the last handful of episodes. It ended up escalating the conflict instead of addressing it. This brings us to the biggest issue plaguing the show: its inability to provide answers.
DTB has a bad habit of telling us everything BUT what's actually important. It will go out of its way to deliver unnecessary expository dialogue to things we clearly see happening, while simultaneously using ambiguity as a crutch to avoid explaining the concepts it depends so heavily on. This, of course, results in a lot of moments where individuals would start acting out of character just so they can directly inform the audience of situations or explain how certain things work (like a contractor's given ability for example). I'm not saying a brief explanation isn't warranted but after something is established like the payment concept contractors have to make for using their powers, we don't need to get that information regurgitated every single time it happens—and trust me, it happens a lot. It feels as if the writers believe that the show's viewership was too dimwitted to figure it out for themselves.
As for the information that they don't give us, a definitive answer to any of the anomalies that occurred in the story remained one of them. The show kept on insinuating that there're answers to come, by dropping little nuggets of information throughout the narrative but that simply never exfoliated into anything in the end. It felt like they completely abandoned the idea of trying to explain the reason for any of the "mystery" concepts, only to opt out by following a hollow aspect of the overall setting established in the beginning. None of the supernatural elements are ever justified or explained despite the fact "mystery" part of its genre:
Why did the Hell's Gate appear? What purpose does it serve? How does it correlate with humans evolving into contractors? Why do the stars correlate with contractors lives? What is the end goal of the syndicate's operation? Are the contractors and dolls suppose to parallel the man vs man parable? Why is anything not making any proper sense outside of superficial techno-babble?
For a show that tried so much to build a mystery, it sure failed on upholding its end of the bargain.
And how do you end a show that didn't bother to provide answers to anything? Well apparently, you simply reveal a poorly planned plot twist that turns the final episode into an existential fever dream that hasn't been seen since the likes of Evangelion. And since no one has the balls to say it, I will. For a show to chalk up all its supernatural elements to nothing more than made-up allegorical fluff, while throwing in an improper Eva-esque conclusion, when up to that point, it was a simple rule-of-cool beat-em-up; why that's just borderline pretentious. And yes, I know, many of you are probably rolling your eyes in disgust by the mere mention of that "p" word, but really, in this situation, there's no other word to properly describe just how over-bloated the show got towards its climax.
There's nothing wrong with creators trying to be overly ambitious but when the foundation is built on poorly realized concepts and unexplained in-world mechanics, the end result will inevitably suffer as a result. A perfectly serviceable action-romp was thrown away for the sake of ambiguity and pseudo-concepts. And if you're expecting the 2nd season to fill in the gaps, all you'll get there is a super loli, a raging alcoholic, and a talking squirrel, so don't hold your breath.
**You know what goes well with this review? A nice hot box of PIZZA HUT!**
The stylistic direction of DTB was very western influenced. I wasn't kidding when I made the Gotham/x-men hybrid comparison. From the murky hues to character designs akin to that of DC Comics' cartoon installments, DTB's universe could easily crossover with a Justice League spin-off with very little problem. Like many other animated works, during the show's downtime, there wasn't much to credit the show for presentation-wise, but when the action sequences happen, it truly becomes blood pumping roller-coaster ride. And when placed side by side with other shows made in the same year, it truly was a cut above the rest. The only major hindrance that reared its ugly head was the occasional usage of CGI... also Pizza Hut ads, lots, and lots of Pizza Hut ads. I've counted no less than 17 ads while viewing the show (Code Geass has nothing on this). So take that for what you will.
The soundtrack was a mixture of new-school jazz, funk, and blues, along the lines of other western influenced anime such as Baccano! and Cowboy Bebop. This nice blend help contributed to the show's overall atmosphere, giving it character. Of course, it has its somber tracks as well but the ones that stood out were the aforementioned. The songs never outplay the corresponding scenes on screen but work in unison with them. There's a chemistry there that couples the visuals with the audio wonderfully. All the voice actors performed their roles with no noticeable hiccups, with this being one of the premier examples of an English dubbed cast trumping its Japanese counterpart. It's not going to be the "best dub ever" but it certainly gets the job done.
Now, what barely got the job done, however, was the characters themselves.
You know you have a problem when the show's cat has more of a personality than the people in it.
The cast was crippled by the show's premise. Since contractors and dolls alike are devoid of irrational feelings and have no moral compass outside of calculated thought, it doesn't leave room for any kind of development or growth (or personality, for that matter). The most DTB can do was to flesh them out with a backstory but other than that, they remained one-note from beginning to end. Despite this flaw, one redeeming quality was that most of the adult characters were handled with some semblance of maturity. Of course, that doesn't negate the lack of characterization but it certainly helps to make them feel more grounded.. well... for the most part anyway, as they do occasionally toss in a bit of misplaced comedic moments in a similar fashion to how shows like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood attempted something similar.
To add more life to these emotionally stilted characters, the show resorted to victimizing them, with either the inclusion of a sad backstory or having them be discriminated against because of their abnormal abilities (similar to the way x-men approached the subject matter). It's passable drama but only to a certain extent and can be seen as forceful by seasoned viewers.
Due to the semi-episodic structure, there's a lot of characters introduced. I'll only go over the three main ones we follow.
Our main protagonist is a man of little words and little personality as well, given his position as a "contractor." in the show's canon. When remnants of his past and personal life are conjured up by others, it quickly becomes apparent that there's more to him beyond his stoic demeanor. But despite that, these brief glimpses of humanity in him are still lacking, thanks in no small part to the short emotional leash the anime forces him to wear. When in public, he masquerades as a bashful mild-mannered person, playing off the "nice guy" gimmick similar to other characters like Himura from Rurouni Kenshin and Vash from Trigun. It's only when he's tasked with a mission that his electric Batman persona reveals itself. His sole purpose is to be that of the iconic badass that kicks ass and takes names. And with little else expected from him, it's always fun to see him do just that. But of course, like the plot that went from a simple action-romp to a contrived metaphysical mess, the show's ending brought with it an unneeded plot twist that negated all the fun that Hei brought to the table.
On a side-note, it seems like lacking emotion leaves more room for an appetite since Hei can guzzle down a crap ton of food with as much proficiency as a battle shounen protagonist. But enough about Hei, time to discuss my personal favorite from the bunch, Huang.
Huang, to put it simply, is your hard-ass. The kind of guy you'll come across with the gravely voice and no bullshit attitude that borders on pigheadedness. He doesn't take shit from anyone. It's made quite clear that he's discriminatory towards Contractors and Dolls. This, of course, was later explained with his stand-alone backstory. Although he's simply a human and not tied to the "no irrational emotion" crutch of the show's premise, he too lacks any further growth. He's your archetypal mobster type and given his disdain for Contractors, you often see him butting heads with Hei. Despite that, he's the most maturely handled character in the group and perhaps the only one with actual characterization. He's the closest thing to a character with actual depth in the show; a man hardened by his line of work and unfortunate past. This was shown through his business decorum, as he approaches every situation with a veteran-like decorum. And as he stood, Huang was the backbone of this anime's success. Constantly working in the background to get shit done.
And now that we've covered the show's cool mobster, time to talk about the Great Value knock-off brand of Rei Ayanami, Yin.
Yin was essentially the bootleg version of the "Rei Ayanami" archetype and with that said, there isn't much of a personality to speak of. She was appropriately classified as a doll (as she has the personality of one) and the only information needed to be known about her is that she's the eyes and ears of Hei, as her power allows her to see anywhere around the city where a pool of water is collected. Of course, she was eventually given a proper backstory episode dedicated towards her later on, but even that didn't do much to flesh her out as an individual and eventually became null and void after her moment in the limelight was over. But since this series is known for saying "fuck a plot," even her involvement became more convoluted in later installments. But until you venture that far in, just enjoy her for her simplicity.
There are a few other recurring characters in the show, like a private detective named Gai Kurasawa, a man who shares a striking resemblance, job, and characteristic to Kuruma Jo, from 1975's Hurricane Polymar. But seeing that no one even knows of that anime's existence, I digress.
Another recurring side character worth addressing includes Misaki, who was your level-headed detective, and unlike most of the other side characters, she actually received a few episodes dedicated to fleshing her out. Not anything too compelling but enough to properly define her. She plays a bigger role by being a proxy for the viewers to see both sides of the growing conflict in the show. For all intents and purposes, she's basically a fleshed out plot-device.
Despite a lack of any true development or proper characterization, as a collective, the cast was a lot of fun to watch. A case where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Just don't expect anything profound out of them. And in a way, that's the best way to describe this show, in a nutshell: fun but nothing beyond that.
Darker than Black is like a smorgasbord, you simply pick whatever suits your fancy and discard anything that doesn't. As for me, I took away the cool ass fights and audiovisual treats. Your appetite as a viewer may allow for more, so depending on your taste and tolerance for certain things, this might be a buffet that you find yourself fully indulging in.
Enjoyment: 7.5/10
Despite my issues with the plot and contrive narrative threads brought up later on, I can't deny how much I enjoyed watching electric Batman kick the crap out of baddies in the dark alleyways of the city. Call it mindless violence if you will, but it was done with so much style and ease that I found myself taking in every moment of it. DTB was a bitter pill to swallow at times but when it came to the action, it delivered on a silver platter.
Overall: 6/10
Throughout the years, DTB has garnered a sizable fan-base, staying relevant in many anime-centric discussion circles and to a certain extent, I can understand why. As far as rule-of-cool shows goes, DTB excels, but due to the issues I discussed, I can only recommend it to those who simply want a nice action flick. With that said, the lower you set your expectations, the greater your enjoyment of this title would be. It's not a show I'll ever advocate for but at the same time, I'll still give it the greenlight for others curious enough to want to check it out.
**BTW you're probably tired from all that reading.. you should treat yourself to Pizza Hut......PIZZZA HUTTTT!!!**
