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How does Hei like his coffee?
Darker than Black!!
Terrible puns aside, Darker than black was a lot of fun. (Sorry, I won't do it again).
In terms of setting, Darker than Black puts a new and surprisingly original twist on a very old question i.e. what happens when individuals with superpowers appear among the populace.
The similarity to X-men is obvious but the method of approach is different as in X-Men are mostly products of evolution (The science is wrong though) whereas the contractors' (The X-men in this show) are granted powers due to a mysterious structure called as a gate, the appearance of which caused the night sky to vanish.
Also, the usage of the contractors' abilities requires a remuneration which can range from mundane stuff like chugging a beer or smoking a cigarette to really bizarre as in aging or cutting your veins. This is quite an interesting addition and separates it from most other superhero stories.
The story proceeds in an episodic format. With the exception of the final arc, we get 2 episode arcs. The story of the particular arc is effectively resolved at the end of it but through these short arcs, we get to learn about another facet of the world of Darker than black.
At first, this format perturbed me a lot as I could find no overarching plot but trust me, there is indeed one but it runs in the background and rears its head only after the main characters and their backstories are established. In the end, I was very satisfied with the format and while I did find some arcs to be boring, I must admit that none of them were filler material and every single one must be watched to learn more about the universe and the characters.
That said, the main plot itself wasn't all that great and having read more than my fair share of detective mysteries, I had more or less understood the big reveal a few episodes before the ending. It was kind of anti-climatic. I also felt that the series left a large number of loose ends like what is the purpose of the contracts? Why did the night sky disappear? It would have been great if these questions had been answered.
As for the characters themselves, Hei was my favorite. He is basically a far more badass version of Batman who has no qualms about killing people (or does he?), can electrocute people, throws knives better than Deadpool and uses grappling hooks with a proficiency that would make Spiderman envious. Oh! and he is popular with the ladies too (So, we can add Tony Stark to the mix, I guess). That said, the guy has quite a few quirks, a dark past and an air of enigma around him that makes him a compelling character to watch.
The other main characters Yin, Huang and Mao were also developed well and it was good to know more about them and their tragic pasts. However, I felt that the police detective Kirihara had very little to do with the story and served mostly as shipping material. That was kind of sad, considering that she seemed to be a strong female character who could have been used in a better way.
As for the main villain, well, there wasn't any. Saying more would probably spoil the plot so, all I would say is that all the characters, even the kinda evil ones have strong motives behind them so, it is difficult to point fingers and say Hey! That guy is bad! This gray morality is one of the best things about this show and adds to its appeal.
Among the side characters, I felt that the British contractor November 11 ( a more suave James Bond) and Amber ( a cuter version of C.C. from Code Geass). I also enjoyed watching the misadventures of the bumbling 'No. 1' private detective Kurasawa and his cosplaying assistant.
The show also has a separate host of side characters who appear for only 2 episodes (We'll call them mayflies). You may think that 2 episodes are insufficient to develop a character but surprisingly Darker than black pulls it off and there were quite a few mayflies whom I liked and sympathized with.
All in all, I would say that this show takes its characters very seriously and Bones! (the studio) deserves plaudits for making efforts to present such believable and likable characters.
As for the artwork and animation, I thought that they were quite average. The same can be said for the background music, voice actors and opening themes.
I also felt that the action scenes in this series were quite nicely done and while they were short compared to fighting sequences in say: - DBZ, they were intense, highly violent and exciting to watch. In spite of his abilities Hei, never seems to be invincible, overpowered or a Gary Stu. This makes the scenes even more riveting as you keep trying to guess how Hei can survive the fight (Of course, he'll survive but how?).
So, in conclusion, Darker than black packs a decent story, excellent characters, tastefully done action sequences and an original and interesting universe to sink your greedy otaku fangs into. It ain't the best anime out there but it's not bad either.
Definitely recommended for people interested in a gritty, action-packed, sci-fi (or supernatural depending on your interpretation of the Gate's powers) anime.
