D.Gray-man
There are so many Action, Adventure, Super Power, and Shounen anime out there for eager fans of the genres. While not all of them are for all types of audiences, there are ones to cater to every kind of audience depending on age and preferences. Titles of this type were released throughout the years for decades past and will probably continue to do so for decades to come.
D. Gray-man, also known as D. Grey-man, is a TV anime series that ran for a total of 103 episodes. It aired from the 3rd of October 2006 until the 30th of September 2008, as a Fall 2006 anime.
It was produced by TV Tokyo, Aniplex, Dentsu, Half H.P Studio, Sony Music Entertainment, and Studio Jack, licensed by Funimation and brought to life by Studio TMS Entertainment. It features the genres of Action, Adventure, Comedy, Super Power, Demons, and Shounen. The main staff behind the series included Christopher Sabat as Producer and ADR Director, Clarine Harp as Producer, Justin Cook as Producer, and Iwata Shiniichi. The series is rated PG-13 for teens 13 years or older.
The series is based on the source Manga of the same title, which started publishing on May 31st, 2004 by Author and Artist Hoshino Katsura, serialized in Jump SQ.Rise. A sequel series titled “D.Gray-man Hallow” was released as a Summer 2016 title, which ran for only 13 episodes.
The D.Gray-man anime is based on Katsura Hoshino's work. It adapted the first 158 chapters from within the first 16 volumes of the manga, even with added anime exclusive content mainly concentrated in the first half of the series. FUNimation Entertainment only licensed and released the first 51 episodes of the series. Their explanation, they did not acquire the remaining episodes as some licensing issues arose with Dentsu. Regardless, on June 30th, 2016, Funimation announced that they received the rights to the second half of the anime.
The pain of losing a loved one is so immense, so much so that many would hope, seek or wish for the ability to resurrect them somehow, looking past the costs and consequences. This is a grave weakness that goes against the natural order of the world, one that the enigmatic and opportunistic Millennium Earl tends to exploit.
What’s worse is that he weaponizes his victims in the form of mechanical weapons termed as "Akuma," for which he utilizes the souls of the dead that were called back. Once such a victimized soul is placed within an Akuma, it is trapped there forever. The only way to save them and offer them salvation is to exorcise them from their binding vessel using Anti-Akuma weapons termed as "Innocence."
Protagonist Allen Walker spends three years of his life as a disciple of the General Cross. Afterward, he is sent to the Black Order, an organization composed of people willing to fight Akuma and the Millennium Earl to become an official Exorcist.
Allen’s Innocence is his arm, and he possesses a cursed eye that can see through the suffering souls trapped within an Akuma. The story looks to Allen and his fellow Exorcists, who battle to put a stop to the Millennium Earl's ultimate plan, which is a plot that can lead the world to utter destruction.
The story of D. Gray-man starts pretty slow and takes some time to kick into gear; after this point, the plot begins to progress. When it gets going, most viewers are likely to be drawn in and become all-time fans of the series overall.
The story plot itself is very original and unique. The concept of chosen human Exorcists, who wield their respective Innocence to battle Akuma, who are essentially types of demons, is more entertaining than it sounds on paper.
The characters of D. Gray-man is one of the best aspects of the entire series. Each character is done very well, especially the main ones. They are lovable, relatable, unique, strong, good-looking, and each of them has their own mysterious pasts with associated secrets. Even the antagonist characters have impressive fandoms.
They enter the playing field pretty late but do not fail to capture hearts with their performance. The only characters that can be seen as lackluster are mainly just side characters; even then, they aren’t bad. The character development is praiseworthy, too, as almost all the characters undergo significant growth throughout the entire series. The development does not fail to be both consistent and natural as well.
The Art and Animation of D. Gray-man are good for a 2006 series as well. Many may decide to watch this show based on its excellent animation alone and will likely not be disappointed.
The characters’ designs are unique and fitting for each character; even their uniforms and weapons all look outstanding. This series is pretty long, and the animation stays impressive all the way through. While it may not be groundbreaking, there is so little room to complain in this department. The Akuma's could have been animated to look creepier, but this is a minor detail.
The Sounds and Music of D. Gray-man are equally great. The Opening themes are “INNOCENT SORROW" by Abingdon Boys School, "Brightdown" by Tamaki Nami, "Doubt & Trust" by access, and "Gekidou" by UVERworld.
The Ending themes are "Snow Kiss" by NIRGILIS, "Pride of Tomorrow" by JUNE, "Yume no Tsuduki e" by surface, "Antoinette Blue" by Kitade Nana, "Anata ga Koko ni Iru Riyuu" by Rie fu, "Wish" by Sowelu, "Regret" by Hoshimura Mai and "Changin'" by Stephanie. All of these are done well and, depending on the viewer, will not be skippable in each episode.
They suit the anime well and are great tracks to listen to as well. The OSTs can range from good to mediocre. While there is room for improvement here, they are fitting and likable overall. Special mention of when Allen played piano, that was something else.
Overall, do not give up on D. Gray-man too early. It may feel a bit boring at first, but the characters and the plot are a decent incentive to keep watching. Once a viewer gets hooked on this series, it may end up becoming one of their favorites. Initially, there are a number of filler-type episodes, but rest assured, these are not the typical useless filler types.
They will feature either great action or impressive character development to drive the show forward. Don’t forget that Comedy is a featured genre, so even the most serious of scenes have a nice comedic touch on them, accompanied by bad-ass weaponry, abilities, and battles. The number of fillers is minimal. Also, the ending of this anime is good as well, a difficult feat to pull off.
The series is full of incredible battles along the way, and it all leads up to the epic climactic ending. Unfortunately, though, there is a lot left unexplained by the end. Go manga! This anime covers so many genres and pulls it off well, so it’s definitely worth a watch. While some of its fans would even compare it to the Big Three of Shonen anime, D.Gray-man tends to be more serious and in-depth than them. If you like these genres, then this anime is recommended for you!
