Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha
Sci-Fi anime series generally come with a nice touch of mystery mixed in. The two genres go hand-in-hand to deliver suspenseful and climatic stories to eager viewers. With a solid plot, interesting characters, crisp visuals, and heart-stomping audio, these can be achieved on another level. It's no doubt that people who flock to these types of series are looking for a show that will keep their brains probing. Confused, even better, as the feeling that comes with the revelation of answers is absolutely satisfying.
“Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha,” also known as “Darker than Black” or “DTB,” is a 25 episode TV anime series that aired from the 6th of April until the 28th of September, as a Spring 2007 title. It was produced by Aniplex, Square Enix, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Movic, and Myrica Music, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Bones.
The primary staff involved were Cook Justin as Producer, Harp Clarine as Producer, Furumoto Mayuko as Director, Okamura Tensai as Director, Series Production Director, and the Original Creator. It featured Action, Sci-Fi, Mystery, and Super Power and received an R - 17+ for violence and profanity, best suited for mature audiences.
The DTB anime was adapted from the “Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha” manga series that spanned two volumes. It ran from the 24th of February until the 24th of November 2007, serialized via Asuka monthly and penned by Author Okamura Tensai and Artist Nokiya.
This manga featured the genes of Action, Mystery, Drama, Sci-Fi, Shoujo, Super Power, and Supernatural. A Side Story was titled “Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha - Sakura no Hana no Mankai no Shita” (Darker than Black Episode 26, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha Special) was released a single Special episode on the 26th of March 2008, which featured the series Episode 26, that occurs during the events of “Kuro no Keiyakusha.” A special sequel series was released titled “Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha Gaiden” (Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini Specials, Darker than BLACK 2 OVA, Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini Episode 12), which ran for four episodes from the 27th of January until the 21st of July 2010.
The prequel series was awarded the “Best Original Anime of The Year'' by GoGoplex, a popular teen magazine. In addition, at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival, it was one of the recommendations by the jury for the category of "Animation Division/Long Animation." Later in January 2016, Funimation Entertainment announced that the North American distributor for the anime no longer held the license for this sequel.
The story takes place in a world ten years after the first appearance of Heaven's Gate in South America and the Hell's Gate in Japan. This incident veiled the once familiar and ordinary night sky with an oppressive and ominous skyscape instead. When the world underwent a drastic change, new enhanced people must surface to handle the consequences, and thus the Contractors emerged.
These are people who, in exchange for their very humanity, have been granted supernatural abilities. To this day in the series, their purposes remain unknown, and all that is certain about them is that Gates are spaces within which the very laws of physics are entirely ignored.
It should be no surprise that Hell’s Gate’s Japanese city is a hive of abnormal activity. Here the Section 4 Chief, Misaki Kirihara, finds herself at complete odds with a very famous Contractor whose codename is Hei. Hei is known as the "Black Reaper" within the underground world, and similar to his other associates, he undertakes various missions for the mysterious and ruthless Syndicate.
At the same time, he works to slowly peel away the numerous dark layers encapsulating a nefarious plot that threatens the existence of Contractors itself. Author Tensai Okamura thus brings forth a sci-fi thriller, which takes the form of a subtle exposé on a war within which politics and justice possess little to no power; a war that is waged exclusively in the dark shadows.
The story is set in a near-future world with the two mysterious Gates. Contractors have people who have entered into a contract with an unknown force in return for some unique power. However, they must give back every time they use their abilities. Strangely enough, the payment can be anything ranging from simply smoking a cigarette to writing a poem.
Viewers witness the tale from an omnipotent point of view, with the camera focusing on each scene and typically following a certain group of characters. The main cast isn’t always the focus either, as the camera shifts to others who become the protagonists for specific arcs now and then. Thus it sports a unique kind of storytelling, and it is very refreshing.
The series is detailed and complicated, full of history, different abilities, and characters’ backgrounds. This world has undergone a drastic change, and it seems to get more and more complicated over time. The Contractors are portrayed as almost emotionless, alongside two more types of beings named Dolls and Oracles. Dolls are emotionless servants with no free will, while Oracles can predict the future.
Each of DTB’s Characters has unique special traits as well as written dialogue. Mixed in amidst the intense Action and Drama are Comedic undertones that really aid the flow and break the suspense every now and then. Whenever Hei is not masquerading as BK201, he can be pretty funny and sarcastic. Likewise, every character has humorous moments.
This is blatantly obvious in characters like Gai, an off-the-wall private eye, and his money-hungry partner Kiko. Characters possess excellent chemistry, and it is particularly entertaining to watch Hei's interactions with those pursuing him. Unfortunately, though, every other character except Hei and Yin lacks backstories and development. Regardless, this is not of much consequence in an episodic series like DTB.
The Art and Animation of DTB are fitting and brilliant. Each character possesses a unique design, style, and likable personality, with no two characters being too similar. The fight scenes are exceptional and fluid, a pleasure to watch. There will be the occasional rough edges, but these are of little consequence.
However long the fights are, viewers are unlikely to get tired of it. DTB is another example of Studio Bones’ exceptional visual capabilities and leaves almost nothing to be desired. It always preserves the mysterious atmosphere and hidden details, with praiseworthy transitions. Overall, the color theme is Black (as to be expected) and flows surprisingly smooth.
The Sounds and Music of DTB are also exceptional. The OSTs bring forth various music genres; they will transition from jazz to orchestral and rock. The music fits each scene very well and does a great job of building hype for what's to come. The voice acting is top-notch too. Hei himself transitions fluidly between his serious tone and casual tone.
The remaining cast don’t disappoint either. Each voice suited the characters so well and is a significant plus point for DTB. The Opening themes are “Howling" by Abingdon Boys School and "Kakusei Heroism ~The Hero without a Name~" by An Cafe while the Ending themes are "Tsuki Akari" by Rie Fu and "Dreams" by HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, all of which are good in their own right.
The series progresses in two-episode mini-arcs up until the satisfying finale. The episodic feel just goes away after some time as they all neatly come together towards the end. This anime is highly recommended, but be warned that it is pretty dark, detailed, and complicated, so prepare to work your brain cells! Overall, DTB is extremely interesting and entertaining, especially for fans of the genre.
