No, this anime has nothing in common with the Death Note - except a gloomy picture. Death Note is basically a mystical thriller with a very strong detective component. In fact, the whole first season was an intellectual duel between a criminal and a detective, and only in the second began some confused and somewhat inappropriate even action. Darker than Black is a dynamic and cruel action movie, whose heroes prefer not to unravel the knots of intrigue, but to cut them with the hands of killers and saboteurs.
The idea of the series, to put it mildly, is not new. On the night streets there is an ongoing war of people with superpowers, and the government hides everything. A cocktail of “X-Men”, “Watch” Lukyanenko and conspiracy a la X-files. True, the concept of contractors - people who pay for their unusual abilities with certain ridiculous or even dangerous ritual acts - is very original. The fantasy of the authors is inexhaustible – for 25 episodes, the viewer will see many contractors with the most unusual abilities and with even stranger ways of paying for the contract.
But contractors aren’t the only thing to watch Darker Than Black for. Among the other advantages of the series is the “noir” atmosphere, and the noir detective style is revealed both in a serious and parody manner. There's even a gloomy detective in a classic cape and hat (and even a notebook!) However, his adventures are just a parody line that will amuse and distract from the pathos and tragedy of superhuman showdowns.
So about the atmosphere - it is and is very happy. “Darker than black” is filmed uncomplicated, but stylish, in cold-dark tones. Typically, the characters' anime drawing contrasts with realistic backgrounds coming through night shadows or morning fog. The titles of the series are bizarre, and each of them ends with a metaphorical description of the plot next.
They say that contractors do not feel emotions – and in the course of the plot this is not refuted, but gradually the viewer begins to realize that this is not the case. The characters of this anime are not sentimental, and the format of the storytelling in the arc of two 25-minute series does not allow you to write each in detail, but the creators managed to do this – sometimes this character is marked by one or two features, a random replica that animates the character. A character who is likely to be killed in the upcoming series. Why? To remind the viewer once again that war is always war, and next to victory and feat there is always death and sorrow. And most often the second is not justified by the first.
The contractors in Darker Than Black are who they really would be, powerful hostages of powerful corporations and intelligence agencies. It's just a live weapon, and if those weapons fail, few people regret it. Unusual abilities do not give a person new opportunities, but turn him into a slave – and sooner or later there are those who do not like this state of affairs. But what happens next? Will humanity destroy those who are not lucky enough to know more than ordinary people? Or will a handful of superhumans destroy humanity for standing in the way of evolution? Is it possible to compromise?
And, of course, what anime series without charismatic characters? There is also a romantic protagonist, with his own, as usual, dark and tragic past - Hay. And of course, he is a Chosen, well, not a Japanese schoolboy (but a Chinese student). In many ways, Hay is a typical hero for the genre, and yet he is not devoid of individuality. In ordinary life, masquerading as a foreign student, he seems a shy klutz, good-natured and a little detached from reality man, little like a cruel and cold-blooded fighter. But after a few episodes, it becomes clear that the two sides of Hay’s life are two sides of the same coin. The only question is what will happen this time to those who meet on his way - life or death. It is even surprising that the creators of the manga and anime did not make Hay Japanese – this character is distinguished by Japanese restraint and isolation, hidden emotionality, not visible externally. This is remarkable, since in mainstream anime, as a rule, the characters are emphasized, on the verge of hysteria, emotional. And while his God of Death mask looks suspiciously like Guy Fawkes, the character is quite original.
The doll-medium Yin, due to its essence, does not take too active part in the development of the plot, although many interesting things are associated with it. There is little human left in it, though more than in other dolls. In general, her character will be more fully revealed about the second part of the series – “Twins and the Falling Star”, where she will appear in a completely unexpected and frightening image. Here she is a comrade and girlfriend of the main character, nothing more. However, her appearance is very memorable.
Juan, at first glance, is a rather unpleasant subject. Despite the fact that he is an ordinary person, in terms of cruelty, he is able to surpass many contractors. But sooner or later we will learn his story - the story of a man who lost everything and from the hopelessness of getting into someone else's war. His story is closest to a typical noir detective.
And of course, Mao is the talking cat that brought me to this show. A cheerful contractor turned into a cat in an accident is the main source of funny situations and the main philosopher in Hay's squad.
If we think about the funny characters, highlighting the gloomy harshness of the world of Darker Than Black, we cannot but mention a couple of private detectives – the gloomy owner of a cloak, hat and notebook Kurosavu Guy and his partner, anime and cosplayer Kiko. The pathos and depression of the first coupled with the spontaneity and enterprisingness of the second – and here we are a great comic duo. What is only one series about "perfume" showdowns ("Flavor of gardenia in the May rain). . . )
Bottom line: Darker than Black is no doubt worth watching. Very atmospheric fusion of urban fantasy, conspiracy thriller and dynamic action movie, which, despite some secondary, leaves a very pleasant impression.
8 out of 10
Original