Wolfe reporting.
I finished the first season of Darker Than Black a few weeks back, and then started into season two (whereupon I quickly stopped). So, I'm only doing a review of the first season of DTB. This first season was actually one of my first anime, I pulled an all-nighter and finished it without stopping.
I give it a 12 / 13!
Introduction Sequence: 2 / 2. I really liked this introduction sequence! The song was really good, and catchy, fitting to the genre; also, the timing was roughly a minute and a half, which seems to me the most ideal. There aren't any spoilers, which is nice.. and it's not slow-paced (which I didn't realize I didn't like until Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom). Link: Introduction Sequence.
Animation Style: 2 / 2. I am also a fan of this animation style, which, while not very harsh, is fairly dark. It's on the harsher side of the chibi-to-harsh bar, which is nice.
Examples:
Music: 1 / 1. The music for this is surprisingly high-quality! I definitely recommend the OST. The instrumentals taste akin to the scenes in which they are lined up to; the music compliments the visuals. Link: Darker Than Black OST.
Plot: 3 / 4. The plot was actually very good in my opinion, but it generally failed to focus on things I found interesting. The introduction was powerful, and then lost a lot of its momentum. Something happened, causing some people to change into Contractors, and others into Dolls. Contractors are called heartless and logical, though they appear to have emotions indeed (more is explored later on in the anime). Dolls are supposedly completely without emotion, affection, and free will, though indeed we learn more to contradict this as the plot advances. Contractors have an ability they can use, but after each use, they have to pay a price-- the prices are usually odd, but range from having to arrange pebbles to having to break all the fingers on a hand one by one yourself. As for the abilities themselves, I won't spoil much, but usually the abilities are best used aggressively, in combat. Dolls can use a particular surface (such as water or glass, it differs doll-to-doll) to see through other surfaces of the same kind. It is for this reason that teams of Contractors (the killers) and Dolls (the surveillance) are used as effective hit men. Astrologists can study the stars, each star corresponding to a Contractor, and thereby note activity (and death) of Contractors. The plot basis is well thought-out, I just think some of the sidetracks aren't necessarily what I as the viewer wanted to spend time on.
Characters: 4 / 4. I loved the characters! They each had a fascinating backstory (even the Doll!), and each had their own, well, characteristics that made them who they are. I particularly liked the human in the team, as well as the main character and the Doll… Ah, I loved Yin (the Doll). The characters also developed as time passed, which is always pleasant. The main character is something of a classic, seeming to me to be cliché a bit too much. For the plot did not focus on things I had hoped for, but this was made up for by excellent character development. We all do agree that Amber is a bit OP, however…
Wallpapers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFVdyHiDBEk&html5=1 (includes Season 2, sadly)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSD6sjoFT_4&html5=1 (mostly fights, includes Season 2)
Sorry guys, most of the AMV's that have a lot of Season 1 are crap. The ones I have here aren't even anything that great (though, next to the others, they're good). Google Power-searching didn't even yield any good crop.
Where the heck is Baldr?!
Next week: Still not sure. Maybe Baccano! at one point, but I'm not done with it yet. I've been thinking about re-reviewing Claymore and Deadman Wonderland-- it's not that I don't have other anime I could review, it's that I loved those two and I don't feel like I gave them a proper review. I should probably also do Corpse Princess at one point..
I finished the first season of Darker Than Black a few weeks back, and then started into season two (whereupon I quickly stopped). So, I'm only doing a review of the first season of DTB. This first season was actually one of my first anime, I pulled an all-nighter and finished it without stopping.
I give it a 12 / 13!
Introduction Sequence: 2 / 2. I really liked this introduction sequence! The song was really good, and catchy, fitting to the genre; also, the timing was roughly a minute and a half, which seems to me the most ideal. There aren't any spoilers, which is nice.. and it's not slow-paced (which I didn't realize I didn't like until Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom). Link: Introduction Sequence.
Animation Style: 2 / 2. I am also a fan of this animation style, which, while not very harsh, is fairly dark. It's on the harsher side of the chibi-to-harsh bar, which is nice.
Examples:
 |
| http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Dblackch.jpg |
 |
| http://considerthem.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/darker-than-black-1_oct-23-2012-5-41-23-am.png |
Plot: 3 / 4. The plot was actually very good in my opinion, but it generally failed to focus on things I found interesting. The introduction was powerful, and then lost a lot of its momentum. Something happened, causing some people to change into Contractors, and others into Dolls. Contractors are called heartless and logical, though they appear to have emotions indeed (more is explored later on in the anime). Dolls are supposedly completely without emotion, affection, and free will, though indeed we learn more to contradict this as the plot advances. Contractors have an ability they can use, but after each use, they have to pay a price-- the prices are usually odd, but range from having to arrange pebbles to having to break all the fingers on a hand one by one yourself. As for the abilities themselves, I won't spoil much, but usually the abilities are best used aggressively, in combat. Dolls can use a particular surface (such as water or glass, it differs doll-to-doll) to see through other surfaces of the same kind. It is for this reason that teams of Contractors (the killers) and Dolls (the surveillance) are used as effective hit men. Astrologists can study the stars, each star corresponding to a Contractor, and thereby note activity (and death) of Contractors. The plot basis is well thought-out, I just think some of the sidetracks aren't necessarily what I as the viewer wanted to spend time on.
Characters: 4 / 4. I loved the characters! They each had a fascinating backstory (even the Doll!), and each had their own, well, characteristics that made them who they are. I particularly liked the human in the team, as well as the main character and the Doll… Ah, I loved Yin (the Doll). The characters also developed as time passed, which is always pleasant. The main character is something of a classic, seeming to me to be cliché a bit too much. For the plot did not focus on things I had hoped for, but this was made up for by excellent character development. We all do agree that Amber is a bit OP, however…
Wallpapers:
 |
| http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31800000/Darker-than-Black-fandoms-31819588-1280-800.jpg |
 |
| http://www.ipicstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/Darker-Than-Black-Wallpapers-006.jpg |
 |
| http://7fon.ru/ |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFVdyHiDBEk&html5=1 (includes Season 2, sadly)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSD6sjoFT_4&html5=1 (mostly fights, includes Season 2)
Sorry guys, most of the AMV's that have a lot of Season 1 are crap. The ones I have here aren't even anything that great (though, next to the others, they're good). Google Power-searching didn't even yield any good crop.
Where the heck is Baldr?!
Next week: Still not sure. Maybe Baccano! at one point, but I'm not done with it yet. I've been thinking about re-reviewing Claymore and Deadman Wonderland-- it's not that I don't have other anime I could review, it's that I loved those two and I don't feel like I gave them a proper review. I should probably also do Corpse Princess at one point..
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