Darker Than Black

Does anyone watch Darker Than Black the Anime? Personally I find the plot to be very amusing so far and the characters and abilities are pretty cool.

Story(taken from Wikipedia)
Ten years ago, an inscrutable and abnormal territory known as Hell's Gate appeared in Tokyo, altering the sky and wreaking havoc on the landscape. The heavenly bodies disappeared, replaced by false stars. During this time, people who possess various special abilities emerged. Kept secret from the masses, these individuals, known as Contractors, are able to murder in cold blood. Various nations and organizations around the world use Contractors as spies and assassins, often resulting in violent battles for information. Each fake star has a corresponding Contractor, and they vibrate when their Contractor's power is being used. As such, Contractors are usually identified by their star's Messier catalogue number. However, their abilities are gained at the cost of their humanity. They are implied to lack human emotions which includes no aversions to murder, and they are regarded as extremely rational and logical in their decision making. Contractors are thus named because of their need to always complete a remuneration or payment each time their power is used (ex. eating flowers, breaking fingers, drinking blood). It is not entirely clear what happens to one if he or she fails to complete the remuneration. Contractors are described as being psychologically compelled to complete their remunerative task. During the series a contractor does mention a rumor of contractors melting if they don't complete the payment, but it could just be a bluff to impress his captive.
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This isn't technically a spoiler since it doesn't involve the plot but more of the backstory.
Also, DTB: Gemini of the Meteor / Ryuusei no Gemini
is out.

Definitely. This show is easily one of my favorite anime. I love the abilities as well and the whole remuneration thing which was pretty interesting too. Hei is one badass character.

So glad they decided to make a second season. If the first episode was indicator of how the rest of the season will be, it's gonna be pretty sweet. :D

Did you realize the Pizza Hut adverts they had hidden throughout the show?

Yeah. :laugh: Srsly, what was up with that?

I watched a bit of this, but I found it a bit lacking in character depth so I stopped. If there were a manga it was based on I might check that out, though.

God's Young Sage said:

Yeah. :laugh: Srsly, what was up with that?

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Not sure, I think they needed funding.

Scarf said:

I watched a bit of this, but I found it a bit lacking in character depth so I stopped. If there were a manga it was based on I might check that out, though.

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There is a Manga but Darker than Black was originally an Anime not a Manga so I think that the Anime is way better. And what do you mean by lacking in character depth? Contractors are basically all the same. Rational, Logical ect...

Mizan Nix Zamnie said:

There is a Manga but Darker than Black was originally an Anime not a Manga so I think that the Anime is way better. And what do you mean by lacking in character depth? Contractors are basically all the same. Rational, Logical ect...

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I think you've just made my argument for me. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to bash the series since I didn't watch it all. The characters just weren't vibrant or interesting enough for me to care about what happened to them.

Too bad about the manga. Derivative stuff is rarely as good as the original.

Scarf said:

I think you've just made my argument for me. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to bash the series since I didn't watch it all. The characters just weren't vibrant or interesting enough for me to care about what happened to them.

Too bad about the manga. Derivative stuff is rarely as good as the original.

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I'm not trying to force you to watch something you don't want to(just clarifying what I think) but, the fact that contractors are like that is the driving factor behind the show. Also, it's interesting to note that Hei, is in stark contrast to other contractors because he's like a normal human and just acts like a contractor because he's treated like one.

So yeah, the contrast is interesting plus the fact that some contractors

The other characters like November 11, MIsaki, and Shengshun Li (Hei's alternate personality) provide the characters emotional development needs for the show.

Pizza Hut, because Code Geass just wasn't enough.

Kenny_C.002 said:

Pizza Hut, because Code Geass just wasn't enough.

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What? I never watched Code Geass. What does Pizza Hut have to do with Code Geass or? And what's the connection to DTB?

Mizan Nix Zamnie said:

What? I never watched Code Geass. What does Pizza Hut have to do with Code Geass or? And what's the connection to DTB?

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In the anime Code Geass, there also has been a lot of Pizza Hut adverts. Great, now I want Pizza Hut. XD

Anyways, I haven't watched the series yet, but I plan too after I finish another anime I'm watching. ^^; I heard great things about it and also the premise sounds interesting, so I'll give it a go. Also, yeah I heard about the second season, so yay for getting to the second season after I managed to watch the first one! :P

Hm, I'll probably pass on the manga considering for some reasons I'm not really into manga that derives from an anime series. D:

The connection with the Pizza Hut ads between Code Geass and Darker than BLACK, I think, was that both shows aired in the same time slot and were both series that had an appropriate setting for it.

As for Darker than BLACK, I started watching it a couple months ago and loved it, effectively cramming the whole first season into three nights (oh the lateness x.x). The concept is familiar in the sense that we have super powered humans, but the terms in which they exist (remunerations, their personalities) make things a little more different, and the characters became really likable before the end was over. And, with what I've seen of the first two episodes of the new season, it's going to be just as good.

As for the mangas, the first is more or less a side-arc of the anime's first season (albeit an interesting one), while the newest manga seems to bridge the gap between the first season and the second season.

parallelzero said:

The connection with the Pizza Hut ads between Code Geass and Darker than BLACK, I think, was that both shows aired in the same time slot and were both series that had an appropriate setting for it.

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About the setting. I accept that argument but why was it there in the first place? I'm leaning more towards Pizza Hut paying to get adverts in DTB and CG. Or CG and DTB getting funding to be produced. Because Death Note didn't have any as far as I know.

As for Darker than BLACK, I started watching it a couple months ago and loved it, effectively cramming the whole first season into three nights (oh the lateness x.x). The concept is familiar in the sense that we have super powered humans, but the terms in which they exist (remunerations, their personalities) make things a little more different, and the characters became really likable before the end was over. And, with what I've seen of the first two episodes of the new season, it's going to be just as good.

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I haven't watched season 2 yet because I'm still trying to finish season 1. I only started watching at the point where MI6 had Havoc(one of my favourites besides Hei and Bai/Pai). So yeah, downloading.

As for the mangas, the first is more or less a side-arc of the anime's first season (albeit an interesting one), while the newest manga seems to bridge the gap between the first season and the second season.

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I'll try it out then. But I still think original stuff is better though.

Mizan Nix Zamnie said:

About the setting. I accept that argument but why was it there in the first place? I'm leaning more towards Pizza Hut paying to get adverts in DTB and CG. Or CG and DTB getting funding to be produced. Because Death Note didn't have any as far as I know.

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Oh, Pizza Hut definitely paid them. Death Note is kind of old though, and if you notice the adverts haven't showed up in any series based off a manga. If they were in something based off a manga, they'd seem kind of forced in I think.

parallelzero said:

Oh, Pizza Hut definitely paid them. Death Note is kind of old though, and if you notice the adverts haven't showed up in any series based off a manga. If they were in something based off a manga, they'd seem kind of forced in I think.

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Yes, I noticed that too.

All in all, an enjoyable series with a spectacular protagonist to boot. Yin is in her own way, kind of cool.

Just watched the entire series one of Darker than Black because I wanted to be up to date before the second season came out, I think it only took me about four days.

So far the new series seems at least as good as the last one and I really hope it keeps it up because Darker than Black favorite Animes, second only to Death Note.

This is a favourite animé of mine, and one of a very few I'd consider buying the DVD/dub of [er.. so far I have.. mushishi. I'm not a big animé watcher :v] once I have a bit of cash.

I'm a sucker for superpower-type plots, to be honest.. the idea of remuneration is a spiffy one.. plus it has the whole "conspiracy theory" feeling to it.. the disappearing stars, the gates, the contractors themselves.. plus, secret agents! O: like james bond with laser eyes.
also the first opening song is a bit awesome, if emo xD

My favourite character is probably November 11. In fact, that's my username on several forums.. yeah, you can probably tell that i'm not fantastic with usernames.
Though.. my goodness, his dub voice ;_; why? The other dub voices are lovely, but November's accent keeps slipping and changing and it's a bit headachy. Though I'm probably just being picky because he's a favourite, heh.

Huang and Mao are also quite awesome.. and yeah, okay, Hei is spiff.
I did love the russian agents for some weird reason.. shame we didn't see more of them but hey ho.

The warden said:

Just watched the entire series one of Darker than Black because I wanted to be up to date before the second season came out, I think it only took me about four days.

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super thanks for the heads up on series 2- i really had no idea that they were actually making one 8D
..shows how in touch I am with animé things, hur.

Mizan Nix Zamnie said:

What? I never watched Code Geass. What does Pizza Hut have to do with Code Geass or? And what's the connection to DTB?

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Also, CC = Amber.
..or.. or not :c

Is this anime good?
I've never seen it, but I want to hear it from a fan

Halfwit said:

first opening song is a bit awesome, if emo xD

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Emo? But yeah, it is awesome. It's one of my favourites. XD

Halfwit said:

My favourite character is probably November 11. In fact, that's my username on several forums.. yeah, you can probably tell that i'm not fantastic with usernames.
Though.. my goodness, his dub voice ;_; why? The other dub voices are lovely, but November's accent keeps slipping and changing and it's a bit headachy. Though I'm probably just being picky because he's a favourite, heh.

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True. I'm getting confused with all the different dubs. Animax Asia's dub and Funimations Dub if I'm not mistaken. Completely different. I prefer MAo and Huang's voice in the Animax Asia dub but Hei's voice sounds less Emo in the Funimation dub. Maybe It's time to get subs. >_>

Halfwit said:

Huang and Mao are also quite awesome...

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[/agreed]

Halfwit said:

Also, CC = Amber.
..or.. or not :c

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True, haven't watched CG yet but planning too.

Is this anime good?
I've never seen it, but I want to hear it from a fan

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It is! Haven't you been reading the last few posts?

Mizan Nix Zamnie said:

Emo? But yeah, it is awesome. It's one of my favourites. XD

True. I'm getting confused with all the different dubs. Animax Asia's dub and Funimations Dub if I'm not mistaken. Completely different. I prefer MAo and Huang's voice in the Animax Asia dub but Hei's voice sounds less Emo in the Funimation dub. Maybe It's time to get subs. >_>
[/agreed]


True, haven't watched CG yet but planning too.


It is! Haven't you been reading the last few posts?

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Nope I havent read the last few post. lol. But i'll watch it when I get the time to, just alot of things just been keeping me busy.