Better_TV I love this series. I'm someone who is always on the lookout for anime productions that aren't too weird and wacky, with ridiculous "fan service" and silly storytelling. This show fits the bill: it takes itself seriously and has a "Western" feel, in a similar fashion to other anime I enjoy like "Baccano!" and "Cowboy Bebop." Highlights include:-A phenomenal English dub - simply one of the best I've EVER heard. Every character is perfectly cast. Special commendations must go to John Swasey as the grizzled badass Huang and Jason Liebrecht as the befuddled Chinese exchange student-by-day, cloak-wearing electric-powered masked hitman-by-night named Hei. As Hei's daytime identity Li Shenshun, Liebrecht channels friendliness and warmth; as Hei, Liebrecht gives the character both a mysterious apathy and a subtle, smoldering anger that crackles underneath the surface of his personality like the electricity his body generates to assassinate targets.-A fascinating setup, where part of Tokyo is taken over by a bizarre spatial anomaly and the world's intelligence agencies employ individuals with X-Men-like abilities to do their dirty work; each time these contractors use their supernatural abilities they have to "pay the price" in some fashion, whether through an OCD-style tick or some form of self-harm.-Great side characters, including a variety of MI-6 operatives from the UK, one of whom is probably one of my favorite anime characters ever: the suave, sarcastic blond British hitman/contractor named Jack Simon, codenamed November 11. Troy Baker gives such a great performance.-A wonderful narrative arc during the first season, whereby each fascinating member of the main cast, which also includes detectives with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and a private detective named Guy Kurasawa, is given an episode focusing solely on them. This is an anime with very strong episodic writing; there's a lot of emotion to be found in the stories of these mysterious, broken individuals, and it's one of the only anime series I've ever seen that actually earns its angst.There's a second season too, which isn't as good as the first and introduces new characters. The first season is where it's at. This is an anime to treasure and savor - one of my absolute favorites.

nanothestrange This series is one of my all time favorites. if you're someone who doesn't easily connect dots however, it is not for you. the story is incredibly captivating without needing to give you much information. A lot of the story is left open and the characters are incredibly dynamic. You spend the entire series trying to solve questions like what happened? What does that mean? what will happen next? The directors have a keen understanding of setting, narrative and foreshadowing. The series is different than most anime, as you aren't given all the details in some drawn out boring exposition speech. You are left to connect events through meticulous clues and hopeful symbols left by the writers. An expert use of dialogue as there is very little dialogue that is worth nothing. Every word is important to the overall story. Perfect and thought provoking. Got more attached to the main 3 contractors than pretty much any anime characters.

bretboonnofan I'd give a 8.5 if I could. This anime has one of the most cool characters I've seen in anime, Hei. The dude's attitude carries this show, but that's not to distract from the other characters. All of the main four, even the girl who rarely says a thing (I really enjoyed the episode focused on her) are a blast.The series is done in hour long vignettes, something not normally done in anime... and it takes the creators a little bit to get used to it. The first 7 or so episodes of this show were average and forgettable, but give DTB time and it finds it's place. Keep in mind, the beginning episodes are still necessary viewing for the mood and background it sets. So is the beginning rough? Yes. 7.9 worthy? Hell no! I know many a anime viewer such as myself who see's a score under a eight and thinks the show is a pass, but listen up. DTB IS NOT A PASS. This shows has everything to love in a anime and the ending WILL leave you satisfied. I love these characters, I feel the thought in the writing, it is complex and has a philosophical message. This one moment near the end delivers some of the best symbolism I've seen. Truly this show is a powerhouse; a world in it's own. Even characters who come in for a few episodes have a grand purpose in the study of Hei. Do not miss this show, it will have a impact on you and entrance you in pure coolness. 8.5/10

Pablo I got into Darker Than Black because of its creators- Tensai Okamura has made some real nice works before, notably Wolf's Rain. In that series, he also worked with Yoko Kanno, the composer of some of the best soundtracks I have heard in my life, most importantly Cowboy Bebop. However, this series isn't as good as those mentioned earlier, but it is still good.The problem with DTB is that it starts bad. It's just confusing, we don't know what's going on and we don't know the characters, so it's hard to care about them. Not only that- what I expected that would save the series, the music (I believe that music is as fundamental as anything else) wasn't that great either. Kanno's music just didn't stand out, and even the opening and closing themes weren't hers.However, if you have patience, there's a point where we get to know the characters. Some story arcs get really interesting and when a episode ends, you will want to see the other to know what is going to happen. And it gets fun and turns out to be a nice experience. However, I would only recommend it to anime fans- not the general public. There's still a lot more series in the same vein of DTB that are much better and you should see them before this one.