Darker than Black Forum

Change of pace, lunatics. We’ll be taking a break from EUREKA SEVEN and YU YU HAKUSHO for a week or so to catch up with a number of fine, new Funimation titles that have come to my doorstep. Read my thoughts on…

• SENGOKU BASARA: SAMURAI KINGS *** YAMADA'S FIRST TIME *** DRAGONBALL Z KAI
• CHAOS HEAD *** BUBBLEGUM CRISIS: TOKYO 2040 *** HETALIA: AXIS POWERS
• ONE PIECE *** ROSARIO + VAMPIRE *** MY BRIDE IS A MERMAID

DARKER THAN BLACK is a series I’ve been really meaning to get back into. I got about six episodes into it for this column, about a year ago, but then all the episodes were taken down from YouTube or Hulu or whichever SITE was hosting it (legally.) At the time, I figured none of you lunatics would tag along with me if I was covering a series that I couldn’t embed in each post. Well, you haven’t had a problem with YU YU HAKUSHO not having any accompanying videos, so perhaps that isn’t as big an issue as I thought it was.

Anyway, my interest with this one is actually more scholarly (for lack of a better term.) I see the show as being basically Japan’s answer to the X-Men and, as such, I’m curious to see how the concept’s handled as it goes along. I’d even like to do a piece analyzing the differences with Western superheroes for Comic Vine like I did for TIGER & BUNNY last year.

I’ve sort-of created my own “time skip” in the show by skipping ahead of nearly an entire season’s worth of content. The parallels to X-MEN are still there. The British Storm with the pixie cut hasn’t parted ways from the show, and the awkward little love triangle amongst the kids is just the sort of soap opera you’d see amongst the students at Xavier’s school. Hell, it specifically recalls the Rogue/Iceman/Shadowcat business from THE LAST STAND.

Despite the fact that Kitty Pryde… er… the redhead girl delivers a long streak of exposition in this episode, I don’t know how successful it necessarily is as a jumping-on point for viewers who haven’t seen the first season. And that’s fine. It reinforces the point that I really ought to get back to where I left off.

Actually, tell you what. It’s decided. DARKER THAN BLACK is going to be the show that’ll replace EUREKA SEVEN or YU YU HAKUSHO whenever I finish with them. You heard it here first.

Also, I'm preparing for a special Q&A edition of this. If you'd like to participate, put your questions in this thread.

Watch this episode, "Black Cats Do Not Dream of Stars" below and decide for yourself.

Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE. Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk

Season 2 of Darker than black does go in to some strange areas and don't make things clear for most of its run. However, it does stick with its own logic and universe well and does give enough info to help you in assume what is going on.

When you do get to season 1 and finish it check out the 4-part Gaiden OVAs as it'll clear most things that will be reference in season 2.

I would be a little upset if you are covering a show without easy access to legal methods of watching...as contributing to illegal downloads of material is a pet peve of mine. (especially with all the anime companies going out of business recently)

I liked Darker Than Black. That said, I was slightly disappointed by Season 2. Didn't really like the way some things turned out and wasn't so fond of the redhead girl. Not that I hated her or anything like this, just thought she was meh.