
Darker than Black
Seen it?2007 | 2 seasons | 25 min | Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery
Why it’s a Weeknight Watch
With mixed reviews and a short run with a modest audience, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing, sci-fi fans and action fans.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- 2 seasons: a few weeks of evenings, short, snackable episodes, about 15 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-14. Probably too much for younger kids.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Ten years ago, a mysterious spatial anomaly now known as "Heaven's Gate" appeared in South America, shortly followed by the opening of "Hell's Gate" in Tokyo altering the sky and wreaking havoc on the landscape. The real stars disappeared, replaced by false stars. During this time, people possessing various special abilities — called "Contractors" — emerged, each capable of different supernatural feats. Following the disastrous Heaven's War, the United States lost its dominant position as a superpower to a mysterious organization named the Syndicate. The story revolves around a Chinese contractor codenamed "Hei" as he undertakes various espionage and assassination missions in Tokyo.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
Mixed reviews
- AudiencesSolid
7.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Ran for 2 seasons and reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 120K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Weeknight Watch. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 1 is the high point.
- Season 12007 · 25 episodes · 6.6 out of 10Weeknight
- Gemini of the Meteor2009 · 12 episodes · 6.0 out of 10Monday
Trailer
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Cast & crew
- Hidenobu KiuchiHei (voice)
- Kiyomi AsaiJuly (voice)
- Ikuya SawakiMao (voice) / Petya (voice)
- Kana HanazawaPavlichenko Suou (voice)

