Anime · MBS
Darker than Black
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Darker than Black actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Darker than Black reads strongest on Spectacle, Bingeability and World Building.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
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.
The run
Seasons
2 seasons · 37 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
20085 episodes
Best episode · S00E01 Beneath the Fully Bloomed Cherry Blossoms
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
200725 episodes
6.3IMDbIn Tokyo, an impenetrable field known as "Hell's Gate" appeared ten years ago. At the same time, psychics who wield paranormal powers at the cost of their conscience also emerged. Hei is one of the most powerful of these psychic agents, and along with his blind associate, Yin, works for one of the many rival agencies vying to unlock the mysteries of Hell's Gate.
Best episode · S01E23 God's in His Heaven...
Season 2 · Complete
Gemini of the Meteor
200912 episodes
6.0IMDbAfter a paranormal phenomenon takes over Yin, BK-201 is left to hunt for answers from the shadows, alone - until he encounters Suo, a young girl whose life changed the night a meteor crashed to Earth. With Contractors attacking from all sides, and the mysterious organization Section 3 closing in, the Black Reaper fights to keep Suo alive while he searches for the truth behind Yin's disappearance.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S00E05
Darker than BLACK Gaiden: OVA 4
- Directed by Tensai Okamura
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
S00E04
Darker than BLACK Gaiden: OVA 3
- Directed by Toshinori Narita
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
S00E03
Darker than BLACK Gaiden: OVA 2
- Directed by Daisuke Chiba
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
S00E02
Darker than BLACK Gaiden: OVA 1
- Directed by Daisuke Chiba
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
S02E12
Ark of Stars...
- Directed by Tensai Okamura
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
S02E11
The Sea Floor Dries Up, and the Moon Grows Full...
- Directed by Hideyo Yamamoto
- Written by Shoutarou Suga
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Osamu HosokawaProducer
- Ryo OyamaProducer
- Yoshihiro OyabuProducer
- Hiroo MaruyamaProducer
Writing
- Shinsuke OnishiWriter
- Hiroyuki YoshinoWriter
- Kurasumi SunayamaWriter
- Shoutarou SugaWriter
- Yuuichi NomuraWriter
- Tensai OkamuraWriter
Direction
- Kei TsunematsuDirector
- Koichi HatsumiDirector
- Hideki ItoDirector
- Hideyo YamamotoDirector
- Shingo KanekoDirector
- Tomoko HiramukiDirector
Cinematography
- Yoshiyuki TakeiDirector of Photography
- Tsuyoshi KanbayashiDirector of Photography
Music
- Yoko KannoOriginal Music Composer
- Yasushi IshiiOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
Checking regional listings…
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