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Darker than Black #1-2
Darker than Black
Ten years ago, the mysterious Hell's Gate suddenly materialized in the middle of Tokyo, and the stars of the night sky were obscured in darkness. In their place, new stars emerged, each corresponding to an individual endowed with supernatural abilities. Devoid of emotion and conscience, these powerful killers have come to be known as Contractors.
But most people know nothing of the Contractors in their midst, and high-schooler Kana Shinoh is no exception. Still struggling to pick up the pieces after her father's death last year, Kana has never troubled herself with the rumors about Hell's Gate. That is, until she spots her father in the street one day. Determined to prove her father is still alive, Kana begins her search, but her mission is attracting some rather dangerous attention. Fortunately, she is rescued from the clutches of death by Hei, the most wanted Contractor in Tokyo. Though he is unsympathetic to her situation, Hei agrees to protect her as she searches for her father. But just how much should she trust the Contractor known as the Black Reaper?
But most people know nothing of the Contractors in their midst, and high-schooler Kana Shinoh is no exception. Still struggling to pick up the pieces after her father's death last year, Kana has never troubled herself with the rumors about Hell's Gate. That is, until she spots her father in the street one day. Determined to prove her father is still alive, Kana begins her search, but her mission is attracting some rather dangerous attention. Fortunately, she is rescued from the clutches of death by Hei, the most wanted Contractor in Tokyo. Though he is unsympathetic to her situation, Hei agrees to protect her as she searches for her father. But just how much should she trust the Contractor known as the Black Reaper?
394 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2007
11 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
BONES
39 books40 followersBONES is primarily an animation studio which has also written (under the studio name) manga tie-ins for their movies and games.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 30, 2012
This is definitely more of a companion or side note to the first season of the anime. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen the anime because it could get really confusing. I also don't think it represents the anime characters accurately all of the time (Hei was the most ooc to me) and it's definitely been shojou-ified. I enjoyed it (especially since I got it for 50% off!) and any DTB fan will find it entertaining.
February 8, 2017
I love this series a LOT.
January 4, 2023
Okay, I know everything makes me sad these days, but lowkey why did I almost cry?
November 3, 2022
When Kana sees her dad on the street when he's been dead for a year, she gets pulled into a world of Contractors with super powers.
Hm - even after reading this almost 400 page omnibus, I really have little idea about what is going on in this story. It's 50% action scenes, which are drawn with so many swoosh lines that you can't tell what is going on. Backing away from this one.
Hm - even after reading this almost 400 page omnibus, I really have little idea about what is going on in this story. It's 50% action scenes, which are drawn with so many swoosh lines that you can't tell what is going on. Backing away from this one.
February 17, 2011
This book was the first ever manga that kind of make me cry :(
The ending was so sad.
The drawings in this book have been done really well, and I love the cat! :)
My favourite character is Hei, and I'm sure this goes for many other people too!
The ending was so sad.
The drawings in this book have been done really well, and I love the cat! :)
My favourite character is Hei, and I'm sure this goes for many other people too!
February 25, 2018
This omnibus features both volumes of the Darker Than Black manga series. For fans of the show, the manga is much more concise and has some characters that (I don't remember them, anyway) are not in the show. Something called Hell's Gate manifested in the middle of Tokyo about ten years prior to the events in this manga. New stars have emerged in the sky, a sky created by Hell's Gate, and each star seemingly corresponds to a Contractor, a person who has been gifted (or cursed) with some kind of supernatural ability. Although these people have gained these abilities, each Contractor has a different price they must pay every single time they use their power (cutting themselves, giving up something, etc.). Most Contractors are hidden, a secret from society. When Kanna see's her father after he was supposedly killed, she ends up mixed up in a battle of contractors: those who aim to do right by their powers and those who abuse their powers. Klang, a Contractor, seeks to save Misa, a girl he grew up with who happens to have the power to take other Contractor's powers away. It is obvious that Misa would have great value to the right people, becoming a possible gateway between Contractors and the normalcy of being human.
Despite it being awhile since I saw the show, this manga was a nice refresher to the characters (although some are quite noticeably absent whoa re in the show). the art is spacious and beautiful, and the story was relatively intriguing. The only thing that bothered me, as a reader, was that it was evident that Hei was trying to find his sister, and that ends being pretty much unresolved (unless I missed some subtlety about that plot line), which made one of the major plots feel a bit wasted. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read, nice having the omnibus, not waiting for numerous more volumes to be serialized.
Despite it being awhile since I saw the show, this manga was a nice refresher to the characters (although some are quite noticeably absent whoa re in the show). the art is spacious and beautiful, and the story was relatively intriguing. The only thing that bothered me, as a reader, was that it was evident that Hei was trying to find his sister, and that ends being pretty much unresolved (unless I missed some subtlety about that plot line), which made one of the major plots feel a bit wasted. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read, nice having the omnibus, not waiting for numerous more volumes to be serialized.
February 15, 2025
Themes and content warnings:
Ant hero, supernatural abilities, sci-fi, neo-noir drama, conflict between humanity and power, death of parent, violence, gore, and mild profanity.
This standalone story features characters from the anime of the same name. It appears to take place during the first season of the series. While it provides some background on the world and explains what Contractors and Dolls are, I would not recommend it to those who have not watched the anime. The anime offers a more comprehensive and detailed explanation of the setting. The narrative of this story primarily focuses on Kana in contrast to the anime, which centers on Hei (the Black Reaper). Also, some side characters from the anime appear in the story, which may cause confusion for readers who are unfamiliar with the show and their connection to Hei.
For anime fans, I would recommend this novel. Although it is a standalone story and does not introduce new elements to the overarching narrative, the plot is engaging and enjoyable. It’s a fun read for anyone wanting to revisit the world.
Ant hero, supernatural abilities, sci-fi, neo-noir drama, conflict between humanity and power, death of parent, violence, gore, and mild profanity.
This standalone story features characters from the anime of the same name. It appears to take place during the first season of the series. While it provides some background on the world and explains what Contractors and Dolls are, I would not recommend it to those who have not watched the anime. The anime offers a more comprehensive and detailed explanation of the setting. The narrative of this story primarily focuses on Kana in contrast to the anime, which centers on Hei (the Black Reaper). Also, some side characters from the anime appear in the story, which may cause confusion for readers who are unfamiliar with the show and their connection to Hei.
For anime fans, I would recommend this novel. Although it is a standalone story and does not introduce new elements to the overarching narrative, the plot is engaging and enjoyable. It’s a fun read for anyone wanting to revisit the world.
July 6, 2025
2.5 Stars, rounded down.
This manga was kindof a confusing mess. I have not seen the show, just happened to pick this up at a garage sale. The parts of the story that I was able to piece together, I enjoyed. I liked Kana, and there was some level of mystery that kept me wanting to find out more. I wanted to know more about Musik and what was going on.
Unfortunately, the manga was filled with a lot of vague action scenes with no dialogue or even scenery (it was all just movement lines and action poses) and it was hard to know what was going on. The text we do get, didn't do a great job of filling in the story over time. I don't understand what happened at the end, and it feels unfinished, like there was more story to tell.
I may go try watching the anime to see if I can fill in the pieces that are missing from this.
This manga was kindof a confusing mess. I have not seen the show, just happened to pick this up at a garage sale. The parts of the story that I was able to piece together, I enjoyed. I liked Kana, and there was some level of mystery that kept me wanting to find out more. I wanted to know more about Musik and what was going on.
Unfortunately, the manga was filled with a lot of vague action scenes with no dialogue or even scenery (it was all just movement lines and action poses) and it was hard to know what was going on. The text we do get, didn't do a great job of filling in the story over time. I don't understand what happened at the end, and it feels unfinished, like there was more story to tell.
I may go try watching the anime to see if I can fill in the pieces that are missing from this.
January 27, 2025
This manga was....okay.
I love the anime, to the point I've rewatched it a couple times, so I had high hopes for the manga. It was a little underwhelming, honestly. The world building wasn't that well explained, so the plot got confusing at times, and there were even some characters featured in the bonus comics that hadn't even been introduced yet. I got it since I know the material, but to a reader who hasn't seen the anime and has no background information, this manga would be hard to follow.
Still a sick as hell concept, though, and the aesthetic remains unmatched.
I love the anime, to the point I've rewatched it a couple times, so I had high hopes for the manga. It was a little underwhelming, honestly. The world building wasn't that well explained, so the plot got confusing at times, and there were even some characters featured in the bonus comics that hadn't even been introduced yet. I got it since I know the material, but to a reader who hasn't seen the anime and has no background information, this manga would be hard to follow.
Still a sick as hell concept, though, and the aesthetic remains unmatched.
November 28, 2023
This is definitely meant as a companion to the anime series, but since I loved the anime, I loved this too. There were lots of fun moments with Hei (like him pulling his huge coat out of his pocket). Definitely worth a read if you're a fan! 4/5
June 27, 2025
I’ve never watched the anime, it’s one I definitely want to see but can’t fund on streaming and reading this manga has only increased my desire to watch it! I really liked the story and the characters (even if Kana annoyed me from time to time) I need to know what happened to Pai!
May 11, 2021
I saw the anime first. I admit I prefer the anime and it’s characters, although I wish they had left Kana in the anime version.
December 19, 2025
Interesting premise and a good story. Wish there was more world-building, but it didn't make the manga difficult to follow, I just wanted more of it!
October 24, 2025
It was a cool read but the ending left me lacking. Maybe the anime will give me more answers than questions.
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October 8, 2010
This is an omnibus ‘novel’ for Darker than Black but is separate from the main action of the anime. In this, there is a false sky that appeared with Hell’s Gate and at the same time contractors appeared; humans with special abilities that they can use for a price they must pay and sometimes it’s a weird and awful price. A young school girl, Kana Shinoh, believes that she has lost her father to a contractor a year ago until she sees him again and learns he is the contractor.
This quest to find her father and bring him home brings her into Hei’s orbit. Hei is BK201 (half the time written as 201BK which is wrong, these are a reference to Meissner’s codes for stars, though the translator notes said November 11 does this in the series as well. I don’t remember that). Hei works for the Syndicate and is a contractor with electrical powers. Mao, a contractor now stuck in the form of a cat, Yin, a doll, a human no missing all emotion and free will, and Huang, their leader all work together with Hei. They are after Wiegenlied, an evil organization. Also in the hunt is November 11, the leader of a group of MI-6, British contractors. This is a chunky novel, nearly 400 pages long. The story is interesting. The art isn’t quite as pretty as the anime. I would have liked a little more from Hei’s pov than Kana’s frankly since he’s the actual lead character but over all it was good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2015
As an introduction to the world of Darker Than Black, it's a great, compelling story, though it feels somewhat lacking in characters. The sky over Tokyo has been blotted out. With the stars no longer viewable, in an odd sort of trade-off, people, known as contractors, become enhanced with super powers they can use at a price, including the lose of what amounts to their soul.
Meet Kana, a girl who's still grieving over the death of her father a year earlier. When she's certain she saw her father in the city so doesn't stop for months trying to find him, until her efforts lead her to crossing paths with contractors. With one contractor, Hei, on her side to both protect and use her, Kana starts unraveling a truth that completely changes her life.
As a reader, when I discovered that this is actually a tale that occurs one year after the conclusion to a TV series, and not an origin story, I was disappointed. It explains why it felt like there needed to be a touch more history, but with most of the mystery already known by the TV audience, this series must not have been enough.
By itself though, not knowing what a contractor is, or what is motivating Hei, it's easy to get caught up in Kana's journey and its conclusion.
Meet Kana, a girl who's still grieving over the death of her father a year earlier. When she's certain she saw her father in the city so doesn't stop for months trying to find him, until her efforts lead her to crossing paths with contractors. With one contractor, Hei, on her side to both protect and use her, Kana starts unraveling a truth that completely changes her life.
As a reader, when I discovered that this is actually a tale that occurs one year after the conclusion to a TV series, and not an origin story, I was disappointed. It explains why it felt like there needed to be a touch more history, but with most of the mystery already known by the TV audience, this series must not have been enough.
By itself though, not knowing what a contractor is, or what is motivating Hei, it's easy to get caught up in Kana's journey and its conclusion.
September 23, 2012
It was recommeneded to me by a friend and I guess it was alright, but it had lots of faults.
Firstly, I will never get over the way most manga heroines are ready to trust their whole life in the hands of a complete stranger (most often, young mysterious boy). She basically stalks the guy and goes all "you have to protect me, because i don't trust anyone else...
Bitch, please....
And the guy is ways reluctant, but just HAS to protect us.
I really liked Muzik's side of the story (which means the manga gets interesting around vol. 4-5).
Secondly, the art itself was very confusing, especially the moments in which they used powers.
Basically, it has a lot of potential and the story could have been a lot better.
Firstly, I will never get over the way most manga heroines are ready to trust their whole life in the hands of a complete stranger (most often, young mysterious boy). She basically stalks the guy and goes all "you have to protect me, because i don't trust anyone else...
Bitch, please....
And the guy is ways reluctant, but just HAS to protect us.
I really liked Muzik's side of the story (which means the manga gets interesting around vol. 4-5).
Secondly, the art itself was very confusing, especially the moments in which they used powers.
Basically, it has a lot of potential and the story could have been a lot better.
October 7, 2011
This story seems to be set outside the anime continuity, but you do really need to have seen the anime for it to make sense. The themes and situations actually echo a lot of the overarching plot of season 1 - Hei's search for Pai, one contractor recruiting others to their cause, and the battle of loyalties between contractors and their employers.
The art is at times wonky (bodies and especially legs too long and thing) and at times it is difficult to tell certain characters apart. There's also not enough of Li being adorkable.
Still an enjoyable read for fans of the anime.
The art is at times wonky (bodies and especially legs too long and thing) and at times it is difficult to tell certain characters apart. There's also not enough of Li being adorkable.
Still an enjoyable read for fans of the anime.
December 20, 2013
Okay, this is going to stand in for Shikkoku no Hana as well.
Previous comments on Pintrest for the series: Interesting supplement to the series. The weird blue inking was hard to get used to though. Would not make sense without watching the anime.
And Shikkoku no Hana: My favorite of the two mangas. It's a nice post-script to the first series and fills in a number of blanks. Also Kirihara was just fun.
Previous comments on Pintrest for the series: Interesting supplement to the series. The weird blue inking was hard to get used to though. Would not make sense without watching the anime.
And Shikkoku no Hana: My favorite of the two mangas. It's a nice post-script to the first series and fills in a number of blanks. Also Kirihara was just fun.
January 7, 2014
After reading this Manga, I got to the conclusion that this manga will only appeal to those familiar with the anime its based on.
The Good
- I thoroughly enjoyed the story once it truly took off.
- I really thought the characters were great, especially Kana.
- I read the manga super quickly and the book was very well paced.
The Bad
- I wanted more stories. It made me sad that this was the only volume.
- I didn't feel any connection with Hei. I wish he was given more development.
The Good
- I thoroughly enjoyed the story once it truly took off.
- I really thought the characters were great, especially Kana.
- I read the manga super quickly and the book was very well paced.
The Bad
- I wanted more stories. It made me sad that this was the only volume.
- I didn't feel any connection with Hei. I wish he was given more development.
August 8, 2012
It was a bit confusing.
Kana believes her father is still alive. One day she sees him in the street, but he ignore her, but since then she start to research about the secrets within the Hell's Gate. Now Contractors, killers with supernatual abilieties have their attention on her. A most wanted contractor name Hei stays by her side while she search for her father.
Kana believes her father is still alive. One day she sees him in the street, but he ignore her, but since then she start to research about the secrets within the Hell's Gate. Now Contractors, killers with supernatual abilieties have their attention on her. A most wanted contractor name Hei stays by her side while she search for her father.
July 25, 2010
I'm not sure how much sense this will make to people who haven't viewed the anime. And as someone who *has* viewed the anime, I find myself wanting more about Yin and the core story rather than this side adventure.
January 29, 2014
Szépek a rajzok, imádnivaló a sztori - kicsit drak, de ugye a címéből kiindulva...
**spoiler**
utálom! Többé nem akarom elolvasni, annyira sírhatnékom van. Kapott egy hatalmas neon citromsárga No Happy End > cetlit...
**spoiler**
utálom! Többé nem akarom elolvasni, annyira sírhatnékom van. Kapott egy hatalmas neon citromsárga No Happy End > cetlit...
Read
January 19, 2016I'm noticing a lot of people complaining that to understand this manga, you'd have to watch the anime, but I'm not really feeling that at all. I had never watched the anime but I still adored this, though the artwork in the action scenes is a bit hectic and hard to understand.
November 14, 2016
I love this, such a sad ending with her having to pretend that she does not remember him to stay safe and to move on. Yet he tryed to talk to her, and she kept the knife that he gave her to kill her dad. This was such I good manga. I can't wait to read 3 and 4 and watch the anime.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2012
i really like the anime but was a bit dissapointed by the graphic novel. i like the overall story however, because it is very creative in its developement and is always neat to meet new characters.
December 7, 2010
Great series, full of plenty of twists and turns. Looking forward to the second installment.
April 15, 2011
The style wasn't astounding, but I still love this one! It makes more sense after you watch the anime, though, so i recommend starting with the anime and THEN reading this.
December 20, 2011
Check out my review on No Flying, No Tights.
March 23, 2012
Didn't make sense
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews