Darker Than Black

Okay, this one will be a little tricky... I started watching this on TV from like episode 11 or something and was filled with questions all the way to the end. (it's best not to do that)  Even after watching the earlier episodes from the internet it still feels that the anime has too many holes. Though Darker Than Black is really confusing and lacks quite a fair bit of explanations, this anime is still one of my favourites for its interesting setting.


Synopsis:
A weird phenomenon that defies science occurred 10 and 5 years before the series. An extremely large area of space appeared in South America and Tokyo. Named Heavens Gate and Hell's Gate respectively, this areas were almost impenetrable to humans. Along with the gates, the original sky disappeared and was replaced with a fake sky. Human beings that had special powers started to emerge and were called contractors. They were emotionless and worked mostly for the government or anti-government groups. The story revolves around a contractor Hei who works for the Syndicate. He and his team receive and carry out missions from the Syndicate. Through the many missions and series of events, Hei's group uncovers conspiracies in both the government and Syndicate and are left fighting for what they believe in. (Yeah I know it sounds really cliche)



Review: 
Frankly speaking, the author didn't do a good job in describing and explaining the setting of the series. The popping up of Gates were horribly explained as they were just said to be 'mysterious', 'out-of-this-world' and 'unexplainable' (seriously the best way to explain things). There were may other instances in the series where explanation were seriously lacking. However, its not totally bad. The setting of the Darker Than Black is truly an original and interesting one. The fight scenes were also quite epic and it was always a pleasure to see the contractors use their powers. In a nutshell, if you are the type of anime fan that requires really detailed explanations, this isn't the anime for you. But if you are the hardcore shonen type that loves watching Bleach or Naruto, Darker Than Black could be another anime for you to pick up.

Full Metal Alchemist

I'm pretty free for the holidays so here I am rating and writing reviews for the recent animes I've watched.

First up we have the highly rated Full Metal Alchemist written and illustrated by Hiromu Arakawa. This is a classic and truly is a must watch. Anyone who reads manga or watches anime should have already finished the series some time back. But for the sake of those who just started here's a short review for this brilliantly crafted anime.


Things to take note:
This one has two animes one called Full Metal Alchemist and the other Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. The difference? The latter follows the manga while the former's story plot drifts away from the original half way in the animated series. This is because Full Metal Alchemist caught up to the manga too fast so they had to spin up a new storyline. Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood were completed in 2004 and 2010 respectively.


Synopsis:
Two brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric lost their bodies while conducting human transmutation to bring their dead mother back. They travel in search of ways to obtain their bodies back using the powers of alchemy while uncovering a huge conspiracy that is taking place in the government.


Review:
The author did a fine job in laying down the basic principles of alchemy from the beginning of the anime and building on it as the episodes passed. The characterisation, introduction of new characters and convincing explanations are done in small arcs which are linked closely together. All of the arcs are then nicely tied together to form an epic conclusion. After watching the entire series, you will think that alchemy is all about equivalent exchange, drawing transmutation circles or clapping your hands together to transmute objects. Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood will leave you clapping your hands and touching walls for weeks. That's as much influence an anime can have on your life.