Darker than Black is one of the latest shows in FUNimation's lineup, though it's probably one of the last to receive individual volume releases. The wave of the future seems to be releases shows in blocks at a time, rather than just four episodes. Quite honestly that suits me just fine, because the more you can get of a show at once the better it is. In the case of Darker than Black the four episode installments have done well, but the time in between each has left a feeling of frustration. Thankfully that has dissipated over the course of the past couple of volumes, but it stands to reason that the experience would have had more fluidity if it was released with a chunk of episodes all at once.

I don't know if it's been the presentation on DVD or just the natural pacing of the series, but early on the show didn't really go out of its way to make an impression. The stories were interesting enough though the lack of any real development left it feeling somewhat hollow. I'm very pleased to say that over the course of the installments since, the series has become something special. The characters have been fleshed out, the world is far more interesting, and all around each volume leaves you wanting the next. That's quite the turnaround so if you haven't seen the show, or if you've only seen the first volume, you'll definitely want to give the rest a shot.

Darker than Black takes place in the future where something known as Hell's Gate appeared and created a false sky. With the arrival of this event people started showing up with special powers and became known as Contractors. These mysterious people have become a powerful force in the world and have been utilized by secret groups and governments to conduct all kinds of acts in the world. Generally speaking these Contractors are assigned to a star in the sky and various policing agencies use this to follow their actions. One star in particular, Messier Code BK-201, follows the show's protagonist, Hei, as he works with a group of others known as the Syndicate. The group's goal is something of a mystery, but it's clear that Hei is searching for a piece of his past, and at least for the time being his goals are in line with the Syndicate's.

This fifth installment of Darker than Black offers up two more storylines spread across four episodes. Since the next volume will be the last you really get the sense here that the show is revving up for a grand finale. While each of these two stories is relatively self-contained there are little pieces in each that hint towards a larger plot in the works.

The first story, "Dreaming Shallow, Uninebriated", shows more exposition revolving around the Syndicate as Huang is sent to off the leader of a Gate cult. Things get complicated when it turns out that she's someone from his past, and someone that he loves. Naturally he can't really finish the job so Hei must move in and take action. Considering all the development we've seen from Hei over the past few episodes it's only fitting that things don't come easy. The story does not end in a way that you think it would, and goes to show that this is a series that doesn't necessarily play it safe. Some elements from this episode bleed into a larger plot that takes place in the next story, "City Under Crackdown, Most with Tears".

The second story looks at the terrorist group know as EPR. It's a fascinating story that will keep you guessing as the Americans are dragged into it and it seems that Japan is going to be brought to the brink. Ultimately it's one character's sacrifice that paves the way for a brighter future, and it's something I didn't see coming. Plenty of interesting events occur here and they will leave you looking forward to the next installment.

With only one volume left Darker than Black really feels like it's driving towards something. After these four episodes it's clear that the show is anything but predictable and just how it's all going to end seems to be up for debate. If you haven't seen the show yet then you should consider adding it to your watch-list, due in large part to its uniqueness, but also because it's a finely produced show that will leave you guessing. Consider it recommended.

Presented with an anamorphic widescreen transfer Darker than Black is a sharp looking slice of anime. The animation is fantastic, the colors are bold and utilized well, and all around the video quality of the production is quite sharp. Some blocking and grain crop up ever-so slightly now and again, but all around this is a solid looking picture with some fine details that will please the eyes. Overall this is a good looking show with many moments that pop from the screen.

As you'd expect the included audio here comes in the form of Japanese 2.0 and English 5.1 selections. As far as dubbing quality is concerned I felt that both tracks performed reasonably well, with the original Japanese taking a slight nod in terms of superiority. On the technical side of things, the 5.1 English mix is much more robust and the action gets some nice display as the show promotes a better than average sense of immersion. Otherwise you can expect dialogue and such to come through the front channels with decent quality.

Some production artwork, clean animations, and trailers are available on this installment. There's also a commentary track for part two of "City Under Crackdown, Most with Tears". This track has some of the production staff and writers from the English side talking about the series and commenting on particular points. It's not the most engaging track in the world, but there's some nice information here if you enjoyed the English presentation.

Darker than Black has a unique, dark premise that has finally received some fleshing out over the past few of volumes. This is one of the more interesting and moody shows you're going to find on the market today. This installment definitely does not pull any punches and you're going to be kept guessing from start to finish. I can't wait to see what the final installment has in store for us, because due to events here, it would seem that the finale has already hit the ground running. This is a solid recommendation.

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