Darker than Black is one of FUNimation's latest titles currently making waves in the anime world. The show aired during 2007 in Japan and when it was announced for an American release, otaku everywhere seemed to be very excited. Despite the relatively large amount of hype surrounding it, this buzzed about program didn't exactly hit the ground running. The first volume wasn't exactly amazing, and though the second improved upon things, it gave the show the feeling that it wasn't quite "there" yet. Thankfully the third volume changes that.

In case you're unfamiliar with the show, Darker than Black takes place in the future after an event where something known as Hell's Gate appeared. This wall of sorts created a false sky and gave people special powers that came at a price. Known as Contractors these individuals quickly rose to prominence, but other individuals known as Dolls appeared as well. It's a strange world where you never quite know who to trust or what's going to happen, but in between it all there is a mysterious group working towards some purpose for whatever reason. If that description sounds annoyingly vague, that's because it is. This show hasn't really divulged much of the details up to this point, and even though this third installment answers some questions, there's still a lot of explaining to do.

Thought the first two volumes included five episodes a piece, this third installment brings only four episodes. As is the case with the other volumes these episodes are paired up for two different stories, rather than four episodic ones. It's nice as it allows each plot to receive some good development, but there's a certain formulaic nature to it all.

The first episodes are entitled "When One Takes Back What Was Lost Within the Wall... Parts 1 & 2". In this storyline it's revealed that a meteor fragment has been found and is being stored in the PANDORA Research Facility near the Hell's Gate. This is an item of significance and Hei goes on a mission to recover the artifact. The problem is that he has to masquerade as a human and gain entrance to the facility, which is no easy feat I assure you. Complicating matters is the fact that the crap starts hitting the fan so close to the Gate, and Hei's desire to see "real" stars on the other side of the Gate is very strong.

While looking for the meteor fragment Hei meets a guy named Nick, who also happens to be a Contractor looking for the fragment for his own purposes. Naturally the two duke it out, but considering Nick's powers are very similar to Hei's it's not an easy fight by any stretch of the imagination. The nice thing about this storyline is that it allows the show to delve into more details regarding Hei's past and what it means to be a Contractor. There's also some revelation regarding Hell's Gate in the episode, and there are many answers peppered in between.

The second episode is "A Heart Unswaying on the Water's Surface...Parts 1 & 2". In these episodes Yin becomes a target of the Syndicate and goes into hiding in an effort to save her life. Considering she's a Doll and is not supposed to have free will, the fact that she begins exhibiting signs of memory and desire makes her a danger to some people. Hei is charged with finding her and taking care of her, but other Contractors are on her trail as well. It becomes a race of sorts to find Yin and even right up to the end it's not quite clear how the storyline is going to play out. This storyline didn't offer much in terms of mythology for the show, but the fact that the Dolls are explained a little better was definitely a nice touch.

Darker than Black is a show that has been showing some steady signs of improvement between this volume and the previous one. While there are only four episodes this time around, the quality of them is better than what has come before. With the focus on the core components of the show, rather than a freak of the week, the series is fleshed out some more and some of the mysteries just aren't quite so mysterious anymore. While I was weary to recommend it before, consider my mind changed. This show is where it needs to be and I look forward to future volumes to see what else the anime has to offer.

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.

Darker than Black's third volume receives some textless songs, trailers, and production artwork for bonus features. Another audio commentary is included this time around as well. This one is for the first part of "A Heart Unswaying on the Water's Surface..." and it's on par with the commentary tracks from before. That is to say that the commentators offer some insight into the show, but not a lot.

Darker than Black has a unique premise that has finally received some fleshing out over the past couple of volumes. The series is dark, moody, and addicting when you get right down to it. I'm pleased to say that as the show progresses and more is revealed things are getting much better. I'm curious to see where it's all going and look forward to future volumes, but what you need to know right now is that the third volume of the show tips the scales in favor of a stronger recommendation. Pay attention to this one, it's quickly becoming one of FUNimation's stronger shows in their latest lineup.

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