The Shonen Jump brand is something that anime fans clamor for. Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece are arguably some of the most popular shows the industry has churned out in the past decade or so. There's a certainly flare to each show and it's safe to say that the viewership is widespread both in Japan and in the States. A little while ago FUNimation brought D.Gray-Man over to our side of the pond, and it's been very successful.

D.Gray-Man came out in manga form in 2004, but in 2006 the anime got underway and garnered over 100 episodes before leaving the airwaves. FUNimation picked up the license and released the first batch of episodes earlier this year. So far we have received two 13 episodes collections and already have the first complete season under our belt. With that in mind we're ready for the next wave of episodes and I couldn't want to see what was in store for Allen and the rest of the Black Order.

If you need a little refresher on the series, or are simply seeing what it's all about for the first time let me fill you in briefly. D.Gray-Man takes place towards the end of the nineteenth century in Europe. The history is skewed a tad and it all follows the adventures of a young boy named Allen Walker, who was cursed when he was younger and witnessed the death and transformation of his parents. Basically because of this event, Allen has the ability to see and combat demons. He can also see the souls of recently deceased humans inside of these demons. Naturally this would mess you up a bit, but luckily he winds up joining the Black Order, which is a group that hunts Akuma (demons).

In the first season of D.Gray-Man Allen enrolled in the Black Order and joined the likes of fellow members such as Kanda, Lenalee, and Lavi. The exorcists got together to take down the minions of Millennium Earl from episode to episode. Along the way there have been some throwaway adventures, but truth be told there is some nice continuity here. This set starts out with a couple of those episode episodes that don't really have any bearing on happenings in the main plotline. The third and fourth episodes here are a two-part storyline that sees Allen and Lenalee traveling to Liverpool, and thankfully this one is more interesting.

After that two-parter there is a pair of standalone episodes once again. These are kind of lame, though they touch upon the overarching story in this season of Allen searching for General Cross. In the following episodes Kanda takes the center stage as he heads to Germany to look for another General and discovers something about a witch in the local area. Leading up to the end of this boxed set with five episodes there are some standalone stories, but truth be told the overarching plot of Millennium Earl comes to some fruition. It would seem that the big bad guy of this series has decided to take steps to eliminate his competition. Basically he starts amassing Akuma and sending them out to varying spots around the world to eradicate exorcists. Naturally the Black Order gets involved here and there are some nice battles featured here and there.

It would seem as though the second season of D.Gray-Man has really picked up the expectations set in the first. The show is loaded with action and supernatural battles, the characters are interest, and the world is downright fascinating. I love some of the direction the creators of this series have taken and it truly stands out from other shows. This may not be the most entertaining Shonen Jump series ever created, but it's definitely a cut above and something fans should definitely look into. Check it out!

D.Gray-Man season 2 part 1 is presented on DVD with its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The transfer for these discs has been enhanced for an anamorphic widescreen display as well. For what its worth the series looks pretty good and FUNimation did an overall solid job with the transfer. Colors appear natural and vibrant, and all around the picture is quite solid. I will say that due to the presentation of 13 episodes on two DVDs there are some compression artifacts that have snuck into the image. Light grain is also visible at times, though it's harder to tell if that's attributed to the transfer or the source material. Either way you slice it though, D.Gray-Man is a nice looking show that probably could have been refined just a little more.

The sound for the series is presented just about like you'd expect it would be. The English language comes with a 5.1 Dolby Digital output while the Japanese selection is presented with 2.0 Stereo. Dub wise both tracks performed well enough and there's plenty to appreciate with regards to the voiceover teams for each language. On the technical side of things the English track offers up a slightly better sense of immersion, but it doesn't quite surround you as much as it could have. Some moments feel a little too flat and there are many points where the channels simply weren't used enough.

Clean animations and trailers are presented here for bonus features. That's pretty much it unfortunately.

D.Gray-Man has definitely made a name for itself. The show is decidedly different and yet familiar at the same time. At its core the premise isn't anything too special (young boy with powers fights evil with a group of other powered beings), but it's handled quite nicely all around. The world is decidedly darker, the characters are rich in development, and the stories can be very engaging. This installment pushes the envelope a little bit and you get the sense that something bigger is in the works towards the end of the set. With the killing of exorcists and building Akuma forces it would seem that the next volume will have even more action and fighting. Some of the episodes included here are a tad too episodic in nature, but there's enough continuity to tie it all together. If you enjoyed the first season it's safe to say you'll love what's going on in the second!

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