Kurokami: The Animation [Complete Series] – Review

Kurokami was somewhat hard to swallow at times, considering it fails to create a universal that holds true and proper throughout the series. True, it jumps all over the place but this series boasts great visuals and character development. Keita Ibuki is Kurokami’s male protagonist, and the series starts off with his mothers death. This sets the tone for the whole series basically, as he become overwhelmed with his loss and turns into a one dimensional character. Unfortunately he only got more and more generic as the show went on. It is when he goes to his favorite ramen shop and meets Kuro, does he find the explanation of why these people die, the doppleliner system. It is when this story arc is introduced does the story finally come together.

She is seeking revenge on her brother for killing her fellow guardians. It turns out that guardians and humans can make a pact and gain powers. Their growing bond will eventually lead them to learn the secrets behind the atrocious system and confront the very brother of Kuro, who is planning to destroy the world. The anime definitely comes to a happy/sad conclusion and there is no way for it to continue. I have to say that for a TV series, this is probably one of the most beautiful looking anime to show up on Blu-ray in the U.S. The fight scene between Kuro and the unknown assailaint was a feast to watch. Artistic backgrounds are highly detailed and for any Japanophile anime fan who is watching this series, this aspect comes easily recommended.

The anime is definitely for those who enjoy action, especially fighting-based anime series. If action isn’t your bag, and you enjoy more story-driven anime, well, this one is a gem as well. The show presented some interesting concepts with the three-people-in-one Doppleliner system and how the Tera Guardians are tasked with maintaining the system and thus the balance of the world. One of the key facets of this series is the story, and without the story it’s just going to sink, no matter how good the action is.

Kurokami does not fail in its endeavor to be a show to remember, great and fun story with some great points and outlook on certain ideas. One downfall was the romance subplots. Kurokami should have done either a better job with the romances or cut it out entirely. This is important for me since action alone isn’t enough, especially since once the series gets going there are times when there is no action. Also, with Japan and the U.S. on the same region for Blu-ray releases and people demanding simultaneous or near simultaneous releases, this is easily going to be an issue for American anime fans if more series continue to feature the lack of a Japanese audio track.

Kurokami: the Animation, produced by Sunrise, is an adaptation of the manga Kurokami by Dall-Young Lim and Sung-Woo Park. This means a lot of the humor is going to be gone, since a lot of it stems from their Manga interactions. But, in conclusion, the animation is about perfect for this anime treatment and the voice acting seems to be on a higher standard from many others I have seen. I recommend this series for anyone who is killing to have a great time and enjoy a show truly worth remembering. It spans 23 episodes total so you should have plenty of hours of entertainment ahead of you, given you give this series a chance. You won’t be sorry.