D. Gray-Man: Exorcists And Demons
Storyline
D. Gray-Man tells the story of a seemingly normal fifteen-year old boy known as Allen Walker; however he possesses a special ability, Allen is able to exorcise Akumas, mechanical demons that are created by the Millennium Earl (the primary antagonist of the series) which are also physically indistinguishable from normal humans. Traveling with his enigmatic master’s pet golem, Timcampy, Allen sets off to the Black Order Headquarters in a bid to register as a formal exorcist and thus put his anti-Akuma weapon to good use. Along his quest to eliminate Akuma, Allen meets fellow exorcists, Kanda Yu, Arystar Krory, Lavi, and Lenalee Lee who join him on his journey in saving the world from yet another apocalypse. However, more enemies appear in the form of the Noah Family (supposedly descendants of Noah from the bible) who wield overwhelming powers in opposition to the Black Order
Art and music
D. Gray-Man is very much filled with exciting animation schemes, this is especially so when the Exorcists do battle against various enemies; the act of summoning their anti-Akuma weapons is already a treat to the eye. An example would be Allen’s own weapon, the Clown’s Crown, which augments his left arm into a large, metallic claw capable of slashing any Akuma into shreds before he purifies its soul. Clown’s Crown is also capable of a second evolution which gives Allen a billowing white cloak and a more refined version of his clawed arm. This also provides Allen with newer, wonderfully animated attacks such as Cross Grave which involves the etching of a cross on an Akuma and its subsequent complete annihilation.
Music-wise, D. Gray-Man is also an exhilarating experience for the ears; the openings thus far include “Innocent Sorrow”, “Bright Down” as well as “Doubt & Trust”. However, the most noteworthy would be “Bright Down” which was sung by Nami Tamaki, famous for her works in the popular Gundam Seed series and its sequel Gundam Seed Destiny, for which she topped music charts in Japan. The instrumental soundtracks used in the anime itself were very much impressive, these ranged from the stern “Exorcist, a black Clergyman” to the mysterious-sounding theme “Allen Walker”.
Conclusion
In short, D. Gray Man is indeed a must-watch for anime fans who love supernatural- related series that touch on the meaning of friendship while offering deep character development. The series is still currently airing in Japan; however, it is being simultaneously broadcasted on Singapore’s Arts Central’s Animania section every Friday night at 11 pm so fans have nothing to fear about missing Allen Walker and his escapades.
By Lim Ming Qing Stanley