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Title:
 D.Gray-Man Series 1 Part 2

UK Distributor:  Manga Entertainment

BBFC Certificate:  15

Suggested Retail Price (SRP):  £22.99

Episodes:  14-26 (of 51)

Audio Options:  English 5.1, Japanese 2.0

Subtitles:  English

Release Date:  12th April 2010

Reviewer:  Rich (Webmaster)
 

Manga Entertainment have done a great job snaffling all of the biggest titles Japan has to offer in recent months.  The only problem is that with the likes of Naruto Shippuden and Soul Eater on the way can the likes of Bleach and D.Gray-Man hold their own?

The last 2-disc set of D.Gray-Man proved a solid if unspectacular start, and this time round we are once again thrown into the company of Allen Walker, Yu Kanda, Lenalee Lee and Lavi as they are dispatched on another series of Innocence-gathering mission.  Innocence is the substance that gives the Exorcists their powers in the battle against the Millennium Earl, but in its untamed form it can cause strange natural phenomena which often give away its location.  The Back Order follows up reports of unusual happenings, which is why a magical tree causing strange weather and a 1000-year old swordsman are on the list of things Allen & co are sent to investigate.  Innocence isn't the only thing the Black Order are looking for though.  General Cross Marian, Allen's master and one of the most powerful Exorcists, is missing and they want Allen to track him down.  Finding Cross is not an easy task, and it is also one that Allen would rather not have to take on especially when his trail leads him to a town plagued by the vampire Count Arystar Krory.  The villagers went Allen to take out Krory, and when a villager is snatched by the Count right before their eyes he is left with little choice but to try.  However, is Krory all he seems?  Meanwhile the Millennium Earl and the Clan of Noah are also on the move, Akuma face the Exorcists at every turn as the Earl steps up his search for the Heart of the Innocence.  The heart has the power to destroy the Earl, but in his hands it could destroy all of the other Innocence and render the Exorcists powerless.  Believing the heart would be in the possession of a powerful Exorcist the Clan of Noah start to target the Exorcist Generals, and the oldest of their number - General Kevin Yeegar - is top of their list.  Can he take on the power of Noah and survive?  And can Allen do anything to help?
 

After a strong conclusion to the last volume this one digresses from the manga storyline for a handful of original episodes at the start.  In fact there is quite a bit of 'filler' in this volume, something that is common in these types of long anime series but not usually so early on.  Filler, original stories inserted to lengthen anime series and prevent them getting ahead of the manga, generally has a bad rap but the episodes on this disc are generally not too bad.  The stories where Kanda and Allen try and find a tree that is reported to grant eternal

life and face down a swordsman who has been protecting his master's honour for 1000 years are action packed and interesting enough, although they are occasionally a little cheesy.  Unlike similar filler in series like Naruto the stories here are short and concise and don't really affect the main storyline.  However, the bravest decision is made towards the end of the volume where Allen is sent to meet General Yeegar.  In the manga the main characters never meet Yeegar, we only learn about him following his battle with the Noah, but in the anime he is expanded into a much more interesting character.  Allen is sent to deliver a parcel to him and learns about his past and his powers, of all of the characters who have turned up so far he is probably the most noble and open and Allen really bonds with him.  It's an interesting variation to the manga and also leads to one of the best action set pieces of the anime so far as we get to see the General in action.

It's an example of a good use of filler that other series should really take note of, but this series is at its best when it follows the manga storyline and this volume's highlight is the story which sees Allen meet Arystar Krory.  Allen is initially ssceptical about vampires existing but finds that Krory is a bona fide bloodsucker, with the help of Lavi he enters Castle Krory and does battle with the Count, but who is the mysterious woman who seems to live with him?  There is more to Krory than it first seems and Allen suspects that Innocence may be involved somewhere, but first they have to stay alive - not only do they have to contend with the superhuman strength and speed of Krory himself, but a castle full of giant carnivorous plants!  Krory is an interesting character, a vampire fighting against his bloodlust and the despair of being shunned by everyone, but it is the mysterious woman Eliade who steals the show.  She is also fighting with herself and her identity and in Krory she has found a person she feels can finally realise her heart's desire.  However, the arrival of the Exorcists threatens their future together and forces her to take drastic action that could lead to a terrible confrontation.
 

The stories in general on this volume are largely good, and it is welcome to see more level 2 Akuma and humanoid enemies for the Exorcists to confront.  It's also good to see more of the Clan of Noah, who have been the best thing in the series so far, but once again D.Gray-Man lets itself down with a rubbish comedy episode.   This time Komui suspects the Black Order scientist Russell is dating Lenalee when they go shopping together, and so he overreacts and dispatches another of his Komlin robots to punish him.  Once again the

episode is simply painful to watch as a torrent of tired slapstick and sheer stupidity parades across the screen, unbalancing the dark and sinister feel the series has been building so far.  The Komlin episode in the last volume was bad enough, but this one makes it look like high art.  There's a further crappy appearance from Komlin later on in the volume too.  The problem with these episodes (apart from the fact that they are not very funny) is that they reduce Komui Lee - the branch chief and commander of the Exorcists - to little more than a clown, and although the manga is guilty of this too it doesn't do it anyway near as often.

It's a shame that an otherwise good volume is marred once again by a comedy episode, but at least this shouldn't happen again next time.  The volume ends on a pretty dark and disturbing note with the Earl's declaration of war on the Exorcists, a declaration he backs up with a vicious attack.  The animation is excellent and the series retains the wonderful gothic style that really sets it apart from the crowd, I still think the English dub is a bit weak but the series boasts excellent action and plenty of drama.  This time it makes some interesting diversions from the plot of the manga and I thought the focus on General Yeegar actually added something to the story that the manga missed.  The volume ends on the cusp of a major new story arc and I'm really looking forward to how this develops in the next volume.  Hopefully the weak comedy will be cut next time and D.Gray-Man can focus on what it does best.

Extras

New textless opening and closing sequences and a interesting commentary for episode 18, pretty good.

Ratings

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