Customer Reviews

Descendants of Darkness DVD Collection

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow, another great bishonen/shonen-ai series that ended too soon! The Angst, Love, & Darkness all starts in episode 1, and it doesn't let up. The darkness and melodrama is well-balanced by some nice everyday comic tropes and lighter characters. You can watch many of these episodes as crime-drama stories on their own, without worrying about the overarching story line... But soon you will definitely be sucked in & addicted by the interpersonal relationships and tangled vendettas, which is the mark of a truly good shojo anime.

You've already got the gist of the story, which runs like a gothic buddy-cop tale: The afterlife has its own version of the FBI (which in turn has its own version of Internal Affairs), and some particular soul-collectors are Agents of Death. Agent Tsuzuki is a somewhat ditzy long-dead beauty with a reputation of being difficult to work with. His new partner, Hisoka, is a tormented dewy-eyed teenaged babydoll, who was murdered at 16 and has had a hard time connecting with people ever since. Work-related hijinks ensue as the relationship develops.

Oh, now, don't get too squicked by the rumors of "gay kissing!" and "boy love!"... It's fairly tame, but for the occasional kiss and the VERY suggestive fondling of one wine-glass. I think it could've been a lot more intense, but mainstream audiences are squeamish. The whole sexual-subtext dance is carried off delicately, but retains a whiff of kinkiness. A flashback to the rape of a young boy is done out in romance colors, lingering body-silhouettes, and falling flower-petals; Muraki wins a night with Tsuzuki in a poker game, and Tsuzuki is on the verge of surrendering himself when his teenaged sidekick shows up to rescue him. We surely never got anything that good on "The X-Files". But it's nothing that could offend.

I liked watching both the English dub and the subtitles. Both have managed to avoid stilted English and too many glaring errors. The voice-acting is mostly fantastic in both languages, too, with the right mix of tears and giggles. American TV fans will recognize half the voices behind Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokemon-- so you know that the actors are well-practiced with summoning monsters and giving long, grave speeches about the bonds of friendship.

Having the whole series in one box is definitely the way to go, unless you have your own reason for collecting everything epearately. There were some confusing new elements/characters introduced too near the end without satisfying resolution, and of course you want another series because Muraki is obviously still alive (in that way that very very evil villains have of repeatedly surviving certain death). But it's not so unsatisfying that you feel like you sat through 13 episodes for nothing. The art is lovely, and the explosions are particularly good. You get great monsters, excellent scenery & concept, fearsome powers, the mysteries of Death, a frisson of homoerotic innuendo, beautiful young heroes, excellent villains, and a pair of owl twins who work in the library archives. Can't go wrong for your money.

Descendants of Darkness is an anime series with shounen-ai (boys' love) elements that is very enjoyable to watch. It is absorbing and beautifully animated. Japanese animation is known for its meticulous, artistic details and this one is no exception, from the fiery Suzaku to the mists of Kyoto. The characters are strong and believable: Tatsumi, Watari, Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Muraki, each distinctly different, all beautifully drawn. Even the villain Muraki is so elegant that it's not possible to completely hate him.

This anime is for mature adult, with plenty of blood and an underlying sexual theme. Yet the sexual content is what charges the show; without which it would be just a regular detective story with a rather mediocre fare (vampire, possessed violin, tarot cards, serial murders, nothing new here). The supernatural angle is impressive, but this, also, is not unique. What makes us glued to the show is what happens between Tsuzuki and Muraki: the tension between the hero and the villain is not one of antagonism but sexual attraction. Muraki's obsession with Tsuzuki is overpowering, and one wonders if Tsuzuki is truly repulsed by it. When Muraki won a night with Tsuzuki in a poker game, Tsuzuki could have left, he didn't have to keep his promise to a villain. But Tsuzuki was submissive. Is he a man who always keeps his end of the bargain, or did he in fact want it? He seems to always make himself close enough for Muraki to grab and embrace him.

Even so, there is no sexually explicit scene involving Muraki and Tsuzuki. Near kisses, the suggestive caressing of a wine glass, light necking, none which can be considered offensive. Muraki's advances are not vulgar, in spite of his sinister nature, he is a romantic. It's a credit to the animators that the shounen-ai is presented in scenes that do not turn people off, yet brimming with passion and sensuality. It's hard not to be moved by the scene where Muraki held Hisoka in his arms while a romantic song played in the background (end of episode 2). Or the kiss in episode 12.

The relationship between Tsuzuki and Hisoka is less complex, but just as intense. Personally, I don't think the affection they share is more than love between older and younger brothers. But it is true love, the kind that thinks of the other before oneself. In the first story, Tsuzuki jumped in the line of a dragon blast in order to protect Hisoka, and in the last, which realistically depicts how one falls into depression, Tsuzuki was saved only because Hisoka was willing to risk everything to save him.

Perhaps the reason the show is so appealing is because it focuses on human emotions; a reflection of our own fears and desires (including fear of the after life). It draws us in, causing us to ignore the oddities (like the count and the gushoshins) and the plot holes. Still, the stories move well, and the morbid premise is balanced with a lot of humor -- although I fail to see the need to turn Tsuzuki into a dog for comic relief. Going back and forth between such a silly childish caricature to an exquisite man with the power to summon the shikigami is simply ridiculous.

The dubbing is for the most part quite good, Dan Green did a wonderful job as Tsuzuki. The same can't be said of Eric Stuart, his dreadful (British?) accent gives Watari a stereotypically gay voice, a far cry from the delightful Kansai dialect by Seki Toshihiko. I also like Muraki's voice better in the original Japanese. There's a certain elegance and detachment in it that is missing in the English version. But gushoshin is infinitely more tolerable in English with a male voice. Music is okay, some great BGM like the devil's trill but in some places it's too loud and cacophonous. And the closing song is truly awful.

The only real disappointment, however, is that the series only consists of 13 episodes. Many questions remain unanswered -- I would love to know more of Muraki's past (like the story with his right eye and how he acquired his power) and of Tsuzuki's. I'd also like to see more of Tatsumi, the serious sweet secretary of the ministry who likes to wipe out those he doesn't like. Even Muraki seems afraid of him. But Muraki is still alive and the manga continues, I'm sure more anime episodes will be made in the future.

I have quite a few anime series and movies. I bought a lot of them based on reviews since I have only been watching anime with a couple of years. A lot of the reviews for the anime's I bought often start out with 'this is the best anime I have ever seen' and indeed I have found in a lot of cases the anime's like Akira, Cowboy Bebop, Amon Saga and so on were really good. However for me 'Descendants of Darkness' are on a level all of their own. Nothing I have seen in other anime's quite compare with the brilliant artwork, the dark and moody atmosphere creepily gothic in places. The characters are well fleshed out so you actually get to care for them. I found 'X' and 'Vampire D a little disappointing in this respect. I am an adult and wanted adult themes i.e. real life concerns not pornography. While some sexual scenes are dealt with they are not too explicit or invasive of the overall plots. 'Descendants of Darkness' is a DVD set to treasure whether you are into yaoi or not. The story satisfies on many levels and has a broad appeal not just as yaoi. The character Tsuzuki reminds me of Fox Mulder of the X Files in many ways, a delight to watch. There are also comic moments which are a hoot affording some relief from the darker moments in the plots. It is no wonder Yami No Matsuei [Descendants of Darkness] have an ever-growing cult following. I can't reccomend it enough.

This series is definately a keeper. Shoujo anime is populated with pretty boys and ditzy females, but in this shoujo anime, the males take centre stage (if not the whole stage) as a group of young men who have died and been employed as the new gods of death.

The main character is Tsusuki, who is a polite nice-guy with a sweet tooth. He's also tall dark and handsome, attracting the implied interests of his moody partner-in-all-things-supernatural, Hisoka. They work alongside the frusrtated Ministry treasurer Tatsumi, enthusiastic scientist Watari and his equally enthusiastic pet owl 003. And considering their *difficult* circumstances, these guys handle the whole "dead" thing surprisingly well as they battle the VERY sadistic Dr Muraki, possesed musical instruments, doberman demons from Hell and a rather unpleasant ghost ship.

Most fangirls are attracted to Yami no Matsuei because its a very sexually charged anime. Yet despite that, there are no certain romantic relationships, just a few near kisses and some sexual situations that are nomrally played for comedy, along with implied rape of a minor (which was a disturbing, but not explicit scene). What may turn a few people off is that this is ALL between the guys. But if you're buying the box-set you'd know that!

While the abundance of beautiful men, angels, devils and buckets of blood indicates this anime is clearly directed at a female audience, open-minded guys who are into horror and the occult will find this series is a worthy addition to their anime collection.

But a warning to parents, despite being animated this series is certainly not for kids, people die is grisly ways with sometimes exaggerated amounts of blood, this coupled with the heavily implied rape scene, slightly homosexual themes and a few occurances of male fanservice make this anime strictly for older teens and up. But those who do watch it will certainly not regret it.

Advantages - Beautiful animation
- Absorbing plot and likeable characters

Disadvantages - Some people will find the homosexual themes a
turn off
- The dubbed english track is grossly overacted

...this is NOT shonen ai anime, despite the deluge of reviews that hail it as such. For anyone new to the genre who has comes across this title, "shonen ai" literally translates to "boy love," and the plotlines in those stories generally follows the basic formula of a romance novel, with the developing romance between the two male characters being the most important aspect of the story. In Japan, about 90% of these stories, or higher, are sold to women and they are written for women.

What this story DOES have is an intense homoerotic pull between the protagonist, Tsuzuki, and the antagonist, Muraki. Love between these two characters is no-where to be found, however, which is why I don't classify it as "shonen ai." If it's a shonen ai anime that you're looking for, I suggest you start with titles such as "Gravitation," or "Fake." Both are well known in the genre and are good places to start.

Other reviews pretty much cover the story, so I'll recap as shortly as possible. Tsuzuki is a "Guardian of Death," his job is to guide the lost and wandering souls who haven't paseed on into the world of the dead, so they don't muck up the world of the living. In other words, he's a detective on a sort of supernatural police task force, and the four story arcs reflect this. After seventy years of pounding the pavement and going through work partners like Kleenex, he is teamed at the beginning of the anime with a sixteen year old boy who has just died, called Hisoka. Both Tsuzuki and Hisoka have their own tragic pasts, and as they solve their investigations they bond with each other forming a deep and abiding friendship along the lines of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, for those who know their Star Trek.

"Wait!" I hear the shonen ai fans cry! "We'll give you that there's really no love lost between Tsuzuki and Muraki, but what about Hisoka and Tsuzuki?" If you choose to see homosexual context in every relationship between male characters in any and every story, (Star Trek and Harry Potter being two fandoms that come to mind...), then you may convince yourself that you see a homosexual relationship between Hisoka and Tsuzuki. I don't see it, myself. I see two men who are the most important thing in the world to each other, I see a friendship that is as close as the bond between brothers, but I don't see any "evidence" that they're in love. However, I suggest you watch it yourself and use your own judgement.

The DVDs themselves were just fine. I ordered mine used, simply because I refuse to pay almost $90 for a four episode anime. The first two discs' menus are slightly confusing as they're laid out in a pentagram formation, but it's nothing that's too difficult to figure out. If you're on this site, you're already looking at the version licensed in America, and from someone who DID see the fansubs, the translations are pretty much as I remember them, if a little clearer. I recommend watching both the dub AND the original Japanese with subtitles. The dub, for the most part is excellent. My only complaint with it is the voice of Muraki, who sounds like Bert from Sesame Street has gone to the Dark Side. Fans who are used to the fansubs may find Hisoka's voice a little disconcerting to listen to at first (the American editors realize that by the age of sixteen a boy's voice has broken), as it is voiced by a young man rather than the rich contralto of the woman who originally voiced the character. Tsuzuki's voice is just as good in English as in the original Japanese and is a pleasure to listen to, as are most of the characters. In fact, some of the charcters are actually better in English, such as Princess Tsubaki.

In other words, if you're a fan of anime, I would recommend this title, although I wouldn't recommend it for someone completely new to anime. The arwork is beautiful, and you can see the artists beginning to experiment with computer animation is some of the shots. The dub and sub are very good and the content has survived the censorship filter, (I didn't think the relationship between Muraki and Tsuzuki would survive intact). Shonen ai fans will enjoy it and insist that various characters are in love with each other, while those who are not shonen ai fans will enjoy the casefiles and the action (which there is plenty of), as well as the character development.

This anime is very compelling. The characters just suck you right into the story. Also, the premise is just fun. I mean, who can resist the paperwork and bureaucracy of the afterlife? Tsuzuki and Hisoka are more or less in the investigative/enforcement division of the bureaucracy, so they get to see all the best and worst in people. Vampires, demons, and magic combine to keep everyone on their toes. There are some dark moments, and it can be a bit bloody, but the strong bond between the characters makes it all worthwhile. It's quite slashable too.

Any attempt at subplot in this series, whether including vampires or demons, what have you, is merely a thin veil for the emotional upheavals of the main characters. I remember watching the third story arc with my step-father, and listening to him recount the numerous plot mistakes included in it. After the DVD finished, he asked me why I enjoyed such a poor story. "Tell me, you're just interested in the romance, aren't you?"

"Yes, isn't that what you were watching for?"

Yami no Matsuei (or Descendants of Darkness) makes character development its strongpoint.

It's a funny show, to be sure, and smart. I was hot cold on the musical score. Often a bold musical number will disrupt the tone of a scene, transforming a mood from serious to maudlin. A few exceptions exist, such as the delicious reindition of the Devil's Trill violin solo in the second DVD (sadly, only the second), and the errie lullaby which accompanies the rape of a child.

Despite the jokes interspiced throughout to lighten the tone, "Descendants of Darkness" remains true to its title. The show takes on serious issues like rape, murder, pedophilia, torture, and suicide. Sensitive viewers of any age might have a hard time with this.

What makes Yami no Matsuei worthwhile is not its surface elements. Although aesthetic in design, and definitely pleasantly animated, the real appeal of the series is in its gut content. The complex psychology of all the characters redeems what would otherwise be a moderately entertaining, yet forgettable, comedy-drama shoujo with shounen-ai fanservice. At times, Yami no Matsuei can be rivetting in emotional intensity, even jarring, in how it deals with its themes of love, revenge, corruption and redemption.

descendants of darkness is one of my favorites i really liked it (WATCH IT IN JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES) the colours are waaaaaaaaaaaaw its not an action movie nether a love story its kind of using powers and spells to call monsters or Gods (i loved it its unique) its a story of a guardians of death guiding the lost souls that wander the mortal world ( dead detective tsuzuki, his partner (or lover? not sure)hisoka and other detectives against Dr.muraki and his plans . tsuzuki and hisoka are dead not alive and the reason of their death is mysteriuos to make long story short, i will sammuries the anime volumes

volume 1 its a story of a vampire singer that was used by muraki, tsuzuki and his partner will be introduced to each other and handeling the first mission or task

volume 2 there was a guy that had retina transplantation , and that retina belonges to another guy who had acontract with a devil but he died, and the contract was written in his eye retina, tsuzuki and hisoka will help this guy

volume 3 its a bit different than the others, tsuzuki and hisoka will be travelling in a ship and muraki will be on that ship with his patient who has a sever heart disease, and murders will take place on that ship and there will be no clues or evidences enough to solve the murders

in volume 4 which is the final volume ( i hope more volumes of this anime will be released soon), the true story of tsuzuki and Dr. muraki ,Dr. muraki's intentions and true identity , and most of the mysterious things in the privious volumes will be clear and there will be a nice ending

i tried my best and thanks for reading it

Descendants of Darkness (Yami no Matsuei) is one of those rare Animes you can't help but fall in love with after the first episode. I watched four of the episodes in Japanese on the internet, and then decided to buy it from amazon.

The plot is divided into four parts: Vampire's Lure, Devil's Song, Tarot Curse and Demons Reckon. The different plots for each part are clever, and there's always some sort of twist. To accompany the plot is the character development with Tsuzuki Asato and Hisoka Kurosaki, making Descendants of Darkness well-balanced.

The animation is consistently brilliant, and the Japanese voice actors suit the character very well. Tsuzuki's voice actor, Dan Green, does a great job, and I find Hisoka's voice actor more amusing then anything else, what with his constant monotoned voice. I do like Muraki's voice as well, and I believe the dubbers did an all-around good job, unlike most dubs.

I feel that this show is a mixture of slash and minor shounen-ai. I do not believe the main love relationship is between Tsuzuki and Muraki. That relationship is more one-sided, and Muraki's form of love for Tsuzuki is a bit twisted. Personally, I prefer the love between Tsuzuki and Hisoka, but that relationship can also be taken as a strong bond of friendship. All I really know is that I get extremely happy over the Tsuzuki and Hisoka scenes in the last two episodes, muahaha.

The ending to the show was one of the kinds that could be continued, but it leaves the viewers satisfied nevertheless. This is definitely one of my favourite Animes of all time, and I strongly recommend others to watch it, because I don't really see flaws in it.

Well, I suppose the only disappointment I suffered from was the fact it ended so soon. But, I still love it.

[Note: Actually fifteen years old, but this is easier than creating an account...]
I'm amazed at how good this was. A friend on mine said that I would like it, even though I really don't like yaoi. Gives us guys a bad name, you know? So she forced me to watch it.

I'm not ashamed to say that it was great. I loved it, it was cute, and angsty, and the characters had so much dimension. The art is beautiful, the characters are fantastic, the story is moving, and the music is gorgeous.

I recommend this to anyone who has a love for anime, it is not something to be missed.