''D.Gray-man'' is a Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series written and illustrated by
Katsura Hoshino
is a Japanese manga artist from Shiga Prefecture. She made her debut in July 2003 with the publication of her first manga series ''Continue'' and is known for her work, '' D.Gray-man'', which began serialization in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōne ...
. Set in an alternate 19th century, it tells the story of a young
Allen Walker
is the fictional protagonist of the manga series '' D.Gray-man'', which was created by Japanese artist and writer Katsura Hoshino. In the series, which is set in the 19th century, Allen is a teenager who joins the Black Order—a group of sold ...
, who joins an organization of
exorcist
In some religions, an exorcist (from the Greek „ἐξορκιστής“) is a person who is believed to be able to cast out the devil or performs the ridding of demons or other supernatural beings who are alleged to have possessed a person, ...
s named the Black Order. They use an ancient substance, Innocence, to combat a man known as the
Millennium Earl
, also known as "the Creator" and "Adam", is a fictional character in the manga series '' D.Gray-man'' by Katsura Hoshino. Introduced as the series' main antagonist, the Earl's role is to help revive the dead and turn them into demons known as ...
and his demonic army of Akuma who intend to destroy humanity. Many characters are adapted from Hoshino's previous works and drafts, such as ''Zone''. The series is noted for its dark narrative; Hoshino once rewrote a scene she thought too violent for her young readers.
The manga began serialization in 2004 in the ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' magazine, published by
Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
. Production of the series was suspended several times because of Hoshino's health problems. ''D.Gray-man'' made the transition from a weekly to a monthly series in November 2009, when it began serialization in ''
Jump Square
, also written as , is a Japanese monthly '' shōnen'' manga magazine. Published by Shueisha, the magazine premiered on November 2, 2007 as a replacement for '' Monthly Shōnen Jump'', another manga anthology that Shueisha discontinued in June of ...
''. In January 2013, the series went on indefinite hiatus. It resumed serialization in July 2015 after the release of ''
Jump SQ.Crown'', a spin-off from the magazine ''Jump SQ''. After ''Jump SQ.Crown'' ceased its publication, the series was switched to ''
Jump SQ.Rise'', starting in April 2018. The manga's chapters have been collected in 28 ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes as of October 2022. By July 2021,
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
had released 27 volumes in North America.
A spin-off
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
series, ''D.Gray-man: Reverse'' by Kaya Kizaki, explores the history of a number of characters. The manga has been adapted into a 103-episode
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series by
TMS Entertainment
, formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946.
TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...
which aired from October 2006 to September 2008 in Japan and is licensed by
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
in North America. A 13-episode sequel anime series, ''D.Gray-Man Hallow'', also produced by TMS Entertainment. It aired in Japan from July to September 2016 as a sequel to the first ''D.Gray-man'' anime series. Several items of merchandise have been produced, including two video games about the series.
The manga has become one of Shueisha's bestsellers, with over 25 million copies sold. In Japan and North America, several individual volumes have appeared in weekly top-ten lists of bestselling manga. Although most reviewers found it similar to other ''
shōnen'' manga, they compared its moments of originality and well-developed characters favorably to other series of the same demographic. Hoshino's artwork has received mostly positive reviews; most critics have commented that her characters are visually appealing and that the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
elements in her art are pleasant to look at. However, one critic of her artwork has said that Hoshino's fight sequences can be difficult to follow.
Synopsis
Setting
Set in an
alternate
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
19th century, the story focuses on an organization of exorcists, named the Black Order, as they defend humanity against the Noah Family, reincarnations of
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
and his twelve apostles whom bear hatred towards humanity and God led by a man known as the
Millennium Earl
, also known as "the Creator" and "Adam", is a fictional character in the manga series '' D.Gray-man'' by Katsura Hoshino. Introduced as the series' main antagonist, the Earl's role is to help revive the dead and turn them into demons known as ...
. The exorcists' main weapon against the Noah Family are sentient holy artifacts called Innocence. Innocence comes in a variety of forms, varying from everyday objects such as boots to grandfather clocks, to weapons such as swords and guns; regardless of their form, each Innocence possesses unique offensive and supportive abilities and will only work for the wielder of their choosing. Out of the 109 Innocence hidden and scattered throughout the world, one of them is the
master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
Innocence; whichever side obtains this Innocence first will win the war. In contrast to the Innocence, the Noah Family's weapons are derived from a power source known as Dark Matter. Dark Matter grants the Noah
superpowers
A superpower is a state with a dominant position characterized by its extensive ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined means of economic, military, technological, political and cultural s ...
, along with the ability to create and control demons.
Plot
The central character is
Allen Walker
is the fictional protagonist of the manga series '' D.Gray-man'', which was created by Japanese artist and writer Katsura Hoshino. In the series, which is set in the 19th century, Allen is a teenager who joins the Black Order—a group of sold ...
, a new recruit to the Black Order who started training to control his Innocence after it destroyed the Akuma of his late guardian, Mana. The story begins in a
villain of the week
"Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Brit ...
fashion, where Allen teams up with various members of the Black Order to search for Innocence while battling Noah's demons on the way. Later, Allen and his friends are ordered to track down exorcist General
Cross Marian
is a fictional character who appears in Katsura Hoshino's manga ''D.Gray-man''. Cross is an exorcist in charge of eliminating creatures known as Akumas alongside using the power of the Innocence. The abusive teacher of the series' main character, ...
, Allen's missing teacher. Their search concludes with them stealing one of the Noah's transportation device, referred to as the
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in t ...
; this was made possible since Allen has been instilled the consciousness of
Nea D. Campbell, the brother of Mana, and the exiled 14th member of the Noah Family, who the Earl wishes to have back. Cross reveals that Nea plans to use Allen as host upon reincarnating, effectively erasing Allen eventually. During the Third Exorcists insurrection
story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
, Nea's consciousness begins superseding Allen's body. Now hunted by the Black Order, the Noah Family, and a humanoid Innocence called
Apocryphos, Allen goes into hiding as he searches for a way to end Nea's resurrection. During his journey, he realises that his late guardian, Mana, alongside Nea, has a strong link to the Millennium Earl. He then decides to journey to the place where Mana and Nea grew up to learn the truth about them, and their connection to the Earl. Following his escape, Allen is tracked by the Black Order, Apocryphos and the Noah. When Apocryphos is distracted by the Noah, the Earl finds Allen who is possessed by Nea. During this encounter it is revealed that the current Earl is Mana D. Campbell, Nea's brother. Both were once the original Millennium Earl but were split and became enemies.
Production
![Katsura Hoshino Animagic Germany](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Katsura_Hoshino_Animagic_Germany.JPG)
After graduating from high school, Hoshino was unsure what job get: animating or writing manga. When drawing manga, Hoshino saw herself as a failure when trying to draw
''shōjo'' manga, series aimed towards young girls. As a result, she decided to focus on manga aimed towards male readers,
''shōnen'' manga. After sending a one-shot to
Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
, response from the editorial was positive much to Hoshino's surprise.
''D.Gray-man'' originated from a one-shot that Hoshino developed during her youth, where she aspired to write
the Earl
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
as the main character of her own works. However, finding the character unsuitable for a manga magazine aimed at teenagers, she instead created Allen to be the protagonist.
Hoshino sent a draft of ''D.Gray-man'' to Shueisha on a non-specified date. She had mixed feelings about writing the series, since she had been offered other jobs (such as developing video games). However, Shueisha liked the draft and the staff asked Hoshino to go ahead with the series in 2004 believing it would be popular. She had originally intended to write a story about zombies, but was discouraged by her editor T-shi and decided to abandon the idea during the third chapter. Asked about her inspiration for writing about the
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
, Hoshino said that she feared the supernatural after seeing the 1973 film ''
The Exorcist
''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty W ...
''. Although the horror film frightened her, it also inspired the author to design the manga's Akuma.
The area in the series known as Noah's Ark was based on
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
ideas rather than the supernatural ideas that had influenced the Akuma. After conceiving of the Ark's role in the series, Hoshino decided to write a song when Allen is rebuilding it through a piano. She requested help from her editor, a university graduate, but decided to use her own lyrics. She blamed it on her own ego.
Elements of ''D.Gray-man'' first appeared in Hoshino's
one-shot
One shot may refer to:
Film and television
* One-shot film, a feature film shot in one long take with no edits, or manufactured to look like so
* ''One Shot'' (2005 film), a Sri Lankan action film directed by Ranjan Ramanayake
* ''One Shot'' (2 ...
title ''Zone'', in which the Akuma, the exorcists, and the Millennium Earl plan to end the world. Although Allen Walker is male, his character is based on ''Zone'' female protagonist.
Lavi
Lavi ( he, לָבִיא, ''lit.'' Lion) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located 310 meters above sea level and 10 minutes from Tiberias, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. In it had a population of .
History
The ...
is based on the protagonist of Hoshino's planned series, ''Book-man'', that she originally wanted to write. Other characters, such as the Millennium Earl,
Lenalee Lee
is a fictional character in the manga series '' D.Gray-man'', created by Japanese writer and artist Katsura Hoshino. Within the series, set in a fictional 19th century, Lenalee is an exorcist of the Black Order organization tasked with destroy ...
, and
Komui Lee, are based on real people whom Hoshino has not specifically identified; some are well-known scientists, and Komui is based on Hoshino's boss.
The character of
Yu Kanda
is a character from '' D.Gray-man'', a manga series created by Japanese artist and writer Katsura Hoshino. Kanda is a young adult who is an exorcist from an organization known as the Black Order. Like the other exorcists in the order, he is in ...
, based on a
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
, was created to vary ''D.Gray-man''s Western setting.
Hoshino found the design of some of the characters difficult early in the series.
In 2011, the author visited New York City for research, and believed that the city had greatly influenced her work. Hoshino visited cemeteries, and was deeply impressed by her guides' comments at
Ground Zero
In relation to nuclear explosions and other large bombs, ground zero (also called surface zero) is the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ''ground zero'' is the point on the ground ...
of the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
(left after the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
). She said that she would like to spend more time in New York City to gather data for the series.
After beginning ''D.Gray-man'', Hoshino considered continuing to use the name ''Zone'' and also contemplated naming the series ''Dolls'' or ''Black Noah''. She chose "D.Gray-man" for its several meanings, most referring to the state of Allen and the other main characters. Although the title's meaning was not completely explained, Hoshino said that the "D" stands for "dear".
According to the author, she got most of her ideas for the series while sleeping in her bathtub for six hours. One exception was the second-volume plot, based on a
Noh
is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...
story entitled "Koi no Omoni".
When the manga moved from weekly to monthly serialization in 2009, Hoshino heard concerns from readers about its possible cancellation and reassured them that the series would continue. She set up Kanda's backstory by introducing the Third Exorcists, characters related to him and Alma Karma. In Hoshino's original drafts, Kanda's past had a number of
plot hole
In fiction, a plot hole, plothole or plot error is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot.
Plot holes are usually created unintentionally, often as a result of editing or the w ...
s. A rewritten, published version had a young Kanda walking along a path surrounded by dead people who had cared for him. Due to its violence, the image was replaced with one in which Kanda learns that Alma Karma had killed them all. When the chapters were collected into a volume, Hoshino added a small chapter which included the corpses.
Writing
At the time of drawing, Hoshino often finds herself rewriting sketches to the point the final images does not match her original ideas. When writing titles, Hoshino attempts to think of something bright in order to contrast the series' dark narrative. Fellow writer
Takeshi Obata
is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for '' Hikaru no Go'' (1998–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for '' Death Note'' (2003–2006) ...
claimed that Hoshino's art continues to improve the more she writes but she replied to him that she is not aware of her own change. Due to the intense development of the storyline, Hoshino believes she can no longer write simple eyes. When drawing the series, Hoshino entrusts her storyboards to her editor, which was initially complicated to her due to ''D.Gray-man'' being her first series. She faced difficulties with the initial weekly serialization of the manga resulted in multiple changes due to how the storyboards changed across this period. Following Hoshino's change to a three-mestral serialization, she uses digital from the storyboard stage. In bringing this style, she looked after manga author
Tite Kubo
, known professionally as , is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He is best known for his manga series '' Bleach'' (2001–2016), which had over 130 million copies in circulation as of 2022.
Biography
Kubo was born on June 26, 197 ...
, famous for writing ''
Bleach
Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used industrially or domestically to remove color (whitening) from a fabric or fiber or to clean or to remove stains in a process called bleaching. It often refers specifically, to ...
'', who uses a similar style. This allowed her to add more details to her illustrations and made the faces of her characters more unique. Including Hoshino, there are three people working in the manga, but at times the number increases for the last spurt. Since moving to a trimestral magazine, the author has some leeway with time, so her assistants stay at their homes and work from there with what Hoshino send them. However, Hoshino expressed regrets of this idea of working as it often causes misunderstandings. In the making of fights scenes, Hoshino has claimed in an interview that she lacks the ability to properly draw them. However, manga author
Osamu Akimoto
is a Japanese manga artist from Katsushika, Tokyo. He is best known for his long-running comedy series '' KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops'', which was continuously published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 40 years from 1976 to 2016. With 1,960 chapt ...
has praised some of her compositions such as the handling of Lenalee Lee before Noah's Ark, or the handling of Jasdevi's guns.
Characters
When designing the characters, Hoshino first imagines their lives even though some parts might not be featured in the story. Their personalities are then written down along with their habits or eating preferences. She has admitted she does not have written details about a number of ''D.Gray-man'' characters.
In designing the Earl, Hoshino gave him a colorful look to contrast the exorcists' who wore black instead. This look was meant to give the idea of a gentleman related with the tragedy he causes as Hoshino linked him to a poisonous flower.
In designing the Black Order exorcist, Hoshino feels that their first uniforms were easy to draw so she like them. The second uniforms were brought the artist problems due to the idea of giving each the clothing zippers. For the third uniforms, the color remained black but Hoshino decided to them red too as a reference to blood because she thought such grotesque looks would fit the themes of ''D.Gray-man''. In other early colored chapters, Hoshino experimented with giving Allen gothic lolita style clothing and color style referencing American comics. Other early colored illustrations were meant to give the idea of symbolism such Kanda's being seen as a puppet or Allen being covered by threads of Akuma and later the idea of his Innocence returning to his body, giving him a shocked appearance.
The author noted that the character of Lavi was popular with fans, placing third in a poll (behind Allen and Kanda) despite infrequent appearances in later story arcs, and she promised that Lavi would return. The story arc involving Alma Karma, featuring several characters, was difficult for the author; as a result, the next arc in which Allen leaves the Black Order contained fewer characters per chapter due to its different format. The character of Apocryphos was introduced to hint at the Heart, a plot element briefly described in a past storyline which would later reappear.
Due to ''Jump Square'' (the manga's magazine at the time) readership, which consisted of older men rather than children, Hoshino found Allen the most difficult character to write. She does not want Allen's problems in recent story arcs to lead to portraying him as a troubled teenager, preferring to show him as a cheerful person with a balance of strength and sorrow. After ''D.Gray-man'' dark narrative, Hoshino plans to write more lighthearted series in the future.
Themes
According to Hoshino, the series' main theme focuses on tragedy.
Many characters such as Allen across the series suffer poor fates such as losing a loved one and being tempted to revive them by the Earl. Although this works, the people are revived as Akuma who consume the skin of their loved ones. This has led to her to state that an initial theme is that people should not be brought back to life.
Although some characters like Kanda express
unconditional love
Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations, or love without conditions. This term is sometimes associated with other terms such as true altruism or complete love. Each area of expertise has a certain way of describing uncon ...
to Alma, their happiness is short-lived due to Alma dying shortly after this with another writer finding fitting for the series' dark narrative. Additionally, Allen's life becomes sadder across the series as he is forced to abandon the Black Order due to the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
removing his rights as an exorcist and he is treated as Noah due to his connections with these characters. Nevertheless, Hoshino still tried to make it fun for the readers, stating that Allen will always have allies.
Another common theme of the series is the lack of black and white
morality
Morality () is the differentiation of intentions, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper (right) and those that are improper (wrong). Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of cond ...
. Although Allen initially starts as a hero in the Black Order, their group are revealed to have created actions that might question the readers' thoughts in regards to whether or not the Order is good. Additionally, the Noah clan starts showing hidden depths despite their evil nature with the antagonistic Earl showing his care for the Noah Nea D. Campbell while Tyki Mikk questions Allen about whether or not the Exorcist should return to his "home" due to the way he has been treated as a result of being the Nea's vessel.
In the book ''Representing Multiculturalism in Comics and Graphic Novels'' Jacob Birken states another theme set in the series is
identity
Identity may refer to:
* Identity document
* Identity (philosophy)
* Identity (social science)
* Identity (mathematics)
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film
* ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...
. This is reflected in Allen and the exorcists familiarizing themselves with their own supernatural powers in order to become more humanize themselves. On the other hand, Allen's revelation that he is the 14th Noah which makes him less human. Another theme is grief, as seen in the Millennium Earl's appearance as a tired, middle-aged man who is constantly searching for a former comrade, Nea. Hoshino believes that the Millennium Earl, the series' main antagonist, would fit the manga's demographic.
In the book ''Anime and Philosophy: Wide Eyed Wonder'' Josef Steiff and Tristan D. Tamplin discuss how ''D.Gray-man'', alongside ''
Spriggan
A spriggan is a legendary creature from Cornish mythology, Cornish folklore. Spriggans are particularly associated with West Penwith in Cornwall.
Etymology
''Spriggan'' is a dialect word, pronounced with the grapheme as /d͡ʒ/, sprid-jan, ...
'' and ''
Ulysses 31
(french: link=no, Ulysse 31) is an anime series (1981) that updates the Greek mythology of Odysseus (known as "Ulixes" or "Ulysses" in Latin) to the 31st century. The show comprises 26 half-hour episodes as a co-production between DIC Audiovis ...
'', focus on the
"end of the world" with ''D.Gray-man'' and ''Spriggan'' taking references from the
blibical flood.
Hoshino's illustration involving Allen often have threads related covered with threads as she aims to show the fact that he is not only related to the fact that he is always associated with God as well as the fact that he is bound to exorcise Akumas. Similarly, Kanda was first illustrated in color pages with multiple threads in a symbolic way to say he is a puppet as the person he has been searching for his entire life but has been unable to reach his objective.
Adaptation
![Toshiyuki Morikawa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Toshiyuki_Morikawa.jpg)
During production of the first
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
adaptation, the author often visited the TMS Entertainment studio, where the voice actors requested advice about their characters. Although Hoshino was nervous about talking with them, she was surprised by their dedication in practising their characters—particularly
Sanae Kobayashi
is a Japanese voice actress formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and now with Sigma Seven. She has voiced in a number of anime shows and films. Some of her major roles are Allen Walker in '' D.Gray-man'', Akira Toya in ''Hikaru no Go'', ...
(Allen),
Takahiro Sakurai
is a Japanese voice actor, narrator, and radio personality from Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
His well-known roles include heroes such as Cloud Strife in ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'', Suzaku Kururugi in ''Code Geass'' and X in ''Mega Man X' ...
(Kanda),
Katsuyuki Konishi
is a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama. He is affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in ''GaoGaiGar''. He is most well known for portraying Kamina in ''Gurren Lagann'', Laxus Dreyar in ''Fairy Tail'' a ...
(Komui), and
Hiroki Tōchi
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator affiliated with Office Osawa. He has frequently appeared in many anime and video games mainly created by tri-Ace. He won a Male Character Voice Prize in the 2011 Famitsu Awards. Some of his major cha ...
(Cross Marian)—and joked that Lenalee seemed more beautiful after she saw
Shizuka Itō
is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo, Japan. She is represented by Ken Production. She won a "Best Actress in Supporting Roles" award at the 10th Seiyu Awards for her roles in ''Prison School'' and ''Sailor Moon Crystal''. She is w ...
's work. Early in production, Hoshino was shown an early version of the first opening theme: "
Innocent Sorrow
The discography of Japanese rock band Abingdon Boys School includes two studio albums, eight singles, one live album, four video albums, one compilation album, eight soundtrack appearances, and seven other appearances in releases not under that na ...
" by the
Japanese rock band Abingdon Boys School. When she saw the video, Hoshino began to cry in delight while the staff laughed to her.
Tyki Mikk
The ''D.Gray-man'' anime and manga series features a cast of characters created by Katsura Hoshino. The series is set at the end of a fictional 19th century during which the Black Order searches for Exorcists, the "Apostles of God" chosen to wie ...
's voice actor,
Toshiyuki Morikawa
is a Japanese voice actor, narrator and singer who is the head of Axlone, a voice acting company he founded in April 2011. His name is also sometimes mistranslated as Tomoyuki Morikawa. In 2003, he and Fumihiko Tachiki formed the band "2Hearts", ...
, remembered the recording sessions for the series as "lively" because of the presence of many popular actors. After the anime finished, the actors (who became friends during production) kept in touch.
The anime's sequel was
subtitled ''Hallow'', referring to
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
; the holiday celebrates the "revival of the dead", and TMS Entertainment celebrated the "revival of the ''D.Gray-man'' anime series".
Although it is a sequel, Hoshino called it a completely new ''D.Gray-man'' anime and thanked fans for following it. The original Japanese actors were replaced, with
Ayumu Murase
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with the agency VIMS.
Biography
Murase was born in the United States, but grew up in Aichi, Japan. He lived in Aichi until graduating from high school, after which he attended university in Kyoto Prefecture ...
voicing Allen and
Shinnosuke Tachibana
is a Japanese voice actor, singer and narrator. He is married to voice actress Ao Takahashi.
Career
Tachibana graduated from Aojijuku Tokyo School 18th term. In 2003, he made his voice acting debut as Kyuu in the television anime ''E's Otherwis ...
voicing
Howard Link;
both anime adaptations retained most of
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
's English-language cast. In the English version, Allen was voiced by
Todd Haberkorn
Todd Haberkorn is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games.
Career
While Haberkorn was working in theater, he joined Funimation as a voice actor, with minor roles in ''One Piece'', ''Black Cat'', a ...
, who said that voicing the character was a career highlight.
Media
Manga
Written and drawn by Hoshino, the ''D.Gray-man'' manga began its serialization in
Shueisha
(lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...
's
''shōnen'' manga magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump
is a weekly ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many action scenes and a fair amount of comedy. The chapters of the series that run ...
'' on May 31, 2004.
The series went on hiatus several times due to issues with Hoshino's health. Publication resumed on March 9, 2009. The series' 186th and last chapter in the magazine was published on April 27, 2009.
The series reappeared in the seasonal magazine ''
Akamaru Jump Akamaru may refer to:
*Akamaru (Naruto), Kiba Inuzuka's dog in the ''Naruto'' series
*Akamaru Island
Akamaru is the third largest island in the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia. It is a small, rocky island with an area of approximately . The ...
'' on August 17. After its run in ''Akamaru Jump'', ''D.Gray-Man'' resumed publication in the monthly magazine ''
Jump SQ
, also written as , is a Japanese monthly '' shōnen'' manga magazine. Published by Shueisha, the magazine premiered on November 2, 2007 as a replacement for ''Monthly Shōnen Jump'', another manga anthology that Shueisha discontinued in June of t ...
'', where it ran from November 4, 2009,
to January 4, 2013. After an over two-year hiatus, the series was transferred to the quarterly ''
Jump SQ.Crown'', running from July 17, 2015,
to January 19, 2018, when the magazine ceased its publication. The manga moved to the then brand-new quarterly magazine ''Jump SQ.Rise'' on April 16, 2018.
Individual chapters have been published in ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' format by Shueisha. The first volume features Allen Walker and the Millennium Earl together. In original revisions of such cover, both were drawn from the back but the editorial demanded Hoshino to make Allen more visible as he is the main character. The first volume was published on October 9, 2004, and the 28th volume was published on October 4, 2022.
In the making of each volume, Hoshino originally wanted each cover to be focused on a single character. However, following the 9th compilation of the series, Hoshino changed her mind and instead decided to try different types of covers that feature multiple characters.
At the 2005
San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
, ''D.Gray-man'' was licensed for English-language publication in North America by
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
. The company published the first collected volume of the series on May 2, 2006.
The 27th volume was released on July 6, 2021.
Viz Media reissued the series in a 3-in-1 format, publishing eight 3-volumes-in-1 editions from July 2, 2013, to November 3, 2015.
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
published the Viz's 27-volume English edition in Australia and New Zealand, from August 10, 2008, November 15, 2021.
Anime
In June 2006, Shueisha announced that the ''D.Gray-man'' manga would be adapted as an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
. Its first episodes were directed by Osamu Nabeshima and produced by
Dentsu
Dentsu Inc. ( ja, 株式会社電通 ''Kabushiki-gaisha Dentsū'' or 電通 ''Dentsū'' for short) is a Japanese international advertising and public relations joint stock company headquartered in Tokyo. Dentsu is currently the largest adverti ...
,
TMS Entertainment
, formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946.
TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...
,
Aniplex
is a Japanese anime, music production and anime licensee company owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Established in September 1995, Aniplex has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime series, such as both ''Fullm ...
, and
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...
. TMS Entertainment provided the animation, while Aniplex provided the music. The series began airing on October 3, 2006 on TV Tokyo. The anime's 51-episode first season, known as the "1st stage", ended on September 25, 2007. The 52-episode second season, known as the "2nd stage", began on October 2, 2007 and ended on September 30, 2008, for a total of 103 episodes. The anime adapts the manga's storyline from the beginning and concludes after the destruction of the Black Order headquarters. The episodes were released by Aniplex on 26 DVDs from February 7, 2007 to March 4, 2009.
The English-language versions of the first 51 episodes was licensed by
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
in May 2008,
and released in North America on DVD from March 31, 2009 to January 5, 2010. The anime made its North American television debut on the
Funimation Channel
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
in September 2010. The first 51 episodes were released on four DVDs by
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
from August 19, 2009 to May 13, 2010, and a DVD box set was released on June 6, 2012. In the United Kingdom,
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...
released the first season in four parts from February 22 to October 18, 2010. A box set was released on December 6, 2010. On June 30, 2016, it was announced that Funimation had acquired the rights to the anime's second season. In August 2017, Funimation announced they would release the series' second half on home media version starting on October of the same year. In August,
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
started streaming the first 25 episodes of the series.
A second TV anime series was announced at Shueisha's 2016
Jump Festa
is an annual party or exposition in Japan, all about manga and anime, sponsored by Shueisha, publisher of the various ''Jump'' anthologies which are Weekly Shōnen Jump, Jump Square, V Jump, Saikyō Jump and Shōnen Jump+. The exposition was sta ...
. Hoshino called the new series a sequel of the first anime, rather than a reboot. It starts where the first series finished and ends with Allen's departure from the Order.
The new series, ''D.Gray-man Hallow'', directed by Yoshiharu Ashino and written by
Michiko Yokote
is a Japanese screenwriter.
Screenwriting
• head writer denoted in bold
Anime television series
*'' Patlabor: The TV Series'' (1990)
*''Ranma ½'' (1990–1992)
*''Rurouni Kenshin'' (1996)
*'' Magical Project S '' (1996–1997)
*'' You’re ...
, Tatsuto Higuchi, and Kenichi Yamashita, has character designs by Yosuke Kabashima and music by Kaoru Wada. Crunchyroll would stream the series as it aired in Japan.
It aired on TV Tokyo from July 4 to September 26, 2016, and was broadcast on
Animax Asia
Animax is the pay television channel in Asia owned by KC Global Media Asia which broadcasts Japanese language anime and Simulcast anime, anime programming through English-language feeds in Southeast Asia (formerly including Brunei), South Asia (ex ...
. ''Hallow'' home-media release was delayed, and in March 2017, the official ''D.Gray-man Hallow'' website stated the home-media release was cancelled due to "various circumstances".
Soundtracks
The music for the ''D.Gray-man'' anime series was composed by
Kaoru Wada
is a Japanese composer and arranger. He has composed the scores for many anime series, including ''Inuyasha'', '' D.Gray-man'', '' Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas'', ''Samurai 7'' and, more recently, ''Tesla Note''.
He also became known to the W ...
, and four CD soundtracks have been released in Japan by
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
. The first, 34-track ''D.Gray-man Original Soundtrack 1'' (including its first opening theme and the first two ending themes), was released on March 21, 2007. It was followed by the 32-track CD ''D.Gray-man Original Soundtrack 2'', released on December 19, 2007, which includes the series' second opening theme and its third and fourth closing themes. The series' opening and closing themes were collected on a CD, ''D.Gray-man Complete Best'', which was released on September 24, 2008. Its limited edition includes a DVD with credit-less footage of the series' introduction and closing scenes and anime illustrations.
The third soundtrack, ''D.Gray-man Original Soundtrack 3'' with 31 tracks, was released in Japan on December 17, 2008. It includes the series' third and fourth opening themes, the fifth to eighth closing themes and the
insert song
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening ...
by
Sanae Kobayashi
is a Japanese voice actress formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and now with Sigma Seven. She has voiced in a number of anime shows and films. Some of her major roles are Allen Walker in '' D.Gray-man'', Akira Toya in ''Hikaru no Go'', ...
(Allen Walker's first Japanese voice actor). Another soundtrack, based on the ''Hallow'' sequel, was released on September 28, 2016. Entitled ''D.Gray-man Hallow Original Soundtrack'', the release includes 40 tracks.
Video games
Two ''D.Gray-man''
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
s, based on the first anime series, have been released. The first, for
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
, was released in Japan by
Konami
, is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
on March 29, 2007 with Allen and his comrades as playable characters. The second, , was released for
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
on September 11, 2008. In it, Allen trains in the Asian headquarters of the Black Order to regain powers lost after a previous battle so he can rejoin his allies to fight the Akuma and Noah. Allen and other series characters appear in the Nintendo DS
fighting game
A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
''
Jump Super Stars
''Jump Super Stars'' is a 2D crossover fighting game for the Nintendo DS, based on ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' characters. It was developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo. The game was released on August 8, 2005, in Japan and accompanied th ...
'' and its sequel, ''
Jump Ultimate Stars
Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory.
Jump or Jumping also may refer to:
Places
* Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
'', and he is a supporting character in the fighting game ''
J-Stars Victory VS
is a crossover fighting video game that combines the universes of several ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' manga series, including former series and some that have been transferred to other magazines. It was released in Japan by Bandai Namco Entertain ...
''.
Books
A three-volume
light novel
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
based on the manga series, ''D.Gray-man: Reverse'' by Kaya Kizaki, was published by Shueisha. The first volume, published on May 30, 2005, focuses on Allen's journey to the Black Order after he finishes his exorcism training, Yu Kanda's mission to find a witch, and Asian branch head
Bak Chan
Bak or BAK may refer to:
Computer
* Bak file
* ''Betrayal at Krondor'', a DOS-based role-playing video game
* Bill and keep reciprocal payment in telecommunications systems
Acronyms
* Bcl-2 homologous antagonist killer, a protein involved in p ...
, who tries to learn how Komui Lee was elected European branch head (instead of himself). The second volume, published on July 4, 2006, is set in the Black Order. Allen and other characters attend a party, Lavi trains to be the next Bookman before he meets Allen, and the Millennium Earl searches for people to create Akuma. The third volume was published on December 3, 2010. Its first chapter follows Black Order scientist Rohfa's search for Allen, with whom she is infatuated. In the second chapter, Allen lives with a circus as a child after he is abandoned by his parents.
Several other series-related books also exist published by Shueisha. The ''D.Gray-man Official Fanbook: Gray Ark'' was published on June 4, 2008, and ''TV Animation D.Gray-man Official Visual Collection: Clown Art'' on September 4. Three
omnibus edition
An omnibus edition or omnibus is a creative work containing one or more works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more components have been previously published as books but a collection of shorter works, or shorter wor ...
s were published on November 13 and December 11, 2009 and January 15, 2010. They were followed by an illustrated book, ''D.Gray-man Illustrations Noche'', on February 4, 2010. ''Noche'' was published by
Viz Media
VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...
on December 6, 2011. The
artist's book
Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects.
Overview
Artists' books have employed a ...
also contains two interviews with Hoshino and manga artists
Osamu Akimoto
is a Japanese manga artist from Katsushika, Tokyo. He is best known for his long-running comedy series '' KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops'', which was continuously published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 40 years from 1976 to 2016. With 1,960 chapt ...
and
Takeshi Obata
is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for '' Hikaru no Go'' (1998–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for '' Death Note'' (2003–2006) ...
. ''D.Gray-man Character Ranking Book'', a compilation of character popularity polls with character profiles by Hoshino and the one-shot , was published on July 4, 2011. A new book, ''D.Gray-man Official Fan Book - Gray Log (Gray's Memory)'', was released in Japan on August 4, 2017.
Reception
Popularity
![D](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/D.Gray-man_cosplayers_at_2010_NCCBF_2010-04-18_1.JPG)
The manga has been popular in Japan. One of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' bestselling series, individual volumes have appeared on annual Japanese top-50 manga sales lists; in 2008, volumes 14, 15, and 16 were on the list. Later volumes were also Japanese bestsellers. In August 2020, the series had a Japanese circulation of over 25 million copies. Manga author Katsura Hoshino is grateful to the editors assisting her to the point of saying that she owes the series' success to them.
Volumes of Viz's English version of the series have appeared on bestselling manga lists in the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and
Nielsen BookScan
BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry that compiles point of sale data for book sales, owned by The NPD Group in the United States and the Nielsen Company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South ...
. In its summer 2008 and Q3 2008 lists,
ICv2
''ICv2'' is an online trade magazine that covers geek culture for retailers. ''ICv2s main areas of focus are comic books, anime, gaming, and show business products. The site offers news, reviews, analysis, and sales information for retailers an ...
ranked ''D.Gray-man'' the 15th-bestselling manga property in North America. In 2009 and 2010, the series was North America's bestselling ''
shōnen'' property and the bestselling manga overall. It was ranked as the 24th and 23rd North American manga property on ''ICv2'' Top 25 Manga list in 2011 and 2012, respectively.
Zassosha's manga magazine, ''Puff'', ranked the series the seventh-best long-story manga of 2006. In France, it received the Best Manga Series of 2006 award at the Anime and Manga 2007 French Grand Prix (organized by Animeland) and the 2006 Manga of the Year award from Webotaku. The anime DVDs have also been popular, ranking high on several Japanese animation DVD lists from 2007 to 2009, and the series was listed as a most-watched anime of the week. Its novelizations were also well-received; the second volume was the third-bestselling novel in Japan in 2006. ''D.Gray-man'' characters have also inspired
cosplay
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...
. On
TV Asahi
JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Compan ...
's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150.000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, ''D.Gray-man'' ranked #95.
Critical reception
Manga
Reception of the series has been generally positive. In his review of volume one, Carlo Santos of
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
said that certain plot points "come out of nowhere" and the story was kept from its full potential due to finding some points like the designs generic. However, he enjoyed the series' quick-moving plot, exposition, and backstory. Sheena McNeil from Sequentialtart called it the best manga from 2006 based on its story and cast. A.E. Sparrow of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
also reviewed the first volume, comparing the series' antagonist to three of ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
''s villains due to his likeability despite his role. Sparrow also enjoyed Allen's characterization based on his tragic backstory. Calling the early volumes an "amateur comic", reviewer Leroy Douresseaux of Coolstreak Cartoons noted that the plot and art improved significantly with each volume,
whereas ''
Otaku USA
''Otaku USA'' is a bimonthly magazine published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle (such as anime, manga, video games, cosplay and Japanese popular music) from an American perspective. The issues were acc ...
'' was amazed by the amount of its different mixed elements, stating that it is "part shonen, part fantasy, part horror, part mythology, part action, part comedy, part really warped comedy, part goth, part historical, part alternative history," concluding that although these elements are typical of manga, the series "remains so different." Ross Liversidge of the UK Anime Network enjoyed the first three volumes; Hoshino had "an excellent quality of storytelling" in juggling dark plot, light comedy and appealing characters.
According to Brian Henson of Mania Beyond Entertainment, the series became better over time; although some elements seemed derivative, it developed a unique identity.
Yussif Osman of
Japanator
''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017, and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022.
History
' ...
said that the characters were some of the deepest seen in ''shōnen'' manga, citing Lavi's backstory and the Noah Family.
Later volumes were also praised; ''Otaku USA''s Joseph Luster appreciated the series' battles and Allen's development. The revelation that Allen would be an enemy of the Order and the
14th Noah was well received by Grant Goodman of Pop Culture Shock and Chris Beveridge of the Fandom Post. However, Goodman criticized early-volume reliance on comedy rather than plot.
Beveridge and Erkael of Manga News were impressed with Kanda's dark past.
Douresseaux liked Allen's situation in volume 21 (due to the character's connections with the Noah), and wanted to see more of that and less of Kanda's fight with Alma Karma. Chris Kirby of the Fandom Post felt the constant mysteries across the series were entertaining, but lamented the continuous hiatus Hoshino had to take, leaving multiple fans disappointed in regards to future story events.
Hoshino's art received mixed reviews. According to Casey Brienza of ANN, as of volume twelve, the battles were "practically unintelligible" yet liked the rest of the artwork. She described Hoshino's drawing style as the "aesthetic yet dynamic, superbly beautiful yet super-violent" style made famous by female manga artists arising from the late-1980s and early-1990s ''
dōjinshi
, also romanized as ', is the Japanese term for self-published print works, such as magazines, manga, and novels. Part of a wider category of '' doujin'' (self-published) works, ''doujinshi'' are often derivative of existing works and created ...
'' subculture, citing
Clamp and
Yun Kōga
, better known by her pen name is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist. She is married to fellow manga artist Tatsuneko, from whom he took the name of . She is a graduate of Mita Senior High School, Tokyo. She currently lives in Setagaya, Tokyo with ...
as examples. Brienza also talked about Hoshino's character designs, believing fans of both sexes would find them appealing.
Douresseaux called Hoshino's art "highly stylish" and reminiscent of work by
Joe Madureira
Joe Madureira (born December 1974), often called Joe Mad,Smith, Andrew (May 3, 2002). "Canceled Comics Cavalcade Catch-up". ''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1485. p. 38 is an American comic book artist and game developer, best known for his work on ''Da ...
,
Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones (born July 23, 1962) is an American comics artist best known for his work on ''Batman'' with writer Doug Moench and on '' The Sandman'' with writer Neil Gaiman.
Early life
Kelley Jones was born in Sacramento, California and grew up ...
, and
Chris Bachalo
Chris Bachalo (born August 23, 1965) is a Canadian comic book illustrator known for his quirky, cartoon-like style. He became well known for stints on DC Comics' ''Shade, the Changing Man'' and Neil Gaiman's two Death (Sandman), Death series. Chr ...
.
Describing her backgrounds as eerie and
Lovecraftian
Lovecraftian horror, sometimes used interchangeably with "cosmic horror", is a subgenre of horror fiction and weird fiction that emphasizes the horror of the unknowable and incomprehensible more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named a ...
, Douresseaux wrote that Hoshino made appealing scenes that combined both
gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
and violent elements.
Brian Henson criticized changes made to the Viz Media version, such as the replacement of Japanese sound effects with less-appealing ones and awkward translations of character names.
Anime
![Todd Haberkorn](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Todd_Haberkorn.jpg)
According to Funimation Entertainment president and CEO
Gen Fukunaga
is a Japanese–born American engineer and businessman. He established Funimation, a company that distributes anime in Canada and the United States. He served as its president and chairman until 2019, where he stepped down. As of October 2011, F ...
, the anime series was popular in Japan and the United States.
Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network reviewed the first episode, calling it derivative with "absolutely nothing original" but not boring. Noting that Allen's use of the anti-Akuma weapon might seem
cliché
A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...
d, Todd Douglass Jr. of
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
found its use in the anime entertaining. Active Anime's Sandra Scholes and UK Anime Network's Kevin Leathers enjoyed the anime series and, similarly to Douglass, found its small borrowings from other series appealing. Both reviewers praised Allen Walker's characterization.
''
Anime Insider
''Anime Insider'' was a monthly magazine published by Wizard Entertainment, consisting of news and entertainment pieces relating to the Japanese anime and manga subculture. In its earliest incarnation it was published from Fall 2001 till Fall 200 ...
'' Kimberly Morales said that the series' animation quality varied and although the story was appealing, voice actor
Travis Willingham
Travis Willingham is an American voice actor. His most notable roles include Roy Mustang in the ''Fullmetal Alchemist'' franchise, Portgas D. Ace in ''One Piece'', Ginko in ''Mushishi'', Knuckles the Echidna in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchi ...
was miscast as Kanda. However, Morales liked the series and its cast overall.
Tom Tonhat of ''
The Escapist'' praised the cast due to how it inspired multiple cosplaying and noted the impact of the Earl's characterization as it involved about how the dead cannot be brought back to life.
UK Anime's Kevin Leathers criticized its lack of entertaining story arcs, and Anime News Network's Casey Brienza called the anime a poor adaptation of the manga. On the other hand, ''
Neo'' enjoyed the direction of the episodes even though some are called "filler" based on how they allow to focus on the large cast. Allen's English-language voice actor,
Todd Haberkorn
Todd Haberkorn is an American voice actor and director, who has dubbed in anime, films, and video games.
Career
While Haberkorn was working in theater, he joined Funimation as a voice actor, with minor roles in ''One Piece'', ''Black Cat'', a ...
, said that anime sales were poor despite generally-positive reviews; he suggested that fans buy DVDs on sale to keep the series from being cancelled.
The anime's sequel, ''D.Gray-man Hallow'', was one of the most-anticipated anime series of summer 2016 by followers of Anime News Network and the Japanese
web portal
A web portal is a specially designed website that brings information from diverse sources, like emails, online forums and search engines, together in a uniform way. Usually, each information source gets its dedicated area on the page for displayin ...
goo. Since he had not watched the original anime for some time, Alex Osborn of IGN appreciated the brief exposition in the sequel's first episode to remind the audience of the plot. Although he enjoyed the interaction among the main cast, Osborn was confused by the revelation that Allen would become the 14th Noah and had to watch the scene again in order to understand it. In a later review, Osborn said he was amazed by Allen's first possession by the 14th Noah; although it was "disturbing", it enhanced the character's development.
Anne Laurenroth remarked Kanda's character development in ''Hallow'', particularly his fight against Alma Karma and his return to the Order in the finale.
Laurenroth noted ''Hallow'' poor animation and pacing but, although most of its episodes were grim, its final moments were upbeat.
Manga Tokyo appreciated the black and white morality of the story when Allen is imprisoned by the Order he was working for and has to rely on the Millennium Earl's comrades in order to survive. However, the reviewer felt that viewers needed more information than what the story was able to provide.
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