
a review by Nydren

a review by Nydren
Every once in a while, we come across a series that deeply impacts us and alters the way we view things. This is a love letter to a series that did just that for me, Katsura Hoshino's D.Gray-man.

Quick note, I will keep spoilers to a minimum, however, there will be direct spoilers for only volume 1 as to better depict aspects.
The two are engaged in a battle to obtain an essence known as Innocence, which has a great deal of power. The Earl has the ability to utilize the weakness in the human heart, and raise the dead into a killing machine called Akumas. The Earl uses this ability to march forward in his goal to destroy all of humanity. The Black Order must prevent this, and it collects Innocence and people who are able to wield it as a weapon, known as Exorcists.
In my honest opinion, D.Gray-man boasts the strongest plot in Shounen, and it's not close at all. This series has an unparalleled layer of mystery, plot twists, complexity, and overall presence that I have yet seen to be matched. It is among my favorite plots in all of fiction, and once it gets going, it can't be matched. The ball does, however, take some time to get rolling. About the 130 chapter mark, a serious turning point is set, and from there on, buckle up and prepare for a hell of a ride.

D.Gray-man does a phenomenal job of giving time to its cast rather than focusing solely on Allen and expecting him to single handedly carry the series. While Allen is a cut above the rest of the cast, by no means is he the only FIRE character.



Just as in our own world, relationships are bursting full of complexity, and carry immense weight. Seeing each relationship develop, unfold, and blossom is truly a work of art, one so moving it compelled me to simply write this for that sole reason. These relationships are well supported by Hoshino's GENIUS paneling ability, making every scene all the more impactful.

Let me take some time to exemplify the impact of relationships in D.Gray-man, in all their splendid beauty. My absolute favorite relationship in all of fiction, Allen and Mana Walker.

A boy and a Pierrot, son and father, fellow travelers, fellow grievers, those who are lost together, and so much more.
As we slowly learn of their relationship throughout the story, we begin to see how impactful Mana was to Allen. As time goes on, we see Allen's resolve, and the importance he places onto a promise he made a Pierrot a long time ago.


Allen's character is one that you will not find elsewhere. Through the twists and turns of plot, as Allen's mysterious character is fleshed out and unfolded, what he brings to the table is only among the best of the best. Given plenty of brutally honest monologues, we are given a well drawn out picture of his mental state as he develops and grows.

The other thing that sets him apart from the rest is his complexity and mysteries. I can assure you, there's a lot going on with Allen and the plot. If you think you know him, think again. The series constantly tangles with the question, "Who exactly is Allen Walker?"
Now lets unforunately talk about the bad. D.Gray-man, despite its utter peaks, is not perfect. I mainly have 3 gripes with the series.
1. Early Paneling is confusing
2. Early plot is overall lack luster
3. Cast focus switches at a pivotal point
So, the early paneling is confusing, what exactly do I mean by that? Well, fights tend to be cluttered. Many, many, many things occupy the space in a panel during a fight. You have at least 2 characters, although its often more, a THICK scenery, the special effects and weapons, speed lines and smoke, dialogue and monologues, and more causing an absolute clutter. I think Hoshino didn't have a great grasp on the flow of fights at first either, because I often found myself seeing the start and end of a move, and looking at the results to determine what happened, not so much "seeing the fight" that was taking place. This made for some really confusing moments because I hadn't known where to look or everything else cluttered what was important and heavily hindered my early read. This problem is fixed fairly late into the series, I'd say about volume 6-8 it becomes much more manageable, and it slowly transitions into MASTERFUL paneling.
Plot overall, as I said, is somewhat lack luster. This is obviously comparing it to the GENIUS plot of the last couple arcs. It's just standard. I believe I gave the series a 7 early on, but mostly for the characters. Early on its just standard: Allen and gang go help people, slay akuma, come back. I did find each arc very enjoyable, and found that characters heavily carried the early series. Hoshino had a fire cast from chapter 1 with so many beautiful introductions and set ups for later plot and backstories. HOWEVER, I do believe Hoshino had EXCELLENT exposition, and from the start SETS up a plot you KNOW will be good, so I always had faith, I just knew it'd take some time to kick in.
Lastly the cast switch. This is the least of my issues and isn't necessarily a huge issue, I just feel the cast has a swap in focus. I'm gonna get into a bit of spoiler stuff soon, but for now I'll say this. My top 5, other than Allen, all changed after about chapter 180. Around here there is such a huge shift in the series, in tone, plot, and overall atmosphere that the series feels entirely different, yet not because of how well it was set up. Due to plot reasons, many new characters got drastically increased "panel time" and exposures, but the old ones not so much.
For those who have read
Also if I convinced you to read, PLEASE message me. I'd love seeing and knowing I was able to get someone else to read this series I love so much. Thanks :)

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