Review: Descendants of Darkness (1995)

Descendants of Darkness (2000) is a supernatural anime detective series surrounding the lives of two shinigamis (literal translation: guardian of death), Tsuzuki Asato and Kurosaki Hisoka. They are paranormal detectives whose main job is to make sure those lost souls who are dead remain dead. Asato is a 26 years old dorky, cheerful and stunningly handsome veteran shinigami with over 70 years worth of detective experience. His only problem is no one wants to work with him. His newly-appointed young yet equally beautiful partner, Hisoka, is a serious, stubborn 16 year old with an obscure past. Tsuzuki has the power to call upon the twelve shikigami, a glowring fire of mythical creatures that assist him in battle. In each case they pursue and solve, they come closer to the powerful and mysterious serial killer, Dr. Muraki Kazutaka, whose quest is finding the secret of immortality.

Shinigamis look like real humans, but they can heal and regenerate after sustaining injuries. In the meantime, Tsuzuki's relationship with Hisoka grows stronger and closer as they continue to investigate a string of "vampire murders" in Nagasaki. That is not a good thing when Tsuzuki is in the way, and Dr. Muraki kidnaps Hisoka to use him as bait for a trap. Things start getting ugly when Hisoka finally remembers that Dr. Muraki is the one who killed him years ago, and now both Tsuzuki and Hisoka are out for revenge. In addition, there is a dark past to how Tsuzuki died that will not give him peace. As Tsuzuki loses his will to fight and live on, Hisoka becomes determined to save his partner even at the risk of his own existence.

This is a shonen/seinen show. Both genders will both find the character cast attractive for their looks and personalities. Overall, I enjoyed it. The storyline was well-paced and easy to follow (four arcs total). I thought the series could have encompassed more episodes which would have allowed more plot development besides the teasing that was prevalent among the characters. If you are uncomfortable with yaoi (male-to-male attraction) art, however, you may want to stay away from this series.

This series is available to buy and rent on DVD

• Episodes: 13
• OP Song: "Eden" by To Destination
• ED Song: "Love Me" by The Hong Kong Knife

"Eden" by To Destination



"Love Me" by The Hong Kong Knife