Review: D.N.Angel – Discs 1 & 2

English Title: D.N.Angel
Produced By: Dentsu
Directed By: Koji Yoshikawa and Nobuyoshi Habara
North American Distribution By: ADV Films
Year: 2003
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance, Action
Ratings (out of 5):
Story: 3/3.5
Art: 3/3
Sub: 4/4
Dub: 2 (First episode only; I didn’t listen to the dub on any other episodes.)
Overall: 3.5/3.5

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Daisuke Niwa is a shy, awkward teenager who is shocked to learn on his fourteenth birthday that he is able to transform into Dark Mousy, the legendary Phantom Thief. The spirit of Dark is passed down on the male line in the Niwa family, and he steals objects usually imbued with some sort of dark energy so the malevolent force within them can be sealed off. Unbeknownst to Daisuke, his grandfather and mother have been training him for the moment he became the newest incarnation of Dark his entire life.

As if this wasn’t awkward enough, Daisuke seems most likely to transform into Dark when he sees a picture of Risa Harada, the girl he loves. Problem is, Risa’s in love with Dark, unaware that Daisuke and Dark are (sort of) the same person. Dark, meanwhile, has kissed Risa’s twin sister, Riku, who isn’t sure what to think about either Dark or Daisuke.

The first disc—titled The Dawn of Dark—contains the first four episodes, which are pretty much what you’d expect from your average shojo series: lots of gazing and sighing and misunderstandings and obscenely cute characters (particularly the Niwa family’s pet rabbit/marshmallow, With). The exception to this is episode four, in which we are introduced to Dark’s counterpart and enemy, Krad. The second disc—Double Helix—contains episodes five through eight, and delves into the history of the Niwa family, at least as far as Daisuke’s mother and grandfather are concerned.

The whole series seems extremely formulaic so far, but that’s not meant to suggest that it isn’t also enjoyable in its own way. At the end of the second disc, Daisuke begins acting out against Dark, who is focused only on the objects he’s supposed to steal, even at the cost of other people’s feelings, so things could get more complicated (and a bit more compelling) in upcoming volumes. The subtitles are pretty good, and I gave it an extra point because ADV translated written Japanese that appears on screen in addition to the voice track, which is not something that seems to be standard among companies that license anime, even though it should be. The animation is uneven, veering between perfectly average and perfectly lovely, sometimes within the same scene. One thing I really love, though, is the opening theme. I don’t grade music, but if I did, I’d give the opening song at least a four; I’m a sucker for drums that could make your heart vibrate right out of your chest. I’ve posted it below.