[Chris Beveridge]

Review by Chris Beveridge

Mania Grade: B

In Summary:
D.Gray-man is something of an odd duck of a series when it comes to the Shonen Jump shows. It follows some traditional elements (less so if you're only thinking of things like Dragon Ball Z as representative of the SJ brand) but it also really gives the cast a chance to breath on their own. Kanda makes out horribly here with a single filler story but the fact that Allen gets a lot of time is very welcome after being on the outside for much of the previous set. I like where the story is slowly going as the cast journeys and grows with each other but the weak part here are the villains. Lulu Bell is not compelling and is essentially without personality while Mimi is too much personality. But in the end, this set left me smiling for the most part and liking the cast of good guys overall and wanting to see more. You know what you're getting with this show by now and it's not going to change its stripes at this late date, not that I'd want it to.