I was utterly panicked when after episode 102 I watched the preview for episode 103 and it was stated as the last episode. I thought to myself, "This can't be. The manga is still going with a lot of new plot and details." Even though I haven't followed the manga, I know that a new story arc is starting to approach. There was so much more that needed to be animated and broadcasted to the fans.
But then I went and discovered that upon acquiring episode 103 from my sources, it was indeed the very last episode.
The series wraps up rather snuggly with episode 103, and like any other anime, it boasts the possibility without promise of a continuation. The war of D.Gray-man continues on, new evolutions of Innocense have been revealed, and the Millenium Earl feels as if he's only just getting started.
I've found no evidence of a continuation anywhere, and by this point in time a possible sequel is more or less out the window considering the length of this anime in its original form.
Indeed, this may more than likely be the end of the entire anime altogether, and the main reason could most plausibly have to do with popularity and ratings.
As of present, I know only that the most popular ongoing shounen demographic anime series are three: One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. With this in mind, we presume they are popular because of their target audience-- young children, mostly male, all with the penchant for violence and becoming the world's greatest pirate/ninja/samurai (have your pick). They're mostly kids, they have nothing to do-- and these anime also appeal internationally.
Good luck finding girls in the western area who will openly admit to watching anime or indulging in shoujo manga.
In essence, the three mentioned above have one very common factor: they were all anime that resemble the first and longest shounen demographic anime to hit it off internationally, Dragonball. My speculations are my own and will be saved for a later post, but for right now, take it as it is.
D.Gray-man, I assume, never really had that same appeal that One Piece, Naruto, or Bleach have. That, and I assume having a very, very dark themed storyline couldn't really be appropriate for young viewers (never minding that I know nothing of Naruto or that Bleach consists of very bloody fight scenes).
There's a lot of anguish that goes into the pacing and development of D.Gray-man's plot and characters. The anime itself centers around a war against machines created using people who have died who then go on to killing the person who called for that weapon termed "Akuma".
The recipe for an "Akuma":
- One part sadness and sorrow
- One part anguish
- One part longing
- One machine created courtesy of the Millenium Earl
- Two deaths of humankind
- Add an enormous side of suffering
Death may occur regularly in Bleach or Dragonball... but unlike D.Gray-man, it doesn't occur in practically every episode. After all, when you see one "Akuma" you know that at least two lives have been expended for its creation. Not only that, but where there is an Akuma, there certainly will follow more deaths since Akuma were biologically created to kill without reason.
D.Gray-man really began to grow on me after a couple episodes. The storyline is extremely unrealistic, and sometimes even if suspending disbelief, the actions of many of the characters are a little unrealistic as well. Some actions contradict others, and some actions warrant confusion and inquiry.
But as a whole, I was able to do what I couldn't do with Bleach. I watched the entire series of D.Gray-man. And this has nothing to do with the fact that one is now finished and the other is still ongoing. I gave up on Bleach long before I could make it into the third story arc-- when the rescue team saved Rukia and settled the little shinigami debacle, the entire series lost it's appeal to me.
D.Gray-man, however, I can safely say, was able to hold my attention for seventy-episodes straight until I ran out of episodes to watch and could only sit in wait for the next available release.
It's very safe to say that I'm going to miss those weekly releases of D.Gray-man now that it's over.
The ending episode of D.Gray-man does two things:
Firstly, it allows us to watch one last fight between exorcists and akuma by finishing off the battle between Lenalee, Allen, and Level Four-kun... as well as incorporating the late-comer generals. This was quite the fun battle, but it really should have ended when Allen's left-arm sword was pierced into the Level Four Akuma's torso.
Things aren't that easy huh?
The second half of the episode wraps up the series with the idea that the war between the Dark Order and the Millenium Earl will continue to rage on even as the anime ends. Lenalee's Innocense displayed an evolution from equip-type to what Komui terms crystal-type, and Allen has been able to fully use 100+ percent synch of his own anti-akuma weapon.
Cross Marian is returning to the Order's head honcho base for further discussion, and the Bookman duet are expecting more history to be recorded of this time period.
The headquarters on top of scary black mountain is now going through a process of moving after being completely and utterly demolished by Level Four-kun, and I have a feeling that the head honcho guy, Lvellie is still not satisfied with how things are run at headquarters by Komui. Krory is finally awake since his almost demise in the ark after the Noah twins pretty much puree him.
Everything at the Order will be heading back into a normal direction. But deaths have occured and friends and family were lost to the cause. This is what happens in war, but one cannot help but feel a little aghast at how fragile all of these people we watched throughout the storyline are.
There is a lot of tension between the Order, the exorcists, and the Lvellie but none of this will ever be settled unless one continues to follow the manga, or the producers decide that fans deserve a second chance at bringing the ratings up.
All in all, I'm quite disappointed at the sudden ending even if it was a good wrap-up. Lenalee has just become her kickass self all over again, Allen is getting stronger and stronger, and my precious Lavi and Yu are no longer going to grace me with their uber-bishie presences. I'm going to miss it all seriously.
It's interesting that they get their third change in uniform at the very end of the anime series. They look pretty good though. And Lenalee is even growing her hair back out-- so pretty.
But I guess everything has to come to an end at some point in time. I just hadn't imagined it would have come so quickly when all of those other ongoing shounen anime are still progressing in the 200+ or 300+ episodes.
***
In upcoming news, I intend to return to the "old anime" area and maybe pick up another popular shounen anime in the form of Rurouni Kenshin. And along with this shounen anime, there's no reason why I can't pick up a shoujo anime either-- the shoujo of all shoujo and the originator of all reverse harems, Fushigi Yugi. There has to be something good about these two or else they wouldn't have been so popular. I'm ready to brave them and see just what was so great about them.
As for any other anime, I may pick up Gintama as a replace ment for D.Gray-man in order to fulfill my Suzuken-sama quota. Boy am I going to miss the uber-bishie adorableness that is Lavi at his cheerful best. Suzuken did wonderful and I'll miss being able to hear his voice as Lavi.
Now to look forward to whatever else Suzuken will become a part of in the future, and maybe he'll be able to work with his friend Takahiro-san as well as associate Kobayashi Sanae (Allen-kun).
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