Darker Than Black (Episode 21)

It seems that I have to call out for a hiatus since I am not able to catch up with my increasingly busy schedule. Not to mention that I rarely make regular updates, so this call is timely. Hopefully I won’t stretch it out for too long. Possibly that I will take a week off before resuming my anime reviews. Now, lets forget about that and back to the review. This is when the story gets really, really, really interesting. No surprise to consider that Darker Than Black is coming to an end, having only 4 episodes left. The main conflict will initiated from this arc before progressing to the closing chapter. So no more personal (character-related) episodes and sadly, no dedicated episodes for Mao. Nonetheless, I am thrilled on how will the story would end as I can’t really predict on how the story would develop from this point on. This arc may not be the best (from my perspective) but it is one of the most exciting ever.

At the PANDORA centre, a scientist managed to resolve a research that he had been conducting. His excited state went rather coincidental with the appearance of a naked lady in front of him. That surely made him looked like a pervert. Then the lady approached him and gave him a peck. By then the alarm went off and the guards rushed in, only to see the clothes left behind by the scientist with him missing. Eric Nishijima was informed soon after. Sometime later, Misaki and her colleagues managed to apprehend a runaway Contractor who was carring bombs inside his bag. Reporting back to Hourai, Misaki informed him that the Contractors (there are others) were ordered by EPR to bomb the American Embassy. Asked of the clues leading to the mastermind, Misaki added that some memories from the Contractors were altered including the memories of their leader. Misaki gave reasonable doubt that some other organisation besides the EPR may be at play as the EPR was behaving differently compared to previous cases. This is rather creepy and interesting. So Hourai ordered to increase security at the American Embassy and have Misaki to meet the Embassy’s Director of Security, Harris Vernom.

Don’t get too excited, old man.

Can’t blame him anyway. Free nude show is hard to come by.

After having his huge lunch, Hei ran into Mao who informed him of their next assignment. At the embassy, Vermon arrogantly told Misaki that their improved security was suffice to handle future threats even after Misaki came over to warn him about it. Instead he demanded the Japanese government to directly intervene if the threats are real. Leaving the embassy, Misaki and Saitou spotted November at a distance. Misaki went over to have a chat with him. When Misaki asked November his purpose of being there at the embassy, November told her that he was merely collecting evidence in the wake of the bombing incidents. Jokingly he said that the park he is at is the best location for him to observe the bombing. His typical habit. He began to share some information that he received to Misaki. He told that a researcher in PANDORA named Robert Schroeder who managed to solve a puzzle regarding the Gate was targeted by the EPR and then was kidnapped. Misaki wondered if the Americans were involved but November continued that the last contact made by a doll on him was at the American Embassy. It was not confirmed whether there is a mole inside the embassy but suggesting that Amber who used to work with the MI6 made it rather convincing. Before leaving, November told Misaki that there won’t be allies or enemies, just trust her own intuition and take action.

Misaki is back to kick ass.

November is not missing out the fun as well.

And now featuring the comeback of Wei.

Harris was talking to his secretary Brita about the Japanese police claiming that the embassy will be targeted for a bombing. However Harris assured her that there is no cause for a panic. Just about when he tried to flirt around with her, she abruptly left the room as she claimed that she got some business to attend to. She went all the way to the basement where the scientist was held. Another man was there guarding the scientist. Brita told him that the Japanese police began to mobilize to assume that the EPR is targeting the embassy. The man denied to know that Amber mentioned anything about bombing the embassy. They considered that it was a trick from the Syndicate to sneak into the embassy. It turned out that the man is Wei, the blood-shedding Contractor whom Hei ever defeated (not killed). That night, Hei tried to infiltrate the embassy with Mao, Huang and Yin assisting him. It is Hei who will be bombing the embassy, not the EPR. Shocking revelation. Mao went first to throw out a smoke bomb as distraction. Misaki and her team who are on the scene, rushed out once they saw the commotion going on. Hei took that chance to sneak through the not so tight security. With Yin’s assistance, it was an easy come and go for Hei as he managed to plant the bomb inside the embassy.

Mao don’t want to play with balls? Yes, you do!

The Black Reaper is sniping his target. Really?

Brita gets dirty with Wei. Show me part two!

However he spotted Wei and made the run for it. Wei managed to caught with Hei and the two immediately engaged into a duel. Wei told Hei that he joined Amber in her organisation of EPR. Meanwhile Misaki was arguing with Harris to allow the police to enter and check things out. Harris insisted on not granting them permission of entry. Then the bomb went off and this changed the whole scenario and the embassy’s security force scrambled around to control the situation. Amidst the chaos, November sneaked in without anyone noticing and Misaki who saw this, followed after him. Back to Hei, it was a brief yet intense battle between him and Wei. The fight was called when Brita showed up as he informed Wei that Hei was the man wanted by Amber. So she teleported Wei to another place and then teleported next to Hei to bid him a goodbye. She appeared to Schroeder (the scientist) and was about to take him away when suddenly November spoke out his intention to see Amber. Brita agreed to it and teleported him elsewhere. Moments later, Misaki reached the basement but only found November’s clothings and a red bathrobe worn by Schroeder. Then the security forces rushed in and apprehended Misaki. Although Misaki addressed herself as the Chief of Foreign Affairs of the Public Safety Department, she was still handcuffed and to her shock, the guards are actually from PANDORA. Meanwhile Mao who was witnessing the bombing from afar, caught by surprise when Amber called out to him.

Being left out by Misaki and April, November is having with someone else.

Perhaps November is enjoying it too much. Now Misaki, ease off the gun.

“Now strip, you whoring b***h!” The cops want to have fun too.

Amber meets fat cat. Mao meets spoiled loli.

Next episode: More nudity and Mao gets a leading role, hopefully.