While Summer 2023 has been highly anticipated for the various big-name returning anime titles that are now airing, there are quite a number of interesting new anime. Among those is one horror anime that doesn't look too threatening at first glance; however, the manner in which Dark Gathering has paced its episodes thus far, and the nature of its content once an episode gets rolling pack quite the punch.
This supernatural horror anime has its creepiness factor turned to 11, and may very well be the most unsettling title of 2023. What exactly makes Dark Gathering so effective in its horror?
Plot and Background
Dark Gathering follows college student Keitarō Gentōga, who has a particular contempt for ghosts and the occult. Unfortunately for him, spirits are attracted to him, a trait which led to a terrible incident two years prior to the events of the series in which he suffered an injury on his right hand and his friend Eiko was caught in the middle. Afraid to expose anyone else to danger, Keitarō became a shut-in. With help from his childhood friend Eiko, Keitarō is slowly returning to society, with part of the rehabilitation of his social skills being a private tutoring job. His first pupil is none other than Eiko's younger cousin Yayoi Hōzuki, who on top of being a child prodigy, possesses some kind of spiritual aura but unlike Keitarō, Yayoi is eager to encounter spirits in order to find the one that took her mother away. In spite of his protests, Keitarō is dragged to various haunted locations and spiritual hotspots as Yayoi uses him as bait to lure spirits out of hiding.
The Dark Gathering anime produced by OLM is based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Kenichi Kondō. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Jump Square shōnen magazine since March 2019, with 12 volumes published and the 13th expected in August. VIZ Media has licensed Dark Gathering for publication in English and the third volume is expected to arrive in September. The currently-airing anime series licensed by Sentai Filmworks is directed by Hiroshi Ikehata with scripts by Shigeru Murakoshi, character designs by Shinya Segawa and music composed by Kohta Yamamoto, Shun Narita and Yūsuke Seo. The main cast are voiced by Yuu Sasahara (Eternity Devil, CHAINSAW MAN); Nobunaga Shimazaki (Izana Kurokawa, Tokyo Revengers: Tenjiku Arc) The opening is "Kakuriyo" performed by Luz, while the Dark Gathering ending theme is "Haiiro" by Kana Hanazawa.
Art and Animation
During the light moments, Dark Gathering maintains a brightly-lit appearance, but there's a slight fogginess to the light reminiscent of spiritual encounters in early BLEACH episodes in some of its more pensive moments, an aspect assisted by a grainy texture in these scenes reminiscent of salvaged footage, another aspect leaning into the horror core of the series. The characters are generally plain in their designs, with Yayoi's intricate design being the most interesting of the bunch, for a very important reason: she is supposed to look inhuman.
Where the series really shines visually is in its darker moments when the endgame of a particular incident becomes apparent and Yayoi does what she does best: eliminate the threat. In these climactic moments of the episode, Dark Gathering has proven to be gorgeous and fluid in its animation. There are so many aspects of Dark Gathering that work together to enhance its creepiness, and the direction has been a highlight. At its core, Dark Gathering is a story about a little girl's determination to save her mother from an evil spirit, while being particularly terrifying herself because evil spirits do their best to avoid her for some reason.
Themes
The fear of the supernatural, the paranormal, or the occult are the obvious basis of the Dark Gathering story; however, themes of trauma, loneliness and grief are major drivers of the actions of the main characters. Having been involved in a horrific car accident that claimed the life of her father and led to her mother's abduction by a horrible tentacled monster that had an embryonic or womb-like appearance. Despite the casual vibe the show gives off for the most part, there is definitely a clear intention to leave its viewer viscerally uncomfortable at the conclusion of each incident or "haunting". For fans of the horror genre, Dark Gathering is definitely a show worth trying out. Since it is still very early in its expected run of 25 episodes; however, its first two episodes have proven it to be an intriguing new series.
X-Factor
What sets Dark Gathering apart from some of the other horror anime released in 2023 is the way that it executes horror elements. The character designs are rather cute and colourful, which gives the series the kind of vibrancy of a campy slice of life series; however, it sprinkles reminders of its true intentions in the beginning of the episode and as the episodes develop, the true crux of the episode emerges towards the end. The design of main character Yayoi stands out from the rest of the cast, with the most memorable aspect being the skull shape of her double-pupils. What makes Dark Gathering so effective as a horror anime is the fact that it isn't always trying to scare you, but when it is, it makes sure.
Sandwiched between casual, even goofy moments are moments of intense horror and darkness that give a very sinister feel to the apparent casual nature of the show. The ambiance of the show itself slowly leads towards the scary climax and weaves in shots that carry a great deal of intensity that are augmented by the casual vibe it exudes most of the time; however, the eeriness is also driven home by various levels of body horror. The soundtrack is particularly effective in making the darker elements of Dark Gathering feel even darker. The full force of the creepiness that Dark Gathering gathers over the course of an episode before bringing it all down upon its viewer at once is an approach that enhances the creepy elements because of the light flavor of the majority of the average episode.
Dark Gathering is available to stream on HiDive.