D.Gray-man Hallow

D.Gray-man Hallow
Promotional illustration of D.Gray-man Hallow
No. of episodes	13
Release
Original network	TV Tokyo
Original release	July 4 (2016-07-04) – September 26, 2016 (2016-09-26)
Season chronology

D.Gray-man Hallow (stylized as D.Gray-man HALLOW) is an anime series adapted from the Katsura Hoshino's manga, D.Gray-man. Produced by TMS Entertainment and 8PAN, and directed by Yoshiharu Ashino, it acts as a sequel to the previous D.Gray-man anime series and follows a young Exorcist named Allen Walker from the Black Order which are in charge of destroying weapons, known as Akuma, using objects known as "Innocence". The Akuma are created by an ancient sorcerer known as the Millennium Earl, who is allied with the immortal Noah Family. The plot focuses on Allen's connection with the Noah and his ally, Yu Kanda, who is planned to use by them.

This TV anime series was announced at Shueisha's 2016 Jump Festa event. It aired in Japan from July 4, 2016, to September 26, 2016, having a total of 13 episodes. It was also broadcast on Animax Asia. On June 23, 2016, Funimation announced that they licensed Hallow and would stream it online. The English adaptation was also released by Funimation, and started on August 3, 2016.

In Japan, the episodes were originally meant to be collected in a total of six DVD and Blu-ray volumes. However, the home media release of Hallow was delayed in September 2016 to an unknown release date due to unmentioned reasons. In March 2017, the official D.Gray-man Hallow website stated the home media release was cancelled due to "various circumstances".

The music of the anime was composed by Kaoru Wada. The series's opening theme song is "Key -bring it on, my Destiny-" by Lenny code fiction, and the ending theme is "Lotus Pain" by Mashiro Ayano. The single of Lenny code fiction was released on August 31, 2016 while "Lotus Pain" was released on August 2, 2016.

Release

The episodes feature a new cast, with Ayumu Murase voicing Allen Walker and Shinnosuke Tachibana voicing Howard Link. The new series is directed by Yoshiharu Ashino and written by Michiko Yokote, Tatsuto Higuchi and Kenichi Yamashita, featuring character designs by Yosuke Kabashima. During recordings of Hallow, Katsura Hoshino was surprised by Ayumue Murase's work, finding him suitable for Allen. Murase's switching between two personalities—Allen and the Nea D. Campbell—impressed the manga author, who thought at first Murase was using a machine to change the tone of them. Although Murase only appeared with the Millennium Earl twice in Hallow, his job left a positive impression. During a broadcast of Hallow, Hoshino made multiple illustrations of Allen interacting with the Noah clan to support the actors. Murase was moved by Hoshino's determination to develop Allen in the manga and thus felt a better impression of his character. Aoyama's work received praise by Hoshino due to the fact he has to perform both sides of the Earl: the free-spirited clown-looking like character and the mourning human self who is determined to recover his brother, Nea. Aoyama was surprised by the Hoshino's comments stating he did not understand her overwhelming reaction. Aoyama also felt that playing the Earl's human form was difficult due to how different he behaves in that appearance to the point of being one of the hardest character to voice.

Episode list

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date
104	1	"The 14th" Transliteration: "14 Banme" (Japanese: 14番目)	July 4, 2016 (2016-07-04)
After finishing an Innocence retrieval mission in a graveyard while fighting monsters known as Akumas, Allen Walker and fellow Exorcists head to the newly built Headquarters for the first time. Upon reaching the Headquarters, Allen is greeted by Inspector Malcolm C. Rouvelier. Binding Allen's left arm with seals, Rouvelier has Allen brought before his former master, General Cross Marian. Cross tells Allen that he will soon become the host of the 14th Noah, one of the immortal beings allied with Millennium Earl, the maker of Akumas. The 14th, also the younger brother of Allen's late adoptive father Mana Walker, was killed by the Earl after his betrayal. Cross tells Allen that he will kill someone important to him once he becomes the 14th. That night, Cross has an unseen visitor and is found dead in his room the next morning.
105	2	"Lonely Boy" Transliteration: "Ronrī Bōi" (Japanese: ロンリーボーイ)	July 11, 2016 (2016-07-11)
After Cross's body disappears, Allen finds a message from him inside Timcanpy, stating that Timcanpy now belongs to Allen, and that he should stop hiding behind Mana's "mask". Later, Allen, Yu Kanda, Noise Marie, and Howard Link go on a mission in Paris to capture the Phantom Thief G. The Exorcists catch G stealing a crown in a museum but he escapes by possessing the bodies of others, including Link of the Black Order. After Allen scares G into deserting Link's body by stabbing him with his Sword of Exorcism, Marie manages to track his cries to his real body. They find out that G is a young boy named Timothy living in the Hearst Orphanage. While there, the Orphanage is sealed in a separate dimension with dark magic and they are attacked by a Level 4 Akuma accompanied by multiple high leveled Akuma. A Level 2 Akuma who can turn people into dolls within 6 seconds captures G. Link goes to his rescue but is turned into a doll.
106	3	"I'll Be Okay After I Wash My Face" Transliteration: "Kao o araeba Daijōbu" (Japanese: 顔を洗えば大丈夫)	July 18, 2016 (2016-07-18)
Timothy awakens as an Accommodator, and uses his Innocence to possess a Level 2 Akuma to fight back. The red-cloaked Crow Madarao appears to break the seal and enter the orphanage and "absorbs" the remaining Akuma. Allen manages to injure the Level 4 Akuma after stabbing himself and the Akuma with his sword. This accidentally brings out the 14th, who sends a message to the Earl through the Akuma. Kanda appears a while later and finishes the Akuma with Allen. Later, Timothy decides he will also become an Exorcist, on the condition that the Order pays for all the crimes he committed and keep the orphanage running. Timothy says a tearful farewell to the kindly Mother as Allen watches with a smile, commenting to Link that they were just like him and Mana.
107	4	"Blood Crusade" Transliteration: "Seisen Buraddo" (Japanese: 聖戦ブラッド)	July 25, 2016 (2016-07-25)
Allen has a dream during the night in which he meets Mana once more. When Lenalee Lee sees Allen as he wakes up, she thinks that he looks like a different person. Renny Epstain, Chief of the North American Branch arrives and reveals that her red-cloaked companions are Third Exorcists, created by the North American branch using a fragment from the Akuma Egg that the Exorcists tried to destroy back in Lulu Bell's attack. Shortly after, the last Noah, Wisely, awakes. The Millennium Earl gathers the 12 Noah apostles and announces a worldwide attack of Akuma on an unprecedented scale. Allen and the Exorcists are soon engaged in battle with hoards of Akuma. The Third Exorcists are dispatched to help and they easily destroy the Akuma, however Allen is disturbed to find that the Akuma's souls are also destroyed and not released. Suddenly, the Noah Tyki Mikk, Sheril Kamelot and Mercyma attack them, incapacitating Tokusa. Meanwhile, Kanda is taken down by Wisely, who claims he needs his memories to wake Alma Karma. Before losing consciousness, Kanda hears a woman's voice.
108	5	"Alma Karma" Transliteration: "Aruma·Karuma" (Japanese: アルマ＝カルマ)	August 1, 2016 (2016-08-01)
The scientists are given a lecture by North American Branch Head Renny Epstain about Alma Karma's holding facility. Alma has been in a coma for nine years. His cells were fused with the Akuma Egg and then were used to create the five Third Exorcists. Suddenly, the Earl and Road Kamelot arrive at the North American Headquarters and summon several Level 4 Akuma to attack. Meanwhile Sheril Kamelot uses his ability to force several Black Order members in the Branch to march to Alma's compound. They place the unconscious Kanda next to Alma. Soon after, Allen and Tokusa are also transported there via a Noah's Ark. As the Earl holds Allen prisoner, the 14th takes over Allen's body and greets the Earl, telling him he will kill him and become the new Earl. Suppressing the 14th, Allen tries to save his friends alongside the revived Kanda. However, Wisely sends Allen, Road, Kanda and Alma's consciousness into Kanda's memories of nine years ago, when Alma was still alive.
109	6	"Friend" (Japanese: friend)	August 8, 2016 (2016-08-08)
Kanda's memories show the time 9 years ago when Kanda (then called Yu) and Alma were children and were "Second Exorcists" living in the Sixth Laboratory of the Black Order's Asian Branch. Overseen by then North American Branch Head Sahlins Epstain (Renny's father), and then Asian Branch Head Twi Chan and her assistant Edgar (Bak's parents), they were forced to go through harsh synchronizing tests with Innocence daily, repeating the cycle of dying and regenerating. Even through their ordeals and their very different characters, Yu and Alma become best friends. However, Yu starts having hallucinations of a woman near a lotus pond, which Alma mistaken as Fo. As a result of the hallucinations, Sahlins and Twi decided to euthanize Yu. Alma attempts to help Yu escape, but Yu is taken back to the laboratory to be sealed, though not before he chances upon the recently blinded Noise Marie and young Bak Chan. Yu realizes that his hallucinations are memories of his past life, including seeing the woman he loves and that he was once an Exorcist killed by an Akuma. Alma tries to save Yu again, this time by synchronizing with his Innocence for good. Road then reveals to Allen that the "Second Exorcists" are artificial humans created by planting the brains of dead Exorcists in new, regenerative bodies to ensure their synchronization with Innocence.
110	7	"The Truth about a Sterile Flower" Transliteration: "Adabana no Shinjitsu" (Japanese: 徒花の真実)	August 15, 2016 (2016-08-15)
As Yu's desire to meet his past lover enables him to cancel out the sealing enchantments and synchronize with his Innocence, Bak Chan demands that Fo open the way to the Sixth Laboratory, where his parents are, but Fo is under orders from Twi to keep the hallway sealed, letting only Renny escape. Meanwhile, Yu finds a comatose Marie slated to become the next Second Exorcist, and accidentally heals his mortal wound with his blood. Yu and Marie go to find Alma to escape the Order together, only to find that Alma has killed all the scientists in the Laboratory, including the Branch Heads because he recovered the terrible memories of his past life along with his Innocence. Alma tries to kill Yu to end the Second Exorcist program, but Yu's desire to live and find his love, spurs him to kill Alma in tears. Allen, enraged by Kanda letting all his past secrets be laid bare, is finally able to break free of Wisely's control and punches Kanda in the real world to knock him back to his senses. However, the memories brought out by Wisely causes Alma to resurface as an Akuma, destroying the North American Branch. As Alma wakes up, he is confronted by Kanda.
111	8	"Awakening" Transliteration: "Kakusei" (Japanese: 覚醒)	August 22, 2016 (2016-08-22)
Tokusa manages to save almost everyone from the explosion caused by Alma's awakening using his Crow seals. However, he starts turning into an Akuma, along with all the Third Exorcists, as a result of Alma's cells inside them mutating from Alma's anger towards the Order. Allen's Innocence activates automatically to destroy Tokusa, but Allen refuses to kill him. Bak uses his spirit stone to seal Tokusa and summons Fo to hold off Tyki. Master Zu Mei Chan arrives and uses his golem Atuuda to heal the wounds of the others and tells Allen that only Kanda can save Alma. Allen then tries to stop Kanda, who has lost control from grief and is locked in a fight to the death with Alma. As the fight continues, Alma's regenerative powers diminish, and Allen defends him, and as a result, Kanda turns on Allen instead. When Kanda stabs Allen with his Mugen, the 14th Noah reacts with hatred to the Innocence and starts awakening, much to the Earl's joy.
112	9	"Little Goodbyes" Transliteration: "Ritoru Gubbai" (Japanese: リトル・グッバイ)	August 29, 2016 (2016-08-29)
Allen meets the 14th Noah, Nea in his sub-consciousness. However, the illusion of Mana Walker awakens Allen's cursed left eye, causing him to regain consciousness. Timcanpy expands and a spell inside him activates, breaking the Earl's barrier upon the Branch. Allen is able to see Alma's Akuma soul, learning Alma is in fact the woman Kanda loved in his previous life. Alma self-destructs to prevent Kanda from knowing this, but both are still alive after the explosion, and Kanda finally learns the truth. Allen then transports Kanda and Alma to the secret underground chamber beneath Mater through his Noah's Ark, where Kanda and Alma can finally be free. However, even after Alma's death, the Third Exorcists continue rampaging and two of the Thirds are destroyed. Lavi and Bookman are kidnapped by the Noah Tryde and Chaoji Han is seriously injured. As Allen tries to persuade Tokusa to resist his Akuma mutation, Link arrives with Tewaku and binds Allen with his seals.
113	10	"Sinner in Despair" Transliteration: "Zetsubō no Zainin" (Japanese: 絶望の罪人)	September 5, 2016 (2016-09-05)
The Third Exorcist Tokusa continues to mutate and attacks Allen. To protect Tokusa, Tewaku also mutates and tries to attack Allen, only to be repelled by Timcanpy who has grown huge. The Earl states that he will not allow the Order to break the rules and fight with his own weapons. He and the Noah then leave, taking the remaining Third Exorcists with them. Allen and Timcanpy are then shackled and imprisoned for enabling Kanda and Alma to escape. The Noah try to understand why the Earl is so affected by the 14th that he cried himself to sleep. Sheril holds Lavi hostage to force Bookman to reveal information about the 14th. Link reports to the Vatican about the Noah attack, also stating that Allen is not eating and refusing to lead them to Kanda and Alma. Head chef Jerry tries to cheer up the Exorcists and scientists in the canteen by preparing a delicious feast but they are more worried about Allen. Link takes food to Allen in his cell and tells Allen about the guilt he feels because of his past friendship with the Thirds, and his role in their transformation. Allen starts turning into the 14th just as a suspicious Cardinal comes in and promises to "heal" him.
114	11	"The Hidden One" Transliteration: "Kakusa Reta Mono" (Japanese: 隠されたもの)	September 12, 2016 (2016-09-12)
Link tries to stop the Cardinal when he attacks Allen, but is easily defeated. Allen attacks the Cardinal with his Innocence, but discovers that he is a non-human being as well as the person who fatally shot Cross Marian. Tyki, Road and the Third Exorcists arrive under orders from the Earl to save Allen. Tyki reveals the Cardinal is actually Apocryphos, a sentient Innocence existing solely to protect the Heart, for which the Noah have been searching for 7000 years. A fierce battle ensues between Apocryphos and Tyki. Meanwhile, the Exorcists and scientists ask Rouvelier and Komui Lee to free Allen, but to no avail. Apocryphos overwhelms Tyki and attempts to merge with Allen to stop the 14th, but Allen resists and is helped by Road and Link. Link frees Timcanpy and explodes a hole in the prison wall so that Allen can escape with the Noah and is later punished by Apocryphos. The Pope revokes Allen's rights as an Exorcist and Komui commands all Exorcists to capture Allen. Lenalee refuses to believe that Allen has betrayed them and chases after him.
115	12	"My Home" (Japanese: My Home)	September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)
The Black Order deals with the aftermath of the appearance of Apocryphos. Over the body of the mortally wounded Link, Master Zu accuses Rouvelier of exploiting people within the Order for his own goals. As Allen and the Noah rest after escaping from Apocryphos, Tyki questions Allen about his affiliation with the Order since they began treating him as a Noah. Allen and Tyki debate the methods used by each side in the conflict and accuse each other's sides of using ruthless tactics. Meanwhile the Exorcists try reaching Allen but they are cornered by several Akuma who are backed up by the Thirds. Lenalee is also intercepted by the Thirds and Akuma. Allen still decides he wants to remain an Exorcist so Tyki leaves and Road disappears shortly after that. Allen prepares to leave the Order compound with a now smaller Timcampy using his Noah's Ark. Just then, Lenalee arrives and tells him they will become enemies in the future if he leaves. Nevertheless, Allen says he will remain an Exorcist and after hugging her, he leaves.
116	13	"Walker" Transliteration: "Wōkā" (Japanese: ウォーカー)	September 26, 2016 (2016-09-26)
Many years ago, Cross Marian takes a young Allen to a caretaker, knowing that he will eventually become the 14th and disappear. Allen was traumatized after attempting to revive his guardian Mana and turning him into an Akuma. Cross took care of Allen, who slowly recovered but started behaving like Mana. In the present day, Allen appears at her doorstep. Meanwhile the Noah discuss the arrival of Apocryphos and its implications. Sheril has not managed to extract any information about the 14th from Bookman or Lavi and rages when he cannot understand why Road protected Allen Walker. Three months later the Exorcists and staff have mixed feelings about Allen's behavior and disappearance. Kanda returns to the Order but is unforgiving and quite rude to everyone. He makes peace with Zu as the old dying scientist regrets his actions in launching the Second Exorcist Project. When Kanda synchronizes with his Innocence, it turns into a crystallized form and he becomes an Exorcist again. Kanda says that he only returned as self-redemption for awakening the 14th. Elsewhere, Allen starts fighting Akuma who react to his transformation into the 14th. As Nea the 14th, whenever he starts to transform again, he remembers Mana's and Cross's words of encouragement, which enable him to remember his past as Allen Walker.

Reception

D.Gray-man Hallow was one of the most-anticipated anime series of summer 2016 by followers of Anime News Network and the Japanese web portal goo. Since he had not watched the original anime for some time, Alex Osborn of IGN appreciated the brief exposition in the sequel's first episode to remind the audience of the plot. Although he enjoyed the interaction among the main cast, Osborn was confused by the revelation that Allen would become the 14th Noah and had to watch the scene again in order to understand it. In a later review, Osborn said he was amazed by Allen's first possession by the 14th Noah; although it was "disturbing", it enhanced the character's development. Anne Laurenroth remarked Kanda's character development in Hallow, particularly his fight against Alma Karma and his return to the Order in the finale. Laurenroth noted Hallow's poor animation and pacing but, although most of its episodes were grim, its final moments were upbeat. Manga Tokyo appreciated the black and white morality of the story when Allen is imprisoned by the Order he was working for and has to rely on the Millennium Earl's comrades in order to survive. However, the reviewer felt that viewers needed more information than what the story was able to provide.