It was very enjoyable to watch this one. Huey inherits a mansion and finds already a little girl named Dantalia occupying it. However this little with incredibly pale skin isn't really just a girl. She's a walking library literally. Her body houses various books that aid Huey on his quests for destroying phantom books. Only Huey is able to use Dantalia due to their contract with each other. Phantom books appear as regular books, but people go crazy over them because different phantom books grants users different powers. Often times users obsess over them and end up wreaking havoc. To combat a phantom book, you must use a phantom book against it. It is my first time watching an anime about books and I found the idea very original. It gives the viewer a feeling that books can transcend and I personally feel that books can transcend time.

Dantalia's character gets a little annoying for me because she gets cranky when she doesn't gets her sweets and orders Huey around a lot. Probably to accentuate the little princess attitude. Huey just shrugs it off and does as she ask. There are few recurring characters and it's mostly Huey and Dantalia. The reason being that the two are actually bound together for another reason. Since Dantalia is not really a human being, she has another self existing in another dimension. Huey has met her other self when he was very young and promised to free her. Her other self has also expressed desire to see Huey in the future and she does so to save Huey from death. The different phantom books they encounter are really interesting and innovative.

I really enjoyed watching the opening sequence and the music was really well composed. The animation throughout the series was fluid and consistent. The backgrounds however are actually photographs that have been manipulated and had a filter applied over them to depict a drawing-like quality. I didn't mind it too much because it actually accentuated the animation which were bright in color. There's quite a lot of supernatural action in the series and some gun action. I highly recommend this series and I believe that viewers of various ages would enjoy it. (show less)

I love this series mainly because it manages to blend two of my favorite things: books and fantasy together in an interesting and complex story that is both captivating and somewhat bizarre. Here we have Danlian, a cute gothic girl who happens to have a lock in her chest that opens into a mystical libarary filled with forbidden books, and her partner Hugh an ex-pilot and recent Keykeeper. Their task is to find and collect forbidden books and store them inside the library. The premise is quite simple but what interest me the most are the weird and sometimes wacky cases that these pair encounters on their mission from a book that gives u infinite wisdom to a simple book about barter. I especially like the part about a book where a obsessed fan resurrects her favorite writer and his lover just so she could murder them repeatedly everytime they are resurrected. This series reminds me a little of Gosick due to its classic setting and artistic animation which complemented the series dark magical theme as well as again we are introduce to a pair of a gothic lolita with a childish yet almost omnipotent attitude and a young energetic male hero. What's different with Hugh compared to those in Gosick and God's Memo Pad is that this time around he seems to have a hidden agenda of his own. What's disappointing about this series is that it's too dammed short to be appreciate fully. There are a lot of interesting things about the series like Dalian's past, Hugh connection to the mysterious girl inside the library, as well some potentially interesting characters like Hal Kamhout & Flamberge (whose mission is to destroy forbidden books) and the Professor & Rasiel (who seems to be in the business of making forbidden books) which were not fully explored due to the limited number of episodes. I really hope there will be a second season because this series has so much potential to be a great magical/adventure series. (show less)

First of all, i enjoy the main concept and the storyline, i think it's the idea between reality and what's written but in truth they're both reality. Just what's written, is the reality through the phantom books! I adore huey and the black princess, mainly the princess, her character amuses me, she's so childish yet holds a great ego based on personality but also the fact she's a walking library. I actually want a second season, I mean if they didn't, they kinda ended the first one kinda weird, you didn't put an end to the villian but that tells you the story goes on so it's a major turning point in which now you've presented all the characters. The only thing i'm confused and hope to learn more about is the little girl in that altered dimension, that's like the it's the most important but also the least important concept. Huey became a keeper to save the girl but in the story, his main job is to stop phantom books. (show less)

This is the first time I have ever written a bad review for something but to be quite honest Dantalian no Shoka or rather The Mystic Archives of Dantalian really disappointed me. The first few episodes were great. There was a whole plot but it's as if this anime is completely made up of frivolous fillers. Where's the action? What the hell happened to all that Mysticism? Now all I see is a spoiled, rude biblioprincess with a sweet tooth and a really handsome retired soldier filling his days with saving lives (sorta...). It's BORING with a capitol B. I hope things will turn around soon I mean the artwork is great but this is becoming quite a drag... please BRING BACK THE ACTION. I'm already regretting having to download these eps in the hope that something better will happen. Sorry guys - I would rather watch something else and I suggest you do the same. (show less)

This anime is about books, books with forbidden knowledge thought to be lost. However these books are dangerous.
Hugh and Dalian look for these books and try to lock them up in the library of Dantalian.
The story is very unpredictable and every episode has its mystery that becomes solved at the end so that makes it very fun to watch.
If you like animes with some mystery that arent all about diehard action ( there is some action but it doesnt revolves around it ) with a pretty strong story I would recommend you keep an eye out for this one as it still airs every week. (show less)

Story: So far the plot is based on one fact: find and put an end to the Phantom books that are spread throughout the world. Phantom books being old Tomes or Grimoires that are able to make their contents come to life or have its user manipulate them, ex: Have its user bring the dead back to life if its a book on ressurection or basically bring forth a murderous circus if it turns out to be a pop-up book about a circus. The story so far only focuses on these two characters, where the guy goes and recieves the estate and fortune he inherited from his dead granfather. Thinking that Dantalian is a pet that he left for him, to his surprise is an actual girl that he left for him. Each episode though takes on the form of some sort of actual story that someone created and turned it ito an anime version case for these two "Book" detectives to solve. Ep 3 was Children of the Corn inspired (though probably more will be put into depth with that cause they didn't really finish it), and Ep 4 was Stephen King's Misery.
Dialouge: Its very olden time...is what I can say. But at least they're understandable when they speak.
Animation: Comparing it to Asura Crying, its a MAJOR improvement, but still they have did a little more effort on the characters.
Entertainment: The actions scenes are nicely animated. Plus the different plot for each episode is unique and can get to you on a personal level. If you don't know what I mean, check out Ep 4, its so emotional (turning Misery from Stephen King into an anime episode did the story Justice because they did it well, even with a supernatural twist to it). I wouldn't really call this a comedy, its something more serious. So if you want to die laughing I'd check somewhere else. But the way the two characters interact with each other is amusing. FYI, Dantalian is a yaoi-fan girl...even that early of society's age.
The reason why I say Gosick meets Toaru is because bascially like Gosick, they spend their time solving supernatural mysteries that are influenced by these "Phantom Books". Toaru being that Dantalian is sort of like Index in the fact that she has all these Grimoires locked inside her body that she (well in this case her partner) can use. The animation sequence when Huey unlocks a Phantom Book inside of Dantalian is fantastic. Only issue about it is that when he reads off the books to use their abilities, it can be a while. I mean in one episode when he conjurs up lightning to fight a golem, he has to say this minute long incantation when in relatity the golem could have successfully killed him at that point. Either ways there's not much wrong with this show. Though an actual antagonist hasn't been introduced yet. (show less)