List of Brynhildr in the Darkness episodes
Brynhildr in the Darkness (極黒のブリュンヒルデ, Gokukoku no Buryunhirude) is a 2014 science fiction anime series based on the manga by Lynn Okamoto. The series aired on April 6, 2014 on Tokyo MX and later on ytv, CTV, BS11 and AT-X then finished on June 29, 2014. For episodes 1-9 the opening is "BRYNHILDR IN THE DARKNESS -Ver. EJECTED-" by Nao Tokisawa. From episode 10 onwards, the opening is "Virture and Vice" by Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas. The ending song is "Ichiban Hoshi" by Risa Taneda, Aya Suzaki, MAO, & Azusa Tadokoro. The anime is directed by Kenichi Imazumi at studio Arms, with Yukinori Kitajima acting as head writer and Hiroaki Kurasu as chief animation director and character designer.
When he was a child, Ryōta Murakami was infatuated with a girl called Kuroneko. She insisted on knowing about aliens and having met them, but no one believed her - even young Murakami was skeptical. One day, she decides to show him the aliens, but an accident occurs and Kuroneko dies while Murakami is left seriously wounded in the hospital. Years go by and Murakami obsesses on finding proof of the existence of aliens because of a promise he had made with Kuroneko. Then, one day, a new transfer student comes to his class, who not only looks a lot like Kuroneko, but is named Neko Kuroha. Despite Murakami's determination, she insists on never having met Murakami before. Furthermore, to his astonishment, the girl has superhuman strength and appears to be able to predict the future.
Episode list
Brynhildr in the Darkness
| No. | Title | Original airdate | |
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| 1 | "While Waiting For You" Transliteration: "Kimi o Machinagara" (Japanese: きみを待ちながら) | April 6, 2014 | |
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The story tells a boy named Ryōta Murakami and his female friend he calls Kuroneko. The two have a close relationship as they look up at the stars in the sky. One day, Kuroneko insists that aliens really exist and attempts to show them to Ryōta. However, they slip off a dam and get injured. Ryōta survives the accident, but the doctors claim that Kuroneko has died. Feeling regretful since then, Ryōta continued looking at the sky in hope of becoming a researcher for NASA to prove the existence of aliens as atonement for Kuroneko. Ten years later, Ryōta is now a top student in high school. Suddenly, a transfer student named Neko Kuroha enters his classroom. Surprisingly, she looks exactly like Kuroneko, however, she does not recognize Ryōta. During swimming class, while Ryōta remains concerned about Neko, a student almost drowns but is saved by a mysterious force. Ryōta goes to the observatory as the sole member of the astronomy club. Neko comes in to inform Ryōta that his death has been predicted, but he treats it as a bluff. As the two come to know each other, Ryōta becomes suspicious of her as she doesn't know her multiplication tables and possesses inhuman strength. Ignoring Neko's warning, Ryōta leaves for home without getting on the bus when a mudslide suddenly comes down on him. A boulder is about to crush him, Neko splits it with strange powers; saving Ryōta. Showing a harness attached to the nape of her neck, Neko reveals to him that she is a witch. | |||
| 2 | "Magician" Transliteration: "Mahōtsukai" (Japanese: 魔法使い) | April 13, 2014 | |
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Lost in thought, Neko demands Ryōta to keep her witch identity a secret. In a flashback, Kuroneko waits for an ocean trip with Ryōta, but never got the chance. The next day, Neko is absent so Ryōta's homeroom teacher asks him to give Neko a pamphlet. Following the address, Ryōta witnesses several Self-Defense Force vehicles passing down from the mountain. He finds Neko, who is living in an abandoned village that serves as her hideout. Neko says she only transferred to prevent certain deaths. She explains how she and other witches experimented at a top-secret lab until they escaped from an accident. Ryōta could not help but be interested in Neko and runs back and into the house that Neko is staying in. Entering, he finds a young girl, who Neko introduces as Kana Tachibana. It is revealed that she is unable to move or speak due to being paralyzed, though she can communicate with a small keyboard. Learning Kana's ability is foresight which allows her to see future deaths, Kana tells Neko that the lab security has captured a fellow witch, Kanade, who is shown to be executed back at the lab. As Ryōta leaves, Kana convinces Neko to go to school. Ryōta comes over again, with bread and sweets to give. He asks Neko if she would come on the school field trip taking place on the next weekend. | |||
| 3 | "Death Suppressants" Transliteration: "Chinshizai" (Japanese: 鎮死剤) | April 20, 2014 | |
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After being absent the previous day, Neko comes to school covered in bandages, surprising Ryōta. Running to the village, Ryōta finds Neko bleeding profusely on the floor. He takes her to the kitchen to take a pill called 'Death Suppressants', explaining that the witches will die if they are not taken within 30-35 hours every day. As Neko boils some water, the kitchen accidentally burns down along with the remaining pills. Worried about their survival, Ryōta manages to memorize the drug's identification code thanks to his photographic memory, and deduces where the pills are manufactured. Letting Neko and Kana stay at the observatory for the time-being, Neko also explains her telekinesis magic. Looking up info on where a factory preserves the pills, they request another witch named Kazumi Schlierenzauer to use her power of computer-hacking, to shut down the factory's security system. The lab then traces "someone" searching for information on the drugs, and order an assassin witch, Saori, to move in. Forecasting Neko's death by Saori, Kana begs Neko not to go, however, Neko chooses to regardless as there are no more options for their future. Infiltrating the factory, Neko confronts Saori, while Ryōta looks for the pills. Reading a letter Neko wrote, Ryōta changes his mind and runs to help, with the forecast changing to where they both die. Ryōta finds them; he discovers Neko has Kuroneko's birthmark on her breast, proving the fact that she really is Kuroneko. He's about to approach Saori when she slices Neko to death. Thinking that hope is lost, Ryōta remembers Saori's second ability could change things around. | |||
| 4 | "Lost Memories" Transliteration: "Ushinawareta Kioku" (Japanese: 失われた記憶) | April 27, 2014 | |
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Ryōta pierces Saori through the heart as she kills him. Knowing she will die from her wound if left untreated, she is forced to use her ability of time-manipulation to go back to the time before Ryōta and Neko were killed, causing Saori to exhaust her magic. As a side effect of going back in time, Ryōta forgets the fact that Neko is Kuroneko. Saori is bound to a pipe, however, she tricks them into letting her go. Seeing her as useless, the lab triggers the beacon on her harness to eject, causing her entire body to melt. An amoeba-like creature moving across the floor revolts Ryōta, causing him to stomp on it. Hurrying back to the observatory after managing to get the pills, they find Kazumi there with Kana, both of which are only barely sustaining themselves. With the witches' lives secure for now, Neko goes with Ryōta and the class to the ocean, where Neko breaks into tears as though she wanted to see the view there for many years. Later, Neko gives Ryōta a communication device and a container with a fertilized alien egg, which were entrusted to her by Akane, a researcher who's responsible for the escaped witches. Ryōta bathes in a hot spring near the observatory when Kazumi and Neko come in, much to his embarrassment. Kazumi also uses her hacking skills to transfer into Ryōta's class, much as she did for Neko. Meanwhile, Chisato Ichijiku, the chief professor of the lab, is lectured by the higher-ups of the organization who stress on the danger of having witches roam freely. Shortly afterward, another transfer student named Kotori Takatori arrives at the observatory and asks to join the astronomy club as well. | |||
| 5 | "Stargazing" Transliteration: "Tentai Kansoku" (Japanese: 天体観測) | May 4, 2014 | |
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Registering for the club, Kotori gets acquainted with the others. With the club now having enough members, Ryōta amends that they should start an astronomical observation tomorrow night. Neko subconsciously breaks a table in jealousy after seeing Kazumi flirting with Ryōta. He learns from Kazumi that Neko loses part of her memory whenever she uses her magic, which explains the fact as to why she can't remember anything that happened during her childhood. That night, while going on a hike to the mountains, Neko remarks that she understands the constellations in the sky. Ryōta discovers Kotori's harness; at that moment, Kana foresees Neko's death again believing Kotori to be involved. Confronting Kotori on the pretext of her being a witch, the others reveal themselves taking Kotori by surprise. She displays her magic of teleportation then hung up, unsure if Kotori intends to kill them or not. Going back to stargazing, they are not excited at first, but as they see the moon and Saturn's rings through the telescope, things go through a nice change of pace. The next day, they are contacted by another fellow witch, Shino, who is being chased by Kikako hunting them down near a lake where the forecast is taking place. Neko goes to help Shino despite Ryōta's rebuff with Kotori following her. Arriving at the lake, Kikako fires a powerful beam from her mouth, thus killing Shino. | |||
| 6 | "The Meaning of Her Smile" Transliteration: "Hohoemi no Riyū" (Japanese: 微笑の理由) | May 11, 2014 | |
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Neko attempts to fight Kikako, but Ryōta presses her harness hanging up her magic not wanting Neko to waste her life. Neko distracts Kikako, while Kazumi hacks in to close off the area temporarily. Ryōta finds Kotori tying herself up to a pole. He commands her to switch with Kikako before she blasts Neko. Pressing her harness, Kikako is left defeated. Before evacuating the area, Kotori goes missing. They manage to locate her at a cottage seeing her bleeding from lack of pills. She talks about her friend Chie who stopped taking the pills for Kotori's sake. Chie used the last of her time to enroll Kotori in school as her birthday present to enjoy much fun as possible. Kotori prepares to die for Chie. Ryōta and Neko share the pills and convince her to keep living as a member of the astronomy club. The club members play and eat outside on a hot day. Then Ryōta goes to meet his uncle Kogorō Hashiratani, a scientist whom Ryōta believes has the capability to reproduce the medicine. He demonstrates Neko's magic to prompt Kogorō. | |||
| 7 | "Fragment of Hope" Transliteration: "Kibō no Kakera" (Japanese: 希望のかけら) | May 18, 2014 | |
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Detailing everything to Kogorō about the witches, he agrees to analyze the medicine's molecular structure and looks for a way to synthesize them. Unfortunately, it may take half to several years. Also, Ryōta has him look at the fertilized alien egg. The girls are glad to rely on Ryōta, with Kana stating that Ryōta likes Neko. Some classmates invite Neko to a karaoke house, though she gets flustered from singing in public. Ryōta tutors his next-door neighbor Kitsuka. The next day, Kotori tells Ryōta about rumors that the lab was founded hundred years ago by alien ruins and powerful aliens that could destroy humanity. Chisato reports to the higher-ups that after interrogating Kikako, their top priority is to capture #1107 and retrieve something known as the 'Grane'. Ryōta takes Kazumi to Akihabara to find equipment for the observatory's computer although she acts as if it's a date. He later takes out the communication device and turns it on, only for it to display an image of a map and a message in German. Kazumi translates the message, "Kill the witches now. Only then will we reveal the truth." | |||
| 8 | "The Last Lead" Transliteration: "Nokosareta Tegakari" (Japanese: 残された手がかり) | May 25, 2014 | |
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The device has a password to input yet, making them anxious that the messenger aren't allies, so Ryōta decides to go alone to the place where the map leads to. Two individuals wearing black overcoats appear at the spot where the device got activated. Later that night, Kazumi comes into Ryōta's house to narrow down the map's topography. Kazumi then starts asking Ryōta what he feels about Neko and strips herself naked while trying to get him to sleep with her. On Sunday, Ryōta arrives at a church indicated on the map, only to find it in ruins. He asks an old lady nearby about the church who states that it was unsuspectingly destroyed, however, there was no news coverage for it. Inspecting the church, Ryōta finds a German inscription on the walls. Suddenly, a police squad appears and seizes Ryōta without questioning. Fortunately, Neko makes it in time to destroy their cars and guns while Kotori teleports the mad chief of police to a tied-up tree somewhere. The girls tell Ryōta not to be so hard on himself and they should combine their strength together. Kogorō gets a call regarding the alien egg. Kana discusses Kazumi's perversion while the others were away. When they return, Ryōta brings intel of the German inscription with some words that were underlined in blood but is still unwilling to turn the device on at their current location. Meanwhile, the lab receives reports about #1107, #7620, and a high school boy (Ryōta) aiding them. Chisato's assistant, Kurofuku, goes to pinpoint their location with the witch, Nanami Tokō, making her appearance. | |||
| 9 | "False Memories" Transliteration: "Mozō no Kioku" (Japanese: 模造の記憶) | June 1, 2014 | |
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Nanami demonstrates her ability to scan and modify people's memory and has Kurofuku buy her sweets for her cooperation. She found Ryōta when crossing with Kitsuka. Nanami then alters Kurofuku's memory of her existence for the time being. She wants to enjoy herself in the outside world more, and then later manipulates Kitsuka to lure Ryōta to her. Nanami scans Ryōta and learns of the observatory and the girls. Shocked that Nanami saw through him, Ryōta tries to convince Nanami that there is hope for her to live on her own. Disbelieving, Nanami erases Ryōta's memory and leaves. However, Ryōta appears unaffected due to his photographic memory and alerts the girls. They then make the decision to end the conflict peacefully with Nanami. After staying at a hotel, Nanami tries to socialize with people but doesn't how to make friends. Ryōta, Neko, and Kotori (all wearing sunglasses) find her at a park and try once more to befriend her. Neko takes off her glasses to persuade Nanami, but she alters Neko's memory to attack Ryōta and Kotori. When Neko remarks Nanami as a 'friend' she realizes her wrongdoing and undoes her magic. Nanami finally decides to go with them. Kurofuku eventually regains knowledge of what's going on. | |||
| 10 | "Proof of Life" Transliteration: "Ikiteiru Akashi" (Japanese: 生きている証) | June 8, 2014 | |
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Taking Nanami to the observatory, Kogorō, who is there, asks him to find a way to remove the beacon on Nanami's harness. Neko then talks about how important friends are and how painful it is to lose them. But before Kogorō can do anything, the beacon activates and Nanami melts to death. As she melts, she erases the girls' memories of her so that they would not have to suffer from her death, except Ryōta and Kogorō. Ryōta laments over her death when Nanami suddenly appears beside him saying that she inserted her consciousness within his mind. Sometime later, while studying for test finals next week, the club members think whether should continue going to school or not since they only have three weeks' worth of pills left. Ryōta reminds them how they wanted to live as high school students and motivates them to a trip to the beach. In the evening, listening to Neko singing, he comforts her over the indirect kiss incident with Kazumi. He notices Neko doesn't remember the time she went to karaoke with friends. Fearing that she will forget about him, Ryōta embraces her. After the finals, the test results are out: Neko 1st, Ryōta 2nd, and Kazumi 3rd. They then head for the beach as a promise. Thinking of what they been through so far has made them happy with their lives. Elsewhere, Chisato takes the initiative to release Valkyria: an S-rank witch. In order to locate #1107, he has a team of A-rank witches to monitor her, who are all killed already by Valkyria. | |||
| 11 | "A Sudden Reunion" Transliteration: "Totsuzen no Saikai" (Japanese: 突然の再会) | June 15, 2014 | |
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A police squad confronts Valkyria in an attempt to question her. This provokes her to unleash her antimatter magic which incinerates the mountain they were on. As this occurs, one of the witches, Hatsuna Wakabayashi, recovers from her wounds thanks to her regeneration ability and sneaks away from the police at the crime scene. Looking upon what happened, the girls tell Ryōta that Valkyria is an ultimate hybrid with eight different types of magic. Knowing that a fight with Valkyria is out of their league, they think of a strategy to avoid her. Hatsuna, who overheard Valkyria has detected witches at an observatory, goes searching for them. She finds the club members faking their deaths so as to protect themselves. Hatsuna is then welcomed to the astronomy club and goes to wash at the onsen. While there, the girls tell Hatsuna how reliable Ryōta is. Testing if he really is trustworthy, she pretends to be helplessly stuck on a radio tower and calls Ryōta to get her. She deliberately slips off and Ryōta grabs her. Refusing to let go, in spite of her regeneration power. Ryōta swings her back onto the tower but sends him falling to the ground. Luckily, Kotori saves him, at which point relieves Hatsuna. Touched by Ryōta's actions, Hatsuna bluntly confesses and kisses him in front of the others. This causes Neko to blast down the tower in jealousy. Later, Kogorō calls in Ryōta with a theory that the witches' melting condition is based on a digestive enzyme: protease. Using a thesis that he learned from a man (Chisato) in college, it's possible to shorten the time on producing the medicine, however, it will still take a month. Valkyria - whose real name is Mako Fujisaki - is sightseeing when Chisato appears before her. Revealing to have unrequited feelings for him, Chisato requests Mako to bring him to where #1107 is. Ryōta returns with the bittersweet news, although there is a possibility for one of the witches can survive, none of them are willing to sacrifice the others for it. Kotori carries some juices then accidentally spills them on Neko. Exposing her chest, Ryōta rediscovers the birthmark on her breast and that she actually is Kuroneko. Crying in tears of joy, Ryōta reconciles with Neko and declares that he will help fill in her empty memories. They spot a helicopter coming their way and before they can escape, Mako appears who to Ryōta looks identical to Neko (albeit with white hair). | |||
| 12 | "Witch Hunt" Transliteration: "Majogari" (Japanese: 魔女狩り) | June 22, 2014 | |
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Mako and Chisato arrive at the observatory where they demand to hand over #1107 who's in fact—Kotori. Ryōta distracts them for Hatsuna to jump Mako from behind, but can't figure out which button to push on Mako's complex harness to hang her up. Mako retaliates by slicing Hatsuna in half. Wanting an explanation of why they have to be killed, Chisato states the B-rank witches are irrelevant. He orders Mako to kill Neko, but Ryōta pushes her away and takes the hit from Mako's magic. Losing consciousness, Nanami appears in astral form to Ryōta divulging the fact that Neko used to be an S-rank witch stronger than Mako and that the only way to regain her powers is to press the top button of her harness. However, the method is highly risky, after which Ryōta dies. With the girls distressed and defenseless, Mako is about to finish them off, but then the mysterious group of black-clothed individuals arrives who neutralizes Mako's magic following the device's signal that Ryōta turned on earlier. Nonetheless, Chisato escapes using Mako's teleportation taking Kotori along with them. Hatsuna recuperates herself and using her ability to heal with Neko and Kazumi performing CPR, they revive Ryōta; Hatsuna melts in the process. Miki and the individuals introduce themselves as Hexenjagd, a group resisting the lab, stating the witches still have to die because the "Drasils" inside them - the witches' true form - will eventually hatch and devour their bodies, giving birth to monsters. Moreover, Kotori has an entity called the Grane that can destroy all humanity. Hexenjagd tried to capture Kotori once but failed, though it was during this incident that they lost their comrade (Akane) and led to the other witches being able to escape. Kotori awakens before Chisato calling her Rena. Rena was Chisato's younger sister who believed is the only life meaningful to him until she died of an unknown sickness. He tells Kotori how aliens were believed to be the creation of humans on Earth. His efforts to revive Rena's soul within Kotori's body ended in vain. Not giving up, despite the revelation, Kazumi hacks into the lab's database to locate Chisato's whereabouts near the lake and having Hexenjagd to take them along. Kotori asks Chisato what he feels for Mako, though he answers that she is merely someone important for his plan. Suddenly, Kotori's harness gets activated and shoots a light called "Ain Soph Aur" into the Earth's atmosphere that begins covering the planet. | |||
| 13 | "Things to Protect" Transliteration: "Mamoritai Mono" (Japanese: 守リたいもの) | June 29, 2014 | |
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The light covers the Earth with Hexenjagd just staying helpless, so Ryōta, Neko, and Kazumi go to rescue Kotori on their own. Neko and Kazumi knock Ryōta out - not wanting him to risk his life any longer. Chisato remarks Takachiho's aim is to use "Ain Soph Aur" to reset the Earth to a whole new era. Though his only intention is to revive Rena, Kotori responds to Chisato how she wants others to smile regardless of her life so she ejects her own harness, therefore canceling the light phenomenon. Mako slices Kazumi in half but spares Neko as she is her little sister. As Nanami guides Ryōta, he finds Kotori's melting body. Listening to her final words, she asks Ryōta to tell her big brother not to harm anyone, and that she was happy till the very end. He also hears over Kazumi, as she mutters of wishing to have kids with Ryōta. Mako recalls how Chisato saved her once when exposing himself to radiation. Chisato commands to have Neko ejected when Ryōta hits him aside, shouting out Kotori/Rena's words at him. Mako uses gravity manipulation on Ryōta and Neko. Then Kana quickly intervenes, who is now able to move when having her top button pressed for the cost of her forecast magic. Neko then presses her top button as well. Her full power is now awakened and her memory as Kuroneko - Ryōta's childhood friend - is restored. Neko forms a barrier to counter Mako. Hexenjagd neutralizes Mako's magic and then fire at her with their guns, but Chisato shields her from the bullets. With Chisato dead, Mako now believes the world is meaningless and attempts to unleash her antimatter magic. Neko kisses Ryōta, before using a micro black hole on Mako, which swallows her up for good. Ryōta grabs Neko from falling off a collapsing cliff. Neko seems to have overexerted herself and unfortunately loses all her memories again. Kogorō later calls, that they have miraculously obtained the formula needed reproducing the pills for the witches. In the credits, they return to school, with Kotori's tombstone beside Chie's near the cottage they lived in. Kogorō, Hexenjagd, and the lab continuing their research on aliens. The astronomy club begins a fresh start on an astronomical observation with Kazumi restored thanks to Hatsuna. Ryōta lets Neko see the Summer Triangle in the sky through the telescope. | |||
OVA
| No. | Title | Original airdate | |
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| 11.5 | "Much Ado About Nothing" Transliteration: "Karasawagi" (Japanese: から騒ぎ) | September 24, 2014 | |
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The episode starts after Hatsuna's confession; Ryōta goes looking for Neko because of the "sudden kiss", with Kazumi having a self-conscious jealous rage. Wanting to know who Ryōta likes, he confirms it's Kuroneko, though he refuses to say anything more. Kazumi gets persistent, and then accidentally trips down the hill with Ryōta holding onto her. She finds herself in the observatory with everyone else. When Hatsuna starts flirting with Ryōta, Kazumi remarks that Ryōta is too slow of responding to girls' feelings and begins a rivalry for marriage. Kana then foresight that if things get any worse the observatory will collapse above them, but Kazumi dismisses her. The competition begins with cooking in naked aprons, Kotori is successful, but Kazumi and Hatsuna's were totally inedible. Next round, a test to endure in the hot spring ends in a draw. Then last, is massaging Ryōta, Hatsuna went first, Kotori swaps her place, and then Neko but failed. Neko gets upset then her magic causes the big telescope to fall onto Kazumi crushing her. Suddenly, Kazumi wakes up to find Ryōta giving her mouth-to-mouth. Kazumi realizes she had been hallucinating the whole time after falling down the hill. Neko misunderstands Ryōta for kissing Kazumi, and the fight over Ryōta's affection continues. | |||
External links
- Anime official website (in Japanese)
- Brynhildr in the Darkness (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia