Evil incarnate has returned to destroy the earth, its name is the Millennium Earl. A secret organization is know as the Black Order and it exists to stop the Millennium Earl in his quest. The Black Order is made up of a large support staff and a small group of Exorcists. The Exorcists all have one special ability. That ability is to connect with a power of mythological and magical proportion known as Innocence. There is one special Exorcist, Allen Walker, and he is believed to be the one that has the power to stop time. 

D. Gray-man season 1 part 1 gives us the full monty. The introduction of the Black Order and a peek into Allen Walker's past opens the door to this unusual world. The setting is the turn of the 19th to 20th century and our heroes are just beginning to understand their role in the play that is about to unfold. The introduction of Allen Walker to the Black Order members does not go smoothly, but he shows his worth in his first assignment. 

Allen was trained by the mysterious General Cross and had not had any contact with the Black Order. The General sent Allen to London to begin his duties as an Exorcist, but gave him little guidance, which led to Allen's first series of mishaps. Allen is a young rather naive teenager who has led a sheltered life and clearly has a few things to learn regarding socially acceptable behavior as well as what the general public knows about his cadre of fellow guardians. With all of his weaknesses, Allen proves himself to be a true leader and one that just might have a gift that few can attain.

Overall

The D. Gray-man series has a very strong following and for me it is all due to the first season.  This series, more so than others, started out so strong that it is hard to understand what happens as the series winds on. The character development is some of the best I have encountered in an opening season. Our protagonist, Allen Walker, is a young man of many layers and with the first 12 episodes you get a real feel for his demeanour. Allen starts off a rather shy and possibly incompetent person, but quickly becomes a thoughtful and rather empathetic character that not only understands the evil that exists in his enemy, but also has a true conviction in the redemption of their souls. This is played against the stark contrast of other Black Order members who appear to have cold calculating motives to their actions. 

The counterbalance between the confederates is also contrasted with the real enemy and the rather blatant disregard for humanity that the Millennium Earl and his minions display. The introduction of the Family of Noah also raises the stakes. The initial battles against the Akuma, the weaker demons, give a false sense of security to the Black Order’s strength, but when the Family of Noah shows itself, a new vulnerability is shown for the Black Order. Of course the strength of character saves the day. The darn Japanese and their sense of morality, it always tends to make the impossible possible.

D. Gray-man season 1 part 1 is the cornerstone of this series and its being released on Blu-ray is an added bonus. At first I was not sure why this series should be released on Blu-ray, with the palate being rather monotone, reds and shades of black, gray, and white. It seemed rather a waste of technology, but once I began to watch I understood why. I found the animation to be much more lively and inviting along with the high definition which takes the action sequence to the next level. The extras are not the draw; with only commentary and the standard textless songs there is nothing to draw you to this. It is the elevation of the animation that makes this a worthy Blu-ray purchase.

If you are just coming to this series and have Blu-ray, I would highly recommend this as a buy. If you love the series and are making the move to Blu-ray, well, it's a no brainer. D. Gray-man Season 1 Part 1 on Blu-ray reaffirmed and heightened my appreciation for this series and also knocked my socks off. This is one I will watch again and enjoy as if it is my first time.

ComicsOnline gives D. Gray-man Season 1 Part 1, Blu-ray 3.5 out of 5 out of control robots.