Episode 001

Encounter (Kana: 三位一在 ; Romaji: Sanmi Ichizai ; "Doppeliner") was the first episode of the series Kurokami, part of the first season. It originally was released at 27 December 2008.

Introduction
Keita Ibuki meets Kuro. We find out that there are three of everyone in the world (liners), and when any two of them meet, they both die, leaving the remaining one (root) alive. Three characters are shown to die because of this.

Production

 * Episode 1 was originally released on TV Asahi in Japan on 27 December 2008 and reaired on 8 January 2009, broadcast in the original Japanese
 * Episode 1 was broadcast on ImaginAsin in the USA on 8 January 2009 dubbed in English
 * Episode 1 was broadcast on AniBOX in South Korea on 9 January 2009 dubbed in Korean
 * Episode 1 was released on Crunchyroll on the internet on 18 May 2009 subbed in English

Summary
Ibuki Keita remembers his mother meeting her double, and then some days later, being run over by a sportscar and dying. He was comforted by his childhood friend, the older girl Sora Akane. He is a loner, and lives alone, with remittances from his father to support his apartment lifestyle while going to highschool. He ignores the invitation by his apartment building neighbour and her young child, Mayu, whom he sometimes looks after, and begs off dinner, implying having a date. He is late for school, and runs into Risa, who is also late. Later at school, people talk about if you meet your doppelganger you will die. Keita advises the girls to be careful, and denies believing in it. Risa is teased by her friend because she thinks Keita likes Risa. Risa and friends go to a concert. Keita's (male) friends invite him out, but he begs off claiming needing to babysit a neighbour's child. Keita hangs around shops all day long after school. Mayu runs into Keita, and they head home. At a crosswalk, when the way is clear for pedestrians, Mayu crosses, but Keita tries to stop her. She is hit and runover by a truck and killed. Later, Risa meets her double at the concert. She is then also killed. When Keita sees the flowers for Risa on her desk, he freaks and runs home. Later when he is having ramen at a street cart, he encouters Kuro, who was hoping to buy ramen, but did not have enough money to even buy cup ramen. Keita gives her his. He explains that there are three of everyone in the world to the cart owner, the doppeliners. Kuro corrects and expands that to the Doppeliner System. Kuro is attacked by someone who has superhuman strength. But the cart owner and Keita try to defend Kuro, only to be knocked for a loop. Kuro shows herself to have superhuman strength, and beats up the attacker. Kuro follows Keita home and eats out of his fridge. She then leaves. Keita sees someone who looks just like his mother, and tries to ride the subway repeatedly to meet her again.

Continuity
Whereas the manga proceeds in a straightforward manner, the anime starts in flashbacks. Unlike the manga, this episode reveals that Mayu is a friend of Keita's, and not a new acquaintance. Further, she is introduced much earlier into the story than in the manga. Unlike in the manga, where Keita is a college student, in the anime, he is still a high school student. Also, an additional character is added, Risa, to over-emphasize that meeting your double results in your death. Unlike in the manga, where Keita knows of doppelgangers, Keita already knows of doppeliners. Kuro still reveals the Doppeliner System to Keita at the ramen stand. In the anime, unlike the manga, it is Keita who is a regular at the booth. Kuro also knows more about money than in the manga. In the manga, Kuro just mentions that she wants to kill the strongest, whereas in the anime, she says she wants to kill her brother. Unlike in the manga, where the contract bond is made after the first fight, no contract is made. However, unlike the manga, Keita is not as self-centered, and takes in Kuro, instead of kicking her out when she rescues in as in the manga.