Cremora is a small, picturesque European kingdom with an old world flavor, but still firmly 21st Century. This would make Cremora the perfect spot for a family vacation – if it wasn’t for all that blood. But such is such in the world of B: The Beginning.

There’s a serial killer on the loose who has been slaughtering the criminal lowlife, leaving his signature B at every scene. Called Killer B by the police, he is sought by a special unit called the Royal Investigative Service or RIS. Lilly, a spunky, petite, cute, highly spirited, and somewhat inexperienced cop is made a member of the team. So is the veteran Keith Flick, a sloughy cop in a world of his own, but who sees what others do not see, and he deduces what others cannot figure.

OK, so forget about Killer B for a moment. There is a new gang in town committing all sorts of senseless crimes and terrorizing the kingdom. Are these crimes a deliberate distraction or a build-up to a greater crime?

But let me get away from the story for a second and introduce you to Koku. He’s a violin maker working in the shop owned by Lilly’s father, and thus a friend of Lilly’s. Early on we discover that he is also Killer B, longing for his long lost love Yuna.

We get backstories galore explaining the backgrounds of Koku, Keith, and the various villains. And we get questions, some of which it seems Flick already knows the answers to. Does he even know about the Regis?

There is a lot of bloodletting here, but the good news is it is not to cover for lack of a story. There are some very good characterizations created by the writers. Nice artwork, good animation. And of course, many lives hang in the balance.

So will Killer B be exposed? And what is his real purpose? Who are these weird gang members? Is there a mole within the police? Who lives? Who dies? Keep watching.

B: The Beginning goes from dark to darker. I personally love anime that goes dark. Not for the squeamish or for the little ones. But I do recommend B: The Beginning to everyone else.

It is available on Netflix Streaming.