First off, as someone who's played the game and watched both anime seasons (have you glanced at the manga too?), I hope you at least noticed the sheer mass of cross-references. In-sa-ni-ty. "Mada Nii-san iru kana...?" is the one that sticks out the most. Well that and the opening scene that was nearly straight out of the manga. Episode 25 was like a curtain call - probably the last time we'll see the D.C. characters in animated form like that, and what a way to go. It simply felt nostalgic.

And just like how Kotori was the key to understanding episode 24, Mako was the key to understanding 25 (although Sakura also said it point blank so you wouldn't miss it). Talk about driving a point home. You could almost have imagined that this was second season starting all over again - it's just nuts. Hence the title, of course. This gives a much deeper meaning to the plot - it's a message of false hope and its inevitable collapse. A Da Capo can't solve anything because it's not a reset - but even if it were, as Sakura asked, would you keep resetting for all eternity? It's too bad that you can't go back and stay forever trapped in the world before the end of season one, but you can't - time marches on. And the girls in Second Season have been trapped in this time warp of false hope caused by Nemu's departure, and then extended by Aisia's wish. In the end, happiness is only possible by moving forward and accepting the truth. That's some harsh medicine for the other girls (and for people who resent Nemu's ending in the anime), but it's the reality in a post-Season One world. Good for the producers to stick with the message. Now, even the way they handled the P.S. characters makes sense to me.

You didn't really think that the reset was going to work, right? As I said last time (now lost in the Aisia's forum reset void), they're resolving all the plots and tying them together, and they're on the exact right path. This is the way the show has to go; it's the right ending for Da Capo, and I couldn't be any more satisfied with the way the loose ends are being resolved. It's not so much that I love all the Nemu x Junichi melodrama, but I wanted an ending that was well-justified. This goes above and beyond.

Yeah, I did get some of them, and they were great. And no, I didn't look at the manga, unfortunately. I have no idea where to find it, and I tend to buy most of my manga translated to Spanish or English.

I know. I did understand episode 25, and I do get the message of the show. I have no problems with that. About the way they handled the DCPS/DCPC characters though, I wasn't that happy about it, though it's very understandable because of the huge amount of characters and lack of time. I wanted them to get more focus, that's for sure. Same about the other girls. This seems to be more about NemuxJyunichi, again. They can certainly resolve the NemuxJyunichi thing in the following episode (actually, they definitely will), but I wonder what'll happen with everyone else. If anything, anyway.
I know you could say it's a shallow way to look at things, but in the end, it's all about NemuxJyunichi.

Of course the reset was never going to work, it'd go against the message of the show. I can say that it'll be well done, why'd I disagree with that? It is. But it doesn't mean I like the way it went. NemuxJyunichi melodrama is, to me, corny (ep. 24) and boring and they got enough focus last time around. I was hoping it'd be more about moving on and everyone finding their path, but the message seems to be more "life's harsh", and I can't say I'm happy with someone like Nemu finding her happiness and everyone else, who I think are much nicer people, not doing so. But that's more a personal problem - I'm fully aware I can't blame that on "bad writing" or any of that crap. If there's anything I can say "meh" to (regarding the actual quality, and that's pushing it quite a bit) it is too much focus on Nemu and Jyunichi, the fact that it was useless to break them apart again, and too little focus in everyone else, but stuff like everyone moving on or not isn't any more or less realistic than what happened, it's just not the way -I- wanted things to go.

Yeah, but, pay attention to what D.C.S.S. itself says about that. Aisia wasn't wrong to wish for everyone's happiness, and she didn't find Nemu to be deserving either, but you can't undo the past. That's the harsh medicine that both you and Aisia have to face. Even though the Nemu & Junichi melodrama is corny (and I think that's exactly the point - it's not because they're incapable of doing otherwise), it's the truth. Nemu never was the most perfect or more deserving of the girls by any stretch. She was (and is) a jealous, posessive, vengeful "little sister" type of character. Second Season made no effort whatsoever to "redeem" her character, because that was precisely the point. She didn't have to be redeemed, and you don't have to feel anything for her anymore. The only thing that made her deserving is because Junichi has always loved her, and that alone is enough. You wanted them to focus more on the aftermath, but how can they when the girls still hadn't accepted the truth (and, I would argue, neither have you)? Don't you see the irony here? I realize, of course, it's a show, but I don't believe the parallels between the fans and the characters in the story are by accident.

Now of course, I'd fully expect you to say "I know that already - they didn't have to rub it in". But that's exactly what they're doing, and it's because you're trying to brush it off just as the girls were trying to do at the start of this season. (You're basically saying "We already know Junichi and Nemu are together - can we talk about something else already?") I would suggest that maybe the reason for your mixed feelings about the end is because, as you said, "Life's harsh", and that's not somethat that you, as a viewer, want to be told either. Don't get me wrong - if I'm using you as an example, it's only because I think you're capable of understanding what I'm trying to say without overreacting and becoming defensive. Like the show, it's simply something to think about. You have mixed feelings about the ending because you think it's unfair, and that's precisely the point of the ending afterall. The fact that you don't feel any sympathy for Nemu is also part of the point they're trying to drive home. So, by hating the ending, you're also, by extension, "getting" it (so long as you don't throw the baby out with the bath water :p ). Love isn't always pretty or poetic, but denying it is being selfish. A very unusual twist in a love story, but also very poignant.

Oh yeah, and incidentally, about the P.S. characters. It's not so much because they ran out of time I don't think, but it's because it'd be impossible to go back to a time before the end of season one. Their stories have to take place before Junichi chose a girl, and that's just not possible, even with Aisia's "reset". This too supports the overall message of the show and is part of the harsh aftermath left by season one. Their appearance in Second Season only help exemplify the happiness (and attention) that they are being denied. They, like absolutely every character in the story, were tools to drive home the message. It's actually quite ironic, in a way.

Edit: You may get the false impression that I'm trying to say you're wrong and, on a personal level I don't think so at all. In fact, I'm not even sure what to think on a personal level anymore. What I'm trying to point out, though, is the irony of the show's message and how that ties in to your opinion of the ending. So, again, please don't think that I'm saying "you're wrong!" or anything like that - on a personal level, I think I actually agree with you in a lot of ways. But, recognizing what the show seems to be trying to say is a frustrating, yet interesting irony. It puts things in a different perspective, and that's why I'm sharing it. I hope that makes at least some amount of sense, and that you don't think I've totally lost it... :heh:

Obviously. Nemu is a lot of things, but like I've always said, Jyunichi loves her and she loves him back. So they should be together. It's not really just about Nemu...it's more about everyone else. I wouldn't mind what Nemu and Jyunichi do together, I just think it sucks that the rest of the cast are perfectly nice people, and they aren't happy. That's what bothers me.

Oh please, don't worry about that. You're a civil and reasonable person and there's no problem with you drawing those parallels. It is the feeling it gave me after all. Indeed, it's well done, the message got through, but like you said, it's unfair, and it's sad. And I can really relate to the characters, in fact, I think we all can - everyone goes through happy moments in their lives, but also sad moments, and anyone who has both been happy and has suffered because of love can really understand it.
So I'm not arguing about the quality of the show at all, nope. It is good and if we can forget about all the magic it's quite realistic as well (well, except for someone like Jyunichi being popular, but hey :heh: ). I'm just saying that it was touching and sad, and it doesn't feel nice. In other words, if I went and watched something like KGnE, it'd probably really get to me. It's funny when fictional things can actually move you, but I guess that speaks volumes of the quality of the things that can do that, especially since I'm the type who never cried when Bambi's mother died and things like that, hah...

Well, I was more referring to the lack of screentime they had, which could be blamed on so many characters and just 26 episodes, but I guess that there wasn't much to say about them anyway, even if they had more time.

Of course. I think you also care about the characters and their happiness. The thing we probably disagree about is how you feel about Nemu and how I feel about her on the other hand, but otherwise on a personal level I think we both care for everyone else.
And, stop excusing yourself and apologizing already :heh:. I don't think you've lost it at all. You certainly make a lot of sense and your analysis of the show probably helped me understand it a lot better.

Basically, it depends on the point of view. Looking at it from the outside and at the bigger scheme of things, it's a really well told story with a powerful message. On the other hand, from a personal point of view, and getting more involved in the story, you feel sad for the characters and hope that they'll be able to find happiness.

Of course - maybe I'm still habouring false hope like everyone else in the show, but I still think that the last episode might show everyone starting to move on. Aaand I haven't lost all hope for a nice, quick epilogue either, especially considering there will be DCII and all. :heh: