More moments are needed though, they need to explain why Hei saw a naked Yin saying goodbye to him in his dream....unless he is really perverted person...
Heh, you probably just answered your own question.
I don't hate Yin. She's a very tragic character when you combine both seasons together. I'm not a Yin shipper either.
With Yin, those preview monologues in S2 gave you a hint of what she was feeling.
Both characters desired a "reset" due to their situations. Yin's situation couldn't get any worse. Shion's family got screwed. The reset was only possible with Shion and Yin cooperating with each other and Hei pulling the trigger so to speak. The by-product being Yin's son getting released onto Earth 1.0 to destroy it so that only one version of something remains. (ie in case that a "true" copy gets made with memory ability without a meteor core). So the "true" copy becomes the real Earth and Earth 1.0 disapppears from history. Sort of like what was trying to be accomplished in Noein. Getting to Paradise by crushing the bones of others. It's my theory anyways...
This was my main problem with S2's ending, you can come up with theories to explain some things, but it's hard to actually base them on things that we were actually shown, most of it is pure speculation. Also, Izanami was the one who's motivation I'm hoping we see, the OAD has already made a clear distinction between Yin and Izanami, and from the preview it looks like it'll keep developing Izanami further.
p.s. Based on some of your previous posts I got the feeling you weren't very fond of Yin, so sorry if I was mistaken there.
[QUOTE=Kaoru Chujo;2897342]I may have overstated. I certainly enjoyed it as much, though. I liked Suou and her development. I liked the effect she seemed to have on Hei, helping him come back from his dark period. I liked Suou and July. I liked the fact that it was less episodic and more continuous. I loved Hanazawa Kana's acting. I was no more dissatisfied with the ending than I was with the first season's ending. And action is not one of the main things that interests me.
Gonna have to agree here for the most part.
Darker than Black, for me, has always been a series about the characters and plot, not about the action. The only thing I really have against the second season is the terrible, terrible ending, and the lack of an explanation as to how Izanagi/Izanami came to be (though I guess that's what this OAD is for). Season 2 had some good development with Suou, and although she certainly isn't Hei, Hei himself said that Suou was similar to himself at one point. So watching Season 2 was kind of like watching a precursor to Season 1. Just replace Suou with a much younger Hei, and all of the people Suou held dear to her with Bai/Pai.
That being said, good episode, gave it a 9/10. Really hoping that the following eps clear up a few of the loose ends of season 2.
First off, I loved the second season. That said, I enjoyed this OA(D?) a lot too, though I've always been a bit disgusted at the insinuation that there might/is something romantic brewing between Hei and Yin. I realize Yin is the embodiment of Rei-like doll girl that a certain type of person may salivate over and that has been used ad nauseum in anime for this very reason, but frankly I'm not one of them. But, to each their own.
I guess my only real disappointment is that we already know how this will end, which kind of takes a lot of the suspense out of it. I'd much rather see word that a third season was in the works.
And how sad that it wasn't really April after all. Why are my favorite characters usually the ones with only partial screen time (or any)!
Oh, and Yin is a bit freaky in her jealousy/possessiveness. Who can blame Hei for having conflicting emotions towards her by season 2. :/
All in all, I'd give it an 8. It was a bit pedestrian. Certainly not better than the OVA for season one, which was just hilarious. I'm not ashamed to admit that my 8 is probably high, simply because I'd devour anything with the label DtB on it.
So much hate for season two . Season 2 was great for me. In terms of themes, S2 picked up what s1 has left off and further expounded them. Ryūsei no Gemini deserves its Darker than Black main title.
I loved the OAD especially how they used indirect means in conveying the emotions and motivations of the characters, which DtB had done in both seasons. Rather than tell us through explanatory/ straight to the point dialogue, they showed it to us.
I especially loved the meaningful echoes particularly that they were echoes from the last episodes of both seasons. DtB really made use of this trope, lots in s1 and a few in s2 (though it did have fewer episodes and a more continuous plot progression, event wise).
Spoiler for S1 echo:
Hei: “Yin…. Don’t…Don’t leave me alone.”
Spoiler for S2 echo:
Hei: You should believe in me too. I won’t leave you alone
Yin: “You’re lying”
I particularly loved:
Spoiler:
Yin stayed awake tending for an injured Hei.
- Yin initiated a conversation with other people, concerning the ordering of food, accepting the hat and somehow informing the hotel clerk of their plans in boarding a boat, much to the disapproval of Hei.
- Hei’s angry stare back at Yin for ratting them out about the boat. SMILEY
- Hei losing composure and being affected by “Amber”.
- Hei not taking the ship for Yin’s sake
- Yin seemingly going in for the kill out of jealousy towards the “Amber”, moreover resorting to lying to force Hei away from “Amber”, though “she” turned out to be a real contractor.
- Last but not the least, Hei’s rave music…UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ
Concerning Yin being “evil”, we are not yet sure about this, though describing her to be evil feels wrong. True, Yin seemed, imo, wanted to kill the “Amber” and she did kill a contractor, though in defense of Hei. Rather than evil, she could be seen as a victim of circumstance/fate. Note how Yin’s changes mirrors Bai’s. Both were innocent but because of their conditions, Bai becoming a contractor, Yin’s “evolution, they became killers. Both Bai and Yin were showed surrounded by contractors that they killed in s1 and s2 respectively. Both also resulted in Hei opting to kill them though their separations from Hei were different. Yin may not want it, but she is changing, for the worst…
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo
In fact, though, this does combine some of the tone of the first season with the softer tone of the second.
For me, both seasons have fairly the same tone, both having their share of heart-warming and cynical tones and moments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Freeter
Dammit Hei, your woman is thoughtful enough to order you all that food, at least let her walk beside you on the beach
If you’re referring to Yin’s failed attempt in holding Hei’s hand due to his “distance/distancing”, I cant really blame Hei since he saw the splitting image of Amber. Recall that towards the end, Hei got to know Amber’s feelings for him, moreover, all the things she has done was not of betrayal but of her concern for all contractors, in particular her love for Hei. I guess it put Hei in deep thought/recollection, much to the “anger” of Yin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CantQuiteGuess
Nice to see the Yin hating continue, but even if all that were true it's still poor execution on the part of the writers to not show that. Not knowing Shion or Yin's motivations made it hard to care about the whole earth 2.0 plan they had going.
Rather than poor execution in their part, I see it as an attempt to make us viewers think which is one of the things I loved about DtB.
One of my interpretations of S2 end concerning motivations
Spoiler:
In terms of motivations, Shion was pretty transparent towards the end; he wanted a world free of the gates and contractors. He made the perfect “escape” for Suou who Hei, especially during the South American War would surely have wanted also. Yin on the other hand wanted to die, but before biting the dust, chose to aid Shion in his plan. Despite being a one sided deal, it could be seen that it was through Shion and Madam Oreille’s interventions that aided Hei in finding Yin serving as their compensation. Another theory could be seen in Yin’s “Its not too late line”, where it could be mean that Yin was offering Hei to be part of the new world, leaving behind the old world’s disdain towards contractors and probably Yin herself which involves the responsibility of killing her leaving the old world on its own devices against the calamity which has her as the focal point. (Hei could not possibly kill her and be part of the new world at the same time). I am not sure, about this, these but some of the other theories/interpretations concerning the ending to S2 . I guess that the OADs would further reveal clues for the various theories and speculations, especially concerning Yin’s motivations, involvement (Shion’s plan) and new found powers (this could shed more light on her role, mechanics wise, during the creation of the new world), though I will not be surprised if they will not be “explicitly” addressed or not addressed at all.
Inazami is not evil. Her powers do not affect regular humans, just contractors. She's more like a force of nature, a predator.
To a lot of people in the DTB universe, ontractors are evil. Something that kills those that are considered to think like sociopaths/psychopaths may not be considered evil by most. The real problem they believe she poses is her potential to bring war. Contractors and humans will fight over her.
She turns herself in because of Hei. She is capable of killing his kind, and thus Hei himself. Humans see her as a weapon, a way to even out the playing field between contractors and humans. Contractors see her as a threat. She herself, can't control the urge to prey on contractors. She volunteers to die in order to protect Hei (aka, the only person she really knows and cares about).
Another point, Yin is not that young. The person she is based on was about 8 or so when she died. The the moon was still visible at the time. That was 10 years before DTB. Her former music teacher recognized her and didn't think she looked too young to be herself. She should be able to pass off as someone in her late teens. Kiko even hangs out with her as someone of her own age. Her cover was running a corner store, dispensing stuff like cigarettes. She should appear as someone between 16-20 years of age. She's petite, frail, and very youthful but it appears she is supposed to be around 18 or 20. Kiko treats Suou as a little kid and Suou is around 13 or 14. Kiko treated Yin as someone about her own age.
By the way, one of the big mysteries in DTB is how dolls are made. We still don't know. We know a bit about contractors but next to nothing about dolls.
Things that are interesting...
1) Inazami broke Suou's meteor fragment but... METEOR FRAGMENTS can't be broken permanently. They reassemble. And the whole experiment was to see if Suou can form and retain memories without it. She seems to be forming memories fine and dandy in Earth 2... why? If copies can't form long term memories... why can she? Why can everyone on Earth 2? Suou on Earth 2 has no lens. Is she just a regressor in this second earth? Will she "remember" her past?
2) Hei is a wild card. When Misaki went into the gate, she entered the golden plane... the one we saw at the end of season 1. Hei's powers returned and his hidden powers are galactic. We don't know if his powers were needed to jump start Earth 2. We still don't know what his blue scary aura, "the Bai" effect would have on Inazami/Inazagi. We're not quite sure if he used his "Bai inherited" powers on July and Suou. If someone is capable of changing them... he can.
The whole affair with Earth 2 brings up... Nick Hillman. The lens transported him somewhere. Where was this place?
Suou was an experiment. Earth 2 was an experiment. But... Shion is dead. My guess is that they may have tried to recreate something... Bring back Amber or Bai from the dead? Find a place to stash Heaven's gate? Suou's ending did kind of suck, if she is just forgotten in any continuation.
Oreille formed THe NEw Syndicate to fulfill Shion's plan. Shion is the male Amber. We won't know jack until we know what his end goal was.
This show is Anime "Lost."
I liked S2. It didn't have much filler and it will of set up a third season, nicely. Seems like they had a 24-26 season in mind but then decided that having Hei without powers for a full season and Suou sharing the spotlight as she was, was just too much. So they cut out the filler. It seems like it needed a few extra episodes and more "show time" on the run to make the bond between Hei, July, and Suou more realistic. Some lines seem like they would have made more sense, if we would have been given the sense that they were on the run over a few months instead of a few weeks.
What I really want to know about this OAV, is if Inazami is just an entity that possessed Yin or if it was Yin herself. If Inazami is alien then that means Yin could have survived.
I liked S2. It didn't have much filler and it will of set up a third season, nicely.
While I love everything DtB, the two seasons were essentially narrated by Misaki as if she's telling a story about her past. The fact she states in her narration that she never saw Hei again at the end of season two does seem to insinuate some finality.
Of course, it's easy to get around this. The next hypothetical story arc could occur after whatever theoretical timepoint Misaki might have been ruminating (ie: narrating) from. It would cheapen the entire point of her narration from the two seasons, but would be well worth it for more DtB goodness. While, I haven't heard any word of any plans for future seasons, here's hoping!
And for confusions over Izanami, the second season borrowed very liberally from the actual Izanami/Izanagi mythos, and frankly had a heck of a lot less real questions left than say...season one.
watched this so late... it is good to know exactly what happened between the 2 seasons
Yin is shown to have more feelings and emotions than a Doll suppose to have, and she started to have that power of controlling others, anyway she is so cute here
btw i like season 2 too and also hoping for another season to explain it all
Her narration seems more like a description of events in the immediate past to a new recruit or an old friend.
It's like she's bringing people up to date several months to a few years after the events of season 2.
"Thanks for joining our organization. You've been working for us a while now. You want to know the truth. Sit down. Let me make some coffee first. A few years ago I was a cop. I met this guy and he had super powers.
.
.
.
Well. He saved the world, a second time. Japan was invaded. Goro, Oreille, and me decided to open up shop to not only liberate japan but to oppose any government from pulling stuff like they've done in the past. We've only been at it for a few months and they've already, ironically enough, tagged us as the Syndicate. Syndicate used to represent the governments of the world, we oppose them. Figure that one out.
Oh, you want to know what happened to HEi? Well, I haven't seen him since then. His star is still active. He seems to have gone off the grid. And here we are. It doesn't look like much but we're going to liberate Japan. We're just getting started."
The audience is being treated as someone she trusts. She's bringing people up to date with the events. It's like a set up for season 3.
…UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ
