D.C. II S.S. ~Da Capo II Second Season~

[DanielSong39]

I don't think Yoshiyuki is that dense when it comes to romance - but he is unwilling/unable to take a step forward until he is committed to someone.

Yoshiyuki wasn't that interested in Koko and their relationship in their first season was strictly on a trial basis. He had no interest in having a relationship Nanaka or Yume, so it didn't matter to him whether they were interested in him or not. Otome - well, the opportunity is there, but he's in no rush to push things forward.

I believe that Yoshiyuki is the type to take things slow and let a relationship develop naturally. Trying to force matters would only push him away. It's not that he doesn't notice that the other girls are interested in him - but he's only willing to fully commit himself to the person he truly loves. Alas, Koko, Nanaka, and Yume (so far) have fallen short of the standard. Otome may get there but the jury is out on that one. Keeping my fingers crossed...

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

I don't think Yoshiyuki is that dense when it comes to romance - but he is unwilling/unable to take a step forward until he is committed to someone.

Yoshiyuki wasn't that interested in Koko and their relationship in their first season was strictly on a trial basis. He had no interest in having a relationship Nanaka or Yume, so it didn't matter to him whether they were interested in him or not. Otome - well, the opportunity is there, but he's in no rush to push things forward.

I believe that Yoshiyuki is the type to take things slow and let a relationship develop naturally. Trying to force matters would only push him away. It's not that he doesn't notice that the other girls are interested in him - but he's only willing to fully commit himself to the person he truly loves. Alas, Koko, Nanaka, and Yume (so far) have fallen short of the standard. Otome may get there but the jury is out on that one. Keeping my fingers crossed...

Well... I at least think you're partly right. He's a character who always wants to follow his heart, let's say. He wants to do the right thing to everyone all the time, but can't figure out how to prioritize. That being said, he is also pretty dense at figuring out women's mixed signals. Yume and Koko are both very indirect about their feelings, and this causes nothing but grief for them. On the other hand, Nanaka is (refreshingly?) straightforward for the most part, so it made it much easier for Yoshiyuki to make a decision about how he feels about her.

Otome is sort of in-between. She's most straightforward in her affection towards Yoshiyuki, but at the same time can be more distant in her "responsible older sister" sort of mode. This works in her favour a bit, though, because it's easier for Yoshiyuki to notice her change in behaviour (i.e. it's really obvious when she's being distant because it's uncharacteristic). Yoshiyuki also knows (and now remembers) about her distant behaviour in the past, so it brings out his kindness and caring. Basically, for a number of reasons, it's easier for Yoshiyuki to "figure Otome out" (which I suppose makes sense, given that they are "ishin doutai" after all...) That doesn't necessarily mean that Otome is the one he's going to fall in love with, but his relationship with her is more stable/consistent.

(Again, the above is based only on what's been shown so far in the anime, so no worries about spoilers or the like.)

[blitz1/2]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

In eroges, 100% chance if you take the paths of your little sister.
In Da Capo (anime), 110%.

I meant in real life.

[Cyz]

Yoshiyuki's dense-ness () is amusing. Yume had the intentions but he doesn't get it . It's quite obvious that Yume has feelings more of a sibling type. Wonder if Otome too?

[DanielSong39]

Some questions and comments about Episode 4:

Q:
1. Why couldn't Anzu sub in for Koko in the play? She wrote the play and she even had the luxury of reading the script since this was a puppet show.
2. Has Nanaka disappeared off the face of the earth? The play was obviously a foreshadowing but never imagined it would happen so soon.
3. Why does Sakura have to hide everything? At the very least, Otome should be informed as she is the "defender of justice" (or something like that).
4. Any chance Wataru asks Koko out? Now this would be fun to watch. I could imagine Koko getting upset at Yoshiyuki for not getting jealous. Insert Nanaka into the fray, and this could really blow up...

C:
1. Yoshiyuki's reactions to Yume's antics are pretty much spot on. He probably thinks Yume got rejected by the guy she really wanted to go with, and is too embarrassed to admit it. Besides, even if he suspects that Yume really likes him, he's not interested in her and would continue to treat her as a younger sister - so he's better off not knowing.
2. Yoshiyuki and Otome come across as a couple that has moved beyond the dating stage, as opposed to good friends that haven't quite taken the next step. Close, comfortable, and natural would be the terms I would use to describe their relationship. I believe Yoshiyuki/Otome was pretty much established at the end of episode 3, and I don't anticipate it changing.
3. Would love to see the rivalry between the sisters in full force. If Yoshiyuki for some reason broke his promise with Otome and decided to go with Yume - this would make this anime an EXACT COPY of D.C. Any bets on whether Yume starts coughing up sakura petals?
4. Sorry, but I don't like the fact that Sakura stayed so young. Would've much preferred to see an older Sakura - with an appearance and personality comparable to her grandmother from D.C. It would've made her interactions with her descendants a lot more believable. And it would've made potential Sakura/Junichi interactions a lot more interesting, to be sure (especially since Nemu is presumed to be dead).

[relentlessflame]

Assuming you weren't just being rhetorical, I can at least comment on the questions.

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

1. Why couldn't Anzu sub in for Koko in the play? She wrote the play and she even had the luxury of reading the script since this was a puppet show.

Well, memorizing the lines clearly isn't the issue (not only did she write it, but episode 2 established that she has a perfect memory). It's more that she can't act.

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

2. Has Nanaka disappeared off the face of the earth? The play was obviously a foreshadowing but never imagined it would happen so soon.

She was busy doing her own class stuff during the school festival (as Yume was "supposed" to be). They're obviously trying to cut to the chase because they have a lot of material to cover. Hate to say it, but I think Nanaka seems, for the most part, "last season".

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

3. Why does Sakura have to hide everything? At the very least, Otome should be informed as she is the "defender of justice" (or something like that).

The short answer would be because, if the truth were obvious, there'd be no mystery or plot!

Originally Posted by DanielSong39

4. Any chance Wataru asks Koko out? Now this would be fun to watch. I could imagine Koko getting upset at Yoshiyuki for not getting jealous. Insert Nanaka into the fray, and this could really blow up...

See #2. Based on the plot premise established in the first 4 episodes and the fact that this season is only 13 episodes long, I don't think they'll have time for anything like this. This season is about Otome, Yume and, to a lesser extent, Anzu (the three heroines not focused on last season). Keep in mind that another way of looking at this episode would be to see it as "17 of 26"; we're approaching the end now.

[DanielSong39]

In any case it's a strong start to the second season and I'm sure the important question (#3) will be answered by the end. Still, I'm starting to wonder who's getting the shaft in D.C. II. If the first season is any indication, the diasters are unknowingly caused by a broken heart, as a result of a broken promise. Since the promise with Otome is being fulfilled, the signs point to Yume... we shall see.

The other option is Sakura, who may have a secret grudge against the town for some unknown reason. As long as Aisia is gone for good, I'll be satisfied.

[Deathkillz]

Yea...I like Otome, but a nagging feeling tells me that because her story has started first, she will be the one most likely to lose out to Yume. It's less common to see a story like this backtracking to a girl's arc who is finished first and having her be the one the guy chooses. But it could be that the arc that this series is finishing with is Otome's, seen as her story isn't near completing. Where is the DRAMA

[Vexx]

bleh, still halfway through the first season... but still downloading this for a "rainy day".
Heck I may have to start over to regrasp the various threads.

so thats why I haven't said much :P

[MonkeyDude]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

Yea...I like Otome, but a nagging feeling tells me that because her story has started first, she will be the one most likely to lose out to Yume. It's less common to see a story like this backtracking to a girl's arc who is finished first and having her be the one the guy chooses. But it could be that the arc that this series is finishing with is Otome's, seen as her story isn't near completing. Where is the DRAMA

There will be drama, maybe even some tears if they do some great arc interweaving. I would actually prefer a Yume ending over an Otome one, which can't really be explained since it involves game spoilers.

Too bad Nanaka disappeared...or they just don't want to pay her VA

[Owaranai Destiny]

I'm thinking a sad ending. Otome's words seem somewhat cryptic, and her crying seemed almost out of place if it was mainly just based on the script of the play itself. I'd imagine her 'magician of justice' might also have a deeper meaning, and I do think the comments are not made just for the heck of it, but for self-assurance to herself.

Or maybe I'm thinking too much into it. I don't know.

For some reason I'm trying Season II out, and it actually works even though I did not finish Season I. Perhaps it's the emphasis on different heroines now, but it certainly looks and seems much enjoyable somehow.

[Jaka]

Season 1 is merely a setup for season 2...
13 episodes of blankness >.<

[Vegard Aune]

Originally Posted by Jaka

Season 1 is merely a setup for season 2...
13 episodes of blankness >.<

Pretty much. That was propably why they chose the one storyline from the game that had next to nothing to do with the others in season 1. Even though it was just a setup, they still needed a plot. And I still thought D.C.II was better than D.C.S.S., which I can hardly find anything good about, except the first 5 episodes and the ending... (Or maybe I just liked it because I'm such an obsessed Minatsu-fanboy... many others thought D.C.S.S. was better than D.C.II season 1. But I doubt anyone would disagree that the current season is better than both of them.)

EDIT: Not really related to anything, but I just went to check if a raw of episode 5 had been posted. (Because I wasn't sure if the show would even air this week, seeing how everything else seems to be taking a break) It had, and there was a rather rude comment beneath the torrent:

Originally Posted by The raw-providers whose name I won't mention

Die Chihiro Die!

Do the raw-providers have something against fansubbers or something?

[serenade_beta]

Spoiler for ep5:

And after an Otome episode, of course, we get a Yume episode.

Good episode, as far as Da Capo standards. Lots of Yume too. I prefer Yume appearances over Otome's, so this was good.

To put the episode into a sentence: "Everyone goes skiing, but Yume has a bad dream and stays away from Yoshiyuki to keep him safe, but in the end, the dream comes true, yet it was still a "happy end".

What? Can Yume see the future in her dreams? Or is it simply coincidence she had such a dream?
I mean, considering her bloodline and her sister being the magician of justice, her having magical powers wouldn't be that surprising.

Yoshiyuki starts to notice things. *shock*
They left the island, and he, once again, is wearing that charm from Sakura...

Oh, Nanaka still existed... What, is this her first appearance in 5 episodes?...

Oh yeah, and those two punks got what they deserved. Hahaha!

Preview: Cherry Blossom Labyrinth; Oh no, something bad is going to happen! Good ol' Sakura, always the God of Misfortune.

[rg4619]

And I still thought D.C.II was better than D.C.S.S., which I can hardly find anything good about, except the first 5 episodes and the ending... (Or maybe I just liked it because I'm such an obsessed Minatsu-fanboy... many others thought D.C.S.S. was better than D.C.II season 1. But I doubt anyone would disagree that the current season is better than both of them.)

In many ways, I think they're all of similar quality. Certainly, one's enjoyment of a story probably depends more on their views of a particular character (or whether they buy into the associated drama). From my perspective, the Sakura/Nemu conflict was no better than the Aisia or Minatsu melodrama, so I don't understand how one can be fantastic while another terrible.

Da Capo writing is always a bit limp and overblown, but that's part of the charm. With each series (including D.C. II SS), I cringe at times, but the characters and "feel good" nature never fail to win me over.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Spoiler for ep5:

Romantic, sentimental, sad but happy, and Yoshiyuki shows some sensitivity. I like.

[relentlessflame]

Spoiler for Episode 5:

My main observation that I picked up on right from the start was: guest episode director. It was immediately obvious to me that the episode was completely different from every other Da Capo episode. So I spent the last hour trying to figure out "who is this guy?" and apparently it's Keiei Yuuzumi, one of the animators at feel, who's done some storyboarding/episode-directing before and is credited as one of the animators for both of the OP sequences. I was a bit taken off guard because the style is very different compared to previous episodes. Some of the angles and shots used were quite neat -- I really liked the blizzard scenes and the way that whole thing played out, even if it felt a bit... I don't know... off-kilter? Maybe that had something to do with the timing of scene transitions and cuts? (Some cuts were quick, and others seem to hold to the point that you notice it the pause.) Also a very different use of pans in this episode (more quick zooms, and zoomed-in pans to switch focus). All in all, a very different but interesting episode.

Content-wise, the way this played out also reminded me an awful lot of a certain key scene in the original Da Capo anime. It's anime-original material (and some of it is slightly out-of-character), but I see what they're trying to do. They're basically making it pretty darn obvious for us how Yume feels about Yoshiyuki, and how conflicted she feels about it (for a few reasons).

While I do like the way this season is going, I still think they're being a bit too blunt about everything. Perhaps they think that the viewers are too slow and won't get it? But in any case, I'm still quite enjoying the show.

[Deathkillz]

ep 5

Spoiler:

Surprising how original material gives both Yoshiyuki and Yume a pleasant light. Yes, this must be the first time I don't find anything to critisize on either Yoshiyuki (for being an insensitive blockhead) or Yume (for a jealous, pouting "so and so").

The epsiode was done very nicely and in a way which was paced. It wasn't rushed but not slow either. Yume wasn't annoying as mentioned, and her reason for wanting to stay away from Yoshiyuki is highly valid (thnakgod it isn't something trivial).

I'm not surprised at all if she has magic, if Otome has them whay wouldn't Yume too? But being able to see into the future is a bit troublesome.

But I really enjoyed this episode. Very nicely done

Sakura might be working her magic soon...oh the joys ^^

ps. Great to see nanaka again, so she isn't dead

[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Deathkillz

ep 5

Spoiler:

Surprising how original material gives both Yoshiyuki and Yume a pleasant light. Yes, this must be the first time I don't find anything to critisize on either Yoshiyuki (for being an insensitive blockhead) or Yume (for a jealous, pouting "so and so").

Spoiler for Episode 5:

Well, yeah... that's the part that's slightly out-of-character. Yoshiyuki is a shade too perceptive, and Yume's feelings are a shade too transparent (to us, at least) compared to before. The usual Yume/Yoshiyuki are more like what we saw in the past few episodes, where she plays distant/hard to get, and he can't figure out what's going on. That sort of played out here too (she was being distant, and he did wonder what was going on), but the emphasis was different. In this episode, he noticed her distance right from the get-go and dwelled on it, and so it sort of a had a "why is he so focused on her all of a sudden?" feel to it. But that was indeed the whole anime-original part (the rest of the ski trip stuff is basically straight from the game), and I don't think it turned out badly. In fact, I quite liked it.

I guess that's basically what this whole series (both seasons) is like, now that I think about it -- every time they animate a "the whole gang" part of the game, they have it focus on one character in particular. Last season, it was Koko, Minatsu, and Nanaka, and this season it's Otome, Yume, and Anzu. I guess they're trying to make each episode sort of "stand alone", rather than making everything a giant "to-be-continued". And now that I think about it again, this is exactly the same approach the director used with his last work, Nagasarete Airantou -- every episode was a character episode to a certain degree. It's a bit of a different approach, but it's not bad.

[Kristen]

I'm going to sound a little bit morbid and sadistic here...

I kind of was hoping that Yume would have gotten more than an ankle sprain. I was hoping for like a broken knee or tibia, or something in the leg. Having her on crutches for the rest of the season would be incredibly amazing. I think I have an injury moe or something, but I find characters like that to be so amazing, and pretty cute too. So, as of now I'm kind of disappointed that her injury isn't something that'll change the season. At least, not how it looks now.