Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha

[Ryllharu]

Rushed? Uhh... first series, albeit it was indeed good, was a mesh of tons of smaller stories, whereas this second season was just one big story.

The ending could have been better, yes, but if we think it slowly... aside from it being a sequel... how can we compare the two series when its format is completely different.

How many mini-arc did we have on the 1st series anyway?

The bigger difference was that all those mini arcs that seemed so episodic and pointless came back together at the end of the series in some appreciable (though occasionally minor) way. The second or third arc was with the girl who was wavering between becoming a contractor or rotting away, only to become a full blown contractor and get taken in by the Syndicate. She reappeared at the end, very much like Tanya did here, and was part of the forces fighting against Amber's. She even killed a few contractors so that Amber had to waste energy to bring them back. That told us in full how the Syndicate treats their contractors, like little more than weapons, and that the Contractors themselves are either brainwashed or don't really mind. Tanya actually had to directly mention that to give a similar description of the Russian forces.

Each of the other arcs developed characters or relationships so that we might actually feel something when they died in the final arcs. How much screentime did Hazuki really get? If we weren't told that she found Youko to be special, would we really even know? Just the one kiss, "to get the taste out," was ambiguous enough that we wouldn't even suspect it. I for one was not saddened or thrilled by her death, it was more of an, "Oh, she's dead now, I wonder (but doubt) if Hei really killed her," moment.

So despite the different format, I do think we should have expected more out of the single arc that should not have left any loose ends. Mini arcs seemed to work quite well.

[digitalrurouni]

Ryllharu, I think you need to include in your post the fact that the first season of DtB also had the job of establishing the world in which contractors live and also in exploring the complexities of the main character of Hei. That is why they showed that arc of that moratorium girl. That is why there was that other short story/arc of that young gangster who fell in love with the doll and because of that Yin started to look at Hei differently etc etc (maybe that happened before etc). Also the back story with Yin was great and so was that story with Mao. My point is that all those small arcs in the first season ultimately had an impact overall in the big picture. They all coalesced together very nicely in the end. Not to mention Amber was effing hot.

This season all we got was SOME action, a LOT of confusion, and a prepubescent main character who was at the most...cute. Thats it.

[Buffalobiian]

I agree with most of your post, so this will sound like nitpicking, but it stood out too much for me not to comment.

That is why there was that other short story/arc of that young gangster who fell in love with the doll and because of that Yin started to look at Hei differently etc etc (maybe that happened before etc).

It really wasn't because of the gangster falling in love with a doll that Yin saw Hei differently. Even though all the dolls probably communicate to each other in some way via their network, they seem to develop, respond and grow through their unique experiences individually. That doll grew to smile at the gangster because he was nice to her. Yin grew to like Hei because of their experiences together. July grew to like Suou in a similar fashion.

That arc showed that dolls aren't exactly the emotionless zombies they're made out to be, and/or that they can move on from that state to become something more.

[animus]

What the hell did I just watch 12 episodes of?

Everything was such a mess in this series. I don't even know what the hell they were trying to convey. This meteor stone cop out to retain memories doesn't make any sense. So magically she lives her life with implanted memories then suddenly gets the meteor core so she can retain her memories? Are they gonna go the lame route again and say everything before then was just a fabrication too? How would they explain Tanya and Nika after the stone?

This episode was all sorts of WTF. Unlike the first series, all the previous episodes in this series have no point whatsoever. All that training Suou did? Didn't get to use it a single time. The buildup of Suou's mother? Doesn't matter, the ending doesn't make any sense. The impact of the meteor core and Shion's words in the first episode of it's importance? Lame copout. Misaki's significance even though she got so much screen time? Nada. The point of Hei and Yin? There was one? The explanation of what happened in the first place between Hei and Yin? I sure as hell am clueless. How Yin and Shion even make sense to be Izanami and Izanagi respectively? Shrug. How Yin again has these powers and has the powers to grant wishes as a doll and why she's Izanami? I DON'T FREAKING KNOW.

I was hoping for a great ending, and I got this.

[Buffalobiian]

How is Yin this strong? I don't think they ever explained. She is a doll, and I'm rather peeved they just made her this all powerful mythical being, to aid in a prophecy.

They have always made a point that dolls seemed to evolve, and at the end of S1, Yin seemed to be the most advanced doll ever. How does Skynet take over the world from just being some AI? In my example, we realise the untapped potential of an AI. I guess in dolls, it's not so clear since we didn't build and design them from scratch. As Hei said, what do we know about Contractors?

I agree that in any case, it's still pretty wtf.

Everything was such a mess in this series. I don't even know what the hell they were trying to convey. This meteor stone cop out to retain memories doesn't make any sense. So magically she lives her life with implanted memories then suddenly gets the meteor core so she can retain her memories? Are they gonna go the lame route again and say everything before then was just a fabrication too? How would they explain Tanya and Nika after the stone?.

I was under the impression that she always had the meteor core on her. The previous Suous couldn't retain the artificial memories until the figured out you can retain them with the meteor core. Apparently it can retain contractor powers too.

I don't get your part about Tanya and Nika.

[animus]

What I meant about Tanya and Nika was that even after she put on the meteor core, they remembered Suou and had actual memories with her before she put it on, ie the confession, the feelings between Tanya and Nika, how Tanya wasn't a contractor before, etc.

Knowing them, if they had an explanation it'd probably be something like there's a 2 year limit on how long her memories can retain until she needs the meteor core or something. Since she apparently was created 2 years ago.

[Ryllharu]

I agree there is an inconsistency there, because she wasn't with Hei for all that long really, several weeks or a few months at most. She shouldn't have lost all her memories when the meteor core shattered, but she did.

[Marik]

[BSS]​ Darker​ Than​ Black​ -​ Gemini​ of​ the​ Meteor​ -​ Original​ Soundtrack​

[digitalrurouni]

Whoa thanks for that link! I enjoyed the soundtrack quite a lot especially Dive into the 9...great driving song for hauling ass on the road as an example! And I also like Savage Dog Cerberus, Galaxy Train and No. 23!!!

[Archangel]

Why wasn't there any tune of that soundtrack in the anime except for the last 2?

[digitalrurouni]

Why wasn't there any tune of that soundtrack in the anime except for the last 2?

They were all there. Here we go:
Savage Dog Cerberus played when they were trying to get away at the train station where that huge crash happened and Suou first demonstrated her powers.

Galaxy Train happened when HEi cut his hair short and was at the airport.

No. 23 happened when the Russian colonel had them captured in the train and Hei stuck the knife through his hand which was on the remote.

Karura's Flame happened in the first fight between Hei and that other girl contractor with the light saber :P

Dive into the 9 happened as well I just dont remember which episode. Oh wait it was when he fought the Magician

So on so on...

[Kraco]

Yeah. The ending surely felt lacking. I felt during the beginning of the show and still towards the end they were building something nice and major here to top the still somewhat stunted events of the first season (like building a real meaning for these gates - if the end of the world through Izanami and Izanagi could be called such). However, it really seemed like they threw most of their original ideas and the plot threads they had already developed to the trash can and instead went with something else in the last two episodes.

It was also a bit sad story with Suou dying. Granted, she was a copy to begin with, but like Hei said, she was the current Suou and had been for a while, living her own life and gathering her own memories. Simply creating another copy on another Earth hardly means anything. A different soul, to use such a concept to sum the personality, memories, experiences and everything that make a person in addition to the body and DNA.

[digitalrurouni]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1pcx...layer_embedded

I just happened to stumble on that. Has anyone seen that already?

[6Zabuza9]

Oh man, i started watching darker than black and powered though the second season thinking that it was the first season. It seemed like the story would continue on untill i realized that im actually watching the first season.

[Archangel]

Oh man, i started watching darker than black and powered though the second season thinking that it was the first season. It seemed like the story would continue on untill i realized that im actually watching the first season.

Wait... wut?

[Buffalobiian]

Wait... wut?

Yeah, his second sentence lost me.

[shinta|hikari]

I think he watched the two seasons in reverse order?

[6Zabuza9]

Um ya last night i chained though the second season of darker than black thinking that it was the first. I havent started the first season yet and is kind unmotivated because I liked the story revolving around suou

[Archangel]

...lulz

Dude, the second season sucked longer noodles than the Taiwanese noodle champion could ever dreamed of.

Anyway don't worry about it and go watch the first one, other than featuring some of the same cast they might just as well been different animes

[Pandadice]

^at least the OVAs have a lot of the same feel as the first series.