Alternative TitlesEnglish: Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor Synonyms: Darker than BLACK II, Darker than BLACK 2, Darker than BLACK Second Season, DTB Japanese: DARKER THAN BLACK 流星の双子
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Oct 8, 2009 to Dec 24, 2009
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.981 (scored by 20427 users)
Ranked: #3992
Popularity: #123
Members: 33,510
Favorites: 347 1 indicates a weighted score
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SynopsisIn the sequel, Hei and Yin are now on the run after betraying the Syndicate in the previous season. After leaving Japan, Hei encounters Suou Pavlichenko, a 13 year old Eurasian girl who becomes embroiled in the war and politics of the various factions and Contractors vying for power. Meanwhile, Hell's Gate remains standing in Tokyo, after Hei's efforts to stop the Saturn Ring anti-Gate particle weapon from activating. Although Contractors are safe from the danger of having their existences erased, this does not prevent new and old Contractors from abusing their powers. As Misaki Kirihara and her team in the Public Security Bureau deal with the increasing Contractor cases, she also has to keep the Syndicate at bay, who has major positions in the Japanese police and intelligence bureaus around the world. The storyline setting primarily takes place in both Japan and Russia.
(Source: Wikipedia) |
Related AnimePrequel: Darker than BLACK - Kuro no Keiyakusha Gaiden
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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tehnominator
67 of 106 people found this review helpful
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12 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
6 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
If a 13-year-old girl does not want to learn how to become a fine-tuned contractor, just slap her until she knows better.
That's how Hei does it!
Darker than BLACK - Ryuusei no Gemini is the sequel to the extremely successful and critically acclaimed Kuro no Keiyakusha, and like many sequels that have come before, it makes a marvellous mess of things. The interesting thing about Ryuusei no Gemini is that is it so unbelievably bad that it is downright absurd, and ends up turning itself all the way around to being good again. But of course, not "good" in a particularly good way.
In Russia, a young girl named Suou just thinks the world is smashingly great. Her two best friends finally hook up, her estranged twin brother is no more or less freaky than he is normally, and things seem peachy in school and at home. That is until the contractors move in and start mucking up her life in ways too epic for her to just get up and brush it off. But she does that anyway. The first unrealistic thing about this series is that a girl, a YOUNG girl who has barely enough control over her hormones, is thrust into this major, life-changing, world-crushing situation, and yet she just ploughs through it as though it matters not to her. While it saves the anime from having tedious wailing and whining episodes in which she alternatively cannot accept her new surroundings, the quick adaptation is far too much for anyone to think this series is developing reasonably. Even for someone who is accustomed to contractors. How does she turn into an action-girl so quickly?
If that was not enough (that everything in Suou's life falls to pieces... except herself), hobo Hei surfaces and kidnaps her and smacks her around for more than half Ryuusei no Gemini. Throw in some government convoluted mumbo jumbo that does not even make the remotest bit of sense until the end and a bunch of episodes wasted on focussing on characters who contribute nothing to the series, and there is the recipe for this disaster. Possibly the most tedious elements of the story come from the two ends of the rope; the action-politics are enough to make you bang your head against a desk, and the slice-of-life drama/romance might just about make your eyes roll out of their sockets. But how marvellously entertaining it is! And how great it all looks doing it.
The art for Ryuusei no Gemini is extremely fluid and very much top-notch stuff. BONES clearly spent a lot of money making this nonsense look good. The fight scenes are utterly thrilling and breath-taking. They are animated with a deep amount of precision in terms of style and detail. One of the most memorable fight scenes is one in the beginning that takes place in the rain. The timing, the camera angles, and the atmosphere all came together to make a stunning scene. The rest of the anime takes the viewer across frozen Russian towns and villages, and to the snowy Hokkaido in northern Japan. Despite all the white in the anime, it still manages to throw in a lot so that the scenes were not overwhelmed with blankness.
If there is one thing that anyone is bound to remember from this series is the score. Darker than BLACK gets a techno-driven soundtrack in its sequel, and the result is something extraordinary. The coldness of the setting and the further apathy and stoicism of the characters are complemented with the steely, pulsing rhythms of the background music. The synth is in sync with the action. The fight scenes are enveloped in these tracks, and make them at least ten times more powerful and cool. Ishii Yasushi is relatively unknown in the composing world for anime, but his contribution to Ryuusei no Gemini is one that will not go unnoticed. The score just about overshadows everything else in the series. Hearing some of the tracks garners a more intense reaction from the audience rather than any of the visuals, the story or even the characters. The stomping, grating, and rough themes of "Cerberus Dog" and "Laughing Vajra Kumara" are two of the best pieces used throughout the show.
And now to move from one of the best things to one of the worst things about Ryuusei no Gemini: the characters. Hobo Hei (who you just want to toss coins at so he could get is scraggly, smelly self away from you) is a walking disaster, more so than even Suou who is expected to be the worst thing in the series (but surprisingly manages to be one of its few saving graces character-wise). Hypocritical rather than human, poorly written rather than complex, Hei struts about this sequel still keeping that pimp hand strong by slapping everything with breasts that comes his way. It is truly hilarious to see a grown man disciplining a kid in such a way, and perhaps that is what makes Hei interesting in Ryuusei no Gemini: he is a clown. Not a pie-in-the-face clown, but clearly he is a man who wears a face on the outside that does not reflect what is going on in the inside. But he is not a character with a personality; he is an entity at which to stare.The problem with him is that he ignores what is going on inside him for most of the anime, and then SURPRISE-- around the end he reveals that there was something pumping blood somewhere under that unshaven skin of his. Whether this is a façade or not will never be ascertained, since all the characters in this anime are given a once-over and then are ignored as far as developing them goes.
Suou at least appears to be reasonably developed, despite being overly competent for a 13 year old girl who is running across the country to go to an island way to the East with an aloof, violent sociopath and a cute, passive little boy. She at least examines things the way someone in her position would. Sometimes. The rest of the cast are just filler, which would include all of Hei's enemies (one of which is a lesbian ninja, whose purpose in the series is still a mystery to me; she is given a significant amount of screen time, though. And don't get me started on half the actual villains they encounter. It is like Saturday morning cartoons all over again. Magic tricks? Really?) who are as flat as a sheet of ice.
So then, how is it that Ryuusei no Gemini manages to be made of up parts so bad, and yet end up being a ridiculously entertaining watch? Who really knows. Rarely can just any anime take you on a train-wreck of a train ride across Russia to Japan and still capture your interest. It is not often that an anime can derail its characters and make a mess of its story, and still manage to be truly engaging. All of its badness came together to make something great for an audience. Perhaps not so great for the fans, but as entertainment, Darker than BLACK's sequel succeeds on many levels. It is never boring; half of it is so incredulous or ridiculous anyway that you honestly cannot tear your eyes away from it.
There is a part of the series where a bunch of trains explode. It was something almost poetic. And it also pretty much sums up this anime. read more
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abhishek14
20 of 35 people found this review helpful
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12 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Somehow the high expectations I had awaiting the sequel to a fantastic series were not fulfilled. Ryuusei No Gemini isn’t exactly a sequel to Kuro no Keiyakusha, but more like a separate arc in itself. It would be unfair to compare both of them as they vary in their style and storyline. For starters, the series are not bi-episodic; instead revolve around a single storyline involving a Eurasian female protagonist. Hei’s involvement through the series although significant, has not really been up to what it ought to be.
Storyline: 7/10
Suou Pavlichenko is a 13 year Eurasian girl whose life suddenly changes on a fateful day when she meets up with Hei. Involved in the mess of politics and war between the contractors, she seeks out on her own quest to find her missing twin, Shion. Alongside her is Hei, a drunk bastard who completely lacks the mannerism and politeness he once had. The personality change might have been necessary in this series as it made things a bit interesting, but it didn’t seem all that good seeing him like that. The storyline, in its individuality served to be interesting though. The protagonist goes through a lot of ordeals throughout her journey. The series also has some graphic and violent killings which made it a little gory at times. The birth and evolution of the contractors was something we had vaguely seen in Kuro no Keiyakusha. The involvement of many groups (CIA, FSB, MI6 and Section 3) could have made for better viewing had they had more air time. They left it a bit incomplete and it felt as if these names were only included to attract attention without proper motive behind it. Also the “Syndicate” that pretty much ruled in Kuro no Keiyakusha was nowhere to be seen, again a disappointment as the whole mysteriousness behind them suddenly disappeared. Altogether though, despite its shortcomings it was somehow good how it ended up being. I guess it may be due to the protagonists’ whole journey from havoc to happiness. As for the name “Gemini of the Meteor”, it wasn’t nearly as important to be kept in the title IMO.
Characterization: 7/10
Ryuusei No Gemini had a plethora of characters which made it quite an entertaining prospect to watch. Starting off with Suou, a determined and strong girl entwined between living a life as a human or a contractor. It was touching to see the ordeals she and her school friends went through. Much like a supporting character, July was an example of some nice character development, and his relation with Suou was charming to watch. Hei’s laid-back sake drinking attitude failed to impress me the slightest. And the fact that he was not able to showcase his powers during most of the series made it lamer for me. The agents of Section 3 were pretty good, namely Hizaki and Genma. Hizaki’s remuneration involved kissing someone after the usage of her power added to the humor. Madam Oreille was yet promising character shown but somehow failed to make much of an impact in the Anime. Lot of interesting characters I would say. But somehow they were cramped up in a short series which somehow failed them I believe. They should have been given more time for their characters to be known properly rather than just through some cameo roles.
Art: 9/10
The original characters were already pretty awesome in how they were made. The new characters were also very nicely put out. From the Russians to the CIA to the Japanese characters, all looked very original. Also the new characters gave the storyline a refreshing experience. The fights were well coordinated and typically good to watch. Hei’s new look was intriguing; Suou’s character was pretty nicely done too. The agents looked good and the whole background of the Anime from Russia to Tokyo was beautiful. The characters are all very nicely drawn and the animation stands out to be pretty good as well.
Sound: 8/10
Sound was another good factor for Ryuusei No Gemini. The OP was a treat to the ears. I particularly liked it. The voices of the characters were also very good. Suou sounded very sweet whenever she used to shout “Tanya”. As there was a mixture of cultures, it’ll be interesting to see how these voices correlate in the dubs that will be out later on. The ED was average I would say. The best thing however would be the background score during the fights. The whole beat-box thing or whatever that was being played surely pepped up the interest to watch. I loved it.
Overall: 8/10
Seeing this series individually without comparing to the previous one and you’ll find that it’s actually good. Although not as epic as Kuro no Keiyakusha, Ryuusei No Gemini offers an entertaining experience with some interesting character portrayals. Combined with good artwork and sound, it is a definite recommendation. Just don’t try and compare it with the first season and you’ll definitely like it.
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Recommendations
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Both series are about humans who have supernatural powers. In Darker than BLACK there are Contractors who have these powers and in Speed Grapher there are Euphorias who has these superhuman powers. The stories of these animes are good and related to modern world. There are also girl who the main guy wants to help and protect.
supernatural, action - more psychology, detective and ACTION
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Pretty similar to the last episode of Darker than BLACK - Ryuusei no Gemini.
The similarities in these two are that viewers go in expecting the story to be explained. Both Eva and DTB leave thousands of unanswered questions as the series progress and, we as viewers want a defined outcome of the plot and to know what happened to the characters. Well, in both cases these dreams get the absolute shaft. Eva and DTB left me in a confused state with more questions than I had before and that ever familiar feeling at the end of the series: "What the f*ck???" Despite that neither of them are clear about what happened, they keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time and are very worthwhile. We all know that deep down, we love the mindf*ck feeling anyway.
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Opening Theme"Tsukiakari no Michishirube" by Stereopony
Ending Theme"From Dusk Till Dawn" by abingdon boys school
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Related ClubsSunLink@AnimeManga, Abingdon Boys School Fan Club, ~*~*~*~Pavlichenko, Shion~*~*~*~, Vladivostok Club, We Luv Anime Guys, ~GOTH CLUB~, Syndicate, Goths, punks, and metalheads unite, Man of Anime League (MAL), Ribbons/Bows are Love ♥ , Murderous Anime FC, Darker than Black, July Love~, ♥ Hei x Suou ♥, Girls with Blades FC!, A.B.S (Abingdon Boys School) FC, Sci-Fi club, Awesome Moving Pictures~Short For Anime~, Claim your Current Character Obsession [C.C.O.], LaraWalker's WonderlandCrimson Syndicate, Darker Than BLACK, Darker Than Black II, What ever anime/manga Club!, The Twin Factor, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Arab Otaku, Hazuki Mina Club, NihonQc, Hanazawa Kana's Fans!, Claim, Claim and Claims!, ♥ Colorful Claiming ♥ [Temporarily closed], ~ Passionate Love ~, Anime Card Obsession (A.C.O.), Anime Lovers Kingdom, Polski Anty FC Debilnych Bohaterek, Grip of Insanity, Stereopony Fanclub!, One-eyed characters, Bath Scene Club, IZUMI64's World ~俺様の世界~, Darker than black yaoi, ~OTAKU 4 LIFE~, hardcore violence and gore, Hei Fan Club ^_^, The Kurasawa Gai Appreciation Society, School Anime Club, {¤The Official Suou Pavlichenko Fan Club¤}, Misaki Kirihara Fan Club, Random+Donkeys= RandomnessCLUB, Kurenai Fansub , After the Apocalypse Anime & Manga, ^^ Ro-Otaku ~~~ヾ(＾∇＾) , Brasil Discussões, Action Party!, The Sibling Spectrum, Anime Rakuen, ★~Awesome Characters FC'-.,_,.-~★, Darker Than Black Fan Club:3!!, Super-Powers Anime Club, Yakuza fan club, ~Hei x Yin~, Xfire Users, Battle Arena, Mizuki Nana, Hei! AKA Li Shengsun!, Club, ***A Tribute To The Quiet Types***, Hei FC, Offcial Yin FC, MAL Astronomy and Astrology [AA] Club, Random Cards Club (R.C.C), Darker than Black Season 3 Petiton, Darker than BLACK - Ryuusei no Gemini Official FanClub, Hei x Suou FC, Girls With Guns FC see all
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