Ranked #589

Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini

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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Well it had to happen. With my expectations set so high thanks to the original darker than black I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the original and the sequel is also very good but it's just a bit hard to believe that Ryuusei no Gemini could be called a sequel per say.

Story:
Gone are the two part episodes, instead replaced with single episodes not sharing the same names, for those people who didn't like the way the episodes were set out before they may enjoy this way better.
Perhaps the word sequel is the wrong word to use for Ryuusei no Gemini, despite the fact that it's set in the same universe there seem to have been a lot of changes since the last series. For a start technology seems to have developed quite a bit with really random inclusions like hover cars, the story itself still features Hei as one of the leads however his role in the story seems to have decreased a bit with the perspective going from him to Suou the new female lead and some strange choices for main characters like July and even though he was a good supporting character as a main he doesn't feel right. As for the other characters, there roles are either underplayed or over developed with the series spending far too long on sections that could have been drastically shortened to one, maybe two episodes tops like Noriko trying to impress Suou. Even with all these radical changes to the show though the story still stands strong even if some elements are not explained such as (not really a spoiler per say) Hei and Yin's seperation, (although this may be explained in the upcoming OVA's) it's still as bizarre and loveable as always.
8/10

Art:
Even if the story isn't as good as before the characters still look as good as ever and thats one of the best bits about the show. Changes to some characters such as Hei may be a bit surprising for some people, but the new characters like Suou, fit the show like jam on toast they go into the world perfectly, even if Hei's new look isn't for everyone you just know that what your watching is Darker than BLACK, they truly are outstanding, and it doesn't stop there either, the series retains it's fluidity and the CGI cars don't stick out anymore, rather they also look great as well.
10/10

Sound:
The original had one of the best soundtracks ever. Period (even if the second ending wasn't as good as the rest of it). It also had one of the best dubs to date. The sequels is perhaps a little bit better with the opening and ending themes really going well with the series, and even though it hasn't been dubbed yet, the voices are all fantastic and believable even though there in a world that couldn't possibly exist in reality. It just feels so right.
10/10

Character:
This is were things go downhill a bit. yes the voices are fantastic and the characters look great. Despite this though there is something strangely off about the characters. Hei for one has lost the charm that made him so good a character in the first series and only really starts to become as amazing as he was when the series enters its final quarter. Suou is an interesting character who despite her being an odd choice as the main character, has some of the best parts. July is a doll, and if you don't know this already dolls don't show emotions so I guess I can let that slide even if he is an odd choice for a main character. As for ( if you've watched the first series then you may be surprised by this if not then you'll have no idea who this is) Mao he still retains his charm and offers some very good lines, he's kind of like the comic relief of the group. Altogether the main leads are interesting but if there is another series I hope Okamura can do better than some of the characters in this series.
8/10

Enjoyment:
As you've probably guessed Ryuusei no Gemini is not as enjoyable as the first series, and only having 12 episodes is practically a criminal offence for a series of this calibre, yet despite all this, and another ending that begs sequel, Ryuusei no gemini is still very good to watch, you won't fully enjoy some of the parts in it and people who watched the first one may be disappointed by the sequel coming from the same people who have made such amazing series like Fullmetal Alchemist and Darker than BLACK (it had to be said) but theres something about the series that draws you in and just keeps you there wondering whats going to happen to the universe of Darker than BLACK next.
8/10

Overall:
While nowhere near as good as the original, Ryuusei no Gemini is still a very good series to watch that, looking past it's flaws offers some very good moments and enjoyment.
8/10 read more