Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini

Having watched this series (including the first season) right after steins gate, I can't help but to notice this ridiculous harem "trend" infecting what I thought to be almost perfect series that deserve a score of 10.

This is what I think: most productions of Bones lack substance when it comes to romance. Yes, I understand Darker Than Black is not a romantic drama, but if you're going to add romance in there, add it well or leave it out altogether. Don't turn the main character into a lolicon just because you want him to stay "cool" and "nice". I personally don't think there is ... anything wrong with the characters themselves, neither with their development. In fact, Darker Than Black has many entertaining and well contrasted characters along with in depth development of the main ones we really care about. It's a show that greatly involves the audience to the point of affecting them. It's also not one-sided. Most antagonists get their deserved consolation. Even the minor characters are well developed. They are not just there as plot fillers. Compared to the first season, this season has less action but more of a story to it. I like this contrast between the two seasons. The relaxed pace makes the story more realistic.

This season doesn't explain many unanswered mysteries in season one, however. I kind of like it since it would mean that this series won't end yet, and we still might see even more interestinc characters along with their stories that would unravel the mysteries one by one.
But, if they add more to this harem, I won't even consider watching it.
Darker Than Black would be much more honest as a story if they stop introducing more girls to the series and focus more on unraveling the mysteries from now on (if they don't make season 3, I would rate this show a 5, seriously) I usually prefer action thriller with a touch of romance, but not this time. I don't think it's possible now to introduce any love after basically killing off the girls in the harem one by one and then introducing more to compensate.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Darker than black: gemini of the meteor. A lot of people think that studio bones screwed up making season 2. But, you dont see the bigger picture. Gemini of the meteor showed -spoilers- Hei without his power. Without his sister and without Yin. He was broken after the events that transpired after The black contractor. We saw another side to Hei and we saw what it did to him with the way he interacted with Suoh and July and even Mao. Upon finding out Yin was alive, he reverted back to his old personality and look. The oly thing ... i have to complain is that he lost his mask and didn't get a chance to wear it, but those are minor details.

What can I say? DTB Ryuusei no Gemini met all of my expectations. Although it centered on the existence of the girl, Suou, and not much of Hei and the casts from DTB 1, the excitement, storyline and transcendance of the anime made me watch out for it every week until the end. It still has the mysterious aura DTB 1 gave me and left me hanging with lots of questions. But this does not make one frustrated of the anime. In fact it made me wonder..."will there be DTB 3?". If you like animes that makes you use your ... head and analyze, science fiction,and interpersonal relationships then this is one is for you. Especially that the Black Reaper BK201 is a very complicated character and well drawn to the point that most of us thinks he's handsome. All in all, it's thrilling, sad, puzzlingand downright enjoyable.

It's honestly baffling to me how this anime has a score of 7.45 as of writing this. Don't let the rating fool you though, it's due to people not having watched gaiden first. (2010 DTB OVA)

✎ Story 7 ✎
Weak point of season two, and it's not even that bad. The problem with the story is that it doesn't really answer a lot of the questions from season 1. It's also no longer following an episodic format. The plot could work as a standalone series, and Hei's redemption arc was really rewarding.

✿ Art 9 ✿
Unique characters with good animation. -1 for reusing some of the ability ... scenes.

♪ Sound 10 ♪
IMO the strong point of Darker than Black. Even though I missed the jazz from season one, the up beat beep bop fight music was interesting enough to make up for it. The way they use music to create emotions is godlike.

☯︎ Character 8 ☯︎
The two main characters had some really good character development, and overall felt realistic given the circumstances. Aside from that there wasn't really any development in the other ones. A lot of mysterious and interesting characters.

🗿 Enjoyment 8 🗿
Tbh, dropped this anime after 4 episodes first time watching it. However after watching DTB Kuro no Keiyakusha Gaiden, a 4 episode OVA filling the gap between the two seasons, it all made sense.

★ Overall 8.4 ★
It's a good anime, if only it had third season to answer all of our questions *pensive*. I personally think having a season long arc instead of an episodic format was a nice change.

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Anyways, who's idea was it to use the iMovie "mystery" sound 😭😭

While many watchers have displayed utter dislike for this show, I have to say I disagree.

I realised this only when I was watching the final episode, but Izanami is the combination known as Yin and Yang. That's when I felt that everything clicked, and I felt like I have solved the mystery of the show.

Wikipedia definition of yin and yang:

In Ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (/jɪn/ and /jɑːŋ, jæŋ/; Chinese: 陰陽 yīnyáng pronounced [ín jǎŋ], lit. "dark-light", "negative-positive") is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes how obviously opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how ... they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.[1] In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of Yin and Yang and formed into objects and lives. Yin is the receptive and Yang the active principle, seen in all forms of change and difference such as the annual cycle (winter and summer), the landscape (north-facing shade and south-facing brightness), sexual coupling (female and male), the formation of both men and women as characters and sociopolitical history (disorder and order).[2]

The very reason that the anime plot itself seems so mysterious is because this whole anime is an embodiment of the meaning of yin and yang. It's the author's attempt at creating a story revolved around the philosophy of yin and yang.

~~~~~~~~~~~***Spoilers ahead***~~~~~~~~~~~
My views about the plot of this show:

The very essence of this show is the author's view of life from a traditional Chinese point of view, i.e., the principle of yin and yang, as mentioned before. The idea of yin and yang is not a simple one to comprehend, but once you know that the show revolves around that idea, things suddenly start making a lot more sense.

What relation does the Astronomy Department have with contractors' superpowers, much less what's going on with the Gate? Once you know that traditional Chinese beliefs regarding cosmology are intertwined with the philosophical concepts of yin and yang, you begin to see why the author chose to do things the way he did.

The same logic applies everywhere else:
Contractors and normal people. One apparently does not feel emotions and the other does. One has no dreams and the other has. Opposite in many ways.
The past and the future. Both are themes that were constantly brought up in the show. One is changeable and the other is not. Stars of the past and stars of the future. Opposite in many ways.
The old Earth and the copy Shion created. The filthy world we live in and the dark truth of it all, versus the ideal world Shion envisioned for those he loved and cared about. Opposite in many ways.

Shion is the only one who figured out how to make sure that all those who have lost something due to the inevitable prophecy have a way of finding the things they have lost. Contractors have lost their humanity not because they gained new powers or lost their emotions, but because the rest of humanity has rejected them.
For that reason, Shion sacrificed himself to create a copy of Earth where all the contractors will finally be able to live a normal life as humans rather than the killing machines that their governments and secret organisations forced them to be.

Some final thoughts on this show:
This may be a bit of a stretch, but I think that the very idea of clarity versus mystery is one of the main topics tackled by the author in his attempt to give a shape to the philosophy of yin and yang. I always wondered why the show had a mystery genre tag even though the show is not your everyday detective show where someone solves seemingly impossible cases, albeit the show actually having a detective who did barely anything for a few episodes.

The mystery of what is behind everything that happens in this show is the author's attempt at creating a setting where yin and yang have free reign. At least that's the way I see it. In my opinion, the ultimate embodiment of yin and yang in this show is not something tangible that you can explain to someone in a matter of minutes and have them say "ah now I see the point"; they would have to watch the entire show and think for themselves and reach a conclusion of their own.

This is what I think the author was trying to ultimately achieve when making this story. The lack of proper explanation for everything was done not to confuse the viewers, but rather to convey to them the basic idea of yin and yang and have them reach their personal conclusion. After all, isn't that what philosophy is about?

First I will warn you that my native language isn't english, so sorry for my errors and incorrect sentence structure.
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A refreshing anime with a protagonist who is trying to figure out her past with hei. Together they are also trying to find the doll "yin ". The facts happened two years later after the first season.

Comparing to the first season this season is not episodical , what was definitely a plus for me. Hei teamed along with the girl "Shou " . Mao will return to the series as a flying squirrel and Hei comes back as a (more) depressed, maybe a disturbing appearance and ... alcoholic. This will upset the most people, but when you get over it you'll enjoy this series as much as I do. He also isn't the protagonist anymore, but I think the supportive role suits him the best (by his inaccessible personality).

Overall this season was for me flawless and need more attention. It was for me a 10/10!

This is my personal review/opinion of the show:

I NEVER rewatch animes. I dunno why. Maybe it's difficult to watch a show again knowing what happens already, so maybe that makes it boring for me.

But for Darker than Black, there is rare exception. I NEVER get bored of that anime. Even if I know what's going to happen, it's always exciting to see it on screen or to try and notice something I didn't see the first time. I've rewatched the anime four times already. It's just that good of a show :') It's also one of the first animes I've seen, so that kinda gives ... it a bigger advantage other other animes I've watched.

However, I don't know how on earth I managed to bear through this second season. The second season is the complete opposite of what was a masterpiece of a first.

I haven't seen the second season in almost a year now, but I'm fresh off of my fourth binge on DtB's original. I do vividly remember watching the second season though. I remember being very disappointed and having to take frequent breaks during episodes because it was just so boring and oddly paced. The story didn't really make sense at the time, either. I had to look up the plot on Wikipedia to get a better grasp on what was happening since it was too rushed and jumbled up. The theme and atmosphere were flipped on its head and lost that iconic charm to it that the first season had.

The main character was pretty annoying and kind of gave me Mary Sue vibes. It just seemed centered around her too much, when who I was really there for was Hei, November 11, Kirihara, and the rest of the iconic cast. But it seemed like they didn't get enough screentime, so that was kinda depressing :'( Even if they did, the characters were still changed drastically. Hei's personality is totally flipped, so he isn't that cool and badass Chinese Batman anymore, but instead, a lame and abusive alcoholic. and MAO IS A SQUIRREL?! WHAT? That was also an odd change.

Overall score is a 5. I think newcomers or people who don't compare it to the first season would find some enjoyment in it. But people who are die-hard DtB fans will probably give their hopes up on this one.

Rant over.

I have only watched five episodes of this series, but I have to say I have been a bit disappointed by DtB season two.

Story: The story (without spoiling too much) follows a Russian girl who is the daughter of a scientist that is researching ME technology. Her brother becomes a contractor after he is hit by an explosion caused by a meteor. Hei is still there, but he doesn't seem to be as central as he was in season one. All together, the story is good so far, but it doesn't really create anything new from season one.

Art: Great design, some of ... the characters are drawn carelessly though.

Sound: brilliant sound

Character: It really depends on what types of characters you like. I found that Hei has changed from the previous season in that he's no longer funny, and I feel no attachment to him whatsoever. Seems to be more apathetic. But, the problem really lies in Suou. Unless you're a big fan of tsundere stereotypes, you will likely dislike her. I found her to have no depth or interesting features whatsoever. It could change though.

Enjoyment: Even though it doesn't seem as fast-paced as the previous series, I'm still enjoying it thoroughly. But, seriously, Bones seems to enjoy killing off every single one of the characters that I like. The only character that appeals to me now is Hei. However, like I said before, if you don't mind anime stereotypes, the other characters aren't terrible.

Overall: My opinion of this anime COULD change, but I doubt it. I'll probably end up finishing it anyways.

Ryuusei no Gemini is the 2nd season for darker then black but honestly if it wasn't for the ova's it would feel like a spin off. They give you a new main character that it seems almost forsed that you should try and invest in, and although Hei has had a rough time they make him come across as a complete ass by trying to save the mains life. The return of Mao and July becoming a main character is a bit intresting and made the absensce of Yin easier to deal with. I don't want to spoil but some of the twists they throw ... in seem like they are just there to try and get me more invested in the character instead of the actual story. The ending leaves something lacking as if they wrote themselves into a corner and tried to make everyone happy with it. Although I'm happy with the main ending of what happens to most characters, but the ending of Hei and Yin is just left up to you to figure out and can be taken down so many roads making it hard to understand. The overall would be improved if DTB got a season 3 or at least an explination on the ending I could easily forget about replacing the main with an argumenative girl and give this series an 8 or 9.

So, this was quite different from the first season where it follows the journey of the young Eurasian girl, Suou, as to following the journey of Hei. It threw me off a bit, because in the first half of the first episode, I didn't see Hei at all. I thought .. what?! I then thought that it'd follow the manga (a remake, like FMA: Brotherhood with a storyline that relates closely to the manga) because shown at first was a girl.

What I liked about this season is that it's a bit more progressive--appropriately paced, compared to the last season where sometimes it's just flat before ... the last two episode... Another reason, is that this season is not as bloody as the last, silly, right? What I especially like about this continuation is that Hei is more relate-able, I hope that was not spoiling.

What I didn't like about this season is that... less Hei's action, more Suou, though I understand that it is a necessity of the storyline.

Overall, I really like DTB2.

Story: 8/10

Ryuusei no Gemini (RG)’s story is very good. While it is a sequel, the story can stand on its own two legs. However the fact that the plot is sometimes rushed and that many things are unexplained (holes in the story) keep it from getting a higher score. My personal feeling is that while it was engaging enough to keep me watching it, I doubt the impression that story leaves me with wont last, unlike some other anime.

Animation: 8/10

The character design and special effects were pleasant to look at. There were a few scenes where the drawings got a little sloppy, however as a ... whole, the animation is consistently of good quality. Nothing really stood out for me, be it in a good light or a bad light, so I think that means it has at the very least done its job.

Characters: 8/10

I thought the new characters and the old characters are done in a interesting manner for a sequel. However, going back to the idea that there are a lot of questions unanswered in RG really takes away from a possible score of a 9.

Sound: 8/10

Tsukiakari no Michishirube (OP) is my favorite piece of music in this show. While the rest of the sounds of RG were unintrusive and almost non-existent, the opening really gives it extra points. Further, the voice acting was well done for this show.

Enjoyment: 7/10

There are a lot of questions left unanswered in this show. However it did keep me interested and watching. I can’t help but feel some feeling of incompleteness after watching this show due to the afore mentioned issue.

Average Series Rating: 7.8/10 – Very Good

I generally rate an anime on how many question's I have through out the show, and then how many of those question's are answered.

In my opinion this story was not as good as the first one and I have more question's about the series direction now than if I had simply not watched it.
Over all I would say that this is a sequel but it could have been done alot better. I guess Im disappointed because the first season was so good and you automatically think the second is gonna be just as good, sadly it just was'nt up to par.
... It's not that I did'nt like Hei's new Street Bumb look, or all the fight scene's ( which were just as good as the first season) I simply dont like all the unexplained question's. I dont know maybe it's just me.

I definately suggest you watch it but keep an open mind and be prepared to watch it a few times to fully understand everything.

Hopefully the OVA's will shed some light on the story.

PLEASE NOTE:
A MUST SEE SEASON IF YOU ARE REALLY,REALLY INTO DARKER THAN BLACK .ALSO MUST SEE GAIDEN FIRST!! THEN THIS SEASON SO YOU WON'T GET CONFUSE AT THE END OF THIS SEASON!!

STORY: 10/10
the story didn't get boring and it actually got better,and better every episode.there's was answers at every episode if you payed close attention.

Enjoyment:10/10
No matter how Hei looks (Heibo) with a beard and all( he is still hot) the other contarctors in the show created a good action pact show until the very end.This anime didn't disapiont not one bit.

The character:10/10
... Overall the characters are RAW!!
Hei is hot let's face it no matter how he looks.
July - sweet as ever July X Sou
Sou a raw character you love from the begging. the voice actress was great as her.
Yin- I may know what she is now ,but what will happen next?
Hei X Yin forever and ever ?
Sound:10/10
I can't tell you how good the sound was during this show, the explosions created suspence the fight scenes awesome!!

Overall :10/10
Because I love to see a third season because it was a cliffhanger ending to me somehow,but in my side there together forever!!

Darker than Black Ryussei No Gemini

The Darker than Black Series is totally awesome... but somewhat the Hei being drunk totally ruined his picture. Thought the storyline of Ryussei No Gemmini is totally epic. especially the ending. Although the Fight scenes were reduced (which is very bad) Hei losing his powers is a big disappointment because his powers made Darker than Black Epic.... the team wasn't together anymore made it more annoying. But the story is still acceptable and very good.

i know a lot of people are upset about this because they came in with expectations and they saw the first series. but i stumbled upon it and had never seen anything from quite this genre. so as a story completely ignoring the first series it makes the central focus a girl trying to reunite with her brother. we see a diverse and multi-dimensional group of characters enter the story and while nothing is really finished (apart from arguably her story to find her brother) i think the disappointment in the characters match up with the audience which means there's no clash with how we ... feel and how the charactors feel making the ending more palatable at least in my case. besides i had got my bitter sweet ending i didn't need an answer because sometimes nobody really knows why things happen. besides with the story they were trying to tell here if they crammed in info on the gates and sky it would just become tackie

I thought this was gonna follow the first season where hei is the main character but it introduced some character out of nowhere to take the place of hei yin disappears no explanation read some forums to figure out what happened after the events of the first season. Overall it all comes down to this being out of place and not belonging where it is you cant simply timeskip the anime and ad new characters and a new story and expect it to be good there wasnt any buildup of hei story showing how it lead him to the stage in life he is at ... now

Ok first things first, do NOT watch Gaiden before this. The design of this singular arc is to purposefully leave you in the dark for the sake of plot development, and then watch Gaiden after not strictly for an explanation, but further plot development. The creator's developed the story to flow this way and i intended to have you enjoy it as such, i only say this because the person who recommended it to me told me to watch Gaiden first, and then all plot twists of Gemini were ruined for me.
That said, the actual series is quite the departure from the original and ... follows a more linear plot and focuses on a new protagonist. Of course Hei is still present and a main character, but he is not the lead this time around.
The actual series is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be, the problems that people have with it are not the plot or characters, but simply their change from the original series. The appeal of Contractors, Dolls, The Wall, and all the mysteries and alluring aspects of the first series simply aren't as apparent here, and that's why people don't like it. It is by no means bad, but it's true that if you like this series, it's for different reasons than liking the first.
I must say though, that the characters and story are excellent, and that the mysteries of the world of Darker Than Black are not gone or replaced but they decided to add more to those aspects in a different way rather than providing explanations for the still unanswered questions of the first series. By all means enjoy the series, because i'm sure fans of the original series will love Gaiden, but this must be watched first.

The overshadowed younger sister always has it pretty rough dosen't she? Having to live up to the phenomenal name of her older sister, never quite given a break. Unless she breaks away, becomes something completely different, and writes her own story. That is who "Ryuusei no Gemini" is.

Story: 9/10
Being just 12 episodes, she wasn't quite able to fill in all of the holes presented when she first came into existence. Certain questions remained unanswered, and evolution was distorted in order to keep face (I'll explain that in a sec). But don't get me wrong, the anime didn't present plot lines and then abandon them, the ... holes are only present within the gap between the two series. Overall the plot within the show is actually very well done, it relates a tale of a girl who never wanted the spotlight, but got it anyways, of her struggle to justify her own existence, of a broken man seeking a new purpose, of a child who never got to be one. It's almost as if the anime itself is arguing it's existence through it's story.
I expect the biggest problem people seem to have is that Hei isn't the main protagonist, but you're just going to have to get over that love affair, he got his season already!

Art: 10/10
Outstanding. Just as good as the first. I expect one of the reasons many sequels stink is because they are unwilling to have a half season, and have remarkably lower budget that the original. Not this anime, she seems to have sacrificed the concept of a full season for a more complete feeling about the anime. A very good decision on the part of the staff.

Sound: 10/10
My personal preference is always the English Dubbed (provided the voices fit). I can't comment on the original Japanese audio, as I never heard it. The Voices are perfect, all of the original cast is still there, and Suou is played perfectly.

Character: 9/10 (NOTE: Don't worry references to the first series aren't big enough to be spoilers!)
So here it is, evolution, as explained in the first series is occurring among Contractors and Dolls. For the series to include Hei and justify Suou's personality, they seem to have misrepresented the process that takes hundred-thousands to millions of years. But Evolution occurs in steps, so it is still somewhat believable, and there's a certain plot device to slightly justify the hasty change. That there is the only flaw among the characters, however. Everything else is executed wonderfully. The back stories of each of the protagonists, Hei, Suou, and July (despite what the MAL page would have you believe), are done remarkably well, they are able to tie many loose ends and answer many questions left open by the first series, not that they needed answering!

Enjoyment: 9/10
Now I definitely saw a great many things I would do differently, but that was before I began thinking of this series as a stand alone arc. It relates to the main only by it's characters and premise, everything else is different. Realize that and stop comparing this anime to the original, and you will come to really enjoy it.

Give her a chance and that younger sister might just surprise you!

Without Spoiling anything i'll try to give a brief summary of what went wrong.

The story in this anime was a joke because it went from the syndicate trying to kill contractors (Season 1) to a little girl trying find her brother who she is separated from when contractors attack her home in Europe.

The Story tries to take a more serious approach however this dosent work because during the anime there was more WTF moments then action. Example of this is the cross dresser who owns a bar because of his wife left him.U may ask what this has to do the plot ... the answer nothing.

My biggest Gripe with this anime is how they showed this anime before the OVA leaving the viewer to wonder what happened in between to Hei and Yin.Also how they turned a badass character Hei to a drunk who beats on little girls.

If your a Fan of Darker than Black Skip this Season because it messed out on the charm of what made it good (Characters,Little Story Arcs, Action) to give a gritter story that falls on it face hard.

Instead read the Manga that is what i call a true sequel to the anime that i love.
Darker than Black: Shikkoku no Hana
http://myanimelist.net/manga/14975/Darker_than_Black:_Shikkoku_no_Hana

It pains me to say this but I was disappointed. I kept convincing myself that it’s as good as the first Darker than Black but I had to face the truth that the show sort of sucked. I was sad that it screwed up Darker than Black’s legacy

Story 7/10
The plot was extremely hard to understand. It's like solving a puzzle without any clues. The story was so fragmented I can't make any sense out of it. It answered some questions from the previous Darker Than Black but it wasn't enough. It felt like they made it so mysterious that it ends up not making ... sense. The story was absurd and it was so absurd that it's almost unrealistic even for an anime series. Though it's messed up, the plot was still there and it was unique. Although the title is "Darker Than Black", the atmosphere had become a little light and not so "dark".

Art 9/10
Art was great. It met my expectations from Bones.

Sound 9/10
The sounds and the background music was refreshing. It gave life to everything especially the fight scenes.

Character 6/10
I was disappointed that Hei was not the same as before. Now he is a drunk, violent hobo that doesn't shave. Seriously! He was the best character and the main protagonist in the previous anime. Now he's like a doll. He lost his powers for more than half of the show and it wasn't fun watching him. As for Suou, she has some character development. She's a very complex person because she's a contractor but she is experiencing changes in her emotions. That's what you call puberty. She's really confused about herself especially near the end of the series. I find it unrealistic that a 13 year old girl was plunged into all of this chaos and confusion and she'still managed to cope with it. Though she's very interesting overall. As for the other characters, some contractors were introduced in one episode and dies in the next. Misaki is the same as ever. July, however, is starting to evolve and it's always cute to see Suou and July together. It's absurd to see Mao as a flying squirrel. A former assassin that became a cute flying squirrel. Of all the animals, why a flying squirrel? Anyway, I liked the characters overall, just a little disappointed over Hei.

Enjoyment 8/10
I think it was fun overall. The fight scenes were fresh and as interesting as ever. The complicated position that Suou is plunged into is definitely fun to watch as it goes on. The new characters and the nice character designs is absolutely wonderful. The music and the sound are interesting and electrifying (in a good way). I had to watch it twice to figure out the plot but everything was unforgettable.

Overall 7/10
Overall, it's a good anime, though not extraordinary. It may be a disappointment to those who expect a better anime than the previous Darker Than Black. Although, if you don't compare it to the previous anime, Ryusei no Gemini makes a fairly decent anime. It just didn't live up to my expectations and I felt horrible and good at the same time after watching it. My emotions were bittersweet. It made me happy but there is still this gaping hole inside me that was looking for more Still, it's an unforgettable anime and it will still be a legacy of Darker Than Black.