Season 2 Thoughts & Discussion
Hello, Comm! First post here, with a request for some discussion. :) I got onto the Darker than Black fandom boat a little late, but after blasting through the first season in two days and getting caught up in the second season, I wanted to know, in general, fandom's feelings towards the follow-up sequel. Perhaps because I watched both seasons within such close proximity, time-wise, but the notable differences between the seasons has left me wondering if I'm the only one thinking that Bones is carrying out another case of sequelitis.
Personally, I've been, overall, disappointed by what we've seen in the first seven episodes of Ryusei no Gemini. Of course, that is not to say that there haven't been moments of indifference or appreciation, but in comparison to how I viewed season 1, Ryusei no Gemini pales in comparison, especially in terms of mood and characters. The fact that Ryusei no Gemini chooses to focus on Suou rather than Hei is a directorial decision, but the amount of attention Bones has been pouring onto Suou, while almost skimming over Mao and Yin, after an entire season devoted to their character development and viewer affinity, seems like a poor choice on their part. I understand that they're trying to distinguish between S01 and S02 by introducing a new secondary protagonist, but I think that one of the fundamental reasons for sequel demand is the reintroduction of familiar characters in a new storyline, and in this way, Bones is severely shafting the crew from S01. Although Hei is supposed to remain the main character, his internal conflict is almost sidelined in order to develop Suou's character further. Which brings me to the issue of character representation:
I can't agree with the direction Bones is taking on the character front. If there's one thing that obviously differentiates the two seasons, it's the decidedly darker twinge to Ryusei no Gemini. Of course, S01 had its definitive melancholic feel, as well, which is what made the mood of S01 thrive. However, Ryusei no Gemini has removed even the twinges of lightheartedness which S01 carried - for example, the removal of characters (thus far) such as Kurasawa Gai and Kiko, who brought brought casual humour to S01. This removal is also evident in the changes to the characters - for the most part, which is one of the issues I have with Ryusei no Gemini. Hei has obviously has had redefinition as a stoic, gloomy victim of depression. His alter-ego, "Li-kun" in S01 provided a nice balance between light and dark, but the absence of this ego in Ryusei no Gemini, coupled with the fact that those chasing Hei know his face, in correlation with the identity "BK 201" has removed that aspect completely, which I thought was a huge drawback to S02. The viewing audience could connect to "Li-kun" while being unable to understand "BK 201"'s motivations, and this contradiction made for an unlikely bonding with Hei's character. Hei's new exterior has taken away much of the human aspect of Hei, and dehumanizing a protagonist is seldom a formula for success. Hei's shoddy appearance, drawn-back hair, unkempt beard, drinking habit and completely cold attitude towards strangers (may I recall "Li-kun"'s congeniality to those he met on the street; another aspect of his complex yet endearing character) makes it difficult to relate to him as a character any longer. The humanizing is, instead, focused on Suou, as Bones explores her thought process as a contractor who has some connection to her human self -- this is, esssentially, the role that Hei originally had in S01, and has now been replaced. I think that Suou's character aimed to be innovative in the world of Ryusei no Gemini, but for what I can see, she's a slightly skewed version of S01's BK 201 / Li-kun, in respect to her abnormalities as a contractor. Hei, instead, has regressed to a backseat role with that degree of his character essentially removed. And Suou isn't the only victim of this characterization - I think Bones messed up with July's reintroduction, as well. The point of reintegrating minor characters into the main plot of a sequel would be to model them in a new and innovative way, but Bones is essentially mirroring Yin's development of emotions within July. While Yin is currently absent in the storyline, for the most part, when she is reintegrated, her and July's characters are going to overlap - two dolls who are bonding to a contractor to reach a level closer to humanity. For Yin it was Hei, and for July, it is Suou. The parallels between all four characters are not just repetitive - it's downright frustrating that Bones is repeating character patterns in such a way. The only character who doesn't fit this mold is Mao, and I find his new host, flying-squirrel-pet "Pecha" to be out of place with the rest of the developments. Mao's new appearance is downright comical, and in light of the fact that the rest of the entire season has regressed to a completely dark and gloomy mood, he is a misfit. The changes Bones has made to both Ryusei no Gemini's mood and character, I think, were aiming very high, but settled with a somewhat sub-par result.
In any case, I'm highly interested to know what others are thinking of Ryusei no Gemini, and their take on the new season. Do you feel that Bones is butchering their highly acclaimed series, or do you think the changes they have integrated are distinct enough to warrant recognition? What are your expectations for the current direction the plot seems to be heading? Please, discuss.
Personally, I've been, overall, disappointed by what we've seen in the first seven episodes of Ryusei no Gemini. Of course, that is not to say that there haven't been moments of indifference or appreciation, but in comparison to how I viewed season 1, Ryusei no Gemini pales in comparison, especially in terms of mood and characters. The fact that Ryusei no Gemini chooses to focus on Suou rather than Hei is a directorial decision, but the amount of attention Bones has been pouring onto Suou, while almost skimming over Mao and Yin, after an entire season devoted to their character development and viewer affinity, seems like a poor choice on their part. I understand that they're trying to distinguish between S01 and S02 by introducing a new secondary protagonist, but I think that one of the fundamental reasons for sequel demand is the reintroduction of familiar characters in a new storyline, and in this way, Bones is severely shafting the crew from S01. Although Hei is supposed to remain the main character, his internal conflict is almost sidelined in order to develop Suou's character further. Which brings me to the issue of character representation:
I can't agree with the direction Bones is taking on the character front. If there's one thing that obviously differentiates the two seasons, it's the decidedly darker twinge to Ryusei no Gemini. Of course, S01 had its definitive melancholic feel, as well, which is what made the mood of S01 thrive. However, Ryusei no Gemini has removed even the twinges of lightheartedness which S01 carried - for example, the removal of characters (thus far) such as Kurasawa Gai and Kiko, who brought brought casual humour to S01. This removal is also evident in the changes to the characters - for the most part, which is one of the issues I have with Ryusei no Gemini. Hei has obviously has had redefinition as a stoic, gloomy victim of depression. His alter-ego, "Li-kun" in S01 provided a nice balance between light and dark, but the absence of this ego in Ryusei no Gemini, coupled with the fact that those chasing Hei know his face, in correlation with the identity "BK 201" has removed that aspect completely, which I thought was a huge drawback to S02. The viewing audience could connect to "Li-kun" while being unable to understand "BK 201"'s motivations, and this contradiction made for an unlikely bonding with Hei's character. Hei's new exterior has taken away much of the human aspect of Hei, and dehumanizing a protagonist is seldom a formula for success. Hei's shoddy appearance, drawn-back hair, unkempt beard, drinking habit and completely cold attitude towards strangers (may I recall "Li-kun"'s congeniality to those he met on the street; another aspect of his complex yet endearing character) makes it difficult to relate to him as a character any longer. The humanizing is, instead, focused on Suou, as Bones explores her thought process as a contractor who has some connection to her human self -- this is, esssentially, the role that Hei originally had in S01, and has now been replaced. I think that Suou's character aimed to be innovative in the world of Ryusei no Gemini, but for what I can see, she's a slightly skewed version of S01's BK 201 / Li-kun, in respect to her abnormalities as a contractor. Hei, instead, has regressed to a backseat role with that degree of his character essentially removed. And Suou isn't the only victim of this characterization - I think Bones messed up with July's reintroduction, as well. The point of reintegrating minor characters into the main plot of a sequel would be to model them in a new and innovative way, but Bones is essentially mirroring Yin's development of emotions within July. While Yin is currently absent in the storyline, for the most part, when she is reintegrated, her and July's characters are going to overlap - two dolls who are bonding to a contractor to reach a level closer to humanity. For Yin it was Hei, and for July, it is Suou. The parallels between all four characters are not just repetitive - it's downright frustrating that Bones is repeating character patterns in such a way. The only character who doesn't fit this mold is Mao, and I find his new host, flying-squirrel-pet "Pecha" to be out of place with the rest of the developments. Mao's new appearance is downright comical, and in light of the fact that the rest of the entire season has regressed to a completely dark and gloomy mood, he is a misfit. The changes Bones has made to both Ryusei no Gemini's mood and character, I think, were aiming very high, but settled with a somewhat sub-par result.
In any case, I'm highly interested to know what others are thinking of Ryusei no Gemini, and their take on the new season. Do you feel that Bones is butchering their highly acclaimed series, or do you think the changes they have integrated are distinct enough to warrant recognition? What are your expectations for the current direction the plot seems to be heading? Please, discuss.