D.C. II S.S. ~Da Capo II Second Season~ discussion thread

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Wahoo, season two!

Ep 1 thoughts will go in a reply to avoid having spoilers in the root post.

ANN (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9137) entry.
Official (http://www.hatsunejima.com/top.html) site.
Schedule (http://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/1356/time) for airing dates and times on various stations.

Note
As usual, please try to follow these three easy forum courtesy habits when replying:
1) If you're the first person to post about an episode in any given week, please respond to the root post (this post) and indicate in the subject line which episode you're posting about.
2) If someone has already posted about an episode before you, please respond to that post (or a relevant reply to that post). Keep in the right subthread.
3) Don't use the blue "Post Reply" button because it causes your reply not to correctly inherit the subject line of the post you're replying to. Just click "Quote" to the post you want to reply to.

Thanks.

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And we're back~

Episode 1:

- New OP of course, and I like it better than season one's. A good bit better, actually.
- We begin with Otome and Yume seductively waking Yoshiyuki up. And as they lean for a kiss... well it's a dream of course, and Sakura is the one waking him up.
- "Those two are like siblings to me! There's no way that could happen!" Hahah, riiight. Get ready to try and tell yourself that for the next 13 episodes, because with Koko pretty much out of the picture (ok not really, but come on, she's screwed now) you know where you've gotta be headed.
- At school it's time to choose what their class will do for the three day Christmas festival. Anzu proposes a love story puppet show with Koko as the heroine, while Suginami proposes an er, haunted house. Yoshiyui daydreams and turns out to be the tie breaking vote.
- He goes with puppet show, and preparations begin. Of course, with Akane and Anzu behind it, he becomes the hero alongside Koko the heroine.
- Koko and Yoshiyuki reflect back on their short lived relationship in season one, and Koko delivers one of those "I'm okay now!" speeches that always bug me a bit (because what's implied is "...so now you can go fulfill another girl's route instead"), though it wasn't so bad here.
- Koko and Nanaka eat cutely.
- After dinner, Otoma offers to help Yoshiyuki practice his part (read: forces him with cuteness). Afterwards we find out that she once wrote a story/play before too, but she's far too embarrassed to show Yoshiyuki. And I'm finally noting that her voice is very familiar, though it seems the only other significant character I've seen her seiyuu do is Felt from 00, but she had like 10 lines total.

And as she's leaving with Yume (...I totally forgot Yoshiyuki had moved out) she feels a sudden... something or other and there's some kind of resonance with the Sakura tree in the Yoshino yard. And the same night, we see Sakura at the big sakura tree, putting both hands against it and looking worried. Magic tree of death time!

The ED is entirely Yoshiyuki/Yume/Otome/Sakura-centric. As much as I loved Koko, Anzu, Akane, Minatsu and the rest, I'm already finding myself really looking forward to Otome-centric stories. Yume too, because we haven't gotten a chance to get to know her yet. We've only seen the most cursory glimpses into her thoughts. And of course more of Sakura will be a good thing.

[Vegard Aune]

So far, I think this season seems to be going in a good direction, though that might be because I read summaries of all the 6 paths from the game, and therefore I already know that Yume and Otome's paths are infinitely superiour to Minatsu's. As for the new theme-songs...
OP: Video sucks, but the song is pretty good, though it does sound a bit too similar to Sakurairo no Kisetsu. (The opening to Da Capo S.S. if anyone didn't know.)
ED: It's good. Not much more to say about that.

And currently, it seems as though Otome will be the main heroine this time, but it's a bit early to say for sure. As long as they just leave in all the explainations for what the hell actually happens, I'm happy. I was VERY confused when I read the end of the game-summary.

So yeah, I'm looking forward to the rest of this series. Hopefully it'll be better than the last two seasons, which weren't really anything spectacular.

[Draneor]

Thank Haruhi they may finally start to get to the actual story. The first cour was a bit of a disappointment, as it initially looked like they were going to go the Koko/Nanaka route, but somehow ended up telling Minatsu's story along with bits from Spring Celebration mixed in. While Minatsu is certainly an interesting character, she's rather down on the list for me (unlike say Amakase Miharu). Given that Koko is my third favorite character and Nanaka is my fourth, I would have liked to have seen their route done properly. Nevertheless, the first episode of D.C.II.S.S. makes up for all that. Why? Because Oto-nee's teramoeness can finally shine in its proper place. Also, Yume can be the ultra tsun-tsun imouto that she is.

The first episode started with a very nice, seductive dream scene with Oto-nee/Yume-chan. Then, my favorite moment in the first episode came up next: the playful banter between Yoshiyuki and Oto-nee about being late and fixing a bentou. I about died of pure moe overdose there.

Although I really enjoyed the band members conversation, I didn't like how the animation did not match up to the dialogue; I wonder if they were short on money or time and thus rushed it. I think both the conversation and the images were cute, but they felt artificially mashed together. Still, I'll watch Koko eat a yakiimo any day.

The play rehearsal with Oto-nee was great too. I can't wait to find out what Oto-nee wrote about, although I have a very good guess. The episode ended with a focus on the sakura tree, that had only briefly appeared in the previous cour. From the looks of Sakura and Oto-nee, there is something ominous about the sakura trees (I promise I won't spoil). All around, I thought this episode was done rather well.

I always had full faith that Oto-nee would be the final choice, given her constant mega-popularity, and I still have faith, although both Yume and Koko are still in the runing. I'm estatic that it looks like Feel is going to finally get around to telling the main story of D.C. II rather than just hint at it. I also hope they manage to work in the main part of Koko/Nanaka's story along with Anzu who really got the shaft the first cour. I mean, they even included parts about the iinchou.

Given that I have just spent a week listening to D.C. music non-stop and reading D.C. II Imaginary Future, I think my obsession with the D.C. franchise just went up another notch. I mean, I just bought an Otome pocket watch, and I don't even use watches. Also, I've been eating plenty of bananas. Then again, this is someone who sleeps with an Otome dakimakura pillow and blanket...

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OP: Video sucks, but the song is pretty good, though it does sound a bit too similar to Sakurairo no Kisetsu. (The opening to Da Capo S.S. if anyone didn't know.)
Dunno, I kinda liked the video. Simple but effective, and I liked the first bit with people leaving the Yoshino house. The quality of the designs was also pretty high. D.C. II designs have always struck me as a bit odd in the faces, but more often than not high quality overall.

Btw, wanted to remind people of this request (bolded and colored) from the first post:
"3) Don't use the blue "Post Reply" button because it causes your reply not to correctly inherit the subject line of the post you're replying to. Just click "Quote" to the post you want to reply to." See how even though you replied to my post, you used that button and it didn't use the subject line of my post about Ep. 01 (I fixed it manually for this reply). This goes for any thread really, but GS series discussion threads most of all. The main problem is that it only takes one person to use that button to throw off *every* reply afterwards that falls under that person's post. Yet another bug in VB.

As an aside, I really do hope we get some people following this thread who haven't already played or spoiled themselves on the games already. :sd: I'm going to be scared to actually read any of the replies at this rate, though I'll try and trust you both not to let spoilers slip.

[Vegard Aune]

I'll try and trust you both not to let spoilers slip.
I won't spoil anything, at least. But if you're that worried about spoilers, why not just add another note in the first post, "Please don't post any spoilers from the game"? I seem to recall that you (Or was it someone else?) did that for the Clannad-thread.

Also...
Thank Haruhi they may finally start to get to the actual story. The first cour was a bit of a disappointment, as it initially looked like they were going to go the Koko/Nanaka route, but somehow ended up telling Minatsu's story along with bits from Spring Celebration mixed in. While Minatsu is certainly an interesting character, she's rather down on the list for me (unlike say Amakase Miharu). Given that Koko is my third favorite character and Nanaka is my fourth, I would have liked to have seen their route done properly. Nevertheless, the first episode of D.C.II.S.S. makes up for all that. Why? Because Oto-nee's teramoeness can finally shine in its proper place. Also, Yume can be the ultra tsun-tsun imouto that she is.
I agree. Even though I'm an obsessed Minatsu-fanboy, I'll admit that her plot wasn't exactly fantastic. Actually, so far I haven't seen anything from this franchise that compares to the first season, but this one does have a lot of potential.

[Draneor]

I'll try and trust you both not to let spoilers slip..

When have I ever spoiled anything? ;) Other than that Oto-nee is moe, but you already knew that. :P Heck, I knew it the moment I first laid eyes on her character designs. Anything I reference will be vague.^^

Speaking of Shimazawa Noriko's character designs, I agree that they have improved since the original cour. I'm growing rather fond of them now, even though my initial impression was slightly negative compared to Tanihara Natsuki's original ones (I believe she did it--I should check my artbook).

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But if you're that worried about spoilers, why not just add another note in the first post, "Please don't post any spoilers from the game"?
That can't REALLY be necessary, can it? :sd: No spoiling should be about as common sense as asking people not to post child pornography.

Granted, some people spoil anyway but they're the same people who would never actually read the top post. And no I didn't actually think either of you two would spoil, but it'd be nice to have someone else going into this blind too, so I can speculate and get opinions from someone else who is only speculating as well. =P But Season one's thread was hardly high traffic and I don't expect this thread to do much better, and any responses are better than no responses, certainly.

And goddamnit it's too hot out for April.

[Draneor]

. And no I didn't actually think either of you two would spoil, but it'd be nice to have someone else going into this blind too, so I can speculate and get opinions from someone else who is only speculating as well..

Question: if you made a mistake in your initial post about a factual statement rather than a plot issue, do you want to know or would you rather I not say (of course, there is always the chance a later episode will make the fact clear and correct the misunderstanding, although if you saw the first D.C. it should be apparent already)?

[something]

Question: if you made a mistake in your initial post about a factual statement rather than a plot issue, do you want to know or would you rather I not say (of course, there is always the chance a later episode will make the fact clear and correct the misunderstanding, although if you saw the first D.C. it should be apparent already)?
Only if it's something that was shown in an earlier series and I just plain old forgot.

I'm 90% sure you're referring to Yoshiyuki living with Sakura and all that, because as I typed it I was pretty sure I was forgetting something. He always lived there? I could just open up season one again and confirm but... effort.

[Draneor]

I'm 90% sure you're referring to Yoshiyuki living with Sakura and all that, because as I typed it I was pretty sure I was forgetting something. He always lived there? I could just open up season one again and confirm but... effort.

Yes. That was it.

[Vegard Aune]

So, after someone went and subbed all three episodes that are out so far in just one day, I just finished watching episode 2. I'll just put this in a spoiler-tag just in case: Dear Yume, it's so blindingly obvious that you like Yoshiyuki that you might as well start carrying a huge sign saying "I LOVE YOSHIYUKI!!!!" around. He propably wouldn't notice anyway... Though I'm fairly sure he's gonna end up with Otome in the end. Also, is it just me, or did Yume sound EXACTLY like Minatsu when she said "Christmas party" about 4 minutes into the episode? Funny, she acts like Nemu, is voiced by Kotori and sounds like Minatsu. What an extremely unoriginal character...

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Vegard Aune, please try to post subthreads on new episodes as a reply to the root post, like I'm doing here. See the first post: "1) If you're the first person to post about an episode in any given week, please respond to the root post and indicate in the subject line which episode you're posting about." Thanks.

Episode 2:

- Ah, focus on Yume. For the best, since we've gotten so little of her before, and what we did get was in relation to characters other than Yoshiyuki. Also, she looks adorable with glasses (and Yoshiyuki finally realizes how popular she is with guys)
- And something about burst water pipes near the mall catches Otome's attention.
- But more Anzu makes me even happier. Mmm, thighhighs. Unfortunately she goes without sleep to finish the script but collapses from exhaustion and a fever. Yoshiyuki has to take her home and watch over her until her parents get back. Oh, and a hair down Anzu is fine too. And I'm guessing this is where you do her in the games >_>
- She lives in a huge traditional Japanese compound, to his surprise. He also finds out why Koko and Akane have never been there. She's hiding the fact that she lives alone. Her parents abandoned her as a child and her grandmother took her in, but she died three years ago.
- He tells Koko and Akane, and then convinces Anzu to open up about it and have everyone come over to study. She agrees.
- They all arrive and we find out that Anzu has a perfect memory. She remembers a book after reading it once, and can do a matching game on a full deck of cards from memory, as well as count cards during poker. Things end well, and Anzu is glad she finally invited everyone over.
- On the way back, Yoshiyuki runs into Yume. He had given Yume two tickets to the Christmas party earlier, and not knowing that she wanted to go with him, he asks who she plans to go with. Obviously, she gets a bit irritable :sd:

lol what? Otome is walking home when two guys run past her, chattering about how they screwed something up, just as police and/or fire sirens sound in the distance. A voiceover plays of Yoshiyuki and Otome talking about their magic abilities as children. And then Otome snaps back to present, calls herself a magician of justice, and... heads off to apprehend the guys? :sd:

What the hell are you up to, Otome...

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Episode 3:

- The pre-ep narration by Sakura continues, though no details are given yet.
- Otome finds Yoshiyuki and has him eat lunch with her, but she gets interrupted to go fix the latest school crisis. But not before she tells him to come over to her and Yume's place to practice tonight.
- He does, and feels a bit nervous since he hasn't been there in awhile. He remembers the first time he came to the house, and met a (REALLY cute) younger Yume.
- ::blinks:: Woah wtf it's Junichi as an old dude. o_O Where's Nemu? (wait, don't answer that... and besides I don't want to see her all old and wrinkly) But what the hell is his relation to them supposed to be? Grandfather? I totally can't remember seeing him in the first season.
- After dinner Otome and Yoshiyuki practice, but she's distracted by another siren. She asks if Yoshiyuki remembers their promise from childhood, but he doesn't. She says she's not mad, but another sires wails and she tenses. Something weird is going on around this city.
- Conveniently, Koko seems to be coming down with something (real, imagined, or faked) that's affecting her throat and ability to deliver lines. This is where Otome will no doubt come into play.
- He falls asleep on the roof while they break and remembers how Otome used to be. The opposite of Yume, she was withdrawn and unresponsive. Oh and Junichi calls himself "ojii-chan" so grandfather it is?
- It's not until he shows Otome his magic that she opens up to him. She felt like she shouldn't get close to anyone because she was not "normal", but now there was someone just like her. They swear to always be there for each other no matter what.
- And at sunset on the way home, he tells her he remembers. But another siren goes off, and she finally reveals that she's decided to look into these mysterious daily arsons. She asks if he'll help, and he agrees.

Definitely a weird weird story to involve Otome in. Asakura Otome, Undercover Magician of Justice! o_O A good episode though.

[Vegard Aune]

Just saw the raw of episode 4. Again, putting this in spoiler-tags just to be on the safe side.
I previously thought that they were making it too obvious that they were focusing on Otome... I take that back. Yume seems just as likely at the moment. On one hand, they've animated a lot of stuff from Otome's path, but on the other hand, like I mentioned in my thoughts on episode 2, Yume is making it so damn obvious that she likes Yoshiyuki that she might as well start carrying a sign saying "NII-SAN, I LOVE YOU!!!!". So I'm a bit torn on what to believe right now, which is good, because until now, I've always thought this show was too predictable.

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Episode 4:

- Haha man Yume is so cute. I love how they show the top of her head peeking over the bushes, from Yoshiyuki's perspective.
- Shit yeah, I love Yume. Her instinctive tsuntsun reaction gets in the way of her finally, finally getting what she wanted: Yoshiyuki to go to the party with her. She manages to save it from disaster though. But man, even Yoshiyuki can read her like an open book. I'm definitely going to love her tsundere act, at least at first. She's so good at it. And so cute!
- Pinch! Koko fainted! Oh noes, is there anyone you know who just happens to have her character's lines memorized? ={
- Man, did they need to do the whole puppet show? It was... boring. However, I laughed at "What do you want for Christmas?" "I want to disappear." Bwahaaha.
- And I laughed more when Otome started crying. If they were going for emotional, it didn't work. :sd:
- The bit back at the house was good though. Otome being teased about santa was amusing. And Sakura keeps hinting at how temporary this happiness is.

The beginning and end were good but the puppet show was a snooze fest.

[something]

Episode 5:

- Time for a ski trip. I'm wondering if Yume had some sort of major injury in the past, because as she's picking out first aid equipment it flashes back to a first-person view of something going very wrong.
- Now I'm convinced something happened. Otome and Yoshiyuki are clearly skilled and experienced, so they've gone and done this before. Yume stays back at the lodge and focuses on her first aid equipment again, and just generally seems in low spirits through the day.
- Yeah, it was definitely her. Now the odd thing is... why doesn't Yoshiyuki remember this?
- Also, Koko has big boobs. ...Just sayin'.
- And then, onsen! As if right on cue. Though we see nothing, sadly. Let ero Akane do her thing! Too much steam.
- Everyone gets together in the guys' room afterwards for a party but Yume stays behind and... and sneaks out to ski? Wait, why? :sd: Also, a couple frames of Yume in her bra =D
- So, not only does she actually like skiing, she's quite good at it. Two guys hit on her and she sends one crashing, while Yoshiyuki appears and takes out the other.
- But man I'm not sure what's up with her here. She wanted to ski but doesn't want to do it with Yoshiyuki because she seems to "know" he'll get in an accident. She... she sees the future? Or was that the past like I thought?
- Oh shit, she really can see the future, or rather can sort of predict with some level of accuracy, or... well at least she has dreams that come partially true. While she's daydreaming she goes riiiiight off a cliff, and ends up in just the situation she predicted.
- Except... nothing happens. Yoshiyuki digs her out and carries her back and everything is fine, except for her sprained ankle.

She warms up in the onsen and looks lovely =D Yoshiyuki says she's been avoiding him all day, but she denies it. When he presses the issue, she says "How about this? I'll come over to you now." XD

Damn I love Yume. This is one of the best eps this season.

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Episode 6:

- The Sakura-narrated bits about spring and memories and sakura trees continues, though it's still vague enough that I can't say I know exactly what she's on about.
- Otome is getting more and more into researching the rash of incidents in the town. Arson, collapses, explosions... it all seems random, but a common theme is that nobody ever dies.
- The mysteries hit a bit closer to home when Otome's friend Mayuki has to leave her apartment block after a gas leak is discovered. This whole bit with Otome playing detective still feels like a really strange direction to go in, but it could turn out well.
- Yume with glasses is so damn cute. Especially when she's all tsuntsun.
- Huh, how far in the future was this series again? 45-50 years? Suginami gives Yoshiyuki half a century's worth of his club's gathered records on the strange goings-on around Hatsunejima. I wonder if they're going to try and more explicitly link this to the original Da Capo. I mean, we have an old Junichi around, and Sakura of course has barely aged over all this time so she's still around. Suginami is a carbon copy of (presumably) his grandfather. Nanaka inherits Kotori's love of song. Pseudo-incest is still strong with the Asakuras. The Minatsu robot lineage hasn't died out. Now I'm wondering what happened to Nemu... Can't remember if they've said anything yet.
- "Cats that can turn into humans..." Oh man we need Yoriko's granddaughter or something.
- "As long as you wish, you will know what others thing." Seems Nanaka didn't inherit that trait. Some traits seem to be hereditary (like Asakura magic) and some not.
- Sweet, Otome and Yoshiyuki decide to ask Junichi about it. Obviously they don't ask Sakura, because they can't possibly know she's really about 66 years old (at least). I like where this is going though... Just making a sequel and saying "it's 50 years later!" is one thing, but actually tying the plots together in some way is quite another, and potentially much more satisfying.
- Huh, I thought Junichi was going to dodge the questions. Or maybe he assumes it sounds so absurd to someone who wasn't there, that by answering truthfully he can actually avoid giving anything away :sd:
- But he does ask them a seemingly obvious question: why is it that they consider a sakura tree withering (starting 50 years ago until just 10 years ago) to be strange, but a sakura tree not withering to be normal? Once they look at it this way, they start to take the 50 year old rumors more seriously.
- And we find out a bit about Anzu... why she's alone, and how she has her inhuman memory. Of course, she leaves a teasing little smile of doubt for them to mull over, but Yoshiyuki is convinced.
- So they give it a try with a seemingly innoculous wish. "I hope that Sakura-san comes home early tonight." Watch her come home in a stretcher :sd:
- Also, YUME WANT FOOD. FEED YUME MORE DUMPLINGS.

Damn, things got really, really interesting with this episode. I can't wait to see how it all plays out now. I'm so happy it's started in this direction, because it's very successfully giving off the feeling that made me fall in love with the franchise in the first place. I liked DCII from the start, but this just makes it even better.

[Vegard Aune]

Pseudo-incest is still strong with the Asakuras.
I don't see how you could consider it "incest" at all. I mean, Yoshiyuki is Sakura's adopted kid, and Yume and Otome are Jun'ichi's grandchildren, so no matter how you look at it, they're at best... whatever you'd call it when one guy's adopted mother is the other two's grandfather's cousin... They definitely aren't breaking any laws, at least.
Oh, and I believe Sakura is actually 71, (Why hasn't she retired yet?) as I'm pretty sure this is 53 years after the first series, and I'm pretty sure she was at least 18 at that point. (Because she was a senior at high-school, and she's apparently older than Jun'ichi.)
Anyway, I still think this season is far better than the last two, and it might even surpass the first one if they do it right. I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of it.

[something]

I don't see how you could consider it "incest" at all. I mean, Yoshiyuki is Sakura's adopted kid, and Yume and Otome are Jun'ichi's grandchildren, so no matter how you look at it, they're at best... whatever you'd call it when one guy's adopted mother is the other two's grandfather's cousin... They definitely aren't breaking any laws, at least.
Oh jeeze, you're not seriously going to argue technicalities here, are you? :sd:

I added "pseudo" to indicate precisely that it's not "blood", but the end result is still a girl screaming "onii-san" when she orgasms, and that's all that matters to me.

[relentlessflame]

I added "pseudo" to indicate precisely that it's not "blood", but the end result is still a girl screaming "onii-san" when she orgasms, and that's all that matters to me.Should I say it's "Nii-san", or "Ototo-kun", case depending? Oh wait... :sweat1:

And yes, the way they're tying the series together is great. The Japanese DVD release's first volume came with synopses of the first two series so that people could refresh their memories on the details. I know it seems at first like just some excuse for a rehash, but thankfully it's well thought-out.

[something]

And yes, the way they're tying the series together is great. The Japanese DVD release's first volume came with synopses of the first two series so that people could refresh their memories on the details. I know it seems at first like just some excuse for a rehash, but thankfully it's well thought-out.
I very well might decide to rewatch the original DC after this. DC II SS really has me in the mood. It's just getting things so very right.

[pathos]

- We begin with Otome and Yume seductively waking Yoshiyuki up. And as they lean for a kiss... well it's a dream of course, and Sakura is the one waking him up.

I was going back and was scanning some of the first season, and it just struck me. This dream Yoshiyuki had was almost a carbon copy of Junichi's dream from episode 2 of the first season. I had totally forgotten Junichi's dream. Of course, Junichi's dream only had Nemu in it, where Yoshiyuki's had Oto-nee and Yume.

As Junichi eventually ended up with Nemu, i wouldn't mind seeing Yoshi ending up somehow netting both of the sisters, as implausible as it is :P

I do however, think it would be hard for him to actually pick between the 2 of them. He obviously cares for them both, as family or otherwise.

[something]

i wouldn't mind seeing Yoshi ending up somehow netting both of the sisters, as implausible as it is :P

I do however, think it would be hard for him to actually pick between the 2 of them. He obviously cares for them both, as family or otherwise.
Which is why this will end with hardcore Yoshiyuki x Suginami yaoi.

[pathos]

- Man, did they need to do the whole puppet show? It was... boring. However, I laughed at "What do you want for Christmas?" "I want to disappear." Bwahaaha.
- And I laughed more when Otome started crying. If they were going for emotional, it didn't work. :sd:


I didn't think the play was that bad, really. I will say that Yoshiyuki's va does a good job, excapt when he's voice acting himself voice cting. Talk about a stiff performance.

I will also say I'm betting the puppet show is probably giving some pretty heavy premonitions of things to come, somehow or another.

Since I'm generally terrible as guessing where a show is heading, I won't bother. I will point out some of the things I've found interesting so far, like the play, Yume's dream of Yoshi getting hurt (and her later saying the future can't be changed), Sakura making Yoshi wear the pendant every time he leaves town (or, gets far from the tree), and the fact they've spent some time actually talking about the younger years just after he came to live with them, but never any time before that.

[pathos]

i wouldn't mind seeing Yoshi ending up somehow netting both of the sisters, as implausible as it is :P

I do however, think it would be hard for him to actually pick between the 2 of them. He obviously cares for them both, as family or otherwise.
Which is why this will end with hardcore Yoshiyuki x Suginami yaoi.

I think my dreams have officially been crushed now.

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Episode 7:

- The pre-ep narrations by Sakura are getting a little redundant. It's just her saying cryptic things about wishes and hopes and regrets and love and such. But I know they'll get to a point eventually.
- Yume, Otome, Yoshiyuki and Sakura get together for an end of year dinner/celebration. Yoshiyuki pokes fun at Yume for being useless compared to the multi-talented Otome. Sakura says she can't go to hatsumode with them because she has some things to do at school, safety preparations for if anything happens there in connection to the rash of vandalism and arson. She'll be gone a few days.
- Ahaha. Otome and Yume get drunk. They're very amusing drunks. Sakura tries to tell them there's no alcohol in it though :sd:
- I fucking love Yume's pouty face. She's starting to wonder if she isn't acting enough like a girl around Yoshiyuki - in her eyes, he seems to prefer the more feminine and mature Otome. She wants to change, but of course the tsuntsun makes it a bit hard. And even when she tries to set something up, he says he'll be busy with Otome again.
- Yume comes over to cook for him, but of course cuts herself. Cue the old finger sucking bit. Seriously, has Japan not invented running water and bandaids yet?
- Wahahah! He stops sucking and all Yume can do is stutter at an ever increasing pace, and just as he thinks he's about to get sucker punched, she quiets down and says thanks.
- Hmmmmm. Otome overhears Yume desperately telling Yoshiyuki he must be back by six o clock. Interestingly she's not worried or jealous or anything... she just smiles and looks happy.
- Oto-nee and Yoshiyuki finally find a clue in their search - at the scene of most of the incidents, witnesses vaguely remember seeing a girl with long blond hair. Clearly the implication is that Sakura is somehow involved, though what this all really means is unclear.
- Oh! It's Yume's birthday. Yoshiyuki completely forgot, and he would have forgotten to get back by six if Otome didn't remind him. He's not really on top of things, is he? :sd:
- XD If I wasn't a Yume fan already, this episode would totally seal the deal. About 5:30 she waits by the door, looking incredibly excited and nervous. She hears the outer door slide open, and hurries back to the table where she's set a meal out. Then the doorbell rings, and it's just a delivery guy. She hangs her head in disappointment. SO CUTE!
- Figures. :sd: Knew that was going too well. On his way out of the shopping district where he buys the pajamas Yume was looking at, the security shutters slam down and he's stuck inside as security investigates outside.
- It's past 730 when they get it open, and Yume is still waiting at the table, about to give up. Aww, Yume =(
- ::blinks:: He gets home and it's 9:00, and Yume is gone. Jesus, how far was that place? And if he only got there some time after 5:00, how did he initially expect to get back by 6:00 from the same place? I guess between seeing Yume at 7:30 and seeing him get out, another hour or so passed... well whatever :sd:

Dun dun dunnnnn, Otome hears sirens wail, and heads over to see what's up. And there's a long blond haired girl... Sakura, who is supposed to be gone a few days for school related things. Who would have thought? =P

Mmm, delicious Yume episode, moving the "mysterious incidents" plotline along as well.

[Vegard Aune]

And now: ACTUAL PLOT-DEVELOPMENT! Also, the pre-opening cryptic nonsense actually served a purpose this time around. So to give a brief summary of all the ACTUAL PLOT-DEVELOPMENT that took place in this episode:
The undying sakura-tree is somewhat similar to the one from season one, but with one MAJOR flaw: It grants absolutely every wish anyone makes to it. Also, it is revealed that killing the tree would make all the accidents stop, as it would break all the wishes that had been granted, just like in season 1, but Sakura refuses to do this, because (I really didn't think they'd reveal this part just yet) killing the tree would also cause Yoshiyuki to disappear, because he was originally born from Sakura's own wish. Sakura then decides to "fuse" with the tree, and "filter" out all the bad wishes, so they won't have to kill it.

...Oh, and by the way, Yume forgave Yoshiyuki for not making it to her birthday right away. What a shock.
I'm surprised that they put all that stuff into one single episode, and I really don't see how the story can still go on for another five episodes... Anyway, this episode was awesome in every sense of the word. Though now I kinda wish I hadn't spoiled the entire game for myself, as I somehow feel that this would have been even better if I didn't already know what would happen in advance.

The animation also seemed better than usual this week.

[something]

Episode 8:

- So the bit in the beginning finally meets up with the main story, or at least one of the characters from it years ago. And... Sakura appears to be trying to seal the tree as it leaks out all the darker wishes made upon it. Either that or absorbing them into herself. Or just dispelling it in some way - regardless, same idea. And it's still amusing to see a former bishoujo lead as an old man. It's like the old question of what happens to magical girls when they're no longer young girls (ok, you get Okusama wa Mahou Shoujo, but besides that) but... different. :sd: And I'm still wondering what happened to Nemu. (But don't tell me =p)
- "I guess she's not mad." OF COURSE SHE'S MAD. DON'T YOU WATCH BISHOUJO ANIME!?
- Alright Yoshiyuki. Nemu didn't chew you out, and you just took her out to eat. A logical person would think "Hey, this is where I explain the situation, apologize, and give her her persent." Right? Let's see what he does!
- Wow, he did it, though she had to bring it up first. She's entirely too happy though. Something else happened. I'd guess she made a wish on the tree, but what?
- Well, even if so there are more pressing matters, like Sakura saving Yume and Yoshiyuki from an accident and revealing the secret of the tree (and Yoshiyuki) to Otome. I'd be more surprised at this, if not for the spoilery summary on ANN.
- Ok, so I think Sakura's "last resort" is going to end in either her suddenly becoming really old, or just flat out dying. And both would suck.
- Seems like it's closer to the latter - fusing with the tree and installing a bad wish filter from the inside. Sounds like fun!

I'm not sure why she had to cut her hair so crazy short but... uh... Bye, Sakura? ;_;

Will be interesting to see where things go from here... I guess it'll be trying to find a way to bring Sakura back while still sealing the tree? There's a couple things they could do I guess.

[relentlessflame]

I'd be more surprised at this, if not for the spoilery summary on ANN.
Which they just copy-pasted from Wikipedia. (The ANN summary for the Second Season is completely laughable -- they didn't even try.) This is the great tragedy of this show, because it seems like everyone read that spoiler somewhere before watching the show, and so missed out on the revelation of one of the best secrets of the game. Whoever wrote that copy for Wikipedia is just heartless, and they refuse to put it under spoiler tags because it's in the "story section" (which people are supposed to know will contain spoilers by default, apparently). Anyway, suffice it to say, you were definitely not supposed to know this; it was a well-kept secret in the game that you didn't find out until after at least your third playthrough. And this is why I understand why you're normally so upset about spoilers. You, and everyone else, got robbed.

As far as I can imagine, there are really only two ways to truly enjoy this show the way it was intended. Either you're completely versed in the game, and so would be amused by all the hints, remixing, and game fanservice they're doing (which is to say, there's tons). Or, you're completely ignorant of the story (except for the original two Da Capo anime series), and are coming at this with a completely blank slate. It seems to me that this sort of "half-way approach", where you know a few select spoilers but nothing else, must sort of suck.

[something]

Which they just copy-pasted from Wikipedia. (The ANN summary for the Second Season is completely laughable -- they didn't even try.)
Yeah, the SS one was awful. And the S1 summary... god, it doesn't even mention Koko or Minatsu, far as I remember. The tree and the Asakura sisters play just about no role in S1. I just sent in a correction telling urging an immediate removal of just about the whole thing. Of course, this will never get licensed so most anyone who is going to see the show has probably been spoiled already, and thus to too little too late. But oh well. (ANN better work fast too - if it's still there in a few days I'll be annoyed.)

Anyway, suffice it to say, you were definitely not supposed to know this; it was a well-kept secret in the game that you didn't find out until after at least your third playthrough. And this is why I understand why you're normally so upset about spoilers. You, and everyone else, got robbed.
Yet another reason why I just love fans of the original medium who show nothing but irresponsible disregard for anyone who doesn't or can't familiarize themselves with the original. I'd love to have played all the Da Capo games - but I can't. It's not an option, even if someone flat out handed them to me for free, I wouldn't be able to *do* anything with them, because the English-speaking visual novel fanbase has more or less never been served in any way by any commercial entity, and the amount of work involved means that fan entities almost never get anything done either.

And so some jackass on ANN does a copypasta from another jackass on Wiki, and this supposedly major episode falls pretty flat.

I still like the show a lot, simply because I love the girls, but it's quite annoying nonetheless. I kept feeling like this episode should have been a lot better than it was (it was okay, but really lacked emotional punch), but that's spoilers for you. Oh well.

At least I don't know where they go from here, though I'm sure someone somewhere on the internet is doing their damndest to try and shove the answer in my face.

[something]

Episode 9:

- Otome is depressed, Sakura is gone, Yume is still feigning[?] cheerfulness... and the bad events continue. Yoshiyuki stupidly trots across the street on a red light and nearly gets flattened by Mizukoshi-sensei :sd:
- Yoshiyuki is too busy thinking about Otome (who disappears off to see the tree at lunch) to pay much attention to Yume. I'm starting to see the cracks in the facade she's put up. Hope Otome isn't [DC 1 reference... hahah as if anyone reading this hasn't seen it already ] hacking up sakura blossoms any time soon.
- Otome is a wreck. She assumes that Sakura has failed and the bad events are going to continue, and feels that she needs to do something about it. If only she could make the tree wither... but she'd simultaneously be murdering Yoshiyuki. Can she do it?
- Unable to handle it, she just starts avoiding him. This won't end well.

Ouch, not well at all. Otome breaks down and (finally) asks Junichi for help. He understands, and says he'll take care of it. Or rather, he'll try. And so he does. Otome nervously walks up to the tree the next day, and is horrified to see the malignant aura still pouring forth, and Junichi gone, except for his classes.

Well, we appear to have killed off (haha ok, I use the term very loosely) the stragglers from Da Capo I, since Nemu is just nowhere to be seen.

And Otome has to handle it on her own... dun dun dun. By the way, her seiyuu was pretty amazing in this episode. Absolutely fantastic voice work, Takagaki Ayahi. And holy crap, she voices the (all but mute) Megumi from Special A! Hah! Now Megumi REALLY needs to start talking.

Good ep, good emotional drama, and a pretty unique "end" for a bishoujo anime male protagonist. How many have we ever seen after their younger, libido-filled years? And how many went out like this, eh? Pretty neat.

Four episodes left, still? I'm pretty amazed by that, really. This is feeling very "end of story"-ish, so now I really think something is going to go seriously bad with Yume. I do sort of worry about Yume coming out of this looking pretty bad, but hopefully they won't completely assassinate her character or anything. I absolutely love her and don't want to see her degenerate into a petty, vengeful bitch in the remaining episodes.

[something]

Episode 10:

- Yoshiyuki skips out on school and spends all day looking for Otome, who called out sick from school. From morning until evening he fails to find her, finally returning back to Yume late at night. She notes sadly that all he ever talks about is Oto-nee, and how it's been like that since they were kids. (God, she so wished something terrible...) She even slips up and confesses that she loves him - but for better or worse, he'd already fallen asleep.
- Asleep and dreaming of the tree. Or rather, entering Sakura's dream. She starts to tell him all about the tree - the tree that she made wither long ago, because of its fatal flaw. She then went to America and studied magical sakura trees (where does one enroll in courses on that? :sd: ) and created an artificial one, the same one she created Yoshiyuki with. But this tree had the same flaw, and as we've seen, all went downhill from there.
- (Also, she looks absolutely awful with that super short hair. Yeesh.)
- Yoshiyuki tells her not to hate herself, and that he accepts his fate. He also calls her "mother" ...Aww.
- Also, stillll waiting for the Yume implosion... any minute now.
- Then the confrontation with Otome. Otome completely breaks down, while Yoshiyuki tries to encourage her to do what she needs to do. And once again, Takagaki Ayahi really gives a stellar, stellar performance as Otome. Damn good emotional acting.
- Prediction: Otome and Yoshiyuki are going to kiss, and then Otome will make Yoshiyuki disappear, and Yume will see it. Then all HELL will break lose. Because holy shit, how else are there three eps left?
- Haha, so close. No kiss (yet), but Otome indeed makes the tree wither. And just before the episode ends, YUME! Looking confused (understandably), but she's going to be a lot more confused in a few moments...

This will get ugly. I wonder how much longer Yoshiyuki has? And just how bad they're going to make Yume look before this all ends =(

[something]

Episode 11:

- And there's... Yoshiyuki, still alive. I liked how the opening was completely silent except for his lines.
- I should have figured it would go like this. He doesn't disappear right away, rather everyone starts to forget him, starting with those who knew him least. Otome's student council friend already forgot. Speaking of forgetting, Anzu's wish to the sakura tree for a working memory is fading too, and thus her perfect memory is lost.
- Yume grabs Yoshiyuki for lunch, and half-slips up and indicates she knows what's going to happen to him. Huh that's... weird. I can't imagine Otome would tell her, but I guess she just overheard the conversation by the tree at the end of 10.
- The forgetting accelerates. Nanaka takes a moment to recognize him, and already most of his class has no idea who he is. Suginami, Wataru and Koko still remember, and Wataru gets a big hug for it :sd:
- Oh I love Yume, yes yes yes I do. She indeed knows, and she's trying her best to enjoy the time she has left with Yoshiyuki. As opposed to Otome, who refuses to even talk to or look at him. She's not trying to be mean really. She's working her ass off trying to find a way to save him. But nonetheless, Yume is right: "You'll regret it like this. I don't want to regret."
- Maya has completely forgotten. That's one semi-major character down, who will be next?
- Akane and Anzu. Ouch... Yoshiyuki thought he was prepared, but it's now that he really understands just how hard this is going to be for him. Thankfully Yume shows up right after with the nabe ingredients she'd bought.
- They eat, and Yoshiyuki gives Yume the old "You'll regret it if you stay with me" spiel, to which Yume basically responds "screw that, I'll be there for you nno matter what", and my love for her just increases tenfold.

Why are you so awesome, Yume? Though her vow is going to be increasingly tested - nobody at school remembers him now. Not even Nanaka, Koko, Wataru or Suginami.

I'm so glad the show didn't just build to the tree withering and end there. This approach is much more powerful, and they're nailing it quite well. We're down to the three, Yoshiyuki, Yume and Otome. Everyone else has forgotten or is sealed in the tree. Two more episodes to go...

[pathos]

Episode 11:
- Yume grabs Yoshiyuki for lunch, and half-slips up and indicates she knows what's going to happen to him. Huh that's... weird. I can't imagine Otome would tell her, but I guess she just overheard the conversation by the tree at the end of 10.


I'm assuming here that she probably learned from her foretelling dreams. Seems like an episode or two back, Yoshiyuki actually saw her dream where she learned he was "leaving", I think? She may not know exactly how, although her witnessing the tree withering event probably gives her a clue, at least.

[something]

I'm assuming here that she probably learned from her foretelling dreams. Seems like an episode or two back, Yoshiyuki actually saw her dream where she learned he was "leaving", I think? She may not know exactly how, although her witnessing the tree withering event probably gives her a clue, at least.
Oh, that. They've done so little with that plot element I had completely forgot about it. :sd:

[something]

Now to finish this off...

Episode 12:

- Yoshiyuki does his best to remember the good times and prepare for the end with no regrets. Yume make an effort to enjoy all the time Yoshiyuki has left, and likewise bid him farewell with no regrets. And so she asks him on a date after school the next day. Otome meanwhile becomes absorbed further into her research, speaking to no one.
- "...Did you cook?" "Yup!" ::silence:: No doubt he's thinking, "I don't have much time left, are you trying to hurry me along?" =P But oh god Yume is so cute. She's become my favorite character in the DC II universe over the course of this second season.
- Ouch. Not only do Koko et al not remember Yoshiyuki, they don't even see him. They greet Yume on the way to school as if she's alone... but she deftly recovers from the shock and makes up a cover story. Of course, that confirms to Yoshiyuki that she knows exactly what happened.
- She tells him she'll always be there for him, and says they'll skip school and go on the date right then.
- And they do, and it's so cute. Yume~~! But it ends, as Yume knew it would have to, just as the dream played out. As the sun sets, they go to the roof of the school.
- Confession! Yume knew all along Yoshiyuki would disappear - for years. That's why she's always been slightly cold to him, because she didn't want to fall in love. Of course she did anyway. But after confessing, she tells him to go to Otome with what little time he has left. ;_; Poor Yume. I really like how they did her hair in this scene.
- Then it's Otome's turn, with the same general idea - act strong, show doubt, burst into tears, confess love. But that's the end, because it's here that he disappears. And damn what a way to end the episode - no ED, just Otome cursing magic and sobbing. Ouch.

Now to see how they bring him back in 13 (caus, come on, there's no way it ends like this =P)

[something]

Episode 13:

- Time skip, two months... Springtime in Hatsunejima.
- Hahaha. Wataru shot down, triple team style! And Suginami almost pulls a Kenshiro. "You are already dead..." :sd:
- Hmm I wonder, did Otome and Yume forget too? They're talking about getting boyfriends and such.
- Ok, definitely didn't forget. Otome has two full pages of her notebook full just of Yoshiyuki's name over and over. That's kinda creepy. Yume spends her day after school revisiting all the places she went with Yoshiyuki on their date...
- As it's springtime, the never withering sakura came back to life (but as a normal tree), and that means Sakura comes back too, at least in spirit. In spirit with awful short hair. I was hoping it would grow back, I sort of want to punch the screen every time I see it now.
- And with the sakura come everyone's memories, apparently, though slowly at first.
- Second part~
- ...and done.

Ah, yes, if you just cry hard enough, the power of your tears will fix anything! Well, I wouldn't be watching this show if that sort of plot device bothered me. Very nicely done second half, and thus ending. Really liked Sakura's final plea to the tree, and Yume's dream. And her "Oh snap, wait a second!" realization when she woke up XD

No resolution no who "wins" (unlike the original), but that just means I can ignore the fact that Otome is clearly the "main" girl, and go on believing Yume gets what she wants =D Yume~~~! She's totally one of my favorite imoutos of recent seasons.

I *am* a bit surprised we didn't get a last minute Minatsu cameo, but then we didn't even get a last minute meeting between Yoshiyuki and the other classmates, although they did remember him while at school. That's not an issue either though, because this season made it quote clear it was about, and that's Yoshiyuki and the sisters. Also, I'm a bit impressed they didn't revive Sakura at the end. I love her and all (but, the hair...) but it's better if we get the idea there was some sacrifice involved.

But man, until the very end, I kept expecting Suginami to reveal he's an immortal, and thus the same Suginami as in Da Capo (I), and that he knew what was going on all the time =P

Well, the fourth (last?) anime incarnation of Da Capo has ended. I definitely enjoyed it. Now to hope against hope someone licenses it all.

[relentlessflame]

Ah, yes, if you just cry hard enough, the power of your tears will fix anything! Well, I wouldn't be watching this show if that sort of plot device bothered me. Very nicely done second half, and thus ending. Really liked Sakura's final plea to the tree, and Yume's dream. And her "Oh snap, wait a second!" realization when she woke up XDWell, yeah -- the sakura tree, of course, never really dies. Its magic is just contained waiting for a mage to unleash it. So even when they killed the "artificial" tree's power, the real tree's power was still there. But yes, the very name "Da Capo" is an allusion to this ending, so I'm glad you weren't surprised/offended. And yes, Yume's epilogue ending (the dream that she realizes is real) is awesome in both the game and the anime.

(That being said, they did take a liberty in the anime. Her dream there was sort of metaphorical, but Yume's dreams of the future are always supposed to come true literally. Her encounter of Yoshiyuki at the end wasn't like the one in her dream, and I doubt they're trying to allude to a scene in the future (Unless...?). Despite that minor inconsistency, though, I still liked it. It was more stylish like this, I think (and the exact dream they used in the game wouldn't have worked that well).)

I *am* a bit surprised we didn't get a last minute Minatsu cameo, but then we didn't even get a last minute meeting between Yoshiyuki and the other classmatesNow that the anime is over, I think I can probably mention this, but I know you're extremely spoiler-adverse and there's a very, very small chance they might make future seasons, so I'll hide it anyway. The reason she didn't appear is also because they're being true to the game's timeline. In the game, she came back a few years later as a high school student.

Well, the fourth (last?) anime incarnation of Da Capo has ended. I definitely enjoyed it. Now to hope against hope someone licenses it all.Now that someone's apparently licensed the original game, who knows... there may be hope after all! I always thought the games were the least likely to be licensed.

Edit: Oh yeah, I wanted to comment on this in earlier episodes also, but couldn't for obvious reasons, so I'll comment on it now.

No resolution no who "wins" (unlike the original), but that just means I can ignore the fact that Otome is clearly the "main" girl, and go on believing Yume gets what she wants =D Yume~~~! She's totally one of my favorite imoutos of recent seasons.I thought it was very interesting, a few episodes ago, that you assumed that Yume would get jealous and things would turn ugly. Memories of Nemu, perhaps? What I wanted to say then is what you realize now: Yume is awesome in that way. She acts cold and distant, but deep down, unlike her grandmother, it isn't because she's lonely/jealous, it's because she's trying not to fall in love. And when she realizes that she can't help herself, she faces it head-on. When she realizes that Yoshiyuki loves Otome more than her, she's able to do what's best for him and not just for her. So yeah, Yume is definitely a great character, and her story in the game was my favourite precisely because of the way she deals with the burden of her magical gift/curse. I think the story -- both game and anime -- really brings out Yume's good side, and it's hard not to admire her.

[something]

Now that the anime is over, I think I can probably mention this, but I know you're extremely spoiler-adverse and there's a very, very small chance they might make future seasons, so I'll hide it anyway.
I had to skip out on reading this, since Draenor has noted (and you alluded to it) that English Da Capo games seem, amazingly, mind-blowingly, to be an option in the near future, even if at a scary price (I'll have to be quite selective...). Since I might actually get to play the game then, I'll try to avoid any specific info about how it differed from the anime. Actually, the more differences the better, to keep it fresh.

I thought it was very interesting, a few episodes ago, that you assumed that Yume would get jealous and things would turn ugly. Memories of Nemu, perhaps?
Definitely. Well, Nemu and Sakura, since both got pretty nasty at the end of Da Capo (I still love Nemu though, always felt she was treated unjustly by fandom). I terribly feared dirty last minute character assassination of Yume, which would have really brought the show down for me. I did realize early on she was a wonderful character and all, but thought she might be sacrificed at the altar of melodrama by the writers (or more to the point, I guess, Circus).

That didn't happen at all though, so I was elated, and impressed. Thank god. Yume <3

[pathos]

Episode 13:But man, until the very end, I kept expecting Suginami to reveal he's an immortal, and thus the same Suginami as in Da Capo (I), and that he knew what was going on all the time =P

Bwaha, I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that. It's the same guy!!

This season of Da Capo really surprised me. It went from a "I'll get around to it when i feel like it" show, to my favorite of the season. Totally won me back over after DC 2nd season, and DCII first season (which weren't bad, mind you, just meh).

Yume and Otome probably had alot to do with this though. I actually like Otome a little better, but Yume was a very close 2nd.