Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Original Soundtrack

Compared to the joys of Yoko Kanno on the soundtrack for the original series of Darker than BLACK (which featured at least a couple of stand-out tracks on an OST which never really grabbed me to be honest), Ryuusei no Gemini was always going to struggle to make quite the same impact shorn of her not inconsiderable influence. However, regardless of this there were a few occasions where I found myself enjoying the background music to this new series, which left me at least somewhat anticipating the release of its soundtrack.

Of course, it probably goes without saying that Ryuusei no Gemini's official soundtrack features TV sized versions of both the show's opening and closing themes - I'm not a huge fan of either track to be honest (although I realise I'm probably in something of a minority on that front), but of course if you do love those tracks you probably already have their respective singles anyway.

That leaves the rest of the album free to showcase the rest of the soundtrack, and to be honest it's actually a bit of a curiosity - The snippets of music you'll recognise from the series are all present and correct, but they're occasionally encased in what can only be described as different tunes entirely. This makes for a rather odd listening experience that almost descends into a game of "guess the tune", as some seemingly random dance number churns along for a minute or two before transforming into one of the hefty beats that you'll remember from the series.

To be honest this isn't a bad thing to my ear at all - I'm all for some thumping dance music at times and this soundtrack delivers in an oddly satisfying way at times while also making room for some slower electronic numbers where required (with track nine a particular favourite of mine). If pounding bass isn't your thing however, there are still some other more guitar-centric tracks on offer here, although again I have to admit they don't do much for me personally but they seem polished enough. The good old piano also gets an outing for the haunting (and rather excellent) track eleven to round things off from the point of view of creating a more eclectic soundtrack.

Some odd compositions aside then, I actually found myself enjoying most of the Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini OST, with its heavy beats and electronic musings fitting the series pretty well in my opinion. It's certainly not a classic soundtrack that will be enjoyed and talked about for many years to come; rather, it's a solid effort that's certainly worth enjoying in the moment while the series itself is still fresh in your mind. Is this the kind of soundtrack you'll come back to and enjoy again in a year or two however? Probably not, truth be told.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 12 (Completed)

At the end of its penultimate instalment, I found myself wondering aloud how this series would manage to close all of its plot points happily with only one more episode left to run. Well, my questions were answered by Ryuusei no Gemini's grand finale I guess, but.... ow, my head!

I suppose I should be used to the tangled webs of Darker Than BLACK these days, and generally speaking I'd like to think that I am, but this concluding episode of Ryuusei no Gemini was so dense in its twists and turns and so happy to leave questions unanswered that it's difficult to know where to begin.


Needless to say, much of this episode was about the perhaps inevitable meeting of Izanami and Izanagi, which played out against a backdrop of betrayal and shifting sides, with Shizume in particular revealed to be working for the CIA. Meanwhile, Hei survives the perils of Hazuki's "lightsaber" attacks for long enough for it to become clear both that he didn't kill Youko and that ostensibly they're both on the same side. While Hei is taken to Yin's location, it seems to be too late to stop her Izanami incarnation from wreaking havoc... or is it?

On the other side of the story Suou, Shion and July all have big parts to play, as this trio all end up within Hell's Gate - A place where their wishes can be granted, but at the cost of losing something else in the process. What happens from here is... well, pretty confusing at best, so hopefully someone else can do a better job of explaining it all than me.

I have to admit, I can't help but feel that this final episode of Ryuusei no Gemini has taken a bit of the polish from what has been an otherwise enjoyable series - While some elements of it make sense to me, and others clicked into place shortly after watching, I'm left feeling somehow unsatisfied, as though there's a big hole in my understanding that I can't quite put a finger on. In some areas this is understandable (with an OVA on the way which will doubtless mesh in to aspects of this series, and the obvious space left for a possible third season some time in the future), but I suppose I just expected a more "solid" ending. Maybe a second viewing will do this series climax more justice, and I can't deny that regardless of this ending I've enjoyed the series as a whole a lot, but right now I feel like I've just eaten Christmas dinner but someone forgot to cook the stuffing - It isn't enough to leave me hungry, but I feel like I've been stripped of an important part of the overall experience.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 11

Every week it seems that writing about Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini becomes a more daunting task as further revelations get thrown onto the fires that keep the series burning, and this penultimate episode certainly fits the bill on that count. In fact, it barely feels like a penultimate episode at all given how much seems to be going on as this instalment closes out.

After beginning with a glimpse at the sheer brutal horror that Izanami can be capable of, Hei and Suou go their own separate ways once again, with the former clearly looking to reach Yin's location while Suou needs to find her brother more than ever. Meanwhile, we learn that the moon which appeared at the end of the last episode is another part of the prophecies concerning what will happen should Izanami and Izanagi ever meet, adding further to the foreboding surrounding Yin and whatever she has become.


That aside, much of this episode deals with Suou's search for her brother, which takes her first and foremost towards a reunion with her father - A shock for Suou as of course she still presumed him to be dead. This meeting allows us to learn exactly how any why the "current" cloned Suou was born, from her sex (despite being a clone of Shion in a sense) through to the memories that she holds. Of course, there's little time for sentimental family reunions, with the location where Shion and her father were hiding out soon under assault from multiple forces, not least the Americans who seem to have taken an interest in nabbing both Izanami and Izanagi for their own ends. Suou's powers help her to escape the attentions of any pursuers, but at a high cost, leaving her free to find her brother as other previously disparate elements start to get together. There's certainly peril all around for the major characters by the time the episode preview rolls however.

As per my comments last episode, this really is a reminder of the Darker than BLACK we know and love - A tangled and endlessly shifting and moving story which seems unfathomably complex at times, yet never to the detriment of the show's entertainment value. While I worry that there simply won't be enough time to resolve everything to my satisfaction in that single, final episode, this instalment was another fantastically paced and developed offering which again balanced new revelations on one hand with further mysteries on the other. Now, all we can do is hope and pray that it can keep all of those plates spinning at lightning speed for a further twenty minutes to bring us a conclusion worthy of what has come before.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 10

The wonderful reunion that Suou had doubtless imagined with her mother went well and truly sour by the end of our last instalment of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini, but why? We learn the truth behind this, and plenty more besides while the series really steps up a gear as we enter its final few episodes.

After basically denying Suou's existence right to her face, our young protagonist understandably flees from her mother, wandering the streets until she's exhausted only to be found and picked up by a passing Kirihara. With the news that Suou's mother is in Japan, Kirihara pays her a visit, and it's here that we learn the truth about who, or perhaps we should say what, Suou actually is and how she came to be this way. This story is also verified to a large degree by Mao, as we get a glimpse of him prior to losing his body, and indeed learn the reason why he lost said body as part of a job for the Syndicate. Indeed, the Syndicate's name looms large during this episode, as it appears to tie together the Pavlichenko family in some intriguing ways.


Elsewhere, Hei manages to torture the probable location of Yin out of his hostage Youko, but eventually makes his first priority finding and rescuing Suou, which he does with his usual violent aplomb despite being faced with Kirihara. With Shion's ability revealed during the course of the episode as well, there's just enough time for one more big surprise to act as the episode's cliffhanger and, most likely, send the whole whole of Tokyo into something of a confused panic.

While I've been enjoying Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini from the very start, this is what it's all about - A number of huge and genuinely surprising revelations, offset against yet more developing mysteries and questions. All of this was pulled off with some near-perfect pacing to make for a gripping instalment that really ramps things up for the final couple of episodes (although how it's going to all fit into a pair of instalments is beyond me). If I had to make a complaint about the way the plot has unravelled here, it's that it all feels a bit too convenient, with Mao's knowledge of Suou's mother in particular not quite sitting right with me. Still, I honestly can't let that get in the way of an episode that I enjoyed so much, meaning that I'd still rate it up there with the pinnacle of the best episodes from the original series.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 9

The death of Tanya and subsequent parting of ways between Suou and Hei at the end of the last episode left the former of those two characters to wander alone (well, aside from July and Mao), aimlessly trudging along despite being cold and wet. This allows an old face or two from the original series of Darker Than BLACK to put in an appearance to save the day, in the form of detective's assistant Kiko Kayanuma in the first instance, complete with an introduction which serves as a knowing nod from the writers that yes, the serious nature of the series is being broken at least a little to facilitate her return.


So it goes that Kiko ends up helping out Suou as she recovers from her fever, before being led on a hunt for her mother even though it wasn't exactly on her agenda in the first place. Again, this leads to more questions about Suou's status as a Contractor, as she finds herself excited at the thought of seeing her mother even though it should be of no interest to her logically speaking, with the twists and turns of her mental state actually extending outwards to perhaps suggest that there's a sea change in the behaviour of contractors as a whole.

Perhaps some of these changes can be explained by Yin, aka Izanami - Regardless of this, it appears that Kirihara is slowly edging closer to the truth, finding information stored by Amber (another nod back to the original series of Darker Than BLACK) which spins some big stories around Izanami, Izanagi (aka Shion) and Hei which draws her in closer to whatever mysteries lie beneath what's going on. Speaking of mystery, we're certainly left with a huge cliffhanger come the end of this episode, as Suou gets her wish and meets her mother, but with a decidedly shocking result.

After worrying that this episode might become slightly too heavy on the comic relief with the appearance of Kiko, it looks like my concerns were entirely overblown, as this episode of Ryuusei no Gemini expertly sprinkled a few light-hearted moments over the serious business of the story as a whole in its usual measured fashion. With the episodes running out, there was a noticeable cranking up in the pace of revelations and deepening of the mysteries and stories running through the series this time around, with things moving at such speed I dare say a second viewing might be required to really start sifting through all of it to gather my thoughts properly. Either way, I hope that there's enough running time left to finish the series satisfactorily - I always get a little alarmed by such sudden changes in pace, even in an episode that otherwise worked all the better for it and pushed my brain into working overtime to try and piece together some of the parts of the puzzle for myself, impossible though that may be. It's that unique but gripping balance of frustration at not knowing things but fascination about what you could learn next episode which has all but become Darker Than BLACK's hallmark, and it looms large here yet again in all the right ways.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 8

After a bit of a flashback to more pleasant times for Suou in her pre-contractor past, episode eight of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini sees Hei walking straight into trouble once again no sooner had he rescued Suou from her own self-inflicted troubles (however noble her aims) last episode.

This time around, Hei's major problem finds him on the train to Ikebukuro, in the form of Tanya and her current employers, who are also looking to capture Suou in the hope of him leading them to Shion and/or her father. Initially however, this comes simply by way of a proposition to Hei to come and work for them - A seemingly logical deal, but one that he refuses hands-down. What's more, he soon learns enough about his opponent to escape from the group's clutches, although not before Suou has been kidnapped by Tanya, leaving him needing to go and rescue her once again, although ultimately Suou roves herself at least somewhat capable of handling herself before the episode comes to an end with at first a mysterious, but then rather surprising climax.


While you really can't ignore Ryuusei no Gemini's continued short but frantically fabulous bursts of action, once again this episode is really seeking to engage the viewer in deeper, more emotional territory in this episode - From Suou's flashbacks at the start of the episode, we see some fascinating moments between herself and Tanya which reveal both the happiness and hatred of friendship during the course of the episode aided and abetted by Tanya's logical, literal status as a contractor. Hei's own motivations are again called into question here too, although as usual his true thoughts are decidedly difficult to read when it comes to his relationship with Suou as he continues to say one thing but do another.

All of this may be interesting stuff, but once again it's further revelations about Yin/Izanami that really ramps up the intrigue of the show's story - Surely they're going to have to start moving things on pretty fast before we run out of episodes though? Either way, Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini seems determined to tell its story in an unhurried and calm fashion, and to be quite honest it suits the series well - For now, I'll simply have to trust BONES' judgement when it comes to the show's pacing while I continue to enjoy the ride.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 7

Episode seven of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Geminii certainly wastes no time in throwing some surprising information our way, opening with a scene which suggests that Suou and Shion's father is still alive and well (and at large in Tokyo no less), while examination of the brain of the person assumed to be said father only contained a day's worth of information. Some curious goings-on to get you thinking, no doubt about it...

Of course, the sighting of Shion's father in Tokyo has sent a number of agencies in a scramble to find him, and of course one way those agencies hope to get to him is via Suou, which leaves Hei and company (as always) in danger. With patrols and checkpoints all over the place, it's a struggle for our quartet of heroes (is anyone a hero in Darker Than BLACK really?) to leave their current location in Hokkaido - This leads them to hire the help of a professional to get them back on track on their journey.


Of course, nobody can be trusted in the world of this series, and so it goes that the individuals hired by Hei actually have another agenda, namely the kidnap and capture of July, Dolls being the valuable commodities that they are. While Hei is happy to give July up as lost, Suou will have none of it and thus abandons Hei to try and rescue him for herself. This leads her into the hands of a particularly nasty contractor, a man whose brutal tendencies before he became a contractor show themselves vividly in his remuneration. So it's left for Hei to save the day in one of those short but spectacular action set pieces so beloved of the Darker Than BLACK franchise.

While the plot development exhibited by this episode is hugely intriguing in its own right, I can't help but think that Suou's character development is continuing to be the most fascinating aspect of this series. Once again here, we see her veering from between relatively normal human emotions (there's certainly arguably not much logic to setting out to rescue July, particularly alone) and the absolute cold-heartedness expected of a contractor which almost leads her to murder someone without a second thought (although again you could argue the logic of this move in the circumstances). This internal struggle of sorts also continues to bind her own way of thinking and acting to Hei in many senses - As Suou grows closer to July does it mirror Hei's need to protect Yin.

There's so much we could sit and discuss about almost every episode of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini (I haven't even mentioned Kirihara here) that it's hard to know where to start, so instead let's just salute it as the excellent series that it is. It perhaps still hasn't captured my heart to quite the same extent as its predecessor, but that doesn't make Ryuusei no Gemini any less eminently watchable.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 6

As bad parenting goes, Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini's Michiru must win some kind of prize - Becoming a contractor and abandoning her only son, returning very briefly to bake him a cake before leaving again, and then coming to an untimely end virtually in Norio's arms. Such is the world as depicted by this series.

Although Michiru's story and family takes up a reasonably hefty chunk of this episode, the real intrigue comes from Hei and company's continuing mission to destroy "Izanami". Of course, it probably goes without saying that said mission hardly goes smoothly, as Hei finds himself caught up far too easily in a trap laid for him by Kirihara - Even this pales into comparison however with the revelation as to exactly what (or rather, who) Izanami is, a discovery which causes Hei to call off any attempted mission to destroy the entity, instead choosing to let it be taken away before pursuing it on its way to Tokyo.


The truth of Izanami's identity (and I'm trying not to spoil things for people who haven't watched the episode here) hangs heavily over much of this episode, notably shifting how both Hei and Suou in particular behave as the instalment progresses, with Hei seemingly lightening up and perhaps reforming his alcoholic ways while Suou becomes both more intrigued by Hei and simultaneously somewhat jealous towards his past relations with others.

All in all, this makes for another fascinating episode which is all about progressing the plot rather than straight-up action; something which it does as easily as ever while keeping more than enough mystery for us to chew on and mull over for quite some time. There looks to be interesting times ahead for Hei and his colleagues, that's for sure...

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 5

As per usual, Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini wastes little time in getting straight to the important stuff for its fifth episode, as Kirihara quickly stumbles across some important information. Perhaps most interestingly, this information includes mention of an "anti-contractor" weapon, as seen at the end of the original series of Darker than BLACK and seemingly a similar technology to whatever was used against Hei at the point where his star dropped out of the sky. That aside, Kirihara also learns about something codenamed "Izanami", and no sooner does Section 3's newest member learn this name she finds herself as part of a team tasked with its transport.


Meanwhile, Suou continues to train, improving and honing her contractor skills as much as possible, while even Hei appears to have picked up on her decidedly un-contractor-like behaviour at times as she continues to display some surprising moments of emotion far away from the ice-cold logic expected of contractors. Hei tries to help Suou "grow up" along these lines by getting her to kill a living thing with her rifle, but even this reduces her to tears that she can't quite understand herself. This is probably the last thing Hei needs right now, as he finds his employers requesting that he use Suou for a job - One which seems to also involve the mysterious "Izanami", although even this task has to be tempered with Hei and company escaping the attentions of a contractor and her associates, a contractor whose existence is surprisingly close to home for their cross-dressing host.

As we've come to expect from Darker than BLACK, this latest episode of Ryuusei no Gemini delights in building up yet more layers of mystery over the already quite hefty tome of curiosities which exist within the franchise. Similarly as per usual for this series, we're also dished up an expertly crafted mixture of occasional but spectacular bursts of action set against a backdrop of cold, hard logic ramming up hard against human emotion and the importance of such feelings for both contractors and "normal" humans alike. It's a heady mix, but once again it works effortlessly here, as this series continues to become more compelling to watch by the week.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 4

After giving us a bit more of a proper introduction (or rather, reintroduction) to Misaki Kirihara last episode, it's all change for Hei's "nemesis" as episode four of Ryuusei no Gemini, as she finds herself in the employ of Section 3, the same agency who has been sending contractors after Shion (and by extension, Hei) - Indeed, even her name has been changed, to Yayoi Ichinose. Thus, once again Kirihara finds herself on the trail of BK-201, complete with the mystery of his extinguished star and what that means.


Meanwhile, Hei himself has arrived in Japan along with Suou, Mao and July, and it appears that his first mission upon completing this journey is to train Suou up to become an agent in her own right. It's probably fair to say that Hei is quite the taskmaster here, whether it involves Suou learning to use her contractor powers or simply in a face-to-face fist fight. This all occurs against the backdrop of poor Suou herself, who seems to be struggling not just with her new-found status as a contractor (and boy does is this girl quick to pull out her huge rifle on people) but also with puberty and the emotional turmoil that this brings. This isn't really helped as she somehow ends up being the object of interest for a guy named Nori, who seems to be some kind of drifter happy to hang about on the streets of a Japan which appears to be still somewhat in ruins after the events of a couple of years ago.

While this episode is perhaps not the most important with regards to really pushing the show's plot forward apace, it does however have an important role in setting things up for whatever is to come - Aside from the obvious importance of Kirihara's new role and what this means in the grand scheme of things, Suou's emotional state is clearly also going to be a key tenet in forthcoming instalments. Away from this however, this episode didn't forget some of the touches that made Darker Than Black's initial iteration entertaining as well as intriguing, and so we get some nice little touches of humour at times, and of course some short action scenes that are no less spectacular for their brevity. Compared to a lot of the series we've been treated to this season, you never fail to feel the class of Ryuusei no Gemini bubbling under the surface, and you get the impression that it's only a matter of time before it explodes into something truly spectacular. Let's hope that this is the case, although even up to now this show is offering up a largely enjoyable ride.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 3

The end of the last episode of Ryuusei no Gemini left Hei in rather a tight spot thanks to an odd contraption set up by some of what seem to be his ever-increasing number of foes. However, something decidedly odd happens at this point, which seems to be the catalyst of an enormous change for both Hei and, in particular, Suou.

All of this has to be considered later however, as the pair make their escape, and despite Suou saving Hei on this occasion there's certainly no real build-up of trust, as once Suou comes back around from their earlier "swim" she's bound up by him, before getting an almighty slap for suggesting that Hei would even kill his own family and lovers if he was told to - A touchy lad is our favourite contractor.


Despite Hei's vague distrust for Suou, it appears that a change of orders is on the way, and these instructions come from a familiar face... well, a familiar voice at least. Thus, the new plan is for the pair of them to set off for Japan and Hell's Gate, which it seems is the new destination of Shion. While catching the train seems like a logical way to make their next move, all Hell breaks loose as Tanya (let to Suou inadvertently by Nika) and a number of other contractors appear on the scene to try and thwart their progress. But why is Hei not using his contractor powers? And how come Suou can suddenly materialise a huge gun out of her body? And why is her flying squirrel pet talking? If you've watched this episode then I'm sure you already know the answers to all of these questions, but if not then I have to tease you somehow, right?

There probably isn't a lot to say in summary here apart from asserting that Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini takes some fantastic turns this episode, piling up the revelations and reintroducing old faces while simultaneously piling layer upon layer of mystery onto the series, from exactly what has happened with Yin upwards. Overall, it makes for a fascinating cocktail that I can't wait to sup from again next week, whilst this episode didn't forget to lay on the spectacular action for the second half of this instalment to keep my jaw glued wide open as the goings-on unfolded. It may not have quite the subtlety and lightness of touch of the original series of Darker than BLACK, but three episodes in Ryuusei no Gemini is proving to be extremely compelling in its own way.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 2

The opening episode of Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini did a pretty good job of quickly but concisely setting up the show's story, and of course come the end of that opening instalment we'd even been successfully introduced to the new-look, long-haired Hei.

Of course, Hei's appearance could hardly be heralded as good news for Suou, who despite escaping from the military forces out looking for her and her brother finds herself the centre of attention for numerous contractors. This brings us to some absolutely fantastic action sequences from the off in this second episode, which arguably knock pretty much anything the original series depicted into a cocked hat.


In the ensuing chaos Suou manages to escape from these numerous contractors, only to find that all of her friends have had all memory of her wiped... all that is except for Nika, who also finds himself on the run due to his association with girlfriend turned contractor Tanya. After quickly recovering from the trauma of all she's just been through, Suou goes on the offensive the only way she knows how, and before she knows it she's confronted by Hei, and other contractors, once again.

As I've just mentioned, this new series of Darker Than BLACK really seems to have its action scenes plotted to perfection - It's literally breath-taking stuff, and that alone makes this episode compelling stuff to watch once the contractors get their groove on, complete with some mildly amusing remunerations on show too. That aside, the plot continues to progress in a predictable way, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing (indeed it is perhaps saved somewhat by Suou's feisty nature) as there's still a lot left to be explained, particularly for fans of the first series - Why is Hei working for his current employer, what's happened to Yin, and so on. Those kinds of question alone, never mind the deeper questions surrounding the world depicted by this show, are enough to keep me excited for what's to come, and I'm looking forward to plenty more of the same.

Darker than BLACK: Ryuusei no Gemini - Episode 1

Thanks to the rather enigmatic way that the original series of Darker than BLACK handled itself, you could argue that it was always ripe for a sequel despite doing away with a number of major characters... and here it is, with Ryuusei no Gemini kicking off some two years after the events of the original anime.

Before that however, we do step back in time for the show's introduction, meeting a pair of identical twins sat out in the snow of Siberia. The twins in question are Suou and Shion, a girl and boy respectively, and as they talk with their father about the shooting stars in the sky so something lands in the vicinity, causing a massive explosion. While all three survive, Shion becomes a contractor from that very day, and the meteor which kicks off this chain of events is clearly going to be of great significance to the series as whole.


From there, we move back to the present while remaining in Russia, including some brief glimpses of one old face in the form of MI6's April in the midst of what seems to be the very normal school life of Suou as she watches her friend be confessed to and excitedly photographs anything and everything, inspired by her mothers own career. However, that placid school life hides some far more interesting secrets at home, with Shion kept in hiding by his father, who is also secretly performing research on contractors and the like.

This tangled web soon brings these disparate elements together, as military types invade the family home/research laboratory in what appears to be a hunt for Suou, while April is also on hand and clearly looking for something. She isn't the only one, as inevitably the episode ends with the appearance of Hei, who it seems hasn't been able to afford much in the way of haircuts for the past two years.

If you're a fan of Darker than BLACK (and I'll be the first to confess that I very much enjoyed the first series, but not to the point of loving it unequivocally like some), then this first episode of Ryuusei no Gemini ticks all of the right boxes, warming up nicely into an intriguing and mysterious set of events with virtually nothing given away to the viewer, and if anything an even more ambitious and visually impressive rendition of the contractor powers than we saw from the original series. As opening instalments go there isn't really anything to criticise here - We're set up very nicely indeed for a continuation of many of the things that made Darker than BLACK what it was, although I can't help but wonder if it's going to do away with the two-episode story arc structure we're used to, and if so how that will effect the story-telling process of this series. Either way, it's great to get back to black, and I'm well and truly looking forward to more.