The OPs of Darker than Black

I’ll go ahead and embed all three of the videos here, but stuff like this never seems to last on youtube so who knows if they’ll stay for long.

OP1

OP2

Season 2 OP 1

I order cheap pharm couldn’t find a video of the new OP with subs, but if you go watch the actual episode somewhere it actually has subs on it.

I’ve read a lot of complaints about the new OP and have heard throughout the history of anime that OPs are meaningless. I agree that most shows OPs are not used effectively and most of the time the audience just sits through a blatant introduction of the characters. However, if you’ve seen the first Haruhi OP, which subtly unfolds into something you understand more and more, then you should have no doubts that they can be used effectively.

Since the new Ryuusei No Gemini OP has been taking the most flack I’m going to try and shed some light on why they used the song and the shots they did.

So let’s jump right in. The very first lines that open on Suou in the train station are “The moonlight guides me through the clouds, shining upon the path I must take even through the bleakest of days”. This line is also repeated later when we see Hei walking away from the camera without the online drugstore amber silhouette licking at his ear. We already know that moonlight is an important concept for all of the characters but I’m going to go ahead and talk about it in direct relation to Yin (whose name can be read as silver which is a direct reference to moonlight). I mentioned in my first post that Yin has taken on the role of a guiding light character and I think this is perhaps most blatant in the OP. If we choose to interpret Hei’s actions as trying to get Yin back then “The moonlight guides me through the clouds, shining upon the path I must take” is a direct indication of the path he must follow.

Still this OP is mainly about Suou and I think order online pills that’s the key difference between the original Howling OP and this new one.

First off the main motif present in the op is the train. Trains, as we all know, are a form of transportation that takes us from one place to another. Using this knowledge they can also represent a more personal change, like when a person boards a train to go live somewhere else they are effectively changing their entire lifestyle. I think the train in Suou’s case represents her loss of innocence but also her determination to go on, even if alone. This is mirrored in the songs words “Please, someone tell me… Does everyone think that way? Do they think it’s fine to be happy, even if it’s just for today? I thought the same when I was young, when I had dreams to chase after. But that’s a distant memory.” The indication is of course that Suou has lost her happiness and the train could be viewed as a change between her two very different existences. Immediatley after that they juxtapose Tanya (clearly not a contractor in the shot) and the rest of Suou’s friends with a Suou holding a huge rifle. I think the shots speak for themselves, what she’s lost and what she’s gained.

I think the most important aspect of trains though is the one way track. Once you get on there is only one path you can take, kind of like a fate metaphor. Once she boards the train she’s willing submitted herself to a mode of life that cannot be altered. The montage of characters is probably just a way to show the other important people in the show, but I also thought the order was interesting: Her brother + father, the new contractors, Misaki desperately trying to grab something, then Hei. Yes, Misaki is still desperately trying to get her hands on Hei haha. However, it’s more of a Suou’s past, then her present, and possibly Hei is her future (she becomes like him, she marries him). The one thing that really jars me at the end of the OP is the immediate cut from the Suou firing her rifle to Yin looking at the two stars falling. Now I’m going to choose to interpret this as Suou killing two contractors instead of Suou shooting Yin.

The shot of Hei walking away from the camera I think is another important symbolic point that is a direct zithromax without prescription affront to the first OP where he is walking with those deadly eyes towards the camera. In the Howling OP it feels like Amber is taunting him and the entangled chest line gives us the feeling that he can’t stop chasing her. My favorite part of that OP is the subtle face changes on Hei as he wakes up on her lap, realizes its amber, and his eyebrows scrunch. In the new OP we’re shown Hei’s back. In one way this shot is telling us that we’re no longer seeing this from Hei’s perspective, or Suou is chasing after him. The shot indicates someone who is following as opposed to the Howling OP where we feel he is the one chasing. Now this doesn’t mean that Hei is giving up his life as a contractor and walking away, far from it. The cut to Suou with the gun could be an indication she’s been following him to shoot him. No matter how you look at it those two are going to be entangled.

I have stuff to say about the other two Ops but I feel like those ones are more obvious. The Howling OP is clearly stating Hei’s lust for revenge and introducing us to his regrets. The second OP is more subtle (and quite frankly my least favorite) where we have Hei’s mask breaking. He also fights his shadows still wearing masks. I guess my point is “Don’t write off OPs just because most of them buy cheap acomplia are bad”. If you don’t watch Darker than Black with an open mind and a critical eye you probably won’t enjoy it. If you don’t think the director intended some of the stuff blogs like mine will spout you might be right, but I’ll guarantee the director did intend most of it. So give the new characters a chance, they might surprise us.

If you want to read some really good analysis of the first season you should head over to A Cruel Angel’s Thesis or for my favorite post go here.