Comments on: Nothing Matters, but Knowing Nothing Matters(DTB Season 2 Episodes 7 + 8)

By: Dustin

Dustin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:45:34 +0000

With regards to Suou’s powers I’m going to have to error on the side of meteor fragment and Hei’s powers. It’s mainly suspect because of the crazy Einstein hair professor’s remarks at the end of Season One about his ability to turn normal humans into contractors. BUT he didn’t do it willingly. The key scene is when Hei lost his powers in that anti contractor weapon. Suou was drawn into something when the fragment lit up and shortly after she produced contractor-like powers. What I find suspicious is Suou and Shion having the same weapon (Or they look to similar for comfort). Honestly I’m leaning towards Shion and Suou being the red and green stars (meaning they’ll both be dead by the end of the anime).

We’ll probably get several big reveals soon. Especially leading up to the climax.

Now that I can type on a keyboard instead of a phone:

Passerby, interesting list of common occurrences in contractors. In some aspects that does match certain philosophical stances on rationality (not letting yourself be swayed by emotion when making decisions), but I think number one is a little funny. I’m not saying this as a reproof (because indeed the profit motive has been mentioned several times), but have we ever met a rich contractor? I mean surely if contractors are trying to amass wealth they should have money, yet they don’t exist. November 11 dresses well and drives a nice car, but I wouldn’t consider him wealthy. The British contractors are just kind of comfortable. It makes me wonder about these rationale contractors. Clearly the profits aren’t that great for the risks they take. I guess being rationale doesn’t necessarily make you smart :).

By: ShadowAhimsa

ShadowAhimsa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:48:47 +0000

Yes it does seem easier to assume that she is not a real contractor. I’m taking a stab in the dark by saying that I think it is because of the meteor core. Although maybe that’s just because I don’t want to really believe that Hei has lost his power or that Suou has any of it. At this point Hei’s powers being gone have not actually been confirmed. It seems likely but there could also be other things.

By: Passerby

Passerby — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:20:49 +0000

DtB never really offers a hard definition of what they consider rationality to be. When characters talk of the rationality of contractors they usually refer to 1) their profit motive 2) their amorality and lack of inhibitions or 3) their apparent lack of emotions. Introduced this season is the emphasis that contractors are consistent; if they are bound by a ‘logic’ then, indeed, all contractors should act the same way in the same situation. So Repnin fundamentally ‘trusts’ contractors, while Hei is frustrated with Suou’s unpredictable behaviour. Perhaps we can say that contractors are ‘efficient’; they can accomplish whatever task without any ‘baggage’. When April complimented November 11 posthumously for being rational, she was referring to his choice of the most efficient path to get his mission done.

Aside: from the way contractors are willing to take up the most dangerous tasks and get killed en masse over whatever, survival does not seem to be necessarily priority #1 (though apparently still a big one).

Once again, I think it’s easier to just assume that Suou is not a real contractor in the same way as Hei. We’re never shown how people actually become contractors, but it can be assumed that Suou’s circumstances were rather unique. Just as Hei is just a human with his sister’s power, can we say that Suou has Hei’s power (albeit with funny stuff involving the meteor core)? We’re getting close to Shion, so maybe it’s about time for a big reveal.

By: ShadowAhimsa

ShadowAhimsa — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:03:46 +0000

Hmm yes I thought about it that way too and it makes sense, either way though it still leaves me with questions. I do wonder about Suou. Do you you really think she is just a bad contractor?

By: Dustin

Dustin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:55:26 +0000

I’d have to disagree that rationality would be an individual definition in this context since they use it as a way to describe all contractors. In reality that might be the case but lot’s of people within the world feel like they can guess a contractors actions based on rationality (which is why they are always surprised by Hei’s responses.

That isn’t to say that using the word rational is correct, merely that normally contractors will produce a specific output given certain inputs regardless of the individuals state. I think this actually confuses people within the world too because they act based on the word rational without actually knowing the contractors set output. Still Suou has got to be the worst contractor of all time.