Darker than Black is a Japanese anime television series directed and written by Tensai Okamura, animated by Bones, and produced by Aniplex that originally aired 25 episodes from April 5, 2007 to September 27, 2007.[1] Darker than Black was originally written for anime form and is not based on any other media. However, a manga has been created based on it. The series tells of the exploits of Hei and his Syndicate comrades operating in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo in his pursuit to discover the secrets behind the Hell's Gate.
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The series premiered on Tokyo Broadcasting System, Mainichi Broadcasting System, and their affiliated stations on April 5, 2007 and ran until September 27, 2007. The series also aired on Animax from May 8, 2007 to October 23, 2007.[2] It was then released to nine DVDs, each containing three episodes, except for the first DVD, which had only two.[3] The DVDs were released between July 25, 2007 and March 26, 2008 by Aniplex.[4][5] The ninth DVD included an unaired original video animation (OVA) that focuses on the romantic relationships between characters.[6] Like the last episodes, the OVA had An Cafe's "Kakusei Heroism (The Hero Without A "Name")" as its opening theme and High and Mighty Color's "Dreams" as its ending theme.
Funimation received the license for the series in Region 1 and has released two DVDs compilation with another coming in the future.[7] The first English DVD was released on November 25, 2008 and the second and third DVDs were released on January 20, 2009 and March 10, 2009 respectively.[8][9][10] Volume 4 was released on May 5, 2009[11] with Volume 5 released on June 23, 2009.[12]
The episodes have four pieces of theme music: two opening themes and two ending themes. "Howling" by Abingdon Boys School served as the opening theme for the first 14 episodes,[13][14] while episodes 15 through 23, episode 25 and the OVA had "Kakusei Heroism (The Hero Without a "Name")" by An Cafe as the opening.[15][16][17][18] Episode 24 had no opening theme.[19] "Tsukiakari" (ツキアカリ, lit. "Moonlight") by Rie fu served as the ending theme for the first 14 episodes[13][14] and "Dreams" by High and Mighty Color was the ending theme for episodes 15 through 24 and the OVA.[15][19] The last episode, episode 25, had no ending theme.[17]
| # | Title | Original airdate[2] | English airdate[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "The Fallen Star of a Contract... (Part 1)" "Keiyaku no Hoshi wa Nagareta... (Zenpen)" (契約の星は流れた...(前編)) |
April 5, 2007 | June 16, 2010 |
| The police attempt to arrest a Caucasian man, but he escapes using gravitational power. He lands a short distance away, but while attempting to complete his payment, he is confronted by a mysterious masked man who easily defeats him and demands to know the location of the package. After the defeated man reveals that a girl named Chiaki knows the location of the package, the masked man, Hei, kills him. Still in pursuit, the Public Security Bureau Section 4 chief, Misaki Kirihara, is informed of the man's death and discovers his identity as a DGSE agent. She later discusses the man's death with her police squad. Investigating a lead, Yūsuke Saitō and Yutaka Kōno, members of the squad hang out in a hostess bar and end up pursuing a girl they believe to be Chiaki Shinado. Hei, also known as Li, meets up with her and saves her from the police. When Chiaki meets up with her supposed allies, she is nearly kidnapped, although she is saved by Li before she can be knocked out. In the chase scene, another contractor punches Li over the railing of a bridge and knocks Chiaki out, capturing her. She escapes from her kidnappers and meets up with Li again, collapsing into his arms. | |||
| 02 | "The Fallen Star of a Contract... (Part 2)" "Keiyaku no Hoshi wa Nagareta... (Kōhen)" (契約の星は流れた...(後編)) |
April 12, 2007 | June 17, 2010 |
| Li brings Chiaki back to her apartment and she tells him about contractors. When they return to her room, they find her it's been ransacked by the men who have been chasing her. Chiaki asks to stay in Li's room and they spend the night together. They later go out to eat in a diner, but are interrupted when Chiaki's pursuers appear and attack them. They escape, but Li is injured as they run. Chiaki reveals her story to Li and entrusts him with the package that everyone is seeking. The following morning, while on the run from their pursuers, Li causes Chiaki to collapse and escapes in the ensuing chaos. Now dresses as the Black Reaper, Hei reveals that he is a contractor and is shot while protecting Chiaki, who is revealed to be a doll. He still manages to defeat the other contractors, though Chiaki sacrifices her life to save him in the process. | |||
| 03 | "A New Star Shines in the Dawn Sky... (Part 1)" "Shinsei wa Shinonome no Sora ni Kirameku... (Zenpen)" (新星は東雲の空に煌く...(前編)) |
April 19, 2007 | June 18, 2010 |
| A man, the only survivor of his expedition, explores the interior of the Gate and discovers a glowing flower. In the present day, Li has breakfast and stops by a small store. A schoolgirl, Mai Kashiwagi, misses her train in the morning. Li checks into a construction site to begin work and meets Kōzō Tahara, the man from the Gate expedition. Two men, monitored by Huang, check into a hotel and reveal their plans to use force to convince Tahara to obey them. Mai awakens in front of a fire and is sent home from her school. When Li attempts to drive her home, she escapes and runs off with friends. Hei later makes contact with her and entertains her. However, they are attacked as they travel through the city. Mai reacts and an inferno is seen in her eyes as Kirihara is informed of a new star. | |||
| 04 | "A New Star Shines in the Dawn Sky... (Part 2)" "Shinsei wa Shinonome no Sora ni Kirameku... (Kōhen)" (新星は東雲の空に煌く...(後編)) |
April 29, 2007 | June 21, 2010 |
| The aftermath of Mai's reaction reveals that she has become a Moratorium. The collective groups pursuing Mai change their plans and her continued impulses cause additional infernos. Kanami Ishizaki, Kirihara's high school friend, discusses the Moratorium with Kirihara. During the full-scale civilian evacuation, Mai reacts again and accidentally kills her friend, Yuka, and Yuka's father. When the police move to retrieve her, they are attacked by Luco, a contractor. He kidnaps Mai and they use her to force Tahara to reveal his research. Tahara tells Hei of the research, but Hei leaves in disgust to retrieve Mai. He is defeated when Mai's kidnappers threaten Mai's life, but Tahara arrives, hands over the remains of his research, and attempts to kill Mai. Luco kills Tahara, and, in turn, is killed by Hei. Mai transforms fully into a Contractor and is sent off to the Syndicate. | |||
| 05 | "Red Giant over Eastern Europe... (Part 1)" "Saiyaku no Akaki Yume wa Tōō ni Kiete... (Zenpen)" (災厄の紅き夢は東欧に消えて...(前編)) |
May 3, 2007 | June 22, 2010 |
| After a trade between a mafia group and a man goes bad, the man uses his Contractor abilities to kill the gang. When the boss attempts to escape, the other man is aided by another Contractor. The Contractors are revealed to be MI6 operatives, led by November 11. He and the other contractor, April, retrieve a woman named Havoc. A former Contractor, Havoc is taken in to be researched and examined. She is then transported with the help of Kirihara and the Tokyo police. However, the transport, a helicopter, is really a ruse to draw the attacks of other organizations pursuing Havoc. November 11 reveals that he hid Havoc in Kirihara's car, but they are soon attacked by Hei and his team, and Havoc is taken. However, when Huang checks in with Hei, he discovers that Hei has left with Havoc to interrogate her. | |||
| 06 | "Red Giant over Eastern Europe... (Part 2)" "Saiyaku no Akaki Yume wa Tōō ni Kiete... (Kōhen)" (災厄の紅き夢は東欧に消えて...(後編)) |
May 10, 2007 | June 23, 2010 |
| Hei interrogates Havoc as to the whereabouts of Amber and Pai, Hei's younger sister, but Havoc does not know anything useful. She offers to help Hei by approaching the Gate and recovering her memories and powers, but that only leads her to wanting her own death. With the MI6 agents in pursuit, her wish may be granted. | |||
| 07 | "The Scent of Gardenias Lingers in the Summer Rain... (Part 1)" "Samidare ni Kuchinashi wa Kaori o Hanachi... (Zenpen)" (五月雨にクチナシは香りを放ち...(前編)) |
May 17, 2007 | June 24, 2010 |
| Gai Kurasawa, a private detective, and his partner Kiko Kayanuma, a young girl, are hired by the widow of a cosmetics company executive to search for her lost black cat. They cross paths with Hei, who is on the search of the Contractor killing employers from the very same company. As the two groups continue to peruse in their search, Kurasawa unexpectedly comes across the skeleton of a long dead woman. | |||
| 08 | "The Scent of Gardenias Lingers in the Summer Rain... (Part 2)" "Samidare ni Kuchinashi wa Kaori o Hanachi... (Kōhen)" (五月雨にクチナシは香りを放ち...(後編)) |
May 24, 2007 | June 25, 2010 |
| Kurasawa continues his investigation, even suspecting his own client of murder, while Hei continues to go after the body-switching Contractor, Mao, who temporarily switches bodies with a crow and nearly drowns in the process. | |||
| 09 | "The White Dress, Stained with the Girl's Dreams and Blood... (Part 1)" "Junpaku no Doresu wa Shōjo no Yume to Chi ni Somaru... (Zenpen)" (純白のドレスは少女の夢と血に染まる...(前編)) |
May 31, 2007 | June 28, 2010 |
| Kirihara, who is investigating a string of murders, ends up at the birthday party of her high school classmate, Alice Wang, who is the daughter of the boss of the Hong Kong mafia, Qing Long Tang. The party is actually a cover for an emergency board meeting related to the deaths of several Qing Long Tang executives, and Hei is also in attendance, posing as a waiter. With the Contractor, named Wei Zhijun, on her side, Alice eliminates Qing Long Tang, but Kirihara is also on her list. | |||
| 10 | "The White Dress, Stained with the Girl's Dreams and Blood... (Part 2)" "Junpaku no Doresu wa Shōjo no Yume to Chi ni Somaru... (Kōhen)" (純白のドレスは少女の夢と血に染まる...(後編)) |
June 7, 2007 | June 29, 2010 |
| Hei and Kirihara barely escape from Alice, but Hei goes his own way after reuniting Kirihara with Saitō and goes after the crystal in the stone flower garden. He runs into Wei and loses the crystal in the process. Wei then meets up with Alice, but decides to eliminate her first before going after Kirihara and Saitō. | |||
| 11 | "When One Takes Back What Was Lost Within the Wall... (Part 1)" "Kabe no Naka, Nakushita Mono o Torimodosu Toki... (Zenpen)" (壁の中、なくしたものを取り戻すとき...(前編)) |
June 14, 2007 | June 30, 2010 |
| Hei has been asked to infiltrate PANDORA Institute, which is located in the vicinity of the Gate, and retrieve a Meteor Fragment, which even the CIA is after. There, he meets a man named Nick Hillman, and they find that they share the same dream of seeing the real stars. | |||
| 12 | "When One Takes Back What Was Lost Within the Wall... (Part 2)" "Kabe no Naka, Nakushita Mono o Torimodosu Toki... (Kōhen)" (壁の中、なくしたものを取り戻すとき...(後編)) |
June 21, 2007 | July 1, 2010 |
| Hei discovers that Nick is a Contractor with powers similar to his own. Hei follows Nick into Hell's Gate, where Nick transforms and Hei recovers the Meteor Fragment. | |||
| 13 | "A Heart Unswaying on the Water's Surface... (Part 1)" "Gin'iro no Yoru, Kokoro wa Suimen ni Yureru Koto Naku... (Zenpen)" (銀色の夜、心は水面に揺れることなく...(前編)) |
June 28, 2007 | July 2, 2010 |
| Many years ago Yin, also called Kirsi, is playing the piano under the watch of her teacher, Eelis Kastinen. In the present, Yin has apparently run away. Kurasawa and Kiko are asked by Kastinen to look for Yin. | |||
| 14 | "A Heart Unswaying on the Water's Surface... (Part 2)" "Gin'iro no Yoru, Kokoro wa Suimen ni Yureru Koto Naku... (Kōhen)" (銀色の夜、心は水面に揺れることなく...(後編)) |
July 5, 2007 | July 5, 2010 |
| The Syndicate orders Huang and Hei to kill Yin. However, Yin decides to continue working with Hei and the others. Yin then displays emotions by crying. Hei stuns Kastinen, and then erases his memory, on Yin's approval. | |||
| 15 | "Memories of Betrayal in an Amber Smile... (Part 1)" "Uragiri no Kioku wa Kohakuiro no Hohoemi... (Zenpen)" (裏切りの記憶は琥珀色の微笑み...(前編)) |
July 12, 2007 | July 6, 2010 |
| April spots Amber and Maki, two operatives of the Evening Primrose, and ends up in a non-fatal explosion. Meanwhile, the city is spiraling out of control as a chain of terrorist attacks occur, the culprit being Maki, on several foreign embassies, which allows the Evening Primrose to steal the Meteor Fragment. November 11, wanting revenge, chases down Amber. Hei, also wanting revenge, chases after her as well. | |||
| 16 | "Memories of Betrayal in an Amber Smile... (Part 2)" "Uragiri no Kioku wa Kohakuiro no Hohoemi... (Kōhen)" (裏切りの記憶は琥珀色の微笑み...(後編)) |
July 19, 2007 | July 7, 2010 |
| The Stargazer finally speaks, giving vague information on the Evening Primrose. November 11 kills Maki in a final showdown as Hei finally reaches Amber, who has taken Yin. Kirihara also arrives at their location, but, with the help of Amber's Contractor powers, everyone escapes. | |||
| 17 | "A Love Song Sung from a Trash Heap... (Part 1)" "Hakidame de Rabu Songu o Utau... (Zenpen)" (掃きだめでラブソングを歌う...(前編)) |
July 26, 2007 | July 8, 2010 |
| Hei meets Kenji Sakurai of the Nakazawa Family, a clumsy yet ambitious young man. New characters are introduced who live in Hei's apartment building. Later, Kenji is given the assignment of taking care of a Doll by Hitotsubashi, his boss. Hei, Mao, Yin, and Huang try to find the Doll, who is conveniently in the hands of Kenji. | |||
| 18 | "A Love Song Sung from a Trash Heap... (Part 2)" "Hakidame de Rabu Songu o Utau... (Kōhen)" (掃きだめでラブソングを歌う...(後編)) |
August 2, 2007 | July 9, 2010 |
| Kenji falls for the Doll, and they try to run away together with Hei's help. While out shopping, Hei is nearly identified by Kirihara as BK-201, but Kirihara doesn't see the relation between Li Sheng Shun and BK-201. Later, Kenji is caught and nearly killed by Hitotsubashi when Hei saves him. Kenji and the Doll successfully run away. | |||
| 19 | "Dreaming Shallow, Uninebriated... (Part 1)" "Asaki Yumemishi, Yoi mo Sezu... (Zenpen)" (あさき夢見し、酔いもせず...(前編)) |
August 9, 2007 | July 12, 2010 |
| Hei is sent to infiltrate a religious organization and kill the prophet, named Alma. He is aided by an insider, another Contractor, named Shihoko Kishida, whom Huang appears to know. Amagiri and Alma appear to be in cahoots with Alma providing him with Dolls. A well-meant mistake on Huang's part leads to Shihoko's capture. | |||
| 20 | "Dreaming Shallow, Uninebriated... (Part 2)" "Asaki Yumemishi, Yoi mo Sezu... (Kōhen)" (あさき夢見し、酔いもせず...(後編)) |
August 16, 2007 | July 13, 2010 |
| The Syndicate orders Huang to kill Shihoko, and as a secondary directive secretly orders Mao and Hei to kill Alma, and also Huang if He fails. In Huang's past we see him falling for Shihoko, and then Shihoko killing his then police partner Isozaki. Isozaki's wife's memory is wiped by the M.E., and Huang is drafted into The Syndicate. He is unable to kill Shihoko, and asks Hei to kill them both. Hei tries to help them run away while Mao refuses to have any involvement. When they arrive at the docks to wait for a boat, Shihoko sees someone from The Syndicate and realizes they cannot escape. For love of Huang, she runs into the path of an oncoming truck and dies. | |||
| 21 | "City Under Crackdown, Moist with Tears... (Part 1)" "Shukusei no Machi wa Namida ni Nurete... (Zenpen)" (粛正の街は涙に濡れて...(前編)) |
August 30, 2007 | July 14, 2010 |
| A doctor, named Dr. Schroeder, is abducted by agents of the Evening Primrose, while the American embassy in Tokyo suffers attack from Hei and his team. A new Contractor with the power to teleport herself and others appears as a double agent for the Evening Primrose. Wei reappears, but is scarred from his last encounter with Hei. Kirihara enters the embassy compound only to be detained by PANDORA, and Mao is discovered by Amber. November 11 leaves the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service for the Evening Primrose. | |||
| 22 | "City Under Crackdown, Moist with Tears... (Part 2)" "Shukusei no Machi wa Namida ni Nurete... (Kōhen)" (粛正の街は涙に濡れて...(後編)) |
September 6, 2007 | July 15, 2010 |
| Mao is taken by Amber to the headquarters of the Evening Primrose. While there, Amber calls a meeting for all of the leading Contractors of the Evening Primrose, including Mao, and Dr. Schroeder. She reveals that there was a plan to destroy the South American Gate, which would have led to the eventual disappearance of all Contractors worldwide. Dr. Schroeder notes that the plan was interrupted by a mysterious blue light. November 11 meets the head of East Asian MI6 operations, who is revealed to be a member of The Syndicate, and they kill each other. Hei attacks the Evening Primrose to rescue Mao. Hei uses his powers on Amber while Amber activates her meteor fragment, resulting in the illumination of the whole building in a blue light. | |||
| 23 | "God is In His Heaven..." "Kami wa Ten ni Imashi..." (神は天にいまし...) |
September 13, 2007 | July 16, 2010 |
| Eric Nishijima is using a particle accelerator to wipe out the Contractors. Amber gathers numerous Contractors to destroy the accelerator, and Dolls to be used for some other unknown reason. Nijishima, revealed to work with The Syndicate, places a phone call to eliminate Hei and his team. Amber sends a message to Hei via Wei, telling him to meet her in the Gate. Hei agrees and thus Huang, Mao, and Yin assist Hei to infiltrate Hell's Gate with Wei's guidance. | |||
| 24 | "Meteor Shower" "Ryūseiu" (流星雨) |
September 20, 2007 | July 19, 2010 |
| Hei's team, on the orders of Nishijima, has been kicked out of The Syndicate and contracts taken on all their lives. Kirihara discovers that "The Syndicate" is really a collaboration between intelligence agencies of multiple countries and that she herself has been an unknowing member. Hei, Yin, and Mao infiltrate Hell's Gate while Huang detonates a suicide bomb for distraction. Mao is disconnected from The Syndicate's network. As a result, his feral cat behavior takes over, and he runs away. The Contractors of the Evening Primrose launch an attack on PANDORA security forces, leaving the way open for Hei and Yin. The Syndicate takes out the Doll system of the Evening Primrose, leaving Hei with only Yin for guidance as they head towards the interior of Hell's Gate. | |||
| 25 | "Does the Reaper Dream of Darkness Darker than Black?" "Shinigami no Miru Yume wa, Kuro yori Kurai Kurayami ka?" (死神の見る夢は、黒より暗い暗闇か?) |
September 27, 2007 | July 20, 2010 |
| After meeting with Amber, Hei learns that against common knowledge Contractors can become more human than was thought to be possible. Realizing his own position between the world of Contractors and humans, Hei has to make the decisive choice for both. With final farewells to his past comrades inside the Gate, and their support behind his back, Hei's decision brings forth a new future for the world. | |||
| 26 (OVA) | "Beneath Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom..." "Sakura no Hana no Mankai no Shita" (桜の花の満開の下) |
March 26, 2008[6] (Japan) July 21, 2010 (Singapore) July 23, 2010 (Asia) July 30, 2010 (USA) |
— |
| Mayu Ōtsuka works at the Fourth Foreign Affairs Department in the Japanese National Police Agency as a liaison officer with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. She wrote a story about a masked man that supposedly seemed to be a dream, but she isn't sure. Hei and his team got themselves a new task and are looking for a numeric password attached to a sample. A Contractor took it from the Gate and buried it under a cherry blossom tree. As events unfold, Mayu seems to fall in love with Hei, while Saitō struggles to confess his feelings for Kirihara. | |||
Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (DARKER THAN BLACK-流星の双子- Dākā Zan Burakku -Ryūsei no Jemini-) is an original Japanese anime series directed and written by Tensai Okamura and produced by Bones. It is a sequel to the 2007 series Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha with most of the crew returning for production duties. The series premiered on TBS, MBS and their affiliated stations from October 8, 2009.[20] The sequel tells of Suou, a Eurasian girl whose life is changed by a frightful incident regarding a meteor shower, and her subsequent encounter with Hei, who is still on the run from the Syndicate two years after the events in the previous season. Like Darker than Black, Ryūsei no Gemini is also based on original material for anime with no other media.
The series was released on both DVD and Blu-ray beginning from December 23, 2009 with an estimated eight volumes. Each odd-numbered volume will contain two series episodes, while an OVA episode will be released along with one series episode in each even-numbered volume. Altogether four OVA episodes, they will be side-stories of the main characters Hei and Yin, with the events set in between Kuro no Keiyakusha and Ryūsei no Gemini.[21] Two pieces of theme music are used: one opening theme and one ending theme. The opening theme "Tsukiakari no Michishirube" (ツキアカリのミチシルベ, lit. "Guidepost of the Moonlight") is sung by the Japanese rock band Stereopony,[22] while the ending theme "From Dusk Till Dawn" is performed by Abingdon Boys School, who previously did the first opening theme for Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha.[22]
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | "Black Cats Do Not Dream of Stars..." "Kuroneko wa Hoshi no Yume o Minai..." (黒猫は星の夢を見ない…) |
October 8, 2009 |
| A Eurasian girl named Suō watches a meteor shower along with her twin brother Shion and their father, but things go awry when a meteor crashes into their location. Two years later, Shion has turned into a contractor from the incident, using a wheelchair due to his remuneration. He is locked away into the family home for safekeeping, while Dr. Pavlichenko spends his time researching into his son's condition and the contractors, forbidding Suou to talk or see her brother. Things go normally in their lives until Suou's best friend Tanya becomes a contractor and attacks her boyfriend Nika when he stops her from leaving. Hei aka BK-201 reappears in Russia after an FSB squad tries to capture Shion alive; April also reappears in Russia on a mission to secure Shion. | ||
| 02 | "Fallen Meteor..." "Ochita Ryūsei..." (堕ちた流星…) |
October 15, 2009 |
| Before Hei can obtain the Meteor Core from Suō, Hazuki attacks him in order to secure Suō . Suō seeks sanctuary alongside Nika to avoid being captured by FSB agents due to the events regarding Tanya's Contractor powers being known and for Suō being mistaken for Shion. When Hei tries to recapture Suō , he tries to obtain the Fragment when he realizes that "Shion" is actually Suō, which greatly changes Hei's mind of securing her when an FSB squad ambushes Hei. Hei escapes along with Suō when August 7 and Genma attack the FSB squad separately to secure Suou for their own objectives. Hei and Suou are caught in a trap after Hei seemingly kills August 7 by electrocuting the British contractor. Later on, Misaki is shown looking through a telescope which is directed towards BK201's star. The star fades away. | ||
| 03 | "Vanishing in a Sea of Ice..." "Hyōgen ni Kieru..." (氷原に消える…) |
October 22, 2009 |
| The trap devices holding Hei explode from the energies caused by the meteor fragment. Suou goes into a daze and shove both herself and Hei into the sea. Hei awakens in a hut with Suō in tow. After a tense exchange, Hei decides to bring Suō and leave Vladivostok. Hei and Suou try to make their escape at the train station while Nika distracts Tanya from her mission. Misaki is questioned by a MIAC official named Kobayashi about the contractors and the Syndicate. She is given an offer to join MIAC in pursuing BK201 who is revealed by Kobayashi to be alive. Hei, Mao, Suō and July, who has joined up with them, ride on a ship leaving Russia. | ||
| 04 | "The Ark Adrift on the Lake..." "Hakobune wa Kosui ni Tayutau..." (方舟は湖水に揺蕩う…) |
October 29, 2009 |
| Hei and the others landed in Sapporo, taking refuge in an uninhabited part of the city as half of it was previously flooded. Misaki was recruited into the MIAC's black ops division Section 3 and was given the alias of Yayoi Ichinose. Hoping to learn what happened to Hei, she sought out an informant to obtain information of what happened to him. Hei decides to train Suō given that she has obtained Contractor powers after the previous gunfight against FSB forces in Vladivostok. Despite Suō's hatred to Hei for changing her life, she decides to stay with him alongside July. Meanwhile, Misaki heads to the now abandoned National Observatory where she is confronted alone by Madam Orielle, who knows of her real name aside from her alias. | ||
| 05 | "Gunsmoke Blows, Life Flows..." "Shōen wa Nagare, Inochi wa Nagare..." (硝煙は流れ、命は流れ…) |
November 5, 2009 |
| Hei is attacked by a group of MIAC agents led by Michiru, the wife of a local restaurant owner who left him three years ago after becoming a Contractor for the MIAC. Suō and July are able to escape capture from the agents under Hei's instructions. The MIAC tasks Misaki to lead a Section 3 unit in delivering a device with the codename Izanami under orders from Kobayashi. Hei recruits Suou to assist him in launching a raid on the Section 3 convoy under orders from his employers to seize Izanami with the mission, seemingly a success after the truck drives away in the attack. Michiru appears to her family in Sapporo, startling her ex-husband and son. Suō watches the waters of Sapporo after the mission, seeing an unknown submarine covertly entering Japanese territorial waters. | ||
| 06 | "An Aroma Sweet, a Heart Bitter..." "Kaori wa Amaku, Kokoro wa Nigaku..." (香りは甘く、心は苦く…) |
November 12, 2009 |
| Hei engages Genma in a battle, taking in the trap prepared by Misaki while she and the rest of Section 3 prepare to transport Izanami to the Greater Tokyo Area on the submarine. Suō and July are tasked by Mao to take down the metal container that houses Izanami. Hei, after realizing that Yin was in the container all along, interrupts Suō's attempt to shoot it and instead retreats. Hei and the others retreat from Sapporo also, heading to Tokyo after Suō witnesses the death of Michiru when a specter resembling Yin appears to suffocate her with her water powers. Misaki is later warned not to think of Yōko as an ally. Hei then goes rogue once more, cutting off connections with Madam Orielle. When Suō sees Yin's specter from the electric pole, she kicks it before walking with Hei back to their hideout. | ||
| 07 | "The Doll Sings in the Winter Wind..." "Kazabana ni ningyou wa utau..." (風花に人形は唄う…) |
November 19, 2009 |
| Repnin complains about the mystery behind Dr. Pavlichenko's corpse, when he is shown a picture of Dr. Pavlichenko alive and well in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Misaki meets Genma at the abandoned National Observatory and learns that communications between her and the rest of the world are being tapped by the MIAC. Hei and the others escape from Sapporo under a heavy police lockdown by seeking assistance from the underworld. However, Hei is later duped when their contact gets away with kidnapping July. A Russian agent named Ilya Sokolov encounters Suō and uses his Contractor powers to help him detain her, Mao, and July; after killing their contact. Hei later comes to their rescue and kills Ilya, despite nearly being overpowered by Ilya's powers. The four later were able to arrive at the Sendai station, boarding it while Repnin of the FSB watches them from his cabin. | ||
| 08 | "Twinkling Sun on a Summer Day..." "Natsu no Hi, Taiyō wa Yurete..." (夏の日、太陽はゆれて…) |
November 26, 2009 |
| Hei is intercepted by Repnin's men in the train hallway and Suō is confronted by Tanya. Repnin offers Hei a job with the FSB after inviting him to eat. During this time, Hei and Misaki are told simultaneously that Izanami has the ability to cause contractors to commit suicide. Hei refuses Repnin's offer and attacks him, while Tanya summons a swarm of insects to stop the train and escape with Suō. Outside the train, Hei and Suō face off against the FSB force on their own, defeating them. Unknown to Suō, Tanya was killed by Suō's brother Shion from a nearby rooftop. As Tanya floats in the stagnant pool, Suō ponders that she can never return to the innocent summer days she remembers. Suō later heads off to Tokyo with Mao and July on their own without Hei to guide them. | ||
| 09 | "They Met One Day, Unexpectedly..." "Deai wa Aru Hi Totsuzen ni..." (出会いはある日突然に…) |
December 3, 2009 |
| As Suō and July ride a train through Tokyo Suō collapses from a high fever, waking up in Kiko's bedroom. Kiko and Gai decide to help Suō search Tokyo for Suō's mother, but with little success. Misaki finds a recording by Amber which instructs her to find a certain CD, which informs her that Izanami will eventually meet Izanagi, at which point Hell's Gate will open. Following the advice of Madame Orielle, Suō proceeds to an airport to find her mother. At the airport Hei appears and kidnaps one of Misaki's teammates, easily evading Mina and escaping. Suō's mother cries upon meeting Suō in the airport, believing she is her twin brother Shion. In a car Suō tries to explain that she is not Shion, but her mother dismisses this saying that Suō died 8 years ago. | ||
| 10 | "Your Smile on a False Street Corner..." "Itsuwari no Machikado ni Kimi no Hohoemi o..." (偽りの街角に君の微笑みを…) |
December 10, 2009 |
| Suō tries to remind her mother of the happy time they visited the aquarium, but flees when she denies it. Misaki finds Suō in the cold and explains that the aquarium she remembers was demolished 13 years ago. Suō's mother recounts to Misaki that day 8 years ago in Moscow when she took Suō and Shion to see her husband Dr. Pavlichenko at the university; Mao was also present then and lost his body in the explosion. Suō's mother remembers seeing her husband manipulating Suō in an ME machine, then fleeing with Suō's lifeless body while Shion watched her leave from a window, having chosen to stay behind with his father. Shion reveals his ability: he can create a copy of any object or organism, albeit an imperfect one. Hei rejoins Suō, July, and Mao after incapacitating Misaki. Mina vows to kill Hei upon finding Yoko's bloody corpse. | ||
| 11 | "The Sea Floor Dries Up, and the Moon Grows Full..." "Suitei wa Kawaki, Tsuki wa Michiru..." (水底は乾き、月は満ちる…) |
December 17, 2009 |
| Hei decides to leave for awhile to settle his own problems. After which, Suō decides to do the same - going to find her father and ask him about her. Suō, July and Mao go to the aquarium and they find Dr. Pavlichenko there. He tells Suō the truth about the meteor incident that year and about Shion's ability to create copies. On the other hand, MIAC commandos head for the aquarium and Genma bumps into Suō and gang. Misaki bumps into Madam Oreille and she tells her to follow because there will be a bloodbath soon. Suō and gang run and hide, but Dr. Pavlichenko is shot by a contractor while trying to protect Suō. They hide somewhere while Genma calls for Suō. Meanwhile, Hei tries to find Yin, but was surprised to see the container empty. Back at the Gate, Misaki meets with Mao and July, only to have found Suō disappeared. | ||
| 12 | "Ark of Stars" "Hoshi no Hakobune" (星の方舟) |
December 24, 2009 |
| Hei and the rest of Section 3 continue to secure Izanami from American forces after they have launched a military operation to secure the Greater Tokyo Area for their government's use. Genma reveals his allegiance to the CIA, having been a double agent for them and the MIAC. Misaki goes on with Mao to find a way to handle the Izanami problem to determine whether their actions will either save the world or bring it to ruin forever. However, Madam Oreille reveals details that ties to the problems the MIAC and Suo had been facing. | ||
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