Da Capo, Second Season

Nemu & Junichi

Fansub Anime: 26 episodes
Original Air Dates: 2005-07-02 to 2005-12-24
Page at Anime News Network
Rating: Recommended

After enjoying Da Capo's first season so much, I eagerly downloaded its second season. As is usual when a story line ends, it seemed to stumble a bit switching us from the first season to the second. I just have to say, up front, that were I Jun'ichi, I would have dismembered and burnt every last scrap of that magical cherry tree shortly after season one ended.

The second season starts two years later. I am not familiar enough with the Japanese school system to follow, as I thought they were 15 or so in season one, but Nemu left once she stopped spitting out cherry blossoms to become a nurse. All of the human friends from season one (& some new ones) have formed the Jun'ichi Asakura Support Team to help poor onii-san survive without Nemu. All of the girls still have their crushes on Jun'ichi, however they all know that he is devoted to Nemu.

The newest significant character is Aisia, a girl from Northern Europe who has magical ability. She has come seeking Jun'ichi's grandmother to teach her magic. Her assumption that Jun'ichi is hiding his abilities and her resulting attempts to force him into displaying them are a bit tiresome but are also fairly short lived. Just as that is settled, Nemu comes back. Her surprise appearance backfires as she has not talked or communicated to Jun'ichi for the two years in which she was gone. Their pain and jealousy is also rather short lived and all is going well, except....

Sakura. She is lecturing Aisia.

Aisia firmly believes that magic is for "making the greatest number of people happy." She also realizes how much everyone loves Jun'ichi (including herself) and feels that it is unfair for the only person who is "happy" (i.e. getting what they want) is Nemu. Sakura also comes back, and Aisia tries to get Sakura to teach her magic. Sakura refuses because Aisia refuses to recognize the danger of magic -- and the danger of trying to make everyone "happy."

Aisia wakes the tree. As expected, pain and suffering ensue for both Jun'ichi and Nemu, but the moral is that it is also hurting everyone else. Since everyone knew how close Jun'ichi and Nemu are, they could accept that they could not have him. With Nemu being "just a sibling" they cannot happily accept that they aren't the one to be with Jun'ichi. Add to this the pain of loss that both Nemu and Jun'ichi suffer as they realize and then forget their love for each other again and again. Everything becomes dull and lifeless, not just for Jun'ichi and Nemu, but for everyone involved (except, Sakura, Aisia &, interestingly, Suiginami).

Suiginami, Junichi, Nemu & Kotori.
Junichi & Nemu are caught in a cycle of realizing their love (due to the letter)
and being forced to forget it (because of the tree).

With this season, the story of Jun'ichi and Nemu come to a close. She made a wonderful bride. Da Capo II is set 53 years later and revolves around the grandchildren. I am waiting for all the episodes to be available from Fansub before watching it.

Finally.