1. 

   edogawaconan
   January 4th, 2009 - 10:03

   I blame the lack of its availability on usual source (or my keyword was wrong?)

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2. 

   suguru
   January 4th, 2009 - 10:25

   I’m surprised the OVA hasn’t gotten more attention too, although maybe the DC II anime took some of the luster off the franchise ▼ Show

   (I still can’t believe we got an ending with Yoshiyuki not picking between Otome or Yume…or an entire cour focused on Koko and Minatsu while Nanaka’s pretty much sidelined…)

   I’m hopeful the OVA will be subbed and then a new generation of anime fans can discover Kotori fandom, but maybe in a world where everyone’s looking ahead to next season it’s just been too long since the original Da Capo that made us Kotori fans to begin with.

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3. 

   relentlessflame
   January 4th, 2009 - 12:13

   Yeah, I think it’s combination of things.

   1. Da Capo is really old in anime terms. There’s a whole new generation of fans who never even watched it. Some of them watched Da Capo II, but asking them to go back and watch 52 episodes of an old series when there’s so much new stuff to watch isn’t very easy.

   2. Even among those who did watch the original series, a lot of people are fixated on “the new thing” and claim to be looking for “originality” in their anime, so there’s a bit of a perception that this is yet another rehash or a has-been. Plus, I think some people might realize that this being an “If story” rubs in the fact that this isn’t the way it really ended (but for obvious reasons, now that we have the sequel).

   3. People don’t get very excited about OVAs, generally. They’re seen as “bookends” most of the time nowadays. If this were a Kotori-centric TV series, there’d be a lot more excitement. There was a similar lack of excitement about the Haruka-centric KgNE OVA series, even though Haruka was a hugely-popular character at the time. It’s also no surprise that Kyoto Animation decided to adapt Munto into a TV series rather than just release another standalone OVA. The OVA format just doesn’t excite people as much.

   4. It being released as part of the main boxset caused it to get buried or not appear on “the usual sources” in the usual formats. This lack of immediate availability caused a lack of excitement, because people perceive that “if it wasn’t all over certain sites, it must not have been that good”. And some people don’t even know that it’s out still.

   5. I wonder if Kotori herself is a bit of a sign of the times, and whether you had to “be there” to really get it. I guess I can’t help but see D.C. II as a way of modernizing all the archetypes, and going back to the old characters seems a bit old-fashioned. I think this OVA is banking on nostalgia as much as anything else, which makes sense when you remember that it’s shipping as part of the Boxset for the original show (so the whole reason people will be buying it will be to relive the experience — nostalgia).

   So, I don’t know — just a few theories there.

   “I had initially hoped that an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the OVA would trigger a DCSS remake helmed by ZEXCS. It looks like an impossible dream now.”

   Well, it wasn’t that it was helmed by ZEXCS or feel that made the difference. It’s the director and story planner who set the tone for the story (working with the producers), and they’re all hired by the production committee. In other words, if ZEXCS had produced D.C.S.S., it probably would have turned out the same way as it did storywise, because it wasn’t feel that decided on the story. (Unless you were referring to the look or animation itself, but most people who complain about D.C.S.S. are doing so because of the story.)

   That being said, they can’t remake D.C.S.S., as D.C. II depends on it. Plus, even if this OVA had been incredibly successful, I don’t think remaking D.C.S.S. would have been a logical next step. I think that was always an impossible dream. ^^;

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4. 

   Evirus
   January 4th, 2009 - 12:28

   Waiting for subs.

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5. 

   Hinano
   January 4th, 2009 - 13:54

   Umm I was never KOtori fan to begin with lol
   I was a Nemu fan and when I heard she was dead in the OVA I avoided it like the plague (and played the DC otome game instead ^_^)

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6. 

   knowngni
   January 4th, 2009 - 14:45

   Hmm I was a Kotori fan but once D.C. II came out I became a fan of Otome (not the anime one).

   If I had to choose I probably would have ranked Otome (game ver.) higher than Kotori

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7. 

   maglor
   January 4th, 2009 - 14:51

   My take is very simple. I found the latest OVA disappointing in multiple issue, thus would have preferred if it didn’t exist, as it made Kotori not look as fair as she has been.

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8. 

   relentlessflame
   January 4th, 2009 - 14:57

   Actually, the Otome fans raise a good point. Back in the D.C. days, strong Kotori fans tended to be people who didn’t like Nemu. It was sort of like supporting the underdog. But when D.C. II came around, Otome and Yume have always been the two most popular heroines, and they were the ones most heavily featured in the anime and games. When the Nemu/Kotori perceived-rivalry dies down, people can more-easily move on to other characters. And even I have to admit, if I had to pick one single favourite heroine of the entire D.C. universe, I’d probably go with Otome as well, with Kotori remaining my favourite of the original D.C. generation.

   So maybe we’re all “traitors” after all. ^^;

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9. 

   bluemist
   January 4th, 2009 - 15:43

   I don’t think Nanaka can be more popular than Kotori even if Da Capo II is more recent. The DCII animes totally bombed the character into the sidelines, and I think she only had a following because of Kotori herself too.

   I can agree on the rest of the possibilities. This is a nostalgia piece some years too late.
   I don’t see any splash for Kiminozo either nowadays (also an imaginary future), while back in 2003 the original series was the bomb. But hey there’s another episode for D.C.if, so we can’t conclude anything yet. That, and the “usual source” problem too.

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10. 

    Mentar
    January 4th, 2009 - 15:59

    For me, Da Capo died in the second season. Why? Because they were screwing Kotori over one more time, in a very ugly way.

    I was never a Nemu-hater. And I could accept the ending of the first season without real qualms. It happens all too often that the nicest girls lose out in harem shows – c’est la vie. But the unappreciative way in which Kotori was first taken for granted, exploited and then dropped like a used handkerchief very much killed my empathy for the story. Caused me to do the very same with the show.

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11. 

    Kain
    January 5th, 2009 - 05:46

    Well I watched DC quite recently (somewhere in first quater of 2008) so I’m still fresh on my Kotori love but I don’t think I will ever forget a lovable character like her. However I do think that two main reasons why Kotori fandom is dying is because how badly she was treated in DCSS (I didn’t have will to even finish the series) and how long time ago the series was aired. I mean 5 years is a lot for anime. DCIF went generally unnoticed because it is aired waaaay too late after the original series ended. Like someone mentioned before Tomoyo’s alternate story was aired right after Clannad ended so it obviously got more attention. Once again Kotori is not getting the love and attention she deserves.

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12. 

    Stripey
    January 5th, 2009 - 09:34

    edogawaconan/Evirus: Heh, the subs are just out! Let’s hope the closet Kotori fans emerge from hibernation

    suguru: Personally I’m pretty certain that DCIISS implied an Otome end. All the signs are there, the promised girl and the one who gets to have the climatic scene with Yoshi’s departure. In fact it was also Otome that gets the true reunion when Yoshi re-emerges. Much as I love Yume and imoutos in general, I was happy to see a Yoshi X Otome end. Yume come up really strong in the final eps but still not enough to overpower what Otome/Yoshiyuki has. Man, talking about it makes me want to catch the series again

    relentlessflame: Very comprehensive thoughts! I think you pretty much covered all the bases. I especially like your thoughts about breaking down studios into its individuals. Personally, it’s not the studio but the series composer and director that brings out the magic (subjected to the producers’ approval or interference at times). That said I’m glad that Suzuki Masahi did the script since I have a lot of respect for him for having undertaken the series composition of SHUFFLE. He tied up a terribly mediocre game with divergent paths into a semi-coherent tale with lots of great entertainment. That’s a real feat.

    Hinano: I’m one of those who love both Nemu and Kotori (though I admit I love the latter a lot more). Still w/o Nemu, DCIF is worth a peek. At least Aishia’s not around

    knowngni: heh I love Otome too! As a bishoujo I’d rank her higher than Nemu but lower than Kotori. A very worthy girl nevertheless and the main source of my satisfaction with DCIISS the anime.

    maglor: Hmm i actually thought the OVA brought out all of Kotori’s strengths. Which parts bogged you down?

    bluemist: I saw 2 eps of Kiminozo OVA and thought the show to be… overdone. They try to inject more emotions, touching moments but they tried too hard and it backfired. The characters/dialogue felt artificial and overloaded with unnecessary emotional baggage. DCIF on the other hand was superbly done. I urge to you watch the sub and this time try to catch the nuances of every pause/failed confession and the motivations behind them. You’d find them surprisingly congruent in the light of the characters AND plot development.

    Mentar: One of my confessions to Zange chan was this -

    I never completed DCSS either XD

    DCSS is a true dilemma for me since it’s in DCSS where Kotori’s charm truly shone but boy was her role in the story badly mangled. I never recommend DCSS to friends but I know in my heart that to fully discover Kotori’s charms, one needs to watch DCSS. Fortunately I have DCif now for that

    Kain: Hopefully with the subs out now, there’ll be more discussion and Kotori love. I can’t wait for Part 2 either. How would ZEXCS convincing allow Kotori to accept Junichi’s love and yet to faithful to her gentle/kind/thoughtful self. Sigh… 2 months is way too long XD

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13. 

    Michael
    April 4th, 2009 - 22:49

    I think the lack of care about this is mostly due to it being different times. I was a Kotori fan when I was making my way through the original DC, and then DCII was, for the first few episodes, amazing as it was Kotori-centric, and then it pulled a 180 and botched the whole thing. There are very few of us left in the anime loop at all (I’m hanging on by my teeth) who were into, for a very specific example, the whole debate on the forums of whichever group subbed DCII where we put up signatures indicating our Kotori support. DCif, in terms of its stateside impact, is just a nod to the four surviving members of that Kotori camp.

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14. 

    Stripey
    April 6th, 2009 - 07:39

    That surely charts the typical disappointing path of most Kotori fans (me included less the Kotori signatures ). DCSS (less the Aishia bits) was great until Nemu came back. I love Nemu but her untimely return undid the entire show.

    I’m still secretly hoping for a Kotori-centric series where we see Nemu-Kotori confrontations. (even if it’s unkotori-esque.)

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15. 

    ditmydit
    April 24th, 2009 - 02:06

    i am currently watching DCSS, and i agree that the whole series was just time consuming trash. They brought out so many new characters instead of elaborating on the originals and i feel like showing aicia some magic by booting her back side with my magical foot.

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16. 

    ditmydit
    April 24th, 2009 - 02:17

    And also i was never a kotori fan, but the first few episodes of DCSS had so much potential which brought out my love for kotori(eww sounds cheesy, not love as in love love). Then nemu came back and the show reeked like a rubbish dump. It would have been better if junichi had at least shown some indecisiveness.

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