Da Capo II: Da Capo

Disclaimer: Lacking Japanese will mean lack of story details. I expect that there will be a LOT of errors in the way I understood some events, because I rely only on the spoken dialogue. To the Japanese-literate game players who may have found this page, please do help me in case I have mistaken in understanding some parts of the story. Please do post a comment or contact me.

Da Capo II
Relevant Characters:
Yoshiyuki – Main guy.
Yume – Younger sister. Seems to harbor both Dark Nemu and Junichi’s boredom.
Otome – Elder sister. Seems to harbor Nemu’s responsible side. She’s part of the student council.
Sakura – School principal. Lives with Yoshiyuki.
Junichi – Grandfather of Yume and Otome.

Warmth of Family

It’s quiet in the Yoshino residence, where Yoshiyuki and Sakura live. It’s been 9 months since Yoshiyuki moved from the Asakura residence. Junichi suddenly decided that he move because, well, I think he’s worried about her grandchildren Yume and Otome, they are ‘that’ age after all. In any case, Sakura feels happy that she now has a housemate, it’s sad being alone after all. Usually she doesn’t come home for a few days though because of work. Still, it warms her heart that someone is back home waiting for her. That’s why she can do her best at work, and would want to go home often. Sakura thanks Yoshiyuki for living with her.

Nabe Party

It’s been three days, and Sakura is still in the Principal’s Office, not going home because of work. Her only companion during this time is Harimao, her cute pet. As she prepares her usual bland food, she says that she wants some delicious food for a change. Specifically, she wants to eat Yoshiyuki’s food, but she can’t go home because she’s so busy. Then Sakura got an idea, why don’t they do a Nabe party? So the next day she invited Yoshiyuki, Otome and Yume at the office to cook and eat some nabe. One odd moment during their lunch is how Yume is slowly messing up the nabe by accidentally pouring too much of some ingredients. Hijinks ensue, and Yoshiyuki gets into a word fight with Dark Yume again as usual. Sakura is laughing all the way during that time.

Alone

On other days though, she is completely alone. Sometimes at night she stays by the unwithering sakura tree, thinking things through. Even on Christmas Eve. She narrates to herself a story of a little girl. The girl wished for happiness on the sakura tree. But in the end, the girl was a smile. I wonder what she meant. She was also there during New Year’s Eve, wondering if she can still grow up. All she sees are the sakura and some occassional fireworks displays. I think she is worrying about a lot of things, primarily all the trouble that is happening all over town.

Accidents

Sakura has been encountering random accidents all over town, like vehicles crashing and such. She realizes that this is the effect of the unwithering sakura tree and its magic to make wishes come true. Everytime she sees an accident, she cries out of regret. She feels that it is all her fault, and apologizes a lot. While there are many accidents, there is nothing major, and no one is seriously hurt. Sakura consoles herself that it is still alright. Everything will still be fine.

With Yoshiyuki

Whenever Sakura is home, Yoshiyuki sometimes joins her and talks for a while over tea time. They reminisce nice memories, like how Yoshiyuki accidentally called Sakura her “mother” back when he was a kid. At another day, Sakura was a bit sick, so Yoshiyuki was there to take care of her a bit and cheer her up. When Yoshiyuki said that he should be worried because he considers Sakura as “family”, she smiled and was so happy. She doesn’t want to be alone after all. She even asked to be called “mother”, but Yoshiyuki declined, saying that Sakura is more of an onee-chan.

Close to home

One day at school, there was a sudden explosion. Sakura rushed out of the office to find out what’s going on. Maika Mizukoshi, the school doctor, told her that it was just a nabe pot exploding, and that it’s nothing serious. Maika noticed that Sakura is getting a bit tired and stressed out, so she advices Sakura not to push herself too hard.

Revelations

For a while, Otome had been researching about the incidents as well, as she is also a magic user. One day, Otome asked Sakura if they could talk about it. Otome tells that 50 years ago, this sakura tree has withered. 10 years after that though, around the time that Sakura went back home from America, the tree has bloomed again. She asks if this is just a coincidence. Sakura admitted that she created it. She goes on to tell about the magic of the sakura tree and how it grants people’s wishes. She also admitted that it is the tree’s fault that random incidents have been happening all over town, because it is imperfect. She tried to counter the effects of the tree using her own power, but she is slowly weakening.

One way to stop it from doing bad things around town is to wither it so it can be deactivated. Otome, a bit angry, asked why Sakura didn’t try to wither the tree all this time. Sakura now admits that this is not the only problem. If the tree dies, the granted wishes disappear as well. Sakura explained to Otome about how Yoshiyuki is involved in all of this. After her explanation, Otome was stunned and felt so sad. Sakura reassures her that everything will be alright. There is still another way, although it is hard. Sakura promises to do everything she can.

“I have to protect you all.”

Still looking sick, Yoshiyuki offered to prepare some food for Sakura. That night, she asked whether he favors any one of his sisters, Otome or Yume. Yoshiyuki tries to avoid the question by diverting and asking her if there’s someone special in her life. Indeed there is, and it is Yoshiyuki. And Otome, and Yume, and everyone else in Kazami Gakuen. “All people in Kazami Gakuen are my cute kids!” She loves them all, that’s why she has to protect everyone. At that point, she embraces Yoshiyuki, and says sorry. He wonders why Sakura did those things.

The next day, Sakura writes a letter to Yoshiyuki, saying that she has to be away for a while. She leaves the note at home, and then goes to school. There, she also bid goodbye by speaking a sort-of farewell speech… even though there is no one at school yet. She also went to the Principal’s Office to say goodbye to Harimao. Afterwards, she went to meet with Grandfather Junichi.

“Time won’t forgive me”

There, Sakura asked Junichi to cut her hair as if she is a girl who was rejected in a love confession. Sakura asked him to listen in on why she’s doing this to herself. She says that she bothered a lot of people all over town. All the accidents, all the bad things happening, it’s all her fault. And yet she can’t do away with it by killing the sakura tree and its magic. It’s because of Yoshiyuki. Yoshiyuki has been her hope. Sakura was weak, and was sad to be all alone. Ever since he appeared, she has come to appreciate even the little things in life. She was happy. That’s why she relied on the sakura tree. Even if it was a wrong wish, because of Yoshiyuki she was happy. She apologizes for her selfishness.

Junichi tells her that she doesn’t need to apologize. It is indeed lonely to be alone, and the feeling of wanting to depend on someone or something for happiness is natural. It is not selfishness. Sakura says she cannot be with Yoshiyuki anymore, as time will not allow them to. It would have been happy for her to see him grow up more, probably have family and children. Sakura tells Junichi that tonight she will go to the unwithering sakura tree and settle things, but she worries that she may fail. She wanted to ask Junichi for help if she may fail, but Junichi stops her there, saying that she shouldn’t even think about what may happen.

Dreams

And so that night, Sakura went to the unwithering sakura tree. She talks to the tree, thanking it for letting her see her dream come into reality. With her magic… she assimilates herself to the sakura tree, entering it in the hopes of controlling its power.

She now sees some dreams. One was a memory of the past, when Yoshiyuki was still young. Sakura was celebrating New Year along with Junichi, Yoshiyuki, Yume and Otome. Sakura says that Yoshiyuki is growing up rather well. Yoshiyuki jokes that he’ll grow taller than her someday. Sakura offered some food, in which Junichi comments that most of which were not cooked by her. Nevertheless, Yoshiyuki enjoyed it, and said, “It’s delicious, okaasan!” This is the only time Yoshiyuki called Sakura as “mother”. Another dream was about 9 months ago, the time when Yoshiyuki started to live with Sakura. She was so happy, that she asked Yoshiyuki to tell her stories about something, anything, including the Graduation Party that happened recently.

Reality

And then she witnessed another dream. It was of her with Junichi, Yoshiyuki… and his wife? With a baby? Yes, this is a dream, Sakura says. A dream that she wished for. Inside the sakura tree, she is growing tired, and wonders if there is an end to her dreaming. Apparently her power is still not enough to weaken the bad effects of the sakura tree’s magic. And then she dreams again, this time it was Yoshiyuki. Through his power of seeing other people’s dreams, he entered into Sakura’s dream, and they are able to talk to each other.

Yoshiyuki’s Existence

She has a lot of things to tell about so she asked Yoshiyuki to listen. Sakura apologizes for some trouble she has done, presumably talking about her intervention in various incidents around town. She tells about that unwithering sakura tree, in which any wish may come true for someone with a pure heart. Gathering people’s pure feelings and emotions, and making a miracle happen, it is how the system works. If someone with a pure heart needed a miracle, it will be granted, and it is a good thing. This was the original magic of the sakura tree, but that tree withered, actually, someone withered it. Sakura thought it was good that it withered, because it has some sort of “bug” when realizing people’s wishes (see original Da Capo game). But the tree’s intentions were pure, and that there are many people wanting their wishes to be granted, and so she went back to America… to research on the magic of the sakura tree.

But while researching, time passed by too quickly. She sees her loved ones, Junichi and Nemu getting married, and having a baby, being a complete family. She was getting filled with loneliness, asking herself up to when would she be alone. She decided, despite the research still incomplete, to bring a sample of her prototype sakura tree to the town of Hatsunejima. She unwillingly wished upon the the new sakura tree… for “family”. The thing that came out of that wish was… Yoshiyuki. Yup, Yoshiyuki was a miracle that shouldn’t have existed. He wasn’t real. Yoshiyuki magically appeared as a kid in front of Sakura. She bid him hello, and told him that his name is Sakurai Yoshiyuki (similarity to her name Yoshino Sakura). Sakura then brought him to the Asakura family, who agreed to adopt Yoshiyuki as their foster child.

The End of the Dream

This new magical sakura tree in which Yoshiyuki was “born” from, however, is not the same as the original. It has bugs of its own. Sakura notices that it is not only able to grant the wishes of pure hearts, but also of any other, and it may lead to disaster. Someone might wish for selfish and bad things, just like now with the minor accidents happening. While she is trying to control it, someday she will have to face the truth… this tree must wither. And since Yoshiyuki is created because of the tree, he will disappear as well. Sakura apologizes, saying that it’s all her fault. But Yoshiyuki thanks Sakura. Even when he realized that his life is short, he was happy. Having met such wonderful people as his sisters, his family, friends, and many others, he couldn’t ask for more. He finally called Sakura his true “mother”… and Sakura teared up in happiness. Yoshiyuki now has to go and wake up, because he has to go help Otome in making the tree wither. Sakura bid her final goodbye to Yoshiyuki, saying she loves him.

Otome made the tree wither, causing all sakura trees over town to lose its blossoms as well. Shortly after, Yoshiyuki was forgotten by everyone, and disappears from this world.

THE END

The Beginning of the Dream

It was spring time, and Sakura, presumably a wandering spirit, was surprised to see the sakura bloom again. She sees Yume, Nanaka, Minatsu, Anzu, Koko, and Otome. It seems that they remembered Yoshiyuki. Yoshiyuki’s existence was supposed to have been erased from people’s memories, but she senses a distinct sadness in everyone. It may be faint and unclear, but surely some part of their memories and hearts yearn for Yoshiyuki. Sakura prays to the sakura tree to somehow answer for their sadness, to answer these pure feelings.

“If this magic is the power of feeling, please show the miracle of these feelings!”

Suddenly, cherry blossoms whirled around… and the magical sakura tree vanished. Another miracle has happened. Yoshiyuki has returned.

And thus the end of the dream. And like the dream, a new beginning.
夢の終わりを告げる、夢のようなはじまり。

“Sakura”

Sakura was seen holding a sakura tree twig. It seems that she has lost her memories. Another girl appeared and talked to her, asking her about the twig. Sakura doesn’t know what it is, but the girl said it is sakura. When Sakura uttered the word “sakura”… the blossoms whirled again.

THE END

Bittersweet or just plain bitter? Of all the Da Capo characters, Sakura was the loneliest of them all. She didn’t get her happiness with Junichi, and though she has found it with Yoshiyuki, it was just a dream that’s just waiting to disappear. What’s more, she hasn’t grown up, and she’s already around 70 years old. While being eternally loli is not bad at all, I could only imagine how she feels living a sad and uncertain life all this time. In the end, she sacrificed herself to save her “son” Yoshiyuki. And now she is lost without any memories. Oh my God… the pain.

Sakura’s story is shockingly sad. I didn’t realize it until this scenario, but numerous hints were already elsewhere. Think about it, she was basically the losing sister in the first Da Capo, then she went to America wishing Junichi and Nemu the best. She repeatedly says she was happy for them, but deep inside she isn’t. She decided to research and create the new ‘karenai sakura’ in the hopes of fulfilling people’s dreams, and in extent, her own dream of having a “family”. Meanwhile Junichi and Nemu were happy and had a real and complete family. Sakura can’t be completely happy for them. Yoshiyuki was ‘created’ in the image of Junichi, having magic to create sweets and also the power to see other people’s dreams. Sakura wished for him, and he was basically her son. But because she can’t make a perfect magical sakura tree, they are destined to separate from each other. Sakura sacrificed herself for Yoshiyuki by entering the tree in the hopes of controlling it, but that failed as well. Otome still needed to kill the tree to make all the problems stop, but that made Yoshiyuki disappear too. It was only a miracle that Yoshiyuki was able to live again because for some reason the sakura bloomed. And now Sakura lives again too… BUT without her memories. All this in a span of 50 or so years. Time and fate has never been fair to her.

Well indeed, the magic going haywire is all her fault, but she can’t help it. She is lonely, and Junichi is right in saying that it’s natural for someone to yearn for happiness, even when someday it will come at a price. Sakura has devoted her entire life in pursuit of her happiness. I think she is a strong person, even though fate has been totally unfair to her. I feel so sad for Sakura now, I want to bash the writers of the Da Capo games for giving her such a dreadful fate. They must redeem themselves and make a happier ending for her at the very least.

This scenario looks like [Otome’s scenario->dc2-otome-asakura] from Sakura’s viewpoint. Not much new story apart from explaining how Yoshiyuki returned to existence once again. And finally Yoshiyuki got a face in the game too. So I guess Otome’s plot is canon… but what does it mean for the anime now? Would they pursue a romantic interest for Yoshiyuki? I think with D.C. II S.S. they can make a good mix out of the major scenarios. It’s gonna be good.

And that’s all folks! FINALLY! After almost two years, my Da Capo II journey has finally reached its destination. Thank you for letting me take you through it all.

Until next game!

(hmm… what game should I blog next?)