Dead Mount Death Play

[neflight86]

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"* Based on a dark fantasy manga written by Narita Ryougo and drawn by Fujimoto Shinta.

It's a showdown for the ages as the legendary hero takes on the corpse god necromancer, but when the dust settles, something isn't quite right... In the final moments of their epic confrontation, the corpse god's final gambit shot was wholly unexpected -- reincarnation magic! Across space and time, a boy named Shinoyama Polka awakens feeling...not quite himself...... Who could've expected that the climactic battle between good and evil would turn out like this??

Source: Yen Press"

Genre(s): Action, Fantasy, Death Game

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1

For how edgy this tries to be... it was a decent watch. Reverse isekai where the villian of the fantasy world come to this one but is immediately dropped into life or death conflict (having inhabited a recently murdered shouta) and having to deal with reincarnation confusion and a killer at the same time. Nothing revolutionary unless you're the type that likes the modern science versus magic dichotomy in your death battles. Competently made and worth a look.

[neflight86]

2

Well, that took a bit of a turn. I didn't expect skipping all of the organizational introduction and going whole hog in episode 2.

The killer girl getting her own tragic backstory and 'resurrection' was par for the course, though. Every edgy YA murder fest needs a spunky murder girl or two.

Hacker dude was right, though. Polka's motivations and actions seem to be all over the place unless he simply gives up fighting unless attacked from now on; he was the final boss in the previous world. Using summoned skelehands for traversal and other menial tasks is funny imagery, though probably not intended that way.

[Ryllharu]

He wasn't intentionally the final boss though. He wanted to be left alone, then softened and had a little community going. The crusaders purged his community but couldn't kill him, so he retaliated to make them understand what they'd done (and they even repented). But that in turn perpetuated the cycle of violence he didn't start.

He chose to break the stalemate by leaving under the guise of being killed by the strongest crusaders.

Then, the cycle repeated when he found himself in Tokyo. The difference so far is that he reversed the cycle before it could get going, and the group who unknowingly attacked him is willing to let things play out while he gets his bearings.

As for Misaki, sure, she encountered a tragedy and turned vicious, but I thought it was interesting that she wanted to try murdering an innocent to see if she had fully turned into a monster or not. She killed the original Polka, and then her very next step was to kill herself. Like, within minutes of completing her first true murder. I'm guessing she didn't like how killing an innocent made her feel. That's a lot more interesting than Murder Frenzy Bishoujo that we usually get (including in DRRR).

[neflight86]

Guess I glazed over the finer details of his recounting the situation in the other world, then. At least the show now has my attention so I probably wont make that mistake again.

[shinta|hikari]

I think Zaki didn't feel bad for killing Polka-0. She just knew that killing innocents makes her a monster, and that monsters have to die, just like how she'd been killing monsters so far. I think it was a logical decision instead of an emotional one.

[Kraco]

Yeah, I'd agree on Shinta's analysis. Misaki is clearly crazy, but there was a consistency to her craziness: only killing villains. So, once she made herself one, according to her methodology, she needed to make herself her next victim. But there was also one last factor: She had experienced killing the villains, she had experienced killing the innocent, the only thing she had no experience of was killing herself.

It kind of annoys me necro-Polka is goody two-shoes. It might be better than being a super villain, as I don't really enjoy watching really evil main characters, but he could have been a bit more selfish. Now it feels like he's willingly playing Kuraki Risa's game, even though Risa was the only who accepted the deal for Polka's murder. It's not like she could really threaten him anymore, either. It was pretty pointless to leave all of those criminals alive as well, and in such a strange state. At the end of the day, he's hundreds of years old, so he should have limited patience for things that don't interest him. I'm not sure what kind of peaceful life he's expecting by relying on a gang of violent assassins.

[Ryllharu]

I like Misaki, I like her actress's performance, but my god, the "ne~ ne~" is so incredibly annoying. It's so much worse than the most obnoxious gyaru slang of even ganguro speak.

It kind of annoys me necro-Polka is goody two-shoes. It might be better than being a super villain, as I don't really enjoy watching really evil main characters, but he could have been a bit more selfish. Now it feels like he's willingly playing Kuraki Risa's game, even though Risa was the only who accepted the deal for Polka's murder. It's not like she could really threaten him anymore, either. It was pretty pointless to leave all of those criminals alive as well, and in such a strange state. At the end of the day, he's hundreds of years old, so he should have limited patience for things that don't interest him. I'm not sure what kind of peaceful life he's expecting by relying on a gang of violent assassins.

I wouldn't say he's a goody two shoes. His morality code is just completely alien from normal people and even criminals.

He paradoxically has zero regard (positive or negative) for living bodies and views them like toys, but has a very strong intent on preserving souls so he doesn't really like killing, while firmly believing that rehabilitation takes the cruelest and harshest path. He burned people alive for...weeks/months/years(?) until they repented. He twisted gangsters into pretzels and kept them alive in agony for killing children and ambushing his current toy. Misaki is very clearly a pet that he had to reluctantly adopt after making a mistake.

He instantly accepts the pleas of those harmed and still lurking around, while having total apathy towards real living people.

He's not really good or evil. He's on another axis of morality entirely.

[Kraco]

Episode 4


-- - -- - -



If Corpse God had mastered lightning magic, I suppose he could have used it in reverse to gain mana from any power socket. At least Japan in this series' world seems to be a bit more violent than in our reality, so he does at least have some ghosts to use. Since he has a good information broker as a friend, he could always ask about any other places where lots of people died violenty, and go look for ghosts.

Lemmings seems like serious trouble. He can apparently even turn invisible or otherwise avoid attention when standing right in front of someone's eyes in good lighting. That's a better technique than Predator has.

[Ryllharu]

It kind of reminds me of DRRR crossed with Jormungand at this point. There's supernatural elements on one side, and ruthlessly brutal police special forces on the other, mundane but particularly vicious. They intermingle quite a bit as well, knowing they're enemies.

[Kraco]

Episode 5



- - - - - -



The ghost of a con man. That was a pretty good addition to the crew, though honestly speaking that way of making money is pretty cumbersome, labour intensive, and will ultimately create a whole lot of reputation/fame. The more fame, the less peaceful a life he can lead.

Creapy twins are quite a well-trotten plot in anime, but I guess it fits the general theme of this series. Not to mention that if there's a murder fest going on in a family to eliminate all other inheritors, chances are there are children in the mix.

Lemmings being nothing but someone's dogsbody was quite disappointing. But I suppose this way his master will look more menacing. At least it does look like Lemmings was thinking for himself as well.

[Ryllharu]

Creapy twins are quite a well-trotten plot in anime, but I guess it fits the general theme of this series. Not to mention that if there's a murder fest going on in a family to eliminate all other inheritors, chances are there are children in the mix.

Lemmings being nothing but someone's dogsbody was quite disappointing. But I suppose this way his master will look more menacing. At least it does look like Lemmings was thinking for himself as well.

Why did Lemmings want Misaki specifically? He wasn't going about killing her for failing. What did Takeru want her abducted for?

Lemmings got distracted when she tempted him with secrets about superhuman enhancement though.

At least they weren't actually creepy twins, they were playing tough to try to get what they wanted. Polka saw through the facade thanks to their ghost (mother?).

[shinta|hikari]

According to Narita, this series isn't part of his Naritaverse which includes Baccano, Durarara, Vamp, Estusa Bridge, etc. So that means it's a whole other universe where even the normal, non-fantasy world also has humans with supernatural abilities, like Lemmings.

Not sure how I feel about that. For all the surprise these characters show when seeing magic and a zombie, they seem to find the existence of the legendary Lemmings acceptable as reality...

[Ryllharu]

That's surprising, considering how much the cops feel like DRRR characters, like an evil Shizuo.

Misaki is a more annoying version of the twins, and the rest of the cast even more analogous.

[neflight86]

Just caught up from ep 3.

It was a struggle at first with (necro) Polka being such an aggressively boring character. Thankfully, the surrounding cast gets more screen time and makes some intrigue happen to keep my attention.

I enjoy the notion that the two worlds might be somehow connected- if I can surmise his arch enemy from fantasy world might be able to come over at some point. The rest of the cast has been a buffet of edgyness.

The family succession drama could also be entertaining. The more convoluted, the better for this!

I feel kinda bad for the spirits being stuffed into objects and confused that they are more or less... obediently okay with this new existence? Maybe the necromancy includes subjugation?

Maybe its the author's style (I kind of remember this from Baccano), but they'll spend a lot of time building up these powerful characters... and cut their interactions short? It seems like too much is left on the table during these confrontations. Maybe they need so save some for later?

[Kraco]

Episode 6


-- - -


I wonder if it's a consistent theme in this show now that Polka is continuously running out of mana and thus is exceedingly restricted in his actions all the time. So, the Corpse God we saw in the first episode won't be seen ever again, instead we will be seeing just a Corpse Water Flea. I mean, that pyromaniac relying on an electric glove and whatever commonplace fuel is everything it takes to stop the MC. Worst of all, Polka doesn't seem to mind. He's making no effort to seek sources of mana, to make sure he has reserves. Instead he believes he can wing it every time something unexpected happens. And unexpected things just keep happening. That's an annoying way of writing a story because it makes things feel too convenient and scripted.

[neflight86]

Polka remains uninteresting, but the supporting cast is no longer carrying this for me either. This feels boilerplate edgy action series where the writing contorts to make the setups and characters seem more clever than they are by withholding details and adding post-scene exposition. Not a universally bad practice, but it snuffs out any hope I had of exploring this world and theory crafting what lies ahead because it has been demonstrated multiple times now that the correct way to consume this is to let the story tell you what it wants you to know, when it wants you to know it, and I suppose I was expecting something else, somehow. I don't foresee myself continuing this unless I hear it gets markedly more interesting later.

[Ryllharu]

Worst of all, Polka doesn't seem to mind. He's making no effort to seek sources of mana, to make sure he has reserves. Instead he believes he can wing it every time something unexpected happens. And unexpected things just keep happening. That's an annoying way of writing a story because it makes things feel too convenient and scripted.

That's not the way I took it. Corpse God seems to have ample supply of spirits to tap into in the circles he's been operating in. The vengeful dead literally cling to those who have an interest in unseating the Shinoyama family...whatever their true occupation is. He tugs on them for mana when he needs to, but without an absurd amount of gemstones, he may never be at the constant height of commanding armies of the undead. In essence, he can in fact wing it.

It felt like they were casting Takeru as the villain of the series, but it seems that he's not quite there, or perhaps maybe still a small fish compared to enemies who are practically deities themselves, like the true Fire-Eating Bug.

Nothing wrong with the "abruptly depowered" method of leveling out superpowered characters. It works in plenty of mediums.

This feels boilerplate edgy action series where the writing contorts to make the setups and characters seem more clever than they are by withholding details and adding post-scene exposition. Not a universally bad practice, but it snuffs out any hope I had of exploring this world and theory crafting what lies ahead because it has been demonstrated multiple times now that the correct way to consume this is to let the story tell you what it wants you to know, when it wants you to know it, and I suppose I was expecting something else, somehow. I don't foresee myself continuing this unless I hear it gets markedly more interesting later.

As for the overarching plot, I say give it time. King Edgelord Author Narita Ryogo does one thing really, really well. He knows how to tease out a longer narrative properly. His series definitely build over time, planting every seed, setting every character to collide with each other during an arc's climax, even as they clash a few times individually to set the tone. Generally, there's always hints of something more to it. Like the reveal that Misaki does know how to behave herself like a proper industry society lady, teased a little bit by her flashback (basically...why were her parents specifically targeted?), the manner in which she speaks to herself internally in eps 2, and also in the way she acts before she goes murderous when Corpse God first met her.

Baccano managed it quite well for the train and party, and then again with the eventual meeting between the gang lead by a wonderful coward and the two ultra serial killers. Everything was perfectly paced for what the anime covered.

DRRR was by contrast boring as hell the latter 2nd, 3rd, and early 4th cours. But all that flawlessly snapped together in the last act of the 4th cour to redeem the entire series.

Novel fans are apparently quite pleased with the pace of this season to get through "the intro," and there is a 2nd cour.

[Kraco]

That's not the way I took it. Corpse God seems to have ample supply of spirits to tap into in the circles he's been operating in. The vengeful dead literally cling to those who have an interest in unseating the Shinoyama family...whatever their true occupation is. He tugs on them for mana when he needs to, but without an absurd amount of gemstones, he may never be at the constant height of commanding armies of the undead. In essence, he can in fact wing it.

So, you are saying he would have let the pyromaniac escape, despite the man's job being killing the twins whom Polka wants to protect, because Polka didn't feel like using any power to stop the dude. It's ridiculous Lemmings needed to appear out of nowhere to knock the man down, while Polka was too worried about getting burned by a flamethrower small enough to hide under one's clothes.

[Kraco]

Episode 7



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It's hard to not think of the various Batman movies and games when you have got all of these supposedly non-fantasy villains, who in reality are pulling off stunts where magic ought to be required.

[shinta|hikari]

Maybe they have sufficiently advanced tech to do this shit?

I still think a being that can cause a zombie apocalypse is in a completely different scale of power.