REVIEW: ‘Dead Mount Death Play,’ Episode 2 – “The New World”

Having arrived in the new world following his resurrection spell, Polka accidentally killed the assassin Misaki in self-defense. With her boss Clarissa coming with reinforcements, no one is sure what’s happening or what to do next in Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2.

Since the pilot episode hit the ground running as it threw its protagonist through time and space, this episode has to spend some time establishing who people are and what is going on. The most interesting piece of this exploration is when it looks at the killer Misaki who, as her prominence in the opening credits alluded to, doesn’t stay dead for long.

While its opening chapter established that the series had no intention of shying away from blood, Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2 sets how hard viewers can expect the show to go on the psychological side of things through its exploration of Misaki’s past. Living a normal happy childhood, Misaki’s world came crashing down when she witnessed a man gleefully murder her parents. Profoundly changed by the event, Misaki now makes her gleeful killing for her boss Clarissa. The moments of murder and torture we witness firmly establish that there isn’t much we can expect Misaki to shy away from. The animation captures the unhinged nature of Misaki in her most twisted moments. The camera pulls the viewer close, so her personality encompasses them. While these moments are brutal, they also establish her goals and what she searches for through her acts of violence. While a bad person, Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2 crafts Misaki as an exciting form of monster that I look forward to the series exploring.

Alongside Misaki’s backstory, we also glimpse Polka’s motivations. As was hinted at in the previous episode, Polka isn’t the world-conquering necromancer he was made out to be. While his backstory makes the character more sympathetic, it’s also the least surprising twist they could’ve given him. While Polka’s tragic backstory details are well delivered, they feel uninspired.

With so much backstory filling Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2‘s runtime, there isn’t much left to move the story forward. Nevertheless, there is some forward momentum as Polka makes his presence felt in his new home and makes some interesting allies. There is a great opportunity for interesting character clashes if the show handles things right. With Polka looking to advance toward his goals and his newfound allies looking to increase theirs, it will be interesting to see how the two sides mesh.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2 manages to fill viewers in on the backstory for some of its key personalities without feeling weighed down by exposition. The elements it presents grab the viewer, further pulling them into the world as it clarifies just what that world will be. Which promises a bloody and often unhinged ride, if nothing else.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 2 is streaming on Crunchyroll.