REVIEW: ‘Dead Mount Death Play,’ Episode 7 – “The Magician”

With his niece and nephew safe from the attempt on their lives, Polka settles in to come clean to his “father” about who he truly is and what’s been going on. Meanwhile, at the police station, the legendary criminal Phantom Solitaire has become obsessed with the skeleton incident from earlier in the series and is determined to learn the truth behind the event in Dead Mount Death Play Episode 7.

Polka’s explanation of who he is and what has happened to the real Polka opens this week’s story. This sequence builds up the Shinoyama clan’s patriarch through how he handles the difficult news of who Polka is and what happened to his real son. This leads to an excellent exchange between him and Misaki, as she has been revealed to him as his son’s killer. The two’s exchange builds each up through their actions and attitudes towards each other wonderfully. With each episode of this series, the show goes out of its way to expand upon Misaki, showcasing yet another way she is more than the cute, manic pixie killer she initially was presented to be.

Once the situation has settled and Polka has parted company from his “family,” Dead Mount Death Play Episode 7 jumps to the local prison where Iwanome and Arase continue their questioning of Phantom Solitaire. However, things go awry when Solitaire escapes and broadcasts live to the world that he is back and ready to begin his crime spree again.

As the show follows Solitaire after his breakout, we see his personality and motives for committing crimes. While his motive is an interesting concept that fits great with Polka’s story, his personality could stand to be taken down a notch or two in some scenes. His frequently farcical nature feels a bit over the top for the series. He feels like the one who has fallen into another world in a way, rather than Polka, who blends into our non-magical world far better than the ridiculous Solitaire. This over-abundance of personality is reinforced through the animation, which leans into Solitaire’s outlandish moments hard.

Despite my misgivings about the character, Dead Mount Death Play Episode 7 utilizes him well to expand its world. As it follows the character, the show brings us to a more serious threat, as it fully introduces viewers to the true Fire-Breathing Bug hinted at during the last episode’s ending. During the pair’s conversation, Bug owns the scene through the sheer weight of their presence, despite Solitaire holding the camera for much more time. The cold edge of what little Bug says and does cuts through Solitaire’s energy like a knife, capturing the essence of the cold, hard-edged personality the show is crafting for the character.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 7 follows up last week’s excitement with a well-crafted entry that sets up future perils and expands upon the audience’s knowledge of the cast to keep the episode engaging. While I don’t love Solitaire, other characters have me interested enough to power through when he is monopolizing the screen.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 7 is streaming on Crunchyroll.