REVIEW: ‘Dead Mount Death Play’ Episode 9 — “The Signpost”

With Tsubaki and Arase showing up at Polka’s home unexpectedly, the last episode ended on a tense note. Dead Mount Death Play Episode 9 picks up right where it left off with Tsubaki asking Polka for a fortune telling. But what comes of this encounter looks to shake up Polka’s understanding of his world forever.

The opening sequence where Polka give Tsubaki his fortune is wonderfully crafted and executed. It starts lightly enough, with Tsubaki able to guess many of the tricks Polka uses to come up with his fortunes. Tsubaki’s glib attitude towards this encounter as it begins is perfect. It sets up the viewer’s expectation of a simple run-in with the nosey detective that isn’t likely to amount to anything. But when the possessed pen that aids Polka in his fortunes writes something on a piece of paper for Tsubaki to see, Dead Mount Death Play Episode 9 quickly jumps tone as the officer is suddenly lurching across the table at our protagonist.

Without giving too much away the symbol and its meaning come to dominate the rest of the episode. Its relevance and history are brought to light in a number of interesting ways, that bring both the Phantom Solitaire and the Fire-Breathing Bug into the episode. The Bug’s presence is particularly interesting. While brief, we get our first clues as to how the bug operates and their personality, since up till now all we’ve seen is the umbrella that is always in their possession and heard their voice during a phone call.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 9 also introduces viewers to a new seemingly villainous character, Grocer. Introduced when Solitaire visits his prison cell looking for information, Grocer appears to be a world-class information broker that is so well connected and knows so many secrets that the government permits him to continue trading in secrets despite being in jail. While the premise is bizarre for sure, it does succeed wonderfully in establishing just how much power this guy wields through his store of knowledge. As Solitaire goes over Grocer’s history, the viewer is treated to a skillful visual presentation of the character’s past. The visuals in this sequence are engaging, and only help to build up the character’s mystique. Even with Solitaire being his usual, goofy self throughout their interactions, Grocer still manages to maintain his air of mystery about him.

The episode closes with a visit back to Polka and company as they try to figure out what set off Tsubaki during his fortune-telling. This scene is paced perfectly as the group slowly peels back the layers of mystery surrounding the moment. While this sequence plays out, the story jumps between here and a meeting between Tsubakle and Clarissa that works to further build out the final bits of information the episode reveals. The timing of scene changes, the slow-building tension, and the final big reveal are all handled magnificently.

For an episode that revolves largely around exposition exploring the past, Dead Mount Death Play Episode 9 never feels dull. Rather, it builds its narrative up through powerful tension, interesting reveals, and a final moment that changes the game in a truly unexpected way.

Dead Mount Death Play Episode 9 is streaming on Crunchyroll.