REVIEW: ‘Undead Murder Farce’ Episode 4 — “The Headliner Appears”

Undead Murder Farce has been an interesting ride so far, swaying between a lot of exposition to embracing action, giving humor from a duo with electric chemistry, and, of course, some murder mystery. While none of the episodes have been bad, the amount of lore explanation and retracing of steps has made the pacing interesting, to say the least. That said, much of my issues with Undead Murder Farce have been calmed by its stellar two leads, but in Episode 4, “The Headliner Appears,” I remember what pulled me in in the premiere episode. The series is animated by studio Lapin Track, directed by Mamoru Hatakeyama, and based on the novel series by Yugo Aosaki, and this time, it goes full Sherlock.

Undead Murder Farce Episode 4 completes one case for the season as viewers discover who killed the Godard family matriarch. The last episode ended with Aya and Tsugaru in the forest, with the Sherlockian head in a birdcage solving the case after finding a vampire hunter in the forest. Taking off quickly, the duo assembles the Godard family in a room, and Aya begins to unravel the case. From the murder weapon to the motive and the time of death, Aya walks the audience and the family of vampires through it all. As she narrows down the suspect, Aya ruffles feathers, the animators taking time to focus in on legs shaking, nails clenching, eyes darting. All of the physical manifestations of anxiety have been perfectly crafted.

While the animators at studio Lapin Track pay attention to the physical manifestations of stress, the narrative of this episode is also crafted with just as much care. While everyone has a murder mystery nowadays, pulling off the delivery once the detective solves the case isn’t an easy feat, but it’s a success in Undead Murder Farce Episdoe 4. Keeping the pace fast enough to keep the viewer from becoming bored, and with Tsugarau adding perfectly timed humor, the recounting of the murder is the best-written dialogue of the season so far. If every case wraps up this way, the season’s sins so far can be forgiven.

It isn’t just the dialogue that is fantastic in this episode. In this one, the headline truly appears as Tsugaru showcases his Oni strength as he takes on the killer in a one-on-one physical battle. Tsugaru’s strength is uncontested, his movements fluid, and the use of the environment around them in this duel makes the ending to Undead Murder Farce Episode 4 dynamic. Truthfully, in this episode, we get to see Aya’s intelligence as her strength, and we also get to see Tsugaru’s power in his body. Creating a balanced pair, their connection makes all the more sense when you see them act individually, and that’s a testament to a duo that will keep you rooting for them.

Finally, the ending for the episode, instead of showing the usual ending credits animation, the EP plays with a preview for the future. The man with the cane, and his other monsters, all in a carriage, represent a harder future for the Cage User and his party. While the teasing for the future of the season is apparent, the real intriguing element of the characters shown in the end is the character designs.

Undead Murder Farce Episode 4 captures the action and lore that made the series’ first episode so fantastic. With stellar animation, great dialogue, and the perfect chemistry, this series finds itself back on top of the Summer 2023 Anime season.

Undead Murder Farce Episode 4 is streaming now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes every Wednesday in July.