Cute and classy anime series Dantalian no Shoka returns with a shockingly vicious twist – guro fanatics will enjoy seeing a crazed yandere blast bullets repeatedly into heads of the resurrected dead as Dalian reads BL novels.
This fourth episode entitled “The Resurrection” is certainly well deserving of its name. Dalian is heard crying like a cute tsundere loli, which prompts Huey to ask of course what she is doing. She promptly begins to point her irritation over the well written fujoshi novel equipped in her hands which seemingly ends abruptly at volume two.
The eloquently written fujoshi novel came addressed to Huey, who ordered it perhaps as material to study, as he received a letter requesting assistance from the author of the gender indifferent novel, Lenny Lents. According to Huey, Lenny Lents was murdered some time ago during an assault on the street. Thoughts begin to bubble once we recall a grisly scene of murder showcased before the OP involving a man writing a novel suddenly being stabbed to death by an iniquitous female.
With a plea for help in hand and a fujoshi loving tsundere named Dalian, Huey heads out to the home of Lenny Lents. Arriving, they are greeted by a deceiving blond female who seems to be terribly lying as she speaks with Huey – a theory backed by the sight of a blade soaked in blood off behind her in a bucket.
She comes up with an assortment of well-played excuses preventing them from meeting Lenny Lents – ending up with Huey and Dalian on their way with a rescheduled appointment for tomorrow.
As they head back, Huey and Dalian suspect something is amiss yet impressively retain their composure as they discuss the situation straightforwardly – realizing there may be foul play caused by the usage of a Phantom Book. They return uninvited at night and enter the home to find a jailed, enslaved in appearance, female in bloody rags and worn clothes.
Lenny Lents lay dead on the floor in-front of them. This obviously confirms their suspicions – the girl is still alive and requests the two return tomorrow to save Lenny. Little did we know awaiting us was a paradoxical spiral of death and grotesque sadist fanfare.
Returning a third time next morning, the two are once again confronted by the blond psychopath they met the day prior. After a verbal owning by Dalian, the psycho allows to them to finally meet Lenny Lents. Lenny begins discreetly typing a call for help from Huey while chatting about an unrelated topic so as to not be noticed by the yandere blond. He instructs the two to come a fourth time at night – yet as they later arrive and enter the mansion, the crazy lady follows aware of the plot.
Having been found out, the two are locked up and witness a bloody scene of repeated death. A Phantom Book is used to resurrect Lenny and his raggedy clothed lover laying on the floor time and time again to be killed. The two are stuck in a scenario in which they must exchange souls to survive, meaning they share a single soul – taking turns with one alive.
It becomes fairly brutal to see Lenny and his lover shot repeatedly in the head – the blond “bitch” merely becomes enraged in idiocy and continually kills the two until eventually they become immune to death and transform into a new monstrous creature. This new creature slices the woman to bits with its claws then finally fades away in ashes.
Huey and Dalian could do nothing except watch as the situation evolved – it was definitely a darker side of Dantalian no Shoka which we were not expecting to see in the slightest. The episode shows yet another outcome of the Phantom Books – greed and jealously ended in self-destruction.
The pure story focused nature of the series is incredible – that is, the raw unadulterated method of storytelling seen in the series which seemingly gives the plot prominence over all else. Dalian and Huey are heavily focused upon yet their roles are not made overly exuberant – other characters last only a short time in this series.
Dantalian no Shoka has escalated the levels of epic once again for all to enjoy in awe.
Aug 6, 2011 @ 9:29 CDT
As human beings, we have a certain disposition to death in that once a person dies, their life is over. Feelings of sadness, remorse, happiness and so many others intermingle in a bittersweet, palpable sensation. Yet we can only find it within ourselves to move forward whilst bearing this burden, lest they consume us to a point of destruction.
Dantalian no Shoka’s fourth episode takes us to the brink of this experience and beyond as we come face-to-face with the psychotic Paula, a narcissist to put others to shame as she, with the power of a Phantom Book, plays a twisted game of death and resurrection with famed writer Lenna Lents and his lover, Leticia.
In a most fitting and poetic form of justice however, Paula’s own twisted desires come back to tear her body and soul; rendered unto nothingness, leaving her two victims’ tortured souls to fall into a peaceful slumber at last.
“Salavation in death” never had a more iconic and bittersweet meaning.
A splendid episode indeed.