English Dub Review: Masamune-kun’s Revenge “Don’t Let Go of the Mic, Even if You Die”

With Gasou missing, Masamune must choose between his “Love or Die” plan and letting Aki face social seppuku on stage with no prince.

Spoilers Below

Well, there she is, Snow White Aki with her seven dwarves. Masamune is utterly stunned she would put herself in this position. Gasou, slated to play as her Prince Charming, is still nowhere to be seen. Of course, when Koiwai wants someone to disappear, the kunoichi handmaiden makes them disappear! Now that the kidnapping visited upon Masamune is resolved, there’s no need for Koiwai to hold Gasou. Problem is, Masa can’t get a hold of Koiwai on the phone. Looking at the stage, he discovers why. She’s one of the seven dwarves! She couldn’t respond while she was in front of the audience. Things are looking grim for Aki. If her prince doesn’t arrive, Snow White will remain dead, and the actress portraying her will be… embarrassed? I guess?

Masamune arrives backstage, his costume in a bag. He volunteers to be Aki’s new prince, and rescue her with his kiss. This isn’t play-acting or a ploy to win her heart. He looks at all the effort that Class 2a went through for their production. The set was almost professional, the acting was thoroughly rehearsed, and they even had a dance sequence! Knowing that by jumping in like this was a sabotage of his own contest, he just couldn’t let 2a, or Aki, turn all this effort into a tragic Juliet. Having bitten into her poison apple, Aki lays down in her coffin filled with white roses as the dwarves faux-mourn her passing. Aki thinks that this is a fitting end. A girl can’t rely on a prince charming to come and save her in the nick of time. She’s resolved to be the Snow White that never wakes. After all, her prince never came back…

Prince Masamune steps forward onto the stage, shakily. He isn’t sure if it’s the lights, the stage fright, or his fever coming back, but he’s feeling weak and sweating like a pig, or at least a pig’s foot. He delivers the line, desperately hoping that the dwarves will figure out the sudden change in leading man and ad lib over his variant of the script. They catch on, and he advances on the coffin of his long awaited princess.

And flops on his face. He has finally gotten down with the sickness, and can barely stand. Rising at least to his knees, he plays it off as a chronic illness and a long journey. The dwarves help him to his lady’s side. He attempts the last few steps by himself but falls backward. A dwarf catches him, and ad libs another excuse. He thanks…Koiwai? She has a frightening look on her face. “You’d better remember this fear.” Thankfully, the adrenaline is enough to push him to Aki’s side. He just has to say the final line and kiss her. He cradles her head, drawing her up in his arms. The audience gasps as lips connect.

Lips connect. Wait, nobody told him he was supposed to actually kiss her! He could have just brought her into kissing distance and held off. Nobody was expecting them to really kiss! This was probably Futaba’s fault. She wanted to see Masamune kiss Kojuro for realsies since she’s into that sort of stuff. Aki’s eyes shoot open, and emotion wells up in them. She tries to subtly signal that it’s okay to stop, but his fever-addled brain can’t figure it out. She pushes, and when he still doesn’t stop, she gives him a fat lip. The dwarves cry out in joy! It’s a miracle! Snow White is alive and somehow has learned boxing!

The next day, the major players from classes 2a and 2b get together for a karaoke party to celebrate a successful Yasaka Festival. It’s a shame that 2a had to win by default. As soon as the play was over, Masamune had to go to the nurse’s office, knocked out by his fever and an angry princess. Since Futaba refused to see the liberated Gasou as Kojuro’s Prince Charming, Class 2b could not go on stage. They decide instead to settle this for a rousing night of cutthroat karaoke! First up, Futaba singing “Selfish Mirror Heart”. For those that skip the credits, this is the opening theme.

Of course, Aki’s Personal Guard have an ulterior motive to this empty orchestra. They’ve notice Masamune has no idea how to use a Karaoke machine. Could it be he doesn’t know how to sing? If so, they could use this opportunity to make him embarrass himself in front of Aki, and forever lose her heart to Gasou. Their gambit seems to be paying off. As each person goes through their songs, Masamune seems to get ever tenser. He runs off to the restroom to regain his composure and considers heading home. Really, he’s still feeling the effects of the sickness from the day before. The Personal Guard swoops in to bully him, trying to make him too nervous to perform. Aki appears to shoo them off. Did she really just stand up for him? Moreover, did she go out of her way to come out of the room to defend him? Oh, no. She came out for cake. As she reenters, Neko puts on the opening theme for a magical girl show, and she and Aki sing it as a duet. As they quibble over which character from the show was the better magical girl, Masamune forgets… He’s next! Fine. He pops in the song “Elemental World” (the ending theme for his own show), and prepares to bare the pain of his heart through song. The front desk receives a call.

That call is a cry for help. Masamune is so bad, he has nearly killed his classmates! The machine can’t even score him! It does tell him how many calories he burned, and he’s rather impressed. As everyone goes home, he sings to himself, considering adding karaoke to his workout routine. Aki sits with him, begging for death’s sweet embrace. He wonders, why did everyone go home so quickly? Even the indefatigable Koiwai is missing, gone off to get Aki more food. Aki asks why he’s still around if everyone left. Simple. It’s dangerous for a girl to be out alone. While she could easily tear out a man’s heart with her words, an armed robber would make quick work of her.

Of course, she never did properly thank him for saving her against the scissors guy at the beginning of the series. She asks what she could do to repay him. A kiss. A real kiss, started by her this time. She agrees, with absolutely no balking or fighting this time. Her only condition, he closes his eyes. She leans in, getting her mouth mere millimeters from his and…

Stuffs a desert in his mouth. She taunts him, saying that it is an honor that she would share her precious food with him. Koiwai, who had just returned while his eyes were closed, pities him. His timing is awful. If he had gotten Aki to agree to the kiss sooner, she probably would have given it to him. Koiwai’s arrival spooked her out of it. Still, there’s a warmth to the Ice Princess’ taunts. Dismayed, but not yet defeated, Masamune doubles down on his resolve to catch her. And he has the perfect opportunity: The class field trip to France next season!

I was rather pleased by how this season wrapped up. While it didn’t resolve the plot of the Love or Die plan, we have enough information to kinda fill in the blanks as to where things will go. Masamune has gained an honest concern for his prey, and she has opened her heart. Not just to him either! She’s more friendly with others at the school and is a bit more outgoing and less snobbish. They brought this out in how her eyes looked during the karaoke sequence, and in Morgan Garrett’s subtle nuances in her voice acting throughout. I also would like to give a hand to Monica Rial again. As she made Koiwai’s lines during the climax of the Snow White play, she put in an awkwardness that made the shy Cinderella much more believable as a bad actress. The art and animation weren’t bad, and I really enjoyed the art for the final scenes as she almost kisses him.