English Dub Review: Deca Dence “Brake System”

Overview

After pressing the big Genocide button which destroys every Gadoll supposedly out there, Kaburagi begins to tell Natsume the harsh truth behind the existence of himself along with the world of Deca-Dence. It’s also here when Kaburagi goes on to also explain that Natsume’s father was killed after he came too close to knowing the truth about Deca-Dence which understandably shatters her understanding of her own existence. During the course of the big Gadoll genocide, the staff from the Gadoll factory escape from the facility while all the Gadoll disintegrate without the technical support of the system. However, one is wounded by a dying Gadoll which begins to later reveal some unexpected consequences…

Meanwhile, Jill informs Kaburagi that the “bug” Inmates are being rounded up by the Game Police and so Donatello, Jill and Kaburagi help the surviving Inmates escape the shit-prison and find a new base of operations within a junkyard made up of old Deca-Dence parts where Jill logs in so that Kaburagi can contact Natsume with his human avatar. Just when you think things are potentially going well, unexpected trouble ensues.



Our Take

Much like the world-building in previous episodes, this time we get a heaping dose of character development with Natsume for better or worse. Of course, given everything so far, Natsume wouldn’t just simply comprehend a manufactured world that secretly treats humanity like a zoo and occasionally uses them as fodder for the sake of a “Game”. Everything is now a convoluted mess to her. While it’s simple to just believe the concept of a world created to just attack and defend against man-made monsters, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. One of the other things I love about this show is the recurring motif we hear from certain characters about their definition of “normalcy” or what living a happy life means to them. We hear it from Fei and Minato, but this time we hear Natsume’s definition after experiencing such a rude awakening.

To some people, there’s this disturbing acknowledgment that “ignorance is bliss” and “conformity is comfortable”, even when part of you knows it’s bullshit. But we also get to see how other characters react to the possibility that they could change the world around them. For Fei and Minato, it would mean ending their definition of “comfort”, which they can’t bring themselves to do. For Kaburagi it’s a no-brainer that he’d want to wreck the very system that callously makes so many people miserable, but in this episode, we see Natsume finding some definitive answers within herself and what to do with her life once the shock wears away. In the end, it’s her own decision to make things happen, using her experience to gain, while also finding the courage to become the best version of herself. 

 The character development of Natsume was fulfilled in this one. She’s already come a long way, even if the episode’s story-structure came across as a small recap in regards to Kaburagi and Natsume’s mentor/student relationship, and their dynamic during the course of the show. As for that cliffhanger, the ending knew how to keep us hooked, and I look forward to finding out what will happen next!