English Dub Review: Date A Live IV: “Key and Sword, Nightmare’s Seduction”

Overview: Shido (Josh Grelle) tries to counsel Mikuro (Kristen McGuire) and later Kurumi (Alexis Tipton) makes a surprise return with dark intentions in an unexpected way.  

Our Take: The conflict between Mikuro and Inverse Tohka continues as the gang helps Shido despite not remembering him. It very much relies on the old trope of that innate feeling one has associated with the person they can not remember guiding them. The real focus lies in Shido and Mikuro’s similarities in their past pain, a compelling scene that touches on their shared loneliness, which is somewhat surprising in that I expected it to be nothing more than fluffy words, which it sometimes can shift in and out of. Her backstory with her foster family effectively shows how her naivety as a child along with her insecurity pushed her to wipe her sister’s friend’s memories. Although very subtle, it is fascinating to see how Inverse Tohka is self-aware in how she views herself as a unique, fully-formed person while also having a kind side to her otherwise rough exterior in caring about the person that her other half is all the same. Shido and Mukuro’s final heart-to-heart under the stars is an empathetic one in what the desperation that comes out of the fear of being alone can force somebody to, that connects them on a human level. 

Before the celebration can last too long, Kurumi is back in town. She comes at a welcome time to bring some chaos that you can’t help but love when she seductively savors every aspect, making me realize just how much I missed her. And mayhem is surely what Kurumi brings in her batshit crazy plot in competing to see who can woo the other first. Kurumi’s end goal is for Shido to ultimately die when she takes the spirit power for herself while Shido wants to do so for her to live a normal life and seal her powers. This is an insanely twisted and awesome contest that I am genuinely interested in to see who folds and when they do with Kurumi being deadly serious as well as having feelings for Shido with him being determined to help her. After a misunderstanding involving some brotherly Kotori tickling that doesn’t do wonders for Shido’s squeaky clean image, they discuss Kurumi’s true motives for being back. The gang discovers that she wants to kill the spirit of origin but are still puzzled over the reason after Nia reveals she paid her a visit to get information on it. Mikuro’s role within this plot already feels an afterthought in being thrown under the rug. Granted this is just the beginning of it so hopefully there’s more involvement with her to come. Shido and Kurumi’s first date is each trying to dominate and charm the other with adorable cats and weirdly transitions into a catlike petting fetish that has each exchanging love blows, ending on an bizarrely kinky yet entertaining note.