English Dub Review: In/Spectre “Rikka Returns”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Kotoko and Kuro discover where Rikka, his cousin with the same powers, has been living since their last encounter. They go to investigate the apartment, which has a grisly history.

Our Take:

This latest case sees the goddess and her “boyfriend” uncovering the sudden return of a familiar face from season one. I’m referring to Rikka Sakuragawa, Kuro’s pale-skinned cousin who also consumed yokai flesh to gain immortality and the ability to change futures. Rikka was also responsible for unleashing the “Steel Lady Nanase” upon the world in season one. But, of course, you can also add that Rikka’s also responsible for dragging out the “Steel Lady” arc in the first season. Those reasons are more than enough for the duo to find and put an end to this dangerous woman for good.

The episode shows that Rikka is hiding in an apartment with a disturbing history. The first half offers another moment in season two where it shifts its focus to a different set of characters instead of Kotoko and Kuro. This time, it’s Rikka’s next-door apartment neighbors, Kazuyuki Konno and his girlfriend, Marumi Oki. The episode’s first half involves them talking to Rikka about the apartment’s history, with the three people who lived here committing suicide. One of them is a woman who got dumped by her boyfriend. The other is a man in his 30s killing himself despite a healthy life. It’s also revealed that the man is the ex-boyfriend of the woman who committed suicide. However, the real reason behind the man’s suicide, according to Kotoko, is that he was stressed about not finding anything about the apartment being haunted.

This episode gives viewers another glimpse of Rikka regarding her abilities and distaste of Kotoko while keeping the mystery behind her vague for newcomers. The only example is when Rikka had a ticket to a horse race before she got hit by a truck. Afterward, the horse she bet on won the race, earning her lots of money. Everyone who caught up with the show, including me, can quickly guess that Rikka used her powers to change the future so that her horse wins. On the other hand, the newcomers would probably think it’s a coincidence, but it’s not.

Part of what makes In/Spectre intriguing is the mystery behind specific elements and characters, including the mysterious Rikka. More importantly, it uses the supernatural to unravel some unsettling themes, such as suicide and the online rumors from season one. “Rikka Returns” is another solid example of this. Additionally, it gives us another fresh perspective on the mysteries surrounding the supernatural via Rikka’s next-door apartment neighbors. Plus, we finally get to see Kotoko and Kuro kiss. Okay, we didn’t actually see them kiss, but I’m assuming they did.