English Dub Review: Dark Gathering “The Promise”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Camping was to be a reprieve, but the bridge is calling, the bridge is calling, the bridge is calling, the bridge is calLING, THE BRIDGE IS CALLING, THEBRIDGEISCALL…

Our Take:
Camping was supposed to be a fun and relaxing way to escape the problems residing in the real world. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to be the case for the spirit-hunting trio. If there’s one thing I learned from watching countless horror movies, even the bad ones, it’s that a campsite is usually a deathtrap for the victims awaiting their bloody demise, either from a masked killer or a supernatural presence. In this case, it’s obviously the latter.
The first few minutes of the episode offer a nice and cozy reflection of Keitaro and the others spending a ghost-free day at a campsite near the bridge. Considering the amount of spiritual incidents they went through, this was a suitable change of pace that was abruptly interrupted by another benevolent spirit. By that, I mean “spirits”. The episode has Keitaro and Yayoi attempting to dispel not one but ten ghostly beings who were responsible for forcing their victims to jump off the bridge. Unfortunately for Eiko, the spirits have found their latest host to kill. In other words, it’s another episode involving suicide, as if the creepy suicide club wasn’t enough to discomfort me.
Fortunately, “The Promise” has some suitably executed elements that keep its plot from being similar to the previous episode. One is its use of flashbacks detailing Keitaro and Yayoi’s preparations for their fight against the spirits. These scenes occurring after they’re being saved from their demises create a decent amount of tension to make its stakes enticing. The other is Keitaro and Eiko’s relationship taking the next step, promising to protect one another and even professing their love. If Eiko’s twisted personality hadn’t been the issue, this would’ve been a nice, heartwarming moment. Regardless, it’s gotten Keitaro to agree to help Yayoi capture more spirits, so there’s that. Overall, it’s a solid episode involving suicide that does enough with its plot progression to make its familiar structure more creepily fun.