English Dub Review: Dark Gathering “House Hunting”
Overview (Spoilers Below):
Eiko did not leave the tunnel unscathed. She experienced the true terror of death and must now ask herself if her horror obsession is worth risking her life.
Our Take:
The trio has survived two of Japan’s most dangerous haunting spots, much to their luck. While that accomplishment deserves to be celebrated because they collected their S-rank spirits, that doesn’t mean everyone is proud of what they went through. One of which happens to be Eiko, who experienced a terrifying close encounter with the ghost of her new friend, Hana, in the previous episode. As a result, Eiko winds up in a state of shock, forcing her to question her recklessness in her pursuit of spooky encounters.
This episode shows a different side of Eiko, who’s usually known for being an enthusiastic and slightly eccentric teenager. However, that isn’t the case, as Eiko is experiencing her doubts for the first time after nearly getting killed by the Old F Tunnel’s spirit. This indicates that Eiko is human, as she wonders if helping Yayoi and Keitaro capture S-rank spirits and Graduates is worth throwing away her life. This is another great example of Dark Gathering developing its supporting characters beyond their energetic personalities, similar to Ai Kamiyo in the eighth and ninth episodes. Speaking of which, Ai finally returns in this episode, but only briefly due to the appearance of her godly future husband.
Fortunately, Eiko is quick to being her usual self when she and Yayoi visit the grave of a fearless samurai, which hearkens back to when she first experienced her thrill of horror for the first time. The question now is whether Eiko is truly ready to jump back into action since she and Yayoi are searching for an abandoned house to store the Graduates. Although Keitaro’s recap might be unnecessary for those who have been following the series, “House Hunting” provides a solid portrayal of Eiko’s inner conflict with her passion for ghost hunting. However, that would likely continue to haunt her during her and Yayoi’s inspection of the new house they found, which, to no one’s surprise, stores a curse. Let’s hope Eiko is prepared for what she will face inside that creepy house.
