English Dub Review: Onmyo Kaiten Re:Birth Verse “This Time I’ll Protect You! What Appeared Beyond the Centennial Pandemonium”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Takeru’s power reaches all new heights, but revelations await him during the next Centennial Pandemonium.

Our Take:
Takeru has earned himself a pretty nifty mech battle upgrade after conquering his anxiety, which is enough for him to fight and defeat the baboon oni.  However, it looks like even more trouble is brewing for Takeru to face with his new Yasha power.  I’m not just referring to the oni that has been appearing through the black mist, but also the one responsible for pulling the strings behind the fiasco.  The person I’m referring to is none other than the group’s leader, Seimei, who has grown rather curious about Takeru’s presence.  This is because he’s aware of Takeru’s developing abilities, including the time loop, and the mysterious “World Whittle”.
Given the end of the show’s fourth episode, it was obvious that Seimei may have been hiding something from Takeru and the others upon Takeru’s first loss.  This episode further proved my theory right when Atsunaga and Yura achieved victory in the Centennial Pandemonium, or so we thought.  This supposed battle against the oni gods is actually a ruse for Seimei to gain sustenance by killing the town’s people, though to Atsunaga and Yura, they were seen as their monstrous enemies.  With Takeru’s mark disappeared and getting killed once more, things have surely taken a turn for the worse in his attempt to protect the love of his dreams.
The twist involving the city’s purpose was pretty shocking, to say the least.  However, regarding Seimei being the actual antagonist in the series, the narrative could’ve been reworked to hide his obvious intentions.  Nevertheless, the revelation continues the show’s intent to provide something beyond its simple time-loop premise, involving Takeru’s strive to protect Tsukimiya.  Regarding this twist, he’s now not just protecting his dream girl but also the entire town from its self-destruction.  Add in a couple of mech battles that were suitably well-animated, and you get a climax that delivers an interesting change in direction for the show’s second half.