English Dub Review: Dekin no Mogura: The Earthbound Mole “The Trap of Only Seeing Results”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Sakurako takes home a maneki-neko in accordance with Kyoko’s vision, but her problems remain unresolved.

Our Take:
The previous episode introduced viewers to Kyoshiro’s overly cheerful mother, Kyoko, who’s revealed to have a unique ability.  Though she doesn’t appear to see some spirits like the Nekozukus, Kyoko does have a gift of seeing unusual yet possible outcomes. However, it seemed a bit more complicated than we initially assumed for an ordinary clairvoyant.  However, that hasn’t stopped Sakurako, a seemingly accident-prone woman she saved, from relying on Kyoko’s visions, putting Kyoshiro and the others in another problematic situation.  It’s then revealed that Sakurako’s “bad luck” was one of the reasons her entire life has been a shit show, facing ridicule and abuse from her mother and even her husband.  The other reason is, unsurprisingly, a flock of spirits led by a spirit otter bullying her, but unlike the red panda, they aren’t too much of a threat, thanks to Kyoshiro.
Regarding Sakurako’s timidness and “accident-prone” persona, the episode seemed to highlight the importance of standing up for oneself to improve one’s life.  However, with Mya doing the heavy lifting by helping Sakurako through possession, it somehow took away the message it’s seeking to portray.  Regardless of its humor, the message would’ve been more effective if Sakurako had confronted her husband and mother directly, rather than having Mya do it for her.  For some reason, it just gave off the wrong impression that every problem would be solved through demonic possession.  Either that, or I’m still completely dumbfounded that the show hasn’t gotten any better for me.  But, at the very least, the art design is still the only standout that mostly compensates for the show’s underwhelming and poorly executed premise.