English Dub Review: Ninja vs. Gokudo “Part 4 Young Maniacs’ Death Game, Stage 5”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Determined to fulfill his promise to Shinoha, Kiwami takes on Prima, even as his insides are torn apart.  Despite knowing Prima’s gokudo skill is just an illusion, the threat of her attack overwhelms him, and he is seriously wounded again.  Amid the confusion, a vision of Yuzawa flashes across his mind…?!

Our Take:
We’re only one step closer to the end of the season, which is something that I couldn’t be any prouder to hear.  If you’ve been following my experience with this series, you’d already know that watching it in English is like watching a bad soap opera.  It’s so melodramatic and flat that I couldn’t help but admire how atrocious the dub and even the direction are.  Not even the “Young Maniacs’ Death Game” arc has any merits to overcome its poor execution, except for Kiwami almost uncovering Shinoha’s ninja identity.  So, right now, I’m just hoping that the season concludes on a serviceable note amid its iffy line delivery and underwhelming plot.
Until then, this episode offers yet another series of battles to “entice” viewers, one of which sees Kiwami confronting Prima and her illusion abilities.  Essentially, it’s a showdown that pits Gokudo against Gokudo, with Kiwami fighting with a new purpose: to survive and foil Gamute’s tyranny as he promised to Shinoha.  As for the second battle, the episode showcases Gamute facing an unlikely opponent, the Prime Minister, who has taken the enhanced drug to protect Shinoha.  However, that fight was overshadowed by Kiwami’s showdown with Prima and the introduction of the ninja Tome Odaka, who turned the tide of the battle with her Techno Pretty Boys.  Alas, they weren’t enough to get me hyped for the ultimate confrontation between Shinoha and Gamute regarding its repetitive structure and unbearably lackluster direction.