English Dub Review: Dead Account “The Battle at Sainokawara”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
While Hasumi races to save Kasubata, Soji and Urusugawa face off against their rivals.

Our Take:
The competition continues to heat up as much as Soji’s blue flames, with the episode now focusing on another set of individual showdowns.  The first is Urusugawa, who finds herself a new “love rival” for Kasubata’s attention: Kasuba, whose cyberkinesis allows her to replicate others’ abilities.  Additionally, Kasuba is revealed to have an unhealthy obsession with men, driven by her lack of self-identity.  However, despite this formidable power, Kasuba finds herself on even ground against Urusugawa’s own strength.  This would’ve been another intense matchup, where either one could’ve come out on top.  Instead, it ended up being a tie, with Kasuba and Urusugawa finding mutual respect in a hot spring.
The other battle, of course, is Soji against Surugi, and to no one’s surprise, the latter is still deservedly having a hard time getting Soji to snap.  It’s no secret that Soji can be a hothead sometimes, but this moment further showcases the gradual maturity Soji is gaining by not allowing other people to weigh him down.  Plus, he has learned to generate his flames from anywhere without using the phone’s power, meaning his maturity isn’t the only thing that’s improving.  But, as it turns out, Soji is not the only one who’s gained a new skill, as Kasubata has earned an upgrade of his own.
“The Battle of Sainokawara” followed a similar formula to the previous episode, highlighting the students’ abilities and origins amid their cyberkinesis battles.  In this case, it delves deeper into Urusugawa’s beginnings, revealing her discovery of her slime cyberkinesis while at school.  Of course, let’s not forget about Surugi, whose fetish for being hated is still both creepy and unhealthy.  Seriously, that guy needs some serious help, or at the very least, multiple years of therapy.  While this structure may not evoke the same emotional impact as Hasumi, it still gets credit for exploring the anime’s supporting characters further amid its suggestive content.