English Dub Review: Dead Account “The Hot Springs Town After the Thaw”

Posted on by

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The battle with the ghost account reaches its climax, and the survivors deal with the aftermath.

Our Take:

The season finale’s title really speaks for itself.  After the climactic battle against their former exorcist classmate, Soji and the others absolutely deserve their time in the hot springs.  Given how much they had to deal with the freezing weather conjured by Ashina, these exorcists really need something to warm themselves up.  More importantly, the two classes are now starting to see each other more as allies rather than enemies, which is good for the upcoming battle that lies ahead.  If a second season were to happen, it would likely focus on Soji’s continuing showdown against Sad Boy K, with the latter setting his sights on the “Land of Dead Accounts”.

The show may be hit-or-miss in its execution, but Dead Account earns my respect for modernizing the basic exorcism premise through the characters’ cell phones.  It’s another example of an anime where its unique twist on a familiar concept is enough to exorcise most of its narrative shortcomings, especially for its characters.  As for the season finale, it doesn’t quite reach the heights it’s intended to, given its subpar handling of emotional stakes, pacing, and style.  Thankfully, its second half, which features some bonding time with the two classes in the hot springs, elevated its conclusion by just a smidge.  Its second season hasn’t been announced yet, but if it does, let’s hope that it allows itself to upgrade its storytelling a bit regarding Soji’s quest to avenge his sister. 

About Marcus Gibson

I'm a recent writer for BubbleBlabber who has an extraordinary passion for films and television, especially from the animation genre. I also spent plenty of hours playing video games, most notably from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. My goal is to provide the most friendly and entertaining reviews on the planet. Whenever something might be good or not, I always remain optimistic and curious about a specific concept from a film or television show.