English Dub Review: Doreiku the Animation ‘Shackles’

I give Doreiku’s second episode two thumbs up.

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS BELOW)

Doreiku’s premiere provided a glimpse of the SCM in practice through a bleak subplot, and the same ideas return in ‘Shackles’. Sadly, Lucie is nowhere to be seen; instead, club host Seiya and his number one customer Ayaka show just how fucked up an enslavement device can make things and how fast (very). The duo’s subplot depicts an infatuation turned dangerously obsessive, which is terrifying in how plausible it feels as a motivation if Doreiku’s technology were to somehow exist in reality. In fact, Ayaka even orders her new slave Seiya to break up with his girlfriend so she can take her place, expanding on the glimpses of how being under SCM control impacts a person’s life from the premiere. Without spoiling everything, this storyline also delivers an emotional gut punch ending after granting a false sense of security. Honestly, I could see that becoming a trend for this show.

In a helpful decision, intertitles remind viewers of the rules for SCM use throughout the episode while we learn more about them: Yuuga shows off an app can show any masters, slaves or others wearing the device within a few kilometers. This was unexpected but makes sense, feeling both modern and genuinely useful for users who want to locate potential slaves. Subsequently, Seiya and Ayaka become Yuuga and Eia’s first duel as partners, choosing a game of thumbs up. Although it feels like an odd choice for Doreiku at first, it’s hardly surprising that the show’s ability to heighten suspense made this game far more enthralling than I’d like to admit. The outcome is likely what you’d expect, yet the slow revelation of the secret planning that made it happen is satisfying and clever.

My concern over the mystery surrounding Yuuga and Eia was somewhat addressed this week, providing more hints to the consequences of their partnership that the premiere teased. Yuuga’s penchant for taking risks is certainly reinforced, while his happiness at owning slaves is revealing and alarming. However, Eia, unfortunately, doesn’t do much this episode and we still know little about her, a deficit that will hopefully be fixed soon through illuminating actions like her partner’s here. Meanwhile, despite his subplot receiving plenty of runtimes I felt that Seiya faced a similar issue; we are never shown or told what about him makes him so desirable. Doreiku’s themes and ideas are ultimately presented too well for a lack of character definition to limit its impact, but it’s nevertheless an area for improvement.

OUR TAKE

Following a solid premiere, Doreiku further proves itself as a must-watch anime by finding new ways to expand on its foundation. It’ll be interesting to see whether the next few episodes will create a longer story arc or focus on a duel per week structure; I’m excited either way.