English Dub Review: The Ones Within “DUSK AND DAWN”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Zakuro and Kaikoku set out to rescue Akatsuki and Karin from the demon Kikka and her evil grandpa. Meanwhile, Akatsuki has already escaped and Karin is going through trials and tribulations of her own, even becoming a maid for the bratty Kikka.

Once inside the compound, Zakuro finds a nametag with his twin sister’s name on it and becomes overwhelmed by emotion. Taking the mission into his own hands, Kaikoku releases Karin and the maids from their cell and faces down Kikka, allowing everyone to escape safely.

Our Take:

I can see now why they split this arc into two episodes. The fifth episode of The Ones Within isn’t necessarily jam-packed with content, but when combined into one episode with all the backstory of last week’s episode, it would’ve been too overwhelming. DUSK AND DAWN find Akatsuki and Karin still in the clutches of the demons. We skip all of the planning stages of the rescue operation this time around and jump straight into the action. Zakuro and Kaikoku have been chosen to infiltrate the demon castle, while the others stay behind providing support. (Kudou really wanted to come to, but they wouldn’t let him. Sad face.)

The two of them aren’t exactly the best of friends, but ever since Zakuro confessed the information about his twin sister, they’ve been linked together in a way no one else is. We get a lot more of the important information this week, as Zakuro outlines his whole story to Kai as they’re standing around the demon’s hideout. (Not the ideal place to spout exposition, but hey, who am I to judge?) His sister was apparently beta testing The Ones Within two years ago and disappeared without a trace right before she beat the game. He’s been looking for her ever since, and his investigation led him to volunteer himself to be kidnapped for this game. It’s definitely a fascinating wrinkle to his story, but I can’t help but feel a little tepid about this storyline since I don’t know enough about his sister or their relationship to care much.

I think the most interesting part of the episode to me wasn’t the clue Zakuro found or the rescue operation put into action. Instead, it was Akatsuki’s meeting with Paka. When the demon grandpa is taking Akatsuki’s punishment a bit too harshly, Paka suddenly appears to remind the elderly hell-spawn who is in charge. He claims to be the ‘supervisor’ of this area, which he calls ’13th Avenue’. All of this is strange enough, but when Akatsuki makes a sweet, very Akatsuki-like offer to escape together, Paka tells him soberly: “I can’t leave, because a promise was made.” There’s something really fishy going on with Paka, and I can’t help but feel like Akatsuki might be involved somehow. Always suspect the most innocent of the bunch!

This week’s dub had some great lines in it, like Kaikoku’s parting words to his grandfather: “If those are your wishes, damn geezer.” I mean, I can see why he kicked him out. “If your family name gets in the way, abandon it.” Zakuro is harsh, and I wonder what this has to do with his sister. “Don’t forget for a single second that you’re nothing more than a character in a game.” Paka’s words to the demon make me wonder how real he is… maybe he’s trapped in the game himself? Finally, the absolute best line of the episode: “You kinda remind me of him… Dimwitski.” Kudou’s nickname for Akatsuki is adorable.

DUSK AND DAWN wasn’t the greatest episode of The Ones Within, but it did a good job finishing up the current challenge storyline along with introducing interesting new tidbits of information like Akatsuki and Paka’s relationship, and the fate of Zakuro’s sister. The episode felt a little slow in places, like Karin’s scenes with the maids, but overall it was entertaining and laid some good groundwork for where the show can go in the future. Particularly, I’m keen to know more about Paka and the promise he made…