Dead Mount Death Play

A powerful necromancer known as the Corpse God dies during a legendary battle, only to be reborn as Polka Shinoyama, a young boy in modern-day Tokyo. In the process of trying to adapt to his new physical body, he gets targeted by various groups that deal with the supernatural. Among them is Misaki Sakimiya, a high school girl who can see spirits and is out for his blood from the very moment they meet.

Attempting to make sense of this situation where unknown parties want him dead, Polka eventually meets Takumi Kuruya, a contractor skilled in surveillance and hacking, and Lisa Kuraki, a crime boss operating out of Shinjuku. Alongside these—and other unexpected—allies, Polka braves danger to reveal the truth of his reincarnation and the fate awaiting the world he now lives in.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Sakimiya, Misaki Main

Minase, Inori Japanese

Corpse God Main

Sakakihara, Yuuki Japanese

Kuruya, Takumi Main

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Sorimura, Tena Supporting

Takahashi, Hiroki Japanese

Arase, Kouzaburou Supporting

Okamoto, Nobuhiko Japanese

Shinoyama, Sayo Supporting

Taichi, You Japanese

Lemmings Supporting

Aoi, Shouta Japanese

Shinoyama, Polka Supporting

Sakakihara, Yuuki Japanese

Agakura, Majiri Supporting

Akasaki, Chinatsu Japanese

Zakkaden Supporting

Shimazaki, Nobunaga Japanese

Ogata, Mitsuhiro Producer

Miura, Fumito Producer

Usui, Hisato Producer

Komatsu, Shouta Producer

Reviews

Jun 26, 2023

rikuzero1

Recommended

At first, this anime doesn't seem too different from a generic reverse isekai. But rather than indulging in standard power fantasy tropes against forgetable villains, this anime takes a slightly different approach.

Our MC, while previously all-powerful, is now severely nerfed due to the significant lack of mana in this world, but despite that he remains more powerful than the average person when he does use it. What's important isn't how well he can win fights, it's under what circumstances he can use his powers and for what reasons he decides to. How he gets into and resolves conflicts gives insight into what the MC is ... truly like on the inside, different from your first impression and leaving you curious about the kind of life he led.

If you prefer an anime that has some clear goal and plot direction, then you might be put off by this. Where this anime truly shines is in its world building and execution.

At first this appears to be a boring modern world, but as time goes on, it's revealed that there are many powerful and influential figures that linger in the shadows. They really drive home the point what power they hold, and every single one is an intense encounter to be remembered. You don't merely see these encounters, you feel them in the most intense, chilling way the anime industry has to offer, tailored in kind to each one's character. But that's not all, they aren't all on the same side. The ever present chance of one intervening for their own reason and flip the encounter upside-down adds a layer of suspense that is rarely done right in anime. The interwound nature of this makes the world feel truly real with its own weight and ecosystem.

You can think of it as this world's ecosystem of mysterious powers becoming upset by the appearance of the MC and his otherworldly powers, and we get to see and feel the mysteries of this formerly boring world unravel itself with him at the center, as well as the mysteries of MC's previous world being revealed over time. The world begins to feel heavier and heavier.

Perhaps MC isn't so OP after all, and perhaps there is more of a connection between the two worlds than simply his resurrection.

If there's one gripe, though, it's that often times the comic relief bits are done at inopportune times that disrupt the intense mood of the scene.

I can't stress enough that this story is one in which you experience and feel as mysteries are unraveled and anyone at any moment could fall prey to the world around them, not one that prides itself on a dramatic or cunning plot nor a show-off power-fantasy. In this regard, it is truly a master of its craft.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Aug 31, 2023

AeroGunz

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

“Dead Mount Death Play” is what happens when You homebrew your own D&D setting… “with black jack and hookers''. If You get that reference we can be friends.

A powerful necromancer called the “Corpse God”, who transcended his humanity is defeated in combat. Before his demise he casts a spell that allows him to reincarnate to have a peaceful life. Well… didn’t work exactly as planned. He got thrusted into the freshly dead body of a 16 year old boy in today's japan. Thanks to a series of not so fortunate events he gets entangled with people from the underground. Despite being in a different ... world he still wants to find a way to live a peaceful life. Despite his goal, life has a strange way of keeping him on his toes.

To be fair it is a part one of the seasons and it kinda feels like it. All the episodes function more like a prelude and world building than anything else. Unfortunately it works to the detriment of the 12 episodes.
But let’s start with the main cast.

Corpse God - our main protagonist. In his former life he was hunted as an evil calamity and slain as such. Despite that it does appear he had some pretty good reasons to be a dick the people he killed. To no one's surprise he has a tragic backstory because… of course he does. Tragic backstories to MCs nowadays are a dime a dozen in manga and anime so I’m not even gonna pretend it’s interesting because it’s not. It’s the same generic shit You saw a million times… but with a skeleton. So I guess You haven’t seen this iteration all that often. Still boring. Despite being in a new world he’s tragically passive. Yes, he has a goal and even starts a business but most of the things that happen to him happen “to him” and not “because of him” which leaves him as a reactionary hero. Something I truly despise. He has no personality to speak of and, to my surprise, the show acknowledges that in the last episode and even gives a half assed excuse for it. It is more that most shows give about the lack of personality so i guess it’s a plus. As he is now he is another nerfed but still pretty OP, boring protagonist with no personality. A pretty good premise turned lacklustre execution.

Polka Shinoyama - the 16 year old boy who got killed and whose body is now inhabited by the Corpse God. Not much is known about him except he is an heir of a rich family, has more empathy than brain and is kind. His soul now inhabits a shark plushie, something he doesn’t seem to mind in the least. To be fair in the grand scheme of things he’s just a useless mascot who gets himself in ecchi situations once in a while.

Misaki Sakimiya - The girl who killed Polka. She’s a hired gun with a reputation of putting down other killers. She seems to be emotionally unstable and detached from reality. To be fair in the beginning, both in her design and character she seemed to me like an amalgamation of Junko Enoshima and Toko Fukawa from Danganronpa. Not a bad place to start and her character does go in a bit of a different route than those two. After getting killed, mostly by accident, by the Corpse God, she gets resurrected as a zombie. Something she’s perfectly ok with and even has some fun with her new skills. She is tragically underutilised in this show as she’s the best part of the main coterie.

Takumi Kuruya - an information broker who uses his drones and hacking skills to keep tabs on important things. Despite being suspicious of the Corpse God in the beginning he warms up to him rather quickly. He even helps with his fortune telling business venture. Not a very original character and as such is pretty much forgettable.

Now that we have the coterie out of the way, let's talk about writing.
It’s… well.. It’s everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.
There is a plot somewhere there, hidden behind all the world building and characters introduction. It’s a shame that the plot isn’t run by the MC but everyone else. Let me explain. Our hero is stranded in a new world, has a goal in mind and even an idea on how to achieve it. But every dramatic thing that happens is a result of someone else's decisions and action. It’s more often than not that he gets involved by chance or because of the body he inhabits. He has little to no real power as a story catalyst. Like I said before: Things happen to him, not because of him. That changes a little in the last two episodes but before that he’s just there along for the ride.

Apart from that the story is actually pretty interesting. It starts out as almost a dark comedy reverse isekai but the longer the show goes on the more it shifts into a pretty solid thriller with its very own secret organizations fighting for power, assassinations and even some supernatural elements for good measure. It’s a solid idea.
The problem is that all that needed a set up. That’s what those 12 episodes are (I really hope so) - a setup to something more grand. Now don’t get me wrong, You can still have a good time watching them but at the end You will be left with blue balls and a WTF face. I honestly am a bit hyped for part two because I hope they will deliver on the type of thriller (maybe even a political one) that they set up.

All in all I think that despite its flaws and being just a prelude to more things to come it’s a solid watch. If for nothing else the premise and Misaki are rather enjoyable.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Sep 28, 2023

DrAkiMakura

Not Recommended

Funny

This show is... boring.

Whatever direction you thought it was headed in the first 2-3ish episodes is NOT where it goes at all. In retrospect, it's like those episodes are from an entirely different show.
It becomes the most tedious and drawn out pseudo crime mystery drama story you've ever seen, with a bunch of characters you don't care about, and lore that makes your eyes roll to the back of their skull. To make it more fun, the show decides the main bulk of the plot should take place in one empty room. Whoever came up with that is truly a genius.

This is one ... of those times where I can honestly say, I cannot see this being anyone's favorite show. There are a lot of bland or crappy shows out there, but at least there's SOME element to grab onto. There's nothing here.

It's just so BLAND and BORING which is a shame because the initial premise seemed like it could be fun.

It's not funny, it's not witty, not clever, it's absolutely nothing. The show is the equivalent of stale bread.

Do not bother.

Reviewer’s Rating: 3

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