Warning: Spoilers for Dead Mount Death Play episode 1Dead Mount Death Play is an Isekai anime that just debuted on Crunchyroll, but everything about the series separates it from the swaths of others that fail to innovate or even try to differentiate themselves from each other in this now oversaturated genre.
In episode one of the series based on the manga by writer Ryohgo Narita and illustrator Shinta Fujimoto, the villainous Corpse God reincarnates from its terrifying skeletal form in a fantasy world into a humanoid boy named Polka Shinoyama who lived in a modern-day setting. As Polka, Corpse God can still use the same magic he wielded before, and the hero who forced him to reincarnate, Calamity Crusher, is being set up to likely follow him into this new world.
Dead Mount Death Play Puts a Fantasy Character Into the Real World
Dead Mount Death Play can essentially be interpreted as a part of the evergrowing trend of reverse Isekai. If this were a more traditional isekai anime, then the heroic Calamity Crusher would have been the protagonist and started in the modern-day world as Polka is originally portrayed. Then this hero would have reincarnated into who he actually is at the beginning of the series (Calamity Crusher) and wield the amazing powers his character uses against the Corpse God. But, instead, the villain is the protagonist and is taken from the world that the hero usually reincarnates into and is reborn in a place where the story would have normally begun.
The fact that Corpse God is still an overpowered necromancer in the “real” world is also innovative. Aside from the fact that the villain is still the “hero” and doesn’t get killed by the stereotypical Isekai truck or conform to other hilariously overused tropes, it would have been more customary if the Corpse God started from scratch with no powers, forcing him to rely on Polka’s innate or even latent abilities. That’s because a major aspect of Isekai involves the hero learning or adapting to the new powers they are blessed with in their new world. But Corpse God is basically the same exact version of himself as he was in his home world except he’s in a different body. Dead Mount Death Play explains this by implying that Corpse God still has the same soul since the villain logically concludes that magic from his world comes from the soul, not the brain, allowing it to manifest here.
One thing that also sets Dead Mount Death Play apart is the implication that Calamity Crusher will follow Corpse God, connecting the two worlds and their respective events that are normally kept separated in Isekai. In essence, Corpse God just teleported away from Calamity Crusher, a phenomenon that somehow resulted in him changing his appearance.
Dead Mount Death Play is One of the Season’s Best Mysteries
Dead Mount Death Play also perfectly kept viewers guessing who actually reincarnated into Polka’s body. Fans who never read the manga were obviously convinced that it was Calamity Crusher, not just because of past precedent in the genre but due to the fact that Polka espoused ideas that are generally shared by heroes, not villains. But viewers learn the truth when Calamity Crusher is still in the fantasy world when Corpse God unleashes his true power in the new world, which is very aesthetically similar to his original abilities. Of course, there’s the question as to why Polka was assassinated before Corpse God reincarnated into his body, but that will be answered later.
Overall, Crunchyroll’s new reverse isekai anime, Dead Mount Death Play, is a breath of fresh air for a genre that has grown far too complacent.
Dead Mount Death Play is streaming on Crunchyroll.
