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agallimaufryofoddments · 5 years

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DMDP Chapter 33 Thoughts

Why, no, I definitely wasn’t refreshing various sites for the YP release all day and every day since the chapter was released in Japan...

Again, the tag I’ve been using for my chapter release reactions/thoughts is “DMDP Update” for those who want to blacklist or are, somehow, somewhere, actually reading these.

I knew from reading the chapter description that the chapter would begin with “two key players in CG’s past” discussing CG on the Byandy Peninsula...turns out those key players are Romelka and Izliz/Easlies.

"Romelka Rimelka” and “Izliz Swordflail,” to be precise. That’s right, we were just given both characters’ full names in one swoop.

I say ‘to be precise’ except ‘Izliz’ is spelled ‘Easlies’ not only in the short story from Volume 2, but in this very chapter, the very next page after we get “Izliz Swordflail” in her formal introduction box?

“...in a different manner from you, Easlies-san...”

This is a wiki editor’s personal nightmare

So Romelka’s a ‘key player’ in CG’s past, huh? I mean, they were both super high-ranked sorcerers in the empire so it makes reasonable sense.

Also, ‘Swordflail?’ Amazing. Guess we can take this to mean Izliz/Easlies != Sabaramond, so I’m back to thinking Sabaramond is the imperial family.

What on earth is that on Izliz’ back. Was it hidden behind all her hair? Or, considering that the bony...tail/extension of Izliz’ hat is curled around it...is it appearing via the circle?

It looks like an upside-down...humanoid creature (it shushed Romelka with its hand). Pointed ears, stitches on arm, black fingernails and I do believe its mouth is stitched shut.

Soo...given that Izliz is a necromancer, and given that the skull mask/helmet she wears could potentially be replacing her head entirely (if she’s also undead like CG)... is that her original ‘self’? Just a wild thought. Could be so so wrong.

Romelka’s chatty, peppy personality reminds me a bit of Pirie from Vamp!.

Back to the rooftop in Shinjuku...

Xiaoyu immediately puts distance between himself and Lemmings, realizing at once this is the bad news urban legend....

One of three people that the Heilei were given strict orders “never to interfere with?” Who were the other two?

Someone named Agakura was responsible for the loss of Xiaoyu’s limbs per Ch22, but Xiaoyu’s father’s remark that “it was purely bad luck” Xiaoyu ran into Agakura makes me wonder if Agakura was really one of them. I have no way of knowing right now, since I have no idea who Agakura is; Ch22 is the only time his name has been mentioned.

The other two... mm, the Grim Reaper, maybe? Or Clarissa? Though, since the Grim Reaper is supposed to be one of Clarissa’s people, they might just be lumped in as a sum package. Anyway, all this speculating is getting me nowhere

Me at Chapter 32: “I feel like there’s some sort of chance Sorimura might actually try to claim Lemmings was part of his plan...”

Sorimura this chapter: *acts as if Lemmings was part of his plan*

He really went there, hoo boy

He’s even offering Xiaoyu a chance to surrender and run, that cheeky bastard

Lemmings: *Looks Sorimura’s way*

Sorimura: *record scratch, freeze-frame on face* Uh-oh. Is this how I die?

Another genuine laugh-out-loud moment. Sorimura does work real magic as far as I’m concerned.

I was rambling musing about why I find Sorimura so amusing/fun last chapter, but this moment highlights another reason why he can be a bit endearing--he’s aware of the possibility he might die. No matter how cool and seemingly able he is at pulling off cool illusions and dodging attacks, one does see him sweat from effort/nerves/etc...”Is this how I die?” is funny and simultaneously shows he’s not someone who’s never considered the possibility of his own dea...th

oh my God

I’m Ladd Russo

A-anyway

Xiaoyu: holy shit it’s Lemmings, a powerful monster whom my family said never to interfere with

Xiaoyu, two minutes later: *throws three blades at Lemmings back*

A moment of bravery or stupidity? You decide

Oh shit, last chapter I hadn’t even considered how Xiaoyu and Lemmings are both working for two different Shinoyamas

I didn’t even ask myself whether Xiaoyu might know Lemmings works for Takeru?? Or whether Lemmings might have something in mind regarding Xiaoyu?? I’m so ashamed

I guess it’s no surprise Takeru makes sure his agency people know who Rozan’s/the family’s bodyguards are. Ah, but it seems Takeru hasn’t given anyone in the family details on the agency members.

“But Lemmings may have been sighted at the fire” I mean...

Takeru ordered Lemmings not to harm Rozan’s bodyguards no matter what they do to him, o heck

Lemmings took three blades (kunai?) to the back and casually flexed them out, nice

I’ve been wondering about the specifics of Xiaoyu’s gloves! When the fingers extended in the previous chapters I was having a hard time defining what was going on. Were the fingers extended claws, talons, etc? That sort of thing

In this case the fingers seem to be razor sharp ‘bindings’ (sharp enough that they should ‘cut through’ people, though they don’t on Lemmings), which Xiaoyu can ‘electrify’ (send electric currents through).

The face Sorimura makes as he questions how it’s possible for Lemmings to do what he just did... I think this is the most out of sorts we’ve seem him to date.

“The way I see it, everyone in my immediate vicinity is on my side” Sorimura you prime bullshitter

ooh, that blackness/that strange feeling...Corpse God time, yes? Yes?

I almost didn’t recognize Yatsu standing in profile, welp

“Umbrella: Watch Out For Fires” .....

....Raincoat, not umbrella. I assume the text was copy-pasted but someone didn’t notice or forgot to change ‘umbrella’...

This along with the Easlies/Izliz spelling confusion in one chapter...kinda helps demonstrate why I’m guarded about this series’ English release

I mean, maybe ‘Easlies’ is actually spelled differently to ‘Izliz’ in the original Japanese and it’s not just a mistake on the English end...maybe...

Anyway. Raincoat Bug is acting just like an ordinary high school girl here. Almost as if it switched into ‘ordinary civilian mode’. It acted like an ordinary girl when it got its fortune read too, of course...

And it/she even calls over her dad Toyomaru as backup/to corroborate the missing dog story. I’m still getting slight hive mind vibes; I’m reminded of how Saika soldiers act when the Saika control wears off and they resume normalcy. Or how Baccano!’s hive minds ‘act like’ their vessels vs when they’re clearly speaking ‘as themselves.’

i.e. as a Naritaverse fan I see this, I see this girl and this father and instinctively consider the possibility that both are the same consciousness

Oho, but what’s this--Corpse God is listening in and is sure the girl and man “aren’t telling the truth” --aka they’re actively lying.

So probably not a hive mind scenario where the hive mind recedes and lets the vessels’ consciousnesses resume control. If this is a hive mind scenario.

It could be more like Spring-Heeled Joplin from Etsusa Bridge after all, something I’d brought up briefly last chapter but didn’t think about too much.

Corpse God not only has little eyeballs spying nearby from a nearby post/tree/wall, he’s got disembodied ears listening in. Did he manifest them as soon as he noticed the presence downstairs was in a hurry? I could see him taking the precaution to have spies (wait a second...literal eyes and ears) stationed all around the building.

“The color of the [girl’s soul]” and the “color of [Sorimura] on the roof” are ones he recognizes as those of the people who asked him about the sigil during the fortune-telling. Recognizing people by the colors of their souls? Handy.

Again, CG makes no recognition of Umbrella Bug’s presence, so...where is that Bug? I’m going to ask this every chapter.

“The sanctuary...will have to be expanded a little” ooooh

OOOOOH

The black cracks/tendrils of magic are both framing the panels and cracking out of the first one, spreading underneath and around them. NEAT please do more with this idea and more ideas like it

That’s right; the panels where Xiaoyu/Lemmings/Sorimura get that chilly feeling also had thick, inky borders. Aka magic/necromancy.

“Corpse God is usually a very good boy.” How old is Izliz, again?

“He becomes someone entirely different on the battlefield...” implicit similarities to Shagrua intensify

“He has almost no sense of independence. He devotes all of himself ot those he considers his kin. Perhaps that’s why....his ‘synchronization’ with the dead is at a higher level than even mine.” Synchronization, eh? Hm.

“...He doesn’t mind taking the blame for anything,” said over a flashback panel to the imperial prince/boy-emperor and silhouetted individuals. Hmmmmm

“But when the “place where he belongs” is disgraced...he...the Corpse God...doesn’t know how to show restraint.”

So I guess his home base is a designated ‘sanctuary’, which to me has a magical connotation here alongside “place where he belongs, safe place with friends, etc.” That is to say, in deeming a place a ‘sanctuary’ it’s looking like the CG probably will use magic/necromancy to...fortify? Mark? Protect the place. Like with the eyes and ears keeping watch at the perimeter.

“Will have to be expanded” --hrm, but different to how the labyrinth expanded, right? Right?

The last panel....ooooh the last panel....ooooooooOHHH

Hands at the windows. Hands in a [post? pole?]. Shadows of hands on the road.

Fingers crossed (heh) that the next chapter will go all out with creep factor. This? It has potential. Pray, continue. I’ve been ready, Fujimoto, please do go wild with the macabre/horror/creep potential of necromancy at any time.

This chapter was a tad shorter than the last one. It also came out on the quicker side; took less than a month. On the one hand waiting a month between chapters kills me, but on the other hand as a Narita fan I’m a veteran of the waiting game. If this is a prelude to a longer than average chapter, I’ll take it.

While this chapter did spend more time building up the Corpse God--what with giving several pages to Izliz and Romelka conversing about him and all--the last panel does seem to be the immediate prelude to some CG action, so hopefully next chapter will see that action taking place.

What do you mean, “Isn’t that the same exact sentiment you had with the last chapter? With its dramatic ending double spread of the CG gearing up for action?” I can’t hear you. Speak louder......if you....would.

The rooftop situation meanwhile progressed a tad, but not by much--but again, we’re seeing things happening in different places simultaneously (Narita shenanigans), and this and the last chapter have made it clear the key “mover and shaker” of this situation will be the Corpse God. Whatever he’s doing will undoubtedly influence the rooftop confrontation, so really everyone --the characters and us, the readers-- are holding our breaths for CG’s next move.

Once the Corpse God gets going, I imagine both the rooftop group and the street-level group will be propelled forward (story-wise/situation-wise, action-wise) in their own rights.

Edit: Forgot to comment on this, but... the short story of Volume 2 ended with Shagrua encountering Izliz and Romelka on the Abandoned/Byandy Peninsula, where Romelka and Izliz’s conversation is taking place. Is this conversation happening before they encounter Shagrua? After? Are we supposed to know?

Oh wait--I nearly overlooked the fact that Volume 3 has been out in Japan since April, and Volume 3 presumably has a short story continuing where Volume 2′s short story left off. It’s possible that story answers my question. Unfortunately the Yen Press release won’t be out until December...

Edit x2: From Volume 2′s short story: “It was a woman adorned in clothes like those of a dancer [...] Shagrua couldn’t tell her age, but from the little skin she bared...”

Little skin? Little? I assume she’s wearing the same outfit we’ve always seen her in, right? Little skin she bared? We have very, very different ideas of what constitutes little, Shagrua.

Edit x3, like a day or so later: I’ve been writing up a Chapter 33 article for the wiki, so I’ve had the chapter open in front of me for the last 10-15 minutes and I just realized

The dad ‘Toyomaru’ who arrives to pick up the raincoat-wearing Bug

is carrying

a black umbrella

...dear lord how can I be this BLIND

Now, what little we can see of the folded umbrella doesn’t seem to have kana on it--but we can only see a little so...what do you wanna bet

that that umbrella, when unfolded

has “Watch out for fires” written on it.

Howwww did I not immediately ask myself whether the ‘dad’ was the thin umbrella-carrying Bug, the first panel he’s in puts his hand carrying the umbrella into the foreground focusssss...and, and while you can see both his and the girl’s heads in the next panel they’re so far away you can really only make out the hair and basic outlines of facial featuresssss...

Even if it’s just a red herring the fact that I was oblivious enough not to fall for the red herring/notice the red herring in the first place still smarts. @me please pay more attention I’m begging you

#Dead Mount Death Play #DMDP #DMDP Spoilers #DMDP update #long post #in this post: Rev realizes she is actually Ladd Russo #hhhhhh

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