Anyone else get the feeling that the sound and animation got a big boost in this episode? No? Maybe it’s just me. All I know is the show looked much better this time around, especially with the character’s close-up shots, and the music which played in the background during a couple of key scenes was just perfect. Also, the anime gods over at Crunchyroll must’ve heard my complaint last week because the opening theme song was subtitled this week!
As the title of this episode indicates, this episode was all about SECRETS! I also could’ve been happy with screencapping Lindo’s face twenty times in this episode and given you all that treat, but I managed to resist.
The episode begins with Lindo spiriting Ritsuka away to somewhere safe after Azuna’s death. The trio of devils shows up, and Shiki proceeded to creep me right out by poking at Azuna’s body. o_O Ick. They poof into purple mist, and Rem shows up behind them.
Back at what is revealed to be the Exorcist Society (which we know Lindo is a member of), Lindo is given another protector ring for Ritsuka, and he goes to check up on her. The two of them discuss Azuna’s death, and Secret #1 – that she was an exorcist, but so glad that Ritsuka looked past that and stayed friends with her anyways. Awwww.
After he leaves, Lindo is scalded with what looks like purified holy oil in an effort to what I’m guessing is drive out his inner demon. Poor Lindo. 🙁 When he goes to see Ritsuka afterwards, he sees that she has been stolen away by the Exorcist Society. They want to kill her to get her power, so that the world can be saved, blah blah blah. 
This scene is also where Secret #2 is revealed – Lindo is a dhampir, aka someone who is half human and half vampire. (Pretty sure most of us saw this coming though, no?) When the Exorcist Society pressures Lindo to turn over Ritsuka, he sets their alter on fire and runs out of the building with Ritsuka, with the exorcist dudes hot on their tails.
Watching the chase from above are our three devils, who turn on each other when they each verbalize that they thought Ritsuka, the grimoire, was going to be theirs. This gives our main duo time to escape.
Here’s where it gets good. Which, as happy as the next scene made me, also sucked because as I’ve already stated in past reviews, I don’t do incest plots or couples, and this includes cousins. This sucks because Lindo’s a bishie and I think they’re a good couple. BUT. Incest. Does. Not. Compute. Arghhh.
Safe in hiding for now, Lindo confirms to Ritsuka that he is indeed a dhampir, and also Secret #3 – that he and Ritsuka are actually cousins, not brother and sister. We get a few flashbacks, the first with Lindo and his mother as she sat dying, denying Lindo’s existence right to his little face. Once she dies, at the funeral Ritsuka’s mother asks him to be a big brother to Ritsuka. The second flashback is of a cute playtime scene with Lindo and Ritsuka. In an effort to show Lindo a captured dragonfly, she falls and skins her knee. Seeing the blood triggers Lindo’s bloodlust, and he lies to Ritsuka that he has a cold. She hugs him naively, completely oblivious to his lie, and tries to warm him up. And the last flashback is of an older man (Ritsuka’s grandfather?) shutting Lindo into a cave for his exorcist studies. After he shuts the door and leaves, Ritsuka sneaks in and proclaims that she’s saving Lindo. Her spirit is what brings Lindo resolve to stop crying and finish his studies, so that he can protect Ritsuka. 
And then, dun dun duuuun: the confession. After she thanks him for everything he’s done for her, Lindo grasps Ritsuka in a tight hug and finally, finally tells her that he cares about her. He leans in for a kiss, but — REM?! Boooo! Rem interrupts the moment, and the two square off in a fight.
Here’s where the episode’s one song is played, and honestly I thought it was a little… odd? Off? Both voice actors can sing, but the long lyrics come off as a little stilted, at least to me. Where I thought the song was its strongest was the final couple of verses, where both actors sang together and then the song became quite pretty. The two seiyuus harmonize very well together.
Not to spoil this ship, but I have issues with Rem’s “relationship” with Ritsuka, as I suspect many others have had with similar couples in other anime (looking at you Akagami no Shirayuki-hime). Namely that because there hasn’t been a lot of quality interactions between them, I do not buy for one second that Rem has genuine feelings for Ritsuka, as he sings that he does during his duet with Lindo. And that makes me a little sad, because I know that the rivalry between him and Lindo is supposed to be a thing, but it’s not believable for me. Maybe I’m asking too much from the nine episodes we’ve had so far? Try harder, Rem!
After the battle, Rem is about to finish off Lindo but Ritsuka intervenes, yelling at him how cruel he is. This allows Lindo to sneak in another attack, which knocks Rem away and injures him. Ritsuka screams at Rem that she hates him, and he poofs away with a hurt look on his face. Lindo has been badly injured though, and after insisting he doesn’t want to go to a hospital because of the questions it would raise, they move him to a safe location so he can try to heal.
In the episode’s final moments, Ritsuka disposes of the crown charm she’d had in her pocket, and we get to see a conversation between two of the baddies, Jak and Lord Nesta. But who is the “he” which Lord Nesta is referring to, Lindo or Rem? Or someone else??
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Author’s Note: I am on emergency hiatus for at least the next week, but possibly longer, meaning that Charibo will be finishing Dance With Devils unless I am able to return before the end of the season.
Regarding K: Return of Kings, I know episode 10 has been released, and I will write my reviews for that episode and the last two as soon as I’m able to.
And for those who have read my Kowabon reviews, for whatever reason my two sources for that show have not been following the release schedule, meaning episodes have been sporadic and I’ve had nothing to review. I know as of this point episode 7 has been released, and hopefully 8 is not far behind, and I will pick up my reviews of this show when I return from my hiatus. I apologize for my irregular reviews of this show from the last few weeks; I promise it has not been intentional. ~Nikolita
Devil’s anime director mentioned in an interview the anime will only focus on the Rem-Lindo-Ritsuka triangle. Since the otome game version isn’t out yet, they don’t see the need to pander to fans by showcasing all the boys in the one anime.
So if anyone prefers Shiki/Mage/Urie/Loewen, you’ll have to play the game version to see their routes.
Good to know. It works for me because I only have interest in that relationship triangle anyways. 0:-)