English Dub Review: Dark Gathering “Within the Brothel”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
They’ve arrived at an old love hotel to find a Graduate, but Keitaro must locate her in a hidden room while avoiding other ghosts. Dire consequences await if they catch him.

Our Take:
As usual, the yokai-hunting trio is searching for another Graduate to assist them with their next S-Rank area: the Old I Watergate. This means the series is still on its formulaic route from its first half. But, considering how much of an improvement the second half has regarding the stakes and scares, it didn’t bother me as much as it did with the earlier episodes. It’s a surefire sign that the series could make its way to the top of the horror charts, assuming the remaining episodes are just as good, if not amazingly terrifying, despite its formula.
The episode has the gang traveling to an abandoned love hotel, Hotel Banana Milk, which was once a criminal enterprise. Now, the building is haunted by the ghosts of the women who were tortured to death by the gangsters who ran it. Fortunately, those spirits are getting even with the criminals, as explained by Yayoi near the end, but that’s far from the only issue plaguing this venture. The hotel is also the home of a Graduate Yayoi hid for safekeeping, but apparently, this particular Graduate has a pretty hefty grudge against her. So, this leaves Keitaro to find the Graduate and seal it while unintentionally trapped in the spirit world.
“Within the Brothel” pits Keitaro in a thrilling struggle against a cunning Graduate pretending to be Eiko to trick him into releasing her. However, it also has Keitaro encountering a female ghost attempting to switch places with him amid his terrifying quest. This is brought up again near the end when Eiko explains a story about a father whose son was possessed by a white creature, similar to Keitaro’s encounter. This means we could face yokai disguised as humans in the future if the series decides to revisit this topic. At this point, it’s challenging for the series to match the petrifying heights of its S-Rank episodes with its Graduate-finding scenarios. “Within the Brothel” proves to be another example of this, but it still contains the spooks and chills to keep me on the edge of my seat. Next stop: the Old I Watergate.