Dark Gathering

Episode 7

With Dark Gathering having settled into a status quo (and already looking to shake it up with the introduction of a new character next week), it's time for the story to send the main trio on a good old-fashioned ghost hunt. Unlike the incidents of the past weeks where they got mixed up in inadvertent supernatural scrapes, this is akin to the very first story that kicked us off. Yayoi is using Keitaro's powers to pinpoint a specific spiritual target she's after. There's a workmanlike approach that's at least partially about showing how Keitaro is trying to settle into this ghostly side-gig, despite still struggling with his regular fears. It also showcases that even as our ghostbusting gang tries to get back to basics, the spirits they deal with can have their own escalating tricks up their sleeves.

Even before we get to all that, though, my favorite part continues to be seeing how Dark Gathering plays around with its characters and their interactions. Eiko and Keitaro are officially dating, following their mutual confessions last week, an arrangement Eiko delights in using to tease Keitaro. I've regularly remarked on this series' conceptual commentary on the intersections of people's desires and what they'll do for others, and Eiko now sits as an interesting embodiment of that. She's now gotten precisely what she wanted out of this arrangement, getting coupled up with her beloved Keitaro. But as a result, she's also very much looking out for him at all times, and in wanting to facilitate further interactions with him, is happy to assist Yayoi with her ongoing agenda. Eiko also gets right to the point in confirming for both the audience and Keitaro himself the official nature of their relationship, messing with him in a practiced fashion. I honestly cannot believe I was previously uncertain about the entertainment value of everything going on with her personality; she's turned out to be great.

The ghost-getting itself is another solid opportunity to watch the whole gang working together. There's an interestingly clinical approach to Yayoi's tracking down of the tunnel ghost, as she nigh-scientifically engages in trial and error to determine its exact nature and the best way to trap it. This lends Dark Gathering much of its distinctive flavor in this instance, showcasing a situation where characters are intentionally trying to get haunted and illustrating how someone might go about that. Not that it prevents the series from indulging in some more conventional horror elements, including a well-executed moment where Keitaro gets spooked by accidentally taking the ghost's hand instead of Eiko's. The trio are professionals, but they still aren't flawless at dealing with spirits, and this adds just enough tension to the proceedings, especially given how confident Yayoi becomes in her abilities at times.

It's also nice after how overly prepared the characters came off last week, to see that some spirits can still be able to pull one over on them sometimes. The conniving level of these ghosts has naturally varied based on their circumstances, so it's neat to see one present itself as more of a feral, tunnel-crawling creature, before pulling a switcheroo with a more benign spirit so it can catch Keitaro by himself at home. It instills in Yayoi that she needs to stay on her toes, especially since she's officially doing this with Keitaro full-time now, even as she also morbidly appreciates exploiting him as a spiritual decoy. That's another example of a character using someone for their ends in a way that still results in wanting to ensure their safety. It also provides a contrast to the spirit-eat-spirit nature of the supernatural world that Yayoi exposits at the beginning of this episode, as the likes of her, Keitaro, and Eiko ensure their survival and pursue their goals through cooperation instead. There's value in teamwork, regardless of how sincere your selflessness is.

As appreciable as the back-to-basics approach turns out to be, Dark Gathering still feels like it's padding itself out a bit this week. The recapping intro goes on a little long, reiterating plot points like the situation with Yayoi's mother that the audience is ostensibly already informed about. It does drop the nugget of Yayoi having named the great spirit she's gathering ghosts to go up against, but simply knowing that we're referring to this thing as The Spectre of Death moving forward does not move that plotline forward. It's good that we're expecting some shake-up in next week's episode since that lets this one feel like a fun one-off diversion, rather than the series shifting wholly into a holding pattern.

Rating:

Dark Gathering is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

Chris knows that summer is the perfect time for spooky stories, and hopefully, it's enough to distract him from this blistering Fresno heat wave. You can help distract him further by bothering him on his Twitter (for however much longer that lasts), or check out his less-scary musings over on his blog.