Dies Irae, a 2007 visual novel, received its anime adaptation in the fall of 2017, but not many people can say great things about it. While the first 15 minutes of episode 1 showed promise, the anime slaughters everything by including innumerable characters in the last few minutes.
If all the new characters had stayed and received enough attention, the problem could have been diverted. However, the creators had the brilliant idea to keep adding characters who could make sense to only those familiar with the source material.
Many references and actions go over the heads of a newbie to the series, ultimately giving the series a lousy rep despite some good scenes.
Despite all the criticisms it has faced, you deserve to judge the anime yourself, so here are all the details we know about Dies Irae and its second season.
The Storyline of Dies Irae
The plot of Dies Irae dates back to Nazi Germany when a group of Nazi officers conducts a ritual. The ritual coincides with the Battle of Berlin (World War II), and the sorcerors use the lives lost in the battle as sacrifices for their ritual.
Their goal is to resurrect the Order of the 13 Lances, whose entrance would bring the destruction of the world and all life forms. After the war ended, all the participants of the ritual disappeared, and eventually, everyone forgot about the ritual, as well as the sorcerors.
The scene shifts to present-day Japan, where Ren Fuji, a high schooler, gets recurrent dreams about getting beheaded by a guillotine. The Order of the 13 Lances suddenly reappears, and the world is in danger.
What Happened at the End of Dies Irae Season 1?
By the end of Dies Irae season 1, the secret behind Shirous and Reji’s childhood is revealed. Apparently, Yusa was the one who killed Kasumi’s father. The man had adopted Reji to experiment on him, and Reji couldn’t do anything to save Kasumi from sadness and disappointment.
Yusa refuted the divinity theory of Karl Kraft and evaded everything that Kraft said. Kraft is the mastermind behind all the events and tells Shirou that he was manipulated into being immortal and “The Toy of God.” He was never meant to be immortal, but his fate was sealed the day he crossed paths with Reji.
Next, Shirou bursts out from Rusalka’s womb in the most gory way possible, and he obtains her Holy Relic. Rusalka begs Wolfgang to save her and claims to love him, but he crushes her. Himuro faints at these events.
Shirou battles Wilhelm as soon as he is out of Rusalka but is interrupted by Helga. Wilhelm introduces her as his sister and mother as she emerges from his body. (Don’t ask me how). She heals him and increases his power.
The battle is interrupted by Schreiber again, and he kills Wilhelm. He beats and abuses an already injured Rusalka claiming that he will revenge her death by killing Shirou. The anime ends here with the indication that Wolfgang will hunt for Shirou.
Is Dies Irae Renewed for a Second Season?
No, Dies Irae has not been renewed for a second season and is likely not to receive one. However, you can consider episodes 12-17 as a sequel. To begin with, the anime itself was a crowdfunded project, but it performed exceptionally badly.
Season 1 only served those who already knew the source material, and casual watchers needed help understanding many references. Too many characters were introduced and killed in each episode, and no battle had a satisfying ending. Overall, Dies Irae tanked pretty severely, so the chances of a second season are pretty low.
How Many Episodes Does Dies Irae Have?
Dies Irae has 11 episodes in season 1. It has also received an episode 0 prequel, “The Dawning Days,” that shows what happened during the Berlin War. It also received six episodes of ONA in 2018. The ONAs are generally considered as episodes 12-17 of the anime.
The Dies Irae anime is streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Prime Video. However, the extras can be hard to find online.
Have you watched season 1 of Dies Irae yet? If so, how did you find it? Tell us all about your experience with the gory and unhinged series in the comments below.
Recent Comments