This episode marks a significant tonal and structural shift in the series - one that's as ambitious as it is messy. What begins as a calculated power grab and political reconfiguration at the Beach descends into chaos once the game is revealed- a ten-of-hearts match in which players must identify and burn "the witch" - Momoka's killer - within two hours. The twist that the Beach itself is the arena is strong, but its execution raises more questions than it answers. The pacing is inconsistent. The first half is preoccupied with shifting alliances and Chishiya's underhanded scheming, which is fine, if predictable. But once the game begins, the show leans hard into visceral violence - to a gratuitous degree. Scenes of mass panic and indiscriminate slaughter are meant to disturb, but one has to ask- is the horror in service of narrative stakes, or is it spectacle for its own sake? Certain moments border on manipulative. Niragi's sadistic behavior toward Usagi, is uncomfortable - not because it's brave, but because it feels exploitative. Her escape lacks psychological follow-through, as if the writers needed her free to partner up with Arisu again. That sort of narrative shortcut undermines character integrity. Chishiya and Kuina's subplot fares a little better, though even that hinges on a trick reveal - the decoy card case - that feels clever on paper but hollow in practice. It's hard to invest in their gambit when so little time has been spent grounding their motivations beyond vague anti-authoritarianism. The game works. The time limit, the contained space, the false assumption that the Beach was safe - all of that creates genuine tension. But the episode falters when it overcommits to shock. The brutality is relentless, but not always purposeful. Episode 6 pushes the story forward and raises the stakes, but it does so with a heavy hand. The emotional core - what the characters are learning or becoming - is underdeveloped. And for a show that began with a strong psychological premise, that's a troubling sign. Whether this is just a momentary lapse or a broader tonal pivot remains to be seen.
