Okay, so I’m officially on the train now. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m still a newbie, but I’m giving new anime a go without prompts, recommendations or even reviews. I can still count on one hand the shows that I’ve vibed with, but increasingly I’m running out of fingers. All that is to say, I’m not actually sure how anybody else feels about the show I’m about to write about, and that’s freaking exciting to me!
At the time of writing, two episodes of Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table have been released by Netflix and Crunchyroll, with the first episode lasting a full 45 minutes and the second around half of that (a length of show that I’m more used to). The show follows a girl called Yuki who participates in death games professionally, living off the prize money.
It’s a weird concept, but what’s new for this medium? The question really is: “Did it work?” Well, let me tell you my first impressions based on the opening two episodes.
The two episodes that have been released so far have had similar, but not entirely identical concepts. They both open with Yuki waking up in a strange place and wearing a costume (I mean, the first episode has her in a verging-on-inappropriate maid’s outfit). Other girls also wake up in similar predicaments, knowing that they have to play some sort of “game” for the viewing pleasure of the outside world that may or may not result in their own deaths. Sort of like Squid Game, I guess, but with less people, more roleplay, and everyone has volunteered to be there, knowing the chances of a mortal injury are extremely high.
It’s also a bit like Saw, as the games are more like deadly puzzles where Yuki and the rest of the girls are put in situations that can render them dead at a moment’s notice. But it’s a lot less bloody. As the show explains it, the TV audience doesn’t like the viscera and copious blood that could come as a result of these deaths, so the girls undergo a “treatment” that acts like a coagulant, allowing limbs to be severed without blood loss.
Shiboyugi is a light horror anime but without the messiness, and I kinda dig it.
I already feel like I know so much about Yuki. She feels cold and calculated, wearing different masks for the situations she finds herself in. In the opening episode, Yuki told everyone the truth - that she’d been in 27 games before that one and survived them all (obviously) - but in the second, she willfully lied about her experience level, underplaying it, in order to measure the other girls’ personalities and capabilities. It’s fascinating.
She’s a survivor, doing whatever it takes to ensure the next death game is not her last. Whatever. It. Takes. But she can have a lot of compassion, and we see her care for the other girls, even saving their lives on occasion. It’s smart because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so you never know who might provide the key to complete the games.
I’ve been watching Shiboyugi in English, so I’ve been listening to Suzie Yeung’s interpretation of Yuki, and she’s doing an excellent job. Her tone conveys a seriousness, but she definitely has a range that implies confidence, trepidation, and kindness. You can tell by the subtle lilts and cadence changes what emotion she’s feeling. It’s brilliantly done.
The studio behind Shiboyugi is Studio Deen, an animation house that I don’t know too much about. After looking up some of their past projects, none of their shows have ever been on my radar, but that’s not surprising given my history. I gotta say, though, I’m pretty impressed with the animation so far. There are some really good shots in this show, with some wide angles that give you an overview of the girls’ situation and allow you to look for details that may indicate danger, and some close ups of facial features giving you the opportunity to glean more information about the emotional states of the contestants.
What I freaking love is the rare scene where all the detail is washed out, and it looks like a watercolor painting. Everyone’s facial features are gone, and it implies that they’re confused or in a moment of emotional distress. Those frames are beautiful. Equally, there would be a temptation to overuse them, but Studio Deen utilises that style just enough that it doesn’t lose its effectiveness.
Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated shows of the week. I love light horror, and this gives me just enough death and murder (maybe not enough gore), and an amazing final girl (maybe not always final) in Yuki.
This anime went to places that I didn’t expect it to, and I am absolutely jazzed to continue watching this series. It’s a big departure from the other shows I’ve liked since my journey began, but I’m here for it.
Have you been watching Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table? Do you like Yuki? What do you think the end goal actually is with this series?!
