Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu Review: Studio DEEN's Death Game Anime is Beautiful but Glacially Slow

Studio DEEN just dropped a death game anime where the protagonist treats murder mazes like a 9-to-5 job, and the internet can't decide if it's atmospheric genius or a cure for insomnia. Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu (Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table—yes, that's the real English title) premiered January 7th with a 60-minute first episode, and Reddit's already at war over whether "slow and methodical" means "tense thriller" or "bland snoozefest."

The pitch is wild: 17-year-old Yuki is a professional death game player. She wakes up in a creepy Victorian manor dressed as a maid, surrounded by five other girls and a building full of lethal traps. But unlike everyone else who's screaming and crying, Yuki's checking her watch. This is literally her job. She's aiming to survive 99 death games to break a world record.

It's dystopian capitalism meets Squid Game, except the protagonist has done this 98 times before and treats decapitation hazards like spreadsheet tasks.

The Art is Gorgeous, the Pacing is Agonizing

Let's get this out of the way: Studio DEEN went hard on the visuals. The gothic manor looks fantastic. The character designs are detailed and expressive. The "dreadful and unnervingly tense atmosphere" that ScreenRant praised? Yeah, it's there. The purple-and-crimson lighting, the slow pans across blood-stained hallways—visually, this show is doing everything right.

But here's where it falls apart.

Episode 1 is 60 minutes long and feels like 90. Reddit user reviews weren't kind: "Very very slow," "bland, slow, lifeless, and generic." One viewer rated it 1.5 out of 5, saying they had zero attachment to the characters, world, or premise by the end.

The defenders argue the slow pacing makes it "more chilling and dramatic." And you know what? They're not entirely wrong. The deliberate pacing does build tension in certain scenes. Watching Yuki calmly assess traps while her companions freak out is genuinely unsettling in a good way.

But there's a difference between "methodical tension-building" and "characters speaking and moving like they're underwater." Episode 1 spends way too much time on reaction shots and slow walks down hallways. For a show about deadly games, it sure takes its sweet time getting to the actual game mechanics.

Yuki is the Only Interesting Thing Here

The show's saving grace is Yuki herself. A protagonist who's competent and experienced in a death game setting? That's rare. She's not panicking. She's not dense. She's not learning the rules in real-time while screaming. She's a seasoned professional with a goal, and watching her navigate traps with calm efficiency is the most compelling part of the series.

The problem? Everyone else is cardboard. The five other girls are basically "Scared Girl A, Scared Girl B, Scared Girl C..." They exist to scream and die (or almost die) so Yuki can look cool saving them. Maybe they develop personalities later, but Episode 1 did nothing to make me care about any of them.

Reddit comments echoed this: "Lack of character development" was a recurring complaint. When your death game anime makes people feel nothing about the deaths, you've got a problem.

The "No Gore" Thing is... Weird

Here's something the show gets criticized for that's actually intentional: there's very little gore, despite people dying. Characters get impaled, crushed, sliced—but the camera cuts away or uses clever framing to avoid showing graphic violence.

Some viewers think this is a cop-out. Others point out there's an in-universe explanation (which I won't spoil). Personally? I don't think death games need excessive blood to be effective. Kaiji proved you can have insane tension without turning into a slasher film.

But when you're competing with Alice in Borderland and Squid Game in the public consciousness, toning down the visceral impact might hurt your appeal. Western audiences especially expect death game shows to be brutal and shocking. This one feels... sanitized.

Studio DEEN Did Their Job (For Once)

I'll give credit where it's due: Studio DEEN's animation is solid here. They're not exactly known for consistent quality (looking at you, Log Horizon Season 2), but Shibou Yuugi has "impressive animation" according to early impressions. The art direction is legitimately beautiful, and the atmosphere is nailed perfectly.

If only the pacing matched the quality of the visuals, this could've been a standout series.

Is It Worth Your Time?

Score: 6.5/10

Pros:

• Gorgeous art style and character designs
• Competent, experienced protagonist (refreshing for the genre)
• Tense atmosphere when it wants to be
• Available on both Crunchyroll and Netflix with dub options

Cons:

• Pacing is glacially slow (60-min episode feels endless)
• Supporting characters are bland and forgettable
• Lack of gore might disappoint death game fans
• First episode doesn't give you much reason to care

Here's my take: if you love atmospheric horror and don't mind slow burns, Shibou Yuugi might work for you. The premise is fascinating—a world where death games are a career path is a wild dystopian concept—and Yuki is genuinely interesting as a lead.

But if you're expecting Squid Game-level shock value or Kaiji-level tension, you'll be disappointed. This is a slow, methodical thriller that prioritizes mood over adrenaline. Some people will love that. Reddit suggests most people won't.

Where to Watch & What's Next

Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu is streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix worldwide, with English dubs available. New episodes drop weekly.

The light novel series started in 2022, and the manga adaptation launched in 2023, so there's source material to pull from if the anime gets renewed. Whether it will get renewed depends entirely on whether viewers stick around past the brutally slow first episode.

Watch this if you're a death game completionist, if you love Studio DEEN's recent visual work, or if "slow-burn horror with a badass female lead" sounds appealing. If you're looking for fast-paced thrills and shocking deaths? Keep scrolling. This one's an acquired taste.