Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu.

Death games done right?

I say such, as death game anime of the past can seem like they're trying too hard, or have an interesting concept, then throw in usual tropes, and silliness that can water down the whole concept and such.I say such compared to this show, as this feels different. As if the strong showing of the element of mystery, really drives home that point and more so. As every inch of the product, has been perfectly thought out, and laid out to make such a stamp, that'll be remembered throughout the year.

Story and Characters: 8
The way this series handles characters, which make ... the story, is as if there is possibly no good guys here. As if everyone has blood on their hands. Not that there isn't anyone to root for, more that you'd be more focused on the WHAT, and the HOW, then who the characters are. Wondering what are these death games? What is the point of this? What's the purpose behind the end goal of it all??? Making you want to keep watching week to week, to see what happens in the end.

Not that there isn't interesting characters, there is plenty, but the whole story of mystery behind everything will take center stage, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, just wondering what is going on, and done in a very good way. Because instead of just starting off all happy and smiles, or like more normal. This show really throws you into the deepend, making you sink, or swim. It's harsh, brutal, but will keep you endlessly thinking.

Art and Sound: 9
This will get such high marks from it's production value. Not only coming across movie like quality. But the level of detail put into it. Every shot, every scene, every moment is played in with care and thought. From the sound, production, and style. Not only showing the mystery element really well, but in same breath, can really make situations feel and look tense, while also making your mind constantly ask for more, and want more, to find out what happens next. Really well done on both fronts.

Defo a anime you should be seeing this season for sure.

Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table. Or are we really playing games? Doesn’t matter, we'll at least look pretty.

Three episodes in, Shiboyugi is leaning hard on aesthetics over substance. The show is visually striking, but not always in a way that works. In wide shots, the characters’ features disappear entirely, probably an artistic choice, but personally, it’s frustrating. The animation is average at best, and characters often move at a glacial pace. Take the stairs scene in episode two, each step drags like hours. If the whole sequence is meant to be a dream, fine, that makes sense. If not, ... I don’t see the point.

Voice acting is subdued and whispery, giving off an ASMR vibe. It’s meant to be edgy cute, but it mostly comes off as flat. Characters try hard to sound quirky or dark, yet the performance often feels performative rather than genuine.

Character depth is minimal. Most of them rotate too quickly for any meaningful development. Yuki is the only constant, and so far we know very little about her beyond how miserable her life looks from an outside pov, and her goal of finishing 99 deadly games for reasons unknown. That said, she’s refreshingly anti heroic. No saccharine "forgive everyone and internalize betrayal" nonsense here, she’s pragmatic, cold, and willing to act without moral fanfare.

Pacing is a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I’m a fan of Bela Tarr and Tarkovsky, I appreciate deliberate, meditative slow burns, but there’s slow, and then there’s this. Scenes drag without purpose, tension builds and collapses in suspended emptiness, and the series risks feeling like a stylistic exercise instead of a story.

Shiboyugi succeeds as a mood piece. Its visuals are bold, its anti hero MC is intriguing, and the premise is darkly compelling. But after three episodes, the series struggles to build narrative momentum or meaningful connection. It’s a striking experiment in style, but substance is still scrambling to catch up.

A story-less story with a pervasively apathetic, nihilistic air about it that progresses at a geriatric pace.

Before anyone gets offended, this kind of tone and approach definitely has an audience. I'm just not part of it. If it makes anyone feel better about my opinion, I'll own up to potentially being stupid as I did not and still do not understand the infrequently increasing ratio throughout the episodes. For me it simply represented an abstract artsy-fartsy way of conveying things progressing. This fits with the general style this show seems to be going for.

The characters are flat both in terms of their affect and their ... depth. They emote as if they are waiting in line at the DMV. To say they have reactions would be an exaggeration. Whatever brief insights are given into a character's background are fleeting and illuminate their personality as well as the static in a perimetry test. Although the premise of the anime involves death games, meaning characters are expected to be short-lived and thus not necessarily needing depth, it would be more compelling if there was at least someone to root for if not against.

The main character herself is the most likely to be compelling, as the reason for her motive is a mystery. The thing is, it's not enough to keep me invested. As it stands, the title of the anime provides more story than what's in the first 3 episodes (insofar as the main character is concerned).

As for the animation, it's fine. There are moments with a minimalist approach that circle back to the anime being somewhat artsy-fartsy rather than being genuinely interesting to look at, but these moments being different than the rest of the time provides some interest in itself for whatever that's worth. Ditto for the soundtrack.