Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1: A Person In The Dungeon -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 2: Starting Work In The Dungeon -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3: The Ice Wolf’s Fangs -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 4: The Thieves’ Guild and The Dungeon -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5: Coworkers, Family -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 6: Exploration and Cooking -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 7: Monster Job Interview -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 8: Remodeling and Employment -|Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9: King and Dungeon Master -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 10: The Wind Slicer’s Daughter -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 11: Those Who are Not Protected -|Review Score – 3/5
Episode 12: Dungeon People -|Review Score – 3.5/5
People watch fantasy productions for multiple reasons. While some tune into these projects for the characters, others watch them for the creative worlds the characters inhabit. Dungeon People is one of the latest fantasy anime to provide fans with a dungeon ecosystem, like Delicious In Dungeon, one of 2024’s biggest anime hits.
While Dungeon People didn’t amass the cult following this anime did, it gave viewers a more peaceful take on dungeon life. Although Dungeon People’s setting wreaks depth, intrigue, and creativity, this anime doesn’t deliver on its other fronts. This prevents this one from achieving a magnificent start.
Dungeon People is set in a magical world and follows our female lead, Clay. Clay explores the peculiar Antomurg Dungeon in search of her missing caretaker, Brance. During Clay’s quest, she meets the dungeon’s current admin, Belle. Clay loses to Belle and becomes one of her dungeon workers.
Therefore, Clay hopes to uncover the mystery surrounding Brance’s disappearance by performing tasks for Belle and other dungeon personnel. Based on the premise alone, Dungeon People is a series that aims to soothe viewers’ minds, so in short, an Iyashikei series.
Clay will participate in many mundane activities from interviewing potential employees to stocking the Antomurg Dungeon’s treasure chests with useful knicknacks. These retailer-like duties will resonate with folks who’ve tackled jobs similar to Clay’s. Additionally, Dungeon People features some degree of action.
From powerful dragons to a trio of unruly adventurers, Clay will be forced to utilize the skills she developed under Brance and the Thieves’ Guild’s wings to overcome opponents. Belle isn’t free from the action either. She doesn’t put in much effort because of her overpowered abilities, but the fights she’s involved in are interesting.
Next, the anime tackles concepts like friendship, family, loneliness, and responsibility to a decent degree. Some examples include Belle and Clay’s fond memories of their beloved comrades and the multiple chats they have to break the ice. Based on these instances alone, fans will cherish how the author develops Clay and Belle’s bond.
Dungeon People’s world-building is wonderful! Many will argue this is the series’s strongest aspect. Folks will love how much thought went into the Antomurg Dungeon’s design, origins, and civilization. Every detail Belle, Rangard, and others share about this area will pique folks’ curiosity. It’s nearly on par with Delicious In Dungeon’s lore.
Yet, despite its fascinating material, some can pinpoint a few cracks in Dungeon People’s storytelling. Firstly, the anime’s pacing can be hit or miss (at times). There are times like in episode 4 when the dungeon lore drops were tough to grasp. Opting to share this crucial intel sporadically throughout the season would’ve been preferable.
Dungeon People’s lax tone will persuade many to hit the bedsheets rather than keep their eyes glued to their screens. Viewers expecting entertaining monster fights or intense arguments won’t find this story’s attempts exciting either. Viewers should head into this anime expecting a Cult of the Lamb type of shindig with Dungeon People.
While this anime tackles mature subjects like death, sexual assault, and others, it’s a story that favors peace above all. Season 1’s structure is slightly off. Episode 11’s events with Hilkemast and his murderer allies are a great example. The idea feels out of place and some may argue Season 1 could’ve tackled that topic sooner.
Replacing this story segment with one focusing on Clay’s efforts to uncover details about Brance would’ve been marvelous. Also, a scene that delves into Belle’s history with her administrator or different kingdoms would’ve been better. Similarly, the characters themselves could use some improvement.
Clay is a strong, strategic, and capable explorer in Dungeon People. Regardless of Clay’s achievements, she’s not a picture-perfect human. She doesn’t know how to tackle common tasks like baking or communicating to a fine degree. While Belle, Rangard, and others assist Clay with these activities, she spends most instances in deep thought.
Although Clay has her dashing moments during the anime’s action set pieces, her dull personality and habits may not be to every fan’s liking. As for Belle, she’s a bit more interesting than Clay. Belle can be the most caring or frightening person in the series when she chooses to be.
While Belle harbors tremendous power, she suffers from common issues like loneliness. The anime slowly extinguishes Belle’s lonesome issues by pairing her with Clay. Belle’s tag-team fights with Clay are a great example of this. One can tell Clay is slowly helping Belle overcome her inner fears.
Next to Belle’s amusing reactions to Clay’s deadpan responses, Belle’s arguably the more likable of the two. The supporting characters carry mixed baggage. Some are fine while others are downright forgettable. Rangard is a great example of the former while Fen and his group fall under the latter spectrum.
Fans will value Rangard’s character, mostly for the insightful words and things he does for Clay, Belle, and the dungeon itself. Fen and his group feel like random folks you’d encounter one time at a mall and never again. All things considered, Dungeon People’s characters were fine at best and the same can be said with the show’s visuals.
OLM Studios has created many impressive-looking anime in the modern age. Summer Time Rendering, Pokémon Horizons: The Series, and Dark Gathering are notable gems from their catalog. Unfortunately, that same level of effort doesn’t transfer over to Dungeon People’s anime adaptation.
The imagery and animation aren’t downright terrible. Yet, it’s passable at best. Its moe-like art style will appeal to certain audiences and its soft background designs will mend folks’ souls. However, the action scenes lacked energy, especially compared to other anime within Dungeon People’s ballpark.
The soundtrack is okay. The melodies in this anime will help audiences’ distress. They also fit the anime’s setting greatly. The voice actors and actresses performed their roles well, but nothing about the voice acting was groundbreaking. Like the characters, it’s best to anticipate a decent experience with this work’s visual and sound production.
It feels like Dungeon People set out to achieve one simple goal. Many would argue it was to leave fans with a satisfactory-level show to watch during the hot summer season. Although Dungeon People provides fans with a dungeon setting rich in history and activity, there are better alternatives out there that fans should explore instead.
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Verdict - - 6.5/10
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