Dungeon no Naka no Hito

For the last three years, Clay has undergone rigorous training in order to find her father, who was last seen exploring a dungeon. While dungeon exploring is difficult for any regular adventurer, Clay knows her father, a thief who doesn't purely rely on raw power or magic, managed to progress farther than anyone else. Clay sets off after him, following in his footsteps until she encounters a furnished room behind a dungeon wall.

Clay is shocked to find the room is filled with monsters that can talk and a girl who claims to be the dungeons administrator. However, the room is meant to be kept hidden from explorers. Now that she knows the secret behind the dungeon, Clay is hired to be part of their staff. While she never expected to find a job in her adventure, doing so may just help Clay unravel the mystery behind her father's disappearance.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Clay Main

Senbongi, Sayaka Japanese

Belle Main

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Kraitze Supporting

Shimada, Bin Japanese

Sendai Supporting

Tobita, Nobuo Japanese

Algred Supporting

Fukunishi, Masaya Japanese

Kiska Supporting

Kawanishi, Kengo Japanese

Lestence Supporting

Ban, Taito Japanese

Jasreid, Lugrant Haim Supporting

Kajita, Daishi Japanese

Helldande Supporting

Kuroda, Takaya Japanese

Heim Supporting

Sonobe, Keiichi Japanese

Yamai, Sayaka Director

Tateishi, Yayoi Sound Director

Akiyama, Tomoko Storyboard

Nanawo, Akari Theme Song Performance, Theme Song Lyrics

Reviews

Sep 27, 2024

KANLen09

Recommended

Dungeon People - Dungeons have gotten more complex over the years seen through anime, so let's take a step back to attend a masterclass on how dungeons operate, shall we?

Let's be real for a hot moment: the world is getting more complex, things are getting tougher by the day, and entertainment is slowly seeping into our brains that are suffering from decreasing IQ each and every day. Sometimes all you need is just something that pulls us back to its roots and slows us down in the ever-growing pace of life that never slows down. Luckily, within the height of the rom-com genre for the ... hot and sour Summer season, if you need a show that just allows you to be a couch potato and just go figure, boy do I have the show for you: mangaka Sui Futami's Dungeon no Naka no Hito a.k.a Dungeon People, a slice-of-life fantasy adventure comedy about dungeons and what goes on in the deep troughs that is, its many layers of underground obfuscation. And if I didn't know any better, her earlier adaptation of the 5-minute short series Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii desu kara. back in 2016 was an awkward and cringeworthy write-off.

A small family so fixated on wanting to conquer the dungeon, that's a good thing. But what's not is that when one of the family members goes missing in said dangerous place, someone has to go find that family member to reassure him or her that he or she is safe. This is the scenario for Clay, a young woman with the skills of a thief, whom she traverses the dungeon to find her missing father, who's been gone for 3 years. Clay is so capable in fact that her Thieves' Guild acknowledges her as one of its best adventurers, being able to reach the deeper depths of the dungeon alone. But once she gets there, she gets a rude awakening facing the usual monsters...in a rather unkempt environment that feels like a dungeon, yet it is not at the same time. In fact, the dungeon is led by the final boss...of a young girl, whom Clay coincidentally found out when she was facing a rather tough monster, that after the fact, she dismisses the monster like it was her fellow co-worker and takes Clay under her wing...to help manage the dungeon alongside her.

For starters, this rather uncanny dungeon doesn't even feel like a dungeon at all, but rather, resembles an upside down typical human office, but for monsters instead. The final boss of the dungeon, this cute lil' sweet girl of Belle, she's as easy as she comes, despite the fact that she actually exudes boss energy thanks to her outstanding abilities. And unlike the human bosses of ego and pride, she takes care of the monster population within her dungeon like an actual kind and thoughtful caretaker, discerning issues as they go. Of course, how would a human like Clay come to understand all of this, and that's where the abnormal relationship between the young'uns of the human and the final boss comes in to weigh on the overall situation. The job ranges from taking care of the monsters in various rooms, dungeon operations from design to ideation, heck, even planting your soul to monsters through gems to imitate being monsters with human capabilities. Anything goes in this dungeon management class that's a sight to behold, being a change of pace outside of the typical stuff that we're so used to seeing. It's actually infotainment value, I've gotta say, for the standard and the unusual.

Clay and Belle's relationship is so tight, you could almost call this a Yuri-esque CGDCT trait for the goofy comedy banter between both girls who act just as normal as they come, or even towards the point of disbelief (at least much for Belle) to play off as the funny woman who feigns ignorance at times and expecting Clay to get her meaning, but which often fails to decent hilarity. Alongside another fellow employee of the dungeon, Rangard is the undisputed dungeon's treasurer, taking care of things that range from monetary expenses through its many treasure chests, weapons manufacturing, and even on-site construction supervision of the monsters he's in control of. I just find the small rock golems that Rangard supervises, quite the adorable monotone monster that's actually quite versatile with its occupation of dungeon maintenance and handiwork, aside from just the typical small and weak monsters they are to face the usual group of adventurers invited to tackle Belle's ever-changing dungeon. One thing's for sure: don't expect the complex out of this rather simple dungeon, just take your time sinking things in at a slow, comfortable pace that honestly, doesn't take away the enjoyment out of a simple, almost generic show like this.

Neither its production nor its music will win it any awards, as OLM's animation is quite minimalistic, and the OST is just a simple, charming theme, aside from the upbeat OP and ED from TrySail and Akari Nanawo, respectively, which were mediocre to decent.

Overall, Dungeon no Naka no Hito a.k.a Dungeon People is actually a fine show that still has its own world-building, albeit at a snail's pace that some will like, and many others don't. Instead, what it delivers is a solid, steady pace of an enjoyable trip down the depths of the Earth just to have a good time to hang out with fellow monsters that treat you better than the humans do, that all along, was a strategic approach that does its small wonders to impress the "chosen" few.

If you're on the fence, just try and see if it does work for you.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Oct 28, 2024

Single_fighter

Mixed Feelings

The review for this anime is that the story concept is quite unique but executed very ordinary, meaning there is no added value from the story, animation, soundtrack, etc. All standard and ordinary. From the story that does not have a clear goal or is ambiguous for the main character, at the beginning of the story the clay character aims to find his father but along with several episodes until the end of the episode the goal of finding his father is not a priority for the main character, I can understand if in the process clay actually works in the dungeon but the goal ... is drowned in the daily life of managing the dungeon. in the end the focus of this story is centered on managing the Dungeon, it becomes boring and ordinary because elements such as comedy are very few and fan service is very lacking, so the story of this anime is monotonous and boring. Stories like this Dungeon manager are usually more suitable for the slice of life and fantasy genres because the center of the story is only in one Dungeon location, if you say this adventure anime is not true in my opinion. The weakness of this story which is in the slice of life genre is usually easy to make the audience bored if the author is not good at spicing up or providing surprise elements either from the plot twists of the story, comedy elements, and relationships between characters can be like romantic relationships, shojo ai, or even yuri. If the story of this anime is added shojo ai relationship between the main characters maybe this will be a sweet story, from what I observe the relationship between the main characters clay and belle is no more like a colleague relationship at work, the character development is very slow. So the conclusion of this anime story is boring with a little comedy and less fan service.

Moving on to the animation, this part is quite bad because the character visualization is very simple and the details of the background of objects, NPCs are very ordinary. Do you know the pictures made by elementary school children? That's what the visualization of this anime character is like, for example: pictures of monsters, wall details, plants, clouds and small details of the background look childish. A good animation part should be able to add value to the ordinary story.
That's all that can be reviewed from this ordinary anime. Thank you

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Sep 27, 2024

Tardivex

Not Recommended

Well-written

Dungeon no Naka no Hito follows the story of Clay, a thief who ventures into a mysterious dungeon in search of her lost father. Instead of the usual adventuring fare, she ends up taking a job working for the dungeon’s caretaker, Belle. The series attempts to offer a behind the scenes look at dungeon operations, coupled with an exploration of the relationship between Clay and Belle. While the concept is intriguing, the execution leaves much to be desired.

The premise of diving into the inner workings of a dungeon is intriguing, but for a story to effectively delve into this subject matter, it needs strong world ... building and creativity, areas where this anime unfortunately struggles. The dungeon itself feels underdeveloped, and explanations for how things work come off as shallow and contrived. Basic questions that naturally arise from the premise often remain unanswered, and the lack of depth detracts from what could have been a rich setting. When compared to shows like Made in Abyss or Dungeon Meshi, which both offer intricate ecosystems, interlocking lore, and thoughtful design, the dungeon in Dungeon no Naka no Hito pales in comparison. In these other series, creatures, environments, and mythology all intertwine in meaningful ways, creating worlds that feel alive and vibrant.

Here, the mechanics feel arbitrary. The story seems content with hand waving away details, resulting in a world that feels half baked. The absence of clear reasoning or lore behind the dungeon’s function limits the viewer's engagement. Some might argue that this simplicity is intentional, that we shouldn’t take it too seriously, but even if that’s the case, it doesn't excuse poor world building. Whether something is bad on purpose or accidentally doesn’t change the fact that it’s still bad. There is potential humor in how the show tries to justify game like mechanics in a supposedly real world, but even this rarely lands in a satisfying way.

Belle, the dungeon master, presents an interesting contrast at first. Her cutesy, playful persona is juxtaposed with the ruthless nature of dungeon life, where adventurers risk their lives and face harsh consequences. This initial contrast works well in theory, as it could highlight the duality of her character, she may be lighthearted on the surface but is ultimately tied to the brutal reality of the dungeon’s nature.

However, this dynamic falls apart when Belle’s actions take an unexpected turn. In one particular episode, a group of adventurers exploits the dungeon’s dangerous environment to kill their teammates with plausible deniability. Given the established ruthlessness of dungeons and the fact that Belle herself seems to accept this brutality as part of the job, this scenario fits within the world’s logic. Even Clay acknowledges that dungeons are unforgiving, and up to this point, the show reinforces this idea.

Yet, despite everything leading up to this moment, Belle decides to intervene, saving a supposed "victim" and punishing the rule breakers. This act of moralizing feels completely out of sync with the show’s previous tone, as if the writers wanted to inject some sense of morality into a character and setting that had previously been indifferent to such concerns. What rules are being broken, and why does Belle suddenly care about them when she’s otherwise complicit in the dungeon’s ruthlessness? It’s a bizarre moment that undermines the show’s own internal logic and leaves Belle’s character feeling inconsistent. For a dungeon master who is supposed to be indifferent to the life and death nature of adventuring, her sudden role as a protector of some vague moral code is jarring and unearned.

What's more the second central theme of the show, the relationship between Clay and Belle, and while it has some charming moments, it ultimately falls flat. Their dynamic revolves around the loneliness both characters feel, now somewhat alleviated by their newfound companionship. There’s potential in exploring this friendship between two isolated individuals, but the show never delves into it beyond the surface level. While the cutesy interactions between the two can be entertaining, they don’t offer much depth. The friendship serves as a narrative device to keep the story moving, but it lacks the emotional complexity that could have made their bond compelling. Ultimately, their relationship feels like another missed opportunity for meaningful storytelling.

Dungeon no Naka no Hito had the potential to be a fascinating exploration of dungeon life and the bond between its central characters, but it squanders that potential with weak world building and inconsistent character writing. The show’s take on dungeon operations is underwhelming, lacking the depth and creativity that other series in the genre have mastered. Meanwhile, the relationship between Clay and Belle, though occasionally charming, doesn’t offer enough to elevate the series beyond mediocrity.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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