REVIEW: ‘Dungeon People’ Episode 1 — “A Person in the Dungeon”

Dungeons and monsters are key parts of almost any fantasy anime, but Dungeon People (Dungeon no Naka no Hito) from OLM studio tries to take a unique look at the familiar genre. Dungeon People Episode 1, “A Person in the Dungeon,” introduces viewers to Clay and the new adventure that awaits her.

Dungeon People Episode 1 starts by showing a flashback of a young Clay training with her father to become an elite thief. He seems like a difficult teacher, although he is fair. He knows the stakes are high for thieves and he wants his daughter to be prepared to take on the challenges that await her. Especially the ones she will have to take on alone.

After returning to the present time, Clay is entering the dungeon of Antomurg trying to make it further than anyone from the local guild has ever made it. She manages to get further by herself than full parties were ever able to. This establishes early on that the lessons her father taught her have worked just as he intended.

Speaking of Clay’s father, it turns out he has been lost in the dungeon for over three years. It explains Clay’s mission, she needs to go further to find her father and reunite with him. It is a fairly fluid way of introducing the plot and explaining Clay’s motivations naturally.

Clay manages to fight her way further through her intelligence and strength. There are some minor action scenes, but the animation here is a bit of a letdown. Her movements in battle are stiff and lack substantial detail. It would have been nice to see her battle prowess given more attention to detail. It is not all bad, her movements look neat but the attacks themselves are relatively bland.

During these battles and much of Dungeon People Episode 1, Clay’s internal dialogue is the driving force. She explains what she is thinking heading into fights and how she analyzes the situation. There is a lot of information getting thrown out there but it does help establish that she is a highly-skilled individual who thinks every single move through.

It is all standard fantasy anime until, during her fight with a floor boss, the twist unveils itself. The boss’s attack breaks down one of the walls, shocking both Clay and the boss. The boss shockingly calls for a timeout and tells Clay that the dungeon administrator will be there soon to look at the problem. This is the crux of what the show is about to become. It is not about fighting monsters in dungeons, but about managing them and keeping things running properly.

Clay meets the dungeon administrator, a young-looking character named Belle. Belle might look unassuming but she is the most important and powerful person in the dungeon. She explains how things function to Clay and sets the tone for what the series’ focus is going to be. Belle wants to hire Clay to help her manage the dungeon.

This fits well with Clay’s quest to find her dad. Helping run the dungeon will give her more access for her search. She does come to the realization that, if Belle is the final boss, her father must have made it far enough to face her. Instead of asking though, Clay tries to fight Belle herself. Like the earlier fights, this one ends almost immediately after it begins.

It is clear that battles are not going to be the main focus, but it is disappointing to have such a strong character and not get any satisfying action from her. Instead of the action, though, Dungeon People Episode 1 is all about exposition. There is a ton of information dumped on viewers about how the dungeon works and what Clay’s new role is going to be. Explaining how dungeons work and how they are maintained is the main premise of the series and it dives straight in headfirst.

The amount of exposition can feel somewhat overwhelming at times, especially if it continues at this pace. Hopefully, the deluge of new information will slow down as the series continues, focusing more on the characters and their objectives instead. Clay is an easy character to root for but there will need to be more going forward to keep viewers interested in her story and this new world.

Dungeon People Episode 1 serves as a solid debut episode that mainly focuses on explaining the world and the main premise. Pacing will need some adjustment as the series continues, but there is a lot of potential here.

Dungeon People Episode 1 is streaming now on HIDIVE.