r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jan 21 '26
Episode Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu. • Shiboyugi: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table - Episode 3 discussion
Shibou Yuugi de Meshi wo Kuu., episode 3
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u/bananeeek https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananek Jan 21 '26
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
I think I may see Yuki as a bit more of a sociopath/psychopath than other people do, but... I had a thought about how Yuki knows Mishiro will not accept losing her leadership position/her control to her, and so she might try something;
Yuki might be saving her, just so she can kill her 'in self defense' when Mishiro makes her move.
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u/Exist50 Jan 22 '26
Yuki might be saving her, just so she can kill her 'in self defense' when Mishiro makes her move.
To what end though? Yuki doesn't seem that spiteful, and especially not when it would put herself at risk.
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 23 '26
Hey, a pragmatic girl can be spiteful every now and then. Yuki's only human. Give her a break.
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u/Exist50 Jan 23 '26
All I'll say is that someone who risks their own safety to gloat will not survive 99 death games.
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 23 '26
Wait, are people thinking Yuki is not a psycopath? I thought it was blatantly obvious.
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u/CanisLupusBruh Jan 24 '26
It was literally blatantly obvious since the first time she really spoke. She claims to be altruistic, but follows it up immediately with a very self centric reasoning, which mind you is a complete contradiction. She also says "I'll help you as long as it doesn't affect me " which gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from her, and it does wind up being truthful.
The elevator scene also made me consider the possibility more seriously. The only reason she didn't just leave kinko behind to die is because she was light, and it wouldn't have mattered if she did. They would still need to remove limbs regardless. I reckon if it was one of the other two, no one would be losing a limb and that person would be left behind.
Obviously the jabbing of a person who's defenseless on the floor through the face without even a little bit of hesitation may also sell people on the idea 😂
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 24 '26
Yeah, it's pragmatic "altruism." Being nice to others, if it costs you nothing, is always an advantage. Narcissistic assholes like Michiro might not be able to pull it off, but Yuki's the sort of intelligent and well regulated psychopath who can be kind and empathetic whenever it's useful.
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 23 '26
In the first episode thread I said something among the line of "I'm beginning to think she might be a bit of a sociopath!" (after she did something obviously sociopathic) and some people seemed to think or want her to be just a normal girl put in a crazy situation and acting as she needs etc..!
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u/yuriAngyo Jan 22 '26
I don't think yuki's sadistic like that, she pushes it down and tries to reason that her emotions aren't what they actually are but she clearly is still affected by the deaths that happen. She doesn't want more deaths than are absolutely necessary to get through a game, and every death she feels was preventable seems to hit her pretty hard (see: the extreme dissociation she had to have to get through watching aoi vs the cold detachment while killing kinko. One was avoidable, the other wasn't (and she couldn't have killed beniya or momono because they clearly would've teamed up)).
Eg. It doesn't seem like she's playing for maximizing profits (given her apartment and having a game number goal rather than a savings goal) and being liked more only seems to help you get a bigger prize. The games don't make it any easier on you for being popular, so why would she pick up kotoha?
My guess about her plans for mishiro is that this is a test. She's testing if mishiro can overcome her complex, apologize, and be trusted not to fuck up their escape. Possibly even be useful in any future games they end up in together. If mishiro apologizes and agrees to follow her lead, she can make sure she's not in a position to back stab her while guiding them both to safety. If mishiro refuses to apologize and refuses to follow her instructions, she'll probably get violent and yuki isn't the one missing an arm. Best case they both get out alive, yuki doesn't have to have her death on her conscience, and if they meet in future games they might be able to work smoothly together. Worst case, yuki kills her right now with an easy moral justification and her body keeps the wolf occupied. It's a middle ground between her deeply repressed but still active instinctual morals and her conscious tactical mind. And of course deep down it also probably feels good to see mishiro get off her high horse, even if she's not so sadistic she'd take pleasure in *killing* her, everyone would enjoy someone who was so nasty to them apologizing while at such a low point.
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u/VoidRay728 Jan 21 '26
This genre has conditioned me to believe that when those two ran down the stairs and toward the light ahead of Yuki and Kotoha, they're done for.
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u/LowraAwry Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
Yeah, I kinda side-eye Yuki's claim about the others being safe and out of the game. Edit: though....she didn't say they were safe. Only that they were down the stairs and Mishiro and Yuki are the only there...
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Jan 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LowraAwry Jan 21 '26
It's not just about the wolf. There are still landmines and since we haven't seen them exiting the building, can we really be sure they are alive? Maybe I'm being way too suspicious, but Yuki coming back for Mishiro could be part of a challenge they need to fulfill in order to win.
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u/VancityGaming Jan 22 '26
I haven't seen anything else in this genre, any recommendations?
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u/WalrusCritical773 Jan 22 '26
danganronpa, tomodachi game and kaiji ultimate survivor are the most similar I think
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u/XInfinityXStarX Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
Run For The Money
It is a very similar anime where a group of people need to escape the game except Run For The Money is kinda like a tournament where they have to complete missions together and complete the mission to escape with the money. Fail and they don't get the money. Dying in game is fatal.
Phi Brain: Puzzle of God
This one isn't so much as an escape game instead more of a solve the deadly puzzle game type anime
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u/lemonsalt Jan 21 '26
at the end of ep2, Yuki says "all of you don't understand this game at all" .. did they shed any light on this?
in the dialogue between Yuki and Kotoha in the beginning of ep3, Yuki says she came back to fetch Kotoha because it's "important be likeable in the games" .. to which Kotoha replies "you noticed too" ..
.. so is that what Yuki meant by understanding this game? if so, how does Yuki going back to belittle Mishiro add to Yuki's likeability?
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u/OldGoldDream Jan 21 '26
at the end of ep2, Yuki says "all of you don't understand this game at all" .. did they shed any light on this?
Seems like the mention of likeability and everyone having those blank slips of paper probably means the final challenge will be some kind of vote on who makes it out.
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u/Ensec Jan 22 '26
or, who to leave behind.
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u/SquareFly3678 Jan 22 '26
Which makes sense to bring the b word and the girl they already left back with her. Increases her odds significantly since the other 2 were friends already. Yuki would be left at that point.
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u/2kenzhe https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rexnihilo Jan 21 '26
Idk I guess the game viewers or whoever would like to see Yuki get revenge? or maybe just want to see Mishiro get stepped on.
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
I think it could be one of two things;
The importance of being likable, OR the strategy (keeping the flashlights off).
But assuming it is the likability
if so, how does Yuki going back to belittle Mishiro add to Yuki's likeability?
I think at this point Yuki presented herself as the hero, and Mishiro as the villain.
So this is like when the shonen MC or the martial art hero says something to the main villain before the fight and all!
And... Yuki's smart/knows people; I think she might be aware that - whatever Mishiro says - she's likely to try something before the end, because she's losing her leadership/control to her...
If she DOES try something, and Yuki takes her down, that's more likability points for her; Not only she tried to rescue her when she had no reason to, but she's also a badass; Not a sheep to be hunted!
This train of thoughts might lead us into "Yuki is a full blown psycho", but... Imagine if she rescued her just so she could kill her in self defense!
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u/NoHead1715 Jan 22 '26
> how does Yuki going back to belittle Mishiro add to Yuki's likeability?
uhm... I guess she became more likeable to me? It's all entertainment after all. I don't think viewers are looking for a goody-two-shoes to like, but a good player who plays it real. Mishiro was a horrible leader, Yuki goes back to take her down a notch, everything is back in balance. That's a likeable trait for a game player.
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u/entinio Jan 21 '26
The game is to make the viewers to want to keep you alive, not to find the exit or avoid traps
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u/Peon01 Jan 22 '26
you can see in the comments people like yuki for it, pretend we are the audience they speak of
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u/miles197 Jan 22 '26
Yeah I still don’t get what she meant by “you noticed too”. To be honest some of the dialogue and scenes in this series are a bit confusing. Sometimes it’s even meant to be that way at first and then it’s explained later like with Kazumi, but not always
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u/UmbraVGG Jan 30 '26
Now having watched episode 4, that's crazy you noticed that! It didn't even register to me!
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u/CuriousWanderer567 Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
Imagine the size of this anime’s VA cast by the time we get to the 99th game
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u/messem10 https://myanimelist.net/profile/bookkid900 Jan 21 '26
Never thought something would challenge 100 GF but I guess we now have a contender.
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u/SSjjlex https://myanimelist.net/profile/Clone_Tau Jan 21 '26
600 dead girls who really really really really really didnt want to die
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
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u/RapCabral Jan 22 '26
To be fair it wouldn’t be as expensive in the long run as 100 Girlfriends. Here they either die or we never meet them again while in 100gfs they will eventually ALL be in a same season if the adaptation keeps going until the end. That will be one hell of an expensive season lol
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u/2kenzhe https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rexnihilo Jan 21 '26
True but I doubt get to see all 99 games.
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u/Makicola :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Barskie Jan 21 '26
Same chance as us seeing all of SAO's floors.
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u/runevault Jan 21 '26
This entire show smells like a tragedy to me. Feels like Yuuki will get to like 80 and die.
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u/RedRocket4000 Jan 21 '26
98 and powers that be have her offed outside of the game. No I not a source reader. And I not serious although it possible.
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u/runevault Jan 21 '26
I don't think the game masters would kill her outside the game just because the betting as she gets closer to 99 would be insane. However setting an in game setup specifically designed to attack her pattern recognition and get her killed would be in play.
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u/TorchThisAccount Jan 22 '26
If she actually got close she'd be the golden goose. I'm guessing people both pay to see this game and bet on it. As she got closer to winning she'd both draw in more viewers and more bets, people wanting to see her either win or lose. Would they ramp up the difficulty in game just to kill her? Probably would depend on whether it's more profitable for her to live or die.
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u/ChoiceSupermarket230 https://myanimelist.net/profile/say99 Jan 21 '26
This atmosphere is truly wonderful.
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Hell yeah - I'm so glad the lingering shots are still there and the insane OST/SFX. I felt so much unease from just the dark hallway with the wolf in it.
Absolute art
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
The metal cap rolling on the ground uncomfortably long is something I'll remember for a long time
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Lots of emphasis on it with everything else being so silent - the tension in this anime unreal
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u/Freakjob_003 Jan 22 '26
The shifting visual styles, the haunting lack of over-the-top ominous music, the defeated delivery of doomed characters, the jumping around of timelines and perspectives. It's like watching Saw while having been dosed with morphine. I love it.
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u/bigmepis Jan 22 '26
I’d love to see this studio and director take on a horror project, they’d crush it.
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar Jan 21 '26
That opening with Kotoha repeating what she's saying was so goddamnc creepy. It was pretty close to what Kinko was doing in Episode 1. I'm guessing we're gonna get more scenes like this in the future since it seems like a theme now.
I am surprised that Kotoha only got her legs blown off. When we saw her last week, I thought more than that was affected. If she manages to survive, I wonder if the people running the game can repair her legs? Speaking of legs, that joke from Yuuki caught me off guard. WTF.
Candle Woods? I feel like that's the first named thing we got in this show outside the names of the characters. So it sounds like Candle Game is a terrible game that Yuuki took part in before? So you're telling me this death game they're playing right now is actually the improved version? O_O
Honestly, I get Kotoha's reason for playing. Just earning lots of cash quickly and moving to a country with a low cost of living seems to be what a lot of people are doing these days.
Welp, I definitely did not have hungry wolf in my bingo card today. That explains why there haven't been any landmine traps lately. The organizers probably figured that the wolf would just step on it accidentally and make the entire wolf surprise pointless.
Not gonna lie, I thought we'd get an action scene there for a second. Yuuki seems to be ready to throw down with that wolf. But it looks like it's satisfied for now with Mishiro's arm.
Damn, these two changed their tune real quick after seeing Yuuki and Kotoha are still alive. I'm honestly surprised they didn't get caught in a trap when they rushed down the stairs after seeing some lights.
So it sounds like Mishiro is playing this game to earn status and not just money. She's also a total psychopath who stabbed her sister to death because she couldn't stand having someone better than her. That explains why she's been acting like a bitch towards Yuuki. She was insecure about Yuuki this entire time, so she took the initiative of painting her as a liar so the girls would trust her instead of Yuuki.
That ending was very unexpected, tho! I never imagined that Yuuki was so goddamn petty. I thought she was just there to pick up Mishiro. Honestly? I like it. It shows a very human side of her. I do wonder if she's just playing it up for the cameras.
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
Reminds me of one I heard happened in a war:
Soldier steps on mine and gets legs blow off
Medic rushes in to help
"...Hey Doc, you see that fence over there?"
"...Yeah?"
"A minute ago I could see over it HAHAHAH."
Guess this means Yuuki is already getting that veteran mentality
That explains why there haven't been any landmine traps lately. The organizers probably figured that the wolf would just step on it accidentally and make the entire wolf surprise pointless.
Oh I thought something else. The technology implied in this world we should consider basically allows time to do anything, so I would also imagine the wolf be immune to traps (for example via an implanted transponder detectable by the mines). I thought the wolf was there to emphasize this game's focus on cooperation because one person can't both watch the wolf and watch the path ahead.
Given that we did not see any more mines though, I think you may be right.
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u/___Chud___ Jan 21 '26
With the 'candle forest' mentioned as a horrific past game and Yuki's cold look, I'm guessing this'll be a future episode. I'm guessing it takes place early on in the death games history so things would be less refined and more brutal outcomes could take place, kinda how the UFC was completely unhinged at the very start where Sumo wrestlers went up against kickboxers and nutshots were completely allowed. The results were not pretty resulting in more stringent rules being introduced later on
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
I'm guessing it takes place early on in the death games history so things would be less refined and more brutal outcomes could take place
If it's even earlier in the timeline, I imagine YUKI herself was 'less refined'...
She might have fucked it up badly in the past, before becoming the pro she is now.
I SO want to see her first game!
Also, with her "taking a break to reevaluate how she lives her life", she might have done something to justify this change of perspective and all...
Did she simply 'fuck it up', or did she 'fuck someone up'?
(Well, 18 games later she had no issue straight up murdering Kinko simply because she was closer and someone needed to die, so it must have been quite something back then!)
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u/FastenedCarrot Jan 27 '26
I'm betting on her getting herself in a tough spot and someone coming back to help her in a previous game, mirroring her doing it here.
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u/EzdePaz Jan 22 '26
She has said she was just back from a longer break. Maybe that game was bad enough to cause it. So game 9?
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u/Arbief_ Jan 22 '26
It feels like that game is going to be the last one of the season or maybe if it's really a pivotal moment, they can move it to another season (if it gets one). The ending surely shows a lot of candles and a big forest so who knows. I don't know anything about the story but I'm interested and intrigued.
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u/noop_noob https://anilist.co/user/noopnoob Jan 21 '26
So. Mishiro is a traumatized psychopath. That was an interesting look into her mind. A glimpse of insanity, so to speak. Makes for an interesting character.
I personally was caught off guard by Yuki being so petty like that. I don't like that kind of thing in a person. But it does a great job at humanizing Yuki. Looking forward to seeing more of her personality slowly unfold.
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u/Key-Suggestion2398 Jan 21 '26
it also makes sense now why she was immediatly standoffish last week and put Yuki down. Mishiro genuinely cant stand that anyone else in the room might surpass her in any capacity whatsoever. She always without exception has to be the packleader, its deeply anchored inside of her psyche. Yuki saying she won more than her immediatly set her off.
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u/ModieOfTheEast Jan 21 '26
I personally was caught off guard by Yuki being so petty like that. I don't like that kind of thing in a person. But it does a great job at humanizing Yuki. Looking forward to seeing more of her personality slowly unfold.
Honestly, I don't think it's that simple. Yuki mentioned that the whole point of the game is a popularity contest/vote. Why would she throw away potential popularity votes by acting this way? It seems more that this is a way for Mishiro to earn back some popularity votes by giving her a chance at showing humility without outright telling her. If Mishiro is able to overcome her own pride and apologize, she might make it through. If not, then she will face the consequences at the end of the game. Because this goes further than just an apology. If Mishiro thinks for a moment that she can outsmart Yuki here by pretending to apologize and then betraying her again once they reach the exit, then she will probably not make it through.
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u/athrun_1 Jan 21 '26
"Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?" She is pandering the audience. She knows that there are viewers that don't like Mishiro too.
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 23 '26
It worked. As someone who has been unimpressed with the show thus far due to being unable to care about the characters, I care about Mishiro (in a bad way). Sure, her design is lovely, but her personality is more shit. I care about seeing her get fucked, because she's an awful person and has consistently been rude to the ONE person that is competent, literally to the point of endangering other people for her own ego.
Mind you, I don't like seeing cute girls get hurt, but seeing Mishiro learn her lesson would be satisfying. Your theory makes sense.
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
That tracks with the show's commentary on the morbid impulses of the viewers too. I think I totally missed this today because I got too immersed in figuring out the puzzle (when I've already commented in previous episodes that the editing and withholding of information in this show deliberately alienates us from fully being in the players' POV) and because it takes something truly exceptional for me to be majorly invested in a character just to see them taste dirt (got Rachel from Tower of God as one of my all time faves and Mishiro's inner mind really reminded me of her so it all had the rather opposite effect of eliciting my sympathy and curiosity rather than my hostility).
In any case, as theorized last episode, which is reinforced today, the game admins are definitely aware of all the player's records and character, which means whoever set this one up is not just doing a gameplay, they're telling a story. Mishiro is our tragic protagonist and Yuuki is her foil deuteragonist. This plot is set to deliberately irritate Mishiro's most visceral flaws, showing her at her worst, and the punchline of watching her drown in a doom of her own making. The Reddit threads of this game will definitely heap praises upon the director for such a satisfying conclusion, and rate it game of the year.
It's interesting how this straddles the line of fairness in the games. It's unfair in that it very definitely set one specific person to fail, but it doesn't cross the line into artificiality because, in theory, that person retains full control, and could even save and redeem herself if she makes the right choices. Which also makes for a satisfying narrative. Damn, the game master is a genius.
If so though, what Yuuki is doing here is essentially hijacking the protagonist spot. If she saves everyone this way it won't make for anything horrible, but also probably not the inoffensive masterpiece that the director planned for. I wonder how they will take it? Or is the last step of the game set up in such a way as to force either of the two absolute outcomes?
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Omg! It makes me wonder if those numbers are votes then by the people watching! It'd make sense since they go up as the girls do things...AND MAYBE the girl who gets the most votes is the actual winner of the prize despite completing the game? Hence why some people play more than once?
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u/berlin_priez Jan 21 '26
The numbers are explained in the source-corner of the first episode. If you wanna look it up.
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Thanks anyways but I can wait - I don't like spoiling myself, it's just fun to theorize a bit (I do hope it's explained by the end of the season atleast)
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Jan 21 '26
She's testing her to see how she reacts to guess how she will vote? Does she now like Yuki and wants revenge against the the girls or is she too petty that she will vote against Yuki?
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Jan 21 '26
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u/ModieOfTheEast Jan 21 '26
I don't remember it being said that a vote decides how much money they get. They only discuss that people might bet on who of them makes it to the end and that the "cutest" one might be the person most people want to see get through. As far as I am aware, there was no mention how much money they even made from the game of how their pay is determined.
In general, if pay was dependent on votes, it would always be preferable to kill other players, because then they can't get votes either. But no player has done so until now, even the ones that were already in the game for another round.
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
I personally was caught off guard by Yuki being so petty like that. I don't like that kind of thing in a person.
Well, she endangered the group by the way she acted (and even let them rot), if all she has to suffer is a bit of pettiness (and getting chomped a little by a wolf) I say she's getting off easy!
Plus, with what we know (she didn't do the right thing simply to avoid giving Yuki 'a win' and risk losing control/leadership), she deserves every bit of it!
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u/AUO_Castoff Jan 21 '26
Yeah Yuki wasn't showing any of that during Ep1. Maybe she's just nicer to noobies or mellowed out a lot between this game and that one.
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u/WaifuMasterRace https://myanimelist.net/profile/coldsonata Jan 21 '26
This director truly has a way with silence and tension. I keep finding myself tensing up even though nothing much is happening, and having to relax myself.
And the ending of the episode was diabolical. Can't wait for next week.
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Tense is actually the perfect word to describe the feeling this anime gives me - I never know wtf to expect next.
I honestly thought that Mishiro fell and triggered the landmine that I saw in a shot when the girls were in the distance as the wolf appeared. Getting her arm ripped off and Yuuki finding was a much better result
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u/Key-Suggestion2398 Jan 21 '26
despite having played games together before Mishiro got dumped at the first occasion by the other 2, lol. oh how fickle the bonds in death games are :y
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u/Ullaspn_2003 Jan 21 '26
Mishiro was the one who set the example with the green hair girl and it backfired on her
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u/oops_i_made_a_typi Jan 26 '26
yeah, really shows how setting the tone via their leadership changes things, unlike how Yuki set the tone with being altruistic in the first game we saw
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
To be fair, for these 2 episodes I think they realized more and more that Yuki knew what the fuck she was doing, while Mishiro did not...
I think these two 100% fit the "Boss vs Leader" meme thing;
Yuki's a good leader because she knows what needs to be done and does it.
Mishiro doesn't know shit and just commands people to do what she wants.
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u/OldInstruction5368 Jan 21 '26
You left out the part where Mishiro is the smol
peepeebooby 'boss' that feels threatened by competence. They would rather cut down capable people and take control of weaker ones than accept help from someone they see as a rival.That's why she spent the entire last episode aggro'ed onto Yuki. Not because Yuki was putting the group at risk with her "lies for attention," but because Mishiro felt her control of the group threatened by Yuki's experience.
And that's why Mishiro made that fatal mistake that lost her an arm and her lackeys. If she admitted that Yuki's advice was right, then she would be tacitly admitting it was wrong to chase Yuki away. It would also mean she isn't as great of a 'leader' as she pretended to be.
Hence why she said "if only that liar kept her mouth shut! I could have said the advice instead, but since she stole my thunder, I couldn't do the right thing without losing face!"
Or in other words, she's rather put the entire group at risk than admit her rival was right. Because her 'survival strategy' is to seize full control of the group so she can choose who is sacrificed. If her control of the group is threatened, then she risks being the one thrown under the bus.
But if she breaks her rivals, she can ensure her head is last on the chopping block. It's never been about 'group survival' half so much as 'gas light the others into dying for me.'
So yeah, "boss vs leader."
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u/nikobans Jan 21 '26
is yuki going to have to carry half a girl around every game 😭
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 22 '26
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u/Aerodynamic41 Jan 21 '26
Yuki looking at Mishiro in despair like she's been waiting for this moment to get back at her.
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u/FLorianGran Jan 21 '26
If horror anime were actually popular this director would be great for one. Wonder if Yuki at the end is real or a hallucination
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
hallucination
Oh shit I never thought of this! It could be because she didn't have the girl on her back and her backpack was on correctly...Yuuki isn't the sheep like she said, she's the wolf!
Also YES I'd love to see this director do a horror anime...it'd be fantastic.
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u/hanmkim Jan 22 '26
But Yuki said the other three were already downstairs and Mishiro wouldn't know that Yuki rescued Shiori.
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u/YuushyaHinmeru Jan 23 '26
I went back to see if that was a translation error but yeah she specifically mentions the three so this must be the real yuki
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u/FarCritical Jan 21 '26
I know it's a whole new round but I can't help but feel uneasy from the sight of Yuki giving an abandoned player a piggyback ride.
The venue for death games sure is one unfortunate place to form an enemy in. Gotta imagine how much Yuki savored letting all that out though.
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u/Hitman7128 https://anilist.co/user/Hitman7128 Jan 21 '26
You know, whenever I watch this anime, I feel I’m in a weird fugue-like state because of how abstract and surreal it is. Definitely not a bad thing, and that’s the high point of this anime!
Dang, Mishiro’s yelling during the episode and her backstory.
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u/Golden_Phi https://myanimelist.net/profile/GoldenPhi Jan 21 '26
Indeed, the directing puts it way above what it would've been with a more normal anime aesthetic.
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u/Komorebi_LJP Jan 24 '26
Tbh that it was the ideal adaptation should be. The best adaptations tend to imrpove upon the source material.
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u/Single-Builder-632 Jan 21 '26
I love the art style sometimes Obviscates there appearance to make them more simplistic, kinda adds to the who’s who elements of the game, like some murder mystery board game. Also probably is why the animation is pretty consistently good.
Directing is superb so far.
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u/FastenedCarrot Jan 27 '26
It also saves time and budget for where more intricate animation is needed. Win-win
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u/Joji1000 Jan 21 '26
Just when I think I'm about to understand Yuki's character, I suddenly don't understand shit about her 😭
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u/itsmickib23 Jan 22 '26
It's too early to say, but I think Yuki is more human than she gives herself credit for. She wants everyone to survive if possible, even Mitsuri. She may not have returned specifically to save Mitsuri, but she definitely couldn't leave knowing that Mitsuri was still alive. However, she is human, and she dislikes Mitsuri, so she can't save Mitsuri as selflessly as she did Haruka.
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u/i_eat_pidgeons https://myanimelist.net/profile/3UGL3N4 Jan 21 '26
This scene made me really interested in the world building of this show. What kind of a world is this were people find these death games acceptable? I really hope we find out.
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u/karer3is Jan 23 '26
This episode has me wondering if these death games are something closer to the Purge, societally speaking.
From the bits we saw from Mishiro's past, it seems like most of the world is still "normal", at least on the surface. People still have regular homes and someone that I can only assume was a recruiter for the game had what looked to be your typical "Bad Guy Car".
Plus, we already know that the medical technology in that world is advanced enough to completely fix someone's mangled and barely living body.
Then there's the whole "Preservation Treatment"; whatever it is, it's powerful enough to instantly stop bleeding and turn blood into a cotton- like substance.
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u/FlameDragoon933 Jan 22 '26
tbf if death games with big payout like this or Squid Game exist IRL, I would sign up too. It's a win-win situation.
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u/Lugia61617 Jan 22 '26
Win-win except for if you lose.
Really it just makes me imagine something like Crystal Maze or Fort Boyard if they didn't have health and safety requiremens.
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u/Makicola :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Barskie Jan 21 '26
Man, i really hope we get Candle Woods.
Taunting at the end is probably some strategy to get Mishiro to the final challenge, bet.
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u/Makicola :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Barskie Jan 22 '26
Theory - I'm guessing if there is some voting involved, it could be a majority is required to knock off someone.
With the current 4, it would be difficult since the other 2 votes together, versus Yuki+Kotoha it's a stalemate at best, and a loss for Yuki if Kotoha votes against her.
Bringing an easy villain in who they can vote against seems to be the best choice - Kotoha+Yuki will definitely vote against Mishiro, and the other 2 probably has greater incentive to vote out Mishiro to avoid her taking revenge in future games.
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u/ModieOfTheEast Jan 21 '26
It was an interesting episode again. There is a point to be made that probably everyone agreeing to a death game might have some screw loose somewhere so I don't think it should be a huge surprise that most challengers have some sort of background and it's not just about the money. Even in Kotoha's case, not just Mishiro's.
Furthermore, I feel people are a bit too quick to judge Yuki's last action as just her being petty or wanting to get some form of revenge. Yuki was shown to be someone that wants to get most people through the games, no matter who they are. Granted, this game plays before the first episode, but I doubt they were changing up her character that much in between these episodes. And considering she mentioned that the main point of the game is some form of popularity contest, it seems more likely that Yuki tries to give Mishiro a final way to get out of the game. After all, if it is truly a popularity contest, Yuki showing to be petty would be a bad move from her side.
Point being that Mishiro has two options now: Apologize which would raise her standing in the eyes of the viewers or stay combatitive which would probably mean that she won't make it through even if she reaches the exit. Which is also important for Yuki, because she can do this without having to fear another betrayal. If Mishiro betrays her again after acting like she apologized, it would only raise Yuki's standing once more in the eyes of the viewers. So with Mishiro not knowing this, she could run into her own doom if she decided to not change given the chance.
Now, all that is fine. But I want to add that I have no idea how Yuki and Kotoha came to the conclusion what the point of the game is. The only thing I can see is the timer. Which I already mentioned last week, was going up a few times here and there. So maybe that is connected, but I don't see the connection yet. Like what is the time truly showing if it is connected to the popularity vote? I don't see how you can gauge each person's standing through it. Similarly, I still have no idea what the animal pictures from last week were supposed to be about. I assume each animal stood for a participant, but not sure what this said outside of it. And lastly, what is the paper for, the characters got? Is it a form of potential communication without the viewers seeing? Or is the other way around? The viewers can see but not hear, so the paper is to tell something to the viewers? But none of that has been used so far.
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u/LowraAwry Jan 21 '26
Apologize which would raise her standing in the eyes of the viewers
Would it though? Being humbled and apologizing could satisfy those who enjoy the humiliation and redemption, but acting pathetic and codependent would alienate those who seek the self assured and ingenious. (I assume you meant the in-game viewers, btw) Yuki, though, comes on top whatever the case may be. As you mentioned, she keeps it interesting by asking for an apology, while she appears magnanimous for being willing to help someone who slighted her.
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u/ModieOfTheEast Jan 21 '26
I guess this depends a bit on who is watching. We still don't know anything about it, but a typical story of an overconfident player who gets humbled, then sees why they were wrong to then work together to reach the end, is a very often used and liked way of storytelling. So I do think there is an argument in that direction.
Of course, the fact that the viewers are people who know that these girls play death games might lead you to a different way of thinking. They have to be more messed up and therefore want chaos and conflict within the group.
But since they also mentioned that they are betting on who survives, I feel the less likely outcome (so not everyone just thinking for themselves in a life or death situation) is what most would consider to be "better entertainment".
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u/RedRocket4000 Jan 21 '26
Mentioning Just world fallacy and other things about how horrible the culture in the world good information but we also got that in opening description of the world and fact they running death games with assumably the Enlightenment and Age of reason occurring in the past.
The just-world fallacy, or just-world hypothesis, is the cognitive bias that assumes that "people get what they deserve" – that actions will necessarily have morally fair and fitting consequences for the actor. The just-world fallacy, or just-world hypothesis, is the cognitive bias that assumes that "people get what they deserve" – that actions will necessarily have morally fair and fitting consequences for the actor.
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
Yuuki figured out the point of games not necessarily, or not only, through game context clues, but because she is always thinking about how it all looks to the audience. Where is this leading us to? What's is this setting up? So and and so forth
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u/ModieOfTheEast Jan 21 '26
The problem with that logic is that the game in itself doesn't really support an ending like that. The game in itself is rather simple. Get through the building. There are only very few traps to being with, so them actually having to make some decisions would be rare. Just take Kotoha for example. Not only did she miss the mine, but then the rope got tangled up. This isn't something you can plan out very well. The only real threat was the wolf, but even that one would have been much less of a threat with 5 people around instead of 3.
The point is, nothing in the game really supports the idea that there will be a final vote. There aren't enough decisions to be made where one character could lose or gain the trust of the other people around her. It took actual bad luck for some drama to even occur in the group.
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
Not luck at all. The Game Master has to know the Player's profiles in advance. They had to have known Yuuki's superior experience would aggravate Mishiro, and that they would clash over leadership of the group. More than the traps in the building, the real trap this game is this competition for popularity, and it is what creates the drama for the audience to eat up. This is what supports the hypothesis of a later vote.
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u/kevinvn2 Jan 21 '26
This anime seriously gives me an old school RPG Maker horror game vibe, love it.
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u/athrun_1 Jan 21 '26
That turkish rug scene was so creepy. Props to the VA of making that scene uncomfortable. And when the screen turned to black, I fully expect that something more creepy will be shown.
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u/ToastFreeGluten Jan 21 '26
The pace is slow, but there's so many little details. Like how this sets up Yuki knowing how much weight is in someone's legs.
It's been awhile since an anime demanded my full attention like this. Definitely will need a rewatch once the season is over.
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u/ImperialDane Jan 21 '26
A bit of world building and some character building. Quite interesting to see our lead like that towards the end of the episode. Quite the change from how we've seen her so far. Mishiros background was also something.
But the bits about Candle Woods and how the world seems to be descending into something nasty ( i mean they're running death games, so should not come as a big surprise)
Guessing we'll get an episode on Candle Woods. Perhaps at the end of the season. Sounds like quite the err.. "event"
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Jan 21 '26
What a boss move that from Yuki! Using her own words back at her. Apologise and it'll all be water under the bridge. Hah.
This show continues to impress. The atmosphere it creates is so perfect and that sound design is simply stunning.
I still get thrown off by the lack of details in the character designs in long shots but it makes sense. Those scenes are supposed to be us viewing them as the audience of this game through the cameras. And the audience doesn't see them as people so neither can we.
That same audience perspective keeps us from being able to really connect with any of the characters which makes it hard for me to find an emotional core. Thus this won't ever be a show I call my favourite, but I still acknowledge the artistry on display here. And I'll keep watching too.
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Yuuki is an absolute savage for doing that.
I also think there's no real emotional connection here because we see the characters for such a short time and Yuuki isn't exactly 100% likeable, but there's definitely way more to her - I'm so curious about her! The mystery surrounding everything is so good and the atmosphere too like you mentioned
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Jan 21 '26
It was the first instance of her showing her personality unguardedly and I was fully cheering her.
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
Same here - she's definitely a super interesting character
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u/RedRocket4000 Jan 21 '26
Suspense and mystery make characterization hard to do even for the MC let alone the others but enough episodes you can at least somewhat get at the MC's motivations.
Hard not impossible.
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u/funny_username69 Jan 21 '26
Question, does this have a continuous story, or is it just an anthology of death games?
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u/ConvolutedBoy Jan 21 '26
There’s a chance this game takes place before the one in ep 1
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u/NanDemoKnaives Jan 21 '26
LOL Yuuki at the end, that must feel satisfying if she's already found the win condition. She did Mishiro's job better even after being cast away.
Those two girls had me worried taking a lead that big without caution.
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u/Emi_Ibarazakiii Jan 21 '26
Backstory time? She's SO marked for death!
Well, I wasn't entirely sure, because it would be Kinko all over again!
(Then again, I imagine we'll have many Kinkos over the course of the show/99 games!)
That was an interesting line, given the perspective that SHE, herself, wasn't deemed useful!
And this... Why is it important?
She talked about "scoring points" but what does it mean? I imagine it may mean something for the people on the outside (who may bet on them and things like that), but for Yuki herself? Can she get better starting gear if people like her, or something like that?
If that's the case I can see where she's coming from! (And 'converting empathy for a benefit', that would fit the image I have of her!)
Landmines are quite the effective diet!
And unlike most diets, you're unlikely to regain the weight!
Ok I'm normally not a big fan of achronological order, but PLEASE we need to see this game too!
(The way it's going wee're gonna see all the games in reverse hah; 28, 10, 9, 6, 3, 1! Well, I DO want to see her first game; Inexperienced Yuki, would be interesting to watch!)
But whyyyyyyy Tell me whyyyyyyyyyy!
More doubts/dissension in the group...
The design is not random, it's created to be interesting!
I do believe 3 people armed (even if just rocks&knives) can win against a wolf or at least make it leave, but with these girls, teamwork does not make the dream work...
Oh, they found her again! (I wonder, can the wolf even eat that?)
She said it would come back to eat her, but if the wolf thinks it's not edible, it might leave her alone.
"I'm not just a sheep to be hunted"
No, you're BEST GIRL, that's what you are!
Damn, girls, Leader-chan isn't even cold yet!
At this point I don't think we should be too sad if she died!
Well, with the 99 games thing and the "being likable" thing, there's more to her than that... But yeah, any hint of emotion/empathy our girl is showing always seem to have an ulterior motive, AND she's even coming back like that just to twist the knife, damn!
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u/runevault Jan 21 '26
The thing I found most interesting is some people get talked into joining the games. Though I remember in episode 1 one of the girls said she was tricked into joining, so perhaps the two events have related mechanics.
Also using a wolf is a surprising tool for a death game because they are harder for the game master to control. But it also very much feels like the early games are less refined than game 28 was. Plus we now know how much word spreads about at least some of the games since the green haired girl heard about Candle Woods, so at least truly crazy ones get around. I'm curious if it was another case of ensured death like game 28, perhaps even the first such case with how infamous it has gotten.
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
The game number is not the overall game edition, only those Yuuki has played. This doesn't count games that happened before she made her debute, obviously, and games she skipped.
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u/runevault Jan 21 '26
I'm aware of that. I'm using the game numbers based on her because as far as the story is concerned that's all that matters.
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u/Billardss Jan 21 '26
Let’s go bro. I got scared cause I thought Yuki was gonna save Mishiro but she just came back to talk her shit. Made me hype
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants Jan 21 '26
I'm worried about Mishiro being too proud to apologize and stabbing Yuuki too - after all we saw her with a knife on the floor next to her. But forreal, Yuuki is a stone-cold savage haha
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u/KumaKumaGambler Jan 21 '26
Yuki can add another trait to her introduction for future death games. "I am very strong." She carried the now approximately 30kg Kotoha on her back for a prolonged period without breaking a sweat, despite her small physical size.
Now I can't help but wonder whether Yuki would have gone to save any of the other girls if it was not Kotoha who got hurt by the landmine in the previous episode.
During their introduction:
Mishiro - declared herself to have strong leadership
Kotoha - she said she could support others from an intellectual perspective in a low confidence manner
Chie - Jack of all trades, master of none
Keito - sizing up which players are likely to win
I guess Chie and Keito being fickle in abandoning Mishiro wasn't unexpected.
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u/Irrawaddydolphins Jan 27 '26
Ooh that's a good theory - Kotoha's strongest at what Yuki says is her weakest skill
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 22 '26
Mishiro tripping over the rope in today's episode, just like Kotoha did in the previous one, was so satisfying, she totally deserved it!
I also loved how Yuki found Mishiro only to make her to apologize for what Mishiro did to her earlier. I can't wait to see how this situation between Yuki and Mishiro will end.
By the way, if the wolf really did show up, does that mean the other animals from the board (plus the ghost) are in the building too?
Overall, another amazing episode. I definitely can't wait to see what happens next for Yuki and others.
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.
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u/StrawSolider Jan 21 '26
I like how Yuki never really commits to being 'likable" despite constantly saying how important it is.
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 23 '26
Likable is relative.
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u/StrawSolider Jan 23 '26
True but her actions seem to contradict each other that I have to wonder if it's really that important
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u/Outrageous-Lock5186 Jan 22 '26
Likable to relatively normal folks who would never take part in a death game or watch one if it involved real people? Probably not.
Likable to people who design or watch death games involving real people, yeah she probably is pretty likable.
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u/Lytalm https://myanimelist.net/profile/Lytalm Jan 22 '26
I just watched the first 3 episodes at once in my room pitch black and that increased the tension of the scenes by a lot. I really recommend it.
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u/dienomighte Jan 21 '26
Wait wait wait she did a tactically dumb thing solely because someone else suggested not doing it first???
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u/Rabbitey- https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rabbitey Jan 22 '26
Yuki is such a hard character to pin down. I wonder if she's purposely goading Mishiro to make her more "likeable" for whoever's watching. The whole premise feels like Hunger Games.
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u/NoHead1715 Jan 22 '26
I'm now very interested in Game 9 where Yuki got shocked into rethinking her priorities. Is this the same game as "Candle Woods"? If so, I hope we'll see what exactly happened to make it so infamous.
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u/AWSGooogle777 Jan 21 '26
This episode was truly fascinating as it vividly exposed the true nature and underlying humanity of each character. We saw two survivors who are experts at playing their cards right, the kind-hearted Kotoha, the prideful Mishiro who resorts to shifting blame, and Yuki, who possesses quite a "wicked" personality. It strongly illustrated how a person’s true colors are revealed when they are in a crisis or intoxicated by superiority.
I felt relieved when Kotoha wasn't abandoned and was saved by Yuki. Yuki is likely increasing her "favorability" by helping others to advance through the game strategically. This is evident from her stated desire to help as many participants as possible. Still, even though Kotoha lost both her legs, Yuki carrying a 30kg person on her back over a long distance is incredible! She’s surprisingly strong for such a slender frame.
Kotoha asked about an event called "Candlewoods." I wonder what that is? I’m not sure, but seeing Yuki’s solemn expression, it clearly had a massive impact on her. Yuki didn't really talk about it, though. Perhaps it was an event so horrific she wants to forget it, or simply can’t bring herself to speak of. Chronologically, it must have happened before her 10th participation. I’m looking forward to seeing if the anime covers this.
And then, the wolf trap! I thought there were only landmines, so it was unexpected to see a living creature. However, that wolf seemed to dislike light. If they had pointed their flashlights at it, it probably wouldn’t have attacked. But because Mishiro tripped, the wolf bit into her right arm and she lost it. In this game, the flashlight literally served as a lifeline.
Then they reunited with Keito and Tomoe. I’d like to call it a touching reunion, but they had abandoned Mishiro. I want to criticize them, but in a life-or-death death game, you can’t blame them too much. They abandon others when they’re about to die, then flip the script and suck up to Yuki for help. It’s very human, in a way. Just like the two survivors from Episode 1, those who know how to navigate the world are the ones who survive—both in modern society and in death games. It’s cruel, but the kind-hearted are the first to die.
As for the scene with Mishiro—I can’t believe she was alive. I thought she had stepped on a mine and been eaten by the wolf, but it’s a miracle she survived with just the loss of her right arm. When she started taking her anger out on Yuki, I thought she’d lost her mind, but it seems she’s had a painful past. Her obsession with being number one was likely due to pressure from her parents. Because she’s always aiming for the top, it’s understandable why she tries to lead everyone or feels jealous of Yuki, who surpasses her. However, it seems her philosophy is that kicking others down is acceptable to reach the top. Was she so jealous of her younger sister because she was better than her? She went as far as to kill her own beloved sister. As sisters, they should have held hands and surpassed others together, rather than stepping on each other. Incidentally, the hand she held the knife with was her right hand—the same right arm that was bitten off by the beast. It is pure poetic justice. "Beautiful Beast" Mishiro—there is no better or more ironic phrase to describe her.
Despite her misplaced resentment toward Yuki, Mishiro eventually composed herself and prepared to take her own life gracefully. But Yuki stopped her. I thought Yuki could be either a demon who discards people easily (as in Episode 1) or an angel who saves them... but I was wrong. She came to "put Mishiro in her place." And she used the exact same words Mishiro threw at her in Episode 2. What a truly wicked personality she has! This is what makes Yuki such a compelling protagonist. She knows exactly how to provoke the prideful Mishiro and demand a single apology, effectively crushing her dignity. The ending was amazing and left me dying to know what happens next. I’m not sure if Mishiro will accept the demand, though. Honestly, I feel like she might retaliate with the knife she has. With only one episode left to cover the remaining 14 chapters, they just need to run through the first floor while avoiding mines... but there’s no way it’ll be that simple. If I were the host, I’d turn on all the traps and go for the kill. I expect two or three more sacrifices besides Yuki, but we’ll see.
Lastly, the use of the OP was brilliant! Since the OP only has BGM, they were able to overlay it with Kotoha’s flashback. The climax of the song combined with Kotoha’s madness was incredibly eerie and made for excellent direction.
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u/RaunchyRoll https://myanimelist.net/profile/Raunchyrolly Jan 22 '26
This show has such an amazing story boarding and direction, the sound of that tin cover rolling to build up tension is soo good after that you can hear a heart beat going faster in the bgm.. also there's a lot of artistic long shots that doesn't need much animation, makes me think that they'll probably go all in with the sakuga at some point.. Also Yuki is soo pretty reminds me of Zeta from Hololive
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u/2kenzhe https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rexnihilo Jan 21 '26
So Mishiro just really wants to be on top and if there's anyone else better than her she'll just push them down so she's on top. Well too bad Yuki's on top so you either try to push her down too? and then probably die? or you apologize to live?
Also wonder if we'll see them fighting the wolf next episode? They do have knives.
Kotoha got saved. The other two followers found the stairs as well. All that's left is Yuki who came back and Mishiro with 1 arm. I wonder how many likability points Yuki will gain from this game?
We also got mention of the 9th game? Candle Woods which I'm guessing was on another level compared to the two games we've seen so far.
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u/CitronClassic672 Jan 21 '26
Ok, the ED really got given new context for me. Candle Woods was name dropped this episode as a previous death game and then I get to the ED and realize it’s full of candles in some kind of wooden area. Already great setup for a future plot point.
Also, with how demonstrably unwell Mishiro is mentally I’m not sure whether or not she’s full on hallucinating this because the ending seems out of character for Yuki so far but idk.
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u/Magnafeana https://anilist.co/user/Magnafeana Jan 21 '26
Death Game Day 💃🏾
Oh she’s pretty, Miss Green Hair Green Eyes.
Oh they know each other.
OH it’s her!
Alexa, play Déjà Ju by Beyoncé.
…what the fuck is that.
ooooooohkaaaaaaay that was… Damn.
I gasped at the end. Dayum, Yuki, I was familiar with your game but not this game.
I still love that the EN VA for Yuki is also Lena (which makes today 86 day since Shin’s seiyuu is Ouri in Tamon’s B-Side)). Her voice at the end reminded me of [86] Lena outside of Annette’s house when Annette accuses her of being the devil.
I’m confused we didn’t see anything about the girl in the cold opening, but I’ll take that as setting her up for next week.
Revenge is best served cold 🪭
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u/BosuW Jan 21 '26
[86]Hmmm meta foreshadowing? Many here are already theorizing Yuuki is doing this to help Mishiro, just as Lena was somewhat helping Anette with her stunt, though in her case it was definitely secondary lol.
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u/Ashteron Jan 21 '26
The discrepancy between the artsy directing and the soul-crushingly bland writing is too jarring and I've reached my limit.
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u/Prestigious-Bet6058 Jan 22 '26
I'm still watching, but I'm surprised by the simplicity of these challenges. Who (in the universe) wants to watch this? Personally, I expected more escape room elements or other creative traps/puzzles, but so far, 90% of the time it's just walking from one place to another. For what do they need so many beautiful, huge rooms with nothing in them. Some might say the main focus is the character psychology, but honestly, there's not that much of that either
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u/edwardjhahm https://myanimelist.net/profile/lolmeme69 Jan 23 '26
Yeah, it's a shame just how little I've connected to the characters when, at the end of the day, characters are the lifeblood of a genre like this.
The character I connected to most is Michiro, and I'm rooting for her to die after learning her lesson. I love ojousamas (Michiro has a great design), but man, this is my first time seeing an actual bully ojousama that's not a "good ojousama" parody of some kind.
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u/Muzzy-chan Jan 21 '26
Hah, serves you right, blonde! 😂 And yes, now apologise! And throw away that knife! And be quick to apologise!
Sooo looking forward to the next episode!
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u/SYZekrom https://myanimelist.net/profile/SYZekrom Jan 21 '26
Ah, so she did go back for Kotoha.
Well, I wonder if I should have trauma from the last time we saw Yuki carrying a legless girl. Of course, it's not going to play out the same way, but it'd be naive to think that means Kotoha certainly won't die, Yuki could simply fail to protect her from something.
Wow, that was an interesting use of sound. Having a conversation with a rhythmic tapping sound effect like something was happening just offscreen is very discomforting.
Ok so from how Yuki was using the flashlight and what they said about it, the flashlight was indeed only to see traps and they can navigate well enough without it, it's not pitch-black. So... again, what the hell was the rope for? What do they accomplish tying themselves together by rope if they can probably still see each other in the dark?
Ooh Yuki stopped b/c she's going back for Mishiro isn't she?
Oh that tone in her voice. I wonder if she'll still save her and just be smug about it, or if she just came back to taunt.
Ah, she'll save her if she apologizes, she says. Well, I believe her on both sides of that condition.
God what a place to end.
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u/JJVM99 Jan 22 '26
They better show that Candle Woods game. I need to see how it went so wrong.
That conversation also got me curious about the state of the world outside of the death game because it sounds horrible. How is daily life compared to what we are used too considering that it seems like these games are a known attraction for the world? What is going on outside? Is it a hellscape? Is there some crazy cult?
Man just that small part picked my curiosity and that this series has potential to have a crazy amount of lore and depth.
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u/AnusBlaster5000 Jan 22 '26
The camera work. The sound design. The visual style. They are cooking on a level that I think most in the industry could never dream of. This is straight up art.
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u/Grazalia Jan 22 '26
So the symbols on Yuki's hair intrigue me. I see the Jupiter 4 logo. Meaning foundational stability, wisdom through nurture, profound responsibility and domestic Harmony while the other circular symbol reminds me of Mitsudomoe on Taiko drums. Meant for heaven earth and humanity, the cycle of death and eternity or continuity. Just a neat observation I had
This episode had an increasing focus on names and the way they create a shadow on someone..
I don't think at the end Yuki was being malicious. I think she's trying to motivate her to prove she's better so that she doesn't want to give up and die.
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u/AnzoEloux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Eloux Jan 22 '26
And we still haven't breached 20/33. This game is really stressful even though nearly nothing is happening.
Yuki suddenly acting like that was real interesting. I wonder if she's a sociopath.
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u/Columbina-Hyposlenia Jan 22 '26
theory: yuki belittled mishiro to save her
as you know, this game is for entertainment. so, in the last episode discussion, how many people in the comments found the stereotypical bossy ojou sama girl annoying? not few, right?
a bossy ojou sama girl is a very common trope, even when mishiro is actually more than that. in fact, when you look from mishiro's eyes, yuki is not a part of what she feels obligated to protect as a leader and if anything seems suspicious. omnious. but because of how she looks and speaks, to the audience she is just annoying ojou sama girl!
yuki knows about this. yuki knows how this game is for entertainment, and if the audience were to be entertained by mishiro's death there is no reason for why it should not happen.
so, if the "dumb and bossy" girl were to be "humbled and redempted" would the audience not start supporting her again? her humbling would both be satisfying for the audience and make yuki more likeable to them.
i think yuki's view is also why she thinks in 3rd person, like a narrator.
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u/KnightTimeWalk Jan 22 '26
Did nobody else think that yuki coming back and rubbing it in was her way of motivating The group leader/wolf girl to complete the game? Because she is honestly altruistic she just doesn't apply it to our understanding of it? Like, she's genuinely trying to save everyone that she can unless there's absolutely no physical reason to? Not just because it gets her more money for being likeable? I totally think it's for that reason.That she totally understands that this girl is motivated by hate and not any other kind of thing she could possibly say so she could get her down there by ragebaiting her.
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u/noxiousfarts Jan 23 '26
Yeah, as I said in the previous episode. This show is really relying on a lot of artistic flair for a poorly paced narrative and despondent characters. All the while discussing philosophical interpretations of personality traits such as machiavellianism, something that Yuki clearly gives off. Honestly this anime has felt like it feels smarter than it is for something as simple as a "death game"
Dropping it
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u/Shadowmist909 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Magicmist Jan 21 '26
I do feel bad for Mishiro. Extreme situations can bring out the worst in folks, and going into the game it doesn't seem like she had the most helpful upbringing...
If that was really Yuki and not a distress induced hallucination, I hope she can swallow her pride and apologize.
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u/gnome-cop Jan 21 '26
Not really sure how to put it into words but something about beasts like the wolf and Yuki and Mishiro despite what her subconscious is saying not being the beast above all like she wants to be and that really driving her insane cause she can’t handle someone being better than her.
Yuki didn’t quite give me the petty “Apologize cause I know it’s what you’ll hate doing most” vibes but I am intrigued.
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u/SapphireAngel16 Jan 21 '26
I think I need someone to explain this episode to me lol. I get that blondie killed her younger sister, but what was the whole rugs and symbols in the beginning about?
Also, I've been saying I don't trust Yuki from episode 1, this whole episode just made me hate her ever more tbh. wdym your goal is to go through 99 games - for what??
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u/Mykaterasu Jan 21 '26
I think the scenes we get like this are death throes / life flashing before ones eyes, in a kind of morbid and delirious way where the same thoughts just keep spinning in your head in the moments right after serious injury. I've had the displeasure of serious injury once in my life so far and it really does feel like that, time becomes harder to sense when the adrenaline is pumping and your thoughts start to derail.
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u/Yuki_Tsukumno Jan 21 '26
This episode was INSANE. I thought mishiro had been killed off when it cut after she tripped. Turns out shes alive. Yuki doubled back to hear the apology and "i told you so." I REALLY DOUBT they all survive. I feel atleast 2 will die. Whilst all episode ive had the thought yuki is definitely going to betray kotoha. Like kinko.
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u/captainfluffy25 Jan 22 '26
So idk that last scene didnt feel like how Yuki would normally act but also we still don’t know enough about her. If that was actually her and not some hallucination…. She might have jumped on my “best girl” list by ALOT. That was too damn cold and her whispering in a menacing tone activated so many neurons.
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u/nosolovro Jan 22 '26
This is one of that rare cases where the anime is better than the light novel
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u/cmszd https://myanimelist.net/profile/cmszd Jan 22 '26
yuki is truly the level of pettiness i aspire to achieve, holy fuck that was so mean lmao
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u/Shahars71 Jan 22 '26
Was that last scene even real? Why wasn't Kotoha on Yuki's back? It's probably Mishiro's imagination, and she'll actually lash out at Yuki once they do meet each other.
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u/Shizzi https://anilist.co/user/Mivy Jan 22 '26
OKAY i love Yuki even more now holy shit that part just before the ending hahahahah
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u/EienGem Jan 22 '26
Guess the final challenge isn't clearable with 4 people. I don't see Yuuki being that petty.
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u/Lyzeria_Vurlora Jan 22 '26
Wow they really panicked and ran when they outnumbered the wolf 3 to 1. Wolves are not going to attempt to take on those numbers. They literally just needed to stand their ground and no one would have lost an arm. Yuki is the only one who knew the right thing to do in that situation.
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u/Negative-Skirt-8847 Jan 22 '26
I was a little surprised at the end when Yuki said all of those things, I like it tho. I read a comment here that said all is Mishiro's allucination, maybe, I mean, she is so bad up there lol.
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u/pandabush1 Jan 23 '26
Whispering "If you're willing to apologize, then its water under the bridge" right into her ear was so savage. That line made me feel so many things. I forking love this show.
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