SHIBOYUGI TV Anime Premieres January 7 on Netflix and Crunchyroll
The television anime adaptation of SHIBOYUGI: Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table, based on the popular light novel series by writer Yūshi Ukai and artist Nekometal, is confirmed for wide distribution in the West.
Netflix is listing the series for streaming starting on January 7, providing a dedicated platform for the series abroad.
Crunchyroll will also be streaming the anime as it airs concurrently with its Japanese broadcast, ensuring global access to the debut.
The anime’s premiere in Japan is set for Tokyo MX on January 7 at 11:00 p.m. The first episode will be a special 60-minute premiere, with subsequent episodes shifting to a later 11:30 p.m. slot.
The series will also debut on ABC TV on January 7, followed by a launch on WOWOW beginning January 13.
Japanese audiences will also be able to stream the anime on Netflix and other domestic services at the same time as the television broadcast.
The production is helmed by Sōta Ueno, known for directing “Days With My Stepsister”, at Studio DEEN. Rintarou Ikeda, who handled series composition for “The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon’s Judgement”, is in charge of the series composition, while Eri Osada (“Blade & Soul”) is designing the characters.
Noriyoshi Konuma (“The Dangers in My Heart”) serves as the sound director.
The staff also includes hewa on Concept Art, Imari Katsuragi on Color Design, Yoshihiro Nakamura as Art Director, and Haruko Kikuchi as the Editor.
The music is composed by Junichi Matsumoto, with production handled by Nippon Columbia.
The main voice cast features Chiyuki Miura as Yuuki, Rena Motomura as Aoi, Inori Minase as Kinko, Haruka Satō as Kokutō, Mutsumi Tamura as Beniya, and Rina Kawaguchi as Momono.
The opening theme song, “¬Ersterbend” (pronounced “Not Ersterbend”), will be performed by LIN from the unit MADKID.
The ending theme is “Inori” (Prayer) by Chiai Fujikawa, who also wrote the song’s lyrics.
Seima Kondō from Elements Garden composed and arranged the emotional closing track.
Yen Press, the North American licensee for the light novel series, describes the dark premise centering on Yuuki, a professional death game competitor.
She wakes up in a strange manor in a maid’s uniform alongside five other girls in the exact same outfit.
The girls soon learn the manor is armed with lethal weapons and deadly traps, and their only option for freedom is to play a series of gruesome games.
While the horrific realization terrifies the others, Yuuki remains composed, seeing the deadly scenario as another opportunity to collect prize money from a brutal competition.
The source material has been critically successful, winning the Excellence Award at the 18th MF Bunko J Light Novel Newcomer Award in 2022, the same year Kadokawa’s MF Bunko J imprint published its first volume.
The series solidified its reputation by ranking first in the New Title category of Takarajimasha’s 2024 “Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!” (This Light Novel Is Amazing!) rankings, a high-profile industry achievement.
The ninth novel volume is slated to ship in Japan on January 23, 2026.
A manga adaptation by Banzai Kotobuki Daienkai is currently running in Kadokawa’s “Comp Ace” magazine, with its fifth compiled book volume scheduled for release on the same day as the novel’s next installment.
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