“Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table” official synopsis from Yen Press: “Yuki wakes up to find herself in an unfamiliar manor, wearing a maid uniform and lying on a luxurious bed. Soon, she discovers five more girls, all dressed the same as her. This is the Ghost House, and the only way they can survive is to make it through the traps that lie in wait—deadly games full of blowguns, buzz saws, locked rooms, and weapons. It’s a hopeless, terrifying situation for everyone there…well, everyone except Yuki. After all, this is her career at seventeen. Do you think that’s odd? She would agree. But that’s how some people are—they earn their living playing death games.”
Yushi Ukai‘s “Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table” feels like a two-part novel, despite pinning Yuki as the central character in both death games featured. This is an important distinction to make beforehand, as the book requires patience through a rather uninspired and exposition-heavy opening, in order to settle into the chaos of the second half. In addition, readers should be made aware that the focus here is on psychological horror as opposed to gore; blood is replaced with cotton as per pseudo-science nonsense.
These elements can make one hesitant to approach, yet it is hard to understate the strength of the book’s second half and how delectably dark and disturbing it becomes. To remain spoiler-free, the first death game features a small, timid team of participants who prioritize commentary on their fashion over the deadly task. While this results in such light fare that one can forget the premise, Yuki’s second challenge sees her in a game with hundreds of contestants with goals based on how many others they can kill. This presents a scenario of non-stop chaos wherein the ‘cute’ elements are given less time to stagnate and dull the intensity, much better suited to the type of action one would want from a death game.
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So, what does “Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table” offer, specifically? It is not horror in the visceral sense or heavy on the action; no real comedy can be found. Moreover, intensity is often underscored by indulgence in kawaii fashion and silliness. It would even be hard to say that Yushi Ukai is a particularly talented writer, with some groan-worthy dialogue and a heavy reliance on exposition.
Yet, Yushi Ukai gives the impression of an author having fun with her characters, putting them through these sensational and violent games. This does not come from a place of masochism either, with the kawaii elements and exclusion of gore working to craft a death game light novel worthy of the ‘light.’ Those who don’t like work that is particularly ‘mean-spirited’ will begin to appreciate how Ukai dulls the violence.
Yuki is also an intriguing protagonist. While she is a blank slate to explain and rationalize the games, having very little persona of her own, her practical approach to each game often frames the brutality of the situation in insightful ways. Notably, as dull as the first death game is, Yuki’s actions at the climax make for a wonderfully twisted realization of how unforgiving the competition can be. These little moments will catch readers off guard and bring the needed shock.
The physical edition is the way to go, as the art of Nekometaru is wonderfully in tune with the story. The book also features a two-sided character sheet showing the notable contestants. With how expendable life is on the pages, this will hopefully continue with each release. The book also has three afterwords, touching on how the title can be ‘divisive.’ It is a peculiar choice, but not without validity, especially for a light novel that is bound to be slightly polarizing.
“Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table” is an infectious title despite its faults, and it is easy to get lost in the challenge placed before Yuki, at least when looking at the second death game. For myself, I often stop after the first volume with either a favorable impression but no desire to continue or a valid reason to drop them (an unfortunate reality when reviewing books).
However, the biggest compliment I can give to “Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table,” despite it being on the more ‘simple’ side of the medium, is I am excited about continuing along with the series; it is that ridiculously fun with enough darkness to make it palatable to the cynic within. Many readers will likely draw the same conclusion: it won’t be anyone’s favorite series, but it will likely be consumed with glee by those who appreciate a bit of chaos.
