English Dub Review: Dungeon People “Starting Work in the Dungeon”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
After accepting a position as the dungeon manager, Clay gets the grand tour of the residential quarters in the dungeon.  She begins to learn the ropes of the job.

Our Take:
Now that we have gotten through the basics of its characters, it’s time for our first day as a dungeon worker.  Of course, by that, I mean we explore more of the show’s dungeon guided by Beilleheila.  My first impression of this dungeon in the previous episode was pretty underwhelming at first due to the empty rooms and hallways surrounding its aura.  However, once it showed the dungeon’s true colors as an operating business, most of my worries about it being another basic dungeon crawler were behind me.  Its introduction to the popular concept’s refreshing approach managed to maintain my interest throughout its seemingly fundamental plot, but what matters most was whether the remaining episodes can retain that momentum.
The second episode is basically what the title suggests, with Clay starting her first job as a dungeon operator with Beilleheila.  Additionally, we get more exposition of how the dungeon’s mechanisms function behind the scenes, including its discovery and the monsters’ gems.  The previous episode showed that the monsters drop gems whenever they’re defeated, which is a pretty simple mechanic by RPG standards.  However, this episode puts an unexpected twist on this element by storing the monsters’ consciousnesses inside the gems carried by their doppelgängers.  This also applies to humans, mainly Clay, but it’s not without an unfortunate side effect involving clothing.  It also introduces Rangado, a dwarf employee specializing in treasure chest finances, whom Clay assisted in placing the chest in different rooms.
“Starting Work in the Dungeon” offers more insight into the functionaries of a working dungeon.  More importantly, it showcases the characters’ dysfunctional chemistry, with Clay’s deadpan and experienced persona clashing with Belle’s innocent and joyful identity.  Because of this, the episode showed small signs of improvement and intrigue in its concept and offbeat comedy, notably a nude Clay following the gem’s transfer progress and Belle’s messy control room.  While I’m not fully convinced of its potential yet, I can at least say my first day on the job was a serviceable success.