We've seen shows present this topic before, most particularly and recently with Akane Shimizu's Hataraku Saibou BLACK a.k.a Cells at Work: Code Black, and it's what it is: the etymology of the term "black company" where it's typical practice to hire a large number of employees, exploit them to work large amounts of overtime without overtime pay with poor conditions, verbal abuse and "power harassment" (bullying) by their superiors, threatening them with disrepute if they chose to quit. And you can take all that and consummate into this series: Youhei Yasumura's Dungeon Black Company, which explains how to get your way through a Black Company and rise up the ranks. And the best part obout it, is that everything fits perfectly into the scenario played out.
Yeah yeah, it's an Isekai first and foremost, but this is one of the few enjoyable Isekai of the Summer season that truly hits all the right spots of a "rags to riches" success story of a rollercoaster ride. And nowhere do we spot this than from the perspective of Kinji Ninomiya, voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi, the same person who brought you Jojo Part 5's Diavolo and Gurren Lagann's Kamiya (and man, his voice absolutely fits the cunning, manipulative of a confident scumbag himself). If you've watched last season's Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!, both MCs Combatant Agent No. 6 and Kinji are very similar to one another: they play dirty with their "bad guy" despicable mindset, deal with their own evil organization with ulterior motives and manifesting similar comedy vibes (though I feel that Black Company does it better), and to top it up, they have loli partners/supports as well. The "riches to rags to riches" story that sees the NEET Ninomiya being Isekai-ed into a fantasy world where he has to start his work dominance over from scratch, and that's a pain right there. Along with the relentless obfuscating lesson of hard work and fellow workers that toll with him, it's a pain in the butt to having be overworked again by word from negligent superiors, and that's where Kinji got the single-best idea of all: to create his own Dungeon Black Company from within and slowly create a coup d'etat as his calvary charge of retaliation.
But in order to create his own organization, Kinji's first strategy is just as important as the series' core progression: its cast of characters whom are comrades also fighting for the same poverty rights. The first worker that Kinji recruits is this crocodilian demi-human named Wanibe, who was his co-worker at the start of the series. And boy, these 2 bore the entirety of the starting phase of revolt against the Raiza'ha Corporation, which are doing the same thing that Ninomiya once did in his old, accomplished NEET life. From there, the dungeon opens its doors, and slowly but surely, both him and Wanibe hit it off to encounter monsters and fellow workers whom are suffering the same overworked circumstances, fight and recruit them to their side (like a dungeon for easy proposition to start the topple rumbling from within. The 3rd character of Kinji's crusade is arguably one of the most important characters, and is what helps and gives him trouble at the same time: the dragon girl that is Rim. As you would expect, Rim does act like the usual titular dungeon boss character, but you know Kinji, his cunning manipulation got the best of her, and she shapeshifted into a teenage loli just so that she can have meat, regardless of Kinji's finanical status. Rim does act on accord because she was the former Demon Lord of the Dungeon, but she got too lazy and bored, and handed the reins over to someone else just so that she could wander free on her own whim. Couple in the dubbed failure of a hero that is Shia and the magic tomboy that is Ranga, and these 5 people form the basis of Kinji's unusual adventurer party of the Dungeon Black Company, pushing their way through to the top and achieve Nirvana on Kinji's ultimate goal: to rule over others without having to work his butt. If you ask me, this is a sweet deal of a package that I'm willing to buy, because while the characters aren't as unique, but they're at the very least entertaining and funny to see their antics spread across the many layers of numerous battles both physically and mentally. It never gets old and stale, and in an Isekai of this calibre where I can sympathize with their sufferings, truly does an equivocal effect of using your brain to work smart, and not work hard.
It's a fun Isekai show for sure, and what better way to top it off with the VAs which complement the characters so darn freaking well. Rim is voiced by Misaki Kuno, who has been the face of Nanatsu no Taizai's favorite talking pig Hawk, and seen as such, Rim is such a comical character who just doesn't care and gets what she wants by hook or by crook. Hiro Shimono acting as Wanibe with his voice being a veteran mainstay, and it's of no surprise at all. Everyone's favourite VA M.A.O voicing Ranga, and I swear if that's not the same voice that I heard with Tensei Slime's Shion, then she must've got a vocal upgrade. Rounding up the rag-tag crew is Megumi Toda with Shia, and it's been awhile since New Game!'s Hajime's voice was featured in an anime (alongside this season's Peach Boy Riverside's Meki a.k.a Carrot). The manga may be nothing, but the anime helped elevate the manga by a notch with such stellar VA performances.
Likewise, Silver Link's generic Isekai production substrates have remained the same for a few years now, but to do some experiments with this show is a nice touch that's coming from in-house director Mirai Minato. But it's just the same that I don't really expect much of it anymore, and if it is produced decently, then that's all we need. The music though, if I were to compare the OST as a whole in this season, it's the sleeper kind of "it's pure unadulterated goodness". I've come to love both the OP and ED overtime that fits the tone of the show, but more particularly with the ED, because Humbreaders came back strong with their 2nd featured Anisong that is an upgrade when compared to Shin! Chuuka Ichiban S2's ED, and both songs evoke the sense of youth overflowing with fun.
For those tired with the usual Isekai genericness that we got over the past few years, please, PLEASE, try out Dungeon Black Company. IMO it's way lot grounded and better than Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!, and it's the same crazed idiocy with the likes of KonoSuba's Kazuma if he were ever to get stuck in jobs that would have him procrastinating and whining every second without end. It's a strange, yet fascinating Isekai world, and I would not have it in any other way for the time investment of interests well spent, from being lost in the red to profiting much in the green.
