Silent Library
By Will Wade,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Game show contestants silently endure humiliation and pain.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Best game show since Jeapordy.
What's the Story?
In each round of SILENT LIBRARY -- an Americanized version of a wacky Japanese game show -- one of six players is randomly selected to endure a very strange challenge; the others either watch or help deliver the various humiliations. The goal is to endure the physical discomfort and occasional degradation silently. Laughing, yelling, crying out in pain -- it's all forbidden. Too much noise and host Zero Kazama sternly tells the contestants that they've earned nothing for the task.
Is It Any Good?
Set in a faux library set, Silent Library is an exercise in the bizarre. The challenges aren't particularly difficult; instead they range from the downright silly to the degrading and painful. In one task, for example, a man must attach a woman's breast pump to his own nipples. In another, to the contestant's immense surprise, a dwarf wearing boxing gloves jumps out of a box and delivers a punch to the stomach. Participants are kicked on the rear end, endure electric shocks, and must hang on to a rotating spit while being basted in barbecue sauce. All the while, a stern librarian and a few nonplussed patrons look on, unamused.
Host Kazama is even less amused. The man never cracks a smile, acting as if he's in pain watching the contestants endure the various unpleasantries, which adds to the strange mood of this strange show. "Your pain is giving me pleasure," he tells one participant after a particularly embarrassing task. Viewers may be able to relate -- though this show isn't exactly entertaining, it's just too weird to write off as a total waste of time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's challenges. Do you think the tasks are degrading or just silly?
Would you be willing to be humiliated for money? If so, how far would you be willing to go?
This series is based on a game show imported from Japan, where embarrassment seems to be a common theme in game shows. Do you think that makes Japanese game shows different from American ones?
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 15, 2009
- Cast: Zero Kazama
- Network: MTV
- Genre: Game Shows
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: July 2, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Best Game Shows for Kids
Reality TV for the Whole Family
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate