Every few years, I get an urge to watch anime again. This urge, equivalent to when someone feels like eating a certain food, usually lasts a few months. This year, I was reminded of an anime I saw briefly on Netflix during the summer between semesters. That was Delicious In Dungeon.
Beginning its serialization as a manga back in 2014, the anime adaptation of Delicious in Dungeon was announced in the summer of 2022. It began airing episodes weekly in January of 2024. The series follows the quartet of Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi. Their main goal is to get back to the floor of an expansive dungeon where Laios’ sister, Falin, was eaten by a red dragon. On this journey, the quartet hunts, kills, cooks, and eats the creatures of the dungeon in mouth-watering scenes and shots of the food when it’s finally prepared.
The quartet begins their journey by exploring the upper levels of the dungeon, and it feels like we, as the audience, are also a low-level player hunting with them. The show takes the time to explain and show how to properly prepare these mythical creatures for eating. It’s mentioned that this is an uncommon practice, downright frowned upon by some characters. This allows comedic moments, however, like Marcille, a half-elf magician who is very cautious, constantly throwing childish tantrums. The first time this is shown, she throws herself on the ground and thrashes about because she doesn’t want to eat… a mushroom.
When Senshi joins the group shortly after they begin their quest, he explains how sometimes you need to eat the creatures to survive if you’re a lone adventurer. Senshi has even utilized this to his advantage. He’s shown to have a harmonious relationship with some golems, whom he uses as grow-beds for fruits and vegetables. Laios also shares his desire to try all the creatures they come across. This creates a comedic duo in the two, much to the shock of Marcille and Chilchuck.
As the series gets underway, the audience is shown a world rife with issues and corruption. We’re shown how some will revive deceased people in the dungeon solely to underhandedly rob them as a “revival fee” of sorts. We’re told of how prejudice and false information circulate about certain races and events. This is especially prevalent in how Senshi, a dwarf, and Marcille, a half-elf, interact. It’s stated that there was a war between the two races, leading to distrust between them from the beginning. As the series progresses, we’re shown them beginning to open up and shed past beliefs about each other because of their origins.
A significant scene showing the group’s friendship comes towards the end of the season. Senshi, whose history has been left extremely vague, reveals that he first discovered the dungeon they’re in before it was well known. He also reveals he was trapped in it because of a creature lurking in the halls. He discusses that his drive to eat the creatures was partially born from a traumatic experience, and he uses it to cope. Instead of joking or dehumanizing his experience, the show has Laios and the others help him come to grips with what happened in a genuine, heartfelt way.
The season’s second half feels like a completely different show. Coming from the first half’s slower-paced, more slice-of-life episodes where the group hunts and cooks certain monsters, we’re introduced to more history about the titular dungeon, and the show takes on a more serious tone. This leads to slight whiplash that lasts until the cliffhanger ending, which left me a bit bereaved due to my personal belief most shows should never create a cliffhanger on the first season.
As the season winds down, the stakes are only set higher. As a main antagonist, possible impending war, and bloodshed loom on the horizon, the group’s journey is far from over. This actually left me excited for the second season.
When I began the show, it felt similar to Sword Art Online without the public discourse from fans and the general anime-enjoying community. This left me entertained but without something to yearn for. The second half gave me that yearning. I felt myself wanting to see the group’s activity succeed. I wanted to see them save Laios’ sister. I’m now left hopeful for their adventure and the exploration they have ahead of them.
As of now, no release date or major information has been revealed for the show’s second season. All the wide audience knows is that it’ll feature more dragons, as shown in an announcement video posted by Kadokawa. This video has been met with widespread joy from the fanbase, and I know I’ll be tuning in if it means I’ll get to see more delicious food made in dungeons.
Overall, I’d rank the show’s first season an 8.5/10. It has loads of great shots of food preparation, creates a lived-in world, and takes its time to introduce us to events, people, and future storylines. However, the whiplash between the first and second half of the season can leave some fans questioning why it happened. This is on top of the cliffhanger ending feeling slightly undeserved.
Delicious in Dungeon is streaming now on Netflix.
