Dungeon Meshi

Ooh Dungeon Meshi! Please come in, take a seat in our lounge, right next to the graveyard and the Orc feeding grounds. Please relax and have a bite of our notorious monster food that is as bland as our characters! And finally choke it down with one of our patented bug juices flavored with the souls of the damned, welcome to Dungeon Meshi! I seriously went into this with a lot of hype seeing as it is one of my favorite genres, a fantasy setting with elves and dwarven. On top of it it even is a gourmet anime, another one of my favorite genres, so what could go wrong?! Just about everything as it turns out... First off I want to say that the animations look ok, but are nothing spectacular. The bigger problem is the art style, I don't think the characters look very appealing, most characters are looking a bit dumb honestly, but that's just a personal preference, so nothing that makes or breaks an anime. And I don't know if it's the art style or just a lack of detail, but the food of this gourmet anime (which I have to remind everyone on) doesn't look that great. But let's forget this for now, first let's take a look at the characters. We have our four main characters whose adventure we accompany in this story. But to be perfectly honest other than Marcille, I couldn't care less if one of them choked on a slime mochi the next moment or not. Those characters just didn't grab me and even Marcille - whom I cared a little about, probably because she is the only half way sane person in this group - I wouldn't shed a tear over. Other characters I actively disliked, like the brother for example whom I disliked from the first minute. His creepy obsession with eating monsters and him caring more about the food than getting to his sister who is slowly being digested in the stomach of a dragon, just left a bad taste in my mouth right from the start. This being said, he could have redeemed himself, but did he though? No of course not, my disdain for the brother got arguably even worse, as he finally went from eating everything under the sun to save his sister to just eating his sister. And not in the Yosuga no Sora way. Other characters I just didn't care about. Like the dwarf or the furry that joined them. But of course Laios doesn't stay the only unlikeable character, not when you have a useless thief like Chilchuck around, who is grumpy 24/7 and keeps on berating people despite him being useless for 90% of the time. The remaining 10% of the time he disarms some traps that could probably be disarmed by Marcille if she just learned a spell for it just as easily. But let's not forget that this is a Gourmet anime so aside from the adventure and the unlikeable characters (Yes Chilchuck, you make the top of the list.) there is also the food. So as a lover of gourmet anime and good food in general I could still be salivating in front of the screen scribbling down some great ideas for tomorrow's dinner, but of course, I got disappointed here as well. Most of the food was either incredibly uninspired or just seemed flat out disgusting, which is a major problem for an anime that is listed and intended as a gourmet anime. And yeah I know "oh but you know, it looking / sounding disgusting was a plot point, you didn't get it at all!" But do you know what? I do not CARE! If a gourmet anime doesn't make me salivate all over my keyboard, it has failed, end of story. If you compare this one with others like Food Wars or Campfire Cooking in Another World from last year, this one just doesn't hold up at all. And that is also partly due to the animation or art style, it just doesn't look as good as the food from other Gourmet anime I have seen. And not only does it not look as good it just isn't on the same level when you look at the way of preparation either. I mean sure we get some dishes that are prepared with a little bit more effort, but do you know what we also get? Boiled cabbage. Or bread with the most basic of ingredients. Or the "crab" aka mimic they found, which they boiled in salt water! I know, genius right?! SALT WATER! Who would have thought?! But even the more elaborate dishes are not something you can cook for your next family dinner, or better said WANT to cook. Looking at you Bug Burger and Sorbet with AGAIN BUGS and the souls of the damned. But it's a fantasy world sure, so of course I wouldn't use Basilik meat in my Oyakodon but substitute it with chicken instead. Which is something that Campfire Cooking excelled at and understood to convey to the audience. With the mc telling us that it tasted just like chicken or pork or something, to build a connection with the viewer, so they could try to cook it for themselves but Dungeon Meshi fails to do that time and time again. Overall I did not like Dungeon Meshi, the animation was fine, the art style I didn't care for and it diminished a core aspect of the anime which should be the food. The music was solid but that can only make up so much for the many downsides this anime has. Before starting this anime this was a safe bet for me since I absolutely love the genres, but in the end the story and the characters were just as bland as the food. 4/10

This anime is 3 things. It's bland, boring, and bitterly overrated. I wanted to love this show. I really did. No matter how boring each episode was, I pushed on and thought "maybe the next one will be better", but no, I was wrong. Time and time again this show has disappointed me. This anime suffers from a lack of identity, it really just doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to be a cheerful show about discovering monster gourmet with the gang? Does it want to be a thrilling fantasy type affair with it's ubiquitous world-building and lore? Does it want to be a dark, gritty show that showcases the deep political intrigue surrounding the dungeon and the quest to become the most powerful in the world by heading into it's depths? No, no, and no. Sometimes it does hit things out of the park. But for the most part, it's just not interesting enough. The red dragon arc did somewhat hook me, and so too did the last 3 episodes with the Griffin. However, there's just really not much substance to hold this show together. It introduces interesting concepts from time to time, it flips between different characters to give us a different perspective of the story, it sprinkles some fascinating lore here and there, but it doesn't do anything with it. It's too inconsistent with it's writing, and the tone shifts too much for any fan of a specific part of the show to be fully satisfied. It's a show full of contradictions and I cannot tell what story it's trying to tell most of the time. Another issue is the characters. Boy, oh boy, do I hate the characters. The main cast for me is more or less bearable; heck, they might even be what I'd call "entertaining". Laios, while I find him to be annoying for how simply insensitive and nonchalant he takes things, his dedication to hunting down and eating monsters and saving his sister is his saving grace. Senshi, great cook, actually does stuff, he passes. Chilchuck, absolutely hate him, but his seemingly self-aware and depressing commentary still makes him slightly funny. Marcille, peak character. I absolute adore the little thing, regardless of how annoying she is. The side characters meanwhile are a whole other story. I hate every one of them. Especially Kabru. If there's one reason to never watch this show, it's him. Every single time he's on screen is when the show turns from completely decent, to straight up horrible. Probably a just a me thing, but he really just gives off a horrible vibe that really ruins the show. That constant thirst for power is what sets me off. Fucking piece of shit, no wonder he can't get past the first few floors. Whenever I look back at this show, I always see glimpses of what could've been. Like I mentioned, it could have been a nice, almost therapeutic show about tasting monster food. It could've been a gripping fantasy show with it's deep lore and action, perhaps something along the lines of Mushoku Tensei. But no. It missed the mark. Will I watch a future season 2? Probably. Like I said, the show has some really interesting concepts that I would like to be expanded upon in a future season. But would I recommend this show to someone who just wants a decent fantasy anime or a cooking show? No, probably not. It's a huge waste of time that doesn't manage to scratch that itch. It's always almost there, but never reaches it. I rest my case.

The show has some redeeming qualities, and the characters are good, but frankly (despite knowing what it's name is) the show is dragged down by all the monster cooking. Just slows down the story most of the time, and it stops being funny pretty fast. In addition, it's so weird how casual and not in a hurry the characters are 90% of the time despite them being on a time limit to save their friend. They have to save someone with like a month but they almost NEVER act like they are in a hurry. Just makes the overall story feel not important The show would have been better without the cooking and characters just focusing on helping their friend as an adventure story. Would have been much better as the dungeon and adventurer side of the show is pretty good.

Everyone has different tastes in anime and some anime that gel with others will not gel with you. Dungeon Meshi is one of the last shows I have watched from last season as I have never watched a gourmet anime before as I know they will not be for me. However, dungeons, dark fantasy, blood, gore and seriousness is for me, so I thought I would give it a shot with the hopes it will turn into this later in the series. Does Dungeon Meshi change its tone mid way through? Sort of yes! Does it do it well? Not for me. I think it was the breaks in serious tone each episode back to cooking that ruined the immersion. Characters, Music or World Building can make or break a show. If you hit all three you get a 10/10. Dungeon Meshi hit none of those for me. The characters were incredibly bland. Laios, Senshi and Chilchuck just didn't have what is required. They don't have the depth of Rudeous (Mushoku Tensei), the complexity of Guts (Berserk), the Epicness of Shadow (Eminence of Shadow), the psychotic Esdeath (Akame Ga Kill) etc. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with Dungeon Meshi's characters. They are just missing the sparks of the others I listed above. However, I did enjoy Marcille though. Her comedic relief was on point as I rarely laugh during anime and she hit the mark. The music was no good either. Lets be honest there was no bangers played that make you leap out of your seat in excitement that are in anime like Death Note, Code Geass, Berserk, Parasyte etc. I could play you a song from those anime and most anime fans would identify it immediately. If I played you a song from Dungeon Meshi outside of the OST I'm sure people would not recognise it. If you are reading this review and haven't watched Dungeon Meshi yet I will advise you to definitely give it a shot. Its 8.6 rating says you should. To those reading this review that have watched the show and loved it, I take you back to my opening sentence that everyone has different tastes and as much as I wanted to love this anime, very sadly it just didn't resonate with me. However, I will give season 2 a shot when it comes out.

Delicious in Dungeon - Food! Glorious Food! Found only in the dungeon that has never tasted this great, both visually and tantalising, with great stories to follow. I always have faith when it comes to anime offerings from studio Trigger, one of the studios that always has an affluent, but ever-so-bombastic and consistent personality to their works. And for the first time in the studio's history since its founding, other than adapting its very first LN in the form of one of my favourite cult-classic works in the form of Fall 2014's LN author Kota Nozomi's Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de a.k.a When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace, Trigger has once again undertaken that same achievement, only this time in manga form, which represents acclaimed mangaka Ryoko Kui's Dungeon Meshi a.k.a Delicious in Dungeon. This is hands down, one of the best anime of the modern generation, embracing the dungeon-crawling RPG aspect, and also being a fantasy work that doesn't shy away from its contemporaries wholeheartedly. Nothing is being spared in the nook and cranny of the ever-so-illusive depths of dungeons. Dungeons are a staple of any fantasy work, and every and all adventurers will want to try to conquer its many levels in the usual raid of dungeon explorations, and in Dungeon Meshi's world, it is said to have a mysterious Golden Kingdom where it serves as the treasure of an island dungeon. And what started out like a typical normal scene of adventurers trying to slay huge monsters like dragons, with the likelihood of humans being consumed by these creatures should they unsuccessfully attempt to kill them to save their lives, this has to happen to one unlucky party group involving 4 people: a "tallman" human sibling duo, a half-foot/halfing and an half-elf, with the sister of the sibling duo unfortunately getting eaten by a red dragon, and the brother on a race against time before he can only recognize her in an after-digestion skeleton form. What also works against their favour is their survival, which hinges on their lack of resources (espeically food) and their only source lies within the same monsters that they're forced to consume regardless if they like it or not. The aspirations of the human, who has a fascination for monster food, forces his party to convene, that thanks to a dwarf who has made the same dungeon a home whilst, creates a story of not just all about dungeon food, but turning the huge place into another home which also carves stories of friendship and the hijinks of what to expect in a dungeon, like stories of madness and revenge, in a humorous way that doesn't take itself too seriously. This is the story of Dungeon Meshi, and the party that is Laios Touden, Marcille Donato, Chilchuck Tims and Senshi, and their quest to save Laios's younger sister, the talented Falin, while going about tasting all kinds of Delicious in Dungeon meals. To talk about Dungeon Meshi, is to realise mangaka Ryoko Kui's magnificent and masterful writing, something that she has built before the realisation of the series that we get to experience in manga form, now with the anime. Being a fan of fantasy, something that was brought up in her family, Kui has always been fascinated with the genre, and is greatly involved in the medium thanks to video games like Dragon Quest, Ultima, and Fire Emblem, and the one game series that would become the centerstage inspiration for the series: Wizardry. The author herself has also been noted for her style of portrayal of reality and fantasy with her unique point of view, something that can be described as embodying "unnaturalness." Kui's affinity for dragons throughout Dungeon Meshi, can be attributed to her smaller works, one of which is in the form of 2011–2012's fantasy comedy manga Terrarium in Drawer, which is a collection of short stories detailing the lives of multiple unrelated characters, ranging from fantastical to conceptual and everyday uniqueness. Its examination of highly fictional situations with a realistic lens, gives it a sense of authenticity that is plastered all around Dungeon Meshi. That's how you know that fantasy is embossed in every degree of perfection, and Ryoko Kui does not rely on pretence to show the inner workings of such a pedigree of work that's unparalleled. Truly, I've always thought of dungeons as a place of fear, trauma, and torture, and don't get me wrong, Dungeon Meshi has that, but it also knows how to play and poke fun in its adventure aesthetics, combining the comedy with the fantasy to give the entire show a feel as realistic as you can get. Laios and the party truly is one group of unique frenetics, all with their unique personalities that gives the dungeon hike a run for all of its offerings: the tallman swordsman having a talented spellcaster who was consumed by a big creature who dons on monster meals like it's the best thing in the whole world; the halfling locksmith who has an affinity for traps and expresses compassion with the least of his external expressions; the half-elf magician whom like Falin is also rather skilled but cautious in her approaches; and last but not least, the dwarf warrior whose dungeon shelter enables him to create great and balanced meals as a chef, not to mention his expertly vast knowledge that allows him to traverse through the dungeon like it's his second home. It's fun seeing Laios and the gang go through numerous situations, navigate through the dungeon's treacherous nature, and learn about the environment around them, Thanks to Ryoko Kui's impeccable writing, these half-hours of a 2-cour's worth of 24 episodes are truly some of the best time-wasters that anime as a medium can offer to just about anyone. Speaking of episodes, Trigger's mainstay director Yoshihiro Miyajima may not be the most talented of the bunch, but having author Ryoko Kui alongside him being "very involved" in the anime adaptation, definitely shows the high calibre of how faithful she wants her work to be seen on the small screen. And it really shows, from the immaculate detailing of the anime bringing the manga to life to even its action, which, if you've seen even a slither of Trigger's more recent works, is a lot of sakuga done with the blood, sweat, and tears of the talented staff team behind the anime. And honestly, Trigger doesn't really need to go ham on its first manga adaptation, but the studio did it anyways, and I'm all the happier for the people involved in this, like how most passion projects are done. So far, the anime is only halfway through its adaptation of the manga, so it definitely needs another 2-cour, 24 episodes of consistency to deliver on the promise of a complete adaptation. The music stands on its own quite well, too. Composed by famed musician Yasunori Mitsuda alongside Shunsuke Tsuchiya, Dungeon Meshi's OST is about as picturesque (on a sound platter) perfect as a dungeon-crawler RPG fest can be, considering that the former is best well known for video game OSTs given his time at Square (formerly Squaresoft, now Square Enix) composing for series like Chrono Trigger (and its sequel Chrono Cross), Xeno and Shadow Hearts, and even having a hand on the Inazuma Eleven franchise, creating some of the best music. The only negative comment I have for the show, is with its rather opaque OP/ED songs, which, while Bump of Chicken's "Sleep Walking Orchestra" is unironically THE best song of representation of the series, other songs like the EDs of Ryokuoushoku Shakai's "Party!" and Regal Lily's 2nd Cour ED are only visually striking, but the songs are just fine, not to mention sumika's 2nd Cour OP, which IMO was a disappointing departure from the fantasy elements it tried to portray, much less living up to the former's excellent showing both musically and visually. All in all, Dungeon Meshi a.k.a Delicious in Dungeon, is a truly fantastical and unique experience to be had, and I kid you not that it's unsarcastically one of the standouts (so far)…

The show promised to be a Comedy, Fantasy, Gourmet. In the first 11 episodes, it was an average Fantasy gourmet show at best. Then they decided to turn it into a dark edgy thriller with no heads or tails. They did not explain completely how or what happened in first season. I judge a show by the Genres. It could have been a happy go lucky gourmet comedy fantasy. Or it could have been a high intensity suspense action thriller dungeon journey. It is neither. A gross chimera has emerged by combining these two parts. Screenplay - 4/10 The show is not clear on what it is trying to do. It is a gourmet show with edgy background suspense conspiracy plot. The absolute lack of coherence is what makes the show irritating. Every two three episodes something relevant happens. Then snail pace plot progress and humor gourmet is back for few episodes. Or sometimes 5 mins of exposition and eating in the rest of the episode. Humor - 5/10 The show has average humor written and shown. Gourmet - 6/10 Almost 60-70% of the episodes have great cooking and gourmet of monsters. Animation - 6/10 The animation is good in most of the episodes. No complaints. The fights are rare and happen every 2 3 eps so not much strain on animation. The food animation is good. The fight animation is average. Character development - 5/10 The characters are mostly underdeveloped with no clarity on their behavior patterns, empathy or lack of it, motivations. Some explanations or flashbacks are given when necessary. Otherwise the show is mostly in their present with rare expositions. Last few episodes were exception where they gave back story for 2 to 3 major characters. Overall - 5/10

Delicious in Dungeon, a cooking show where mythical dungeon critters are used as ingredients for real world recipes. There is a sub genre on the rise recently called "cozies". Cozy mysteries is the oldest one going back to the 1940s but more recently it's started to infect other genres. Dungeon Meshi is a clear cut example of a Cozy Fantasy, dungeon crawler subtype. Instead of exploring, plot or character development the focus instead is shifted to the food aspect with actual recipes included for the dishes per volume (yes, most publishers require that for a cozy series) On the surface it's an ok idea, it combines two popular genres and the 8.6 score on MAL is a testament to it's success. Personally though, I have mixed feelings about this. The cooking portions break the build up tension way too often. The show has a story and is good about create a sense of urgency... which is thrown to the wind because it's a cozy so obviously everything needs to be slowed down to a crawl. The characters are paper thin, they have exactly one role each:- Laios = Monster! yay! can I eat it? Marcille = ew! Yuck! ew ew ew EW! ok, I'll eat it... yum. Senshi = Cooking mama Chilchuck - Ugh, don't treat me like a kid! So annoying. In the second half of the show Marcille becomes the designated butt of the joke character for some reason, that's about it. There are a lot of inconsistencies as well. In one episode the group is introduced to a new monster type, the very next episode Laios is an expert on that monster's eating and breeding habits... how?! This includes monsters never seen before and have moved to the realm of myth. How does he know everything about them including their anatomy and behavioral patterns? Aside from an exposition dump for the viewer I mean. Dungeon Meshi is two shows forced to share the time slot. The cooking aspect ruins the adventure pacing, the adventuring is too dark and morbid for a cooking show.

The story & characters' relationship is interesting. It makes you wonder what will happen next. or will a person be a possible villain? You can tell it has an interesting worldview, and multiple forces, deeper which leads to interesting & unexpected story development. The production is great, I can't see any flaws, and the animation is very detailed (even the usual movement animation is great). The food is well-drawn!!! Feeling: Heart-warming (bro-sister, party members), interesting, hungry, curious (plot). But you should expect a slow start, for me, the great part (main story) starts from EP 8. EP 1-7 is the intro to the worldview, foreshadowing, and characters, and it feels more like a slice of life, slightly repetitive especially the reaction of the elf to the foods, I almost can't make it through, but I'm glad I made it to EP 8. If you like food or fantasy you should give it a try. Plus, with a great story too!!!

The Most Innovative Show I Have Ever Watched I don’t say this lightly. I have a big head, and I’m not quick to compliment authors on their writing as genius, but even I have to admit that Kui Ryouko is an absolute genius—undeniably smarter than me. Dungeon Meshi stands as a testament to her extraordinary intellect, a culmination of vast knowledge in fantasy and mythological lore, combined with an absurdly vivid imagination. The world Kui-san has crafted is nothing short of a masterpiece, rich in detail and bursting with creativity. The worldbuilding is so brilliant that I’m at a loss for words that can fully express my admiration. The foundation of Dungeon Meshi lies in its meticulously crafted world. Kui Ryouko has taken the standard fantasy dungeon-crawling premise and elevated it to a level of depth and originality that is rarely seen. The dungeon in Dungeon Meshi is not just a backdrop for the adventure but a living, breathing ecosystem filled with its own history, cultures, and rules. Each level of the dungeon is distinct, dangerous and wondrous. From ancient ruins to lush forests, the variety is staggering. This diversity in settings ensures that the series never feels monotonous; every episode brings a new challenge, a new discovery, and a new opportunity to explore the world Kui-san has so meticulously designed. What sets Dungeon Meshi apart is how this worldbuilding is seamlessly integrated with the narrative. The creatures that inhabit the dungeon are not just obstacles but integral parts of the ecosystem. Every monster has a role to play, and their presence is justified within the logic of the world. This level of detail reflects Kui Ryouko’s deep understanding of fantasy and mythological lore. She doesn’t just create creatures; she breathes life into them, making them feel like they belong in the world rather than just being there to provide action sequences. Story: 10/10 One of the most innovative aspects of Dungeon Meshi is its focus on food. In a genre where survival often takes precedence over all else, Kui Ryouko introduces the concept of using the monsters in the dungeon as ingredients for meals. This culinary twist is not just a gimmick; it’s a central theme that ties the entire series together. The idea of cooking and eating monsters adds a layer of creativity that causes the characters to constantly experiment with new recipes, turning what could be a mundane survival story into a gourmet adventure. The food in Dungeon Meshi is more than just sustenance; it’s a way for the characters to connect with the world around them. The act of preparing and eating meals becomes a ritual, a moment of respite in their dangerous journey. These scenes are presented with a level of detail and care that makes them feel almost sacred. The process of cooking is depicted with the same intensity and focus as the action sequences, highlighting the importance of food in the characters’ lives. What’s remarkable is how Kui Ryouko manages to make these cooking scenes both humorous and heartfelt. Each dish they create is a testament to their ingenuity and adaptability, turning even the most terrifying creatures into something delicious. This blend of humor and creativity gives Dungeon Meshi its unique charm, making it stand out in a crowded genre. Food: 10/10 At the heart of Dungeon Meshi are its characters, and it’s here that Kui Ryouko’s genius truly shines. The cast is diverse, each member of the party bringing their own quirks, strengths, and vulnerabilities to the table. Laios, the noble-hearted knight, serves as the leader of the group, and his love for monsters—both as creatures to understand and as ingredients to experiment with—drives much of the story’s humor and charm. His obsession with monsters might seem eccentric, but it’s rooted in a deep respect for the creatures that inhabit the dungeon. Laios’ character arc is one of growth and self-discovery as he learns to balance his fascination with the monsters with his responsibilities as a leader. Marcille, the elven mage, provides a counterbalance to Laios with her skepticism and delicate constitution. Her initial reluctance to eat monsters is both amusing and relatable, but over time, she comes to appreciate the necessity of their situation. Marcille’s journey is one of overcoming her fears and prejudices, and her growth is a testament to Kui Ryouko’s skill in creating multi-dimensional characters. Chilchuck, the pragmatic half-foot thief, brings a level-headedness to the group, often serving as the voice of reason when things get out of hand. His expertise in traps and dungeon navigation is invaluable, and his character adds a layer of practicality to the story. Senshi, the dwarf with an unparalleled knowledge of dungeon cuisine, is perhaps the most fascinating character. His passion for cooking and his deep understanding of the dungeon’s ecosystem make him both a mentor and a source of wisdom for the group. Senshi’s character embodies the theme of resourcefulness, and his dedication to using every part of a creature is both admirable and inspiring. His interactions with the other characters are always a delight, as he shares his vast knowledge and imparts lessons on survival through cooking. Senshi’s character arc is one of my favorite aspects of Dungeon Meshi. Kui Ryouko doesn’t shy away from exploring the psychological toll of their journey, making the characters feel more real and relatable. What makes these characters truly remarkable is the way their relationships evolve over the course of the series. The camaraderie that develops among them feels natural and earned, and the moments of humor are balanced with moments of genuine emotion, as the characters confront their fears, insecurities, and desires. At its core, Dungeon Meshi is a celebration of resourcefulness and the joy of discovery. The dungeon is not just a place of danger but a treasure trove of possibilities, waiting to be explored and understood. The characters’ ability to adapt to their environment, to find creative solutions to the challenges they face, is a central theme that runs throughout the series. But Dungeon Meshi is also about the thrill of discovery. Every corner of the dungeon holds a new surprise, a new mystery to unravel. The series captures the essence of what makes exploration so exciting—the sense of wonder, the anticipation of the unknown, and the satisfaction of uncovering something extraordinary. Kui Ryouko masterfully balances the tension of survival with the excitement of discovery, creating a narrative that is both gripping and uplifting. Characters: 10/10 The visual style of Dungeon Meshi complements its narrative brilliance. The animation is vibrant and detailed, bringing the dungeon’s creatures and culinary creations to life in vivid color. The character designs are expressive and endearing, capturing the unique personalities of each party member. The cooking sequences, in particular, are a visual treat, with a level of detail that will leave viewers hungry. The art style strikes a perfect balance between the fantastical and the realistic. The textures and colors used in the dungeon environments add to the sense of immersion, making the world feel both magical and tangible. The creatures are designed with a blend of creativity and believability, making them both terrifying and intriguing. The attention to detail in the animation enhances the storytelling, drawing the viewer into the world of Dungeon Meshi and making the experience all the more engaging. Art: 10/10 One of the standout aspects of the animation is its fluidity, especially during the action scenes. The battles are meticulously choreographed, with each movement flowing seamlessly into the next, creating a sense of dynamism that kept me fully engaged. The animators have paid close attention to the physics of the characters and their environment, ensuring that even the most fantastical actions feel grounded and believab…

The amount of great fantasy anime to come out this year has been unreal. Dungeon Meshi is very comparable to the recent Frieren, and even better in a lot of ways. The worldbuilding is some of the best not only in anime but in anything, and the way its unique and compelling story is told surrounding the central theme of Dungeon Food is nothing short of masterful. The cast is large but no character overstays their welcome; the main ~5 were all loveable and well-developed without taking away from the main attraction which is the dungeon. They got really creative with the problems and solutions, too. Overall, Trigger has saved anime yet again, can't wait for season 2.

"I watched Dungeon Meshi and honestly, you should be embarrassed" Look, I’ll make this quick because my brain cells are worth more than whatever half-cooked stew this anime thinks it’s serving. Dungeon Meshi is-how do I phrase this politely-7/10. Which, translated into human language, means: painfully average, tragically overpraised, and yet still somehow better than the garbage your cousin binge-watches on TikTok. Yeah, it’s "funny." In the same way a medieval cookbook might be "funny" if you’ve never read anything besides reddit memes. Oh wow, they eat monsters. Revolutionary. What’s next, season two where they argue about seasoning? (don’t answer that, I don’t care). The sad truth is: I wanted to like this more. Fourteen-year-old me would’ve died of happiness-dragons, food porn, party banter. But I’m not 14 anymore. I can spell Kierkegaard without googling it. And once you’ve read even a paragraph of existential philosophy, watching these clowns sauté a basilisk feels like scrolling Instagram food reels at 3am: empty calories, zero transcendence, vaguely humiliating. Fans of this show are the worst. Sorry. No, actually, not sorry. You’re the type who says "omg it’s SO wholesome" while tweeting fanart of an elf crying over soup. Like… congratulations, you’ve reduced fantasy storytelling to a BuzzFeed recipe blog with swords. Go knit yourself a dragon-shaped oven mitt and leave me alone. The only thing keeping this from collapsing into total mediocrity is the art direction-backgrounds so pretty they almost trick you into thinking the script isn’t held together with duct tape and quinoa. Jokes land sometimes, sure. But that’s like saying a McDonald’s burger "lands" when you’re starving. It doesn’t make it cuisine, darling, it just means you have no standards. And don’t even start with "but the characters grow emotionally!!" Yeah. My Tamagotchi grew emotionally too. Until it died. Anyway—7/10. Generous. Too generous. But let’s be honest, you’ll still lap it up, because you’re not watching for "depth," you’re watching because someone told you it’s clever. And you believed them. Which is why I can’t take you seriously.

Essentially, I am simply happy to have gotten a better fantasy anime than Frieren. This show very clearly sets up exactly what it intends to do from the get-go: It has gorgeous animation, good humor, lovely looking food, some important things to say about ecology and personal philosophies, as well as some deep-running brief stints with surreal and mystical plots that will likely be unraveled fully in season 2. It never intends to do more than is the capacity of its wheelhouse, but all it does, the brief little quips, the returning jokes, the occasional emotionally charged moments and the comfortable vibes, it does excellently, all the while maintaining a solid, easy-to-follow and engaging plot that leads further and further into the worldbuilding as it goes. The comparison I posed at the beginning is obviously only there to bait your engagement and, potentially, since this is a website filled with weebs, your unjust rage, but I do mean it. Fantasy is so thoroughly explored as a genre both in Western and in Eastern fiction that it's never an easy thing to say that you're going to write something fantasy-adjacent. How do you say something new in a genre with such a long history and so many groundbreaking ideas already posed? Frieren had such an idea and fumbled it spectacularly with its absolutely abysmal shonen garbage, while DunMeshi manages to forego such a horrid abdication of the plot by simply going for humor for most of this season. Highly recommended for any and all fans of brief skits, comfortable vibes, colorful and stupid characters and, thankfully, no real fan service! Except for that one scene, for the lesbians. But hey, one is okay.

laios said "can someone match my freak" and then forced all his friends to + some existential horror (obsessed with this brand of horror) this feels like playing dnd with the buddies like just swiveling between we are besties! let's sit around and have fun! to here's the scientifically accurate lore! to YOU WILL THINK OF THIS WHEN YOU TRY TO FALL ASLEEP AT NIGHT! also i dont think i noticed a single plot hole? and not misogynistic fan service oh god is real But yeah. Anyways. ate. this is for all the dnd besties who need some inspirational juices flowing. i binged it which i haven't done in a while with an anime

I took 3 days finishing this anime, which is super rare. It usually took me about a month, now that I am in anime series slump. This anime felt warm. NOW let's get to know me first, so that if you think we are similar, this review could be a great guide to you. But you can just skip to the paragraph below! 1) I am not into medieval fantasy anime. - I gave several popular one a chance. I want to enjoy them too - end up hating SAO - re:zero kept me entertained for a season but i am not continuing season 2 - the only one i truly enjoyed was That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. but i do not have the motivation for season 2 2) I am picky about humour too. - humour i enjoy: saiki k, opm, dandadan - humour i do not enjoy: the devil is a part-timer, mashle, sakamaoto desu ga Regarding dungeon meshi, I started this solely for the cooking bits. I love seeing detailed food animation in anime. the only gourmet anime i've ever watched was shokugeki no soma. the food was good but characters and plot were horrible. Now I think the main reason Dungeon Meshi appealed so much to me was because I started it thinking it was about a dwarf chef opening a dungeon-themed restaurant set in medieval fantasy setting. I've never heard about the anime beside its title so I was literally diving in blind. The character not having a sense of urgency? I don't care! I watched it for the food not the plot. But hey gradually the plot appeals to me. and so were the characters. I especially love the main character Laios and Falin. And the anime got a lot of interesting scenes like the painting episode. It was fun and enjoyable to me. Most importantly, I love the humour. It landed, most of the time. The way it was delivered felt unique too. And if it missed, I did not cringe. Overall, I think you should know what you are diving into. If you are looking for an entertaining, not so heavy watch, by all means please give dungeon meshi a chance! But if you are looking for critically acclaimed or mind blowing plot (AOT/Death Note level), this anime isn't for you. And hey this is a heavy bias take but if you dismiss the recommended:not recommended ratio of this listing, the loss is yours :p

Trigger did an amazing job with this adaptation, it is a must watch for fantasy fans. Masterclass in world building and development. The beginning feels slow and boring, but that is only because it is laying the foundation for what is to come. There were several "holy crap" developments that worked only because of how well the series builds on its ideas. There were several concepts that I thought were going to ruin the series (like people being able to revive), but every single one eventually became the coolest part of the series for several reasons. Most, if not all, of the characters are well written and watching them interact is both a joy and sometimes intense. At one point it seems like one of the groups is going to kill another as soon as they see each other, but when they actually meet we get to see a different side of both groups. Some of the characters also develop in cool ways. I am not a fan of the overall cooking concept because of how much time it takes away from the other stuff. However, without the cooking we would have less creature development. It also serves as a break from the other intense stuff that happens in the series. The animation and sound design is also amazing.

Have you ever tasted something unpleasant and regretted biting it? You wanted to spew it but it's too late. But then, after 15 seconds or so, it started tasting good. That is what Dungeon Meshi felt. One tweet recommended it to be as good as Frieren as far as fantasy goes, so I went ahead blind. Sadly, I found it unpleasant to watch. The animation wasn't as great. The characters felt dull, and the story didn't grab me. The only thing interesting in the first episode was the character of Senshi, the dwarf who cooks for them. The first few episodes felt like a chore to watch, but at episode 3 or 4, it started to click. Falin, the sister of the main character Laios, was eaten by a red dragon. Laios and his party aim to rescue Falin. But on their way there, they use monsters as ingredients for cooking delicious meals. That's the premise. I don't think it's as good as Frieren, but one could argue that its humour is better, or at least once you get used to these characters and start liking them. Anyway, it starts to get dark midway and the plot gets serious. Just watch it and you'll be surprised. I know my experience is one out of many. Some people are hooked right away while others like me need a few episodes. If you're like me, don't let the boring first few episodes deter you. ETA: A score of 7 out of 10 means an anime is good. It's a high score.

Dungeon Meshi? More like... Dungeon Meh-shi. The premise of a ragtag party of adventurers living off dungeon monsters while attempting a rescue is entertaining on the surface. For the first few episodes, it seemed to work. As the episodes went on, it stopped working. Starting with the characters: the antics between them all never developed any of them. Sure, there may have been moments dedicated to character-building or backstory, but the characters didn't actually change throughout the story. The show gives off the illusion of change when other characters react to things with emotions (e.g., crying, laughing, various dramatics), but dynamics shortly revert back to how each behaves about things and around each other since the start of the story. Very much KonoSuba vibes where the repetitive antics are the story's gimmick and they make or break it. The pacing felt all right, as there are events happening at relatively appropriate intervals throughout the season. No episode felt boring per se, though the relevance and importance of events are another story. Which brings me to... The story. It was janky. The driving plot regarding the rescue is for the most part forgotten about in favor of showcasing the characters derping around with monsters and cooking sequences. I get that the title of the show is about dungeon food, but the time dedicated to the literal step-by-step process was too much for me. I chalk it up to the same problem with the characters: repetitiveness. It also doesn't help that most events or plot beats don't really amount to anything. It'd probably help if the tone wasn't so lighthearted that the driving purpose of everything didn't seem to be absent if not forgotten about by all the characters most of the time. Anyway, if you're content with watching events happen, regardless of their banality and significance toward the characters and plot, this show certainly provides that. It's not bad, but overall I was unimpressed and barely had enough interest to finish watching it (it took me two years).

It's really hard to tell if this show can be recommended to anyone. It has a Dr. Stone kind of theme, and it's definitely good. But other than being good, there's nothing to it. It basically went stagnant after few episodes. It's all about eating, eating, and eating, and that's it. Nothing happened. The art style feels makes you feel like watching a cartoon show. It's kind of mixed in between. The characters are just weird in general kind of sense. So... If you like food or silly comedies, then this anime is definitely for you. But if you don't, other anime exist

I was fully skeptical of this being a good anime when I read the plot and I remember the rating was around 7.5 when it first came out. I thought this anime could never work out. Mixing a dungeon-style anime with cooking as the main theme? Get outta here.... But after binging 24 episodes in 2 days, I can fully say this is one of the best animes I have ever seen. It's smart, mature, funny, exciting, dramatic...I could go on. I believe the best forms of entertainment are able to hit on a wide range of emotions and Dungeon Meshi does exactly that. I would say that the central theme of Dungeon Meshi is that regardless of your background, we all have things in common and can relate to each other if we choose to be open to other's differences. This is primarily expressed through food being a commonality across all species. The thing I most appreciate about Dungeon Meshi is that it is clearly written for a more mature audience. I don't say this because of all the blood and death, but because a huge focus of the show is on relationships and what it means to make a connection with someone else. That idea alone is not something you truly understand until you get older. Also, unlike your typical shounens, this show explains almost everything in a logical manner that makes sense so it doesn't take you out of the immersion which I feel is a tough task for most animes. And as this show is focused on relationships, there is a huge amount of dialogue. I don't think I've seen an action anime have this much dialogue. And I'm saying this as a good thing, because I never found myself tuning out the dialogue. Everything said feels purposeful and it really allows you to connect with each character. Sadly since I read subtitles, I probably do not fully understand the nuance to what is being said, but the show is just that good at expressing the words through everything else that I feel I fully understand the weight behind every word. This leads me to my next point: Dungeon Meshi has some of the most well-written characters I have seen in an anime show. Beyond the character designs (which are amazing), the show does a wonderful job at introducing us to characters and then continually reveal bits and pieces of their backstory to understand their motivations and why they choose to act or say what they do. Despite their being so many different characters, I felt fully connected to most of them which completely elevated my viewing experience. I'm this deep and I didn't even get to talking about the plot itself...I could probably go on and on, but I'll just stop there. Look, I may be biased in that I enjoy cooking, but the show is genuinely good. In summary, I would say Dungeon Meshi falls into its very own anime niche that takes a very shouneny concept which is usually plot-driven but flips that and makes it almost fully character-driven. With solid writing, characters, and artwork, Dungeon Meshi will be at the top of my list of animes I am looking forward to.

I am not into cooking anime. It just sounds like a torture: you have to look at some of the best looking meals with no chance to try them. So Delicious in Dungeon turned out to be my first one, and, man, the bar for other cooking anime is now set too high. And to demonstrate why Delicious in Dungeon is so good I have to quote Shrek, the best anime ever made: "Onions". Layer 1. The characters are the best thing this anime can offer. The main quartet is the most synergistic character ensemble I've seen recently. They never miss an opportunity to make fun out of each other, but if there is any trouble every one of them is ready to offer a shoulder to cry on - in other words, it is perfect buddy energy. Although, I don't think they are as deep as rent-a-girlfriend's characters, so if the main protagonist was only Laios or Marcille, I wouldn't enjoy the anime as much. However, there is a potential for them to get more characterization in the future, because the character writing has been constantly improving throughout this season. Layer 2. The fantasy genre has the first stage of cancer and Delicious in Dungeon is here to provide chemotherapy. Fantasy anime have become so homogeneous offering nothing new but medieval settings, different races, magic, etc. Delicious in Dungeon makes this stale genre more digestible by combining fantasy with cooking. The earth golems are used to grow vegetables, the main characters activate a guillotine trap to chop some meat. It may not sound groundbreaking, but it makes a world of difference when compared to any other fantasy anime with absolutely zero original ideas. The world presentation is full of details. A lot of attention is dedicated to not only presenting a variety of different races and creatures and their place in the ecosystem but also creating a genuine world with its own history. The only flaw is the level design of the dungeon. In the first half it's tons of corridors made out of gray bricks, in the second half it's slightly rearranged gray bricks. Layer 3. Wow, everything has been going pretty smoothly so far, but the story is definitely going to be Achilles hill. The premise sounds like an excuse to write a story about some people exploring a dungeon and preparing dishes, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Without spoiling too much, the conflict established in the very first episode is resolved within this season. And I think the story is actually good with some twists and foreshadowing. You still have to keep in mind that the cooking is still the linchpin of the story, though. Another surprising factor was how dark this show sometimes can be, so don't let the openings deceive you. Being dark is not something worth praising per se, but the the grim atmosphere is what makes the jokes funny, because I doubt the comedy aspect would work if the tone was light-hearted. This show is the best Trigger's show in terms of story and the weakest in terms of production. It's not as fleshed out as some of their previous works. The animation sometimes can be rough, the openings and the endings use a lot of powerpoint, and I can be easily gaslighted to think that the music here was used in Frieren as well, because of how this ost is similar to any other fantasy themed osts. In summary, the show is fantastic and I'm happy the sequel is on its way, so I will be waiting for this one for sure. dUnGEon mEshi, OHhhHhh dUngEOn mEshi.