Delicious in Dungeon: Hot Pot/Tart

March 19, 2024 10:55 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

It's been...a bad run for Team Touden in the dungeon, after confronting a red dragon on little rest and less food - they got trounced, two of their fighters have tendered their resignation, and their healer Falin was eaten by the dragon after she sent everyone else to safety. Party leader (and Falin's older brother) Laios is determined to ressurect his little sister, but with no supplies, he has to resort to...dungeon self-sufficiency...

And so begins Delicious in Dungeon (a.k.a. Dungeon Meshi) - the other Winter 2024 non-isekai fantasy series, and one which wears its influences on its sleeve - not surprising as author/mangaka Ryoko Kui is a massive RPG fan - as her portraits of the characters from Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II make abundantly clear. (There's a joke in the fandom that she wound down the series in time to really get into Baldur's Gate III.) But while the series starts off as a bit of a gag series about the importance of a balanced diet while dungeon raiding, it very quickly becomes a fantasy epic with all sorts of intrigue, mystery...and a lot of food.

Our first episode introduces us to Team Touden - comprised of tallman Laios Touden as leader, halffoot lockpick Chilchuck, and elven mage (and best friend of Falin) Marcille. Their initial efforts at dungeon self-sufficiency are questionable until they meet the dwarven chef of iron Senshi (who is played superbly in the English dub by Sungwon "ProZD" Cho, a role that was one of his dream roles.)With his help, they manage to make a scorpion hot pot, and later a man-eating plant fruit tart, while working through the upper floors of the dungeon.

posted by NoxAeternum (5 comments total)

So, this is where I'm going to gush a bit over Ryoko Kui's character design, because she has some of the best diversity in design in the business. The characters of the series show incredible diversity - not just between the races (and as the show will demonstrate, the various races are very different in builds and features), but within races as well. This helps with making a world that feels lived in, because the diversity of design makes it feel real, and helps with the characterization immensely.
posted by NoxAeternum at 11:08 AM on March 19 [2 favorites]

This show is really fun and good and wholesome, and only a little gross; we got in the habit of watching it during dinner with our 9 year old. Until the most recent episode that Netflix aired (11). No spoilers, but that one's a gore fest; hoping it chills back out for the next one.
posted by jordemort at 11:11 AM on March 19

We've been watching it too, and really enjoying it. The manga's on AllComics, which was available through my local library. There's a lot about dungeon ecology and the quirks of the various creatures they find. It's not just how to cook them.
posted by Spike Glee at 1:26 PM on March 19

One of my favorite gags in this episode is the newbie adventurers fleeing in terror from a walking mushroom - which Marceille promptly kills with a firm staff bonk (while grumbling about the fortitude of the newer adventuring generation.)
posted by NoxAeternum at 2:08 PM on March 19 [1 favorite]

I like the comic and love the show! Everybody's wonderfully played and it captures both the spirit and the text amazingly.
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:12 PM on March 19