It started out as a hilarious comedy, but keeps introducing darker themes.
The series needs time to show you its true self.
Despite making viewers wait for the good bits, it knows how to be entertaining from the start.
Netflix’s Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) has been a real gem for the last two seasons. And the best part is, the anime is getting even better over time, introducing a surprising tone shift.
It’s even reflected in the gradually rising scores of the series. Back at the beginning, its MyAnimeList score was around 7.5, but now it’s up to 8.07.
In January, when the first episodes of Delicious in Dungeon started coming out, it could’ve been described as a humorous cooking series, . The characters were quirky, and dumb (we say it lovingly) gags permeated each episode.
Darkness Was There From the Beginning
However, if you really think about it, you will understand that the first signs of the real Delicious in Dungeon were always there. Let’s just briefly remember the beginning of the story to understand what we’re talking about.
The series starts with a party losing one of their members, Falin, to the Red Dragon. She’s devoured by it, which can only mean one thing: she’s dead.
So basically, a series that’s supposed to be a fun adventure about a party cooking monsters starts with a gruesome death. That was definitely the first sign that Delicious in Dungeon had much more to offer.
Of course, the anime forgot about Falin for some time, and although it was clear that she remained the party’s main goal, she turned into a background storyline for the first half of the series. But Episode 12 changed it all.
The tone shift in Delicious in Dungeon is surprising for several reasons. It’s not just because you expected the anime to remain a hilarious adventure with a couple of curious recipes. It is also because it’s done so masterfully that you don’t even realize how things got to the current point.
Delicious in Dungeon introduces you to new conflicts gradually. Bit by bit, you understand that the series is fairly capable of darkness. It focused on gags and comedic situations a lot, but you may see how the vibe is changing.
First there was Undine that almost annihilated Laios’ party and drained Marcille’s mana, then there was the Red Dragon, and now we have Falin, who has undergone some frightening changes that we saw in Episode 17.
Would you prefer Delicious in Dungeon to stay more lighthearted?
It Takes Time to Understand Delicious in Dungeon
This anime is not like many others, you have to give it time to show you what it really is. A lot of series understand that and handle it in various ways. For example, Oshi no Ko also knew that viewers had to experience the entire prologue at once, so its first episode was over 80 minutes long.
But Delicious in Dungeon couldn’t approach it the same way Oshi no Ko did. A longer prologue wouldn’t have been enough for this series, its beauty lies in the gradual build-up that had no chance to be explored in a single episode, no matter how long it could have been.
Moreover, it wouldn’t have been gradual at all, if you were introduced to everything the series had to offer straightaway. There’s a lot of worldbuilding in Delicious in Dungeon, and having all those details about monsters, the dungeon ecosystem and various characters dropped on you in a mere episode would’ve made your brains hurt.
Delicious in Dungeon and Oshi no Ko are far from the first anime that need you to keep watching. You had to sit through the first episodes of Steins;Gate to really feel for its characters and fall in love with the anime, and a lot of fans admitted that they almost dropped the series after a couple of episodes, and it would’ve been a mistake.
But Delicious in Dungeon doesn’t require any “sitting through.” Yes, the true vibe of the series is revealed only in the middle of Season 1, but the anime manages to hook you on with other things that are just as enjoyable.
It’s Perfect From the Start
Delicious in Dungeon has always been amazing, straight from Episode 1. It was just amazing in a different kind of way.
All the series’ characters are charming from the start. They’re diverse, different and extremely likable. Each party member has their own personality and unique way of speaking and approaching various situations.
Some fans compare Delicious in Dungeon with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, as both are fantasy series including old-school fantasy tropes and creatures such as elves and dragons and both were airing at the same time for a bit. And no matter how much praise Frieren gets, the series’ characters remain one of its weakest points.
They talk the same way, have similar morals and goals, there’s little diversity of bodies and personalities. It doesn’t mean that Frieren is worse than Delicious in Dungeon, it just has a different focus, but it does make it more difficult to relate to these characters.
And Delicious in Dungeon never had this issue. It’s even challenging to find a character that you might hate or completely don’t care about among its leads. They’re like a thoughtfully put-together RPG party, where each character serves their role.
Which series do you think has better-written characters?
Cooking Is Not Just For Fun
So no, Delicious in Dungeon was never just a comedy cooking series, it’s a masterfully-written fantasy adventure with a worldbuilding so great that you’ll keep learning something surprising even after being with the anime for months.
Cooking is indeed a big part of it, but it’s always explained by the plot. Delicious in Dungeon doesn’t just add random dishes with no particular meaning, like Black Butler does when it needs to show you what perfect chef Sebastian can be.
Food is a plot device in Delicious in Dungeon, just another inseparable part of the anime. The series makes it absolutely clear each step of the way.
It even started because Laios’ party members were hungry and exhausted due to the lack of food. Their low energy level was the thing that cost them Falin, and they’re careful not to repeat the same mistake again.
It started out as a hilarious comedy, but keeps introducing darker themes.
The series needs time to show you its true self.
Despite making viewers wait for the good bits, it knows how to be entertaining from the start.
Netflix’s Delicious in Dungeon (Dungeon Meshi) has been a real gem for the last two seasons. And the best part is, the anime is getting even better over time, introducing a surprising tone shift.
It’s even reflected in the gradually rising scores of the series. Back at the beginning, its MyAnimeList score was around 7.5, but now it’s up to 8.07.
In January, when the first episodes of Delicious in Dungeon started coming out, it could’ve been described as a humorous cooking series, . The characters were quirky, and dumb (we say it lovingly) gags permeated each episode.
Darkness Was There From the Beginning
However, if you really think about it, you will understand that the first signs of the real Delicious in Dungeon were always there. Let’s just briefly remember the beginning of the story to understand what we’re talking about.
The series starts with a party losing one of their members, Falin, to the Red Dragon. She’s devoured by it, which can only mean one thing: she’s dead.
So basically, a series that’s supposed to be a fun adventure about a party cooking monsters starts with a gruesome death. That was definitely the first sign that Delicious in Dungeon had much more to offer.
Of course, the anime forgot about Falin for some time, and although it was clear that she remained the party’s main goal, she turned into a background storyline for the first half of the series. But Episode 12 changed it all.
The tone shift in Delicious in Dungeon is surprising for several reasons. It’s not just because you expected the anime to remain a hilarious adventure with a couple of curious recipes. It is also because it’s done so masterfully that you don’t even realize how things got to the current point.
Delicious in Dungeon introduces you to new conflicts gradually. Bit by bit, you understand that the series is fairly capable of darkness. It focused on gags and comedic situations a lot, but you may see how the vibe is changing.
First there was Undine that almost annihilated Laios’ party and drained Marcille’s mana, then there was the Red Dragon, and now we have Falin, who has undergone some frightening changes that we saw in Episode 17.
Would you prefer Delicious in Dungeon to stay more lighthearted?
It Takes Time to Understand Delicious in Dungeon
This anime is not like many others, you have to give it time to show you what it really is. A lot of series understand that and handle it in various ways. For example, Oshi no Ko also knew that viewers had to experience the entire prologue at once, so its first episode was over 80 minutes long.
But Delicious in Dungeon couldn’t approach it the same way Oshi no Ko did. A longer prologue wouldn’t have been enough for this series, its beauty lies in the gradual build-up that had no chance to be explored in a single episode, no matter how long it could have been.
Moreover, it wouldn’t have been gradual at all, if you were introduced to everything the series had to offer straightaway. There’s a lot of worldbuilding in Delicious in Dungeon, and having all those details about monsters, the dungeon ecosystem and various characters dropped on you in a mere episode would’ve made your brains hurt.
Delicious in Dungeon and Oshi no Ko are far from the first anime that need you to keep watching. You had to sit through the first episodes of Steins;Gate to really feel for its characters and fall in love with the anime, and a lot of fans admitted that they almost dropped the series after a couple of episodes, and it would’ve been a mistake.
But Delicious in Dungeon doesn’t require any “sitting through.” Yes, the true vibe of the series is revealed only in the middle of Season 1, but the anime manages to hook you on with other things that are just as enjoyable.
It’s Perfect From the Start
Delicious in Dungeon has always been amazing, straight from Episode 1. It was just amazing in a different kind of way.
All the series’ characters are charming from the start. They’re diverse, different and extremely likable. Each party member has their own personality and unique way of speaking and approaching various situations.
Some fans compare Delicious in Dungeon with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, as both are fantasy series including old-school fantasy tropes and creatures such as elves and dragons and both were airing at the same time for a bit. And no matter how much praise Frieren gets, the series’ characters remain one of its weakest points.
They talk the same way, have similar morals and goals, there’s little diversity of bodies and personalities. It doesn’t mean that Frieren is worse than Delicious in Dungeon, it just has a different focus, but it does make it more difficult to relate to these characters.
And Delicious in Dungeon never had this issue. It’s even challenging to find a character that you might hate or completely don’t care about among its leads. They’re like a thoughtfully put-together RPG party, where each character serves their role.
Which series do you think has better-written characters?
Cooking Is Not Just For Fun
So no, Delicious in Dungeon was never just a comedy cooking series, it’s a masterfully-written fantasy adventure with a worldbuilding so great that you’ll keep learning something surprising even after being with the anime for months.
Cooking is indeed a big part of it, but it’s always explained by the plot. Delicious in Dungeon doesn’t just add random dishes with no particular meaning, like Black Butler does when it needs to show you what perfect chef Sebastian can be.
Food is a plot device in Delicious in Dungeon, just another inseparable part of the anime. The series makes it absolutely clear each step of the way.
It even started because Laios’ party members were hungry and exhausted due to the lack of food. Their low energy level was the thing that cost them Falin, and they’re careful not to repeat the same mistake again.
