Dungeon meshi. Ahh, dungeon meshi.
In my recent Frieren review I commented on the current state of Japanese fantasy, and how so much of it is set in derivate worlds that just don’t feel real. Worlds designed entirely around tropes and gameplay mechanics from video games and tabletop RPG. And one common feature in such a world is having dungeons for the “player” characters to explore. A place where monsters, treasures, and traps are strewn about without needing to care about why they’re there. They simply exist to contain combat encounters and loot. It exemplifies the idea that the world serves only as a theme park for the heroes.
As the name implies, Dungeon Meshi revolves around one of those dungeons. But what makes it more palatable than its peers is the effort put into making its setting believable. Yes, the theme park feeling is still there at times, but because the entire story is about this single dungeon, it can go more in-depth about its inner workings. It has ecosystems, and an economy that sprang up around it. The origins of the dungeon and the nature of its creator are an integral part of the plot, even incorporating the the fact that the dead can be revived as long as it happens within the dungeon.
There were still a few moments that took me out of the experience, especially seeing all the other adventurer parties wandering around the early levels like it’s some kind of tourist trap. But most of the time, Dungeon Meshi made me forget about these issues. You get the feeling the author was genuinely interested in the setting, rather than just picking a stock template out of laziness. It also helped that it’s rooted more in classic Dungeons & Dragons than in the more common Dragon Quest-y style, which helps make it stand out.
But the main draw is not the dungeon itself. It’s the characters. The party is fun to watch, with all their little quirks and interactions. I was a little skeptical at first, but as soon as Senshi joined in and started teaching them about dungeon cooking, it clicked for me. He’s almost like a father figure to the group (though with his own hangups), and he balances out his more eccentric companions. You have Laios with his borderline fanatical interest in monsters, and Marcille’s exasperated antics as someone who probably considers herself the voice of reason (and is anything but). Chilchuck doesn’t stand out as much, but he plays more of a straight man role, so he still fits in well. It’s easy to forget that Dungeon Meshi is a Trigger anime, except during these comedic moments where their typical character animation style gets to shine.
That said, the first half was pretty episodic, with a typical monster-of-the-week format except they eat the monsters. I don’t have any specific complaints, but some episodes were just funnier and more inventive than others.
Around the middle of the season is where the plot starteds to kick in. And at first, I honestly wasn’t that interested. “Rescuing Falin” works perfectly fine as a basic motivation to get the story going, but by the time they reached the red dragon I still felt like I hardly knew her, so I wasn’t as invested in her fate as the characters themselves were. The dungeon lore about the lunatic magician wasn’t doing much for me either, it just seemed like your typical “a wizard did it” handwave explanation.
But with the dragon fight and Falin’s resurrection, which went in a completely different direction than I was expecting, I started getting into it more. The mission was still to save Falin, but it was no longer just a distant end goal. From that point onwards, the plot was affecting them every step along the way. Elements like Marcille’s involvement in black magic caused both internal and external conflict, and the dungeon’s mysteries were brought to the forefront instead of being random trivia.
What’s also important is that, even though things got more serious, Dungeon Meshi never abandoned its roots. This is still a show about turning the local flora and fauna into delicious dishes. Even as the stakes get higher, it regularly alleviates the tension with some lighthearted goofy bits, and the monster cooking remains a constant fixture. Many shows struggle to mix drama and comedy effectively, but Dungeon Meshi pulls it off very well. It makes perfect sense for these characters to keep getting into silly situations, so it never feels random or out of place. Like the episode where Senshi got abducted by the very monster that once killed his fellow dwarves, shown in dramatic flashbacks, but then it cuts to Marcille flopping around trying to control her familiar. The tone shift makes it funnier rather than ruining the mood. It’s like… yeah, that’s just what those characters are like.
I’m still not that interested in all the plot that’s happening elsewhere though. Like the elf delegation and their discussion with the village leader and explorers, or the entire episode about Kabru’s party. These parts aren’t bad, but they remind me that I’m watching this show because I enjoy the main cast. The others characters just aren’t on the same level. They’re a little too normal and competent, I guess. It gets a lot better whenever they do actually meet up and you watch their eyes glaze over while Laios lists his top 10 favorite monsters.
I don’t know anything about the rest of the story, so I’ll find out in season 2, which I’ll definitely be watching. Dungeon Meshi isn’t going to be my anime of the year, but I liked it. It’s a cut above the typical (fantasy) slice-of-life comedy in almost every way.
Rating: 7.5/10