Anime 52701 Dungeon Meshi Reviews

Looking for some isekai trash? Revenge? Level/Stat system? Power leveling? Cheats? Harem? Fan service? A sob/melancholic start? Shallow world-building? Stupid side/extra characters to make the main one look good?
Well what are you doing here? This is the wrong anime.

Not looking for those?
Uhhh welp, I'll keep this short, this is Dungeon Meshi. An original fantasy story by RPG geek Ryoko Kui.
She puts her knowledge of RPGs on full display and crafts a world where each character, race, monster and place fits into the story. Layers of this world and characters will be peeled back and revealed to you as you progress in each episode.
And Ryoko ... Kui shows all this ingeniously and amusingly through food and cooking.

If you like D&D then you're in for a treat (minus the part where everyone is a murder-hobo). So follow the main characters in their amusing campaign as they venture deeper into the dungeon.

Ahhh...Dungeon Meshi, to live is to eat!

It’s great. No idea why the score is sub 8, this should easily be up there with frieren and solo leveling for best anime of the season.

It’s funny, has good action, interesting characters, a plot that keeps pushing forward, and a ton of mystery that keeps me interested. The animation is also top notch - it manages to keep the original mangas style while also letting trigger play around with their classic flair.

Especially now in the second half the plot is really starting to pick up and it’s all i can do to not run to the manga to see what happens next.

Criminally underrated.

Fantastic animation, great characters, great setting, great story, great music... there's really nothing missing here. I've loved every episode so far, and I'm always looking forward to the next one.

Frieren being 9.15 and Dungeon Meshi being 7.8 just doesn't make sense. These shows are of very similar quality in every area, and I personally prefer Dungeon Meshi (although I do really like Frieren).

Seriously, give it a watch. It's great.

Apparently my review needs more information, so... I guess I'll just gush about the show some more.

I really love how teamwork is emphasized in Dungeon Meshi. The main characters only get as far as they do ... because they're working together. I think teamwork and strategy are some of the most fun things to witness in battle manga/anime, but they're few and far between. Now, there's nothing wrong with a good 1v1 battle, but some of my favorite moments in shows like One Piece are when you have the crew working together.

All of the characters feel very real, and their behavior is very consistent. They have their disagreements, their own strengths/weaknesses and it's a lot of fun watching them work things out. This isn't a power fantasy, and I think that helps a lot towards suspending my disbelief. You don't see a whole lot outside of the dungeon, but everything feels like it makes sense and fits into the world nicely.

The main gimmick of the show, "dungeon food," is a fantastic way to emphasize that realism. What would happen if you actually had to delve into a dungeon for weeks at a time? It's a simple concept, but I think it goes a long way towards helping the viewer sympathize with the show's world.

Anyway, I could keep rambling, but I think I've hit my quota.

Watch the show!

As a jaded anime fan, I haven't watched current anime in a couple years but this is a breath of fresh air. Apart from the obvious RPG class tropes, this isn't an isekai, just pure fantasy again. There is no fan service, no skimpy outfits, not every character is highschool aged, the cast isn't majority female, the dwarf actually looks like a dwarf, the female orcs actually look like beastly female orcs and not just sexy girls with green skin, the main heroine isn't waifu bait, and none of the characters are (overly) stupid. Although to be fair, I haven't watched Frieren yet, people tell ... me this paragraph also applies to that show.

Story: Dungeon Meshi is pretty good so far. This is more of a light-hearted and relaxing "slice of adventure" genre with the story progressing at a literal walking pace. I saw one of the negative reviewers compare this to Shougeki no Souma, but I'm sorry, I want whatever the hell it is you're smoking. At least every cooking scene here isn't full of egregious moaning and cooming...

Animation: Trigger! Everything looks gorgeous (although most of the show takes place in cramped rooms underground so I guess it's easy for them to save budget) And the faces! Trigger probably put most of the animation budget on Marcille's hilarious facial expressions. Remember Akko's facial expressions in LWA? This is the same vibe. Also, this is another show where noses are actually drawn and people blink. A+ for effort IMO.

Music: Well not the best but no complaints here. Admittedly I haven't paid attention to it. I love the opening theme though, very slow-paced and contemplative, and not hyperactive dopamine bait.

This review is a work in progress. I will keep it updated.

Dungeon Meshi should be the golden standard for fantasy style cooking.

Often times, we will have isekai stories where the protagonist basically just reintroduces Japanese cuisine into the new world, without ever really utilizing the native ingredients in creative way.

Then we have stories (like Tondemo Skill de Isekai Hourou Meshi), where the protagonist basically actively avoids interacting with the new world, and we have a very boring slice-of-life where the protagonist is just basically living in Japan in terms of meals.

And lastly, we have the reaction style shows where isekai people eat modern/Japanese food and we just see their reactions (Isekai Shokudou)

Dungeon Meshi properly utilizes the ... environment to create new, yet familiar dishes, which are prepared in a believable manner. It is also not lacking in action, which leaves the show with a very good blend of humor, food, and action.

An ardent Anime adventurer apprehends aptly well, whenever Anime is perceived to be in grave peril, there arises out of the depths of an unknown realm hailed, Trigger, a new saviour, that appears on the scene merely to save Anime, again and again and again. So how could there be any alteration this time around. Dungeon Meshi is here to save Anime, and you better believe it so.

Plot: Take, let's say Danmachi or if you prefer SAO and couple it with Shokugeki no Soma or better yet with Gin no Saji, the offspring that this union might bring forth, without the bonk-i-ness, would be Dungeon ... Meshi, only when properly garnished with a healthy dose of D&D.

The main story is about misadventures of a ragtag group of people in the dungeon, and their crafty ways to sustain themselves. Their interactions and interplay produces fine, simple, enjoyable comedy. There are also surprisingly subtle nuances that make the plot that much better through neat world building.

Characters: Without a doubt the characters are the heart of this Anime. Even someone with a 2 minute screentime seems important in terms of the comedy. As I've reiterated, the interactions among the myriad characters in this Anime bring out the best or it's humour. There is certainly a charm to everyone, and a lot of heart surely has gone into making it so good.

Animation: This is trigger, need we say more. Obviously, this is by far the most fluid and crisp Anime this season. Every scene there is something moving, or doing something, even Solo Leveling would get a run for it's money the way the animation is going. You better be prepared for it to save Anime yet again.

Music: So far the OST hasn't had the time to properly shine, but it has done enough to compliment what is going on screen well. The Opening and Ending credits were both a treat to behold, both in terms of musicality and animation.

Enjoyment: There is enough enjoyment in this for just about anybody. The comedy is on point, the characters are charming, the plot is good, the voice acting is excellent, and above all it is a lot of fun.

Don't you just love daft anime?

The sort of anime that'll come into a season, make some noise, but the sort of noise that's goofy, fun, but with a slight hint of seriousness on top of it. Even if the direction of such, isn't serious to a point. But the overall theme of the anime, more than makes up for it.

Story and characters: 8
The story is where it shines a lot. Like I really love how it starts, making you think it's something completely different, only to throw in a funny curve ball, which makes for a good laugh. Setting up for a solid product. Maple ... would be so proud of this show, as why not grill and eat any monster you come across? Surely they aren't carrying all sorts, and are going to cause you more harm than good right? But what also makes the story is shine, is the casting. For a show of this nature, you need a solid casting that'll mesh well together, to make the show stand on it's own two feet. Something of which you have here.

You can have one being the 'hero' while being the most weird out of the group. You can have the girl, be the most 'normal' of the group, but through her reactions, it adds much more to the comedic relief of the show's story, and so much more. Making Dungeon Meshi a fun blast from start to finish. If anything you'll remember this season for, is how goofy eating monsters truly is.

Art and sound: 8
What I really dig is the really massive up in quality when it comes to it's presentation. Certain scenes look really good when displayed, as if a duty of care was put into this, and it clearly shows. Really capturing the movements, and the atmosphere super well, while throwing in a great performance from the VAs, as you can tell they really had fun with this. A well done performance on both ends for sure.

The anime is goofy fine, with a side dish of idiotic fun. A blast for sure.

TL; don’t want to read: That anime will make you laugh, make you hungry, and keep you hooked.

The Dungeon Meshi is a mix of fantasy and somewhat of a cooking show? So if you like D&D and Japanese cuisine you should definitely stick around. While the animation may not be the best, it's more than enough to keep you entertained. Whether you're a fan of fantasy, comedy, or just good storytelling in general, this anime is a must-watch. So grab your utensils and prepare for a culinary adventure like no other!

The fusion of dungeon exploration and gourmet cooking may seem unconventional at first, but it ... works brilliantly. The way the series seamlessly weaves together these two seemingly disparate elements is nothing short of genius. It's a refreshing take on the fantasy genre that manages to be both entertaining and surprisingly educational. The food in the show looks creepily delicious, and it’s even more weird to me as I haven’t eaten any meat for almost 10 years now. This anime is making me question my life choices (laugh).

The heart of the Dungeon Meshi lies in its story and characters. After seeing the first or the second episode, of course, I had to read the entire manga in one go. And oh, what a ride it was! Not for my eyes, though. The manga's storyline is a delightful mix of fantasy adventure and culinary escapades, filled with hilarious moments and unexpected twists. The characters are quirky and lovable, each with their own distinct personalities that add depth to the narrative. While I won't spoil anything, I can say with certainty that the story is both interesting and incredibly funny, leaving you eagerly anticipating each new chapter.

It's undeniable that the year of 2024 had a rather lacklustre start when it comes to anime, with a Winter Season filled with more of the same, dreadful anime sequels, and things we'd be better off forgetting. However, at the same time, we had some pleasant surprises, and one of them was certainly "Dungeon Meshi".

Adapted from Ryoko Kui's original manga, the anime produced by Trigger Studio revolves around the theme of cooking and fantasy, which honestly, considering recent examples of works tackling these themes, both together and separately, doesn't leave much to expect. But fortunately, we were surprised with a genuinely good piece of work ... that brilliantly explores this combination of themes.

For those completely unfamiliar with the original material (like myself), it's normal to imagine it would be a generic story about adventurers in a dungeon with a secondary theme of cooking developed poorly and superficially. However, the author managed to brilliantly execute the idea. The way cooking is intertwined with the worldbuilding and mythology of the work is delightfully interesting and creative, constantly keeping us surprised. Whenever a new enemy appears, we wonder how it will be prepared.

But it's not just the culinary aspect that is well-crafted; the adventure and fantasy parts are also very engaging. The various conflicts the protagonists face with the dangers of the dungeon are not treated frivolously, thinking only about the cooking that will follow; they have a certain depth to them as much as the author's proposal and intention for the work allow. We see the characters devising strategies and dealing with the consequences of each confrontation, unlike other stories of this type where the main characters always emerge unscathed.

The characters are another point that sets it apart from other more generic productions, perhaps because the work features adult characters who behave with the maturity expected of them in a comedy anime. Their personalities are extremely entertaining, and the group functions very well together, providing us not only with good moments of laughter and relaxation but also those that warm the heart. However, the same cannot be said for the secondary characters, which I found quite dull and uninteresting.

Regarding the technical aspects, for a layman like myself, there's nothing to complain about. The adaptation boasts beautiful animation and design, with a soundtrack that fits perfectly. The team features a very competent direction that remains steadfast and takes risks at the right moments. The voice actors also did a remarkable job, both in the original and in Brazilian Portuguese (personally, this is one of the rare cases where I prefer the Brazilian version).

All of this results in one of the biggest surprises in this industry that I've had in recent times. "Dungeon Meshi" is an excellent anime and easy to binge-watch multiple episodes at once. It's a work that certainly pleases all audiences and one that I would recommend to anyone asking for a random suggestion.

Rating: 9/10

(1st-half thoughts)

There are 2 things that I believe one should be aware of about this Anime before watching it:
The first is that it's a very wholesome show... with a tiny bit of unannounced gruesomeness. Don't get me wrong, the vibe and story of the show is definitely intended to be light-hearted and funny. But if you have a dislike for anatomical dissection, blood, and such stuff, you need to be wary that you'll see those things at some point in the show. Not often, but it has some. Might wanna check it first before letting kids watch this.
The 2nd thing I think everyone should know ... before watching this is that... this is NOT a story about food. Instead, it's a story that heavily involves resourcefulness in making food out of the limited stuff that could be found inside dungeons.
The main story itself is simple: Explore a dungeon with a purpose, deal with obstacles, get to the goal, and then survive and succeed. Sounds simple... BUT... how would they survive dozens of days' worth of exploration if they don't have any money to prepare food to bring with them? That's where the 'Food' aspect of the show plays a part. How will they find food in an underground dungeon that mostly consists of items and monsters? Will they find anything edible? If so, would it be safe to eat it? And if it is... will it be something they'd want to put in their mouth?

I appreciate how every single episode always involves food in one way or another, not missing a beat when it comes to the concept.
Be it a regular episode or a backstory episode, food will always be a part of it and not in a forced or out-of-place way.

When it comes to the characters, I wouldn't say they are anything to write home about individually but, the dynamics and chemistry of the entire party are definitely there. There's not a single character that doesn't feel close to any individual party members.

Both the OP and ED music provide a lovely energy that fits the vibe of the show.

Judging from these 12 episodes that are available so far, and the hints on where and/or how the story will go from here, I think it's now fairly safe to assume that it's going to remain the way it is now and maintain its vibe. As for me, my concern will be focused on their handling of the 'Food' aspect of the show, and whether they can keep it relevant even if the story starts getting a serious vibe without it beginning to feel like a nuisance to the story.
But so far, they've done a great job in doing so, in my opinion.

Dungeon Meshi is a show that I absolutely love! The characters are so unique and full of life, each with their own quirks and personalities that add so much to the story. Laius' determination and resourcefulness, Marcille's knowledge and composure, and the rest of the cast all bring something special to the table.

The story is where Dungeon Meshi truly shines, blending humor, suspense, and heartwarming moments seamlessly. The adventurers' journey to save their companion is not only thrilling but also deeply emotional, as it explores themes of friendship, courage, and sacrifice.

The animation is stunning, with fluid motion and detailed backgrounds that bring the ... fantasy world to life. The dungeon itself is a fascinating setting, filled with all manner of creatures and challenges that the characters must overcome, adding a sense of adventure and danger to their quest.

Overall, Dungeon Meshi is a masterpiece with captivating characters, an engaging story, and beautiful animation. It's a show that I can't recommend enough, and one that I always find myself coming back to.

Rating
Character Designs: 9/10 Their designs add a lot to the story.
Animation: 7/10 The animation is well done and makes the world feel alive.
Storytelling: 7/10 The mix of humor, suspense, and heartwarming moments is great.
World Building: 8/10 The fantasy world feels real and exciting.
Overall Enjoyment: 10/10 A charming and engaging show for fantasy fans.

This type of anime should be a separate genre - maybe "Realistic Fantasy”? I really like it! It's a light-hearted, imaginative anime that can be watched without any pressure.

The theme of this anime reminds me of _Ishuzoku Reviewers_(2020) or _Tondemo Skill De Isekai Hourou Meshi_(2023). Dungeons are a product of human imagination; when we see dungeons in games or anime, we’d rarely question “Is it even reasonable?”. This anime takes a different angle. It deconstructed the ecosystem in dungeon, fitting the otherworldly elements into something that aligns with human common sense. Love the creativity here!

The humor in the show was just right - it ... brings a smile to your face without overdoing it. When I saw the “Dungeon Gourmet Guide," and the Slime’s anatomy in ep.1, I’ve decided it’d be one of my favorite shows for this season.

The character lineup was nice; each character had some traits that I like. Marcille is probably the “common sense” one that most audience can resonate with; while Laios is a “weirdo” filled with curiosity and wants to taste everything. The viewers derived more enjoyment from watching the interactions among characters with contradicting personalities.

The animation was smooth and comfortable. Although it didn’t have a lot of action scenes (so far), Trigger injected vibrant dynamism into the characters' facial expressions and movements. Even in static scenes, when one character spoke, the other characters would show subtle changes in gesture and expressions. These additional movements ensured that viewing experience was never dull.

So glad it’s a two-season anime. Looking forward to see more cuisines and adventures!

Dungeon Meshi was my favorite for the best new anime of winter 2024 and it did not disappoint.

Dungeon meshi is a typical fantasy world with guilds and dungeon expeditions, but it approaches it all in a way I haven't seen before (I'm not saying that something similar doesn't exist), instead of fighting, the anime focuses on cooking.
I like this refreshing approach to dungeon exploitation, each monster encountered is described in detail, as well as the method of its preparation.

The cooking isn't just an addition to make the anime stand out, this anime actually spends a lot of time delving into how to cook ... a monster.
Each episode surprises with something new, everything found in the dungeon can be used for cooking and the series does
Cooking with traps?
A garden of golems?
It's everything and it's not just for the sake of it, it has a plot purpose, eating monsters gives our hero an advantage in exploiting dungeons, so we don't feel like it's forced, "why are they cooking? they should be fighting" there are no such thoughts.

Despite everything, this anime is not only about cooking, we will also see some interesting fights, it is not something like typical isekai, this anime approaches it much more realistically without great fireworks.
The world building here is at the highest level, the dungeons are reminiscent of those from Made in Abyss, there is a curse and different ecosystems on each floor.
The lore and various details are conveyed in a very interesting way, not everything is explained directly and this is a big plus for me, you have to think and connect the dots.
The characters in this anime are great, each team member is different but equally necessary, we clearly see their strengths and weaknesses, which are revealed to us in each episode. The four of them create a great team with a family atmosphere. I like Laios and Senshi the most, they are the most important weirdos in the team, I love them.

The comedy in this anime is great, at the beginning it may seem that it will mainly consist in the reactions of an elf who is unable to convince herself to eat monsters, but in the end we get a variety and absurd humor that is not about "haha sex" as in most anime.

As for the main plot of the anime.
The peace of our heroes and the lack of time pressure was a bit strange to me, I wondered why they weren't worried about whether their friend was still alive, then I heard about the magic of resurrection but it was also mentioned that it could fail so... I know it's more of a comedy but they should care more about their friend since that's the main goal of this anime.
In later episodes they made up for the lack of any concern for Falin's fate, their slow pace can also be explained, but it would have been better if the main goal had been better established from the beginning.
This isn't a big mistake, considering the direction the plot took.

After ep 12 it seems like this is just the beginning and something much bigger awaits us, I can't wait to see it♥️
This is the most underrated anime of winter 2024

9/10 with a good chance of promotion xD

Aventure, comedy, violence and more importantly FANTASY.
This anime is a real breath of fresh air.

You're following a group of aventurers in a quest to save their teammate. Or more likely recover her corpse to resurrect her. They have only a few weeks at most and must rush down a dangerous dungeon. And they have no money on them and thus must eat whatever they find on their way. Oh and there's supposedly a big bad guy at the last floor. Pretty simple plot to get but where this show shine is on the enactment of it:

The characters are slowly getting fleshed out but are all ... interesting so far, the world building is so well done i would even say it's overkill.
Oh and by violence i mean it, the world is kinda based on DnD. Aka it's unfair and brutal at times. I can't wait to see what is waiting on the lower floors, it's gonna be seriously epic!

It's pretty, well animated (beside maybe the opening fight which seems worse than the rest of the show somehow), the banter is really good and it's pretty original. yes it's DnD but it has many twists on the formula, and they're clever.

There's little to no fanservice, the main cast are all mature adults (with their quirks) and it honestly feel like a real adventure, with the wonder and the mystery attached to each room, each layer, each enemy they meet.


It's only 5 episodes so far but the manga which it's adapted from is known to have a great ending and...honestly, i know it's only february but it's likely this show will be one of the best to come out this year, so what are you waiting? At least try it :-)
And don't get discouraged by some of the bad reviews around, they somehow expected a 24 ep show to be paced as a 12 ep one.
The start is a slow burn, obviously. I expect it to pick up the pace later on.

I honestly have nothing but good things to say about this show and it's rare for me these days.

Will update this reviews when the season is finished

finally. definitely something new. a fresh breath. lets eat the dungeon monsters tonight, bon apetit! fine art style, solid animations, tasty slimes, a cookbook: monsters edition, gordon ramsay dwarf, young karen, pickpocket kid, and a hungry man (very hungry). a journey which takes us immediately from the start. but not like cliche fantasy series. because, in this serie, everyone, everytime, everywhere, they are hungry, but... in a dungeon. amazing. just amazing.

a bit like isekai ojisan-san vibes in both style and plot. but nothing else to say, apart from this delicious looking anime.

should watch, and if you are hungry, must watch.

If you think Dungeon Meshi will be a classic fantasy dungeon story or whatever: DON'T WATCH IT, IT'S NOT FOR YOU!

Dungeon Meshi isn't a classic shonen, it's not Demon Slayer in dungeons so, please, stop complaining it's boring when it's just not your type of anime.
It doesn't have action but a lot of human interactions with three dimensional well written characters that at first look annoying/boring/not special, but you end up enjoying them, learning about their flaws and silly personalities and you start enjoying watching their interactions which brings the "slice of life" vibe.
Dungeon theme comes last in this anime, it's just used as context, ... there's nothing new or original. That's why they don't introduce the world, it's a classic. You learn about it the more you watch the anime because Dungeon Meshi is the type of anime that tells you "bro, trust me, you won't get attached on first episode alone, watch the rest to know me" and real, you need to watch more than one episode to discover the anime, the characters, the world. You start getting attached to everything even tho nothing looks special in this anime.

Now about the story, I didn't finish the anime but I know there won't be some sort of story except "I need to find my sister". The goal is used as a pretext to go deeper in the dungeon and discover new "dishes" and have silly adventures.

ALSO, I LOVE THE CHARADESIGN!!! I was tired of the same face syndrome in shonen. I love how the author makes their characters so diverse. All of them aren't special but they're still VERY attractive, not a flawless Genshin safe route way but as they look extremely human and the author knows what being attractive with flaws means!! (staring at Laios)

TLDR: don't watch it if you want action, watch it if you like humanly written characters. It's very silly and I love it for it! Stop spitting hate on it, it's not made for you.



EDIT: last episode out (EP11) got me rethinking about everything I said in my review..... I feel like we're not ready.

This review was inspired by another wonderful review that I am just in awe of. It's structure, it's perspective and it's total lack of flow was just riveting, and I decided to write my own review in that style.

I almost never write reviews.....occasionally write reviews.... but this show has been so delightful that I felt compelled to on this occasion. I hope my review can inspire someone else to use their time wisely.

This is a pretty good fantasy show, that has begun to develop an interesting world. Don't skip it to save yourself some time, let the story and world unfold naturistically, instead ... of having a big exposition dump at the beginning like most modern "fantasy" anime.

Main Review:
This might just be the least boring show, I've had the pleasure of watching, in the last 2 years. (That is definitely an exaggeration).
I decided to watch this because I like fantasy shows but I struggle to  find anime that dont suck all the fun out of fantasy. Lets start with the character designs since they actually look distinct. Pretty much every character design in this series looks decent in one way or another, despite occasionally falling into some basic fantasy tropes. Take Chilchuck for instance. His oversized ears are a clear indicator of his above average hearing abilities, while also helping to differentiate him from his cast mates. Unlike most standard anime fantasies where every character is just another anime waif, with little to differentiate themselves, except for hair colour, Delicious in Dungeon actually usues character design to show the different abilities and character traits of its cast. Contrast this with an awful example of fantasy character design; Sakura from Naruto. Because it's fantasy she eventually became strong enough to the destroy the ground with a punch, but her arms  remained slender and twigish. Theres no change to her character, the powerup is not visually significant, and seems to have come with no character development. Its bad writing, leaving Sakura as a dull fantasy character.

Now on to the music and OST. The soundtrack is decent, if not a particular stand out. The OP is better, this may be Bump of Chicken's best ever performance.

The story is primarily about cooking monsters found in the dungeon and the way it's presented to the viewer is pretty intesresting, allowing the world to be developed through the ecology of the dungeon itself. The characters are charismatic and interesting. Marcille has to be the best though as she acts as an audience surrogate for exploring the dungeon, she was one of the reasons why I continued watching the show. The side characters like the elf in the painting add additional story hooks to be explored, and bring an air of mystery to the world. The show understands character driven comedy. The comedic moments in this series work best when theyre used as moments of characterizationbetween the main cast. Now you might think after all this that at least the action might be good, but it's alright. The staff at trigger are good at using exaggerated character movement, but havent had a real chance to shine yet. I have been surprised by this series, and look forward to continuing it.

Three episodes in, I am enjoying the adaption of one of my favorite manga series. Trigger really is a good pick for this. At first I had my doubts, considering Trigger usually is more known for their action-heavy shows that it was hard for me to see how they'd handle a more slower-paced series like Dungeon Meshi. Then I found out they animated one of the promos for the Manga. If I remember it was the promo for volume 9. Guess it they were just a natural pick at that point.

Anyways. Episode 3 is definitely the most Trigger ... episode so far. Guessing it's gonna be like this for the more action-heavy parts of this series. The action was good and the humor is on point. Like the manga, these early stories are still going to be slow-paced, so I'm still looking forward to them getting to the neat gritty stuff later on. Hopefully the anime will go far enough to the red-dragon fight and more.

I've watched both sub and dub for this. Gotta say the dub is alright. Some of the deliveries do feel a bit flat, especially for Marcille's dub. Though I do understand it's her first role, so I hope it improves. I am watching the episodes subbed first, and the voices they picked out is spot on. Basically the voices I imagined whenever I was reading the manga.

As episode 3 has the hallmarks of Trigger animation, the action is very dynamic and fun to watch. However, it ends up with the characters going off-model. It ain't bad, I understand it's to keep it very dynamic, I'm just not a big fan characters going off-model in anime. Though that's probably due to me being a manga-reader first, which has an obvious coherency to it. Whereas the Anime will have different directors per episode.

Dungeon Meshi—a culinary adventure of monstrous proportions that tantalizes the taste buds and challenges the imagination. Join me as we venture into the labyrinthine depths of this peculiar anime:

Have you ever gazed upon the remains of a defeated slime and pondered its gastronomic potential? If so, Dungeon Meshi promises to satisfy your curiosity and then some. In a world where monsters are not only adversaries but also ingredients, our intrepid band of adventurers embarks on a quest to save a comrade trapped within the belly of a fearsome dragon. Yet, amidst their perilous journey, they face a peculiar dilemma: to dine or to delve deeper ... into the dungeon's depths.

As someone who has never harbored a particular fondness for food anime, Dungeon Meshi initially seemed like a culinary odyssey beyond my realm of interest. However, at the insistence of a friend, I acquiesced—and I must say, I found myself pleasantly surprised.

The premise is as whimsical as absurd—a party of adventurers, short on funds and long on hunger, resort to feasting upon the creatures they seek to conquer. Yet, beneath its humorous veneer lies a tale of camaraderie and resilience, where banter and culinary escapades punctuate the perilous journey into the unknown.

The characters, each with their quirks and idiosyncrasies, form a delightful ensemble that plays off each other with comedic flair. Their interactions, infused with wit and camaraderie, lend depth to the narrative and keep the audience engaged.

However, amidst the gastronomic escapades and camaraderie, one cannot help but feel a pang of concern for the urgency of their mission. Indeed, the time spent concocting monster cuisine often eclipses the urgency of their quest to save a friend from the jaws of a dragon. This incongruity adds a layer of whimsy to the narrative yet also raises eyebrows at the characters' priorities.

In conclusion, Dungeon Meshi is a delightful romp through a world where culinary curiosity knows no bounds. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea—or bowl of monster stew—it offers a whimsical escape for those willing to indulge in its peculiar charms. So, if you find yourself craving a taste of the absurd, why not venture into the dungeon's depths and join the feast?

Update: After completing the series, I will stand true to my conclusion. This is a solid 8/10. It is an escape from normalcy and a stand-alone anime for one to enjoy.

It starts off with a Bang but slows down immensly to introduce us to the world.
To know how the dungeon works, what it actualy is and what creatures lurk inside stays important to the story so far.

For now we have:
1. Some interesting characters, each with their own motivations, stories and goals.
2. A massive world which gets even more interesting as the anime progresses.
3. Some well animated action and
4. Some well drawn and deliscious looking food.

What I like most about this one is:
... 1. Characters who have an ACTUAL STORY
2. The humour
3. The mostly tasteful fanservice
4. That it feels like good old fashioned fantasy
5. There doesn't seem to be massively overpowered stuff yet

So, if you like fantasy that isn't Isekai,
enjoy characters who arent as bland as white bread and actualy bleed,
get hungry from well drawn food,
have the attention span to not get bored when there is 5 minutes of dialogue
and like surprises
then I recommend you give it a try.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have so far.