Delicious in Dungeon makes a hearty meal out of fantasy dungeon crawling

destructoid.com:

I’d like to think that everyone who’s played an RPG has wondered what its fantastical creatures might look like on a plate. If you try to show me someone who hasn’t ever thought about eating a Pokémon, I will show you a liar. And it’s that bold adventuring spirit that Delicious in Dungeon, which recently debuted on Netflix, simmers to perfection.

Based on the manga Delicious in Dungeon (or Dungeon Meshi) by Ryōko Kui, the Netflix anime adaptation has a powerhouse behind it with Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia studio Trigger. For anime fans, that might be enough to whet your appetite.

Laios, Chilchuck, and Marcille are members of an adventuring party, trying to traverse a mysterious labyrinth. It all started when the land split and a catacomb emerged. From there, a man dragged himself forward, declaring himself the ruler of a once-golden land, sunken underground by a mad mage. He promised his treasure to whoever could successfully defeat the sorcerer, before turning to dust.

Naturally, dungeon-diving became a booming profession. But after a particularly rough fight with a giant dragon, Laios and crew are left with almost nothing, and his sister Falin soon to be devoured by said dragon. Down a few members and out on their luck, the party needs to find a way to make it back and save their party member, before the worst can happen.

By itself, that’s a decent set-up. But what makes Delicious in Dungeon so appetizing isn’t just a good quest. It’s what they discover on the way down. Because if you’re going to kill some monsters, and eat some food, why not combine the two?

RPGs have frequently used food as a resource to meter out progression. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a recent example, with a full long rest requiring a certain