Netflix’s Hit Fantasy Anime Has A Surprisingly Relevant Real-World Message

Netflix‘s acclaimed new fantasy anime series, Delicious in Dungeon, continues to earn praise for its inventive blend of adventurer fantasy and gourmet themes. The voice actor portraying protagonist Laios Touden offers a special reason for fans to check out the show that has real-world implications.

Yoshihiro Miyajima’s Delicious in Dungeon, which adapts Ryoko Kui’s popular manga by the same name, follows the joys and sorrows of Laios, Marcille, Chilchuck, and Senshi, a group of dungeon adventurers who set out to rescue Laios’ sister, Falin, who was eaten by a dragon during an earlier adventure. Lacking the cash to fund a standard dungeon delve, the team decides to save money by living off the food they can find in the dungeon, rather than securing rations beforehand.

In addition to the common threats and risks of a dungeon adventure, the problem for Laios’ party is that relying on a “dungeon diet” means getting used to consuming foods they would normally consider disgusting or not fit for consumption. Fortunately, Senshi is an exceptional cook with a talent for converting the nastiest foods into palatable and nutritious dishes – but even that might not be enough.

Delicious In Dungeon Shows There’s More To Food Than Just Cooking And Eating

Produced by Trigger, based on the manga by Ryoko Kui

In an exclusive wide-ranging interview for Anime News Network, Kentaro Kumagai, the voice actor for Laios, discussed what the “main appeal” of the anime was and why he believed people should be watching it. While it wouldn’t be surprising for Kumagai to parrot the official studio line, his response was not only refreshing but also revealed his genuine interest, understanding, and reading of the manga. Based on the interview, it’s safe to say that Kumagai would have been a fan of the series whether he got the role or not.

According to Kumagai, while fans should be attracted to the unique setting of the series, such as its creative mixture of fast-paced action with the culinary artistry that is common in the best anime about food, the real interesting element is its exploration of how the characters survive the arduous conditions of the dungeon and the importance of food in their efforts to persist.

Kumagai argues that although – as the title suggests – the anime’s focus is on the art of food-making under treacherous conditions and the enjoyment of its product, the most interesting aspect of the anime is what viewers can learn about the fundamental – and diverse – role that food plays in a person’s life beyond satisfying hunger. This is further confirmation that what makes Delicious in Dungeon truly stand out is its worldbuilding.

Delicious in Dungeon Is Deeper Than It Looks

For those viewers whose initial interest in the series was either for its dungeon action-adventure elements or its focus on gourmet cooking and culinary culture, Kumagai’s unique perspective offers a new and unexpected viewpoint that should not be ignored. In fact, a major theme in the series is revealing the dungeon as a perfectly balanced ecosystem that mirrors the outside word, and demands respect and understanding from the creatures who inhabit or explore it.

Indeed, at the very least, Kumagai’s comments illustrate that there’s more than meets the eye in Delicious in Dungeon and Netflix viewers should be happy to explore this series in depth.

Watch on Netflix