We truly live in a golden age of anime, when any major manga that’s able to win a following of fans can expect to see a major anime release. I’ve been watching Dungeon Meshi (aka Delicious in Dungeon) on Netflix, and it’s become one of my favorite shows of the season!
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Dungeon Meshi follows a party of adventurers who have gotten teleported out of a dungeon and lost all their money and gear. Fighter Laios, elf healer Marcille and halfling thief Chilchuck want to get back into the dungeon so they can rescue Laios’s sister, but because they have no food, they’ll need to kill and eat creatures in the dungeon if they want to keep from starving. Happily, they encounter Senshi, a dwarf who lives in the dungeon and has a special passion for dungeon cuisine.
Seven Reasons Why Dungeon Meshi is the Perfect Anime
Dungeon Meshi is Super Relaxing
There are plenty of anime with dramatic and intense stories, but this isn’t it. Instead, we get interesting characters solving problems in a dungeon, which inevitably involves cooking and eating the various monsters that live there.
The Show Offers “Food Fan Service”
While I love me some fan service in anime, it’s also fun to switch off that part of my brain and enjoy whatever exotic monster dish they’re going to serve up in the next episode. The manga contains the actual recipes, in case you have access to mandrake and walking mushrooms and want to try your hand at making the dishes.
Lots of Dungeons and Dragons References
Like many of you, I spent my high school days playing AD&D with my friends, so a story about a classic party of adventurers is super enjoyable to watch.
Outstanding Animation and Soundtrack
The animation is being done by Trigger. We can easily tell how passionate the creators are about the original manga. Also, the soundtrack seems ridiculously good for a show about cooking.
Every Scene with Marcille is Great
She’s a great character, and every scene with her in it is ridiculously charming. Elves are a proud and noble race…they are not lewd!
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Netflix Actually Did Something Right!
As an anime blogger, I’m often criticizing Netflix for not doing right by anime fans. Anime is a gold mine for streaming companies because it’s so cheap to produce, around $2 million for a 13-episode series compared with $11 million for a single episode of a major action show like The Boys. And yet, Netflix is often the platform where anime goes to die.
When they’re not putting a popular series in “Netflix jail” for three months to allow time for English dubs to be made, which kills whatever buzz the show was building outside of Japan, they’re dumping the whole series at once. Or failing to promote major anime releases like Jojo part 6. But with Dungeon Meshi, Netflix seems to have gotten everything right!
- They made the local dubs ahead of time, so fans can choose to watch the show subbed or dubbed without an annoying delay.
- They’re releasing the episodes weekly, which is required for an anime show to create more and more buzz each week. The binge model does not work for anime.
- They did what they should always do, backing up a truck full of money and giving it to a great animation studio, then leaving them alone to work. Do more of this, Netflix!
It Reminds Us That Anime Brings us All Together
Browsing through all the fan art and reactions to the show (and manga) on social media, there are hundreds of posts by fans from other countries showing the love they have for the characters. Having the whole world united through manga and anime really makes me smile.
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J-List is having a big Halloween Sale that gives you spooky savings on all in-stock products that ship from Japan. You get the discount automatically with no coupon code to enter! The sale goes through October 31st. Start browsing here!
