By Raena Hunter Doty Arts & Features Editor For fans of anime, “Delicious in Dungeon” was one of the big events of the first half of 2024. The Netflix original, usually referred to by the Japanese name “Dungeon Meshi” among fans, tells the story of a rather unconventional party of travelers in a Medieval-esque fantasy world. The story follows a group of characters exploring deep into a dungeon to save one of their friends from death by dragon after they get separated - and because of the time-sensitive nature of their task, they decide to forgo buying food and instead scavenge and hunt within the dungeon. Essentially, they eat monsters. If this sounds gross to you, you aren’t alone. Given the emphasis on food, it’s no wonder worldbuilding is such a standout aspect of this anime. Most stories aren’t written for people who want to know about the socioeconomic landscape of medieval fantasy environments and how these conditions ultimately spring from the natural environment - so if that’s your thing, you’re definitely in for a treat with “Delicious in Dungeon.” But it goes further than that. The story never feels like it’s dwelling on the worldbuilding unnecessarily, because the spectacular characters are so deeply linked to the environments from which they came and in which they live. The diverse range of characters allows viewers to explore the worldbuilding in full. Most prominently, there’s a diversity in how they feel about eating monsters - from Senshi, who does it as an act of respect for the dungeon, to Laios, who’s incredibly curious about a world that he’s not been part of, to Marcille, whose somewhat conservative view of monsters lead her to complain about basically any development in the party’s diet. The diversity exists on several axes, as well. The characters are all different Tolkien-esque species - human, elf, half-foot, and dwarf, among others - and they all have different skills, from trap disarming to sword fighting to, of course, cooking. One axis of the anime’s diversity that I particularly like is that the existence of different species doesn’t replace racial diversity. “Delicious in Dungeon” confronts how its sophisticated worldbuilding of the socioeconomic and geographic landscapes would create a world with wildly different cultures that may not always live in harmony with one another. But just because the worldbuilding has serious elements, don’t think this anime is only for those who can stomach dark worldbuilding. At its core, “Delicious in Dungeon” is a story about a party of characters who could come straight from a “Dungeons & Dragons” campaign played over a Discord call or someone’s kitchen table. The story is funny. Scratch that - the story is hilarious. Though it certainly has depth and at times becomes downright disturbing, the tone is balanced and reflects the events of the story well. And as flawed as the characters are, they’re loveable, as well. Whenever someone makes a mistake, it feels deeply rooted in who they are and where they came from, and though you may not like everyone, it’s easy to find someone to root for. Aside from the story and worldbuilding, the art style is also incredible and perfectly complements the tone of the anime, and the voice actors - both the original Japanese actors and the English dub actors - deliver their performances with humor and emotional weight, when appropriate. The designs are brilliant, the character backstories are perfectly balanced between serious and ridiculous (I’m thinking specifically of Chilchuck when I say that), and the food will make your mouth water - at least as long as you don’t get the ick from the idea of eating basilisks or giant frogs. Fans of “Dungeons & Dragons,” food buffs, worldbuilding lovers, and basically anyone who likes a good story will love “Delicious in Dungeon.” If you fall into any of those categories, I can’t recommend this anime enough. Rating: A+ Chef’s kiss