Dungeon Meshi
Delicious in Dungeon

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Comedic drama that exceeded my expectations. You can tell it was written by someone who really loves the characters she made and the world-building. So many moments I laughed out loud, but at the same time, a really meaningful story with lots of different themes of consumption and exploitation namely. Autism will save the world.

Kui I think took a lot of inspiration from works like Tolkien directly and not just RPGs. Rarely do you find a good subversion of the RPG fantasy genre, so this series is a complete diamond. If you like interesting and well-thought-out character design, then this one is for you. Really ... good entry level manga, so recommend it to the fantasy lover in your life.

I feel like there's three major arcs in Dungeon Meshi, and these will help readers decide if they want to stick with the manga.

The first arc feels almost like it's a Dungeon and Dragon's companion, while it might not be directly based on D&D, it's mostly about a party of adventurers in a dungeon, needing to find food, and thus cooking monsters. If you're already a D&D fan, you might enjoy this section the most, but I feel like it's the roughest part of the series.

The biggest issue is that while the main story line is introduced in the first chapter, it's ... almost immediately dropped and so much of the story is "What are we eating today". Monster appears, quick fight (though chapters are of a decent length so there's a bit of action) and then the party sit down while the cook makes something and displays it.

While I really loved Shokugeki no Soma where everything was something that was over engineered, but potentially realistic, Dungeon Meshi clearly lives in the fantasy world, but still has minor pieces about interesting techniques. You won't learn how to cook here, but it's not intending you to and that's kind of the problem with this Arc. It seems more intended to delight Tabletop RPG players, or people so immersed in fantasy that they might discuss how a Basilisk and Cockatrice differ, or how to properly cut up one.

For me this was by far the weakest part of the manga, but also the one truest to the name of the manga.

About a third of the way through the manga, the real story finally hits it's stride, and it comes suddenly. The main thread of the manga is picked up but food still is very critical to the party. The story is well done the writing is excellent, and there's still a strong food theme. This is definitely the part of the manga that I would easily recommend, and if the manga started here, I probably could have even given it a 8 or maybe 9.

The thing is, when Dungeon Meshi wants to tell a larger story they can, and even while it becomes over convoluted, there's enough interesting stories that every chapters is engaging.

But with three arcs, there's always going to be a third one, and here... It's a mix. Ultimately the final third of the book loses a lot of what made me love this manga. It's pass the point of no return, readers need to finish the story, and unlike Shokugeki no Soma (which falls off hard), this arc is still well written, and engaging, but oddly enough I feel like the cooking and food becomes forgotten, or just thrown in enough to satisfy fans.

Again the writing isn't terrible, and there's a lot of interesting action and occurrence, but there's a little more plot convivence, and a lot of characters seem to be persuaded by words just because they have to do something that they might not normally do.

The thing is, I don't hate this section of the manga, but it's really obvious that the writer was wrapping up the manga, and it just took a very long time to do so.

I Believe each of these main arcs are about 30 chapters long, and I feel the weakest arc is the first arc, but I also think the change doesn't exactly benefit the manga, as it would have been lovely to have a strong story the entire manga, rather than a "McGuffin" that the party is chasing for that opening part. In addition while I see the meaning, if the manga really is about food, meals, or consumption of foodstuff, that could have been handled better in the final arc. I do see where that's attempted, but I also think there could have been a stronger connection to the story, rather than it being shoehorned in to check a box.

Overall it's a good, not great manga, I'd recommend it, but I would caution readers that they should have some love of RPGs/D&D/fantasy monster based media before jumping into this. Still I enjoyed it, I easily finished and since it's under 100 chapters, I might even read it a second time as the characters are interesting and well done.

Note: Giving this a mixed feelings ONLY because of the heavy focus on "Fantasy Dungeon monsters" early on. I feel like if I wasn't already interested in D&D I probably would have given this a pass.

Second Note: This only has 97 chapters.

I don't often give the “Not Recommended” tag, but I'll be honest: I do not believe Dungeon Meshi is worth the read. While it presents interesting morals and a unique take on exploring dungeons, and does have its upsides, there are plenty of better reads out there.

With that said, let’s explore what this manga is about and the themes it seeks to convey. We’ll discuss whether the beginning is misleading, how it approaches its key themes, and how effectively it utilizes the major elements of the medium to tell its story.

So, what is this show about?

At its core, Dungeon Meshi deals with the dichotomy between ... desire and death, which, within its setting of food and dungeons, is not a bad idea. Food, as the most basic representation of desire, ties into the theme naturally, while dungeons—a staple of danger and reward in fantasy—become the perfect backdrop for exploring this concept.

The idea itself is solid, and the manga delivers a surprising level of realism, especially with the meals and detailed monster biology. However, by the end, this realism begins to fall apart, and the themes are too shallow to make up for it. Desire versus death is one of the most thought-provoking themes in literature, but Dungeon Meshi ultimately doesn't add anything new to the conversation. At best, it serves as another metaphor, but not one that leaves a lasting impact.

First things later, let’s talk art direction.

There’s nothing particularly unique in terms of character design. While it might stand out compared to some other anime or manga, most characters resemble generic class templates you'd find in an older RPG. Their race characteristics are exaggerated, and few characters truly feel distinct.

On the positive side, some panels are beautifully detailed, especially when it comes to the food, which is mouthwateringly rendered and supports the core theme. The art picks up toward the conclusion, offering a better balance between “meh” and impressive panels. Unfortunately, the flow of the panels is inconsistent, which might hurt the pacing for some readers.

In terms of world-building, Dungeon Meshi's art doesn't particularly excel, but the focus on monster biology adds a unique touch.

So, how does it start?

The first volume is dense, with a lot of text and some creative, albeit not very fluid, paneling. It does have a more episodic nature than the last volumes, but does reflect a good portion of the narrative, which has a similar structure.

The quality is inconsistent, too. The first volume isn’t quite a masterpiece, but is pretty good. However, the series pivots direction multiple times, making it somewhat misleading for new readers. You might enjoy the start but dislike what comes later, so I can't confidently recommend using the first volume to gauge the whole series.

What about the characters?

The characters feel quite artificial. Somehow, they know very little about their fellow adventurers, and when they do know something, it often feels contrived. They keep secrets from one another without any real reason and share personal information without any caution. This becomes particularly jarring since there’s nothing in their personalities that justifies this behavior, and it even contradicts the traits of certain characters.

Miscommunication is almost a theme in this manga. Many plot points hinge on characters failing to communicate. While it works for someone like Laius (the main guy) due to his bashful nature, it doesn’t make sense for calmer, more collected characters. The narrative takes unnecessary detours because of these forced miscommunications.

What about the story itself?

The story is primarily episodic. You encounter a monster, learn about its biology and habits, then enjoy a well-drawn, tasty meal. That’s the formula, though eventually, the manga starts moving away from it. Some episodes take longer to get to the meal, while others focus on political matters or an important foe that needs to be dealt with.

Despite its flaws, the immersion is fairly strong, especially when it comes to the inner workings of the dungeon and the monsters’ way of life.

Then, what did I think of it as a whole?

Dungeon Meshi offers an average plot with well-executed realism and solid immersion, but its glaring flaws—especially in character development and thematic depth—hold it back. It ultimately relies too much on its core themes, and unfortunately, they don’t carry enough weight to make the experience truly worthwhile.