There has been A LOT of hype surrounding ‘Dungeon Meshi’ for a long while now. When it was announced that Studio Trigger would be at the helm, I and many others were pleasantly surprised. But also maybe a tad bit confused. It is not a typical show for them to pick up, but many figured there was no reason why they wouldn’t slay this adaptation.
If the first episode is any indication of how the rest of the series will go, it is safe to say we are in for a treat.
Right out of the gate, we get a hand-drawn dragon battle. C’MON! And it looks fantastic. Bravo to Trigger veteran Yoshigaki Yusuke for serving as Animation Director for this episode. We are also graced with a lovely art style that neatly blends the original work’s look with Trigger’s known flare.
I cannot talk about how this show looks without mentioning its harmonious color palette. Very warm and cozy. And oh yeah, the food looks INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS.
Luckily for us, this show has way more to offer than it’s looks. We are quickly presented with fun characters who help to bring this world to life. There are great dynamics between each cast member, and they all possess such peak comedic timing. Thanks to them, I have already found a new appreciation for adventuring and dungeon crawling. Hearing about the anatomy of a slime has never sounded so interesting. I foresee Marcille being a contender for many Best Girl lists by year’s end.
One of the less focused on, but more intriguing aspects of this show to me is its presentation of some interesting philosophical questions. What is the nature of death in this series? While the mission is to rescue Laios’s little sister from being eaten by a dragon, they do not appear to be in the biggest of hurries to ensure she does not get digested. Marcille also thinks about her “first” death being to a slime. What about eating a monster who has recently ingested a human? Does that border cannibalism? We shall see if these topics come to head but if not, they are still fun to think about in the background of the action.
Dungeon Meshi has gotten off to a fine start, with room to grow into something special. And wouldn’t you know, Netflix is NOT botching the release so far! We are actually getting a simulcast. At this time it is unclear if the 24 episodes announced will cover a full adaptation, or if there will be more after this but feel free to pop back in here every week to get my thoughts on each episode. Oh, and shoutout BUMP OF CHICKEN!
