Welcome back to Manga Unmasked! In this series, we take a deep dive into the various manga series available in our collection. So, whether you're already a fan of manga or just a curious reader, we hope you might learn a little about your next potential reading obsession. In this edition, we're dungeon diving and looking for... dinner? Monsters are on the menu in Delicious in Dungeon.
Check out more manga explored with the Manga Unmasked series—My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, Sailor Moon, Wolf Children: Ame & Yuki, One-Punch Man, and One Piece.
Dungeon Diving
Delicious in Dungeon—or Dungeon Meshi—is a seinen* fantasy comedy manga written and illustrated by Ryoko Kui. It was first serialized in February 2014 by Enterbrain's magazine Harta, publishing a total of 97 chapters. The last chapter was published in September 2023. Volumes 13 and 14, released in December 2023, wrap up the series.
*Seinen manga is generally marketed to young adult men but can be enjoyed by anyone.
Prior to Delicious in Dungeon, Ryoko Kui wrote and illustrated a few shorter works including The Dragon's School Is on Top of the Mountain (2011), Seven Little Sons of the Dragon: A Collection of Seven Stories (2011), and Terrarium in a Drawer (2013).
Netflix announced the production of Delicious in Dungeon anime in August 2022. Studio Trigger produced the anime set to release in two cours in January 2024.
Delicious in Dungeon has won multiple awards including first place for Takarajimasha's "This Manga is Amazing!" 2016 edition and first in FreeStyle's "The Best Manga 2016: Read This Manga!", and received a Manga Taisho nomination in 2019.
Stuff of Legend
Legend says a strange man appeared in the catacombs beneath a small village. He claimed to be the king of a fallen golden country sealed away underground by a crazed magician. Should anyone challenge the depths of the dungeon and defeat the magician, the golden country is theirs. With that, the man crumbled to dust.
It is deep in this dungeon that a certain adventuring is trounced by a dragon before being teleported out without any gear, money, or... food. To save their leader's sister, Falin, who was eaten by the dragon, the adventuring party must dive back into the dungeon with only the clothes on their backs, the weapons and magic they have on hand, and forage for food among the monsters and other fantastical creatures living in its depths. Good thing they find an expert dungeon cook to join them.
Adventuring Party
Laios Touden
Species: Tall-man
Laios Touden is the party leader and a skilled swordsman usually outfitted in plate armor, gauntlets, and boots. He is a capable leader and knowledgeable about the monsters in the dungeon, in part thanks to his favorite childhood book The Dungeon Gourmet Guide, but his lack of tact and some social skills sometimes frustrates or confuses others.
His party members find his enthusiasm for surviving off of the monsters in the dungeon... a little concerning, but they still follow his lead.
Marcille Donato
Species: Half-elf
Marcille Donato is a half-elf mage and an original member of Touden's party. She is a skilled magic-user and loyal but is a bit high-strung. Her usual dungeon outfit includes a blue dress and cowl and she wields a magic staff.
She does not want to start eating monsters, but reluctantly tries it when offered Senshi's cooking.
Chilchuck Tims
Species: Half-foot
Chilchuck Tims is a half-foot—like a halfling or hobbit—and an original member of Touden's party. He functions as the party rogue, finding traps and picking locks for the other members.
He is considered tall for a half-foot and his usual dungeon diving gear includes a brown vest and gloves. He is more open to eating dungeon monsters than Marcille, but he draws a hard line at demi-human monsters.
Senshi
Species: Dwarf
Senshi is a dwarf warrior who has spent the last decade learning how best to cook and eat dungeon monsters. He readily shares his knowledge and cooking skills when he sees the adventuring party struggling to come up with a way to eat in the first level of the dungeon.
Senshi admires the natural ecosystem of the dungeon and insists on only taking what they need and no more. He also clashes with Marcille, insisting she not use her magic to damage the environment.
- Delicious in Dungeon Volumes
**This list includes a brief summary of the events in each book. Here there be spoilers, so read the later summaries at your own risk.
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1 by Ryoko Kui
When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions... and a member!
They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!"
Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons... none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 2 by Ryoko Kui
With the possibility of starvation as a constant companion, Laios' party continues advancing deeper into the Dungeon.
The adventurers have made it to the third floor but only rotting zombies, ghastly spirits, living paintings, and golems await them—all of them absolutely inedible.
After coming this far by adapting and learning how to live off the dubious bounties of the Dungeon, how will they manage when even the meanest monster won't make a decent meal?
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 3 by Ryoko Kui
New dangers and new recipes await the party in the third installment of the utterly unique and endearing Delicious in Dungeon!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 4 by Ryoko Kui
The time has come! Showdown with the Red Dragon!!!
After finally reaching the fifth floor, it's time for the adventurers to face their greatest challenge yet. They're putting their lives on the line in a fight with a monster with a crimson hide that turns away even the toughest steel and a fiery breath that turns even bones to ash.Can they save Laios's sister? ...And maybe just as importantly, can they eat dragon meat?!?
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 5 by Ryoko Kui
The party has defeated the Red Dragon and rescued Farin! But their quest won't be finished until they make it back out of the dungeon unscathed. The adventure's not complete until everyone returns alive... and full!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 6 by Ryoko Kui
It's eat or be eaten... literally!
Joined By Shuro's and Kabru's parties, the group has swelled in size, making for triple the mouths to feed! Food is scarce on the lower levels, but even so, the newcomers aren't quite the adventurous eaters Laios and his party have become. Their disgust turns to rage when Laios reveals the forbidden magic used to revive Falin—and Falin, in her shocking new form, reveals herself. If word gets out, the consequences for Laios and his friends will be terrible, but that's only if they make it out of this dungeon!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 7 by Ryoko Kui
Massive changes in the dungeon have drawn out new monsters for Laios and his party to take on—and taste! But the shift has attracted the attention of the western elves, whose intervention could spell further trouble not only for Laios, but also for everyone on the island! Facing the threat of the Lunatic Magician from within and the elves from without, the adventurers must rally as a team like never before, especially when forced to confront a beast straight out of Senshi's nightmares!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 8 by Ryoko Kui
In the dungeon, one false step can be the difference between life and death...or elf and dwarf?! The changeling mushrooms have done their work, leaving Laios and company radically altered, transformed from one race to another! The journey into the heart of the dungeon was never going to be easy, but with new senses, strengths, and statures to contend with, the mission seems more daunting than ever. Thankfully their sense of taste doesn't seem to have been affected!!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 9 by Ryoko Kui
Laios nears the bottom of the dungeon and his inevitable confrontation with Sissel, the lunatic lord of its labyrinthine halls. In a succubus-induced slumber, Laios comes face-to-face with the winged lion, the source of Sissel’s power. Laios knows only that the lion is held captive by Sissel in the dungeon’s depths, but it could be the Canaries know a great deal more…With their centuries of experience, the elves’ knowledge could shed some light on the truth of the dungeon and its master—or prove to be Laios’s undoing…!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 10 by Ryoko Kui
Led to Sissel’s threshold by the winged lion imprisoned within it, Laios and friends steel themselves for…some heavy-duty cleaning?!
Sissel’s seemingly innocuous cottage is piled with clutter, hindering both their search for the lion and their meal prep!
Once satiated, the party hastily lays plans for Falin’s rescue. However, here in the depths of the dungeon, even the cutest residents have a vicious streak a mile wide!
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Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 11 by Ryoko Kui
Locked in battle with the Lunatic Magician, Laios is the last man standing against an array of the dungeon’s deadliest dragons.
Using his extensive monster knowledge to his advantage, Laios manages to defy the odds of almost certain death—at least until Sissel devises an even more terrible plan!
Will Laios’s love of dungeon dining prove to be his downfall?
More to come!
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Anime is now on Netflix!
Staff Reviews
Charissa: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Delicious in Dungeon is a delightfully funny series. If you like fantasy or Dungeons & Dragons, it is a great adventuring read.