Robin Moon
As the days get colder, the nights get longer, and blankets get brought out once again, a lot of us crave cozy TV shows to keep us company in the autumn and winter months. Fantasy of the cozy kind, in particular, has seen a huge boost in recent years across a few types of media. Although books are probably the main source of this subgenre, it has crept into other areas such as television and anime. If you are the type of person who seeks coziness in the chillier seasons (or any time of year, for that matter), well, have I got a recommendation for you: Delicious in Dungeon!
Originally a manga series created by Ryoko Kui, Delicious in Dungeon is a fantasy anime series focused on a party of adventurers who cook and eat monsters. Yeah, you read that correctly. Laios, one of the central characters, leads the party back into the dungeon after his sister, Falin, is eaten by a red dragon, with the intention of defeating it so they can release her before she is digested. However, due to most of the party’s resources having been left behind from their first endeavour in the dungeon, Laios suggests sustaining themselves by eating the monsters they fight throughout the journey. Naturally, everyone thinks he’s a bit mad at first, but along with the help of friendly dwarf and talented cook Senshi, the party ends up settling down to some pretty tasty meals, regardless of their beastliness.
Despite some intense adventures and wider high-stakes plot, I’d consider Delicious in Dungeon to be part of the cozy fantasy subgenre, as each episode revolves around acquiring and preparing the food for a meal (or two). The animation of said meals is so mouth-watering, it almost makes you forget what weird creatures they constitute! As for the party itself, the combination of distinctive personalities, such as cautious, intelligent spellcaster Marcille, and stoic, sneaky rogue Chilchuck, leads to some amusing moments between them. It’s a cast of characters that are incredibly easy to root for, adding to the overall charm of the show.
As a fantasy fan, some of the worldbuilding elements of Delicious in Dungeon absolutely delight me. You’ve got your variety of races and species, such as “tallman” (human) and “half-foot” (halfling) alongside classic elves and dwarves, but it’s the unique aspects of the world that really stand out. Bugs that disguise themselves as treasure, golems doubling up as vegetable patches, dryads that cause hay fever… Episode 3, ‘Living Armor’, is a fantastic example of a creature concept, which I won’t spoil here, but do look out for it!
So, get your pyjamas on, grab a blanket, and start bingeing Delicious in Dungeon for some cozy autumn vibes. My recommendation though: make food to have while watching, as it’s sure to make you hungry!
